"Storming The Castle" - Part 8

Posted on 241409.16 @ 6:22am by Commodore Sebastian Ascari

Mission: Insurrection [Fleet Plot]
Location: Various locations
Timeline: Backlog

=== Location: Bridge, USS Corsair ===


“Phaser banks charged. Torpedo launchers loaded and ready. All hands are at battlestations captain!”

Ramius silently nodded from his chair gazing out at the opponent before him.

“Captain Ramius, I forbade you from endangering this ship! I cannot permit you to jeopardize our overall goals! The loss of your crew is regrettable, but they should be considered acceptable tactical losses! Stand down and withdraw before we are spotted!”

“DIRECTOR ASCARI”, Ramius roared suddenly standing from his seat. “We agreed to this alliance to combat our mutual adversary however operational control of this ship is mine, and mine alone. I will not have you questioning my authority on the bridge of my vessel. With all due respect sir, sit down and shut the hell up!”

Ascari and Ramius glared at one another on the bridge as the crew looked on. Both men held deep and differing convictions. Like two pieces of steel colliding with one another which one would bend? Which one would break? Silence enveloped the bridge with the exception of its computers and mechanical systems.

“Very well captain”, Ascari stated. “We agreed you would retain operational control of individual missions. Let us hope your intentions and actions do not jeopardize our overall goals. You have a single starship – not an armada. I would suggest you use it…carefully.” Ascari took his seat and stared out at the Sovereign class ship on the viewscreen saying nothing more.

“This ship and crew have a united will and a common goal. We all have something here in our hearts that we fight for be it family, friends, loved ones, or ideals. Whatever the reason we stand united against any and all that oppose justice and freedom. That is our mission director. United as we are we cannot fail!

Helm! Full impulse power! Tactical! Target the Agincourt and standby. MOVE OUT!”

The Corsair slid from her position behind an asteroid and quickly came to speed closing in on the nearby station and the starship that hovered over it.



== Meanwhile, USS Agincourt ==



“Captain! There’s an unidentified energy signal moving in. It’s a starship sir!”

“Is it one of ours”, Captain Vertima asked suddenly standing. “Well..it’s a Federation starship by design, but I can’t seem to match it to anything in the computer. Maybe it's some new prototype?”

“What? Put it on the main viewer now!”

The main viewscreen on the bridge activated showing only a sea of darkness and stars.

“Where…where is the ship? I told you to put it on the viewer!”

“It’s closing on us sir! It…it appears its hull is painted black. It’s difficult to get exact readings. That black hull seems to absorb our sensor emissions!”

“Shields up, go to red alert”, the first officer shouted.

“They are hailing us sir!”

“An unknown starship class with an unusual configuration. Perhaps they are behind whatever is happening aboard the station. No matter. They cannot pose a threat to a Starfleet ship of the line.”

“Perhaps they are aligned with the factions resisting the Federation”, the first officer asked.

“We shall soon see where their alliances lie. If they are our enemy then we will dispatch them as traitors to the fleet and enemies of Earth just like all the others. On screen!”

The image of the Corsair’s bridge flickered into view.

“This is the USS Agincourt, Captain Julius Vertima commanding. Identify yourself and your vessel. You do not register in our records.”

“Captain Vertima, I am Captain Taverain Ramius of the Starship Corsair.”

“The Corsair? I’ve heard rumors about a ship with that name. Intelligence ship if I recall?”

“So you’ve heard of us”, Ramius replied with a wry grin. “You are very well informed for an average starship captain. Is the fleet at large regularly briefing its officers on classified matters these days?”

“Nothing specific. What are you doing here? There is no need for an intelligence ship here now that we have arrived.”

“I’m not at liberty to discuss our intentions with you captain. We are an intelligence vessel. We answer to those well above your pay grade captain. As such it is you that will stand down and leave the area. You are interrupting a vital intelligence mission and I have no time or patience to deal with amateurs at the present time.”

“Amateurs? Who do you think you are Ramius? You cannot give me…”

“Section 47, Paragraph 12, Subsection 5 grants me complete operational authority on all intelligence matters whenever and wherever they occur! I am taking command of this area and assume operational authority. There are terrorist elements aboard the Epsilon-12 station and my superiors want them captured alive for interrogation!”

