Episode 2.01: Brushfire!

[Nolmir]

"I have five Tellarite lifeforms on sensors, sir. They're in a village along with at least 40 humans that I would surmise to be members of the Rostov's crew. They're stationary, and so perhaps injured or being held captive. There's also a number of other humanoid lifeforms on a hill away from any Tyreen encampment, but within 5km of the second escape pod cluster."

OOC: I got nothing for Momentum spends, so let's bank it.

[Renny]

OOC: Are we able to differentiate between native humans and Rostov humans from this distance? If the Rostov crew are not being actively guarded, we could, in theory beam a couple straight up to get an idea of the situation?

[Davy, aka GM]

OOC: Bank, aye.

Current
Momentum 4
Threat 10

Renny, no, there's no way to differentiate between locals and the Rostov's crew. (That's why transporting is usually done with communicators or subcutaneous transponders. )

[Davy, aka GM]

OOC: Just for clarification, you folks are still under significant GO1 restrictions regarding contaminating the culture of Neural. Overt displays of technology, like beaming folks out when locals may be watching, are still forbidden. In fact, you'll still need to change into more appropriate clothing styles if you intend or expect potential interaction with the locals. The only suspension of GO1 restrictions is in the realm of matching Klingon-supplied advances.

[Renny]

OOC: Bank, aye.

Current
Momentum 4
Threat 10

Renny, no, there's no way to differentiate between locals and the Rostov's crew. (That's why transporting is usually done with communicators or subcutaneous transponders. )

OOC: No harm in asking, I guess

[Patrick Goodman]

"Well, at least we know some of them survived," Treyva said, rising from the command chair. As he approached the turbolift, he said, "Miguel, inform Quartermaster that we're going to need appropriate native costumes for anybody beaming down; this planet is still under Prime Directive protection, our little proxy arms race with the Klingons to the contrary. After that, have senior staff meet in the briefing room so we can see what this log buoy has to tell us."

[Davy, aka GM]

A few minutes later, the senior officers are in the main briefing room on Deck 2, where Tobin replays the Rostov's downloaded logs.

The buoy contains logs going back about 30 star days; for the most part, they detail routine activity, reports of skirmishes (which have been infrequent as of late), and details from A&A officer Nadezhda Dmitryevna Dragomirov's interactions with the Tyreen leadership.

Captain's Log: Stardate 8837.8: Lt. Cmdr. Even-Vered, Lt. Dragomirov, and Ensign Reed expect to complete their report on Apellan foundry and workshop scans by Stardate 8839, and we will forward the report to Starfleet Command on 8840.

Sickbay reports Chief Thomas was injured while performing maintenance in Jeffries Tube 6; Dr. Fontana says he will need a day or two to recover from the plasma burns and twisted knee. I'm going to have Chief Engineer Thaala review all safety protocols regarding work on EPS conduits and junctions, and all engineers will requalify on those protocols in the next three weeks.

On Stardate 8838.1, the log recorder shows the overhead view of the bridge, and indicates that Delta shift is on watch.

At the beginning of the recording, the officer on duty, a lieutenant in command white, calls for all stations to report in. All report nominal function and the bridge is mostly quiet for the next seven minutes. The library computer station beeps an alarm, and the science officer on duty reports two objects have passed the sentry buoys at warp speed.

"Can you get a visual?" the conn officer asks.

"Not at this time; too far," the science officer responds. "They didn't respond to the transponder request."

The conn officer seems to ponder the situation for a few moments. "Yellow alert. Request the captain's presence on the bridge."

The communications officer announces, "Yellow alert," and relays the conn officer's request over shipwide comms.

A couple minutes later, Captain Styles strides onto the bridge, followed closely by a relatively young-looking lieutenant commander in operations grey. She moves to the navigator's station as he takes the center seat and holds the swagger stick across his lap. The relieved conn officer reports the situation and Styles turns to face the science station.

The chief science officer, whom Treyva recognizes as Lt. Pete Grantham, an officer with whom he briefly served on the Hermes in 77-78, takes over at the library computer station and buries his face in the sensor hood.

"Definitely some sort of warp signature inbound, sir, but I can't identify the source."

"I don't like the sound of that," says the navigator.

