Cardassian Penal Colony (USS Hera)

Posted on Fri Feb 24th, 2017 @ 6:56pm by Captain Enalia Telvan & Commander Mal Xustos & Lieutenant Commander Eneas Clio & Lieutenant Commander Thex sh'Zoarhi & Lieutenant Commander T'Pral Jordan & Lieutenant Ian Dodger & Staff Warrant Officer Enoch Rasputin & Warrant Officer Cato West & Akira Zhuri
Edited on on Sat Mar 4th, 2017 @ 7:29am

Mission: Cardassian Mayhem
Location: Cardassian Penal Colony

As the away team launched in the most stealthy runabout the Hera had, the Hera herself did the best she could to shield the away team from incoming fire from the old Cardassian weapons platforms. They were hard to pick out in all the interference, but they seemed to be doing well enough and only a few shots came close to hitting the shuttlecraft.

Enalia had called everyone to red alert already and while they had a good idea of where these platforms were hiding, sensors seemed to be having difficulty cutting through all the interference. "Akira, boost power to the active tachyon sensors in the pod. That might give us a better idea of where these platforms are."

"Yes Captain," Akira replied softly as she complied with the command. As the tachyon sensors went into overdrive, she matched the frequencies with the main sensor pallet and aimed the focal point at the nearest weapon platform. "There's still a lot of interference, but I believe I am capable of cleaning it up to some degree," she said, her fingers working rapidly over her console to make good on her statement.

"Excellent," Enalia replied as another wave of torpedoes started flying towards the Hera. "Coordinate your data with T'Pral. Helm, as soon as the away team is aboard the station, evasive pattern caravan three."

T'Pral's fingers danced across the tactical console as she automated the point defense system this time, tying it's targeting into tachyon sensors to give the system a boosted response time all the while leveling a barrage of phaser fire to cover the shuttle.

The Ensign at the helm was straining to keep up with Nexi's own piloting to shield the runabout from the majority of incoming fire, but somehow he was doing it and giving T'Pral a few good fields of fire. "They should be aboard the station in ninety seconds. Less if Nexi's as good a pilot as she seems."

"She is and better," Enalia called out more orders. "Akira, when you get a moment, scan for any large power sources. These platforms normally aren't self powered so should be fed from a central reactor. See if you can find it."

"But wouldn't that be the station itself?" Akira asked, momentarily forgetting protocol to look back at Enalia. Then she frowned. "It's up to me to confirm or deny that and track down it's specific location," she reminded herself, then returned her attention to her console to try to find this central reactor.

Enalia was studying her console as the ship rocked again. "The station isn't shielded so I'm betting the power source is deeper into the area. If I'm reading this right, there are at least thirty more platforms. Don't spare the quantums, T'Pral. Helm, do your best to keep our distance from the majority of them."

"Aye, Captain," T'Pral replied as an idea formed in her mind. If the platforms were using an external power source from one location that also meant the platforms were likely using a shared sensor pallet, with each platform's sensors adding to the collective, thus making them more effective as a whole. She loaded one forward launcher with a photon torpedo salvo and the other two forward launcher with quantums. She inputted commands into the launching computer, changing the warheads from contact detonation to a proximity burst on the photons. She fired the photons in a three shot spread. As the photons neared the platforms, they exploded temporarily overloading the sensors. She then fired the other two launchers with quantums as they tracked the now blinded platforms, scoring direct hits, evidenced by distant explosions on the view screen.

"Excellent shooting. Akira, do you have a lock onto their power source?" Enalia held onto her chair's armrests tightly as several more torpedoes made it through and hit the hull.

"The source of their power is evading me, Captain," Akira spoke up with great uncertainty. "But I have isolated what seems to be a number of resource hubs where the power is then distributed to the weapon platforms. I believe taking out those hubs would be sufficient to powering down the weapon platforms, but I am still searching for the power course in case this does not work out. I'm sending the data on the hubs to Tactical now."

"Fire at will, Lieutenant," Ordered Enalia.

