Actually, I meant "even over a secure channel" - he has a plan he refuses to divulge. Surely you can understand that
I suspect no one on the Dauntless is feeling very secure with that beast of a flagship bearing down on them! Oh, and I'll second what DF said, Captain Astar is doing a nice job of re-establishing herself as The One In Charge.
Chapter Four USS Dauntless Approaching the Badlands June 12th 2380 (Stardate 57447.3) Lieutenant Commander Xeris scowled at the results the captain had just delivered to him. His engineers had performed below expectations during the drills over the last three days and he was going to have to read them the riot act. To add insult to injury, his cache of weapons had been confiscated and would be recycled through the replicator system, but she had allowed him to keep eight items. It was a tough choice but he had a way to get around it, provided certain members of the crew were amenable to it. He muttered a curse and tossed the padd onto his desk, striding out of his office with an expression reminiscent of Zeus prior to the throwing of a thunderbolt. Xeris paused by the warp core and bellowed. ‘In a line, now!’ Twenty-three engineers scurried into view from across two engineering levels and various Jeffries tubes and held themselves in a line. ‘Now listen up, I’ve been a little lenient on you recently, and you’ve been slacking. This isn’t a Corps of Engineers’ ship where you can come and go as you please until the next trouble spot shows up. From now on, you’ll show up for your shift ten minutes early for a roll call, and the first person who’s late gets a week in waste reclamation. Now get back to your duties, dismissed.’ He turned round and returned to his office to think of ways of torturing his engineers when Gonzales’ voice resounded through the intraship com system. ‘All senior officers report to the bridge. We are approaching the Badlands. I repeat, all senior officers to the bridge.’ ‘Great, just great,’ he muttered. ‘Queran, get your Xindi butt out here.’ ‘Sir?’ the Xindi-Arboreal deputy chief engineer answered the summons. ‘I’m going to the bridge and I will monitor things from up there. I want you to be ready to deal with anything that arises. If I call down I want you to do what I tell you straight away, no matter how bizarre it sounds.’ She nodded. ‘Yes sir.’ ‘Good, engineering’s all yours.’ Xeris made his way quickly to the bridge but was still the last one there. All the other senior officers, except the non-existent first officer, were present already. Astar indicated that they should all take their positions and they did so. He moved to the engineering station on the starboard side of the bridge and opened a link with Queran, who was ready to receive instructions. ‘Ensign, how close are we?’ ‘Forty million kilometres and closing,’ Larson replied. ‘Slow to impulse and prepare to follow the convoy inside.’ ‘Aye sir.’ ‘Captain, the evacuees are following the Defiant into the Badlands. Six minutes until the flagship intercepts,’ Gonzales added. ‘The plasma storms are particularly intense in this region, Captain,’ Xeris interjected. ‘I’m strengthening the structural integrity fields and channelling some warp energy into the shield grid. It should provide a small measure of extra protection.’ Astar nodded, watching the viewscreen as the seven convoy vessels began to separate to wind their way through the plasma storms. Xeris glanced at Larson who had called up a storm plot on his console which showed the plasma needles, the convoy and the Defiant. He smiled at the young man’s ingenuity and continued to adjust the engines. ‘The last convoy ship has entered the Badlands, flagship intercept in two minutes.’ Astar didn’t need to be reminded. ‘Ensign, take us in, one half impulse.’ ‘Aye sir, one half impulse.’ ‘Ensign, I’m projecting an optimal course onto your screen now. It’ll automatically update with the new information from the astrometrics lab,’ Gonzales informed Larson. Larson just nodded his head. Xeris looked around and noticed that he hadn’t seen Lieutenant Malling, the new senior science officer. She must be down in the astrometrics lab, lucky woman. It was one of the few pieces of technology that he wasn’t completely familiar with, and it rankled him. Mahtani, Elements rest his soul, didn’t let him anywhere near it and he hoped that Malling might be more amenable to it. ‘The flagship is now entering the Badlands,’ Gonzales said. ‘Shields?’ ‘Shields at maximum,’ Xeris replied. ‘But the plasma storms are interfering with them somewhat.’ ‘To what degree?’ Gonzales asked. He looked at her like she was questioning his abilities. ‘Like the Vorta might get off a lucky shot and hit something vital. The shields are buckling in various spots at random intervals.’ ‘Is it serious?’ ch’Maras asked. ‘Only if we get hit,’ Xeris replied sardonically. The Andorian’s antennae stood straight up but Xeris ignored the feelings of anger directed at him. ‘The flagship is approaching on an assault vector, it looks like it’s aiming for the convoy,’ Gonzales forced everyone’s attention back to the matter at hand. ‘Adjust our course to block them, Ensign,’ Astar ordered. ‘Aye sir, adjusting course to 312 mark 194,’ Larson muttered as he made the correction. ‘The flagship is increasing speed, fifty-six percent impulse.’ ‘Match them.’ ‘Captain, I do not recommend full impulse in the Badlands. The intake manifolds will become clogged if we’re unable to clear them fast enough,’ Xeris added. ‘The flagship is still increasing, now at sixty-three percent impulse.’ ‘Put us directly in their path, Ensign. That convoy must be protected.’ ‘Aye sir.’ Xeris watched the look that passed between Gonzales and the Andorian and sighed. He knew that they were thinking Astar’s behaviour was erratic and that more action might need to be taken, but there was nothing he could do without tipping anyone off. ‘Captain, we’re being hailed,’ Gonzales said, seemingly shocked, but only Xeris could read her that well. ‘Finally, on screen.’ ‘You are interfering in an internal political matter,’ Weyoun spoke with the same obsequious tone she’d heard from the feeds during the war on their side. ‘The Vorta do not belong on this side of the wormhole,’ Astar replied. ‘Why don’t you go back there?’ Weyoun narrowed his eyes, looked off the screen for a second and then nodded. ‘It has been decreed that you be destroyed.’ The screen blanked. ‘They’re firing!’ Gonzales screeched as the polaron beam slammed into the shields.
Is the crew losing their faith in Astar as well? Looks as if Dauntless' commanding officers fail to inspire the people under their command. Even if things appear to be kosher ... appear ...
Astar most definitely has some serious discipline problems--that's the danger of a crew mutinying--even for the best of reasons. Once they get the idea that they can do it, the captain becomes in their eyes little more than primus inter pares who is only able to maintain her position so long as they approve. Astar has got to put this notion to rest--and soon.
OK, I'm now caught up with Dauntless, and I'm definitely enjoying it! It's great to see a non-human leader for once (and I'm guilty of it on part of my own story too ). But boy, is Astar in a tight spot now! I'd say she needs to both win their respect back AND carry a big stick, too--they need to know she'll back up her authority if necessary, yet not look OVER-eager or else she'll come off as insecure and/or a tyrant like Wright. And on THAT note--the image of Smiley O'Brien smashing Wright's nose in made my day.
Chapter Five USS Dauntless The Badlands June 12th 2380 (Stardate 57447.4) Consoles across the bridge sparked and died, the lights flickered and came back on dimmer than before and the ship shook as the shields absorbed an awesome amount of energy. Gonzales maintained her station only by bending over double and clutching the tactical station as if it were an errant child. As the ship righted itself she anticipated her captain’s order and threw auxiliary backup into the shields. The lights came on full again as Queran and Hu’fret did their jobs. She heard Xeris mutter a curse and yell orders down to engineering while Larson and ch’Maras regained their stations and began coordinating with their departments. ‘Status of the convoy?’ Astar asked. ‘Beyond the range of the flagship,’ Gonzales answered. ‘Get us out of here before they fire again.’ ‘Aye sir, the flagship is following us deeper into the Badlands.’ ‘Let them,’ Larson muttered. ‘They’ll never manoeuvre like we can.’ ‘That’s enough, Ensign. Gonzales, fire a couple of torpedoes back at them. Hopefully it will slow them down long enough for us to get away.’ ‘Aye sir, firing.’ ‘Status of the ship?’ ‘A few fried circuits, but nothing my engineers can’t fix,’ Xeris replied. ‘But I wouldn’t recommend getting hit a second time. We’re likely to lose structural integrity in places. That beam caused an extensive power drain on our systems.’ ‘Noted, Commander. Gonzales?’ ‘Direct hit to their forward shields. No damage to their hull.’ ‘Captain, it seems that the Imperium’s polaron beams are more powerful against our shields here,’ ch’Maras said, ‘but not because of their general strength.’ ‘Explain?’ Astar asked, moving toward his station. ‘Because our ship, and everything about it, has a different quantum signature, it interacts with our shields in a different way. It is in fact the only reason our shields stayed intact. Were we the Defiant, the shields would have failed.’ Astar sighed and changed direction for the tactical console. ‘Can we give O’Brien shield enhancements without violating General Order 283?’ Gonzales shook her head. ‘I’d recommend against it, Captain. When we’re gone, the rebels could use whatever we give them against others in the quadrant and bring about a second Terran Empire.’ ‘I don’t think that’ll happen, Commander. General O’Brien seems to have been influenced by Captain Sisko and the others from Deep Space Nine who made it here. He genuinely wants to move forward and not make the same mistakes that his people have made in the past.’ ‘Do you believe you can get the rebels and the Alliance to work together?’ Astar shrugged. ‘They have no choice in the matter. Either they work together or they die. Since the Romulans are also involved, one must also be vigilant of treachery, although I fear it is the same situation that Cardassia was in. The Romulans probably believe that the Imperium can offer them a larger stake in galactic politics, but when the chips are down I think they’ll be betrayed and will lash out.’ ‘Against whom? Those who betrayed them or those or did nothing in their eyes to help them?’ ch’Maras asked. ‘Regardless, I don’t want to be here when that final chapter happens. As long as we can get Regent Martok and General O’Brien to the negotiating table, I’ll consider my work here done. Then we’ll be able to rescue Wright and get back to our own universe.’ ‘I would suggest that we attempt both at once,’ Gonzales said. ‘If Martok was to find out we violated Alliance space after negotiating an alliance, he will feel betrayed. We have to take Wright from under his nose while he’s distracted by the negotiations.’ ‘That could also backfire.’ ‘Then we flee. We have the ability to go home at any time.’ Astar nodded. ‘Where is that ship?’ ‘Still on an intercept course but holding steady at sixty-nine percent impulse power. We’re at seventy-four percent and slowly pulling ahead.’ ‘The convoy?’ ‘Still on course for the target planet.’ ‘Are we going to leave the refugees on that planet when we leave?’ ‘That’s the idea. No unnecessary casualties.’ ‘Captain, we’re being hailed by the flagship.’ ‘On screen.’ Once again, Weyoun’s face appeared on the viewscreen, but he was not smiling. ‘Your defensive systems are capable of withstanding our attack, how?’ Astar hid a grin of her own. ‘Do you really think that we entered this universe without the means to defend ourselves? You’ll find our offensive systems quite capable as well, Weyoun. And you tell your Romulan masters that the rest of the fleet will be availing themselves of our technology.’ Weyoun looked off screen to receive instructions and then cut the channel. ‘Well that didn’t go as planned,’ Astar muttered. ‘Sir?’ ch’Maras called out. ‘The flagship is adjusting course.’ ‘Where are they heading?’ ‘To the Defiant,’ he replied, tying his console in to the astrometrics lab. ‘Xeris, I’m going to need as much impulse power as you can give me,’ she turned to her chief engineer. ‘I’ll be in engineering.’ ‘Mister Larson, coordinate with engineering for your hyper-impulse theory. It may be the only way to prevent an atrocity.’ ‘Aye sir, can I suggest an additional manoeuvre?’ ‘Go ahead.’ ‘We may be able to use the warp engines to generate a plasma needle, and the flagship would be caught in its throes.’ ‘It’s worth a try, permission granted.’ Astar settled back into her seat and looked to her left where the first officer’s seat sat empty. As Larson and Xeris called out their orders and recommendations, she considered the possibilities of recruiting from within. As second officer, Gonzales was the logical choice to replace Wright but Astar didn’t think that the tactical officer was ready for the posting. She would put forward her recommendation and the subsequent shuffle of senior staff and junior officers to Starfleet Command when they returned to their universe, along with an alternate possibility of assigning a new officer to the ranks of the Dauntless from elsewhere within the fleet. ‘Captain, we’re ready,’ Larson said.
