The Hunter - Part I

Posted on Wed 9th Nov, 2016 @ 9:00am by Colonel Horatio Drake & Commander Jasmine Collins-Keller & Commander Paul Graves PsyD

654 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: Cloak & Dagger
Location: Main Bridge, USS Warspite
Timeline: MD-02: 1500 Hours

The Bridge had been in near silence for the past few hours with a murmur here and there, confirming readings or picking up background signatures that were of no importance. Drake had gone through more coffee than ever before and had been using the time to catch up on yet more administrational duties - like a bad odour they seemed to follow him and were impossible to shake.

The ship had been using standard search patterns in an attempt to locate the hostile vessel - however, up until now, despite expanding their search areas it had yielded no success. The trail of interference in the electrodynamic field that was picked up five hours ago was nothing more than a glitch in the sensors.

An alarm sounded across the Bridge, "Sir, we're picking up a massive surge of interference dead ahead... it looks like the particles themselves are being... manipulated, somehow." The look of confusion on Anthony's face was unmistakable as he glanced across to Collins for an explanation.

Jasmine looked at the man. "I don't know sir. It wasn't there and now...it's like it just popped in in front of us."

Adrenaline surged through Drake's body like fire... coursing through his veins, making him focus and forcing his brain into action... he hadn't felt like this in the longest of times.

"Red Alert! Shields up!" He raised his voice. The light dimmed and red lighting adorned the top and bottom of the Bridge.

"Sir, sensors are showing an... Intrepid Class starship, de-cloaking dead ahead. Their shields are up and weapons are charged." Anthony's voice sounded panicked.

"Open a channel..." Drake paused until he got the nod. "This is Colonel Horatio Drake of the Federation Starship Warspite... identify yourself."

"The ship is not responding to my hails on any frequency, Colonel," Paul reported. He fine-tuned the controls on the comm board. "Compensating for electrodynamic field interference." Paul waited a few seconds. "Still no response."

"I repeat... this is the Federation Starship Wars..." A gentle shudder was felt across the Bridge.

"Colonel, they've fired on us! Shields down to 97%... readings appear to be consistent with a Starfleet Type Nine phaser array." Anthony was furiously tapping away at his console trying to get more information.

The Type IX phaser array was the standard issue fitted onto the Intrepid Class... this was looking worse by the second.

A million things were running through Drake's head... what were the repercussions of firing on a Federation Starship? Why were they being attacked? Was this ship part of Starfleet? A rogue element, perhaps? How were they going to withstand a fire fight? His next course of action was both obvious and terrifying.

"Mr. Anthony, return fire."

With a few taps of his console, a shimmering beam of orange refracted energy shot through the abyss and made contact with the hostile vessel. "Direct hit... no discernible effect."

No discernible effect? The Miranda refit was also fitted with Type IX phaser arrays... even against an Intrepid Class, this should have dealt at least some drop in their shield integrity

Before his could reply to the tactical officer the ship lurched to one side, as if receiving a punch in a boxing fight.

"Report!"

"Shields are down to 68%, sir!" The panic in Anthony's voice was evident.

Drake glanced at Graves and then again to Collins as the ship rocked again.

Paul looked back at Drake. "Not a word out of them, sir. They aren't even gloating--over the comms or in my head. Whoever these people are, they are disciplined, and they mean business."

"51%!"

"What the Hell are they hitting us with?" Drake heart was racing, even torpedoes couldn't have dished out that much damage that quickly... this was no Intrepid Class.

"I... I don't know, sir..." Anthony was confused. Was this his first time in combat? The thought ran through Drake's mind.

"Return fire, quantum torpedoes... full spread"

TO BE CONTINUED...

 

RSS Feed