Posted by Captain Hamilcar Jasar (Captain) in Main Sim - Bridge

Posted by Lieutenant Sural (Chief Engineer) in Main Sim - Bridge

Posted by Gamemaster Matrix (GMT) in Main Sim - Bridge
Posted by… suppressed (14) by the Post Ghost! 👻
*“I know well what I am fleeing from but not what I am in search of.”

-Michel de Montaigne*

On the edge of Federation space, bordering the neutral zone, a small Romulan freighter struggled to remain at warp. “Fvadt” (Damn it.) the Captain said, rising from the centre chair. “We can’t keep this up. How much longer?” The young woman at the helm looked back at him, maintaining a steady voice despite the fear she felt and said “Not long. We’ll be in Federation space in…” she consulted her console “two minutes. Elements help us.”

The ship dropped out of warp, its engines capable of no more. They had made it, but they had emerged to face a Starfleet vessel. The Captain put his hand on the helmsman’s shoulder. “Either the Elements have saved us. Or doomed us. Hail them.”

D’vash saw the freighter cross into Federation sace on the tactical display on the main viewscreen.

“Helm, set an intercept course to that vessel. Sensors at maximum strength. I don’t want any cloaked Birds of Prey showing up in front of us,” he ordered.

Onboard the USS Olympic, the view screen lit up. =/\=Captain. We have no time for formalities. I hope, I pray, we’re in the right place. We come seeking asylum. Asylum from the oppression of The Tal’Shiar.=/\=

-Matrix

Hitting the comm, he signalled the CO. =^=Captain, you better come to the Bridge.=^=

=^= On my way. =^=Replied the Captain.

Addressing the picture on the screen, he said, =^=This is Cmdr. Odinson, of the USS Olympic. You have just crossed the Nuetral Zone into Federation space. please identify yourself.=^=

Odinson (XO)

‘Curious’, Sural thought. ‘It was ever a statistic that the Romulans are unconventionally unpredictable.’ He was certain that tactical was going to be performing an analysis based on their criteria. Logically, he would do the same. Leaning over the console he brought up the sensors to run a structural analysis of the Romulan ship. What kind of shape was it in?

Sensors showed the freighter had some 40 occupants and light cargo, the ship itself had no weapons to speak of, the shields seemed to be nonfunctional, and the warp core was dead. There was a mild photonic disturbance a few kilometres behind the ship.

The Romulan Captain spoke. =/\=Cmdr Odinson, I am Captain Reval. This ship is what remains of the I.R.W. Talok. Cmdr, I cannot impress upon you enough the urgency of our situation.=/\= another person on the bridge spoke to the Captain. =/\=Perhaps you don’t know the Tal’Shiar. Certainly you do not know them as we do. This is a vessel packed to capacity with civilians. No weapons. We offer no resistance. Please. Arrest us for breaching the neutral zone if you have to!”=/\= His desperation was almost palpable. =/\=I don’t know if you have ever known slavery Cmdr Odinson. These people have.=/\=

-Matrix

=^=Please standby, Capt.=^=, Odinson replied, then had the channel muted.

“Their singularity drive is offline. Sensors show it is likely disabled from their straining of the engines. Conducting a further structural scan of their ship for life support, power and structural integrity,” he continued, tapping at the console in a smooth, methodical fashion. Trust was something that was earned when it came to Romulans, and that only after all logical exceptions had been met. Their dedication to deception was formidable, even in their current weakened state. However, as his grandfather had said to him once, ‘A wounded Sehlat is ever the more dangerous.’ His brow rose as he overheard their exhortations. Too many variables still.
- Sural, CE

It was evident that the ship was crippled. Most systems were dead or dying. Non-essential systems had been shut down to give them extra time on life support and engines. There were three hull breaches, evidently from disruptor fire, being held closed by makeshift means. An educated guess would say this ship had been greatly outmatched and fled an aggressor.

-Matrix

“There is significant structural damage due to battle and overstressing the systems,” Sural continued as he stared at the readouts. “Power levels are critically low. Life support may be compromised shortly. With their core dead there is little chance of any explosions to destroy the vessel. Decompression and power loss are the greatest threats.” He ran a comparative scan for size to compare the Romulan vessel with that of the Mythology’s largest bay. Could they take it onboard wholesale to assist and repair and, if there was another vessel around that was cloaked - another probability with regards to Romulans - that they themselves could maneuver without risk of having to protect a crippled and still manned vessel.
- Sural, CE

The ship would consume most of the Olympic’s largest bay, however it could be brought onboard. It was small enough that, left out in the open, it wouldn’t be much to maneuver around. It was something of a radar blip in comparison with the larger Olympic. An experienced engineer could assess this ship to be meant for a crew of 5 to haul cargo. And now, seemingly, Romulans had made cargo of themselves.

