Season 17: Episode 1: Step Into My Parlor

[Kalem Michael]

{USS Tereshkova|Helm}

Kalem heard the tapping on the exterior of the shuttle as well as the "legs" that appeared outside of the shuttle.

"Can anyone please tell me what I am looking at here?.."

"Standard is my third language, but I think your people call that a spider," Lorut answered. "Want me to kill it?" She wrinkled her nose. That had once been her ex-husband's job.

There was a tap on the roof.

"I'd wager a bet that that's also a spider," she said. "Orders, sir?" She asked.

Kalem heard other things going on. people trying to get scientific information about the new species. Kalem didn't care

"Brace for full emergency thrust" With that, Kalem directed all non-essential system power to the engines, ramping them up to almost 125%. Yes, he knew that this could cause a burnout of the engines, but they didn't have time.

"Discovery, this is the Tereshkova be advised we are under full burn and moving fast. I think we have one or two of those things on our hull. Watch the headroom. We are going to scratch some paint."

[J.B Dersch]

[USS Discovery - Deck 9 - Sickbay]

Before they got an answer from the Captain, an exasperated Russian voice sounded from behind her.

"Enshin! Ve need all hands!" he stated, as people began coming into Sickbay with injuries. Even with being told to brace, the ship did bomb itself as well as the enemy ship, and it looked like there were some major injuries to attend to.  Dr. Sluchaynyy was already moving around with a medical tricorder, scanning as officers arrived.

"Start triage, leave the bridge contact to the chain of command." he stated, as he started working on a broken limb.

[USS Discovery - Deck 1 - Main Bridge]

At least two officers ended up getting thrown, one of which had blood showing on her head.  The Captain ordered them to go down to Sickbay as he listened to the status reports.

"I really hope we don't ever have to blast our own ship again..." he muttered, but the most alarming report came from Dersch.

"Even if our security systems were losing power, they wouldn't be showing ghosts.  Which either means we have a virus in our systems... or we have a virus in our corridors.  Consider it legitimate.  Intruder alert." he ordered, then turning his attention to Trik.

"That one wave nearly ripped us apart and took an immense amount of power.  We have the modulated shields online, so we may be able to disrupt the rest.  Helm, once the shuttle is docked set a course out of the system. Try to put some distance so we can reestablish a warp field."

"Bridge to Engineering, we have found the cause of the power drain, and have shrugged off a good portion of the threads.  We need to get out of here and rendevous with Starfleet; get that warp core back online!"

"Load another spread... we should still have 3/4 of our complement of quantum torpedoes.  Their regeneration may be slow, but their ability to adapt weapons puts the Borg to shame."  The ship shook again, but it was more muted. The beam weapons were less effective now that they couldn't just absorb the frequency of the shields. With the amount of modulations the new shields would go through, it wasn't likely that they could adapt and drain them... right?

"Dersch, bring aft phasers back online. Trix, you seem to be talented at redirecting; work with Tactical and see if we can charge them with a modulated graviton beam."

Elsewhere on the ship, empty corridors with little to no life support in them were not so empty, as the skittering of feet sounded below decks....

[Lt. JB Dersch - USS Discovery - Main Bridge]

Lt. Dersch, the Tactical Officer, had his fingers dancing over the controls, processing the chaos unfolding on the bridge. The vibrations felt like a distant but nagging reminder that they were still in the thick of it. He turned to the Captain, his expression serious but laced with an undercurrent of dry humor.

"Sir, if we're taking requests, how about we skip the self-destruct button this time? Let's blow the enemy back to the void instead," he quipped, masking the tension swirling within.

With a few deft movements, he activated the aft phasers. "Aft phasers are coming online... and I wouldn't worry about the aliens adapting. They're in for a surprise; I'll throw a little spin on our targeting systems. If they think they can outsmart us, they've clearly underestimated the ingenuity of a Starfleet officer with too much caffeine and a hint of desperation."

Glancing over at Trix at Science, he added with a conspiratorial smile, "I'll handle the modulated graviton beams on my end. Just give me a heads-up when you're ready to lay the groundwork for a little fireworks display. Do we dare call that a 'modulated beam surprise party?'"

The ship jostled again, and Dersch steadied himself against the console, looking deadpan as he continued, "And as for those pesky intruders? If I didn't know better, I'd say they're auditioning for the role of 'Most Unwelcome Guests' in a rather poorly scripted holo-novel. Let's ensure we have security teams sweeping critical areas. I'll send down a bulletin to get our eyes wide open and stay alert. We can't let them pull a fast one on us; nobody crashes our ship and walks away smiling."

With a nod to the Captain, he returned his focus to the screens, determination evident in every line of his face. "Let's give them a taste of the Discovery's hospitality—nothing like an educated phaser blast to make them rethink their choices."