“I knew it! There is something unusual happening aboard. That Commander Tandberg was too evasive. Wait, why were you and your ship hiding in the asteroid field if you knew there were terrorists aboard a sensitive installation?”

“I am waiting for them to withdraw so they could be captured however your arrival has likely ruined those plans! The enemy is likely aware of both our ships now. Getting to them will be much more difficult now.”

“Difficult for you perhaps. I can locate them…”

“They have locked themselves in the communications core you FOOL”, Ramius shouted. “We both know that area is beneath a solid kilometer of rock and iron! Shooting your way in would be a fool’s errand. Now that they are cornered they have sealed themselves inside and extracting them alive may now be impossible! Now do you see how your presence here has jeopardized two months of intelligence work! We have been hunting these criminals for weeks and they now have access to our central communications system!”

Vertima’s jaw dropped. “Impossible”, he shouted. “No mere criminals could gain access to the core! It’s a fortress! Someone on the inside would have had to let them…. OH NO! You’re saying someone on the inside is a traitor!”

“I need you and your ship to depart now! Perhaps we can manage to salvage the situation by waiting them out. They have seen your ship…it is possible they have not yet seen ours. If you depart they might be reckless enough to attempt an escape.”

Vertima drummed his fingers on his chair’s armrest. “We should work together captain. If the situation is as dire as you have indicated then we should pool our resources in order to bring these criminals to justice. Transmit your orders and we will defer to you for orders. Once we have assessed the situation we can formulate a plan of attack. If they have foolishly locked themselves in the core of that station then we have all the time we need to plan our strategy. They aren’t going anywhere with the two of us in orbit.”

“This is an intelligence matter and we alone will handle it captain. You have done enough already!”

“Transmit your orders for verification Ramius! We can outlast those traitors even if it takes a month. They do not have supplies to last in there forever. We have the upper hand!”

“And if they have hostages? Are you willing to sacrifice the crew of that station? Have you considered that?”

“Have they made any demands? No. If they gained access to a Starfleet communications core then they likely killed anyone who stood in their way. Any survivors that are taken as hostages must be considered expendable. They swore an oath to protect the Federation. They will understand given the grave circumstances. We cannot allow an enemy to possess the information and equipment located in the core! If I have to use every last torpedo on this ship to prevent such things from falling into enemy hands I’ll destroy that station and the core myself!”

Ramius’s teeth ground together as his right hand slowly curled into a tight fist. He detested this captain. He detested all such men who assigned such little value to life.

“Transmit your orders for verification Ramius! Do it now or else I will be forced to assume you are somehow in league with these traitors and criminals!”

Had Starfleet officers truly sunk so low? Had the corrupting influence of the new government and its agents had such a profound effect upon the hearts and minds of those in command of incredible power? How could fellow officers so quickly and easily follow such a dark and twisted path without any resistance? Did they not have even a spark of humanity left within them?

“Assume whatever you will captain. I gave you the opportunity to withdraw. That offer has just expired. Prepare yourself!”

Ramius motioned for the channel to be cut.

“Captain, they’re confused! The opportunity to strike is now!”

“No”, Ramius answered. “We will let them chose their path. Let them show their true colors.”

“They are locking weapons! Sir they’re firing!”

Crimson beams lanced out across the darkness of the asteroid field slamming into the shields of the Corsair. The ship shook under the onslaught.

“They're intentions have been established. Now let us show them ours. Helm, increase speed. Full impulse. Course 212 mark 12. Execute attack plan Rapier One!”

“Rapier one confirmed sir.”

Ramius turned to Ascari as another crimson phaser salvo illuminated the bridge narrowly missing the Corsair. He expected some amount of resistance from the director. Instead the man sat stoic and silent staring ahead at the battle that was unfolding.

“Standby all weapons”, Ramius shouted. “Helm! Flank speed, close distance to the Agincourt!”


================================

Captain Sebastian Ascari
Director, Starfleet Intelligence (Deposed)

Captain Taverain Ramius
CO, USS Corsair

Admiral James Valtren
Starfleet Intelligence

Captain Zane Akina
Starfleet Intelligence

Commander Sai Kusinagi
Chief Engineer, USS Corsair

(Various NPCs)