This Plan is Audacious

Posted on Mon Apr 21st, 2025 @ 1:33am by Captain Zseeq & Lieutenant JG Chase Thompson & Lieutenant Commander Eve Hall & Lieutenant Commander Melanie D'BrooNi- Haistro & Lieutenant Zhi'rev & Lieutenant JG Maran

1,707 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Audacious
Location: Bridge, USS Saratoga
Timeline: 2401-05-04, 21:5

Captain's Log, Supplemental:

Saratoga has crossed the Neutral Zone into Romulan Space to recover the Audacious. Depending upon how this mission goes I may be single handedly plunging the Federation into war.

---

Lieutenant Chase Thompson felt like he was going to throw up. Acting Chief of Security aboard the Saratoga, the young Lieutenant wondered if the Captain saw something in him that he didn't. While he'd done relatively well at the Academy, he still wasn't back to full capacity following Frontier Day. While he hadn't been assimilated, he was the youngest person aboard the Zheng He who hadn't been. That had brought about its own challenges. While he wasn't assimilated, many treated him like he had been because of his youth.

As he worked the Tactical controls, he almost wished he had taken Starfleet up on their discharge offer. While Starfleet had faced a manpower shortage following the conflict, many of their personnel who lived through those days weren't in the best of shape. PTSD, shellshock, whatever you wanted to call it, it was hard as Hell for those living through it. He sighed, absently, at the thoughts that were running through his head.

"Lieutenant?"

Chase looked up, surprised to see the Captain standing behind him, "Sir?"

"I asked for a tactical update," Zseeq said somewhat annoyed.

"Sorry, Sir," he answered as he brought up a display. "No changes."

"Thank heaven for small favors," the Deltan mumbled as he walked back toward his chair.

Chase couldn't believe he hadn't heard the Captain because of his own reveries about the past. He had a feeling he wasn't the only one thinking about the past, but he'd just been the one who was caught. Typing on his workstation, he heard the Captain again.

"Zhi, any info on those anomalies yet?"

The Vulcan cast the young man at the console next to his a sympathetic smile before addressing the captain. "Data is slowly coming in," he reported, "I think with our shield modifications we should be able to navigate them, as long as we don't stay too long. There's a lot of radiation that I have trouble identifying. Perhaps medical can be of assistance here, or Operations."

At least it wasn't for him. He tried to pay attention to the situation going on and what the Science Officer answered with, but he really was distracted by everything that was going on. This was his first time going into combat since Frontier Day and he was more than a little worried. Worse, he was responsible for firing the buttons.

"Lieutenant, are you sure this is the fastest we can go?"

"Safely, yes sir." Maran replied, simply.

To Chase everyone seemed more on point that he was. He thought he heard the Cardassian Helmsman explain that the Saratoga was matching the top speed of a freighter, but he wasn't sure he'd heard correctly. So much was happening.

"Commander, are your teams ready for deployment to the Audacious?"

Hall, who was standing at a Mission Operations Console near the read of the Bridge, nodded before verbally confirming the teams readiness, "Yes Captain, I have two teams on standby ready to go. I'll need the Ops & Security Chiefs to join us. Alpha Team will secure Engineering, Beta Team will secure the Bridge."

At least he wasn't going to that ancient monstrosity of a ship. Ever since he'd been clued in on their assignment he'd been hoping the captain would just order that the old Miranda class get blown out of the sky. Still, right now he may've preferred to serve back when that was a ship of the line. True there were no holodecks, no replicators, and the ships were half as fast. Still, no Borg.

"Doctor, maybe talk with Lieutenant Thompson."

The Tactical Officer paused. Had Captain Zseeq said his name? He must not've been paying as much attention as he thought. Turning, Chase looked around and tried to make himself look small.

Mel nodded at the CO and walked over to the younger officer and said quietly and gently keeping her voice low. "Lieutenant lets look at that radiation shall we? and are you feeling okay? You seem a little flustered,"

The Security Officer nodded, "I'm doing ok, Doctor, really. It's just a lot to take in and be prepared for." It wasn't a lie, but wasn't fully truthful. He was about to say more, when he noticed the Science Officer leaving his station.

Listening to the doctor as he moved, Zhi walked over to the security station under the pretense of a sensor adjustment. "Are you alright?" He asked softly, "it's okay to be nervous. We were all your age at some point, it passes with time." He has no experience with the youths having been assimilated as he hadn't been near the front that day. He didn't know what it did to the young people, psychologically. He could only offer sympathy, which was what he tried to do now.