Dersch then added, his voice tinged with the resoluteness of someone ready to face the storm:

"Time to show them what happens when you poke the bear. Let's light this place up and remind them why they'd be better off staying in the shadows."

With the tension electrifying the atmosphere on the bridge, it was clear that both officers were ready to give the intruders a lesson in Galactic diplomacy—or lack thereof.

[USS Discovery - Deck 1 - Main Bridge]

"Fire when ready-" the Captain began when he saw his officer slide of their chair and to the ground.  No apparent damage, but with so many unknowns, he couldn't take chances.

"Medical emergency to the bridge!"

While he waited, the Captain jumped to the science station left vacated, seeing what the settings were set to.

"Is the shuttle docked?"

With the affirmative answer, he turned back to his tactical officer.  "Fire another round of quantum torpedoes." he ordered, turning to the screen in the front.  "Aft view."

The viewscreen switched from being a veritable window looking out from the bridge to looking at the rear view. The shuttle's sleek shape vanished from view as they entered the shuttle bay, showing only the engineering hull and all four of her powered-down nacelles.  The aft torpedo launcher fired another round, which impacted the husk-like ship.  Unfortunately for them, the damage inflicted was much, much lesser.  They were starting to adapt to it.  The comparisons to the Borg were both too accurate and too scary; at least the Borg just tried to remove your individuality.  These things...

"Prophets... we need a task force for this. And we need to figure out how to protect our ship.  These countermeasures are good, but not a long-term plan. We need something that doesn't threaten the ship or our remaining power.  Bridge to Engineering, where is my warp power, I'm still seeing inactive nacelles?"

Elsewhere on the ship, the sounds of tapping, scuttling, unsettling noises were sounding; since the outer sections of the ship were abandoned, they had no reason to stay, and moved to penetrate the ship further.  A security team walked down the halls, looking like they were searching for something that they didn't really think was there.  They were the perfect prey.

The four officers were taken care of rather quickly....

[Lt. JB Dersch - USS Discovery - Main Bridge]

As the tension on the bridge ratcheted up, Lt. Dersch transitioned quickly from offense to defense. His fingers flew across the tactical console, assessing damage and enemy capabilities in real-time, even as the Captain called for more firepower.

"Understood, Captain," Dersch replied, his voice steady despite the chaos around him. "Launching another round of quantum torpedoes now."

With a series of beeps confirming his commands, Dersch initiated the launch sequence. The aft torpedo launcher fired with a deep thrum, sending the torpedoes hurtling toward the adapting enemy vessel. He winced at the impact results on the screen—the damage was less than satisfactory.

"Looks like they're getting smarter by the second. Just like the Borg... but with a flair for the dramatic," he muttered under his breath.

He glanced over at the Captain, who was still in the midst of strategizing. Dersch leaned into the tactical display, his brow furrowed as he analyzed the enemy's current trajectory and power levels. "We need to rethink our strategy fast—whatever countermeasures we've deployed aren't going to hold forever. They're adapting, which means we need a more dynamic response."

As the unsettling noises echoed in the ship's corridors, Dersch felt a wave of unease. He kept his focus on the tactical situation, but the low rumble of footsteps from elsewhere onboard was unsettling.

"Captain," he said, shifting his weight to face the command chair. "While I rework the tactical options, we should consider deploying a perimeter security protocol at critical junctions. We can't afford to let them breach the core systems without resistance."

He brought up schematics of the ship's sections, highlighting key areas that could provide blind spots for intruders. "If we set automated defensive measures in strategic locations, we might slow their advance. After all, a tactical officer can't do his job if the ship gets taken hostage."

Dersch's voice took on a sharper edge, clarity slicing through the tension. "And about the warp power, we need Engineering to prioritize restoring our drive systems. Without warp capabilities, we're sitting ducks. It's only a matter of time before they decide to pay us a visit on the bridge, and I prefer my enemies well outside the hull."

He turned back to his console, determination burning in his eyes.

"Let's give them something to think about. We may be on the defensive, but they'll learn quickly—this will not be an easy hunt."

With renewed vigor, Dersch continued to formulate strategies, intent on keeping the ship and crew safe as the stakes grew higher with each passing moment.

[T'Rea]

They had just arrived. "Helm, take us in," she said. "And hit the roof as you do," she instructed. "This would be faster with my phaser in a suit," she muttered.

{USS Tereshkova|Helm}

Kalem heard the tapping on the exterior of the shuttle as well as the "legs" that appeared outside of the shuttle.
Kalem heard other things going on. people trying to get scientific information about the new species. Kalem didn't care

"Brace for full emergency thrust" With that, Kalem directed all non-essential system power to the engines, ramping them up to almost 125%. Yes, he knew that this could cause a burnout of the engines, but they didn't have time.

