Change of plans

Posted on Sun Apr 30th, 2023 @ 10:40am by Captain Xavier Carey & Lieutenant Commander Diane Doctrine

Mission: Starship Side Quest

The Marvhil rocked as it lifted off, With Kip Kepek in the pilot seat. A Winter storm raged on the planet's surface as they flew toward the outer atmosphere. He lit another cigar and took a long puff.

"Do you have to smoke those fucking things!?" The surly looking Bajoran copiloting the vessel snapped.

"Federation Intelligence may have hired me, but the Marvhil is mine Cael." Kip quipped back.

Kepek was on edge. Ever since he heard that Soran had been sent to ID his body. He was fairly certain his old comrade was walking into a trap.

"How good of a job did your guys do patching in the plasma manifolds?" He asked.

"I guess we're about to find out," The Cael said.

Suddenly a message came through on the console as the ship broke into space. Kip gave the controls to the Bajoran. He read the message and slammed his fist on the console.

"Change of plans, we're heading for Toshi Station. Federation sensors just picked up an explosion there, we have to move!" Kip got to move out of the cockpit.

"What about the Rendezvous?" Cael barked.

"Hunter can meet us at Toshi Station or hell!" Kip said. "I'll send him a message with our current course and ETA. Can you handle that or do I need to take the helm?"

"I've got it!" Cael Growled. "It's a good thing you're one hell of an operative! Otherwise, Hunter would fire your ass!"

"That's the advantage of being one of the few boots on the ground that knows that sector of space." Kip laughed as he left for his cabin to send the coded message.

"Computer increase the air filter by fifty percent," Cael instructed. At the moment the Bajoran wasn't sure what was worse. The man's ego or his second hand smoke.

*********

After Kepek exited his cabin and when to the 'medbay.' It was little more than a biobed, medical supplies and a few suspended animation chambers. He checked the chamber containing their medic. The EMH had got stable before they'd put her in that tube. He ran his fingers down the glass…

"So we're going into this thing without a proper medic?" A man asked from the doorway.

Kepek looked up. "One of my brothers is in danger and we're the closest, Fran. I'm not gonna wait around and lose another one!"

"Just make sure you're not running us into another trap!" The Angsion said.

"The explosion would suggest that whatever trap there was has already sprung," Kepek said dryly. "Get our gear prepped, we need to be ready as soon as we drop out of warp."

Kepek took his place in the cockpit again, Cael nodded as he monitored the sensors.

"We'll be dropping out of warp soon." The Bajoran said. "There's an automated distress call going out of subspace. Looks like a federation signal, it began an hour before the explosion. I'm sure Starfleet will be sending people as well."

"They also sent Soran out here," Kepek said. "We'll have to be on guard. At best someone in the brass is complacent in this shit. I'm not willing to think about the worst yet."

"One step at a time Chief." A woman said as she took the tactical station.

"Have you got the code for the station's mainframe, Annie?" Kepek asked.

"If anything is functional I shouldn't be able to break the codes." Annie replied. The Rothin woman's black eyes twinkled and a smiled form across her delicate face.

The vessel dropped out of warp and the sight that met them was devastating. There was floating debris everywhere that had been part of Toshi Station. Kip maneuvered the vessel through the shrapnel until they could see a fairly large portion of the station but seemed to be intact.

"There's a large portion of that section that still has life support," Annie reported. "Sensors are having trouble, there's a lot of radiation.

"Alright let's transport over," Kip said.

"Our transporter buffers aren't that good." Cael said, "With that level of radiation we'll either be scrambled or end up growing in the dark."

"Noted." Kepek nodded. "Is there a way for us to land?"

"There's a cargo Bay we should be able to get into. Let me see if I can interface with the computer and open it remotely." Annie said. "Open Sesame."

Kip flew the vessel into the cargo Bay. Annie closed the doors and repressurized the bay. It was dark and there wasn't even any emergency lighting.

"Annie, I want you to stay here. Monitor the sensors and keep an open channel with us," Kepek ordered. "The rest of us will suit up and look for signs of life."

Kepek and his team got themselves in vacsuits and armed themselves with projectile weapons.

"These bring back memories," Kip chuckled grimly.

They made their way out of the cargo bay. Fran looked at his tricorder, "Life-support is functioning at forty percent. This place didn't go up by accident. If there was a leak in the waste storage tanks that would have caused the radiation levels to be higher."

As they made their way toward a lift, Kip scanned the control panel. "Annie, can you get this lift open for us?"

=#=You got it, Chief.=#=

"Thanks, kiddo."

=#=Chief I'm picking up a faint lifesign on the OPS Deck=#=

"We'll start there," Kip said. "Stay sharp and watch my six."

"Of course," the Bajoran said.

The doors opened and entered the room. The view screens were cracked and crackling. Most of the consoles seem to be broken and there were clear signs of a struggle. Fran looked at scans from the tricorder, he signaled to an access panel. Kepek could hear a muffled sound from the other side of the bulkhead. Cael and Nash moved the panel to reveal and small humanoid.

"Come on out of there, we're here to help." Kip said, lowering his gun.

The small being just shook their head, they seemed to have trouble breathing. Kip checked the air quality, it wasn’t good he could handle it. He unsealed his helmet and showed his face. He coughed a little before speaking.

"There see, nothing to be afraid of." He smiled. "Come on."

As the small being came out of the bulkhead it was clear they were a young person, An apprentice perhaps? Kepek helped them to their feet. He put the air supply from his helmet on their face.

"Sir, you should put your helmet back on." If the emergency forcefield goes…" Nash began.

"Innocents first," Kepek said.

=#=Hey Chief a ship just dropped out of warp, there heading this way.=#=

"Now what?" Kip sighed.

=#=Trying to get the glory for yourself.=#=

Hunter's voice came over the intercom. It wasn't hard to hack into the system and take control of the station-wide coms.

=#=Put your shields down, I'll beam over to your ship.=#=

"Annie please transport that gentleman onboard and activate the EMH." Kip said. "I'm bringing a survivor."

=#=Sure thing chief.=#=

"Maybe he'll have some hyronalin, For all the radiation you're dumb ass has exposed yourself to," Cael said as he helped Kepek get the woman into the lift. "Not gonna count on it. I think Hunter is as crazy and impulsive as you are sometimes."

*********

Annie left the cockpit and moved to the transporter buffers. She plugged in a signal to help the new ship transport their guest.

Hunter materialized onto the ship, he had changed from his red uniform to his black uniform that he wore while in Intel.

"Welcome to the Marvhil, Sir the crew will return in a moment," Annie said.

Hunter nodded. "Where is Kep?"

"The crew around the station looking for survivors," Annie replied. "The station life support is failing and they took all the functioning vacsuits. So I guess you and I'll have to sit tight. Would you like a cookie?"

Annie offered a package of cookies to Commander.

"Of course they did." Hunter replied as he looked over at the station. He took a cookie that was offered before sighing an unapproved sigh.

Annie looked at a PADD, "There goes the perimeter alarm I should see what that's about."

She turned and headed for the cockpit.

"What do we have?" Hunter replied as he walked behind her.

“It seems more people have joined us and they aren’t getting along with the Chieff” Annie explained as she began working at the console. “Don't worry, I’ve got this.”