Season 1, Mission 02: Trapped

[Petr Hajek]

Reece followed him, standing behind him. "Aye sir. Sorry sir. I left the sensor readings on my console for you to look over."

He followed him out.

As the two men exited the room Petr turned to look at them.  He felt uncomfortable being seated and working, always preferring to stand at his station, so he walked over to science two and called up all the necessary data feeds and existing computer analyses.  He generally felt the need to stand when talking to officers anyway, and now was no different.

"Sir, I began the search you ordered; feed is online." He paused, looking at the two men as they made their way to their respective chairs.  He wondered just how much was expected from him when on the bridge, but he felt it necessary to say what was on his mind, so he continued.

"With respect, Sir..." He looked directly at Lieutenant Thompson, "...but is there a reason for the search?  I mean we know they will be monitoring us; they know we're here.  They will know we have launched the probes and have the resulting data already, so they know we know they're here.
I can't help feel that launching the probes has committed us to acting immediately upon the findings...and for us to now suggest we are still unsure is merely showing us to be either afraid or incompetent: both of which give the pirates the position of superiority." Petr immediately regretted his use of the word incompetent. He didn't want anybody to believe that was his assumption of the command decisions.  He was still looking at the new XO but was now feeling very awkward but he couldn't now turn his back and resume his duties having asked the officer a question.

[Kale Bridges]

As the two men exited the room Petr turned to look at them.  He felt uncomfortable being seated and working, always preferring to stand at his station, so he walked over to science two and called up all the necessary data feeds and existing computer analyses.  He generally felt the need to stand when talking to officers anyway, and now was no different.

"Sir, I began the search you ordered; feed is online." He paused, looking at the two men as they made their way to their respective chairs.  He wondered just how much was expected from him when on the bridge, but he felt it necessary to say what was on his mind, so he continued.

"With respect, Sir..." He looked directly at Lieutenant Thompson, "...but is there a reason for the search?  I mean we know they will be monitoring us; they know we're here.  They will know we have launched the probes and have the resulting data already, so they know we know they're here.
I can't help feel that launching the probes has committed us to acting immediately upon the findings...and for us to now suggest we are still unsure is merely showing us to be either afraid or incompetent: both of which give the pirates the position of superiority." Petr immediately regretted his use of the word incompetent. He didn't want anybody to believe that was his assumption of the command decisions.  He was still looking at the new XO but was now feeling very awkward but he couldn't now turn his back and resume his duties having asked the officer a question.

"They know we have the readings... but they don't know what the readings are." Reece responded. "And like you said, we are suggesting it... but we are not afraid or incompetant. Giving away that suggestion might lead the Pirates to act rashly..."

Reece sat down and looked out of the view screen. "If these pirates are the same kind as I know.. they will not call for any support yet. They'll think that their base is suitable and they'll catch us by surprise. Thing is, those pirate bases have never gone against anything larger than a defiant... with an Intrepid's advanced technology, we'll have the upper hand... as long as our tactical and helm officers are half awake." He joked.

[cortez]

"They know we have the readings... but they don't know what the readings are." Reece responded. "And like you said, we are suggesting it... but we are not afraid or incompetant. Giving away that suggestion might lead the Pirates to act rashly..."

Reece sat down and looked out of the view screen. "If these pirates are the same kind as I know.. they will not call for any support yet. They'll think that their base is suitable and they'll catch us by surprise. Thing is, those pirate bases have never gone against anything larger than a defiant... with an Intrepid's advanced technology, we'll have the upper hand... as long as our tactical and helm officers are half awake." He joked.

Cortez thought about the situation for a moment. They were indeed more technologically advanced than the pirates and they had the element of surprise on their side.

"Go to yellow alert, Lieutenant. But keep the shields down"  he ordered Petty Officer Mirwald, before turning to the helm position, "Helm, lay in a course for those co-ordinates but don't make it obvious"

[OctalLord]

Cortez thought about the situation for a moment. They were indeed more technologically advanced than the pirates and they had the element of surprise on their side.

"Go to yellow alert, Lieutenant. But keep the shields down"  he ordered, turning to the helm position, "Helm, lay in a course for those co-ordinates but don't make it obvious"

"Yellow alert, Aye sir." Octavius gave the command and the shields came on near instantly albeit on the lowest possible setting for them to still count as active for the yellow alert. "Maybe that pep talk did a difference." He thought to himself.

"Hah! How's that for incompetence!"

