The Game's Afoot

Posted on Fri Apr 8th, 2022 @ 4:46pm by Commodore Jacob Kane & Commander N'Garzi Zora & Lieutenant JG FalenvralLi Zh’kyhrihr

Mission: Ares Ascending
Location: Bridge
Timeline: MD-02: 1200hrs
718 words - 1.4 OF Standard Post Measure

The journey hadn't taken long. Kane had felt a little tension at what they were expecting to find when they arrived in the Rondac system. The database indicated a binary star system with no inhabited planets. Tucked away relatively deep in former Cardassian/Dominion space, it had been relatively untouched during the war. Only after the armistice had it been briefly visited by inspectors. Since then, almost nothing pointed to activity there.

The arrival itself was silent. No alarms, no urgent sensor reports. Nothing. Almost eerie.

"Sensor sweep. What are we looking at?" he asked.

Lt Bailey, filling in at the Science station, responded. "No signs of life, Captain. There are remnants of a structure on the surface of one of the planetoids. However..." she flashed up the readouts onto the screen. "I'm seeing an orbital facility as well, which wasn't on the original findings."

The viewscreen changed, almost unprompted, to show them the visual. A Cardassian-styled space station slowly rotated in geosynchronous position above the ruined structures below.

"Negligible power sources. Either it's being masked or the station is powered-down," Bailey explained.

"Any other ships? Ion trails?" Kane asked. She shook her head. He looked over at Commander Zora. "What do you think? Are we here too late? Or do we suspect a trap?"

Zora interlaced her fingers as she studied the information on her screen. "It's possible that they have relocated however, it would be injudicious for us not to suspect a trap, especially knowing the stakes as we do."

Kane mused over the images.

"Ignoring the problem won't help. We'll approach, but cautiously." He motioned for Lt Li at the helm to take them closer.

Li eased Athena closer. There was no sneaking up in open space, but she kept her eyes on sensors and an awareness of possible escape vectors if things went very wrong somehow.

"Registering multiple masked power sources on the facility," Bailey reported. "I'd say they went to great lengths to hide it from long-term sensors. That said, the station is still in a low-power mode. Basic life support, not much else."

"Life signs?" Kane asked.

"There's...something. It's barely registering. Possibly a dampening field, but more likely on low-level life support."

"All right." Kane looked at his XO again. "Let's get a couple of teams together. One team to secure key power and control, the other to check out those life signs." After a moment's pause he added, "I'd like to see this for myself, Commander. After everything we've witnessed so far, it's important we fully understand what's at play. You'll secure the command elements, I'll take the other team."

"What if that's exactly what they're expecting you to do Sir?" She asked, knowing there was little chance of the Captain changing his mind, but knowing that she had to try.

"There's a difference between expecting your opponent to do something and actually countering it," Kane noted. "Lt Commander Shan will take the conn," he declared. "Lieutenants Li and Keating will join Commander Zora and a security detail to secure the main control functions. I will take Lt Zade and a medical team to investigate the biosigns. Assemble in the transporter room in fifteen."

Li clenched her jaw while readying the helm for handover to Shan. It was hard not to think about how things had gone the last time she boarded an orbital with the XO or, for that matter, the time before that with the Captain. Neither had gone well. Maybe this time she would at least be ready for them to not go well. Was that progress?

"What about P'rel?" Zora asked, surprised that the Captain hadn't put the Vulcan on his team.

"She should join the mission," he nodded. In his mind, it was a risk to bring her along. She wasn't much of a team player and they were walking into the unknown. But her knowledge of Rondac and Dominion operations was better than anyone else on board. "If you're uncomfortable with that she can join my team."

Zora smiled. "My duty comes first Sir," she said matter-of-factly. "It's your call, but I feel better with her watching your back. I would like to request that her Cardassian friend joins my team though, his expertise would prove invaluable, especially in a potentially dangerous Cardassian facility."