Posted by Lieutenant Commander Kord (XO) in Main Sim - Bridge

Posted by Gamemaster CockRoach (Gamemaster) in Main Sim - Bridge
[snip]

On scans would show a quantum fissure opening 300km to the aft port quarter of the Ark Angel just beyond the system’s borders, and growing rapidly, another was picked up 500m ahead of the Ark Angel with multiple smaller fissures within. A temporal distortion wave was accompanied by these openings near the larger 24th century ship. No sooner had this all sunk in when out of the first fissure a large organic like ‘ship’ almost like an elongated mushroom with spindly tentacle like protrusions emerged. The vessel matched descriptions the Ark Angel crew had given in their briefing to the Merrimack crew, in their logs for the Serpent’s larger ships from those of the future. Almost 800m long and 600m in height the narrowest point of the vessel was about 400m around. As they watched the mushroom head cone at the front extended and out shot what could be considered ‘thorns’ by some unknown means of propulsion, the almost blitzing style of the attack found all 30 of the thorns strike the Ark Angel’s aft quarter shields slamming into their shields, as the Merrimack crew watched the larger Starfleet vessel’s shields along the aft quarter hued a blue-silver tone. A second or two later the comm system picked up an alert from the Ark Angel about the attack.

Ahead of the Ark Angel, the second portal opened showing more artificial like ships shaped like a bird’s beak at the front they would angle back to a boxy curved structure with a pair of quad set of ovular shaped nacelle housings. These would match the smaller raiding ships encountered by the Merrimack and presumably the Greyhound on the planet in their recent adventure into the Beta Quadrant. They were about 15m long by 8m wide and 10m height they spread out in number till 20 of the ships filled the nearby space.

On the screen the Ark Angel was seen to slowly accelerate to .25c within a bit more then a moment, angling their approach to move into the narrower approaches of the system’s outer asteroid/comet belts and began to proceed into the system. A wide band comm call was picked up again by the comm officer from the Ark Angel presumably to the Serpents. =/\= This is Fleet Captain Drudoc Andone aboard the USS Ark Angel! We demand to know the reasons for your attack upon the temporal fabric of our reality! If you do not cease your attack upon this ship and the Federation we will respond with the full force at my command! =/\= She snapped out. Meanwhile the 20 odd smaller craft spread out further into groups of 4, forming 5 squadrons spread out over a 200,000km area around the Ark Angel with the far larger ship in pursuit as the bridge crew watched.

After a second another reply came in also picked up by the comms officer, =/\= There can be no reasons given, no discussions had, no mercy expected nor provided, for where reality bends at our will and to our shape only we may tread. For our will, our thoughts, our vision is the only one of purity..=/\= Came the reply followed by another opening of the ‘mushroom head’ at the front of the larger ship with another burst of thorns coming sailing in toward’s the Ark Angel! Meanwhile the smaller ships broke their held formations strafing the Ark Angel from port to starboard and starboard to port on the dorsal vectors.

Going off of the tactical readings the larger craft probably could overwhelm the Merrimack in a straight up fight, the Ark Angel in return fire from a burst of photon torpedoes and phaser fire seemed to be in that duel holding their own, it probably would be wiser for the Merrimack to focus on the smaller more agile and less powerful servant ships squadrons.

Doctor Cross then spoke =/\= Cmdr,Cmdr anything too report?=/\= the female doctor asked as she kept running =/\= Sir acknowledge!=/\= were her last words..............

To make matters worse as this was taken in, another smaller fissure opened near the Merrimack about 500km to port. While no ships came out an unknown energy wave jostled the ship, it caused no damage but it did for the time being negate their ability for comms and transporters down to the planet. There was also signs just before a sensor lock on the team was lost, that some kind of shielding had arisen around the planet. The away team it seems was on their own in whatever way they could be facing, for now it would be best Kord focus on the battle to come.

Anna had been watching this as the terror quielty built in her mind. It would be better if she just paid attention to the console and tried to keep the comms channel open.

Kord’s expression was one of absolute calm and confidence.

“Bring us about and put us 400,000km from the planet. Have the shuttle bay prepare to push the first bomb out of the bay doors.” Kord ordered.

“Aye sir!” NE Twonk called out from the helm station, “Bringing us about.”

NE Twonk’s fingers frantically tapped in the commands and got the ship moving.

Kord watched the screen as the star field swept across.

As the Merrimack came about, replies came in from the shuttlebay that they would be ready in two minutes for shoving the 1st of the two bombs Kord had gotten together, on screen the Ark Angel was shown to now be focusing its phaser fire on splitting up the attack smaller ships, making their strafing and patterns of attack less coordinated. In rapid succession 15 phaser bursts shot out from around the large ship but the nimble ships proved hearty 8 of the 15 shots hit, and based on scans sent the enemy’s form of shielding down sharply to something akin to 60%. The remaining phaser shots though missed their marks by a narrow margin. Another pair of phaser shots rang out with a burst of photon torpedoes to the rear of the Ark Angel, striking the mammoth mushroom shaped Serpent ship, the phasers doing marginal damage to is form of shielding, while the burst of rapid fired torpedoes impacted a wave of ‘thorn like’ organic missile weapons destroying most but 8 of their number still sharply struck the rear of the Ark Angel.

Kord heard Cross’ communication fade out. “NE Lacey, see if you can cut through the interference. We need to maintain contact with the landing party.”

Lacey was working the console furiously.

“Already on it Commander. And the shuttle bay reports they need two minutes until manual launch.” she said as she quickly worked.

NE Lacey, Comms

Now coming within 800km of the dueling vessels 5 of the smaller enemy ships broke off their attack from the Ark Angel and came about to make a beeline for the Merrimack, lances of rapid fire green like energy made up of some kind of plasma struck the ship’s bow, shields shook strongly from their fresh 100% status and dropped to about 87% with minor seepage raining through the shields to their forward armor plating which dissipated the remaining energy doing no real damage then to the hull.

“Tactical, reinforce facing shields and return fire. No torpedoes unless you’re sure the blast radius won’t affect the Ark Angel.”

On screen the Merrimack’s approach to the combat saw the Ark Angel take another strafing from the smaller ships, the larger organic mushroom ship behind the Angel also attacked, several of the ‘thorn missiles’ impacting the Ark Angel though some were shot down by the phaser fire of their future ally. In return the Ark Angel lay down a wide spread of rapid fire phaser strikes which dispersed the formations of the smaller ships, coupled with the Merrimack’s approach and own fire 1 was destroyed and several more damaged. Still 6 of the enemy small ships broke off and came about to began lancing energy weapon fire upon the Merrimack! Shields were buffeted hard going from 100% to 83% in quick succession.

On screen also the Ark Angel was seen do to a suddenly hard bank to port then make a sharp Z axis dive before arcing up to fire upon the shooting past larger ship with some kind of silvery torpedo like weapon (aka quantum torpedoes but you dont know that :P). This with more phaser fire from the future ship into the rear of the mushroom Serpent ship caused some damage it seemed along its rear quarter.

GM CockRoach

“NE Twonk, evasive maneuvers and get us in position as quickly as possible.” Kord called. THough the ship rocked with impacts and maneuvers, Kord never wavered from the place he stood. It was almost as if his feet were glued in place.

“Aye sir.” replied NE Twonk as his fingers fairly flew along the console hoping that his knack at avoiding conflict at nearly all costs would serve him as well here.

• Kord, XO/NE Twonk