Posted by Vice Admiral CockRoach (GM) in Main Sim - Bridge
[snip]

Sliding over to Aiden Green whispered, “There was a hushed conversation in the background on their ship. Couldn’t make it out. Can you bring that up and amplify it enough to make sense of it?”

• Green, NL Eng

Aiden nodded, diverting his attention away from trying to intercept communications. “I can certainly try,” he noted, and pulled up the recording. He quieted the main conversation, keeping it just audible enough for context, and amplified all background noise, then tried to filter out the typical running noises of a ship to leave just the apparent side conversation, garbled as it might be.

Ens. Conlon, Linguist / Comms

Careful tuning of playback on the audio channel was tricky given the pick ups had not picked every detail up they received. But Aiden was able to make out the following: =/\= Whisper whisper, inaudible what if they…inaudible whisper find..inaudible whisper or slaves? =/\= it sounded like.

“Try to hail them. Let’s ask them directly why they are so off course. Be ready to polarize the hull plating and move if they start getting aggressive.” Marceau said from his seat.

~ Capt Renault

“Aye Captain, ready to move. Their bulk is no match for Sojourner’s maneuverability. They will be in for quite a surprise. Should I take up a defensive position or hold steady, Sir?”

Laursen, Pilot

As Marceau took control, Heather moved her way over to the science station. She tapped the ensign there on the shoulder and sat down as the ensign headed down to the labs to support from there.

Green’s brows closed in at that. That was unexpected but perhaps a challenge might wipe the smirk off their faces. He was the sole engineer left on the bridge. The others had left at shift change and at the completion of the vent repairs. Serinde was still looking into the tactical panel damage. That wouldn’t be pretty if they had to get aggressive. But then they were just fat traders - that term his family used when describing merchant ships like that. He’d be able to man the engineering station well enough and if need be get one of the others up on Beta shift to cover as well. Aeled could help. Bekele certainly but he would need him in engineering if anything happened there. The Engineering station was across the bridge from where he was and as much as he’d like to hang here until the recording was cleaned up his spot was there. Giving Conlon a clap on the shoulder and a nod, he moved across the bridge to where the Engineering station was.

• Green, NL Eng

A moment later the audio only comm line was open again, =/\= Yes Sojourner? What is it you need now? Or are you just hailing to let us know you’re finally leaving? =/\= The still testy sounding cargo captain asked.

“Hold steady for now but be ready.” Marceau responded. “We don’t want to look like a doormat, but we also do not want to start a fight and I don’t want them to take our defensive positioning as a threat.”

~ Capt Renault

“Aye, Captain.” Helena studied the other ship’s positions and distance, and keyed in her first position change, but held steady. Thank goodness for artificial gravity or these moves would send people flying across the deck without a seatbelt.

Laursen, pilot

Green thought that this might be a good time to enlist the Chief. It was not that Green felt that he was incapable - of what? facing down three traders who where evidently hiding something? Even without their tactical on the fritz from the bridge this was not a combat zone. Besides it would be good for the Lt to have a kick at the can at the bridge. It may not come to anything - and probably wouldn’t - Reggie was surprised that the captain was taking this kind of aggressive stance. Normally he was much more diplomatic than this.

Pressing the comms at the panel he said quietly =^= Green to Lt Marshell. Please attend the bridge. There is a potentially developing situation between us and the freighters in system with us. =^=

Rising he said, “Captain, engineering - engines and power at optimal.”

Green, NL Eng

As the Sojourner moved, the two flanking cargo ships slowly moved on thrusters to spread out slightly with the main freighter still off their forward bow now. Obviously the cargo crews were not quite as dumb as they might expect.

GM CockRoach

Now to just wait and see what the Captain would do, because she did not think the freighters were going to back down so easily.

Cmdr Grace - XO/CSO