T'Pral looked at the incoming data to her console and relayed it to the ship's tactical computer as the forward torpedo launchers finished reloading. The ship shook again from a torpedo hit. She glanced at the shield status which showed seventy-five percent. "I have a lock on the hubs, captain. Firing." Three salvos launched from the torpedoes as they streaked through space and a moment later, slamming into the hubs as several platforms went dark from the loss of energy. "I'm reading loss of power in fifteen of the platforms, captain. I estimate there are still six platforms left."

"Maybe that'll give us a little breathing room. Switch to quantums and let's see if we can finish off those six platforms." Enalia ordered as she punched up some coordinates and sent them to navigation. "Helm, use the pull from that plasma vent to swing us into the middle of those platforms and try to keep us in a lateral slide. T'Pral, fire six full spreads when you have a good lock."

The ensign at the helm glanced back at the captain like she was fucking nuts, but he followed his orders to the letter. "Swinging into the energy flow now," He reported as the Hera began to shimmy from the added stresses. After a two hundred degree swing, he pulled the ship out on nothing but maneuvering thrusters, keeping their momentum up in a lateral sliding spin, bringing them right into the middle of the remaining platforms.

Now being closer to the weapons platforms, the computer was able to establish a lock, allowing T'Pral to lock on and fire faster. The Hera's Point Defense Systems were working overtime at destroying the incoming fire. Phasers and torpedoes streaked to their targets, destroying the six remaining platforms. "Platforms are destroyed, captain," T'Pral reported.

"Captain, I am now reading a build up in the station's generators. If this is not rectified soon, within the next three minutes, the station will experience an overload of their generators and explode,"Akira chimed in. "Given the abrupt onset, it would be a reasonable assumption to think that this is intentional, perhaps a security measure?"

Enalia wasn't pleased with this news, but she at least expected it. "Helm, bring us around to catch the Selune as soon as we can and plot a course out of here. T'Pral, keep scanning for active platforms. Akira, keep an eye on that reactor and be ready with a tractor beam . If they're not out of there and in shuttlebay two with fifteen seconds left on the clock, we have to leave without them."

Having taken position at an auxiliary station, Enoch was monitoring the console infront of him. He had little to say previously, simply keeping his silence, standing by to back up the tactical station if needed. "Leave without them?" said the young looking man with overgrown dark hair. He gave a quick swipe across his face, brushing the hair aside. "Captain" he added with a worry in his tone.

T'Pral continued to scan, yet she found herself worrying about West as her eyes watched the sensor monitor. She mentally kicked herself for getting involved with West--this was one danger of having a relationship with someone on the same ship.

The silence dragged on as the seconds ticked by, and Akira was about to give a 30 second warning on the impending explosion when finally the familiar voice of a surly Brekkian bounty hunter sounded off over the comm.

=/\="Hera, this is the Selune! The station's set to self destruct, we need to get out of here! I'm bringing the Selune around to dock now, so don't move yet."=/\=

"Akira, get that tractor on them," Enalia ordered.

"Yes ma'am," Akira said, then activated the tractor beam as soon as the Selune was in range. Easing the Arrow-class runabout into shutlebay 2, she then gave the order to secure the outer doors and begin decontamination. "The Selune is safely docked," she informed the Captain.

"Helm, get us out of here. Best possible speed." Enalia gripped the armrests of her chair as plumes of fire started spouting from the station. Thankfully, the pilot was good and got the Hera moving a bit faster once the runabout was in the shuttlebay. The final explosion singed the Hera's aft but they were otherwise going to be ok.

Once they were definitely out of danger, Enalia stood up and tugged down on her uniform top. "Commander, a damage report, if you please."

"Engineering reports that we've take damage to the port nacelle," Mal said. "And there are several fires currently being extinguished as we speak. We weren't hulled, but there were several explosions due to overloaded conduits. And I regret to inform you that corpsmen on deck 26 report that a crewman named Daniels has perished."

Four fatalities, if the sensors were right about there only being three survivors from the station. Enalia nodded and headed towards the turbolift. "Conference room nine. Commander, I'll be down there to debrief the away team. If you can get away, feel free to join me."

"Of course," Mal replied. He rose and took the center seat, and got to work. "Alright, everyone, run after action diagnostics and report anything that needs repair. Secure from General Quarters..."