Submitting to defeat

Posted on Fri Sep 4th, 2020 @ 10:12pm by Captain Taiga Aisaka & Ensign Mikko Ishigami & Jennifer Daxer & Lieutenant Hamlyn Ambrose & Lieutenant Soren Dillinger 'Speedy' & Lieutenant Takeshi Nakazato 'Zack' & Lieutenant Shingo Shoji & Chief Warrant Officer Dawnah
Edited on on Fri Sep 4th, 2020 @ 10:14pm

1,877 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: The Elachi Return
Location: Various

Previously on Star Trek Tokyo:

"Casualty reports are coming in from all over the ship." Jen said, looking at her console. As part of the Command Crew, her console also included critical reports. "There are also fires being reported in the TIC, as well as decks 9 and 15."

"Have damage response teams report to those sections. Anyone who is available and has medical training are to assist the medical staff" Taiga ordered.

"Captain, I seriously suggest that we surrender." Jen told Taiga, without hesitation. "We can't take anymore damage, and we cannot fight back. If we don't surrender, they will likely destroy us."

"Open a channel"

Jen tapped a few buttons on her console, and was rewarded with the familiar hailing tone. "Channel open."

"Romulan vessel. This is Captain Taiga Aisaka of the Federation Starship Tokyo. We... surrender..."

And now the continuation...

[USS Tokyo Bridge]

A silence hung in the air as those words escaped Captain Aisaka's mouth. The Romulan vessel halted its assault on the Tokyo. Slowly it turned in space, facing it bows towards the Tokyo and slowed to a halt. The screen changed as communications were established. A rather angry looking Romulan appeared on the screen. Taiga could easily identify his navy uniform and his rank of Commander.

"Captain Aisaka I presume" he said codly. He didn't even give Taiga any chance to respond before continuing. "You have conducted an act of war against the Romulan Star Empire. Lower your shields and prepare to be boarded"

"No" Taiga said simply in response. "We haven't done anything wrong here apart from defend ourselves" she told him. "I will not lower my shields, nor will I allow you to board this ship" she looked back at Jen. She was hoping for some good news about The Prowler.

"Commander, we were responding to a distress call from this colony when we were attacked" she attempted to explain.

"I see no evidence of another vessel" said the Romulan Commander. "And we've scanned the colony. My science officer confirms it was Federation weapons which destroyed it. You're the only Federation ship here, so you better have another explanation Captain for this massacre"

Taiga clenched her fists. "Listen. I'm telling the truth, I'll even send you our computer logs if you wish"

"Logs can be falsified. I now demand that you surrender fully to us"

Taiga sighed. "We're at an impass here Commander. I'm not part of your Empire. Nor have I done anything wrong" she told him cooly. "Starfleet doesn't massacre Civilians in their homes because we feel like it. We don't commit such actions like Khitomer..."

That was a deliberate stab at the Romulan. "How... dare you!" The Romulan Commander spat back at her. He was suddenly distracted by someone off screen. The channel muted, Taiga indicated to do the same. She turned back and faced Daxer.

"Commander. Can you get anything from Starfleet?" she asked. "Whats the status of our warp drive. We may have to high tail it out of here"

Daxer muted the channel, somewhat distracted by something on her own console.

"Warp drive is still non-functional." Jen replied. "However, there is a transmission being sent to the Romulans. Adding it to the view screen."

Moments later, the static filled image of the Romulan commander was changed to be a split screen of the Romulan Commander, and a Starfleet Admiral.

=A= "This is Starfleet Admiral Johanson, of the Federation Diplomatic Corps." =A= The Admiral said as a start. =A= "We are aware of the incident on Alvatar colony. In the interest of preventing a war, We'd like to conduct a proper investigation imto an incident that involves one of our own. In order to ensure fairness, we will accept verified evidence, and share all of our findings with you. All we ask is that the USS Tokyo be escorted back to Federation space." =A=

The Romulan Commander was seen looking over at a different screen for a few seconds before he returned his attention back to Taiga.
"It seems Captain Aisaka. That I have been ordered from the Senate to escort you back to the Neutral Zone" he scoffed. "Although, be aware if you try anything. I will not hesitate to finish you off for your crimes!"

Taiga simply stared at the viewscreen for a few seconds. "We're in no shape for a fight" she said simply. "However, we've taken some damage to our warp drive..." she looked down at the helm.

Mikko nodded. "We'll need a few minutes to get the drive back online" she said.

"Very well" The Romulan said. "I will give you an hour to get your warp drive online". The communication cut off leaving Taiga and the rest of the bridge crew stunned in silence.

"Bridge to Engineering. We need warp drive in less than an hour. Thats your top priority at the moment..." there came no response. "Lieutenant Kano, are you recieving?"

'Uh, Lieutenant Kano ... she didn't make it,' responded Hobb wearily, 'this is, uh, Assistant Chief Ambrose. We got hit pretty bad back there.' As he looked about Main Engineering the man sighed, 'a lot of my people are down, Captain.'