"Discovery, this is the Tereshkova be advised we are under full burn and moving fast. I think we have one or two of those things on our hull. Watch the headroom. We are going to scratch some paint."

As the movement around them died down, new activity sparked in a different place. The electromagnetic spectrum. An open channel was cast across the entire system to bring the thoughts of what is meant to pilot and eat to those meant to be eaten. The primitive minds were to be enlightened by their presence.

As the visual channel build its image, it offered insight into an irregular cavern, various bodies of giant black spider-like bodies moved across every surface. From among the various shades and shapes a shared image emerged. A shared voice, as alien as the translation circuits could barely still accommodate it.

[USS Tereshkova]

To say the situation was tense was putting it mildly (even from T'Rea's perspective). At Kalem's instruction to brace she only just had time to take hold of the nearest grab bar before the shuttle shot forward. It was hard to decide what to keep an eye on--the giant spider-like creature visible on the shuttle's hull camera or the front viewport as they approached the Discovery at a frankly alarming rate.

Lorut asked T'Rea several questions en route but there way little time to consider her answers and before she had even opened her mouth to reply she was interrupted by an urgent ping from the shuttle's sensors (and a moment later even from her tricorder, which she still had in hand). There was a sudden surge of signal in the very high frequency band of the electromagnetic spectrum--an old communication band, not routinely monitored in modern starships... She tapped with her free hand to display the waveforms and her eyes widened, "Sir--" the rest of her urgent call to Ramort was cut of by the scream of metal on metal and several sharp jolts as the Tereshkova scrapped it's way inside of the Discovery's shuttle bay and came in for a hard landing, and T'Rea was knocked against a nearby bulkhead.

For a moment there was stunned silence inside the small craft, but they had made it--and with any luck scrapped off any giant spiders in the process.

The sensor counsel pinged again--a reminder of it's earlier notification and T'Rea righted herself to studying it again, "I think it... I think they're sending a message across the old VHF bands." A few extra tapped on the screen fed the signal through the universal translate, which immediately began to repeat it's translation audibly on the shuttle's internal speakers:

"...ahsss, interlupers... prey. Staand down your feeble aattempts to damage our shaape. Your forms and powers will be used to service and feed our greater caause. Be happy and rejoice for your taastes will be remembered for the aages to come by our prodigy. shh"

"Discovery, Bridge, are you receiving their transmission in the VHF band?"

[James Ramort]

{USS Tereshkova|Helm}

Kalem heard the tapping on the exterior of the shuttle as well as the "legs" that appeared outside of the shuttle.
Kalem heard other things going on. people trying to get scientific information about the new species. Kalem didn't care

"Brace for full emergency thrust" With that, Kalem directed all non-essential system power to the engines, ramping them up to almost 125%. Yes, he knew that this could cause a burnout of the engines, but they didn't have time.

"Discovery, this is the Tereshkova be advised we are under full burn and moving fast. I think we have one or two of those things on our hull. Watch the headroom. We are going to scratch some paint."

[USS Tereshkova]

Holding tight to his seat and the console in front of him, Ramort could feel the G-Forces press him into his seat. His Suit, cushioned as it was, was not able to shield him from the full effect of fundamental forces of the universe playing ball with his body. Discovery in front of them was growing rapidly closer. The metal over them was screetching. Something was trying to claw its way through the shuttle. Trying to find a leghold, trying to find a place, a corner, anything to hold on. But there wasn't anything. Nothing that would suffice at the speeds they were going at that wouldn't break a body in two by the sheer acceleration alone. As the doors of the shuttlebay opened before them, no sounds could be heard anymore.

"Great job, Lieutenant!"

{Shuttle}

"Sir...that thing wants to kill us," she said. She didn't know how she knew, she just...DID. They REALLY needed a Betazoid or something for moments like this.

Her militia training kicked in, and she called out orders. "T'Rea, you don't have any probes out, right? Think it's safe enough to set course for the Discovery?" She asked the science officer.

"Helm, set us up to dock. Fast," she said.

She was already at work, dialing up the shuttle's systems. She had an idea.

"Does anyone remember reading anything about the spider people that the Orions were working with when they were with the Dominion?" Vila did. Vila kept track of the Dominion's actions throughout the years. "They were killed by photon arrays. We have some," she said. "BUT...what if we did the opposite? T'Rea, would it work if we somehow made a stationary laser?" She asked. "Never mind, we don't have time," she said.

They had just arrived. "Helm, take us in," she said. "And hit the roof as you do," she instructed. "This would be faster with my phaser in a suit," she muttered.

