Fitz of the North Star
Note that this is just me banging some words onto a page and I don't know if I'll actually finish it. It was just fun writing a little snapshot of action for Fitzroy. I also apologise profusely for the terrible pun in the thread name.
“Incoming!”
The shout rang above the alert klaxons and the rumbling of the straining engines. Through the smoky haze, I saw the Ferengi helm officer brace herself against her console. A moment later, the deck lurched, throwing the bridge into further disarray.
“Return fire!” My words were almost lost under a loud detonation from behind me. Spinning in my seat, I saw the aft station ensign thrown to the floor in a shower of sparks, the console he had been operating now burnt out and ruined. The bridge medic rushed to his side and began treating the ensign’s burns.
I swung back around to face the tactical plot on the viewscreen. We were almost through the line, sprinting the U.S.S. Ruane down the throat of the True Way blockade around Melos. For a moment, I felt a swell of pride in the ship and her crew; we were barrelling into the belly of the beast and we were holding together.
I punched the comm control on the arm of my seat. “Bridge to Engineering. Shaï, we’re going to need your signature move.”
The line crackled slightly as the response came back. “Alright, Cap’n, but don’t expect it to last long under these conditions.”
“Anything will help. Signal direct to the helm when you’re ready.” Jabbing the comm control again, I called out to the helm. “Sezo, when you get the signal from Engineering, let her rip.”
“Aye sir,” called the lieutenant in a steady voice. I noted to myself to consider a promotion for her; courage under fire and all that.
As I thought this, a green light flashed on the helm controls. “Punching it!” announced Sezo, as she hit the flashing control.
I was immediately pressed back into my seat by the acceleration. On the tactical display, the ship’s speed almost doubled as emergency power was roughly forced through the impulse engines. Another shudder shook the ship as a torpedo detonated on the shields, and then we were through the line.
“Nice! Get us into the radiation belt.”
“Aye, sir. Ten seconds to belt’s edge.” Sezo adjusted the ship’s heading a fraction.
“Let's see it.”
The display cut to a high-altitude view of Melos, a lush planet with swathes of purple-green forest across its continents. A shimmering band encircled the planet, high above the equator. It was into this band of radiation that the ship now plummeted at full speed.
“Five seconds.”
“Newt?” I called.
From my right, Cmdr Newton Harrison shouted, “Ready, sir.”
“Entering radiation belt now.”
“Hit it, Newt.”
“Yes, Captain. Matching our energy signature to the belt’s radiation.” He tapped furiously at his station controls, and I was almost sure I could hear the background hum change tone ever so slightly.
“Okay. We’re through the line and hopefully hidden from their sensors temporarily, but we need to make this rescue a quick one. Helm, take us into position above the colony. Newt, get the away teams assembled in the hangar. I’ll meet them there.”
Newt threw me a disapproving look, but unfortunately for him, I’m one of those captains. Always got to lead the way in person.
“Aye, sir, and please try not to make paperwork for me by getting shot up.”
I laughed as I rose from my seat. “You know me better than that, Commander. You have the bridge.” I strode over to the turbolift, barely waiting for the doors to open before ordering, “Main hangar.”
Melos was home to a small Federation colony. It was some distance away from the edge of the Badlands, and the blockading ships above had come far out of their way. They were after something—or someone. The bulk of the colonists had evacuated as the blockade fleet approached, but a science team had been trapped in the hills outside the main colony. Our job was to get them out and find out what the True Way wanted.
The radiation belt the ship was hidden in would pose no threat to the Ruane’s crew provided exposure was limited, but it had a scattering effect on sensors and transporters. The armed away teams were prepping their equipment when I arrived in the hangar bay, from where we would launch an orbital insertion on the ship’s runabouts.
I spied my chief of security easily. Despite the war, there are still more Klingons in Starfleet these days than there were twenty years ago.
“Mr Kuhr.”
“Captain.” The towering figure nodded toward the squads. “They are almost combat-ready. I have also taken the liberty of preparing the Captain’s Special.” He indicated a nearby bench with my preferred armour and weapon prepared.
“Excellent, thank you. Now finish getting suited up yourself and let’s get this show on the road.”
I strapped on my combat armour and holstered my weapons: twin pistols and a mek’leth sword gifted to me by Kuhr's mother the year before. The armour had a personal shroud that I suspected would come in handy on this mission.