"It's not that," he answered a bit flustered. "It's just that there's a lot to do to prepare for this type of mission. Crossing the Neutral Zone, warping through Romulan Space, it messes with your head." He brought up the readouts on the screen of the Audacious for the Doctor, "Long-Range scans of the ship are revealing some increased radiation in the Engineering section. It's a high dose, but not much more than usual. The Maelstrom itself has more radiation in it than the Audacious does." He talked quickly, learning the XO was talking about the same thing.

Commander Hall reviewed the deployment plan for the two teams, comparing long range scans of the vessel against their known records. One of the key data point on the scans showed increased radiation close to the initial engineering beam in point. She adjusted the co-ordinates, she was sure the team would rather the additional five minutes of walking than having their genomes scrambled. The Executive Officer made her way back to the centre of the Bridge, "Captain, I've adjusted Alpha team's beam in point. Initial scans suggested there is an increased radiation risk in Main Engineering. To be honest, that's not wholly unexpected."

"Doctor," Zseeq turned toward the group at Security, "from the readouts are we talking medication or EV suits?"

"Its not much different to what we are exposed to here. I will give the away team a higher and further shot of anti radiation drugs to combat it sir," Mel said pulling out a hypo from her kit and starting making calculations.

An alarm tripped on the Security Console. Chase leaned forward, opening the results and replacing the schematic of the Audacious with the sensor telemetry. His heart sank. "Captain, sensor scans are detecting a Romulan starship on approach."

"What do you make of it?" He tried to hide his concern.

The young Lieutenant looked at the readouts, "I'm having trouble discerning from this distance. The background radiation is messing with the sensors, but they appear to also be on course for the Audacious."

"Zhi, can you clear it up?" The Captain answered, ignoring the Security Chief.

"Yes captain," the Vulcan answered as slender fingers danced across the console. There was an audible gasp as sensors finally cleared up the image. "It is a Laehval Class Warbird," he reported as he matched the image on the screen to the database. "I advise caution..."

The Deltan turned away from Security and toward the forward stations, "We're running out of time now. Lieutenant Maran, take us to Maximum Warp." He looked to his XO, "Commander, I'm going to be clear if I feel that the Romulans will outflank us and capture the Audacious I will destroy it rather than allow it to be taken. You can file a complaint with the Judge Advocate if you wish to do so when we get back to Federation territory."

"Sir. Our mission is to retrieve the vessel, not destroy it. A red directive Captain. If we destroy the Audacious, I cannot predict what the aftermath will look like. In theory, we could disrupt warp travel across the sector. If we can get onboard, we can stabilise her systems and get her under tow." She gave the Captain a pleading look. "High risk yes, but necessary."

"And far from worth the risk of war with the Romulans. They may not be what they once were militarily, but I can't take the chance of plunging us into another prolonged conflict, Commander. The Federation just isn't ready for it right now," Zseeq answered. "If I can give you time I will, but I'm not going to give you a guarantee."

"Understood Captain." she nodded presently. "If all goes to plan, we should be in and out in 30 minutes." She said with a confidence she didn't know she could back up. While she was confident in her understanding of the Audacious, its engine and the circumstances of the test flight in which it disappeared, she could only hypothesize of the state of Audacious' interior.

Looking around the Bridge, "Get ready to deploy."

"Maran, Jorik, let's go. Thompson," the Executive Officer approached the Security Officer. "Pull yourself together. You're coming too. Transporter Room One in 5 minutes."

While he said nothing, Zhi's surprise at not being part of the away team was quite evident in his expression. He had fully expected to be able to study the Audacious, surely as science chief he was a 'logical' choice?

"Zhi," Zseeq interrupted, "Go with them. Help them to secure the Bridge."

The Vulcan nodded, quickly powering down his station. "I'll meet you in the transporter room," he said, requiring his science kit, which he needed to hurry and retrieve first.

"We can't stay in this area too long," Zseeq reminded the group after turning his chair toward the Turbolift. "You have thirty minutes, Commander, and not a second more. If you can get Audacious underway by then, we'll escort her back to DS-12. If not, we'll evacuate and destroy the ship." He was clear that he was only giving the thirty minutes that were agreed upon. If it came to risking war with the Romulans he wouldn't accept the risk. Peace was more important, even if it may be short lived.

 

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