"Storming The Castle" - Part 5
Posted on 241409.14 @ 3:10am by Commodore Sebastian Ascari
Mission:
Insurrection [Fleet Plot]
Location: Communications Station - Epsilon-12
Timeline: Backlog
“We’re as ready as we’re going to get”, Chief Enigneer Sai Kusinagi stated wiping a hand across his sweat drenched face. “We’ve enhanced the transporter and its targeting sensors. If they so much as crack the door the computer is programmed to begin the transporter cycle and get you and your team inside Captain.”
“Good work chief, but that still leaves us with the problem of getting them out of the core. Sending a message is too risky since these people know one another too well. We could expose ourselves by the wrong use of a single word or phrase.”
“They wouldn’t listen to it. Or at least they shouldn’t with the strict security protocol they must follow. I had a thought on this though.” Kusinagi touched a console and brought up an image of the outpost and the surrounding asteroids on the main viewscreen.
“Those transceivers I mentioned earlier. They are powered by the station’s power grid. We can cause a power failure that will affect several of the transceivers at once. At the same time we will cut power to various areas of the station as well. Their computers will indicate the power failure. When they attempt to contact us they will realize that operations has been disabled as well. We’ll leave enough of the lights on so it appears to be a localized power failure. That should assuage their paranoia somewhat and make it appear that the station has suffered nothing more than a malfunction. A total blackout might cause them to panic. Without power no one on our side has to respond.”
“I don’t see that we have any other choices”, Akina stated staring at the viewscreen. “Very well. Let’s do it. What do you need my team to do?”
“Just step up into the transporter. If we detect an opening the computer will engage the transporter automatically.”
Akina nodded as he and his team took up positions within the transporter chamber. “Alright chief. This is your show.”
“Kusinagi to Brighton.”
“Brighton here sir.”
“Are you in position?”
“Affirmative. This reactor could use some maintenance. Since the coup on Earth and the turmoil in Starfleet I think they haven’t been receiving parts on schedule.”
“Nevermind the analysis. Standby to cut circuits J23-12, R14-E9, and Z14-3.”
“I have the circuits up now.”
Kusinagi turned to look at captain Akina who nodded in the affirmative.
“Brighton, if this works and they do emerge we need to make it appear as if there’s someone here. An empty station will cause them to panic. You and Lt. Alorr need to appear to be working on the problem near hallway A4.”
“Affirmative sir.”
“Shutdown power now.”
A moment passed as the command was issued before various computers and terminals flickered and went dark. The lighting in the operations center failed only to be replaced by dim emergency lamps. The normal hum of equipment quietly evaporated leaving only silence as systems powered down.
Kusinagi moved to the transporter system which had been pulled apart. A twisted next of cable, systems, parts, and tools littered the floor. He stopped at a piece of equipment and knelt down. A second later the rectangular device came to life with several indicator lamps.
“This portable generator has enough power to run the transporter and a few of the computers. All we have to do now is wait.”
== Ten Minutes Later ==
“Are you sure the proper transceivers are disabled”, Akina asked as a rising sense of uncomfortable anxiousness filled him. “This feels like it’s taking too long.”
The engineer tended to a small computer. “The transceivers are disabled. Our friends are probably attempting to contact us. Since they cannot and recognize that there has been a power failure they may be waiting for it to be repaired or else they are discussing how to address the situation.”
“Well I wish they would hurry” one of Akina’s team members stated. “This deconstructed transporter is giving me the creeps. Oh…no offense chief.”
“None taken. It’s a waiting game it would seem. They don’t open the doors unless a Starfleet cruiser is on station to relieve the crew and resupply the core. That way the core is protected from enemy attack or infiltration. Opening the core without a starship escort is a violation of protocol. They are extremely cautious given the sensitive nature of the equipment and information they guard.”
== Two Hours Later ==
“Anything chief?”
“Nothing. I’ve written a computer program that cuts power in random areas and also restores power. This makes it appear as if the station crew is working on the problem and restoring power little by little. Their own systems should indicate that the station has suffered a large scale power disruption.”
“What if we contact the Corsair? Ask her to arrive and fill the role as Starship escort?”
“I wouldn’t chance it Captain”, Kusinagi answered. “The Corsair is a one-of-a-kind starship. They’d recognize something was wrong as soon as they detected her. She’s too remarkable to fool them.”
Akina rubbed his head searching for another way to coax the crew out of their protective shell. There simply wasn’t another option. Or was there?”
“Maybe this just isn’t painful enough yet?”
“Painful?”
“Yes. What if we shutdown more of the transceivers. They can probably stand to lose a few, but what about ten, twenty, or thirty? Communications would begin to fail and they wouldn’t be able to shift the load to the other transceivers. It wouldn’t be sudden. They are fully aware there’s a power issue by now and your computer programs make it look like attempts are being made to restore power.”
“Hmm….”, the chief stated rubbing his chin. “Destroying a communications hub is their final option. I’m sure they would hesitate somewhat before executing their orders without absolute proof of danger. It’s your call sir. I can disable additional transceivers and make it appear that another power grid has collapsed.”
“Do it”, Akina firmly stated from the transporter pad.
