So It Begins

Posted on Tue Sep 1st, 2020 @ 12:57am by Captain Rhenora Kaylen & Commander Savar cha'Salik hei-Surak Talek-sen-deen

Mission: Welcome Aboard!
Location: Liberty Bridge
Timeline: Current

Savar was on the bridge along with Captain Kaylen and Commander Lexington as the Liberty continued through it's shakedown cruise. So far the ship and preformed better than expected. Meeting all the test put before it. There had only been nominal problems with some of the minor the systems. Overall the ship was giving no one reason to complain.

Then suddenly the Ensign at flight control turned to the Captain, a confused, no panicked look on his face. "Captain! warp engines are shutting down! We only have impulse." He finished as his fingers frantically scrambled across his board in a vain attempt to get the warp engines back online. Even as the Liberty slowed and finally came to a stop.

As that happened Ops announced, "Captain, long range sensors have picked up a ship on an intercept course."

" Do we have any details on that ship?" Captain Kaylen's instincts starts waving all kinds of red flags.

" Negative Ma'am" came the response from tactical.

" Red Alert, Helm, try and get us moving. Engineering - report!" The Bajoran's voice was calm but urgent. Something was very wrong here.

"Yes ma'am." The young Ensign replied, "I can get us impulse Captain but warp is unresponsive."

Savar had listened to the conversation from the beginning and he looked at Kaylen. "Captain, I believe we are the victim of sabotage. Especially in light of the sudden appearance of this mystery ship."

" You may very well be right - something is wrong here. This isn't a disputed region of space, the ship has just been launched and and is in peak condition - the crew ready and rested." Rhenora mused aloud in response. " Something'd not adding up. Helm - hold course as that ship approaches - let's see what they do"

"Which makes this all the more reason to suspect this has all been planned." Savar replied as the mystery ship slowly crept closer.

"Captain". This from Ops again. "Sensors have identified the ship as an Orion heavy cruiser. It's......" His next words were drowned out by two phaser strikes on the upper saucer. Rattling the bridge and causing the lights to flicker.

Rhenora grimaced as the impacts rattled the teeth in her scull. Damnit they were less than 24 hours out of drydock and already got marks on the paintwork..

" Tactical, shields! Helm - evasive maneuvers" She ordered, gripping the arms of her chair tightly as the mighty Liberty duck and wove to avoid the Orion's weapons.

" Ops - hail them... when you can" The Captain grimaced as another strike bounced off the shields.

"She's slow to respond Captain." The ensign at Flight Control replied as the Orion's phaser struck again.

"This is the USS Liberty hailing mystery ship. Please respond." The answer came, not in words but another phaser strike.

Captain." Savar called to Kaylen. "They are picking us apart. They know exactly where to strike us." He showed her on a schematic he had pulled up detailing the damage to the Liberty.

" They know right where to hit us" Rhenora grumbled, they had the Liberty's schematics, or at least a roughcut tactical overview of them.

" Tactical - fire at will, disable them" She finished as the deckplating lurched again. They weren't going to last long at this rate.

" Shields 50% and falling Captain"

"Firing phasers Captain." As the Liberty showed she had teeth and the attacking ship lurched. Then phaser off line Captain. An overload. Attempting to reroute.

"Shields down Captain." More bad news on top of bad news. Then their viewscreen lit up with the image of a pot marked, muscular Orion. "Prepare to be boarded." he commanded. Then the screen went blank.

Rhenora's ire rose as fast as her heart tried to sink. They were outgunned and unable to run - but that didn't mean they couldn't still fight.

"Over my dead body" Rhenora cut the channel, removing the vile creature from the viewscreen.

" All hands, secure all systems, prepare to be boarded. Do what you can to slow them down" The Bajoran headed to the weapons locker on the bridge and tossed out hand phasers to all who were there.

The bridge crew hurried to lock down their consoles while grabbing a phaser.

