Luna Departs

Posted on Mon Nov 14th, 2016 @ 10:21am by Commander Leksander Draven & Commodore Leon `Lee` Pike & Lieutenant Commander Holly Gillo & Commodore Alexandra Harrison

2,096 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Episode 93 - Warrior VS Warrior
Location: Starbase 400/USS Luna
Timeline: MD3 1500hrs

ON:

Stonebridge made his way to the docking bay. He was looking for a ship called the Luna. He still had not met his Chief of Security in an official capacity and he was wondering how that would go over. The only real contact he had up to now was with the Admiral. So he waited...

"Lieutenant Stonebridge, please report back to my Office." Bremer called over the comm.

+tap+ "On my way sir." said Stonebridge

Draven walked back with Stonebridge as he headed back to Bremer's Officer. Lek glanced at the PADD he carried and when he arrived at the Luna's airlock in tapped in the code to open the door and he stepped aboard.

Lek hadn't been aboard a Luna class ship before, but he knew the specs and capabilities. Arriving on the Bridge he took a seat at the Intel position and logged in. He had several Intel protocols to install related to Communications, Tactical, and Internal Security he wanted ready before the ship departed. He didn't want a repeat of what happened aboard the Yorktown when she went after Morderin.

As the crew got ready to depart, Stonebridge came running into the docking bay. The entrance to the Luna Class ship was still open. He entered and made his presence known. He looked around the bridge for what might be a security station. Dumbfounded, he hoped somebody would set him straight and tell him what they wanted him to do. On the ground, he would be fine. But just now he was a bit lost.

Draven saw Stonebridge return to the Bridge and he walked over. "Lieutenant Stonebridge, I'm Commander Draven. I've added a few extra layers of security to the ship's systems for this mission and wanted to bring you up to speed before we depart."

"That's great sir. Walk me through them." Said Stonebridge as he listened deeply to what the commander had to say.

Alex arrived at the bridge and walked out of the turbolift. She saw Stonebridge and Draven facing each other and talking. She stood there for a moment, not sure which position she was supposed to take on the bridge. Looking around her, she also noticed that her husband, Lee hadn't shown up yet.

Lek saw Alex and looked over. "Sorry Captain, can you join us please?"

Once Harrison stepped over, Draven walked over to Tactical and signed in, pulling up the protocols. "I've also already uploaded the communication encryption codes the Admiral mentioned." He tapped a few commands to show new the security protocols. "Lieutenant, when you beam down, these will be the times for you to contact us and they vary daily. We won't use comm-badges, we'll use small communicators designed for spec-ops incursion teams. Frequencies have been encrypted."

Stonebridge secured the transmitter receiver and placed it in his jacket pocket. This type of device usually came with an ear wick so it wasn't obvious when comms were in use. " understood sir." Replied Stonebridge as he tapped the controls on his station to get used to them. "I'll run a low level diagnostic once we are under way to make sure we're good, and I'll be ready to go. All we need to do now is discuss how we are going in. I'm cool either way. Oh and will we be discussing a duress code in case one of us lands in deep kimchi." Asked Lt Stonebridge

Lee finally stepped onto the bridge after making sure everything was taken care of that needed to be along with a last minute meeting with Admiral Bremer, he looked around. Before the conn officer could announce him, Lee waved him silent just standing there taking everything on the bridge in, including his wife talking to Stonebridge and Draven.

Just so that terminologies would not get mixed up, Stonebridge decided he had better clarify an aspect of his terminology. "In previous mission outlines I've been a part of planning, the team had a duress code. As I'm sure you already know, a duress code is a word or phrase that alerts a member of our team that you are under some form of duress and may be under the control, either directly or indirectly of someone who is arbitrary to our mission. " said Stonebridge "This comes in handy if one or even more of us are forced to work against the team once we have been compromised. For example, you see me with someone you don't recognize and I give you the code, you take him down. Or play along and not let on that you know I'm blown. The action you take could save the day or get us both killed, but at the very least, it gives us a chance that they don't know we have and the upper hand. " replied Stonebridge hoping they were now all on the same page.

Alex responded, "I'm well aware of the concept of a duress code. If you deem it necessary, I don't have a problem with it." Alex looked to her husband for a response.

"Okay, if everyone agrees, the word that we use to let the rest of us know that one of us has been compromised is 'Geronimo'. Use that word and we will all assume that person is under some form of duress and his or her life hangs in the balance." Said Stonebridge as he looked to the other for visible conformation.

Draven nodded, "Agreed." He then looked around wondering where White and Gillo were.

Lee gave a nod to his wife then stepped over to join the others in the conversation. Lee then looked over at Stonebridge "We can only hope that they don't know. I see no problem with the concept of the duress code Lieutenant."

