Where's The Cochrane?
Posted on 23 Sep 2016 @ 2:53pm by Commodore Harvey Geisler & Commander Terry Walsh & Lieutenant Jonathan Kilmartin & Lieutenant Commander Camila Di Pasquale & Lieutenant Commander Joey Geisler & Lieutenant Avery Stuart Ph.D. & Lieutenant JG Samantha Lopez & Lieutenant JG Felix Langston & Lieutenant JG Catherine Cooper
Edited on on 24 Sep 2016 @ 11:26pm
2,761 words; about a 14 minute read
Mission:
Click Three Times
Timeline: MD7 || 2000 hours
Harvey gripped his console, doing his best to stabilize himself. Ever since entering warp a few minutes ago, the deckplates, and almost everything else in the temporary bridge, had started to rattle. Thankfully, it didn't seem enough to damage the ship, but knowing she was in a fragile state already, Harvey couldn't help but worry.
"Report!" he called out, demanding a status report from all of those around him. "Are they in pursuit?"
Camila looked at the sensors. "Negative, Captain," she said before she sent a message to Security asking for a status report to see if there were any boarders on the ship.
Joey leaned against a table inside of Security, listening to reports coming from other personnel on various parts of the ship. Thankfully, the threat that was made was just that. At least maybe the crew could breathe a bit easier now. She tapped her combadge. "Lieutenant Corwin to Lieutenant Di Pasquale. There are no reports of intruders aboard the ship."
=^=Keep an eye and ear out, Lieutenant Corwin=^= Camila said.
=^= Always, Lieutenant. =^= Joey said from the combadge.
"Maintain Yellow Alert until we know we're out of their range," Harvey ordered, adjusting his position in his seat. He felt like he could slip out at any time if he didn't pay attention to how he was sitting. "Black Hawk to Cochrane," Harvey said over the still open channel. "Maintain emergency warp. Status report."
Nothing came back over the speakers. No static. No breathing.
Nothing.
"Black Hawk to Cochrane," Harvey said again, only to get no response. He looked over to Lieutenant Di Pasquale, hoping she could shed some light on the situation.
Camila checked the sensors again and then doubled checked them. "Sir, the Cochrane is still at the last location and the ships are approaching within transporter range. I'm picking up activity, Sir. They are boarding the Cochrane." She looked back, wondering if the Captain were going to order them back to attempt a rescue.
===[Flight Deck]===
Terry had noticed how antsy the pilots had gotten within the last few minutes. And not only them, but the maintenance crews as well. People were talking among themselves in hushed whispers. He too, was wondering what was going on. They had been called to standby and then...nothing. The squadron commander moved to a more secluded area, just in case.
Tapping his badge and hearing the familiar chirp, he said, "Walsh to Geisler. The squadron is still on standby and ready to launch. And I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one that's wondering what's next. Is there something I can tell my people, Sir?"
Archer was nearby and heard her Squadron Chief's words, she stopped doing card tricks as she tried to occupy herself. She hated waiting and wondered what the hold up was, they'd been waiting awhile and pilots were not known for having exceedingly long patience.
Galahad was muttering with some buddies trying to figure out just what the heck was going on as they all threw out theories no one had real data on.
Discord felt like a tiger in a cage. Maybe that was why he didn't do well at sports like boxing. He had a hard time going to his corner. While Galahad chatted up some of the other crew, Dzhossen stalked back and forth between his Valkyrie and his wingman's bird. Absently, his fingers twitching for the flight controls, he thought about the nose art many pilots had on their craft. He didn't have anything yet, but he had an idea.
===[BRIDGE]===
Ever since hearing about the Cochrane, Harvey just stared at his console. He'd heard Walsh's voice, but he ignored him for now.
How could the Cochrane not have jumped to warp with them? Did something fail at the last minute? Were they blindsided right after the Black Hawk had jumped?
The more important question was, should he turn the ship around? Harvey's eyes unfocused on the nondescript LCARS buttons in front of him as all remaining mental resources began to calculate possibility after possibility. No, his conscience warned him. Going back was not an option.
His heart refused to accept the truth. Harvey could feel it, the adrenaline, the rage, emotions he hadn't felt in years rising to the the surface from being deeply buried. Both hands slowly balled into tightly bound fists. His lungs took in an agitated breath through his nose as his right hand elevated over the console. For a moment, he seriously considered dropping it onto the console.
The crew, Harvey, his mind cautioned. The crew...
