The Fire Within

Posted on Sun 25th Nov, 2018 @ 2:20pm by

1,515 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Oblivion

OOC: Thought this would be a good start for a JP if you're all interested.

Captain Tenali stretched in his chair on the bridge of the freighter S.S. Congo. He was a bulky Trill with a greying beard. He thought about his recent hire for Disney Inc to transport trade goods. Thus far the contract had been both profitable and boring--two things he liked. He would soon be back home on Starbase 109 and be able to see his daughter again. He hated having to miss her birthday last week but hopefully the Sehlat Cub he had purchased on Vulcan would make her happy--she loved those cats. An alarm caught his attention as he sat up straighter and looked at his Operations Officer. "What is it?"

"I dunno... there's a lot of interference... shit! Pirates incoming!" the Terellian male shouted.

"Raise shields and contact Starbase One Zero Nine!" Tenali ordered.

A disruptor barrage from the Pirate vessel soon ripped into the Congo's bridge area, obliterating it, causing debris and a trail of atmosphere trail as the ship dropped out warp and beginning to drift.

------------------



Leah Jamison looked over the recent shareholders' report in her office at the Disney Inc. Headquarters. "Damn...the shares in self-sealing stem bolts have dropped by five percent," she muttered to herself.

Her comm channel chirped to life. "Ms. Jamison," came a woman's voice.

"What is it, Bridgett?" Leah replied, annoyed at being interrupted. "It better be important."

"It is, ma'am. We've received a message from the Starfleet Vessel USS Yemen that they've confirmed that they have found the hull of the Congo...or what was left of it. It was heavily damaged, cargo and several starship components missing, and the crew is either dead or missing."

Leah was shocked into silence. The Congo? She had a lot of valuable cargo in that ship...not to mention the loss of a freighter which wasn't cheap! Anger flushed her face red. Starfleet had assured her that the trade route was safe and yet she just lost a freighter to those damn pirates. Didn't Colonel Wellington take out their head guy or whatever? What the hell was that celebration for anyways? Leigh stood and walked briskly out of her office. "Take any calls, Bridgett and reschedule my 1400 appointment with the Vulcan Ambassador. I'll likely be out of the office for the rest of the day while I deal with these Starfleet buffoons." She stepped into the building's transporter. "Computer, site to site transport to Operations."

The computer chirped in response. A moment later, Leah materialized outside of the Ops as site to site transport wasn't allowed within the center unless by a Senior Officer. The two security guards watched Leah with interest as to what would bring the woman to Operations, but they knew it couldn't mean good news. "I'm Leah Jamison, CEO of Disney Inc., as if I really need to identify myself. Now, I need to see Captain Hikari like yesterday so just tell her I'm here and that I need a word with her."

"Captain Suzuki," answered the security officer to the right of the door, his face tendrils twitching in an emotion unreadable to those not familiar with his species.

The other officer surreptitiously glanced at her taccorder, verifying the woman's identity and lack of weapons or explosives, before tapping a message to the Captain's yeoman. "Follow this corridor around to the left," she said. "You'll come to the Captain's office. Her yeoman will arrange a meeting for you."

"Her name can be Captain Jack Sparrow for all I care," Leah said in a huff as she walked briskly past the two guards and down the corridor before coming to the office and entering. She spotted the dark-haired young man behind the desk. "I'm here to see your captain," she stated, coming to a stop only a few feet from the desk.

The yeoman nodded, glancing at the display embedded in his desktop, verifying the lack of threatening objects or substances. "Please, go right in," he said, indicating the pressure door to his right.

As Jamison stalked in, Suzuki rose from behind her desk and came around to meet the executive. "Ms. Jamison. I don't believe we've met before." She gave a polite bow, inclining her upper body about twenty degrees. "I'm Captain Suzuki. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

"How about the fact that I just lost a freighter and its crew to Pirates on a trade route that Starfleet had assured was safe," Leah seethed without returning the greeting. "I was under the impression from the recent ceremony that Colonel Wellington killed their leader or hero or whatever and had left the area."

"I assure you, Colonel Wellington has not left the area," Suzuki answered. "The medal she received was, like most medals, awarded for bravery unbecoming an officer and a gentleman. As for the pilot she faced in single combat, our intelligence officers differ in their assessment of his importance. My theory is that he was simply some asshole who wanted to make his bones by killing Starfleet pilots."

Suzuki took a deep breath. "None of which makes up for the loss of your ship's crew. I am sorry for your loss."

"Tell me you have a plan to kill these bastards?" Leah asked hopefully. "Because if you can't keep the trade routes safe, I will be forced to move my office off station and to a new location with far safer trade routes. And if Disney Inc. moves off station, you will lose considerable trade and tourists. In turn other businesses will be forced to shut down or move off base in order to make a good profit. That new casino would likely close in turn. I don't think I need to go on."

Suzuki sighed and leaned back against her desk, crossing her arms under her breasts. "I would love to tell you that the whole thing will be resolved by Tuesday week. I would, however, be lying. The problem is complex, and has no easy solution. What I can tell you is that Starfleet is working on it. More ships have been diverted to patrol commerce lanes, and the no-sapient's-zone edges. I expect there will soon be a convoy system set up, to allow groups of merchant ships to be escorted by more powerful vessels. In short? All I can really tell you is that we're working on it."

"I'm quite familiar with the statement of 'We're working on it'," Leigh continued her protest in crossing her arms. "That means nothing will be done while you try to reassign ships and likely try to talk to these bloodthirsty bastards and all in the meanwhile, innocent people are being killed or taken as slaves. Have you ever been confined aboard an Orion Slave ship, Captain?"

"I have not," Suzuki answered. "But I have been ambushed by pirates. Recently, in fact. A third of my crew died. Another third were seriously injured." She turned her head toward the holodisplay wall. "Computer, replay the arrival of USS Samurai at Starbase 109." There was a chirp, and the screen changed to a view of the final approach to the harbor. A starship, missing one nacelle, bleeding atmosphere from several tears in her hull, appeared.

As the grim image of the broken ship played out, Suzuki went on, "I was an Ensign on my first deployment at the battle of Wolf 359. Of the entire compliment of a Galaxy class starship, there were four survivors... and I was only one of them because my supervisor picked up my unconscious body and put me in an escape pod. So no, Ms. Jamison; I have not been taken captive. I have, however, been in the situation of watching those I care about, those for whom I bear responsibility, die all around me, while I was powerless to save them. So when I say that I am working on the problem, you may believe that I am doing so with every resource available to me.

"Unfortunately, while I have a shipyard at my disposal now, trained crews are somewhat harder to come by. Starfleet is allocating resources. If that's not sufficient... I can get you a berth on the next transport to Starbase 8."

"Then at the very damn least, get me a fighter escort," Leah offered. "I'm sure Colonel Wellington would be more than happy for a chance to have it out with those bastards again."

"I'll do you one better," Suzuki said, going around her desk and looking down into the holographic display embedded in the top. "USS Jeanne d'Arc, a Dervish-class Destroyer Escort, is scheduled to depart today. Contact her skipper, Commander Xervyt, and arrange for a convoy. I'll order xir to hold departure up to forty-eight hours for you."

"Thank you," Leah said, though she doubt that would solve the problem--more like applying a band-aid to an amputated limb. "Though I doubt this will solve the issue in the long run." She turned to leave the Captain's office.

 

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