[USS Discovery | Deck 10 | Shuttle Bay]

As they exited the vessle, Vila offered excellent insight. Ramort, already lost in thought with the current situation again, was appreciative of her initiative. Of course, the Alien had intentions that seemed to run counter to their own continued survival. But in such cases, taking steps to ensure their crews survival was paramount. He disliked killing any sophont, but having options in case things went even more sour was not a bad thing.

Lorut Vila was a name filling many reports in his database but it seemed she was taking this threat very seriously and her conduct so far was admirable. He would have to make sure to leave a special note in his eventual report of these events.

"I hate having to even entertain the idea of killing them, but their actions so far leave little room for interpretation. Can you tell me more about how the Photon Arrays interacted with the spiders? Maybe we can at least adapt the technology to be a more precise tool."

[USS Discovery | Deck 1 | Bridge]

Taking the closest Turbolift, and thanking the universe for working power and not having to climb another access shaft, he arrived at the Bridge, many screens all around him still showing the images of the aliens from the transmission.

As a scientist their appearance was deeply fascinating to him. Their dictus and behavior was almost reminiscent of an insectoid hive-like way of live. There was no clear leader that had presented themselves. No clear chain of authority they could appeal to. Their bodies were not distinct enough to differentiate individuals yet. No form of clothing or other markings, but there seemed to be different builds, maybe related to different functions.

"Away Team, reporting back for duty. Ready to reassume stations."

[Lorut Vila]

{Shuttle-Disco Bridge}

Vila stepped off the Shuttle with the others, but continued her speech to Ramort.

I hate having to even entertain the idea of killing them, but their actions so far leave little room for interpretation. Can you tell me more about how the Photon Arrays interacted with the spiders? Maybe we can at least adapt the technology to be a more precise tool.

"Sir, the Voyager and Defiance both used them to counter attacks from non-human attacks-the Voyager was against Tholians, and the Defiant-well. I supposed Cardassians are at least humanoid, devoid of any feeling they may be," she remarked. "The Voyager example is the one I was focused on; because they're non-humanoid beings, the photon arrays would simply...blast a hole in space...as far as I understand the Science. That's probably a question for Petty Officer T'Rea or...yourself," she said. "Anyway, the Voyager was able to also use it to send Borg nanoparticles into space to destroy a hive and rescue Seven of Nine," she said. "Perhaps we can send replicated meat or something? As a distraction, at least, to buy time to come up with a better idea," she said.

Finally, they'd arrived on the Bridge, and Vila turned to T'Rea. "Would something like that even work? Or perhaps...pheromones?" She asked. "Of course, we can just use the phaser array. It's certainly faster," she said. She stopped speaking, and turned to the Ops console.

"Lt. McNair...good work. Please continue up here, I am headed down to the office. Maybe I can figure something out on the way. By your leave, sir?" She said, stepping back. She was only a Computer scientist, she really didn't understand how photons worked, exactly, but it had to be better than just exploding them. At least, it'd be an instant kill. No suffering.

[Uncouth]

[USS Discovery - Deck 9 - Sickbay]

Before they got an answer from the Captain, an exasperated Russian voice sounded from behind her.

"Enshin! Ve need all hands!" he stated, as people began coming into Sickbay with injuries. Even with being told to brace, the ship did bomb itself as well as the enemy ship, and it looked like there were some major injuries to attend to.  Dr. Sluchaynyy was already moving around with a medical tricorder, scanning as officers arrived.

"Start triage, leave the bridge contact to the chain of command." he stated, as he started working on a broken limb.

[USS Discovery - Deck 1 - Main Bridge]

At least two officers ended up getting thrown, one of which had blood showing on her head.  The Captain ordered them to go down to Sickbay as he listened to the status reports.

"I really hope we don't ever have to blast our own ship again..." he muttered, but the most alarming report came from Dersch.

"Even if our security systems were losing power, they wouldn't be showing ghosts.  Which either means we have a virus in our systems... or we have a virus in our corridors.  Consider it legitimate.  Intruder alert." he ordered, then turning his attention to Trik.

"That one wave nearly ripped us apart and took an immense amount of power.  We have the modulated shields online, so we may be able to disrupt the rest.  Helm, once the shuttle is docked set a course out of the system. Try to put some distance so we can reestablish a warp field."

"Bridge to Engineering, we have found the cause of the power drain, and have shrugged off a good portion of the threads.  We need to get out of here and rendevous with Starfleet; get that warp core back online!"

"Load another spread... we should still have 3/4 of our complement of quantum torpedoes.  Their regeneration may be slow, but their ability to adapt weapons puts the Borg to shame."  The ship shook again, but it was more muted. The beam weapons were less effective now that they couldn't just absorb the frequency of the shields. With the amount of modulations the new shields would go through, it wasn't likely that they could adapt and drain them... right?

