Posted by Captain Thaddus Charles Francis O’Neil (Commanding Officer) in Main Sim: Bridge: Within the Expanse

Posted by Gamemaster Nosferatu (GM) in Main Sim: Bridge: Within the Expanse

Posted by Captain Thaddus Charles Francis O’Neil (Commanding Officer) in Main Sim: Bridge: Within the Expanse
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻
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O’Neil’s eyes remained fixed on the tactical display as Hale’s assessment appeared across the command interface. He did not answer immediately. His expression hardened as the pieces aligned. The four contacts were not simply trapped aboard the derelict. They were components of the same system as the reconnaissance device, and whatever was hidden in the debris field was now escalating because it was losing control of them.

“Then we’ve confirmed the connection.”

His gaze shifted toward Tactical.

“Hale, passive sensors only. I want a full weapons solution on that vessel, but I do not want a lock. Track its power curve, gravimetric distortion, and projected vector. If it makes a move toward the derelict, I want to know before it gets there.”

O’Neil turned toward Engineering.

“Batario, reinforce the Chernov’s structural fields and bring shields to standby. Do not raise them unless I order it. I want the ship ready, not advertising that we’re ready.”

He looked toward Operations.

“Mercer, keep the containment-field data running against those four signatures. If their activity is tied to the reconnaissance device, determine whether the derelict is containing them deliberately or whether that field is simply preventing them from leaving.”

The Captain’s attention returned to Science.

“Science, isolate the gravimetric distortion from everything else. I want to know what it is doing before I care why it’s doing it. Determine whether it is affecting the derelict, the debris field, or us.”

A brief pause.

“And watch Tamm.”

O’Neil leaned forward slightly in his chair.

“If that vessel is trying to reclaim those four, and Tamm is what it was attempting to remove, then Tamm may be the reason those assets were taken in the first place.”

His eyes moved back to Hale.

“Keep watching the reconnaissance device. If it changes its approach because of that gravimetric distortion, call it.”

O’Neil then looked toward the viewscreen.

“Do not fire. Do not transmit. Do not provoke them.”

His voice remained level, but there was no uncertainty behind it.

“They’ve just shown us they can reach into that derelict remotely. Let them show us what they intend to do next.”

He settled back into the command chair, eyes never leaving the tactical display.

“And if they decide the Chernov is next…”

A short pause.

“Then we answer.”

THADDUS CHARLES FRANCIS O’NEIL
Captain, Starfleet
Commanding Officer, USS Chernov NCC-1790

Across the bridge, the Chernov’s officers moved quickly to carry out O’Neil’s orders. Hale adjusted the tactical display, maintaining passive observation while the concealed vessel’s power output, distortion field, and projected movement were continuously plotted. “Passive sensors only, Captain. I’ll call any change in vector or weapons activity immediately.”

At Operations, Mercer brought the four contained signatures alongside the derelict’s forcefield telemetry. “Containment correlation running. I’ll determine whether the field is responding specifically to those four contacts.”

Science began separating the gravimetric distortion from the surrounding interference while maintaining observation of Tamm. For the moment, the concealed vessel made no obvious move toward either the derelict or the Chernov.

Gamemaster Nosferatu
Your Darkest Nightmare

O’Neil remained in the command chair, his attention fixed on the tactical display as the information came together. The concealed vessel had demonstrated that it could influence events aboard the derelict without exposing itself, while the gravimetric distortion continued to complicate the Chernov’s understanding of what was happening around them. That alone was enough reason to remain cautious. “Then we watch,” he said, his voice low but carrying across the bridge. “Whatever is happening out there, we don’t understand it yet. Until we do, we don’t give it another variable to work with.”

He glanced toward the viewscreen, considering the ancient derelict hanging against the darkness of the Expanse. “Maintain passive sensors and keep the weapons solution ready, but nobody fires unless I give the order. I don’t want to turn an unknown situation into a battle simply because we’re uncomfortable with what we can’t see.” His gaze returned to the tactical display. “Continue monitoring those four signatures and the gravimetric distortion. If that vessel makes another move, I want to know what changed immediately before it happened.”