=/\=This is no small matter. If Suket isn’t here now, she will be soon. We… we don’t stand a chance.=/\=

-Matrix

=^=I’m placing the Olympic between the Nuetral Zone and your ship to act as a barrier if this ‘Suket’ arrives.=^=
He ordered the helm into a defensive position to protect the small cargo ship.

Reval nodded his thanks, though he seemed to take limited reassurance. He did not seem to believe anyone could not know the name ‘Suket’. Despite what the Romulan thought, the name would be completely unfamiliar to anyone without an intelligence background.

A moment later the Captain entered the bridge. He took a quick look at the view screen then turned his XO. “Report Commander” He stood near the back of the bridge, taking in the scene then as the XO spoke, walked towards the command chair.

-CO

D’Vash exited from the captain’s chair and reported. This Romulan cargo vessel has crossed the Neutral Zone requesting political asylum, sir. She’s badly damaged. Major systems are failing. They were barely able to get into Federation space. There are 40 civilians onboard. Captain Reval is the CO. He states they’re running from the Tal’ Shiar. I’ve just ordered the ship to take up a defensive position in front of them..”

Odinson (XO)

-Matrix

Sural thought the move to be a barrier rather illogical. In a 360 degree environment protecting such a ‘sitting duck’ as one of the Academy instructors once described the Kobyashi Maru, the move was nothing more than a ‘statement’. However, statements can be effective if loud enough. The Mythology was of sufficient size to heighten the force of the statement. Still, one good disruptor strike and that cargo vessel would be destroyed.

“Captain,” Sural said, turning in his seat to face he and the XO. “From a scan of the Romulan cargo vessel, I determine that it will fit within our large bay. If we are going to adequately protect a vessel that cannot maneuver and is an easy target, bringing her on board would be the logical choice. With proper security measures, of course,” he said, deferring to the COS and, he suspected, XO’s probable security concerns.
- Sural, CE

Pretha had been silent at her station, though certainly taking notes and tapping commands to gather the security teams into standby and ready conditions.

As Sural made the recommendation to let the Olympic figuratively swallow the cripple shop, she nodded and spoke up. “We definitely have the man power to keep them under surveillance. We can even remove them from the ship onto cots in the bay for medical attention as well.” Without a huge ship to maneuver thru, seeing to the Romulana would be easier. They could also easily kick the ship out of the bay if something went wrong.

LtJG Pretha Oberon
CoS

“I can offer my services for psychological assessment of the Romulans and for preliminary consultation for any who are experiencing mental trauma,” Sathut spoke up.

Sathut

“This ship itself could be a bomb.” Jasar asked, taking his command chair. “Can we beam them aboard?” He asked curious, looking at the sensor display near his chair.

-CO

The ship was unshielded, it was therefore possible to beam everyone onboard. The only indication of weapons of any kind were two forward facing disruptor arrays, and one collapsed torpedo tube. Powering the disruptors at this point seemed unlikely given the ship’s remaining power levels.

-Matrix

Sural stood and faced the captain, his hands clasped behind him. “Sir, motive would be required were we considering this to be an explosive device. Their singularity core is dead and their power levels insufficient to begin mustering either an offense or defense. We were not expected to be here and the Zeus could not take this vessel in. Moreover, the cargo vessel would normally have as its crew up to five. There are over 40 on board. Logically if they were performing a suicide mission they would do it with minimal persons rather than what we see. Tactically were we to take the vessel on we only have ourselves to protect in the event of any other Romulan incursion. We are able to both take the vessel aboard and contain it, beaming the crew to another location such as sickbay. Then, security and engineering can secure the vessel.”
- Sural, CE

“It’s not the motive of the crew that I am concerned about. If they are running from the Tal’ Shiar they may have an agent on board.” Jasar stated to Sural. He stood up and moved towards the view screen. “Hail the Romulans.”

Once they reestablished communication.

=^=Captain Revel, This is Captain Jasar of the Federation Star ship Olympic. I would like to beam your crew aboard my ship, we can better protect you that way. Any members of your crew that need medical attention will be attended to. Once your crew has been seen to, we can discuss your asylum request.=^=

-CO

=/\=Captain Jasar, that is perfectly agreeable. My ship is unshielded, I will tell the people to expect beam out at any time.=/\= he was about to close out the channel when he said =/\=Captain, we cannot thank you enough.=/\= The viewscreen went dark, then returned to a view of the I.R.W. Talok. Soon to just be drifting scrap metal, relieved of its burden.

-Matrix