The teams were prepped, Kuhr was armed to the teeth and I had my Captain’s Special. It was time to launch a rescue.
* * *
“Incoming!”
The shout rang above the alert klaxons and the rumbling of the straining engines. Through the smoky haze, I saw the Ferengi helm officer brace herself against her console. A moment later, the deck lurched, throwing the bridge into further disarray.
“Return fire!” My words were almost lost under a loud detonation from behind me. Spinning in my seat, I saw the aft station ensign thrown to the floor in a shower of sparks, the console he had been operating now burnt out and ruined. The bridge medic rushed to his side and began treating the ensign’s burns.
I swung back around to face the tactical plot on the viewscreen. We were almost through the line, sprinting the U.S.S. Ruane down the throat of the True Way blockade around Melos. For a moment, I felt a swell of pride in the ship and her crew; we were barrelling into the belly of the beast and we were holding together.
I punched the comm control on the arm of my seat. “Bridge to Engineering. Shaï, we’re going to need your signature move.”
The line crackled slightly as the response came back. “Alright, Cap’n, but don’t expect it to last long under these conditions.”
“Anything will help. Signal direct to the helm when you’re ready.” Jabbing the comm control again, I called out to the helm. “Sezo, when you get the signal from Engineering, let her rip.”
“Aye sir,” called the lieutenant in a steady voice. I noted to myself to consider a promotion for her; courage under fire and all that.
As I thought this, a green light flashed on the helm controls. “Punching it!” announced Sezo, as she hit the flashing control.
I was immediately pressed back into my seat by the acceleration. On the tactical display, the ship’s speed almost doubled as emergency power was roughly forced through the impulse engines. Another shudder shook the ship as a torpedo detonated on the shields, and then we were through the line.
“Nice! Get us into the radiation belt.”
“Aye, sir. Ten seconds to belt’s edge.” Sezo adjusted the ship’s heading a fraction.
“Let's see it.”
The display cut to a high-altitude view of Melos, a lush planet with swathes of purple-green forest across its continents. A shimmering band encircled the planet, high above the equator. It was into this band of radiation that the ship now plummeted at full speed.
“Five seconds.”
“Newt?” I called.
From my right, Cmdr Newton Harrison shouted, “Ready, sir.”
“Entering radiation belt now.”
“Hit it, Newt.”
“Yes, Captain. Matching our energy signature to the belt’s radiation.” He tapped furiously at his station controls, and I was almost sure I could hear the background hum change tone ever so slightly.
“Okay. We’re through the line and hopefully hidden from their sensors temporarily, but we need to make this rescue a quick one. Helm, take us into position above the colony. Newt, get the away teams assembled in the hangar. I’ll meet them there.”
Newt threw me a disapproving look, but unfortunately for him, I’m one of those captains. Always got to lead the way in person.
“Aye, sir, and please try not to make paperwork for me by getting shot up.”
I laughed as I rose from my seat. “You know me better than that, Commander. You have the bridge.” I strode over to the turbolift, barely waiting for the doors to open before ordering, “Main hangar.”
* * *
Melos was home to a small Federation colony. It was some distance away from the edge of the Badlands, and the blockading ships above had come far out of their way. They were after something—or someone. The bulk of the colonists had evacuated as the blockade fleet approached, but a science team had been trapped in the hills outside the main colony. Our job was to get them out and find out what the True Way wanted.
The radiation belt the ship was hidden in would pose no threat to the Ruane’s crew provided exposure was limited, but it had a scattering effect on sensors and transporters. The armed away teams were prepping their equipment when I arrived in the hangar bay, from where we would launch an orbital insertion on the ship’s runabouts.
I spied my chief of security easily. Despite the war, there are still more Klingons in Starfleet these days than there were twenty years ago.
“Mr Kuhr.”
“Captain.” The towering figure nodded toward the squads. “They are almost combat-ready. I have also taken the liberty of preparing the Captain’s Special.” He indicated a nearby bench with my preferred armour and weapon prepared.
“Excellent, thank you. Now finish getting suited up yourself and let’s get this show on the road.”
I strapped on my combat armour and holstered my weapons: twin pistols and a mek’leth sword gifted to me by Kuhr's mother the year before. The armour had a personal shroud that I suspected would come in handy on this mission.
The teams were prepped, Kuhr was armed to the teeth and I had my Captain’s Special. It was time to launch a rescue.