O’Neil settled back into the chair, his expression remaining calm as the Chernov held its position. “We’ve already learned that they’re capable of reaching into that derelict without showing us how. That makes them dangerous, but it doesn’t make them hostile.” He paused, eyes narrowing slightly. “For now, we’re Starfleet. We observe, we gather evidence, and we give them every opportunity to tell us what we’re dealing with before we decide they’re our enemy.”

THADDUS CHARLES FRANCIS O’NEIL
Captain, Starfleet
Commanding Officer, USS Chernov NCC-1790
OOC: Please note to use =^= when you are speaking over comms so it is easier to see and cross post to the persons thread you are speaking too.:)

=^=The intruders are contained for now.=^=~Pawl said calmly to the open connection to the bridge. It was if he had spoken too soon as the tactical display changed without warning. The gravimetric distortion marking the concealed vessel sharpened abruptly. What had been a carefully controlled signature expanded as power surged through the contact. Almost simultaneously, the encrypted transmissions directed toward the derelict stopped.

For several seconds, there was nothing. Then Lieutenant Marcus Hale’s console sounded. “Captain, contact is moving!”

The concealed vessel accelerated from the debris field, no longer attempting to disguise its position. Its projected course brought it directly toward the Chernov and the derelict. A second alert followed. Four smaller contacts separated from the larger distortion and they were moving rapidly.

Hale’s hands worked across Tactical. “Four probes. Same signature family as the devices we’ve been tracking. They’re coming directly at us.” The first probe swept past the Chernov’s bow and a concentrated energy pulse struck the forward shields causing the bridge lights to flicker.

“Impact confirmed,” Hale reported. “Low yield, but definitely weapons fire.”

Operations registered another development almost immediately. The unknown vessel had begun transmitting again, but the signal was no longer directed exclusively toward the derelict. Powerful overlapping bursts were now washing across the Chernov’s sensor and communications bands.

The second probe altered course, this time it was aiming directly for the ship. Whatever had been observing them had stopped watching and had begun attacking.

Nosferatu
Your Darkest Nightmare

The bridge lights flickered once before stabilizing, the tactical display painting the approaching probes across O’Neil’s command interface. His eyes followed the second contact as it broke from the formation and altered course toward the Chernov. The first probe had already fired. There was no ambiguity about that. O’Neil rose from the command chair, his voice cutting cleanly through the bridge.

“Red alert. Shields up.”

He turned toward Tactical. “Hale, track all four. Give me a weapons solution on the one coming at us.” His gaze shifted briefly toward the main viewer before returning to the tactical display. “Weapons free against anything that fires on this ship. Until then, we hold our fire.” O’Neil looked toward Operations as the overlapping transmissions continued to interfere with the Chernov’s systems. “Mercer, isolate those transmissions. Keep our communications and sensor systems clean. If they’re trying to blind us or get inside our systems, I want to know before they succeed.”

O’Neil returned his attention to the tactical display, the larger unidentified vessel continuing its approach somewhere beyond the probes. “Archer, stand by to maneuver. Keep us clear of the derelict and that debris field.” A measured pause followed. “T’Sol, continue monitoring the gravimetric distortion. I want immediate notification of any change in its behavior.” His expression hardened as the incoming probe closed the distance. “Nobody chases them. Nobody fires on that larger vessel. We protect the Chernov, we protect our people, and we find out exactly what these things are trying to accomplish. Let’s see what they do next.”

THADDUS CHARLES FRANCIS O’NEIL
Captain, Starfleet
Commanding Officer, USS Chernov NCC-1790

Lt. Valharra coded the translation. He read it, and he sent it to science and the captain to look over, right before the attack. It confirmed it was trying to regain control of the four contacts, and they finally found the correct one and regained control. After the attack, he continued reading the translation, then turned to the Captain, “There is translation in whatever that was that hit the ship” He stated as he continued watching the translation populate. “They are looking for Tamm, I’m not 100% sure that was a weapon attack, or an invasive scan to see if Tamm is aboard.”
Lt. Valharra, Communications Officer