Starlight, Star fight

Posted on Fri Dec 31st, 2021 @ 11:54am by Captain Shran dh'Klar & Lieutenant Aiko Kato

Mission: Sinister Intentions
Location: USS Washington

Shran had just sat down on the bridge when things got interesting.

"Captain, detecting multiple Orion battleships entering the system" said the Denobulan at Ops, Ensign Ghrex.

"Red alert! Ready phasers and load torpedoes. Notify the transporter room to get the away team transported down immediately. Aiko, prepare to break orbit and move us into a tactical position" ordered Shran.

"Aye Captain," Aiko replied, her gaze fixed on her console. Due to the change in alert status, her console layout switched up according to a customized setup that she had pre-programmed. It allowed her to easily execute combat maneuvers while also tracking relevant navigational and telemetry data to ensure she was acutely aware of where enemy threats were located and optimal firing solutions for dealing with them.

She could see even now, on the navigational sensors, the new arrivals. They had just dropped out of warp at the edge of the system, although they were now rapidly closing the distance between them and the planet on impulse speed. It was likely a tactic to buy time to allow them to scan the system and assess the level of threat.

Orions were something of a mystery to Aiko. Officially, their government professed neutrality in all things yet, unofficially they backed various shady and nefarious organizations operating with their blessings, the most notorious of which was the Orion Syndicate.

Given what was happening on New Krakow and the slavery ring that Aiko herself had seen firsthand, it was not entirely surprising that Orions had emerged. What was surprising however was that this illegal activity was operating in a Federation colony, right under the nose of the Starfleet contingent posted there.

Once she received confirmation that the away team had been transported down to the surface, she broke orbit from the planet, banking the ship deftly to the port side effectively pulling away from the planet and heading towards the Orion fleet.

As the Washington left orbit the tactical officer, a human male named Ensign Patel began to call out information, "Shields up, phasers charged, all torpedoes loaded and on stand by sir." The ship had barely left orbit when he called out once more, "Torpedoes from the planet."

"Evasive action Aiko" ordered Shran.

Aiko reacted even as Shran gave the order. She fired the dorsal thrusters on the starboard side of the ship for half a second at full burst. The action caused the Washington to do a half roll on her axis, pivoting nearly a hundred and eighty degrees and causing the torpedoes to streak closely but harmlessly away from the ship.

"Torpedoes from the planet?!" Aiko muttered under her breath equally as annoyed as she was surprised. But she chose not to dwell on that. Instead, she quickly re-oriented her tactical awareness. She was now cognizant of the fact that they had enemy ships in front of them and apparently the Federation colony to their aft.

However, as the Washington sped towards the Orion ships, the planet became less of an immediate threat as the increased distance to it meant any weapon it launched would have to travel a farther distance, which meant more time for Aiko to be aware of it and more importantly, left more time for the tactical officer to take countermeasures.

Shran gave a small smile as Aiko masterfully piloted the ship, keeping the torpedoes from hitting the Washington. They were now far enough away from the planet itself to focus solely on the the pair of Orion battleships. "Lay an intercept course, ready to target lead vessel" ordered Shran. "Hail the Orion ships"

"With pleasure Captain," Aiko replied. She adjusted course only slightly, as the ship faced the enemy ship in the lead.

"Channel open" said Ghrex.

"Orion vessels, you have entered Federation space with hostile intent. You are ordered to power down your weapons and return to Orion space, or face dire consequences." Shran wasn't about to mince words with pirates.

The Orion ships didn't respond to his message. Instead they opened fire, launching torpedoes at the Washington.

"So you choose death. So be it" said Shran solemnly. "Evasive Aiko. Move us to attack pattern Delta two."

"Yes sir," Aiko replied.

The Washington began a randomized back-and-forth 45-degree evasive maneuvers while it closed in on the lead Orion ship. This was also accompanied at random intervals with barrel rolls that were either clockwise or counter-clockwise. The culminative effect of the evasive pattern allowed the Washington to close the distance with the lead ship while avoiding most of its fire and making it difficult for the enemy to have a good weapons lock. Conversely, the move was intentionally designed to allow the Washington to maintain optimal or near optimal firing solutions on their enemy, which Aiko was delighted to see Ensign Patel take advantage of.

"Target the lead ship. Full torpedo spread...and fire." ordered Shran as he looked at his tactical display.

A series of photons launched from the forward tubes of the Washington and streaked across the open space, colliding with the lead Orion vessel in brilliant fashion and tearing the vessel apart. This display didn't keep the other Orion vessel from fighting though, as it peppered the Washington with disruptor blasts.

"Shields at 89%, inertial dampeners damaged on deck 2 sections 3 through 7, damage to lateral sensors" called out Ghrex. "Damage control is being deployed."

"I want prisoners to question" said Shran in a low voice aloud. "Mr. Patel, target weapons and engines, full phasers, fire."

Once more the Washington unleased a powerful weapons display, this time using its phasers with surgical precision as it pounded the Orion vessel.

"Significant damage to their engines, they have lost torpedoes" said Ghrex.

"Good shooting Patel" said Shran. Patel simply smiled at the praise, something he hadn't heard much of as a junior officer. "phaser barrage once more, finish off their engines and target any weapon ports you can."

The Washington flew in on a strafing run and Patel once again plastered them with the phasers, crippling the Orion ship.

"They are adrift, engines, shields and weapons offline. They are venting atmosphere, life support on the ship dropping rapidly."

"It would seem you did better than I had hoped Mr. Patel."

"Dhanyavaad captain" Patel replied simply.

"Begin beaming them directly to the brig, starting with the bridge crew" order Shran. This was turning into a good day for him. They were beginning to break up this smuggling and trafficking ring, and it included destroying one Orion ship and capturing another. He always chalked it up as a win when they stopped pirates, and it was particularly gratifying when they caused problems for the Orion Syndicate.

"Increase security in the brig, notify Samantha that we are taking on Orion prisoners so she can look to any medical treatment they may need accordingly. Stand down red alert, bring us back to yellow alert, power down weapons, keep the shields up, Aiko, take us back to the colony."