The Tholians

Posted on Sat Mar 24th, 2012 @ 2:20pm by Captain Benjamin Byrne & Lieutenant Commander Aeitos th'Ralik [PNPC] & Lieutenant Markus Rubens [PNPC] & Commander Jaeih Andorzai & Lieutenant JG Elizabeth Jones & Lieutenant JG Michael Watters & Lieutenant JG Patok Malroon & Lieutenant JG Ethan Kessel & Petty Officer 2nd Class Sophie Blaise & Lieutenant Lonnoc Keldan [NPC]

Mission: Deep Space 19
Location: Deep Space 19 - Station Ops
Timeline: MD21 1658hrs

Previously:

As the captain moved towards the centre of the operations centre again, his eyes were affixed to the screen as the two officers worked to divert the sensor data they were getting into the visual interface system. As the image finally materialised, Benjamin froze for a few moments, his eyes wide in surprise.

Tholians. And they looked like they were coming in hot; not in a mood to be friendly, as if a Tholian ever was. He slapped his combadge. "Yellow alert, all officers to duty stations!"

He was quietly aware that the station was albiet defenceless for the minute, and the Endeavour wouldn't be able to detach itself in a hurry, not with the system they'd had to rig up...

-------------------------

As the Ops centre's Starfleet consoles became tinted in yellow light as an automatic response to the captain's order, the alien consoles remained unchanged, though the actions of those seated or stood at them had certainly become more alert. Benjamin stood at the centre of the Ops centre, his eyes on the viewscreen, as he watched his senior officers and those who's duty station, thus far, had been best selected as the Ops Centre.

It had not taken Michael long to reach the station's operations center once he'd received news of their current situation. He immediately crossed over to where one of the portable Starfleet terminals had been set up to interface with the station's still non-operable security and tactical systems. The image of Tholian vessels approaching on the main viewscreen combined with what he was seeing on the display before him proved to be quite disconcerting, especially given the Federation's still relatively limited understanding of the Tholians. "I guess we finally got someone's attention," he observed to no one in particular.

"Open a channel to the Endeavour," the captain ordered, once his senior officers were all in place.

"Aye, aye, Sir." Andorzai shot back, patching communications through one of the LCARS consoles they had brought with them. "Channel open."

The viewscreen above their heads split into two, with the left continuing to display the scene from the external sensors, whilst the right displayed a view of the starship's bridge, Lieutenant Rubens in command, with Stott and a few other junior personnel the only others visible. Benjamin felt a pang of regret at not being sat in the centre chair himself.

To both the officers on the screen and those present, he asked, "How long have the Tholians been out there? Why haven't we detected them before now?"

Sophie looked up from her console on the Endeavour and looked at the people currently in charge to answer those questions. She usually only saw reports on things they did find, not on things that weren't found, unless something was actually missing. Although she knew Tholians could mean trouble, she wasn't immediately concerned. There could be a number of different reasons for their visit and Sophie hoped they were just curious.

"It's hard to tell exactly," Michael replied, glancing up from his workstation as he spoke, "Tholian vessels have a pretty unique signaturem but we're still having trouble getting the station's tactical systems working. The Endeavour's sensors could very well have been affected by their proximity to the station itself. Regardless, they've definitely been in the area long enough to know we're here."

Liz checked her console before responding to the Captains question "The station was actually preventing us from detecting them with the Endeavour's sensor array. Before we calibrated them they were emitting on a frequency which prevented Starfleet sensors from detecting any ships in the surrounding sector.

"If they've been out there for a while then they probably know our tactical weaknesses better than we do." The Executive Officer suggested. "That could pose a problem."

"We may be able to activate some sort of shield array but it will be minimal at best. I would recommend evacuating the outer area's of the station just in case. The stations outer hull should provide us with some sort of protection similar to ablative armor.

--------------- Down in Deep Space 19 Engineering ---------------

Ethan Kessel was using the light from his PADD as a torch, his torch long since expired when the screen turned yellow to inform him of the station's switch to yellow alert. He jerked up his head in surprise - so Hard he smashed his head into the top of the panel he had taken out of the wall.