"Dersch, bring aft phasers back online. Trix, you seem to be talented at redirecting; work with Tactical and see if we can charge them with a modulated graviton beam."

Elsewhere on the ship, empty corridors with little to no life support in them were not so empty, as the skittering of feet sounded below decks....

[USS Discovery, Engineering]

Láadan looked at the schematics for the warp engines. Thinking to himself "These 'threads' may have caused a phase variance  in the warp core magnetic containment. Perhaps reversing the polarity of the containment field could adjust this variance and allow a reboot. Once the antimatter reaction starts, we reverse it back. This likely will cause some...mechanical agitation but we can repair that later if needed.. Adjusting the frequency of the warp core force field to repulse these threads should prevent the warp bubble from Collapsing again.' Quickly running a simulation, the idea looked worth a try. Sending the information to the Engineering Officer's PADD, Láadan said "This may allow us to get the warp core online. Ready to proceed on your orders."

[Tekin Nevir]

"...ahsss, interlupers... prey. Staand down your feeble aattempts to damage our shaape. Your forms and powers will be used to service and feed our greater caause. Be happy and rejoice for your taastes will be remembered for the aages to come by our prodigy. shh"

[USS Discovery - Deck 1 - Main Bridge]

Seeing them on screen was... uncomfortable to say the least, and they finally spoke.  He briefly wondered if the Momentary ever got a chance to communicate, but at this point it didn't matter.

"I wonder if this is their version of resistance is futile..." he said dryly, before tapping the comm to Engineering.

"We need to get out of here, I can try to delay, but I need warp power, now!"

With that he instructed the Helm to keep on an escape course, and finally hit the reply.  With whatever benefit that would bring.

"This is Captain Tekin Nevir of the Federation Starship Discovery.  This is an unprovoked attack on the Federation and will not be tolerated. We have alerted our fleet. If you do not disengage, you will be destroyed."

Big words... but right now it was all they had.

"Discovery, Bridge, are you receiving their transmission in the VHF band?"

"We are... get on Discovery immediately.  We're trying to get out of here."

[Lt. JB Dersch - USS Discovery - Main Bridge]

As the tension on the bridge ratcheted up, Lt. Dersch transitioned quickly from offense to defense. His fingers flew across the tactical console, assessing damage and enemy capabilities in real-time, even as the Captain called for more firepower.

"Understood, Captain," Dersch replied, his voice steady despite the chaos around him. "Launching another round of quantum torpedoes now."

With a series of beeps confirming his commands, Dersch initiated the launch sequence. The aft torpedo launcher fired with a deep thrum, sending the torpedoes hurtling toward the adapting enemy vessel. He winced at the impact results on the screen—the damage was less than satisfactory.

"Looks like they're getting smarter by the second. Just like the Borg... but with a flair for the dramatic," he muttered under his breath.

He glanced over at the Captain, who was still in the midst of strategizing. Dersch leaned into the tactical display, his brow furrowed as he analyzed the enemy's current trajectory and power levels. "We need to rethink our strategy fast—whatever countermeasures we've deployed aren't going to hold forever. They're adapting, which means we need a more dynamic response."

As the unsettling noises echoed in the ship's corridors, Dersch felt a wave of unease. He kept his focus on the tactical situation, but the low rumble of footsteps from elsewhere onboard was unsettling.

"Captain," he said, shifting his weight to face the command chair. "While I rework the tactical options, we should consider deploying a perimeter security protocol at critical junctions. We can't afford to let them breach the core systems without resistance."

He brought up schematics of the ship's sections, highlighting key areas that could provide blind spots for intruders. "If we set automated defensive measures in strategic locations, we might slow their advance. After all, a tactical officer can't do his job if the ship gets taken hostage."

Dersch's voice took on a sharper edge, clarity slicing through the tension. "And about the warp power, we need Engineering to prioritize restoring our drive systems. Without warp capabilities, we're sitting ducks. It's only a matter of time before they decide to pay us a visit on the bridge, and I prefer my enemies well outside the hull."

He turned back to his console, determination burning in his eyes.

"Let's give them something to think about. We may be on the defensive, but they'll learn quickly—this will not be an easy hunt."

With renewed vigor, Dersch continued to formulate strategies, intent on keeping the ship and crew safe as the stakes grew higher with each passing moment.

[USS Discovery | Deck 1 | Bridge]

Taking the closest Turbolift, and thanking the universe for working power and not having to climb another access shaft, he arrived at the Bridge, many screens all around him still showing the images of the aliens from the transmission.

As a scientist their appearance was deeply fascinating to him. Their dictus and behavior was almost reminiscent of an insectoid hive-like way of live. There was no clear leader that had presented themselves. No clear chain of authority they could appeal to. Their bodies were not distinct enough to differentiate individuals yet. No form of clothing or other markings, but there seemed to be different builds, maybe related to different functions.

