Set Adrift
Posted on Thu Jan 24th, 2019 @ 7:01am by Captain Taiga Aisaka & Lieutenant Rinka Hayami 'Sharp-Shooter' & Commander Alora Knight & Lieutenant Jaqobus "Jack" Gaius & Lieutenant Bobbie Sue "Bobcat" Hunter
1,031 words; about a 5 minute read
Mission: Demons in the Dark
::ON::
Hayami kept an eye on her instruments as she kept searching for the Cassandra. With Trigman and Bobcat taking up a lead she and her squad were searching the more outer areas.
Suddenly something popped up. A low band power emission. "Whats that?" She asked herself. She managed to get a fix on its location.
"Hayami to Tokyo Control. I'm picking up a low power emission. I'm moving to intercept" she said simply. Her fighter turned and she powered up her engines to intercept whatever was out there.
"Hayami, this is Bobcat. Don't go anywhere without backup."
"No problem. My wing are with me" Hayami responded as she moved a little closer. It seemed to be some sort of small ship.
Cockpit, Shuttlecraft Quitchhazel
Music flowed through the cockpit of the shuttle as Jack listened to the rhythm. He'd been searching for the Cassandra since they failed to show up at the rendezvous point days ago. He'd started a search for the old girl almost as soon as he realized that they had failed a scheduled check-in with Starfleet, but even then, that was almost a week ago. The music faded as the computer switched to a different track. Just as he was nearly asleep, a loud tone interrupted the music as the computer sounded.
'Alert. Incoming transmission.' Jack's eyes flew open at the warning. It took him a moment to shake-off the subtle rest he'd fallen into, but he managed to make it to the helm.
"Ack!" He growled as smacked his wrist against the edge of the console. "Computer! Identify the source of the signal! Is it the Cassandra?" The old hybrid held his breath as he watched the sensor telemetry start to pour in on his screen.
'Negative,' the computer replied. 'Originating source identified: USS Tokyo.' Jack sighed; of course it wasn't them. Knowing Starfleet and their proximity to the Demilitarized Zone, of course they would send a ship to investigate. Without another minute of hesitation, he opened the channel.
"Starfleet vessel, this is the shuttlecraft Quitchhazel, please respond."
On the bridge, communications informed Alora of the incoming message. "Verify that it is the Quitchhazel."
"Aye, ma'am." A few moments later, the communications officer turned back to Alora. "Confirm that is is the shuttle. It was supposed to rendezvous with the Cassandra."
Alora nodded. "Shuttle craft, this is the USS Tokyo."
Cockpit, Shuttlecraft Quitchhazel
Jack grimaced as he watched the contacts come into range of his sensors. 'That's a lot of shuttles for a Federation Starship,' he thought to himself. He needed to be cautious here; it's one thing for him to stumble across another ship this close to the Demilitarized Zone, but this was something else entirely.
"It's good to hear your voice, Tokyo." Jack replied over the comm. He had to think quickly, at the very least, until he had a chance to figure out why they were here. "I've weathered a fairly heavy ion-storm, and I've taken damage. I've been drifting out here at one-third impulse for over a week."
"Have you seen any other ships out here?" Alora asked.
"Negative," he replied. "It's been disturbingly quiet out here." He watched through the shuttle's viewport as the HUD began picking up several moving objects at extreme visual range. With a few swift commands to his console, he was able to identify them as various starfleet fighters. He shot a glance into the back of the cockpit, where he'd stowed-away the probe-fragment he'd secured.
Taiga looked over at Alora. "Get that shuttle on board" she said simply. "It's presence risks the security of our mission" she told her. "Especially over open comms which aren't encrypted".
"Tokyo to Hayami. Find our friend and escort him home."
"Tokyo, have you seen any other ships out here?" He asked. His hands skittered across the console as he began typing out an encrypted message for the Tokyo's CO, informing them of the nature of his mission, and requesting a security detail to meet him in the shuttlebay when he docked. "I was supposed to meet my ship, but they failed to show up at the rendezvous."
"Quitchhazel, we'll address that when you get here," Alora replied.
Jack furrowed his brow at the non-answer. 'They're the search vessel,' he thought to himself.
"Acknowledged. Quitchhazel: Out," he replied. The Tokyo was starting to come into sensor range; giving him a firm trajectory to aim for. He shot another glance back at the battered remains of the probe memory core as his mind raced with all of the ways this mission just possibly got a whole lot worse.
"Shit."
It didn't take long for Hayami and her two wing pilots to find the shuttle.
"Shuttlecraft Quitchhazel. This is Lieutenant Rinka Hayami of the starship Tokyo. We are here to escort you back to the Tokyo. Please match course and speed" she said after opening a secure channel to the shuttle.
She dropped down in front of him while the two other fighters positioned themselves starboard and port.
"Acknowledged," the Megan replied. Jack tapped a few commands into the Quitchhazel's helm. Once they were in formation, it was easy for him to match their flight patterns. He watched them through viewports of the shuttle as they all brought themselves into a close flying formation with a masterful precision.
"Computer, begin cycle venting the cabin atmosphere," he said. The computer beeped with its acknowledgement as the vents kicked to life. He may have been stuck in here for days on end, but he at least wanted to spare the deck crew some pain when that hatch finally opened.
____
::OFF::
Captain Taiga Aisaka
Commanding Officer
USS Tokyo
Lieutenant Bobbie Sue "Bobcat" Hunter
Fighter Pilot
USS Tokyo
Commander Alora Knight
Executive Officer
USS Tokyo
Lieutenant Jack Gaius,
Chief Security/Tactical Officer,
USS Tokyo
Lieutenant Rinka Hayami
Squadron Leader D
USS Tokyo
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