A Routine Fighter Patrol

Posted on Sun Apr 23rd, 2023 @ 2:14pm by 2nd Lieutenant Orjheza zh’Kaakret

847 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Episode 115 - Planting for the Future
Location: Surrounding Space of Starbase 400
Timeline: MD1 - 1900 hours

Ensign Orjeza zh'Kaakret, known as "Chase" to her colleagues, stepped into the cockpit of her Valkyrie fighter and prepared for her routine patrol around Starbase 400. She had been looking forward to this mission all week, itching to get back in the cockpit and fly. She typed a request for takeoff clearance and was granted access moments later.

As the fighter took off from its specialized shuttlebay on Level 230, Chase felt the familiar rush of adrenaline. She checked her instruments, making sure everything was in order, and then activated the thrusters, propelling the Valkyrie into space.

Once she was clear of the starbase, Chase opened up the throttle and zoomed off along her route. She loved the feeling of flying at high speeds, the soothing hum of the thrusters as the stars streaked by.

Chase had flown this route dozens of times before, but never tired of it. She flew past the various ships and stations orbiting the starbase, scanning for any signs of trouble.

As Chase soared through space, she passed by the USS Lexington, a Sovereign class ship. She expertly maneuvered around the massive vessel, scanning it for any anomalies or threats. With deft precision, she weaved her Valkyrie fighter through the various protruding structures and sensor arrays of the ship, all while maintaining a safe distance.

Next up was the USS Cushing, a Nova class ship. Chase's eyes darted across her scanner, searching for any hazards. As she flew around the compact vessel, she pulled off some impressive maneuvers, flying a tight zig zag pattern the ship's nacelles before speeding off to the next checkpoint.

Chase then approached the USS Ark Royal, a Vesta class ship. She looped her fighter around the massive vessel, scanning its hull for any signs of damage or structural weakness. With each pass, she pulled off daring barrel rolls and quick jukes, skillfully navigating around the ship's many protruding structures.

Throughout her patrol, Chase remained focused and alert, always ready to react at a moment's notice. As she completed her scans of the surrounding ships, she couldn't help but feel a sense of pride in her skills as a pilot.

As she made her way around the perimeter of the starbase, Chase picked up a faint distress signal on her comm system. She quickly checked her scanners and spotted a small transport ship in trouble, its engines failing.
Without hesitation, Chase flew towards the transport ship, ready to assist. She activated her tractor beam and carefully towed the ship back to the safety of the starbase. It only took a few minutes, but towing the vessel was a major strain on the small Valkyrie’s engines.

As soon as Chase's fighter finishes towing the small freighter, she opened a communications channel to them. She hadn’t seen this type of ship before and wanted to know where it was from. As she spoke, she ran a registry scan on the vessel.

"This is Ensign zh'Kaakret of Starbase 400. Are you okay? That was quite a rough ride," Chase says.

A relieved voice responds, "Yes, thank you for your timely intervention. We are the crew of the Limvec, of Ba’ku. Our ship was damaged by a Ferengi Marauder."

Chase nods sympathetically, "I see. Do you require any further assistance?" She made a written note of the event on her ship’s computer. Intel and Security departments would want to know of this encounter, as would Command.

"Our landing computer is damaged, and we cannot land safely on our own”, the Ba’ku captain says.

Chase nods again, "Understood. I recommend you contact Starbase 400 and request the use of their tractor beam to land safely. They will be able to provide you with further help if needed."

"Thank you, Ensign zh'Kaakret. We will contact the starbase immediately," the captain replies gratefully.

Chase nods once more, "You're welcome. Stay safe out there. One last thing. Can you send me the last known coordinates of that Ferengi ship? Send any information from your ship’s scans of it as well.”

“We shall get that to you right away Ensign”, the captain continued.

“Rest up and enjoy your time on Starbase 400. You are safe here. Safe travels.” With that, she closed the communications channel and watched as the Iconian freighter made its way towards Starbase 400. Orjeza entered the last known coordinates of the Ferengi Marauder into her navigation computer.

She opened a comm channel to two other fighters patrolling nearby routes. “Dingbat, Wildflower.. It’s Chase. Listen, just got word of a rogue Ferengi Marauder from a damaged Ba’ku freighter. Form up on me at Checkpoint Bravo-Bravo One.. ASAP. Let’s investigate.”

The goal was to at least garner information about the ship’s warp signature. It might help identify the offending vessel, especially if the trajectory could be linked with any reported flight path’s or tracked courses.

Both of the other fighter pilots responded quickly and with Vigor. Minutes later, the little ships had formed up into an echelon right formation. On Orjeza’s word, they warped off to the ambush site.

RSS Feed