=/\= Chapter Fifteen =/\=
Stardate 57511.9 (July 6, 2380. 08:32 Federation Standard Starship Time.)
USS Mjolnir
Chedrova System, Sector 25711, United Federation of Planets
“We’re on final approach to the Chedrova system, captain.” Nerah reported from the helm on the
Mjolnir’s bridge.
“Slow tae impulse, Ensign Nerah, and take us into the system.” Callum said. Continuing on he said, “Lieutenant Vhela, what are the sensors picking up?”
Working her console and reviewing the sensor data displayed on the console before she spoke the curvy Barzan woman said, “There’s a lot of debris and rogue objects in the system. Most likely from a relatively more violent formation then other systems. Sensors are also detecting two M class planets, three class D planets with highly irregular orbits, a class X planet, an abnormally dense asteroid belt with unusually high amounts of tritanum and duranium, and four class J gas giants three Class N planets two co-orbital K class planets and a class G planet.”
“Any indication where the energy wave came from?” Callum asked.
“Based on these readings it appears to have originated from or near the Class X planet.” Vhela reported.
“Take us in, Mister Nerah.” Callum ordered.
=/\=
“Now entering high orbit of he planet, sir” Nerah reported moments later.
“What dae we have on sensors?” Callum asked.
“According to sensors the planet is still largely intact, however it does have a significant cloud of debris around the planet which seems to have come from ejections from the planet’s break up. There is also significant shifts in the gravitational field which is causing the debris cloud to be quite turbulent.” Vhela reported as she red the various readouts on the science station’s displays.
“Any signs o’ what caused the wave?” Callum asked.
“It looks like a massive explosion recently occurred on the surface of the planet. It looks like all of the planet’s dilithium was detonated at the same time. If I was a betting lady I’d put my credits on that being what fractured the planet and caused the energy wave.” Vhela said.
“Captain, sensors have detected something in the debris cloud.” Navesh piped up from Ops.
“Is it a ship?” Callum asked.
“My guess would be yes.” Navesh said, “But it appears to be mostly organic with significant cybernetic augmentation.”
“Borg?” Callum queried.
“Definitely not, sir.” Navesh replied, “Even with the sensor interference its clearly not Borg tech.”
“Are we able tae get a visual on those coordinates, Commander Rel?” Callum asked.
After a moment Damrus said, “Yes, sir. But it may not be the best quality image because of the kelbonite and fistrium in the debris cloud.”
Seconds later the viewscreen flickered to life with the static filled image of a section of the debris cloud; as the image flickered and jumped Callum said, “Can ye clear that up, Commander?”
“I’ll have it cleared up in just a moment.” Damrus said, “I’m applying a new filtering protocol that we came up a couple weeks ago. It should clear up the image in a moment, sir.”
Seconds later the static filled image on the viewscreen resolved itself into a clear image of the asteroids in the field. Slowly working its way among the asteroids, stopping every once in a while to scan with a purple scanning beam was a huge insect similar in appearance to a cybernetic centipede without legs. On its outer shell were small circular lumps that looked distinctly technological.
With a low whistle Navesh said, “That thing’s massive. Navigational sensors say It’s a kilometer wide and three kilometers long.”
“What sort o’ a ship is this?” Callum asked, more to himself than anyone else. After a pause, he asked, “Are there any life-forms aboard?”
A brief pause while she checked the sensor returns on her console Navesh said, “There seem to be large numbers of life-forms aboard. Five hundred insectoids… and one Suliban.”
“Mhac na galla…” Callum muttered cursing in Scottish Gaelic. Switching back to Federation Standard English as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully he said, “Send a standard greeting on all channels, Commander Rel.”
“Aye, sir.” Damrus replied as his fingers danced across the XO/Communications station. Moments later he said, “No reply, sir.”
“Its altering course and coming this way.” Navesh reported.
“Ah’ve got a bad feelin’.” Callum said as he unconsciously edged forward in his chair perching himself as close to the viewscreen and helm station as possible without falling flat on his face and looking like a fool.
There was a pause, and then, a moment later Shrak said “There’s an energy build up in several spots on its forward… section”
“SHIELDS!” Callum barked.