It wasn't a warning about the ones he'd left behind, but for the group standing around him. Now, more than all, he had to keep his cool. He had to maintain his resolve.
Terry had been waiting for a few minutes and still nothing. He wasn't going to say anything else, just wait. He had no idea what was going on outside or inside. He just waited.
"Stand down, Mister Walsh." Harvey replied, a firm tone in his voice. "Stand down."
Looking over at the helm, Harvey ordered, "Maintain course and speed for another hour. Let's make sure we're not followed."
Felix wanted to speak up and tell the captain to mount a rescue. Don't do it, he thought, Captain's making the right call here, it's them or all of us. "Aye, sir," he said, "maintaining present course and speed."
Avery took a slow deep breath to center herself. It didn't take someone with psionic abilities to be affected by the shock, sadness and anger on the bridge. Stuart's heart broke for them all, but in particular, she found herself concerned for Geisler. The man had experienced trauma after trauma since taking command of the Black Hawk, not to mention he was still grieving over the loss of his wife. She knew now was not the time, but she knew soon she would need to arrange another one-on-one meeting with Harvey. The counselor couldn't change what it happened, but at the very least, she could listen and give him a safe space to express his personal turmoil before someone concerned and compassionate.
Joey, who was still able to hear everything that was going on compliments of Camila's combadge, closed the link and pulled another Security officer she saw to watch the department. She didn't at all like what she was hearing, and couldn't stand around without saying anything. Sure, the ship was in rough shape, and the crew was just as bad, but leaving the Cochrane behind to succumb to whatever fate the boarders had in store for them was wrong.
It didn't take long before she was walking onto the auxiliary bridge. Maybe she had no place being there considering her position, but someone needed to say something, and if it had to be her, then so be it. She could be rather outspoken when she wanted to be. "With all due respect, Captain, we can't just leave them behind. Who knows what will happen to them."
Felix again wanted to speak up in light of Joey's protest, but couldn't bring himself to do so. He knew the chains of commanding were weighing heavy on the captain and that hundreds of lives were riding on his every move. He swallowed hard and continued his duty at his station.
It was everything Harvey could do to not give Joey a shocked glare. Despite wherever they were in their personal relationship, he never thought she'd do something like this. She did, however, ask the important question, and it didn't take a Betazoid to know that everyone else was thinking the same thing.
"Lieutenant," Captain Geisler began, "there's no telling what will happen to us if we go back there. There is something greatly wrong here. If those Karemma, or Confederation, or whatever they call themselves, took out the Cochrane so quickly, who knows what will happen to us."
Harvey shook his head. "No. We can't go back. Not until we have a leg to stand on and an idea of where or when in the hell we are. If we go back now, we'll be handing over a Federation starship. That is just something I can't do."
Joey knew Captain Geisler wasn't happy with her. Hell... it didn't take a genius to figure that out, but considering the death count they'd already suffered, she just didn't want to add to it. Sadly, he was right. She hated to admit it, even mentally, but he was. The ship was in no state to go up against the ones they'd left behind considering all of them dwarfed the Akira class ship. As much as the Lieutenant wanted to go back to reclaim the Cochrane and crew, doing so would be suicide. He was doing what was necessary to keep the rest of them alive in a situation that seemed hopeless.
Clenching her fists at her sides, all she could do was nod. If they went back now, they'd be risking certain death, but if they could figure things out... plan ahead... then maybe there would be a fighting chance. "Understood, Captain," she conceded. There was no point in arguing. It wouldn't do him, her or anyone else any good.
"I apologize for over-stepping my bounds, and for speaking out of turn. It won't happen again," she said, still not at all pleased with their current situation. It wasn't his fault. It wasn't her fault. It was no one's fault. The Black Hawk crew just couldn't seem to catch a break. "Permission to shut up and go about my business, Sir?"
Avery winced. No doubt Corwin was feeling guilty for her earlier statements and was trying to compensate, but the last thing Geisler needed was to continue to engage with her when his mind was no doubt reeling from other things.
The appearance and comments made by Lieutenant Corwin made Camila think of Temerant and the fact that he was on the Cochrane made her want to speak up as well, but she knew they were outnumbered and outgunned. She bit her lip and waited for the fallout between the Captain and her Assistant Chief while she debated what she should do and say later when she spoke to Joey.