"Away Team, reporting back for duty. Ready to reassume stations."

"Your timing is impeccable, Mr. Ramort. We are down to less than 40% power shipwide, we have outer sections of the ship evacuated, and possible intruder alerts.  Mr Dersch, do we have an update from the security teams?"

[USS Discovery, Engineering]

Láadan looked at the schematics for the warp engines. Thinking to himself "These 'threads' may have caused a phase variance  in the warp core magnetic containment. Perhaps reversing the polarity of the containment field could adjust this variance and allow a reboot. Once the antimatter reaction starts, we reverse it back. This likely will cause some...mechanical agitation but we can repair that later if needed.. Adjusting the frequency of the warp core force field to repulse these threads should prevent the warp bubble from Collapsing again.' Quickly running a simulation, the idea looked worth a try. Sending the information to the Engineering Officer's PADD, Láadan said "This may allow us to get the warp core online. Ready to proceed on your orders."

[USS Discovery - Deck 11 - Main Engineering (Lower)]

With both Ramort and M'Nia on the away team, it was Lt. JG T'Farr who found herself in charge of Engineering, and dealing with power losses and what looked like viruses in the system. The Captain's call to hurry up was such an emotional thing she decided not to take notice of it, just respond that they were working on it.  And finally, she had someone showing a PADD to her.

"It is risky, Ensign.  We'll have to manually adjust the containment fields and control the anti-matter generation, or we'll blow up the ship.  However, our options are limited...."

She turned and called out to the rest of Engineering. "Alright, we have a plan of action.  Monitor the plasma flow and begin generation.  Watch the polarity and engage the start on my order.  Ensign Láadan, you have the distinct honor of handling the containment adjustments.  Everyone, let us begin." she stated, walking over to the main warp core console and starting the restart process.

"On my mark.  Mr. Láadan, tell me when ready."

[Uncouth]

[USS Discovery - Deck 1 - Main Bridge]

Seeing them on screen was... uncomfortable to say the least, and they finally spoke.  He briefly wondered if the Momentary ever got a chance to communicate, but at this point it didn't matter.

"I wonder if this is their version of resistance is futile..." he said dryly, before tapping the comm to Engineering.

"We need to get out of here, I can try to delay, but I need warp power, now!"

With that he instructed the Helm to keep on an escape course, and finally hit the reply.  With whatever benefit that would bring.

"This is Captain Tekin Nevir of the Federation Starship Discovery.  This is an unprovoked attack on the Federation and will not be tolerated. We have alerted our fleet. If you do not disengage, you will be destroyed."

Big words... but right now it was all they had.

"We are... get on Discovery immediately.  We're trying to get out of here."

"Your timing is impeccable, Mr. Ramort. We are down to less than 40% power shipwide, we have outer sections of the ship evacuated, and possible intruder alerts.  Mr Dersch, do we have an update from the security teams?"

[USS Discovery - Deck 11 - Main Engineering (Lower)]

With both Ramort and M'Nia on the away team, it was Lt. JG T'Farr who found herself in charge of Engineering, and dealing with power losses and what looked like viruses in the system. The Captain's call to hurry up was such an emotional thing she decided not to take notice of it, just respond that they were working on it.  And finally, she had someone showing a PADD to her.

"It is risky, Ensign.  We'll have to manually adjust the containment fields and control the anti-matter generation, or we'll blow up the ship.  However, our options are limited...."

She turned and called out to the rest of Engineering. "Alright, we have a plan of action.  Monitor the plasma flow and begin generation.  Watch the polarity and engage the start on my order.  Ensign Láadan, you have the distinct honor of handling the containment adjustments.  Everyone, let us begin." she stated, walking over to the main warp core console and starting the restart process.

"On my mark.  Mr. Láadan, tell me when ready."

Láadan ran to the containment control panel. Perhaps today is a good day to die. The good news was that if he made a mistake, it would quite quickly become someone else's problem (and likely someone else's cleanup duty). This will require precise actions. Fortunately,  since finding out he would be stationed on the Discovery, he had been familiarizing himself with the Engineering control panels. Triggering his communicator, "Ensign Láadan ready and standing by."

[Buck McNair]

[USS Discovery | Bridge]

Twenty minutes until full regeneration.

The ship was in full battle-mode, defensively and offensively as it fired another round of quantum torpedoes. Everything seemed to be running as smoothly as one could possibly get in the situation where power was having to be diverted to critical systems and they had their hands full with ensuring that their Away Team returned safely. Buck kept a watchful eye on the systems, ensuring that they were capable of supplying any more power or make any more critical adjustments should they need to.

