Here today, Gorn Tomorrow

Posted on Sat Jul 6th, 2024 @ 4:33pm by Lieutenant Commander Kelly Kerrigan & Lieutenant Calliope Ito & Lieutenant JG Nasir Patel

1,663 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Lacertae Mortis

ON:

The star filled sea spread before them. Her eyes looked out at the vast horizon knowing that it was never truly where it looked to be. Space was huge and unending and held so much. It was cold yet held thousands of suns and lives, inspiring a fire within them to explore and know. It had been part of the reason she joined the fleet to see the stars to get away and find some peace and she had for the most part.

In her mind, as the ship got closer to the Gorn relay she was saying goodbye, just in case she wasn't lucky. She looked over at her shuttlemate. "Thirty minutes out." There was a pause. "Are you ready? Maybe we should come up with a plan."

Nasir turned in his seat. "I'm ready as ever," he said confidently. "The objective is simple enough locate and disable it, destroy it. Without it, it will cause issues for the Gorn. Disrupting their communications in this region is necessary."

He looked at her. "Did you have something specific in mind. I want to hit them hard and fast before any Gorn vessels can show up to stop us" he added.

"Actually I may. Hard and fast is good but this we can do this fast and quiet. I've been scanning their patrols since we got in scanner range. There is a gap we can use to get in and get it disabled and get out. We would have about a forty five minute gap and we need about thirty five to get things done....so cutting it close."

The tactical officer liked the tactics of this plan. "Alright then, let's proceed that way. Good find" he said to her. "We will shave off time where we can. Maybe scan for somewhere to hide? If they show up, they will expect us to have run away. What if we don't?"

She grinned. "Got it." Her hands few over the console. "How about over here." She pointed at the panel. "Small moon like asteroid mining facility looks to be underground but the dark side has enough of a shield that it would hide our signature. Plus....if we have to run it would work as a distraction."

"We take out what we came to do, make haste towards that moon. We can land and cut power for a bit, that should keep us hidden while the Gorn pass."

"Sounds good to me. One thing is there are three Gorn on the Coms array....we'll have to figure things out about that."

Nasir looked at her. "Diversion tactic?" he inquired. The two should be able to come up with something.

"It's got to be on the opposite end of the array housing." She thought a moment. "I think we should have brought a third. As it stands we have to split up."

The tactical officer smirked. "Oh, you wanted to get out and stretch your legs?" He looked at her. "Cal, can I call you Cal? I have zero intentions on leaving this shuttlecraft. We have more than enough fire power to take out that array in my calculations. Do you have other plans?"

"Yes. I was hoping to disable it hands on. But...brute force could work...and I'd prefer Ito."

"Ito," he said politely. "I wouldn't mind getting our hands on it up close and intimately, but the safest option would be from afar."

She studied him. "And you like safe. I believe the phrase is ... live a little."

"Commander Kerrigan expects safe. I simply prefer to get back home" replied the man. "Nothing wrong with that, Ito."

"Can't we kind of do both...." She thought a moment. "Wait I have an idea. Can you refine the phasers to be a little more.....scalpely and less kablamy?"

Nasir nodded. "Yes, I can make them more surgical, Lieutenant, but that generally means providing me with a very precise target. What exactly do you have mind?"

"I need to pry off a bit of the array. I have an idea on how we can get all the data from it and then disable it but...it's a two fold strategy."

A console began chirping up a storm, causing Nasir to turn in his seat. "You better get your two fold strategy together fast, Lieutenant" he quipped as he tapped a command accelerating the shuttle forward.

"Long range sensors detected Gorn signatures" he reported. "I'm taking us to the array. We're going to be coming in hot. Whatever you want to do. We're doing it sooner than I was hoping."

She sighed. "Got it. I'll have everything ready. Get us as close as possible and i'll take it from there."

"I'm on it," he quipped. "Make it count because we aren't going to have very long. Gorn are in the vicinity. They are going to notice once we knock that array out."

