United We'll Stand

Posted on Tue Aug 8th, 2023 @ 9:19am by Ensign Edg'rrr Anisu

2,311 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Episode 116 - "A Bounty of Trust"
Location: Delta Quadrant
Timeline: MD3
Tags: Edg'rrr, Ensign Malorey, Ensign Dolphanai, Ensign Tyronuas

"Mission log start. I've been assigned by Captain Solomon to take up a lead with a trader about local news the Federation needs in regards to the Delta Quadrant. The events involved with the Talaxians has them questioning if anything else has changed. With me are three crew members from the Visionary. Each of them has there own tasks for the mission. Ensign Malorey our scientist is to help with deciphering the files we gather. Ensign Dolphanai requested visiting the local gas giant we're heading to for the meeting. With Ensign Tyronuas tasked with security.". Said Edg'rrr as a fit Bolian laying back rolled his eyes.

"These are the voyages of the starship Most Boring Assignment Ever. Our mission to pass out as we don't really care about these kind of assignments.". Said Tyronuas as a Vulcan looked up from his pad.

"What we do here can have drastic effects on what happens in this region of the quadrant. So I feel you should be more considerate Mr. Tyronuas.". Said Malorey as Tyronuas turned a head to look at him with a glare. To which Malorey looked back raising an eyebrow making Tyronuas roll his eyes and return to staring out the shuttle's main window.

"It's not too bad Tyronuas. You could be back at the ship helping with the repairs or standing in front of the cells for the jail.". Said Dolphanai a young Onlies woman.

"Yeah instead we have Mr. Cat here to babysit.". Said Tyronuas to which Edg'rrr now turned his attention to.

"Too which I am all of yours superior for this mission. Solomon recommended you all for a reason so if not for my sake at least make him proud.". Said Edg'rrr as Tyronuas scoffed.

"Whatever. We at this junk ship guy yet?". Said Tyronuas as Edg'rrr checked a screen.

"We're a few minutes out still. Should be within contact rang-.". Said Edg'rrr before a beep sounded. "Nevermind. That must be him.". Edg'rrr pressed a button as a scruff looking fellow with four droopy ears, fur, and a monkey-like face appeared on the main window.

"Ah! Fed-ration! Good good! You come for data?". Said the fellow as Edg'rrr took a breath gathering himself.

"Yes. We also brought the supplies you requested for payment.". Said Edg'rrr as the ears of the fellow perked up.

"Good good! Comm cannot handle load. Need to dock and give in person.". Said the fellow as Tyronuas picked up on this looking at Edg'rrr.

Edg'rrr looked at Tyronuas thinking about the same thing but held up a finger in response. "Send us the docking port you want us at and we'll meet you there.". Said Edg'rrr as the fellow smiled before the image was cut. "I know what you're going to say Mr. Tyronuas. Just be prepared.". Sometime after the shuttle docked with an old large and rusty looking freighter. As the hatch opened and everyone dropped inside Malorey took out a tricorder.

"Only one other lifesign sir. Although I cannot get an accurate reading.". Said Malorey as Tyronuas put a hand on his phaser.

"Wait. We don't know for sure. Let's just find them." Said Edg'rrr as they made there way to the bridge where the fellow wasn't found but his voice did come over the ship's speakers.

"Sorry I needed to do this Fed-ration. One rule for the quadrant exists for all; survival goes only for the intelligent! With your ship I'll now be free of this quadrant. Take care Fed-ration!". Said the fellow as the ship shook violently.

"I knew this would happen! I knew it and now we're stranded because of you cat!". Said Tyronuas as Edg'rrr looked at Malorey.

"Malorey I need a detailed status of this ship. Dolphanai I need you to see what we have to work with. Tyronuas..." said Edg'rrr seeing Tyronuas fuming, "this is exactly why I locked the ship's higher systems. He won't get far out of the system without the warp drive. Plus communications and weapons are non existent. I typically lock my shuttle before I leave. Though we don't have much time so I need you to work with the other two and gather what he supplies we'll need to catch up.". Saying this Tyronuas relaxed considerably.

"Sir the ship is operational with the exception of the sunlight engines. I believe our trader tried to sabotage them before he left.". Said Malorey as Edg'rrr walked over to him looking at the schematics.