Then he stopped, a chill running down his spine as the voice of their foe beckoned them to stop. The visual image itself just as eerie and just as forboding.

"Spiders. Alien spiders."

Of course it had to be alien spiders.

"Lt. McNair...good work. Please continue up here, I am headed down to the office. Maybe I can figure something out on the way. By your leave, sir?" She said, stepping back. She was only a Computer scientist, she really didn't understand how photons worked, exactly, but it had to be better than just exploding them. At least, it'd be an instant kill. No suffering.

"Of course," Buck replied with a nod. "Shout up once you have something that could potentially yield results, keep us in the loop."

The warning from the Captain to their attackers was heard, and Buck stifled a sigh. It wasn't quite within the Federation to wage war but in interests of protecting themselves and the rest of Federation space who may wander - it was their last resort.

Either that or they managed to get enough power to warp away from them.

[J.B Dersch]

"Your timing is impeccable, Mr. Ramort. We are down to less than 40% power shipwide, we have outer sections of the ship evacuated, and possible intruder alerts.  Mr Dersch, do we have an update from the security teams?"

[USS Discovery - Main Bridge]

Lt. Dersch straightened slightly at the Captain's inquiry, his fingers twitching between the controls as he pulled up the latest status reports. He could feel the weight of the ship's fluctuating power levels pressing down on everyone on the bridge.

"Captain," Dersch began, his voice steady but underscored with urgency. "I've just received an update from security teams. They're currently sweeping Decks 4 through 7 and have encountered resistance on Deck 5. Reports suggest the intruders are using stealth tactics—blending into the shadows of the abandoned sections. It's as if they're playing a game of cat and mouse with our officers."

He scanned the tactical readouts, alarm bells ringing quietly in his mind. "Our security teams are equipped for confrontation, but morale is shaky. With power levels dropping below 40%, we can't afford to lose control of any area of the ship. If they breach to Engineering, it'll be catastrophic for our systems."

Dersch paused, contemplating their options. "I recommend we reroute some of our remaining power to the security systems. We can set up a lockdown procedure for critical access points to slow any potential intruders. With limited power, it's essential we tighten our defenses rather than rely purely on offensive capabilities at this point."

He glanced at the tactical display, the images of the ship's layout overlaying data on the intruders' movements. "Additionally, if we could implement a localized force field around strategic locations, it might buy us enough time to regroup our security teams and mount a counter-offensive."

Lifting his gaze back to the Captain, Dersch's expression revealed his resolute determination. "We need to act fast, sir. Every second counts, and we can't give them any more opportunities to exploit our vulnerabilities. I'll keep monitoring all security channels for updates, but I suggest we implement these measures immediately."

With a final nod, Dersch resumed his focus on the tactical console, ready to execute whatever strategy the Captain deemed fit.

"Let's show them that we won't back down—this ship may be low on power, but it still carries the resolve of Starfleet. Let's make it count."

[Tekin Nevir]

Láadan ran to the containment control panel. Perhaps today is a good day to die. The good news was that if he made a mistake, it would quite quickly become someone else's problem (and likely someone else's cleanup duty). This will require precise actions. Fortunately,  since finding out he would be stationed on the Discovery, he had been familiarizing himself with the Engineering control panels. Triggering his communicator, "Ensign Láadan ready and standing by."

[USS Discovery - Deck 11 - Main Engineering (Lower)]

"Alright, begin generation. Priming chamber.  I'm going to override the safety checks for a cold restart.  Restarting the core in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... Mark!" she called, and Main Engineering shuddered as a contained explosion ignited in the core with matter and antimatter meeting for the first and last time. The energy was then funneled up and down the core, as it started glowing a flowing swirl of blues.

"We have an imbalance in the starboard containment unit.  Begin power tracking, let's see if we are just giving them more power."

There was a drain, at first. But the instability of the warp reactor did exactly what Láadan predicted it would. The siphons were disconnected; the web was cut.  There was an audible sigh of relief in Engineering as T'Farr waited to see Láadan.

"Ensign, you may have just saved the ship, " she said matter-of-factly as she hit her communicator.

"Engineering to Bridge; warp engines are back online, but manually.  We will be able to engage the drive in one minute."

[USS Discovery - Main Bridge]

Lt. Dersch straightened slightly at the Captain's inquiry, his fingers twitching between the controls as he pulled up the latest status reports. He could feel the weight of the ship's fluctuating power levels pressing down on everyone on the bridge.

"Captain," Dersch began, his voice steady but underscored with urgency. "I've just received an update from security teams. They're currently sweeping Decks 4 through 7 and have encountered resistance on Deck 5. Reports suggest the intruders are using stealth tactics—blending into the shadows of the abandoned sections. It's as if they're playing a game of cat and mouse with our officers."