She grinned. "Ahh but first we operate then we'll make some noise. I am going to have to get a tiny bit reckless of course."

"Enough foreplay," Nasir groaned. "Time to perform. The stage it yours" he added bringing the shuttle to a reduced speed, slowing to a stop. They had reached the array.

She tossed a paper cup at him. "Mind your mouth. I'll vent you." Her hands flew over the consoles as she took control of the phasers. As promised the laser precision cuts were enough for her to open a small hatch. "I need you to take the forward sensors. I'm gonna do a quick space walk need to attach something and will need you to one, transport me back in exactly 2 minutes and two activate the sensor recorder. Then we run and short circuit the array."

"This is dangerous, Lieutenant, very dangerous" he stated. "Gorn are in close proximity. I can do as you ask, but this may get dicey."

"You want the honey you got to poke the bees." She stood up. "Let's get this done. I have a portable breather. Transport me there and I need two full minutes. Let's get this done."

Nasir moved to another station and tapped away. "I'm ready when you are. Two minutes, not a second more. We can't afford to be off."

She gave a nod and felt the pull of the transporter. It was always a strange feeling being pulled apart and then recreated. Like being reborn. Not many took the time to appreciate that but she did. She'd always imagined that when she'd been put together she was a little stronger each time. Nasir was good, he set her down right where she needed to be and she got to work pulling out wires and adding her little chip to the mix. She tapped her combadge as the chip began to glow. "Activate sensors big data download coming in. Two minutes and pull me out!"

"Got it," he replied and monitored the Gorn presence. "Two minutes is all you are getting. There's a gorn signature moving in...they must have detected us."

"That's a yes. They have back up systems that will alert them." Her hands moved over the the keypads imputing codes. "I can confirm that the shutdown mechanism is active. Is the data stream still coming through?"

He checked. "Affirmative," he replied quickly. "Lieutenant these Gorn are going to right on top of us" he added concerned. He knew they'd only have a breath to escape.

"We're almost there. Entering final code. On my mark get me out of here. Ready?"

"I am and our friends are about to be here too," Nasir reported. "If we are going to do anything, we need to do it now, Lieutenant. "

"Mark, bring me back hit the engines. I'll take care of the rest! Transport now!"

He engaged the transporters and was rocked with a massive hit from Gorn weapons. He has raised shields just in time, uncertain at first of the transport was complete. He didn't look back, taking the helm and setting course.

The shuttle bolted for a place to hide, the placed they had predetermined if things went south. He dropped a distress beacon. "You alive back there?"

The transport had been rocky. This was less rebirth and more into the belly of the beast and out of the demon's ass. The shields had hit the transporter beam but she didn't have time to think about things. Ito ran to the console and imputed the code. "I have con..." She coughed. "I have confirmation of coms array shutdown. Damage will be permanent in twenty five seconds. Did you get a message out to our people?"

"Possible yes....whether it transmitted anything before the Gorn blew it up is a whole other guessing game. Right now I'm more concerned with getting to our hiding spot and waiting for rescue."

"We have one more trick to use." She grinned. "Look up. See that yellow glowing button above you? That's a modification I made. Hit the button and dive out of the way!"

Nasir took a deep breathe. Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti he thought privately as he hit the button and quickly dove out of the way.

The ship gave a shudder and then...nothing. Ito tossed her head back and laughed. "Secondary signal sent and I give you a ten for the dive." She laughed again only to cough.

"Are you insane?!" Nasir shook his head. "Ten? That's...theoretical at best. A disaster at worse" he added. Whatever she had done, the shuttle couldn't take it for more than a fraction of a second.

As the coughing fit took her again a stream of blood poured out of her mouth onto the panel in front. She leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes. "Shields hit the beam...T...this won't end well."

"You're little trick nearly ripped us to pieces" he commented. "We're...I don't even know where. Systems are fried. What happened to you?"

OFF

 

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