Messages

away team tag

[Shuttle Bruegel]

Well, time for an executive decision...

The power came back on swiftly as Jiseth's fingers pecked at the controls. Their tumble stopped suddenly as did the hiss of hydrogen escaping from the bussard collectors. The craft rolled three times to starboard to fully exit the cloud it had created by which point the phasers were hot and ready to fire. Under the rules of engagement, she was not able to determine if they had been directly fired on or not. After all, how often were rocks being hurled around in giant slingshots in space?

=/\=Phoenix to Shuttlecraft Bruegel.  Please be on the look out for.... Hrafn paused not really sure how to describe it...she opted for saying ...power build ups, 049 mark 27 and 288 mark 17. Something which appears to be asteroids being loaded into a firing device as a ballistic weapon.  Phoenix out

I see it. Will avoid direct engagement until authorization is given.

She thought the situation over for a moment. If the motion of the probes had triggered this response, then perhaps she could overload the targeting system with chaff until she could at least deploy the away team. With her weapons at full charge, she let loose twin orange streaks into the blackness. The aim was edge of several rock and ice formations to dislodge the material at points on the far side of the power spikes away from their target ship.

The ice flashed white and exploded in clouds of gas as it violently sublimated, sending chucks of debris in many directions. Jamming the throttle forward, Jiseth tried to make as direct path as possible to the wreck without becoming one themselves. The nose of the craft darted around like a hound looking for the scent while flew around, between, and in one occasion right through the asteroids.

With the shuttle now under the belly of the port side, it pitched up and spun around to do its final approach backward. Jiseth kept here eyes focused on her screen which displayed the rear camera views of the rapidly approaching airlock. The proximity alarm began to ping at quickly shortening intervals until they slowed and there was a slight jolt as they made contact. With power being fed from the shuttle, there was a loud clang as the door mechanisms began to move and they had a way into the ship.

"Away team you're clear to proceed, I'll pick you up when you're finished."

kejal tag

=/\=Eva-[static]-uvers

[Shuttle Bruegel]

Jiseth hit her wrist display to silence her music and pulled out her tricorder. The gases they were churning out had just enough ionization to mess with her readings, but she was still getting some from two of the probes while the third was no longer sending any signals. The last was a proximity alert. Her attention was brought to the viewports when two dark shadows passed over them.

"Buris, we have a probe gone. The other two are still transmitting with the FOF tags of Starfleet shuttles, do you want to continue or abort?"

Evasive Maneuvers!

to clarify, did both asteroids aim for the probes or one at the probes and one at the shuttle?

tag away team

=/P\=Bridge to Shuttle Bruegel, we are sending you the co-ordinates of some non-Phoenix lifesigns, Captian Kirok indicates you may be able to get a closer look at them.  If you are able to please do so if it does not endanger the shuttle or it's inhabitants. Bridge out=/P\=

[Shuttle Bruegel]

Jiseth, here. Acknowledged. We'll bring them home as long as they don't bite. Bruegel out.

"I gave my word on that to Ms. T'Koris.  I give it to you all as well.  Let's get going.  Lieutenant Commander, if you please, final crosscheck and takeoff."

"About that... It's going to be a little weird in here."

She waited until the probes launched and cleared the ship before setting to work. She plotted a trajectory based on the information she received and inched the shuttle beyond the force field. Now they were essentially going in reverse relative to the Phoenix, which had just pitched up and away, as she cut the impulse engines. A few taps later the view ports became obscured by a rush of red gas, the hydrogen exhaust being blown through the bussard collectors. The same trick the Enterprise-D pulled off on the Pakleds, except soon the cloud of trailing gases turned white as she powered everything down after letting out a gentle burst from the forward RCS units. The shuttle then began to tumble end over end about once every minute to keep her passengers from getting motion sick.

"Alright, we just put Sir Isaac Newton in the driver's seat, but I'd say it looks like the Phoenix just dodged a comet wouldn't you? We're going to overshoot the ship and from there I'll bring some of the power back and dock."