Without warning half a dozen green beams lanced out from the ship and impacted against the
Mjolnir’s shields, mere seconds after they reached full power, automatically triggering a red alert.
“Forward shields are holding.” Shrak reported from the tactical station.
“Return fire!” Callum ordered as he gripped the arm rests of the command chair.
“Aye, aye sir. Firing phasers!” Shrak said from tactical as his fingers flew across the console.
“Attack patterns at your discretion, Lieutenant Nerah! Keep pouring on the phaser fire!” Callum ordered as the
Mjolnir rocked under repeated phaser impacts against their shields.
Under Nerah’s guidance the
Mjolnir accelerated towards the massive bio-ship with its phasers firing as the they rocked under the impact of Jarudian phaser fire. Once the two ships flew past each other they banked each to their own port side and came about for another attack run on the other ship.
“They’re coming about for another attack run.” Navesh reported.
“So are we.” Nerah replied from the helm.
“Firing phasers!” Shrak said from the tactical station as the
Mjolnir was rocked by the impact of more Jaurdian phaser fire.
“Commander Rel, take control of the torpedo launchers, load a volley into the forward launchers have another on standby and hold for my order to fire.” Callum ordered as golden beams of phaser energy lanced out from the forward phaser arrays.
“Their forward shields are at ninety-five percent.” Navesh reported as the ship shuttered again, “Our forward shields are at seventy percent.”
“Firing phasers!” Shrak said from the tactical station as the
Mjolnir was rocked by the impact of more phaser impacts.
“Report!” Callum asked.
“Their shields are at seventy-five percent.” Navesh reported as the
Mjolnir rocked as its shields took more hits.
“Our shields?” Callum asked.
“Seventy-two percent.” Navesh replied as the two ships closed on each other and traded weapons fire.
“Commander Rel, bring the countermeasure systems on-line.” Callum ordered as the
Mjolnir shuddered.
“Communications jamming active, photonic counter measures ready.” Damrus reported from the XO/Communications Station.
“Pop chaff, Commander.” Callum ordered.
“Aye, aye sir.” Damrus replied pressing the glowing indicator on his console that said ‘LAUNCH’.
On the aft dorsal hull of the Mjolnir two articulated panels next to the emergency plasma exhaust vents retracted and a torpedo-like cylinder was launched by an electro-magnetic launch system in each opening. The devices hung in space for a moment until their onboard computers recognized an enemy targeting scanner and caused them to detonate with a blinding flash designed to interfere with targeting sensors.
As the Mjolnir rocked once again Damrus said, “Countermeasures have disrupted their targeting lock, but the effect won’t last long.”
“Commander Rel, take control o’ the torpedo launchers an’ load the forward launchers with volleys o’ quantum torpedoes set tae maximum. Lieutenant th’Chayn, keep pouring on the phaser fire.” Callum said issuing orders.
“Aye, captain.” Shrak said from the tactical station as the viewscreen showed the colossal ship
“Torpedoes ready.” Damrus reported
“Fire torpedoes, then reload and fire again!” Callum ordered as he gripped the arm rests of his command chair as the ship rocked under the impact of the Jaurdian beams, “Lieutenant th’Chayn continue firing the phasers at will!”
“Aye, sir. Firing phasers! Highest possible repeat rate.” Shrak said as wave after wave of golden beams of phaser energy lanced out from the phaser arrays.
“Torpedoes away! Loading second volley. First volley will impact in six seconds. Second volley away!” Damrus reported from the XO/Communications Station.
As the
Mjolnir rocked under the impact of more phaser beams as the ship banked to port Callum formulated a plan and asked, “Can we get a transporter beam through their shields?”
“No, they’re too strong.” Navesh replied after a quick survey of the readouts at her station.
“Lieutenant Nerah, how do ye feel aboot doin’ a ‘
Crazy Ivan’?” Callum asked.
“I’ve always wanted to try one.” The Bajoran helmsman replied as his fingers began dancing across the helm console.
“Commander Rel fire the torpedoes as soon as ye get a target lock. Lieutenant Vagris, don’t wait for my orders fire the phasers as soon as you are able to!”