He scanned the tactical readouts, alarm bells ringing quietly in his mind. "Our security teams are equipped for confrontation, but morale is shaky. With power levels dropping below 40%, we can't afford to lose control of any area of the ship. If they breach to Engineering, it'll be catastrophic for our systems."

Dersch paused, contemplating their options. "I recommend we reroute some of our remaining power to the security systems. We can set up a lockdown procedure for critical access points to slow any potential intruders. With limited power, it's essential we tighten our defenses rather than rely purely on offensive capabilities at this point."

He glanced at the tactical display, the images of the ship's layout overlaying data on the intruders' movements. "Additionally, if we could implement a localized force field around strategic locations, it might buy us enough time to regroup our security teams and mount a counter-offensive."

Lifting his gaze back to the Captain, Dersch's expression revealed his resolute determination. "We need to act fast, sir. Every second counts, and we can't give them any more opportunities to exploit our vulnerabilities. I'll keep monitoring all security channels for updates, but I suggest we implement these measures immediately."

With a final nod, Dersch resumed his focus on the tactical console, ready to execute whatever strategy the Captain deemed fit.

"Let's show them that we won't back down—this ship may be low on power, but it still carries the resolve of Starfleet. Let's make it count."

[USS Discovery - Deck 1 - Main Bridge]

The Captain sighed.  "I appreciate your enthusiasm, Mr. Dersch.  We are frankly outmatched.  We need to get out of here-" he stopped, and turned to the tactical officer.

"They're not just using stealth tactics. They are also out of phase.  That's how they got on the ship. Use a phase variance; that should either get them or chase them away."

"For the power issues, we can shut down the offensive systems and diver-"

He was interrupted for the second time, but this time by Engineering.  Also as soon as the call was answered, the lights on the bridge strengthened to their normal illumination.

"Confirm that we have power!" he ordered, and gave a sigh of relief.  There was no reason to stay here; someone else could retrieve the Momentary.

"Helm, plot a course back to Federation space, and engage when able. Mr. Dersch, engage security fields around critical areas, with a phase variance. Let's get the hell out of here."

[Uncouth]

[USS Discovery - Deck 11 - Main Engineering (Lower)]

"Alright, begin generation. Priming chamber.  I'm going to override the safety checks for a cold restart.  Restarting the core in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... Mark!" she called, and Main Engineering shuddered as a contained explosion ignited in the core with matter and antimatter meeting for the first and last time. The energy was then funneled up and down the core, as it started glowing a flowing swirl of blues.

"We have an imbalance in the starboard containment unit.  Begin power tracking, let's see if we are just giving them more power."

There was a drain, at first. But the instability of the warp reactor did exactly what Láadan predicted it would. The siphons were disconnected; the web was cut.  There was an audible sigh of relief in Engineering as T'Farr waited to see Láadan.

"Ensign, you may have just saved the ship, " she said matter-of-factly as she hit her communicator.

"Engineering to Bridge; warp engines are back online, but manually.  We will be able to engage the drive in one minute."

[USS Discovery - Deck 1 - Main Bridge]

The Captain sighed.  "I appreciate your enthusiasm, Mr. Dersch.  We are frankly outmatched.  We need to get out of here-" he stopped, and turned to the tactical officer.

"They're not just using stealth tactics. They are also out of phase.  That's how they got on the ship. Use a phase variance; that should either get them or chase them away."

"For the power issues, we can shut down the offensive systems and diver-"

He was interrupted for the second time, but this time by Engineering.  Also as soon as the call was answered, the lights on the bridge strengthened to their normal illumination.

"Confirm that we have power!" he ordered, and gave a sigh of relief.  There was no reason to stay here; someone else could retrieve the Momentary.

"Helm, plot a course back to Federation space, and engage when able. Mr. Dersch, engage security fields around critical areas, with a phase variance. Let's get the hell out of here."

Láadan ran to the Power Transfer conduit control panel. He saw that there was indeed a misalignment on the port power conduit.

Performing 'Emergency Action #1', an honored tradition passed down throughout the galaxy, Láadan performed a 'rapid field adjustment' on the port power transfer conduit. To the untrained eye, it looks like that meant 'hit it really hard', but the secret is that the intensive education and training is designed to show engineers the best locations of 'rapid mechanical adjustments' while in an emergency.

The conduit aligned enough that power was flowing evenly to both port and starboard nacelles. The engines stopped shaking.

Pulling out his PADD, Láadan opened a repair ticket and wrote "Port power transfer conduit had a misalignment and should be repaired when possible. The conduit casing looks as if it was struck by an unknown object, possibly due to the shaking of the engine during operations."

Láadan signaled the Engineering Officer "I have performed an adjustment and show port and starboard nacelles are receiving power equally. I will begin cleanup of this space. "