Content with her ruse, she poked at her suit's small display screen on her forearm. After selecting a tune she would like, it began playing the speakers of her helmet. A few moments later Jiseth began striking her index fingers on her console as if playing the drums of the jazz band. Her head tilted from side to side in beat as this was about as much she could dance as well while restrained in her seat.

T'Lara tag and away team is ready

[Shuttle Bruegel]

Lifting a shuttle off the deck plates was a remarkably simple affair of simply increasing the antigrav field. It was far less clumsy than directed thrust for lift when was, as far as piloting was concerned, like trying to ride an elephant while it balanced on a giant ball. Jiseth paused while they hovered and made note of the faces of those she had on board tough they were partially obscured by the helmets. Five individuals including her self left little room for coverage if one were injured or blown into space.

With her focus back on the controls, the shuttle yawed to port until it had faced the opposite direction toward the center of the shuttlebay. Floating half a meter above the hangar floot, she moved forward at a brisk walking pace and followed the lighted trail to the forcefield boundary. After flicking through different check lists, she made sure the warp core was offline and all exterior lights were off. The cabin went dark and the LCARS panels in the cabin dimmed significantly.

Turning the shuttle around again, Jiseth backed them out into space to maintain proximity with the shuttlebay. They were currently in the shadow of the large arrowhead tactical module which sat atop the dorsal pylon. Sitting here would mask them for now until she put the next part of the plan in motion.

"I'm going to hide us in the exhaust of the Phoenix's port impulse engine until we reach a trajectory to intercept under minimal power. I'll shut down our own and put is in a slow tumble to mimic the motion of local asteroids. Might want to hold onto something since I'll be turning off the artificial gravity and probably the inertial dampeners. I'll make minor corrections to make sure we get to the airlock. T'Lara, please launch the probes to the wrecked ship and have them orbit near the starboard bow. We'll come in from the port stern through an airlock in that quadrant. Call if you need help."

Her report was complete, and covered everything that could have been expected in an FCO after a shuttle handoff.  That much he respected immediately, and he nodded.  "Thank you.  As soon as everyone's actually gathered, please get aboard and prepare for final cross-checks.  I'd also like for you to stay aboard the shuttle if or when we perform EVA into the wreckage, in case we do have to make one of the quick escapes you've planned.  Everyone will be wearing emergency transport beacons, the frequencies are already pushed from the main computer to the shuttle; you'll be able to beam us out should anything at all go wrong."

[Shuttlebay]

"Don't worry. SAR operations are my specialty."

After putting her index finger and thumb just passed her lips, a shrill and quite loud whistle echoed throughout the hangar. Her index and middle finger then came together as her hand rotated about her wrist three times above her head. Two deckhands bolted over as the alert klaxon went sounded with the rising of the massive shuttlebay door. The edges lit up in a bright blue hue from the force field that kept the atmosphere from bursting out into space. Attaching one glove to its seal at a time, Jiseth left her helmet off for the moment as she stepped into the darkened cabin of the shuttle.

"Aux power on, Bruegel. Awaken."

A quirk she had long had was to speak to the craft as if it were a person. Addressing each and everything thing as Computer felt almost rude. Holograms could adapt and have their own personalities and considering all the modifications engineers made to keep things flying with what they had on hand, few were entirely alike.

[Shuttle Bruegel]

The cabin lights came on as did the subtle hum of the generators. Sitting at the pilot seat, she set her helmet on the dashboard while her finger tapped at the LCARS screen. The deckhands removed the covers to the bussard collectors and opened the clamps that kept the craft in place when not in use. Each of the showed their fists up with thumbs pointing to each other and then moved each to face the opposite direction. Seeing them through the viewports, Jiseth in turn put her fists together and then pulled them away before acknowledging with thumbs up.