"I can fix that easy with the right supplies and tools.". Said Edg'rrr as Dolphanai looked at them with a very concerned expression.

"Sir?". Said Dolphanai with almost a whimper as Edg'rrr walked over to her. "I found caches of supplies farther back in the ship that may be useful but looking at our trajectory the ship is drifting towards the gas giant."

"Don't worry, we can fix this by working together.". Said Edg'rrr smiling. "Wouldn't be fun without a little risk."

"Yes sir.". Said Dolphanai as Edg'rrr walked back to Malorey looking at the schematics.

"He ain't a murderer. Plasma flows were turned off and aside from the warp core being too cold for a proper restart the material the impulse engines use probably won't let us burn them for too long because our friend vented the rest.". Said Edg'rrr.

"So we're stuck without fuel and we'll burn up before the drive comes online. Wonderful.". Said Tyronuas as Edg'rrr smiled.

"Malorey do we have spare big plasma tubes and something to wield with?" Asked Edg'rrr as the vulcan raised an eyebrow.

"There are several of both items in a storage room down the hall towards engineering on the right." Said Malorey as Edg'rrr made his way out of the room.

"Tyronuas on me because I need muscle." Said Edg'rrr as even the bolian raised an eyebrow following. It was a couple of minutes until Edg'rrr's voice came over the innercomm. Dolphanai and Malorey had moved to the helm and tactical stations as ordered after Edg'rrr and Tyronuas completed whatever was in mind.

"Alright Dolphanai remember what you need to do?" Asked Edg'rrr as she looked at Malorey nervously but he was too busy enagaged getting any of the tactical systems online.

"I-I believe so. Aim for the shuttle." Said Dolphanai looking at the controls then up at the main screen as flight path lines were aimed at a target far off past a rocky moon.

"Yep. Hopefully we'll catch up in no time just need to get close. Malorey how's the gun part?" Asked Edg'rrr as Malorey gave something akin to a scoff.

"I'm finding anything worthwhile on this ship. However. We do have something I saw in a museum on an NX class once. It's a grappler." Said Malorey.

"How's the range on it?" Said Edg'rrr.

"Medium range. It appears the lines were only designed to drop below the vessel. Possibly what remains of the original functioning of it." Said Malorey. "Sir if I may speak freely?"

"Go ahe-ah! Head. Ow." Said Edg'rrr.

"What exactly is the plan?" Asked Malorey.

"Simple. I'm gonna force the equivalent of a small supernova out the impulse array." Said Edg'rrr as Dolphanai and Malorey looked at each other. "Either that or burn up in a gas giant."

"This is, as Malorey would say, highly illogically insane." Said Tyronuas.

"We're outta time. If we call for help and wait we're crushed in that atmosphere in the next half hour or so. We could try to boost our orbit with hope to get the core going yet that's a maybe as I doubt this core is Federation standard. Our friend has more patchwork done to it than a Ferengi with rigging devices in a dabo table. You can think of a number and you'd still be short by the way." Said Edg'rrr as a few more banging noises were heard.

"So you wanna blast us close and nab the guy in the process? Gutsy. I like the style. I don't think Malorey can aim rapidly at high speed though. Seen him react before. He's book smart but thinks too much." Said Tyronuas.

"If my thinking works out we'll get one shot before the ship breaks up. We'll need our shuttle's warp field up as soon as we grab it. If you're fast you'll have to fire the gun but work with Malorey so he can tell you when. Go." Said Edg'rrr as Tyronuas took off. "Dolphana I'm almost ready. Malorey Tyronuas is gonna but you'll need to help him to tell him when to grab that shuttle okay?" Said Edg'rrr.

"Understood." Said Malorey.

"Y-yes sir!" Said Dolphanai.

"Grav plating should let us keep standing but prepare for a good lurch." Said Edg'rrr placing a hand on the handle to a flow release with the other hand on a console. "We'll make it. We'll get our friend too. Ready?" Tyronuas entered the bridge walking directly over to Malorey.

"We are ready for this," said Malorey looking at Tyronuas with a raised eyebrow, "highly illogical insanity."

"Ready here sir. Let's make 'em hurt!" Said Tyronuas.

"We're on course as best as I could get us with the RCS sir. Had to open a few airlocks for a little budge or two though." Said Dolphanai as Edg'rrr took a moment for himself. With a deep breath he hit a button on the console and pulled the lever.