Interesting idea, that being in an alternate universe would actually make them stronger! I just have to wonder, though, whether the Rebellion ships would be able to use the enhancements, being natives of the Mirror Universe. And whether their use could induce a dangerous thinning of barriers between the two universes. I would also be interested in seeing more of the workings of the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance. I wonder if, just like Smiley and Spock, there are some people on THAT side who are also decent individuals?
Although, we have seen in DS9 how the "real" universe is somewhat more advanced than the Mirror 'Verse. I'm also curious to see how the Alliance has evolved since it got a taste of the treatment they had been meting out to the Terrans. The Mirror Verse is a brutal universe where even the heroes aren't the nicest of people. One of the big questions that I think will arise here is if the people in that universe ever can get it together or are they destined to a continual Darwinian survival of the fittest struggle?
I really enjoyed the character interplay in these two segments, particularly Xeris tearing into his engineering team. The tension among the senior officers was tangible and their doubts about Astar, troubling. Some very nice tactical stuff too. I'm interested in seeing how (if?) the hyper-impulse theory and plasma needle work.
Or will they unite and coming looking for those who have "interfered" over and over again in the development of their society(s)? Something to ponder....
Apologies for the delay, RL has reared its ugly head again. I hope to post the next chapter this weekend.
Getting caught up - boys there's a lot to get caught up on. Then you throw in the Mirror Universe - you don't make life easy do you? Interesting yes! Difficult for the characters in the story? - yep! I'd like to second a comment someone made about how it is good to see more of Xeris - had thought of him as an almost mythical ellusive character hiding away in Engineering.
Don't worry about it, Xeris--I've been hit by real life as well--it happens to all of us! We'll still be here when you get caught up.
Chapter Six USS Dauntless The Badlands June 12th 2380 (Stardate 57447.5) Astar moved to stand behind Larson and put a hand on his shoulder. ‘Turn us around, Ensign, and let’s make this work.’ The Dauntless slowed and turned, leaving a barely discernable plasma wake, before increasing speed and barrelling toward the flagship on what was clearly an intercept course. Larson held the ship on course and his hands were a blur as he adjusted the feeds coming to his screen from engineering. ‘Xeris, prepare the deflector dish for the plasma burst. I’m going to need the hyper-impulse manifold online in the next two minutes if we’re going to pull this off.’ ‘Acknowledged, Ensign,’ the chief engineer replied. ‘Hyper-impulse system is online, but if you blow out too many power relays, we’re going to be in for a bumpy ride. Give me another minute for the deflector.’ ‘Captain, the flagship is powering up the polaron beam, thirty seconds before firing range,’ Gonzales called out. ‘The shields will hold,’ Xeris replied, the open comm line to engineering providing him entry into the bridge’s happenings. ‘Keep her steady, Ensign.’ ‘Aye sir, now approaching optimal distance. Xeris, you ready?’ ‘Deflector modifications are online, you’re clear to go.’ Larson entered a sequence of commands on his console and a burst of warp plasma channelled through the ship’s deflector impacted the lower band of the Badlands’ plasma field. The plasma ignited and a needle quickly rose ahead of them up as the two starships approached each other. The flagship was closer to the needle and tried to veer off, but it was too large to manoeuvre quickly and the port nacelle was shorn off, spinning away into the Badlands before exploding quietly. The Dauntless threaded the needle’s gap and let loose a volley of torpedoes before turning back toward the convoy. ‘Direct hits, their shields are gone and they’re venting oxygen,’ Gonzales crowed. ‘Are they pursuing?’ ‘No sir, they’re turning back.’ Astar sighed and Larson turned to face her. ‘They’ll be back, we’ve only been granted a reprieve. As long as we make sure that the planetoid isn’t found, the civilians will be safe and we can leave the Badlands to complete our objectives.’ ‘Well said, Ensign. How far behind the convoy are we?’ ‘Nearly forty minutes, Captain,’ ch’Maras replied. ‘Engage hyper-impulse drive,’ Astar ordered. Larson turned back to the flight control console and began to increase the ship’s speed. ‘Increasing to full impulse, point-six light speed,’ he said. The ship shook a little. ‘Xeris, increase power to the structural integrity field.’ ‘It’s already fifteen percent beyond maximum, Captain. I’m not sure I can get much more out of it.’ ‘Point-six-two light speed...point-six-four...point-six-six...point-six-eight...’ The ship began to shudder more violently. ‘Inertial dampers are redlining,’ Gonzales said, struggling to hold on. ‘I’m redirecting the warp plasma flow to inertial dampers and structural integrity.’ ‘Was the ship designed to withstand that?’ ‘No, but we are supposed to be protecting the convoy.’ ‘Commander, I don’t want you destroying the ship. With the Vorta flagship out of commission, the convoy should be safe enough,’ Astar told him. ‘Aye Captain, let’s hope the Alliance has no idea we’re here,’ the engineer shot back. Astar agreed with the sentiment. ‘If we redline, power down to normal levels.’ ‘Aye sir.’ ‘Mister Larson, keep going.’ ‘Yes ma’am,’ point-seven-three light speed,’ he replied as the shuddering levelled out. Astar realised that Xeris had dumped a significant amount of power into systems that weren’t designed to handle it, but she knew that both he and Larson would likely collaborate on a paper regarding warp plasma enhanced impulse. She felt the ship surge ahead as the inertial dampers whined in protest, the vessel’s superstructure was not designed to sustain these speeds at impulse. ‘Hull integrity down to ninety-three percent,’ ch’Maras called out. Astar scowled. ‘Ship’s status?’ ‘Structural integrity down to ninety-one percent and holding, inertial dampers at eighty-six percent and holding, and shields are at maximum,’ Gonzales replied. ‘How far behind the convoy are we?’ ‘Eleven minutes.’ ‘Point-seven-five light speed,’ Larson interrupted. ‘Captain, why aren’t we using warp speeds?’ ch’Maras asked. ‘The plasma storms wreak havoc with warp fields,’ Xeris answered from engineering. ‘Not even Voyager was able to go to warp in the Badlands.’ ‘Captain, ship approaching from an oblique angle!’ Gonzales said, cutting off the conversation. ‘Identify.’ ‘It reads as Cardassian, Galor-class, an Alliance heavy cruiser.’ Astar sighed. ‘Course?’ ‘It is on course to intercept the convoy, Captain. At its present speed, it will reach the convoy before they reach the planet.’ ‘How the hell did we not see that?’ ‘All Alliance ships have cloaks,’ Gonzales replied, ‘though there was a time when they did not.’ ‘You’re well read, Commander.’ ‘You never know what to expect,’ she replied. ‘Point-seven-seven light speed,’ Larson said. ‘I don’t want to push it much more, Captain.’ ‘Time to intercept the Alliance ship?’ ‘Five minutes at current speed,’ the helmsman replied. Astar glanced at the lights around the bridge, set at yellow alert and knew for a certainty that this was not going to end well. ‘Red alert,’ she said in a low command tone. ‘All hands to battle stations.’ As the very tone of the ship changed over to the grimness of battle, Astar decided to try and stop things from getting any worse, hoping that the Cardassians would be more open to negotiation than the Vorta. ‘Open a channel to the cruiser.’ ‘Aye sir,’ Gonzales replied. ‘Channel open.’ ‘This is Captain Leza Astar of the Federation starship Dauntless. Identify yourselves.’ A very familiar and unwelcome face appeared on the main viewscreen and Astar held in a shudder of revulsion. ‘I am Gul Dukat of the Cardassian-Klingon Alliance, welcome to the mirror universe, Captain.’ ‘Weren’t you the Head of Central Command?’ Dukat’s smile fell. ‘Legate Damar had other plans, but that is another matter. Withdraw from our territory or I will be forced to destroy you.’ ‘I don’t believe that is going to happen, Dukat. Perhaps you should return to Cardassia.’ ‘One day,’ Dukat replied and cut the channel. ‘He’s been exiled,’ ch’Maras said. ‘Shame that,’ he added dryly. ‘He’s probably even more dangerous in this universe than he is in our own,’ Astar warned. ‘How long until we’re in weapons range?’ ‘Sixty seconds.’ ‘Don’t fire unless he fires first.’ ‘Aye Captain.’
A Dukat who is more dangerous? Difficult to imagine. But if it's true then Astar and Dauntless are going to be in big trouble. Let's see if they can make a difference here before their ship falls apart around them.
And a bad situation gets worse. Dukat is a dangerous individual in any universe--but in the mirror 'verse...Astar's going to have more trouble on her hands than she knows what to do with.