Next she opened up both hands and closed them. The two looked along the side of the spacecraft as the RCS valve check was done. From each unit came several small bursts of gas. With the deckhands giving their thumbs up, she acknowledged by flashing the beacon lights. Then they both went back, and checked the impulse engines were spooling up to idle with the exhaust grills glowing scarlet. Main power came on and she looked through all her instruments and ran the test checks to see if any failed. They did not. She reached over and put her helmet on made sure the lock seal held tight.

"Mic check, can you hear me?"

"Yep. Will you need us to marshal you out?"

"No, thank you. It's small enough to depart without pushback."

"Copy that. Have a safe flight."

Reaching back she pulled her shoulder harness over and down he chest, meeting the latch that came up from between her legs. The deckhands had cleared out and all that was left was for her passengers to board up. In the mean time, she downloaded long-range scan data from the Phoenix's computer into the Bruegel's navigation system.

Congrats, I know you will do a great job.

I'll do my best!

"A wise idea, Ms. Jiseth, given the scenario we're possibly up against.  Long time no see - and I'm glad you're not beaming in from a warbird this time either."

He looked at T'Koris and folded his arms over his chest, glancing at her cane.  "Captain, I'm here to relieve you of command of this Away mission.  You're not going out on that shuttle.  You're currently injured, and Doctor Kintiss has ordered that you remain confined to Sickbay until your knee heals fully.  That puts you off-duty, according to regulations.  And the regulations go on to further state no off-duty personnel may accompany an Away team into a hazardous environment.  Apparently, someone back at Starfleet Command either knew you - or someone very much like you.  Not to mention, you'll be a liability to yourself and others if something goes wrong.  If your knee gives out, or the team is forced to run, how many people might sacrifice themselves in order to try and get you to safety, injury and all?  Not many on this ship are accustomed to performing simple moral calculus.  It goes against Starfleet training.  You may choose to despise me as long as you see fit; but if you insist, I will order that no shuttle is given in handoff to Flight Control unless the Captain orders it, so that I do not have to explain to your daughters why Mommy isn't coming home."

"So, please report to Sickbay, ma'am.  Doctor Kintiss is waiting for you."

He looked at Jiseth.  "Pilot, full status report."

Stepping up to him, so that they were almost toe-to-toe, she narrowed her eyes dangerously.  "You'd better make sure that you look after them if you're going to be in command of the away team.  Everyone goes out, and everyone comes back alive."

Now superfluous to the mission, Archangel turned around and, almost as if a weight had suddenly resettled on her shoulders, limped her way out of the shuttlebay, with no intention of reporting to sickbay.

[Shuttlebay]

Rage. It was an all too familiar emotion, perhaps just as much for T'Koris as it was for Jiseth. This time it felt different than her usual contempt for another sentient humanoid. There was a profound sense of protectiveness that she could only compare to how Ghost stood guard over Callion. After all, she was her superior officer and a rather good friend. Whatever dynamics had been set in motion before she came about would have to be further observed later. For now, she held her tongue and eyed the Commander as she left.

"Given the current situation, I'd much rather have that Warbird..."

She pointed with her thumb over her shoulder to the shuttle which sat facing away behind her.

"...The flight suits are inside for the rest of you on the away team. Us stick jockeys have our own. The Bruegel checks out so far. Run-up tests will find anything not overtly obvious. Maneuvering will be done in short bursts to blend in with the surrounding rock structures. Don't have any torpedoes, but three science probes are loaded and we can use those as decoys. Type-VI phasers will be mostly powered down for the mission. They can be charged in a couple seconds to get a few shots off if need be. Aiming at the rocks and scattering debris like flak will mask an escape. I have four planned warp vectors out of there to points in space about 2 AU average. From there we can rendezvous with the Phoenix wherever most convenient. No solar flares to worry around or other space weather phenomena."

Having left the other officers of the away detail to get themselves sorted out, Archangel had made her way down to the shuttle bay to at least be present when everyone else turned up.  The sound of her cane tapping against the deck plates seemed especially loud to her ears as she made her way across the cavernous hangar bay to the shuttle craft that had been brought out from its slot in order to be made ready for flight.  Unsurprisingly, Jiseth was already there and inspecting the craft, which made Archangel's lips twitch in a faint, suppressed smile.

