The young Comms officer nodded, gave a quick 'aye sir' and went about tracking down ch'Pertha.

"Commander," he began when he found the XO in the security office. "The captain dropped off comms in the middle of a communique.  Her last known position was in Dr. De Montaine's office.  LCDR Decker wanted you informed."

At the conn, ENS Nyshuri manned the navigation console.  "My board shows impulse power building, sir," she reported, covering for Mcreeg as the LT worked on the weapons systems...

ch'Pertha nodded at the 'young Comms officer'.

Keying the comm-code for Med-Bay, he spoke to the first person to answer: asking for the nearest Security Officer.
"Secure Med-Bay, and do a full sweep.  You're looking for the Captain, and a civilian orderly named Hunsley ... they may be together, or seperate.
I'm on my way down there now."

A thought came to him, as he stood, and he sat again.
Pulling up a schematic of the air duct system on that level (and the levels two above and below it) he explained to the nearest, highest ranking Security Officer that "I want Security pulled from all non-essential details.
Coordinate to station one officer at each and every air duct entry.  They are to open the grill, and ensure nobody enters, leaves, nor travels through the air duct system".
Their quarry seemed to have become somewhat comfortable in the ducting system, and ch'Pertha had no intentions of allowing him to continue using them at his whim.

Then, he headed off down to Med-Bay himself.

Addressing the young officer at the Science station, "Okay, once we've come about, go active on the forward sensors."

"Roger that, sir," came the response from security in Sickbay.  "We've got a med bay full of patients and doctors moving about, give us a minute... we're on it."

In the security office, the officer he spoke to nodded and replied, "Will do, sir... but there are more air ducts than we have security guards.  Shall we prioritize the larger grids, the ones most likely to be entered?"

The officer waited for ch'Pertha's reply, then went about carrying out his orders as the Security Chief and XO headed down to Sickbay.

The junior science officer acknowledges.  Nyshuri slowly begins applying thrust, swinging the ship around so it's at least facing away from the border, even if it's still hurtling towards it at high speed.

But after a moment, LT E'Detra makes a subvocal, displeased sound.  Tapping the controls on the weapons console to one side of the bridge, she says, "Sir.  Onscreen."

And the image of the stars shifts... to show...



"Three Klingon cruisers at the extreme limit of the Klingon border, sir," she clarifies. "Directly in our path."

(OOC: Mr. Decker, a Presence + Command check, please.  Difficulty 1.  You may buy more dice with momentum if desired!)
This message was last edited by the player at 05:41, Tue 12 Mar 2019.

LCDR Christopher Decker rolled 22 using 3d20 with rolls of 5,6,11.  Retaining command presence in the face of Klingons (Presence (7) + Command (2)) using 1 Momentum.

Decker's hands clenched the armrests of the command chair, but after a moment his voice sounded out (surprisingly) loud and clear, "Red Alert! All hands to battlestations! Navigator, how quickly do we need to accelerate in order to stay out of their weapon range? Say, at least....how far, Lieutenant E'Detra?"

"So the best you can, Corporal.  Set up the best net you can", ch'Pertha said.

Then he was off.
He was almost to the Med-bay when the ship went to Red Alert.
When it rains, it pours.

Moving to the nearest intercom, ch'Pertha punched the code for the Security desk on the Bridge,
"Report", he requested.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:23, Tue 12 Mar 2019.

Ensign Nyshuri's hands flew across her board, hitting buttons and flipping switches.

"Sir, if they choose to cross the imaginary line in space that is the neutral zone, we'd need to go to maximum impulse to stay out of weapons range, at the rate they're closing."

"Maximum disruptor range on a K'tinga is estimated to be about 30 thousand klicks, sir," she replied quickly.

Then ch'Pertha's call chimed in.

"We've got three Klingon K'tinga-class cruisers inbound, on an intercept course, just on their side of the neutral zone, sir," she said.

Moving through the engineering decks, the engine repair team heard the steady, low thrum of the impulse engines firing on low power, slowly building.  Power was still out in this section for the most part, so the decks were dark, lit only by portable torches and emergency lamps.

At a nearby systems monitor, Harada reported, "Chief, power building steadily.  She seems to be handling it okay.  Recommend we give it ten minutes to build to full before we do anything acrobatic."