Under Nerah’s guidance the bridge crew lurched to one side as the
Mjolnir started to turn in a clockwise motion. As the ship came about so it was facing one hundred and eighty degrees from the previous way it had been facing and accelerated towards the bio-ship smiled as he mercilessly fired the
Mjolnir’s forward phaser arrays repeatedly while Damrus fired a trio of quantum torpedoes from each of the two forward firing launch tubes unleashing a ferocious combined onslaught against the Jaurdian’s shields.
“Forward shields are at seventy percent!” Navesh reported as she gripped the edge of the Ops station to steady herself as the ship rocked.
“Quantum torpedoes ready to fire!” Damrus reported once again from the XO/Communications/ Auxiliary Control station.
“Fire torpedoes!” Callum barked as the automatic restraints of the command chair held him fast in the seat, “Auxiliary power to the forward shields!”
On the viewscreen the white glow of the sustainer engines of the quantum torpedoes streaked through space towards the ship in single file. Slamming into the bio-ship’s forward shields unleashing three massive bursts of energy against the Jaurian’s shields in rapid succession.
“Status of the their shields?” Callum barked.
“Eighty percent.” Navesh reported.
“Firing phasers.” Shrak announced as he worked the console.
“Fire the quantum torpedoes!” Callum ordered as the Mjolnir rocked under the onslaught of more weapon impacts as the two ships closed on each other.
“They are launching what looks like a tricobalt device.” Navesh reported.
“Take it out!” Callum ordered.
“Aye, aye sir.” Shrak said as his fingers flew over the tactical console causing the Mjolnir’s phasers to fire at the Jaurdian tricobalt device as it streaked towards the Mjolnir.
Once the alien tricobalt device exploded harmlessly in space the phasers switched to firing on the Jaurdian’s shield emitters and weapons ports reducing the shields effectiveness and slowly damaging their emitters.
Without warning a teal colored energy beam lanced out from the Jaurdian bio-ship and grazed the
Mjolnir’s starboard shield as the ship banked In an instant the power level in the shields to forty percent and draining power throughout the ship.
“What the
frak?” Shrak exclaimed as the ship bucked like a bronco, “Shields just dropped to twenty percent.”
“That was some kind of power dampening weapon.” Navesh said as the Mjolnir rocked again, “We’ve got power outages throughout the ship. That was just a grazing shot. If it’d been a clean hit we’d probably be dead in the water”
“Helm, take us to the nearest gas giant, best possible speed.” Callum ordered as the ship bobbed and weaved avoiding as many phaser beams as possible.
As the Mjolnir banked and headed for the nearest gas giant the ship rocked under the impact of a Jaurdian bio-torpedo impacting against the weakened shields and blowing out relays throughout the ship. Including on the bridge. As vapor spilled onto the bridge from a conduit in the alcove at the aft of the bridge the tactical station exploded in a shower of sparks and debris sending Shrak flying back.
“Computer activate EMH.” Callum ordered.
Seconds later the mark four emergency medical hologram suddenly appeared rippled and dissolved into rapidly dissipating holographic static just as quickly.
“Unable to comply.” The computer’s voice said.
“Why?” Callum queried.
“Insufficient power to the bridge holo-emitters.” The computer reported.
“MEDICAL TEAM TO THE BRIDGE!” Damrus shouted as Shrak landed on the deck and lay still with blue blood oozing from various cuts, “Transferring tactical control!”
As a medical team sprinted onto the bridge moments later and began tending to him Callum said, “Lieutenant Vhela, what can ye tell me aboot the gas giant?”
“It’s a standard Class J, except it has unusually strong magnetic fields that are interfering with getting a clear readings beyond a couple hundred meters into the atmosphere.” Vhela replied.
Speaking up from where she sat at Ops Navesh said, "I wouldn't recommend getting to close. Wind speeds are in excess of two-thousand kilometers per hour, and the radiation belts in the magnetosphere will become lethal in short time."
"How much radiation?" Callum asked.
"The closest moon receives at least thirty-eight hundred rems per orbit." Navesh answered.
“Perfect!” Callum exclaimed, “Lieutenant Nerah, lay in a sixty degree vector an’ take us in an’ hold position one hundred kilometers below the cloud tops at the northern magnetic pole. Commander Tymoshenko, launch a class one probe an’ have it hold position at the edge o’ the cloud cover.”