"Should have known you'd beat me down here, Jiseth," she said, leaning both hands on her cane as she observed the other Romulan working.  "Sorry for dragging you away from your family, but I needed a good pilot on this mission.  We're going into an asteroid field with a hostile element possibly still hanging around."

[Shuttlebay]

A familiar voice brought her attention away from the Bruegel and for a moment she stood as rigid as a stone statue. She felt sheepish in a way that suddenly felt unbecoming of one about to take on the challenge of today's assignment. Rightfully so, in her mind at least, because a mere thank you would not be enough.

"If they're out there, they'll wish they hadn't stuck around so long."

Jiseth managed a warm smirk before stepping over to the Commander. She noted the cane, but thought it best to ask another time about it. No doubt her superiors were aware of her own state of dexterity though as luck would have it most of the flying was done by hand. One of which she reached out to shake Archangel's as a hug in public and while on duty was not within the realm of acceptable behavior among Romulans, though both had been away from the homeworld for quite some time.

"Technically, since I'm flying the shuttle, I'm dragging you away from your family. I'll get you back in one piece though, ma'am. You might want to start putting on a flight suit. Going to try to mask our power signature as much as possible which means cutting back on things like warp drive. And life support..."

tag bridge

As the conversation turned to the largely inadequate prosthetics Jiseth was forced to endure, the Augment actually managed a faint smile.  "I have made progress with my research," she replied.  "I require more time yet, but I have discovered two promising avenues that may yield adequate results."  Another mouthful of supplement was swallowed.  It was always easier to eat/drink it when she was distracted.

[Quarters]

The Romulan winched slightly each time her Augment gulped down what she considered edible cement. The steak suddenly losing its appeal though she managed to finish it all. At some points she just wished they had figured out away for her to survive off of the same White that Jem'Hadar did so that she would be spared the taste. Plus, she'd never feel like she was wasting her time with things like rest or eating which got in the way of her work.

"Oh? What would those-"

=^= "T'Koris to Jiseth, Epath and Davis, report to the shuttlebay for away detail." =^=

"...I guess it will have to wait until I get back."

She stepped over the replicator and recycled her plate and what crumbs remained on it. Then came a swift slap of her commbadge.

Jiseth here, on my way.

Carefully she entered the bedroom, moving as quietly as she could to the cargo container and removing her flight suit. If her experiences had taught her anything it was that an ejection into space was far more reliable than hoping for the emergency transporters to work in time. Though Ghost's eyes had opened and his tail wagged slightly, Jiseth saw no reaction out of Callion to her relief.

Back in the living room, the new CFO stripped down out of her uniform tunic. In just her underwear there came a rather sly smirk towards Zero as a coy reminder of what she had in her pointy-eared partner. She was getting better at donning the gear even though she still lacked the balance to do it standing and had to sit on the edge of the couch for the lower portions. The torso and sleeves came over her head without issue and the lock seal fastened tight. She would keep the gloves and helmet off until she reached the shuttle, placing the former inside the latter.

"If Callion wakes up before I get back, just tell her that I love her and I'll be back soon."

Heading for the door, Jiseth stopped as they had opened and turned slightly to blow a kiss to Zero. There was a moment where she managed to bring herself to smile, but all too soon she was on her way.

[Shuttlebay]

Making her way to the Bruegel, a Type 9 shuttle, she recalled how the class had the dubious honor of being the first she crash-landed in the dry lake beds of western North America. It was small and she knew her passengers would be less than happy about the cramped space, but after reading the mission dossier on her PADD during the walk over, the small of the craft and its ample agility might just keep them alive.

Jiseth to Bridge. I would like for you to keep your distance from the objective and provide overwatch support. After I drop off the away team, I'll scout around the asteroid field for anything hostile and provide targeting data to Tactical.