[Kale Bridges]

"Yellow alert, Aye sir." Octavius gave the command and the shields came on near instantly. "Maybe that pep talk did a difference." He thought to himself.

"Hah! How's that for incompetence!"

Reece leant back in the XO's chair. It was actually quite comfortable.
---"Don't get to used to it."--- He thought to himself.

He leant over to Cortez, "Sir, if we can program a torpedo for remote guidance... we can drift harmlessly past them, and send a torpedo right up their plasma vent. They won't know what hit them."

[cortez]

Reece leant back in the XO's chair. It was actually quite comfortable.
---"Don't get to used to it."--- He thought to himself.

He leant over to Cortez, "Sir, if we can program a torpedo for remote guidance... we can drift harmlessly past them, and send a torpedo right up their plasma vent. They won't know what hit them."

Cortez rubbed his chin while contemplating Thompson's suggestion.

"No."  he said, finally  "Helm, continue on course. Petty Officer Mirwald, ready shields and weapons but keep them offline for now. We don't want to tip our hand too early."

[OctalLord]

Cortez rubbed his chin while contemplating Thompson's suggestion.

"No."  he said, finally  "Helm, continue on course. Petty Officer Mirwald, ready shields and weapons but keep them offline for now. We don't want to tip our hand too early."

"Sir, Shields are ready and waiting already at yellow alert. I'll have engineering prepare for a power surge for our weapons when the time comes."

Octavius's console beeped. "Sir the final reports are coming in from the scan... Wait.. Dang!" Octavius nearly hit his console screen but stopped short. "My consoles out again. Mr. Hajek can you get the readings from the shuttle?"

[Petr Hajek]

"Sir, Shields are ready and waiting already at yellow alert. I'll have engineering prepare for a power surge for our weapons when the time comes."

Octavius's console beeped. "Sir the final reports are coming in from the scan... Wait.. Dang!" Octavius nearly hit his console screen but stopped short. "My consoles out again. Mr. Hajek can you get the readings from the shuttle?"

Petr had his console being continually updated from the two probes that had been launched, and as their data was assessed by the Ship's computer the readings made even more sense to him.  Firmly of the opinion that the elevated emissions were evidence of the cloaked space station he refreshed the data streams to all stations on the bridge, so everybody now had the same information.

"Probe data being routed through to all stations now." Petr called out.

He knew it was his function to provide an analytical assessment of all sensor readings amongst other things, but he couldn't help but feel really uncomfortable with their current course of action.  He was adamant that these pirates had already shown enough guile to lure a Federation Starship to this sector, and kidnap their Captain.  To now assume these same people could be gullible
enough to believe that the probes launched would not have already confirmed the station's location was foolhardy to the extreme.  Petr was starting to get a better handle on controlling his abilities to read people's emotions, but he still struggled with controlling his own, and right now he was afraid; afraid that they were allowing themselves to be drawn even closer to the danger already evident.

[cortez]

Petr had his console being continually updated from the two probes that had been launched, and as their data was assessed by the Ship's computer the readings made even more sense to him.  Firmly of the opinion that the elevated emissions were evidence of the cloaked space station he refreshed the data streams to all stations on the bridge, so everybody now had the same information.

"Probe data being routed through to all stations now." Petr called out.

He knew it was his function to provide an analytical assessment of all sensor readings amongst other things, but he couldn't help but feel really uncomfortable with their current course of action.  He was adamant that these pirates had already shown enough guile to lure a Federation Starship to this sector, and kidnap their Captain.  To now assume these same people could be gullible
enough to believe that the probes launched would not have already confirmed the station's location was foolhardy to the extreme.  Petr was starting to get a better handle on controlling his abilities to read people's emotions, but he still struggled with controlling his own, and right now he was afraid; afraid that they were allowing themselves to be drawn even closer to the danger already evident.

Cortez was just about to blurt out another command to his bridge crew when the tactical console behind him began to beep frantically, as if it had a mind of its own. Before he could get to his feet, the whole ship was suddenly rocked in a most violent manner. Looking at the viewscreen, he didn't have to ask what had happened; it was evident. The very station they were looking for had found them, and locked them in the grip of a tractor beam.

"Raise shields, Mr Mirwald!"  Cortez shouted with urgency

[OctalLord]

"Aye, Shields to full"  Octavius sent the command and the lights dimmed for a moment, so much so that the console he had been working on did a short reset. His hands flying over the keys he checked the ships status he discovered: "Sir the shields are active at one-hundred percent, they haven't fired the first shot yet."