===[TACTICAL OPS CENTER]===
Cooper watched frustrated as the ships tried to make a tactical retreat, her eyes glued to the data coming in from the sensors. She understood why they did and it made sense given the odds but oh how it went against the grain to give ground. The department stood ready at yellow alert stations, going over plans but waiting for the command staff to unleash hell. Her eyes narrowed as they took in the same data being reviewed on the aux bridge, she immediately had McShane start to work up new plans as she opened a comm link, =/\="Cooper to Lt. Di Pasquale, Tactical is standing by do we have orders? I have..." Her console lit up as McShane sent her the basics of a modified fire plan that she began to alter. "Several plans to support the retaking of the Cochrane that can be modified depending on decisions..."
=^=Acknowledged, Lieutenant Cooper,=^= Camila said. =^=Standby.=^=
"Stand By?" Cooper thought. She hated 'Standing By' but responded professionally, =/\="Standing By Understood. Cooper Out." She closed the comms then her eyes briefly as she struggled to breath through the initial anger at not going immediately to their aid, she didn't even want to think about what the Consortium would do to them because who else could be responsible for this? She kept her thoughts to herself as they really didn't have any real information and it would just cause panic anyway. They were all the hope the Cochrane had, she could only trust the Captain would have a plan. Then, after a few calming breaths she turned to McShane who was studiously not looking anywhere near her. He was a good man, "McShane.." The tall scots turned, "Tell the rest of Tactical to stay at posts but rotate positions, I don't think we're going to be boarded but we need to keep fresh, keep in teams of two during movement..." She said glancing at the internal sensor net that would of warned her if security detected intruders but better safe than sorry. She continued to calmly interact with her staff when all she really wanted to do was grab a weapon and get their people back but she was used to corralling 'unwise impulses' and throttled it down as part of her mind continued to work the problem like a a particularly difficult puzzle.
===[BRIDGE]===
Harvey looked at Joey for a bit longer, then back on the other faces on the bridge. It had been a difficult decision to make, and while he hated making it, it was the right thing to do for now.
"No," he told Joey, denying her permission to leave. "I think I'm going to need you here in just a bit."
After a final moment of thought, Harvey looked back at the viewscreen which only had starstreaks zipping by. He sighed and tapped his combadge. "Senior officers, assemble in Briefing Room Two. Now." Tapping the badge again to close the channel, he looked at Lieutenant Corwin. "You have the bridge until relief is sent. Maintain course and speed."
Joey blinked. Did that just happen? As unexpected as it was, the options were presently limited considering the senior officers were being called to the Briefing Room. "Yes, Captain," she said, clearing her throat.
Camila was stunned for a moment that the Captain would assign a junior officer to the conn, but with the choices being limited and the senior officers being sent to the briefing room, it made sense. She got up from her station and left the auxiliary bridge to head the briefing room.
Felix motioned to a nearby ensign in a red shirt. The young man wordlessly took Felix's place at the makeshift helm. Felix sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as he started the walk to the briefing room. This is one hell of a 'first chief post,' he thought.
===[FLIGHT DECK]===
Ever since the Captain's order of 'stand down' had been given, the Deck had been abuzz. No one knew exactly what was going on anywhere and they didn't like it. Truth be told, neither did he. After a few minutes, the Captain's voice came back through his combadge and announced that the Senior Officers were to meet in Briefing Room Two. He was certain that they would get some answers now.
Terry tapped his combadge and said, "Walsh to Kilmartin, you're on deck until I get back. As far as I know, the ship is still on Yellow Alert despite the order to stand down. So have the fliers assemble in the Pilot's Briefing Room. I'll let you know something as soon as I do. Walsh out." Terry didn't wait for a reply and was already headed out of the Flight Deck. He knew that Sunbeam would be able to get the job done.
"Affirmative," Kilmartin confirmed over the communications array.
Archer was a bit frustrated, stand down but stay at yellow alert stations? Just what was happening? Galahad, apparently decided nothing was happening and was currently leaning against a wall sleeping while standing up.
In his Valkyrie, Dzhossen sat dejectedly with his cranial on in steadfast determination to ignore the outside world. His hand traced over the controls as he ghosted maneuvers against an imagined opponent, humming and muttering to himself. "Some of those that work forces, are the same that burn crosses..."
Kilmartin was busy prowling the deck and came across Dzhossen sat in the cockpit of his Valkyrie. "Ensign? A bar of latinum for your thoughts?"
Sam was sat in her birds cockpit with the hatch up, so she could still hear everything going on. She was in a semi-conscious state, halfway between sleep and wake, so she was ready to go, but still able to rest. She was a little confused at why the ship was at yellow alert, yet all the fighter crews were on hot standby, although she didn't question it, as there was bound to be a reason behind it.
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