Savar took the phaser, set it to maximum stun and awaited for the invaders. He didn't have long as an enemy transporter appeared on the bridge. An instant later fifteen Orions, well armed appeared on the bridge and began firing.

Rhenora dived for cover behind the Tactical station as the firefight erupted around her, her crew finding whatever they could and taking potshots where they could. She couldn't believe how badly their first mission was going. This was the stuff that only happened in entertainment.

" What is it you want?" She shouted to whoever it was who was running the Orion circus.

A cruel chuckle answered her as a nearby phaser blast filled the the air with scorched ozone. "I want and will have your new targeting computers as well as the plans to your upgraded sensors. Might take you and your first officer as well. We can always use slave women."

Rhenora anger rose with the reply, she would NOT let these pirates hijack her new command and kidnap her crew. It was NOT going to happen.

"Well then - I'd like to see you try" Kaylen shot back, targeting the lead Orion with a phaser volley that made him duck for cover himself. Arrogance was going to be his undoing - she could feel it.

The Orions had numbers and they slowly began to wear down the Federation crew. Taking one crew member after another down. "Surrender Captain and I'll let you live..... as a slave." The Orion commander shouted.

" No Thanks" Rhenora retorted, still trying valiantly to pick off the Orions. They were starting to lose the battle, the silence from other shipboard departments did not bode well for those locations. How many would die today?

Savar continued to fire methodically but the Orions were taking out other departments and beginning to bring all their firepower on his, Kaylen's and Commander Lexington's positions.

"As you wish Captain." The Orion shouted back and directed his men to flank the Federation officers. It was just a matter of time.

The internal struggle began to tell on the Captain, how long did she hold out, how many crew would suffer because of her stubbornness. If she surrendered now would her crew be spared? Another tense few minutes passed as each battled for the upper hand.

" If I surrender - will you let my crew live?" She offered as she saw two hulking Orions advancing on her position. Several bridge crew lay strewn on the deck, she had no idea if they were alive or dead.

"If you and your Command team surrender to me. I will let your crew live. I have no want for them." The Orion commander answered back.

Again morality warred with stubbornness. She didn't want to risk the lives of anyone, let alone use them as a bargaining chip. She looked at Lexington and Savar - would they ever forgive her if she offered up their lives in exchange for the rest of the crew? Another phaser volley richoted off the bulkhead behind where she was hunkered down, causing sparks to erupt and smoke to begin billowing. She coughed as the acrid stench filled her lungs and made it hard to breathe. She would have to leave this position and find new cover.

"Captain, don't be foolish. Your position is hopeless. You and your remaining officers are surrounded. You cannot hold your position." The Orion spoke and directed his men to lay down a volley fire on the Federation officers position. To drive their hopelessness home.

The smoke and the phaser fire forced her into the open, head down, weapons still firing she tried to locate new cover. A shot grazed her left shoulder, not enough to cause major damage but it stung like a razerbeast and diverted the Bajoran's attention for the split second the Orions' needed. Strong hands grabbed her upper arms and hoisted her to her feet. It was over.

Savar was still fighting when he saw Kaylen captured. He stopped and stood as a pair of orions rushed over to him.

The Orion commander walked up to her. "A valiant battle Captain but hopeless." He looked over at Savar. "A Vulcan! This is my lucky day. Bind their hands behind their backs and take them to the Captain's Ready Room. I wish to talk with them before deciding what to do with them."

Rhenora grimaced as her hands were bound behind her back in a pair of standard issue Starfleet manacles. Great - cuffed in her own cuffs, on the bridge of her own ship, on her first day back in the chair. Commander Lexington had vanished in the smoke, as had some of the other bridge team. Hopefully they would elude capture and come up with a plan to bust the Orions off the Liberty and back to wherever the heck they came from.

Savar was likewise cuffed as the pair was 'escorted' to Kaylen's ready room and pushed onto the couch to await the Orion commander and his questions.