Even as JavKer turned to look at her, he saw a shadow dart across the accessway behind her, gone in a blink.

Decker grunted, "Ensign Nyshuri, if the Klingons are willing to cross through the Neutral Zone, we're not going to stay out of range, period. Presumably their warp drives work just fine. Plot a course that will keep us at least 50,000 km from them at their current speed. Accelerate if need be, but let me know."

"Communications, see if you can raise the Klingons via laser or radio frequency broadcast."

He opened a direct channel to Engineering from the command chair, "Jav'Ker, we have three Klingon cruisers closing on the border fast. We have to increase acceleration."

Not, he thought to himself glumly, that it's likely to do much good...

"Received Commander"
Gullak paused as the wave of frustration swept over him. Did they not understand the delicate nature of these engines. Such roughshod handling would take days to recify.
"Impulse systems appear nominal. I shall keep the bridge appraised of the situation in engineering. Provided you can keep us from harms way."

ch’Pertha sighed inwardly.   Of course we now had three war cruisers breathing down our proverbial neck!

He sucked his teeth for a brief moment (as he was known to do at these moments) then said, “I’m on my way back to the Bridge”.

Decker seemed like a good bloke, but ch’Pertha wasn’t sure how his leadership abilities stacked up.
Besides, ch’Pertha had been assigned XO; and he’d be damned if he didn’t fill the role in the first inferring that required it.

As he ran for the Bridge, he contacted Lt Stirling, “Stirling, I’m required in the Bridge.
Find the Captain.  And find this Hunsley, I suspect he’s integral to all this”.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:05, Wed 20 Mar 2019.

"Increasing acceleration, aye sir," Nyshuri responded, somewhat troubled.  Her fingers danced across the board and the Indy's engines groaned, her hull creaking with acceleration.

It was at that point that the bridge doors opened and LT Mcreeg emerged, his task complete.  Photon Torpedoes were, for better or worse, back online.

The junior Comms officer replied as well, turning to his board, trying to use stone-age technology to hail the three inbound battlecruisers.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:10, Tue 26 Mar 2019.

Receiving ch'Pertha's orders, Stirling replied, "Roger that, sir.  We'll find them."

He flagged down a couple guards and quickly spread the word, then headed off to lead the search personally.

OOC: OK, I'd like a Daring + Conn check from Mcreeg, as he (assumedly) returns to take control of the helm and steer the ship out of danger.  Difficulty is 3. The ship will assist with 1 extra die, using its Engines + Conn rating.

Following that roll, we'll need a Reason + Engineering check from JavKer, assisted by the ship's Engines + Engineering rating.  Difficulty is also 3!

All but running onto the bridge, barely giving the person in his chair time to get out of the way, Xanatos begins to work, eyes roaming over readouts, fingers dancing over controls, heart racing in a way that he's grown to find feels good.

14:24, Today: LT JG Xanatos Mcreeg rolled 46 using 4d20 with rolls of 8,13,6,19. Daring + Conn = 15 diff is 3, ships's is Engines + Conn, diff is 3, =1 momentum. Helm Operations Focus

ch'Pertha re-entered the Bridge.
He adjusted his uniform tunic as he did so, pulling it down tight across his chest ... as per Starfleet and Narrative protocol required.

"Thank you, Mr Decker", he asserted, taking command of the ship.
Seating himself in the 'big chair', he quickly pulled up the recent data files, and scanned them swiftly.

Ship-wide Security was looking for Hunsley ... and the Captain.
Engineering was still working to bring the ships propulsion back on line fully.
Communications was attempting to open channels.
Conn was using everything that Engineering could give them to keep the Independence away from the No-Go zone.

That left Science.   Turning to LCDR Decker, ch'Pertha directed, "I'd like you please working with Comm's please, Ltn Commander Decker.  Get my voice out there.
We need contact with Starfleet Command; and I need to be able to talk those buggers over there," he said, pointing at the screen showing the Klingon Cruisers, "out of doing anything stupid.  Which may prove difficult", he muttered to himself.

He could see that Mcreeg had somehow been instrumental in bringing both all the weapons back online, and said so: "Good work in the weapon's bay, Mr Mcreeg", then turning to D'Etra, ch'Pertha directed her to "Work with Nyshuri, please, to have a weapons and navigation plan incase we need to respond to a Hythurgal* attack".