The view screen began to fill with the vista of the massive planet as the sight of it reminded Callum of Jupiter, with its swirling clouds of multiple browns and greens. It had no signature markings or features, but at one of the poles was a clear and brilliant display of lights.
"Entering the upper atmosphere now, sir." Nerah said.
As the
Mjolnir dived into the atmosphere of the Jupiter-like planet the entire ship began rumbling as it was buffeted by gale force winds while it plugged deeper and deeper.
“Sensors resolution is dropping off at a fifteen kilometers.” Navesh reported, “Attempting to compensate.”
“Things should clear up right away.” Vhela chimed in, “We’re about to break through the cyclohexane layer.”
Seconds later the rust colored clouds of the cycloheane gave way to swirling blue clouds as the Mjolnir plunged deeper into the atmosphere. Once they had crossed the boundary between the two cloud layers the ship began rocking almost as violently as it had we it had been taking weapons fire.
“Ah would nae call this an improvement, Lieutenant.” Callum quipped.
Checking her sensor readouts Vhela said, “Its liquid phosphorous. I wouldn’t have expected that under a layer of cyclohexane.”
“Steady as she goes, Mister Nerah.” Callum ordered as the
Mjolnir passed through the liquid phosphorous into a lilac colored layer of gaseous methane.
“Leveling off at one hundred kilometers.” Nerah reported.
“How’s our uplink with the probe?” Callum asked.
“Stable.” Navesh said, “Sensors show that the bio-ship is holding position near the planet. They seem to be looking for us.”
“Keep an eye on them an’ keep us oot o’ sight until ah say otherwise.” Callum ordered.
Tapping his combadge Callum said, “Bridge tae Engineering, report.”
“What in the name of the leprous demons of
Gorush is going on up there?” The voice of the surly yet brilliant Tellarite engineer said coming from Callum’s combadge.
“Just a little trouble with the bad guys.” Callum said responding as a Tellarite would figuring it help him relate to his chief engineer, “How long until you have everything fixed up.”
“We’re still picking up the pieces down here. I’ll let you know once I have an idea. Gorsach out.” The voice of the
Mjolnir’s crusty Tellarite Chief engineer said coming from Callum’s combadge.
Tapping his combadge again Callum said, “MacLeod tae Sickbay, Report.”
“Sickbay. Pax here. Mostly bumps and bruises. Although there was one fatality… Lieutenant th’Chayn. He was already gone by the time the medical team reached him. Probably even before he hit the deck.” Melina reported somberly.
“Understood, Doctor.” Callum replied somberly, “Let us know if there are any other serious injuries.”
“Will do… Someone shut off that damned EMH!... Sickbay out.” Melina responded before closing the channel.
Once the comm-link quietly clicked closed Callum looked over at Damrus and said, “The bridge is yours, Commander.”
Without waiting for a reply Callum stood up and headed straight for the ready room. Once he’d walked past the dedication plaque and into the ready room Callum walked past the blue outlined octagon of the ready room’s holo-communicator and straight to the desk where he sat down in the seat and stared at the blank bulkhead. As Callum stared at the bulkhead in shock the door chime sounded to indicate that someone was waiting outside the ready room for him to give them permission to enter.
"Enter.” Callum said saying Starfleet’s standard command/invitation to let whoever was on the other side of the door know that it was okay to enter.
Seconds later the ready room door slid open with a whoosh allowing Navesh to sashay into the ready room. Walking around the ready room desk and hopping up so she was sitting on the desktop beside Callum with her legs crossed at the ankles as Navesh flashed him a broad smile as he looked up at her.
“What can ah do for ye, mah Bonnie lass?” Callum asked.
“I came to check on you. You seemed pretty rattled when Melina…” Navesh said trailing off.
“He’s the first crewman I’ve lost as a Captain.” Callum said.
“Those… whatever they are out there… killed him not you.” Navesh said, “And not to sound insensitive but he knew the risks of serving in Starfleet just like the rest of us.”
“That does nae make it any easier.” Callum replied.
“It’s not suppose to.” Navesh said, “Once we get through this, we’ll get through it together.”