"Why do people always confuse Energy Specialist - With Power Systems Specialist? I should be doing something with the Particle beams - Not rewiring machinery. Still. The job had given him a valuable insight into the engineering used by the people who made this station.

He gasped as he looked at the the incoming ships. He doubted they were here to ask for directions. He blood ran cold as he realised something else. He last attempt at restoring the Defence systems had ended with the activation of the recycling systems. The station was defenceless.

He renewed his work as quickly as possible in the hole in the wall. He was no gunner of helms man. He was not a field medic or Shields expert. He was next to useless in in a fight - He had come on board as a scientist for goodness sake. But he had been close - so close - to getting the defence systems online last time. He probably still had a little time to work it out.


--------------- DS19 Ops ---------------

"Lieutenant," Benjamin said, directing his comments towards Rubens on the Endeavour. "Begin detachment procedures. As fast as you can, but don't take risks with anyone's lives. I want the ship mobile as soon as is possible, just in case the Tholians decide not to be their friendly selves."

"Aye, sir," the helmsman replied, before the half of the screen showing the ship's bridge snapped off, allowing the image of the approaching Tholian ships to fill the screen once again.

"Commander, Lieutenant," the captain addressed th'Ralik and Malroon. "Get down to the main engineering section, see if you can assist our teams down there with the defensive systems." Benjamin dearly hoped that the Tholians weren't coming here to start trouble, but on the other hand of things, he had a defenseless station filled with his people, and all of Starfleet's recent reports regarding encounters with the xenophobic, territorial species. He had to prepare for the worst. "Jones, Watters, start searching for ways that we might be able to make the Tholians think that we're more defensible than we are right now. False readings, improvised weapons or shields; anything you can figure out."

"Aye, sir," Michael replied as his hands immediately began dancing across the surface of his workstation. There seemed to be little hope of actually gaining access to the station's tactical systems within the next five minutes which meant near zero chance of mounting any sort of actual defense if the Tholians attacked. The only real option available to them at this point was to come up with some way to make the Tholians hesitate long enough for the captain to talk. "I don't suppose your teams brought over a thoron generator or two," he asked dubiously, glancing in Jones' direction.

"No they didn't would have come in handy. Although there may be a way to fake torpedos in launchers. We could fake antimatter signatures with a tricorder in each cargo container, then just open the cargo bay doors. It wouldn't pass intense inspection but it might give them a cause to pause." Since the stations weapons systems were not that similar to Federation design and at this point inaccessible that was the best Liz could come up with.

Patok followed Commander th’Ralik to the main engineering section. He had seen maps of the station and had even been to the section before, but had mostly spent time in operations. After two weeks of work on the station, it was embarrassing to think that he’d have trouble finding it on his own. Luckily, he didn’t have to. th’Ralik had all but set up camp there and knew its location better than most.

Once the pair arrived, Patok couldn’t help but notice the lack of activity. For now, the section seemed completely vacant. Then he noticed the pair of legs protruding from a wall panel across the room. With Ethan already hard at work, they would have a much needed head start on the project.

As the flotilla of vessels came nearer, there wasn't much more Benjamin could do but wait. They were still out of hailing range of the ships, but that would change shortly. And so for the moment, they simply watched as the ships approached.

"Open hai-" the captain had been waiting for the exact moment he had calculated the Tholians would be within range, but even so he was cut off.

"The Tholians are hailing us, Captain." Andorzai reported curtly. "All standard frequencies. I don't think they want to be ignored."

Byrne nodded. "Put them on-screen."

TO BE CONTINUED

-----------------
Captain Benjamin J. Byrne
Commanding Officer

Commander Jaeih Andorzai
Executive Officer

Lt. Commander Aeitos th'Ralik (Krace - PNPC)
Chief Engineering Officer

Lieutenant Michael Watters
Chief Security/Tactical Officer

Lieutenant Lennoc Keldan (NPC)
Chief Science Officer
Deep Space 19

Lieutenant Markus Rubens (Krace - PNPC)
Chief Helmsman

Petty Officer Sophie Blaise
Yeoman

Lieutenant Elizabeth Jones
Chief Operations officer

USS Endeavour