Back on the Shuttle
Posted on Wed Oct 12th, 2011 @ 11:29pm by Lieutenant Cedric Shepherd & Captain T'mpest Michaels & Lieutenant Jimmy Cooper & Captain Elsie Halliwell
1,177 words; about a 6 minute read
Mission: Taylforth
ON
As soon as they were back on the shuttle T'mpest went to the front of where Vladimir kept an eye on the station and the planet. "There may be Romulans in the area. Have you seen anything unusual?"
"Not yet," Vladimir said, resetting the scanners and initiating another sweep. "But that doesn't mean they aren't out there"
"Sir!" called Watson from the helm pit, "I've got a big power reading here!"
T'mpest looked at the helm controls in front of Vlad and quickly read over the readings.
"We'd been on passive scans, but active sensors come online during transport," Watson explained, though everyone knew it as a matter of course. "So when the sensors came on to guide the transporter beams, this big power signature cropped up. It looks like it's coming off one of the moons."
"Then why wasn't it picked up when we transported over to the station?" T'mpest asked.
"Any chance it's Romulan?" asked Shepherd with a frown.
Watson keyed his screens and cocked his head. "Could be," he nodded. "It's not a ship, though. It looks like an installation. Looks like the moon's rotation brought it into view since you beamed over, sirs. We couldn't see it then--we can see it now."
"That would make sense if it was on the far side of the moon. It would be undetectable until the moon passed between us and the planet." T'mpest, who was fluent in the language and history of the Romulan Star Empire, was busy running the readings through the database. "It's some sort of observation post."
"What the heck would Romulans be doing here? Apart for terrorizing this poor planet?" Jimmy mused.
"A very good question," T'mpest replied dryly. "Lieutenant Cooper, scan the station. Are there any transmissions or life signs?"
"Yes, Commander." Jimmy worked the shuttle's sensors. "It seems to be the Deuterium moon, Commander. It's causing havoc on the scans. I'll do what I can, though."
"Lieutenant Shepherd, do they have weapons capabilities?" she asked.
Shepherd had brought up a side screen and was looking closely. "I'm not seeing anything to indicate it. But if they're not at alert then weapons would be unpowered and easy to hide. We'd need a closer look to be sure."
T'mpest tapped a command in the comm system. "Michaels to Halliwell. There's a Romulan outpost on the moon. We'd like to go in for a closer look."
Halliwell tapped her combadge and sighed, shaking her head silently as the call came through in disbelief. She sat at her desk almost motionless and then raised her hand to mouth, delicately tracing the line of her lips in consideration. "I'm not comfortable sending a lone shuttle to investigate a possible threat stationed somewhere where they shouldn't be, Commander," she finally replied, searching her memory for alternatives and possibilities. "It's risky and we don't know what they're doing there. Have you confirmed that they are, indeed, Romulan?" Our own scans can't pick anything specific up but we're launching the shuttle in the next few minutes."
"Captain," Jimmy broke in, "Can't we send the probe?" Then he added "The power signature is definitely Romulan. So either they are Romulan, or they are at least pretending to be."
"Your own team back on the Ranger have been modifying a probe specifically to launch, Lieutenant."
A small feeling of pride welled up in Jimmy. "I'll see what I can scan from here, captain. What are your orders?"
"Come home," she said simply. "Whatever our next step should be, we have to coordinate it together... as a team."
"I thought the probe was to scan the planet?" T'mpest asked.
"And orbiting moons, also," Halliwell trailed.
"The readings from the outpost are definitely Romulan, Captain," T'mpest added. "I've sent them to you so you can see for yourself. What they're doing here is inconclusive, but there's no doubt that Romulans -- or someone with Romulan technology -- built the outpost."
Halliwell remained silent, pondering a point of confliction that now waged in her mind. She inhaled, and then searched the space beyond her ready room window for an answer she knew wasn't there. "Commander," she voiced, ready to turn her quandary into a discussion for the away team. "I'm struggling at an impasse," she bravely began. "Without studying the data you've collected, and with the probe still sitting in our Science lab, I am," she faltered, unable to admit her vulnerability, "unclear how to proceed for the best."
She inhaled and allowed the pregnant moment to disseminate amongst the crew. "I don't know whether to strike whilst we posses the element of surprise on your side and allow the Baden-Powell to investigate the readings unassisted or use the full resources here on the Ranger, the back-up of her firepower as well."
"Captain," Shepherd put in, "if I may, they may be just as surprised to see us as we are to see them. It's possible the moon installation hasn't detected the Baden-Powell, since we're snugged up against the station's power signature, but the Ranger has better sensors by a long long way--there's nothing we can do here that Ranger can't do better, and from further out. We're on neutral ground, and no shots have been fired. As long as everyone stays out of weapons range, there's no reason to believe this situation will get hostile. At least not yet," he added with a shrug.
"That uncertainty, Mr. Shepherd, is the reason that I am unsure how to proceed." She fell silent a moment and rubbed the tops of her fingers with her nail-beds. "The very fact that they are concealing their existence here indicates that they are up to no good. But you are right. Commander," Halliwell indicated, her tone of voice changing as she included her First Officer into the conversation once more, "take the Baden-Powell closer to inspect. But passive scans only. We'll integrate the information you collate with the scans the probe retrieve and go from there. But you are to return to the Ranger at the first sign of hostility or detection. Am I understood?"
"Very well," T'mpest said. "If there are Romulans on the facility we'll definitely keep our distance. If it's empty, I would like to send a team over. Simply because a probe is limited in what it can do. We'll need to get in and see for ourselves what's going on. But," she assured the captain, "only if the facility is abandoned."
"We'll assess that situation when it arises, Commander," Halliwell stated firmly. "Until then, you have your orders. Halliwell out."
"You heard the Captain," T'mpest said. "Let's have a closer look. Commander Zhukov, as soon as you're ready."
OFF
Captain Elsie Halliwell
Commanding Officer
USS Ranger
Commander T'mpest Michaels
Executive Officer
USS Ranger
Lieutenant Commander Vladimir Zhukov
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Ranger
Lieutenant Cedric Shepherd
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Ranger
Lieutenant Jimmy Cooper
Chief Science Officer
USS Ranger
Watson
Helmsman
USS Ranger
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