"Insanity speed go!" Said Edg'rrr as the ship lurched hard going from nothing to full impulse. The entirety of it groaned and began sparking from just about every corner. "Sorry if I couldn't join ya on the bridge. Eeeggghhh. Have to stay below. Mmggrrrrr. Make sure the flow stays normal."

"We're on course sir. ETA. Two minutes." Said Dolphanai as Tyronuas held Malorey close to the console.

"The way the ah! Hull sounds. We're getting close to superluminal velocity!" Said Malorey.

"Guessing that's bad right?" Said Tyronuas.

"The faster we go without, uuggghhh, a proper warp field. The more time dilation we'll undergo. We could lose him by a few centuries!" Said Dolphanai.

"Dolphanai, what's our ETA?!" Said Edg'rrr as she looked.

"Thirty seconds." Said Dolphanai as on the shuttle the thief laid back in a front chair taking a breath after hitting the console for the uptenth time.

"Fed-ration! Feeeeed-ration! Stupid Fed-ration locking me out! Shoulda known they try something. I know I get it sometime!" Said the thief as the computer beeped.

"Warning. High radiation levels approaching." Said the computer as the thief sat a little straighter.

"Where?" Said the thief.

"Approaching directly aft of the shuttle." Said the computer as the thief sat up a little straighter and a little concerned.

"What's causing rad-ation?" Said the thief as the computer screen displayed a very bright object in the center of it with some distortion around it.

"Unknown alien vessel." Said the computer as the thief's eyes grew wide.

"That's not alien ship! That's my old ship!" Said the thief beginning to dig is fingers into the arm rests. "Stupid Fed-ration not so stupid! Fed-ration crazy!"

"We're coming up on 'em! Malorey tell me when!" Said Tyronuas as Malorey kept an eye on the tactical console and briefly checked the main screen. "Now?"

"No. Adjust firing angle to directly below us." Said Malorey as Tyronuas fiddled with the console.

"Now?" Said Tyronuas.

"No." Said Malorey as the shuttle grew closer.

"Now?!" Said Tyronuas.

"No." Said Malorey again as snapping noises were heard across the ship.

"Now?!" Said Dolphanai looking at them.

"No." Said Malorey as Edg'rrr began to notice a few of the plasma pipes beginning to rupture.

"Malorey?!" Said Edg'rrr.

"No." Said Malorey as the shuttle just passed below the main viewer.

"MALOREY!" Said Tyronuas.

"Nab them." Said Malorey as the grapples dropped flying backwards along the underside of the ship before striking the roof of the shuttle latching on. "Sir we have them."

"Great. Tyronuas may you beam onboard and take care of things before we explode?" Said Edg'rrr noticing more pipe budlges as Tyronuas smiled cracking his fists.

"No issues." Said Tyronuas tapping his comm badge.

"Oh and Tyronuas we need him..." said Edg'rrr hearing something the equivlant of squeals, scuffles, and a lot of banging before the ship began to calm down. "Alive. Nevermind. I'm ejecting the core in three, two, one." With a bump the core from the alien ship flew out the top of engineering and into space.

"Are we safe?" Asked Dolphanai looking around.

"Sensors seem to indicate we are. I'm bringing the shuttle closer to a docking port. With it we can inform the fleet of our prediciment." Said Malorey.

"I didn't get a chance to study the gas giant." Said Dolphanai collapsing into a chair.

"Well, we'll still have a few hours if the fleet decides to show up. Our guest will need to be tied up." Said Edg'rrr over the comm system.

"Yeah he's tasking a good long nap right now. Still breathing sir but I don't think he'll steal another ship anytime soon." Said Tyronuas as Edg'rrr smiled but kept an eye on what was left of engineering. The smell cut the smile off though.

Days later a few Starfleet officers sat watching a video file recovered from the thief's data packet. A Borg fleet was attacking a planet. "Watch this one." Said a voice as one of the smaller cubes had internal lights switch from green to red. What followed was a massacre of the entire fleet. "We need to keep this under wraps. If others know we'll have more issues on every side."

"They'll find out. Either they'll encounter this or," said one of the others in the room.

"Or it'll come to us." Said the other watching.

"And we'll be ready this time." Said the main voice as the woman stepped slightly out of the shadows wearing a slightly grey delta badge.

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