Styles spares the lieutenant commander a glance, and furrows his brow in thought. A moment later, he spins his chair back to its usual position and leans forward. "I'm not taking any chances. Red alert; all hands to battle stations. Full phaser charge."

The crew leaps into action as the alert klaxon sounds; Styles turns again and gazes expectantly at the science officer. "We're effectively blind, Mr. Grantham, if you can't give me--"

"Two Klingon Sabers decloaking at oh-four-seven, mark two!" Pete interrupts.

"Helm, get us some maneuvering room!"

"Too late!"

"Brace for impact!"

Disruptor beams lance out from both attackers and strike the Rostov's engineering section in an overpowering volley. The bridge engineering officer reports multiple breaches, and the ship starts to bleed power. The weapons officer announces shields are down to 20 percent.

As the engineering teams begin to correct the various faults that popped up from the attack, Styles orders helm to perform emergency evasive maneuvers, and the ship, even as beat up as she is, twists away from the Klingons. The communications officer reports their comms have been jammed.

Styles calls for a phaser barrage on the closest Saber, and the weapons officer peppers the enemy's engines with a devastating attack, knocking their shields down to 10 percent. The targeted ship is able, however, to maneuver into as optimal an attack angle as the Rostov will give it. The weapons officer follows the phaser attack with a well-aimed torpedo, but a hard maneuver by the helmsman knocks off his targeting and the attack sails well wide of the Saber.

The other Saber attempts to follow the Rostov's flight pattern and lines up its torpedoes, but the attack is poorly aimed, missing by a wide margin. The closer opponent also fires a torpedo, but it just misses the mark, causing the Rostov to shudder slightly at the proximity.

Styles, cool as ever, encourages the crew that they aren't done just yet, and the engineer reports that partial power has been restored; however, their confidence is short-lived as one of the Sabers pummels the Rostov with a massive disruptor attack that buckles the hull and leaves the ship's structure in shambles. Pete is killed instantly when the sensor hood explodes in his face.

The captain orders the crew to abandon ship and lures the Klingons in closer with a cutting boast about his swagger stick and daring them to take it from his hands in personal combat. The final log before jettisoning indicates that Styles intends to activate the self-destruct sequence.

[Renny]

OOC: Excellent post, Davy

[Patrick Goodman]

Oooof. And now he's angry.

Treyva winced as he saw Pete Grantham die. He'd been Chief Science Officer on the Hermes when the green young ensign had come aboard from the Academy. Pete had been a good chemist, and an excellent biologist. And now he was gone.

When he finally spoke, there was an edge to his voice. "Those L9s warped in with the express purpose of destroying the Rostov," he said. "Which tells me thry have big plans and didn't want anybody getting in their way. It's been nine and a half days; the Klingons can do a lot in a week and a half."

He looked at Cole. "Raise the shields, Mr. Cole," he said. "We'll maintain yellow alert for the time being. I don't like surprises."

He turned to Tobin. "To that end, I want a sharp eye kept out for cloaking device signatures." He thought for a moment. "Do the warning buoys keep logs of contacts which don't supply proper transponder codes? If they do, we should collect those logs and see if they've noted any other visitors."

[Davy, aka GM]

OOC: Nolmir, yes, the buoys keep logs of all transponder requests and answers; and Tobin has the authority to access those logs. There are 12 different buoys surrounding the system, which is enough to have sensor coverage of all entry points.

[Patrick Goodman]

I thought I showed great restraint. I had three or four more things I was going to say....

[Renny]

Cole acknowledges the order with a terse nod. "Shields up, sir".
The status indicator on the console displays the layers of protection settling into place around the Drake.

[Nolmir]

"Yes, they do," Tobin responds, stone-faced as the fate of the Rostov brings to mind his own experiences on the Macon. "I'll collect their sensor records immediately, sir. Perhaps I can use the information from the Rostov's log to calibrate our sensors to better detect the Klingons' cloak signatures."

[Renny]

"Sir, I recommend we send a tactical team in first to get the lay of the land before we decide on our course of action. In appropriate local garb, of course."

[Patrick Goodman]

Treyva looked at Tobin and nodded. "Make it happen, Mr. Les," he said.

Looking to Cole, he said, "Good idea. I was thinking you should start with the pods in the hills, since Starfleet has been supporting the Tyreen faction."