There was a brief pause. "Understood Mister Ambrose. You're chief engineer now" Taiga responded. She hated losing people, but now was not the time to get emotional. "We've got Romulans here, if we don't have war drive, even if its just warp one. None if us are 'going to make it'" she explained.

As the sparks flew from the consoles around him, Hobb began organising the work details, pulling up status reports on components of the warp core and related systems.

'T'Lar, Akavam,' he pointed at a Vulcan and Denobulan subordinate, 'the dilithium articulation frame has been blown out - we'll need another one manufactured and installed ASAP before we can move ahead. Get on it.'

Hobb raised his voice to be heard over the background tumult, 'Eskil, we'll need a new plasma manifold as well - whatever hit us totally fried the last one. You'll be with me.' All three looked at him stupefied. 'Now people, we've got less than an hour!'

(1 hour later)

Taiga had been assisting with repairs on the bridge when the chime sounded to signal that their hour was up. She pulled herself out from under one of the consoles and tapped her comm badge.

"Bridge to Engineering. Status of the warp drive?"

Looking at his systems display for the warp core, Hobb saw that it was operating within normal parameters, barely, he thought. 'Yeah Captain, it's online - just treat her with kid gloves we're jury-rigged to the moon and back.'

Jen had been doing what limited repairs she cold to her own console, when it finally came to life, immediately transferring tactical back to it's home station.

"Finally!" She said, as she checked the status of defensive systems, and powered down what working weapons they had. Repair teams had at least done some work on the shield emmitters, and shields were now at a solid 32%, but it was the new hail she saw that got her attention. "Captain, we are being hailed by the Romulans."

"On screen" Taiga said simply. The viewscreen changed back to the Romulan Commander. "Commander, our warp drive is barely back online. We can do Warp Two until we do more extensive repairs"

The Romulan looked at her a brief silence fell upon them. "Very well. You WILL follow us" the channel cut off. Taiga sighed, she looked back at Daxer. "Any word from The Prowler?"

Dawnah danced her 24 fingers over her console; adjusting the various wavelengths and analyzing the signal strength. Her mind had all the contingincies factored that she could check.

"No word from the Prowler and from what I can tell the Communications Array is putting out a full strength Transmission wave." Dawnah reported from her Communications Conole. I have a ping from te nearest Sub-Space Relay so we are transmitting. Either they have gone dark as in shutting down or they are not there. Cloaking might ad a 12% distortion of the signal but not enough to block it or reflect it." The Nuvian look over her shoulder to the Captain. "My analysis is that they are not there to get our transmissions."

"The Prowler isn't on sensors either." Daxer added in, noting that long range sensors were functioning, but not sure for how long. She looked over at Taiga, shaking her head in solemn fashion. "They're just... gone."

Taiga looked down at the floor. She looked up to see the Romulan vessel starting to slowly pull away leading them back towards Federation space. They had no choice but to leave them behind. "If I know Commander Knight, if they weren't destroyed she'll find a way to get back to us one way or the other. For the record however, I am not abandoning them. I want all operational sensors of maximum, if they pop up I want to know about it" Taiga ordered. She looked over towards the helm. "Ensign, follow that ship. Match their course and speed"

"Aye Captain" Mikko reported from the helm. The Tokyo turned slowly away from the destroyed colony, breaking orbit and jumped to warp along with the Romulan vessel.

As the Tokyo entered warp, the turbolift door opened and Shingo stepped onto the bridge. He would have had a PADD in hand with the TIC's casualty reports, but the situation in sickbay had gone south so fast that Medical said they would relay the casualty report to Command after things calmed down.

As Shingo was the only person in the TIC to escape significant injuries, there was little he could do with the burnt out husk of the TIC until survivors began getting released from Sickbay, and with Engineering all tied up, getting the TIC back online was a fairly low priority, so for the time being, Shingo would offer assistance around the ship wherever he was needed. It's what Takeshi would have done...

"Captain Aisaka:" He greeted. "TIC will be included in the main casualty report from Medical when they can catch a break, and with engineering tied up until next Tuesday, there's nothing I can do at the TIC until I get some people, either my own or from engineering. Until then, is there anything around the ship that could use an extra pair of hands?"

Taiga looked back at the lieutenant. "We're shorthanded everywhere" she said simply. She was distracted by the thought of leaving the away team behind. Taiga turned in her chair to face Shingo. "Lieutenant, boot up one of the mission ops consoles. You said it yourself, Engineering are overloaded. Co-ordinate with them on managing damage control"

Shingo nodded.

"You got it." He said, turning and making his way towards one of the mission ops consoles.

Taiga turned her attention back to the viewscreen. This was not how she imagined today would have turned out like.

Posting by

Captain Taiga Aisaka
Commanding Officer

Lieutenant Takeshi Nakazato
Air Boss

Lieutenant Shingo Shoji
Deputy Air Boss

Lieutenant Commander Jennifer Daxer
Second Officer
Chief Security/Tactical Officer

Lieutenant Hamlyn 'Hobb' Ambrose
Chief Engineer

Chief Warrant Officer Dawnah
Communications Officer

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