“Shutting down grids J3 through P12 now.”
“Thirty five transceivers are offline. That should cause them some heartburn.”
== Ten Minutes Later – Junction R14 ==
“How much longer do we have to keep this up Lt. Brighton? We’ve been at these fake repairs for nearly three hours. I don’t think they’re falling for it. I think I’m going to go insane if I look at another deactivated plasma coil.”
“Keep at it”, Brighton stated. “We have to make it look like there are cascade power problems. If we don’t make it look good they won’t have any incentive to lower their drawbridge.”
Suddenly a metallic clang could be heard from the narrow tunnel leading down to the impenetrable core facility. The two engineers stopped and turned to look over their shoulders.
The silver wall of metal suddenly slid apart as an officer flanked by four heavily armed guards appeared in the doorway.
“YOU TWO”, the officer shouted down the hallway. “WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON OUT THERE? WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE POWER?”
Brighton swallowed. “CASCADE POWER FAILURE SIR! WE FIX ONE GRID AND ANOTHER GOES DOWN. STARFLEET HASN’T SENT REPLACEMENT PLASMA COILS IN MONTHS. WE’RE HAVING TO RECONDITION AND REPAIR DAMAGED COILS AND THE REPLACEMENTS DON’T ALL HOLD UP UNDER THE LOAD. WE’RE DOING OUR BEST SIR!”
“WELL TELL YOUR COMMANDER THAT WE’VE LOST HALF OUR TRANSMISSION CAPACITY! PRIORITY NEEDS TO BE GIVEN TO OUR TRANSCEIVER ARRAY! WE CAN’T…”
Brighton looked on as muffled sounds echoed in the corridor. Suddenly the officer and the guards fell to the ground.
“It’s Captain Akina…THEY MADE IT!”
The two engineers cheered. “Come on Alorr. Let’s get back to OPS.”
== Minutes Later – Station Operations ==
“Power restored sir”, Alorr stated from the operations console. “I’ve restored power to the transceiver arrays also.”
“Good work”, Kunsinagi stated. “Akina and his team should be mopping up in there.”
“Akina to Kusinagi”
“Speaking of the devil”, the chief stated. “Kusinagi here. Go ahead captain.”
“We’ve successfully secured the core. The crew were able to lock or damage some systems before we could take them all. We could use your expertise in here chief.”
“Alright, I’m on my…”
“SIR”, Brighton suddenly shouted.
“I…I’m detecting a ship on long range sensors.”
“What?”
“Incoming starship!”
“What the devil!”
Kusinagi rounded the console and quickly raced to the sensor systems manned by Lt. Brighton. “Bloody hell”, he muttered.
“Chief…Kusiagi, what’s going on”, Akina asked over the open channel.
“Starship approaching sir. It’s one of ours. Just coming into range. It’s…”, the chief’s voice froze for an instant.
“It’s what?”
“Sovereign Class. USS Agincourt”
“They’ll be in communications range in minutes. What do we tell them?”
“Standby Captain”, Kusinagi shouted. “Get me the Corsair!”
The image of Captains Ramius and Ascari filled the viewscreen. “Captain we have a problem!”
“We see her chief. Status update?”
“Captain Akina has successfully secured the communications core, however only just a few moments ago. There isn’t time to access core communications with that starship bearing down on us. Looks like we lost this one sir. Should we assemble at the rally point for extraction?”
Ramius shook his head. “Negative chief. We can’t pull you out and we don’t have time for shuttles. The cleansweep operation heavily damaged the transporter systems. The latest repair estimate is promising, but at present we cannot get you out of there. Can you beam yourselves aboard?”
“Negative sir. We had to modify the station transporter to infiltrate the core. We don’t have time to put it back together before the Agincourt arrives.”
Ramius paused for a moment as the man’s hardened expression denoted the seriousness of the situation. “Gather what intelligence you can from the core systems and instruct the captain and his team to set explosives. We’ll stall the Agincourt and pull you out when possible.”
“Sir, the Corsair cannot combat a Sovereign class. She’s a tough ship, but it isn’t a fight I would want to bet on! You have to retreat sir. We’ll make do here.”
“Nonsense chief. We aren’t leaving you behind. Assist Akina with the computers, get what you can, and standby for our signal. Ramius out.”
Kusinagi glared at the screen. He didn’t agree with Ramius, but if anyone could pull off the impossible it was him.
“Reroute communications to the core. We’ll take them there when the Agincourt signals. Maybe we can stall or confuse them before things get ugly out there. Let’s move people!”
Kusinagi grabbed his tools and equipment as the operations center was secured. He was frustrated that the captain might engage the Agincourt in combat and he wouldn’t be aboard to ensure he had 110% from engineering. If Ramius chose to fight, he would need everything he had to combat the Starfleet dreadnought bearing down upon them. Ramius had a variety of tricks. He hoped they would be enough against their own people this time.
~ To Be Continued ~
===========================
Captain Zane Akina
Starfleet Intelligence
Commander Sai Kusinagi
Chief Engineer, USS Corsair
Captain Taverain Ramius
CO, USS Corsair
Lt. Alorr (Engineering NPC)
Lt. Brighton (Engineering NPC)