As he sent the Bridge into 'kicked bee-hive mode', he sat for a moment staring at the screen.
Then, he opened ship wide comms, and made an announcement to the entire crew.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, as you are aware, we are in a Critical Situation.   An act of sabotage has crippled the Independence temporarily", he shared, and because he saw no reason to lie or deceive his crew, "and we have three Klingon warships hovering nearby waiting for us to make a mistake.
But I know that we will not.   This situation is precisely what the Academy trained us to deal with, and I have utmost faith in every single crewman aboard to swiftly and competently perform their duties at this vital time.
Keep your heads about you, my friends.   Work together, and with the certainty that we will overcome this situation in a way that will bring pride and honour to the Federation".

Making a rousing speech, to improve moral (and create some additional Momentum for my fellow PC's to use in their continued efforts).
Am using a Point of Determination off his personal Value 'Lead by Example' for 'Perfect Opportunity', and 1 Momentum die.
- rolled 1,13,18.  Presence+Command(12) + 1 Momentum.
+ Perfect Opportunity (worth 2 successes, I understand)
and ch'Pertha has the 'Inspiration' Focus.

That done, he turned his attention back to the screen, and the Bridge ... and waited for his people to provide him with further data and updates.



* Hythergal are a filthy, aggressive and generally repugnant breed of rodent on Andoria; and a very unflattering nickname for Klingons used by many Andorians (presumably because the Klingon's look a bit like Hythergals, along with other similarities)

Decker quickly vacated the center seat to Ch'Pertha with relief, "XO, you have the Conn.", and resumed his station.

After acknowledging the XO's follow-up order, he opened a private channel down to the main sensor operation bay and ordered his most experienced long ranged sensor technicians, a LTJG and an Ensign, to report to Lieutenant Nipay. As some of the long range sensors function along similar principles to sub space radio, they should have appropriate expertise.

Then he turned back to his instruments and focused the sensors on the pursuing Klingon vessels. He began scanning for active sensor locks and communication emissions from them.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:56, Thu 28 Mar 2019.

Mcreeg skillfully brought the ship about and applied engine thrust in just the right way to brake the ship's headlong descent into Klingon territory.  The only question was, would the repairs hold?

Following that roll, we'll need a Reason + Engineering check from JavKer, assisted by the ship's Engines + Engineering rating.  Difficulty is also 3! You can purchase an extra die for 1 Momentum if you like! Also, you can benefit from ch'Pertha's Perfect Opportunity (or another player can).  Let me know!
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:32, Tue 02 Apr 2019.

 Today: LCDR Gullak JavKer rolled 15 using 2d20 with rolls of 9,6.  Ships Engineering (2) Engines (8), assisting JavKer Engineering (5) Reason (8).

Independence groaned as her hull vibrated with the sudden application of impulse power.  Mcreeg's piloting was top notch... but Indy wasn't firing on all thrusters, at least not yet.  Red lines appeared on the monitor displays, warning of stress.  The thrum of the engines could be felt through the deckplates...

But the repairs held.

Slowly, the mighty starship slowed her onward rush towards the incoming Klingon squadron.

After dispatching his JOs to assist Nipay, Decker turned his attention towards the three K'tinga class cruisers.

(Please make me a Reason + Science roll, assisted by a third die for the ship's Sensors + Science.  Difficulty is 2!)

In the engineering levels...

It was dark and cramped.  Although the engineering staff had worked hard to restore impulse drive, power was still out in this section, with only sparse portable emergency lights providing illumination... that, and exposed control panels.

The engineering team could feel the struggle as Indy applied full impulse with newly-repaired conduits.  The ship shuddered and shook and there was a howl down here, echoing through the Jeffries tubes, like a great wounded animal struggling for its life.

But the repairs held.

Beaming, Harada turned to JavKer.  "Chief, we did it!" she said, her youthful enthusiasm showing.

Then her almond eyes widened and then quickly narrowed.  "Kori wa...?" she muttered.

"Collins, is that you?" she called over JavKer's shoulder.

From behind her, a distant voice replied, "Nope, I'm over here!"

"I saw someone dart across that accessway," she explained quietly to the ship's CHENG (CHief ENgineer). "Or some THING."
This message was last edited by the player at 00:56, Tue 09 Apr 2019.