Octavius winced inwardly Of course they haven't fired a shot yet, our shields were down and they didn't need to break it to grab ahold of us" He thought.

"Should I set to red alert?" Octavius asked, worried "I think at this angle; I may be able to triangulate the source of the tractor and shoot it before we're blown out of the sky!"

[Petr Hajek]

Cortez was just about to blurt out another command to his bridge crew when the tactical console behind him began to beep frantically, as if it had a mind of its own. Before he could get to his feet, the whole ship was suddenly rocked in a most violent manner. Looking at the viewscreen, he didn't have to ask what had happened; it was evident. The very station they were looking for had found them, and locked them in the grip of a tractor beam.

"Raise shields, Mr Mirwald!"  Cortez shouted with urgency

'It's too late' Petr thought to himself, noticing that the fear he felt earlier had rapidly increased to a point where he was visibly shaking.  He gripped the sides of his console and tried to come up with options for the captain. There had to be something they could do.

Oblivious to the fact he was talking out loud to himself he ran through the limited choices he could think of.  There was only one.

"What can we do?  What can we do to shake this tractor beam?"  He shut his eyes tight and tried to remember the training.

"CAPTAIN" He shouted before getting some degree of control of his rising panic.  "Sorry, Sir.  It's just that we might try to create a residual charge in our graviton field generator.  It might break their hold."  He gripped harder and closed his eyes again.  He knew there was no guarantee this would work but he couldn't think of anything else.

[Kale Bridges]

'It's too late' Petr thought to himself, noticing that the fear he felt earlier had rapidly increased to a point where he was visibly shaking.  He gripped the sides of his console and tried to come up with options for the captain. There had to be something they could do.

Oblivious to the fact he was talking out loud to himself he ran through the limited choices he could think of.  There was only one.

"What can we do?  What can we do to shake this tractor beam?"  He shut his eyes tight and tried to remember the training.

"CAPTAIN" He shouted before getting some degree of control of his rising panic.  "Sorry, Sir.  It's just that we might try to create a residual charge in our graviton field generator.  It might break their hold."  He gripped harder and closed his eyes again.  He knew there was no guarantee this would work but he couldn't think of anything else.

"There's some kind of power drain occurring." Reece announced, checking his console. "It looks like, Shields, weapons, and long-range communications are being taken offline."

He ran a scan for the source. "It's coming from the tractor beam."

---"These pirates are well equipped. There's no way they scavenged this technology. They must have a supplier somewhere..."---

[cortez]

"There's some kind of power drain occurring." Reece announced, checking his console. "It looks like, Shields, weapons, and long-range communications are being taken offline."

He ran a scan for the source. "It's coming from the tractor beam."

---"These pirates are well equipped. There's no way they scavenged this technology. They must have a supplier somewhere..."---

Cortez was panicking though he tried his utmost not to let it show. He had been in countless battles before but had never been the one giving the orders. He was way outside of his comfort zone.

"Mr Hajek!"  he shouted, amidst flicking lights "Initiate the-"

But before Cortez could complete his sentence, he was encased in the bright red glow of a transporter beam. Suddenly, the darkened surroundings of the bridge disappered and a new setting took its place. Though it was of an unfamiliar design, Cortez recognised a jail cell when he saw one. He was on the pirate station.

[Alan Christopher]

"There's some kind of power drain occurring." Reece announced, checking his console. "It looks like, Shields, weapons, and long-range communications are being taken offline."

He ran a scan for the source. "It's coming from the tractor beam."

---"These pirates are well equipped. There's no way they scavenged this technology. They must have a supplier somewhere..."---

Alan slammed his fists on the helm console.

" I've got zero helm control, we need to take that tractor beam out! "

[Kale Bridges]

Cortez was panicking though he tried his utmost not to let it show. He had been in countless battles before but had never been the one giving the orders. He was way outside of his comfort zone.

"Mr Hajek!"  he shouted, amidst flicking lights "Initiate the-"

But before Cortez could complete his sentence, he was encased in the bright red glow of a transporter beam. Suddenly, the darkened surroundings of the bridge disappered and a new setting took its place. Though it was of an unfamiliar design, Cortez recognised a jail cell when he saw one. He was on the pirate station.

Reece shot out of his seat.

"Commander!" He yelled.

"Hajek, Find out where they took him! Hastings, get the transporters back online. Mirwald.... open a channel to the pirate base."