"Okey then let's move on. Are we going down individually or in teams?" Asked Stonebridge

"I would suggest individually. A team may draw some unwanted attention. We can send in one, let him at least get a feel for the area and people then send in one more before trying to make contact. The play can be that you're waiting on friends to arrive. We can work out the details in route." Lek replied. "Oh, and we did manage to secure an old shuttle from the Station. It's an old Type-6, so limited warp and barely any weapons. It was found in the Triangle a few years ago, so all Starfleet markings are long since removed, as well as it's transponder. It should serve as a smuggler's shuttle well."

Stonebridge paid close attention to what was being said. It was time for him to recheck his gear. He reached into his jacket on the left side and pulled out the first of two vintage Colt 45 light weight Commanders made in gun metal blue with the 4 inch barrel. The other one was its twin. One in the tube and 7 in the magazine which gave me 16 shots to start with and he had two times that in ammo on his belt well covered and hidden away from view but accessible when needed. Stone bridge also carried a Tonto Blade which was an antique shaped like the tip of a Samurai Sword. It was made on Earth in a region called Japan. The blade was sharp enough to shave with. And made of Damaskus steel. His last little toy was a blade once called the deadliest knife on the street in the 20th century called a Karambit. It was a Favorite of the Krav Magra set. It sported a curved blade about 4 inches long and a metal circle especially for the pointer finger to fit through. This was a close quarter combat weapon. When used properly, an apponent did not have a chance. Every strike or block made whilst using this weapon could and usually caused serious damage and injury to an opponent. These weapons on first glance would look out of place in this investigators hands if you knew him day to day, but the look on his face now at this moment and time told a very different story of the security investigator that solved a murder on route to his new assignment. Yes this picture of him told an observant skilled operator all he would need to know about Michael Stonebridge.

As they began to leave the station, Stonebridge initiated the low level diagnostic. It ran for a bit. A couple fixes were needed and Stonebridge made the adjustments and carried on. The ship was good to go and he was ready to begin the operation. His cover would be that of a Mercenary looking for work on Nimbus 3. First order of business would be a fight. And see if he could get noticed. When he was in this frame of mind he didn't do low key. With his weapons secure and his attitude properly adjusted, he sat back at his station and closed his eyes. It was time to get into character.

Lek took a seat at the intel position. He had a good idea what Stonebridge was going though, mental prep, last minute checks...he'd been there himself...too many times than he wanted to recount. In a way, he envied him, but in another he was happy to sit this one out. He had his gear with him, just in case, but he really hoped he wouldn't need it.

"Intel ready Commodore and we're cleared to depart, however we are still waiting Lieutenant Gillo and Chief White to report aboard."

Chief White stepped off the turbolift into the Secondary Shuttle Bay. He was again in his dark grey and black clothing but this time he had the hood up to cover much of his face from sight as well as he kept his head down. He had radioed ahead that his presence aboard the Luna was to not be recorded just as the transfer of his ship was not to be either. He moved to the control panel and deactivated the recording protocols as well as the secondary processors making sure to bypass everything through a looping protocol so no interruption was observed or noted. He then tapped his commbadge =/\=, "Dockmaster this is White. Please transport the ship designated "Anomlay" into the Luna's secondary Shuttle Bay."

There was a flash of light and the modified Peregrine Fighter appeared where there had been nothing before. The ship itself looked like something out of an old horror movie. Where most Federation ships are sleek and typically a light grey in color this one was an infected perversion of it's former self. Borg plating was strewn out over parts of the ship glowing the eerie green color that comes with assimilated vessels. The nano-probes had finished re-configuring the ship and it's added components about 30 minutes earlier giving the Chief enough time to have Doctor Hades make some alterations to his Dermal side.

Lee nodded then went over and took a seat in the command chair then tapped the comm on the chair "Pike to Gillo, report right away to the Luna." He then closed the channel before looking up to his wife, motioning her to take the XO seat.

The Chief trapped his sub-dermal communicator which linked to Commodore Lee's. =/\= "Lee, The ship is aboard and I am down in the secondary Shuttle Bay with it."

Lee tapped his communicator to respond "Ok Joe, sounds good. The Luna will be departing very shortly."

Holly was not one to report in late but there was somethings she had to get settled before she departed. Hearing the comms going off repeatedly only made the situation worse as she hurried through the starbase before coming on board the Luna. Quietly taking up her station she didn't want to make anymore of a fuss about the whole thing as her reasoning for being late this one time was going to take more time to explain than what they had right now. Settling into operations she then reported to the CO on board, “Ship operations are ready to go when you are, sir.”

Lee turned slightly in the command chair and looked towards Holly "Glad to hear that Commander."

Lek looked over at Pike, "Commodore, I suggest we depart. For all we know, Morderin maybe planning to leave Nimbus III again soon."

Lee nodded "Agreed Commander, engage the cloak and set course for Nimbus 3, maximum warp."

The Luna backed away from her docking bay within the Starbase, turned, and moved out and away from the Station as it cloaked. Once clear of the inner marker they shot away at warp.


tbc...

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