USS Penumbra Sim Narrative, SD 202304.07
The Penumbra was deep into territory claimed by the Holy Order of the Kinshayans in low orbit over a planet known as Tepesi 2. The y were still using their MIRAGE system to remain undetected after a pair of explosions devasted a significant portion of the local space port. A terrorist group calling itself the "Purity Faction" has taken credit for the explosions. The crew was trying to assess the situation and determine an appropriate course of action.
An Away Team consisting of Patterson, Den, Kat, T'Lin, and SgtMaj. Derek Hines were currently trapped on the planet since their craft, the Cerberus , had been knocked over by the shockwave and partially buried under rubble and was unable to right itself or engage any sort of flight operations. Patterson had ordered the on-board A.I., AEGIS, to seal the craft against any entry to protect the secrets within it from prying eyes.
In addition, after the attack, the space port erected a powerful shield over the entire port preventing any entrance or exit by ship or by transporters, though a few ships had attempted to power up their systems as if to depart, and several Kinshayan military sphere-ships had begun to converge on the area.
Adjusting their mission in response to the attack, the Away Team decided to engage in rescuing survivors and performing triage and first aid in a sort of city square. No official Kinshayan response has reached their area yet.
Also, still sitting in the Wellness Center was a 500-year-old Klingon mummy in a sealed casket that bears a glyph that MAX translated as "Defiled One" (or "Demon"). Everyone is puzzled by the mystery of how a 500-yr-old Klingon could have gotten this far out since that was centuries before the Klingons were even warp-capable.
(Note: The Players for Kat and T'Lin were absent for this sim. Their characters were considered in a different area, perhaps half a block away, and heavily engaged in various life-saving first aid activities and therefore "distracted".)
Col. Travis Patterson, LtCmdr. Denovan Hawke, and SgtMaj. Derek Hines were scouring damaged and collapsed buildings searching for survivors. As they were working in one such building, Hines ducked through a damaged doorway, balancing himself with one hand on the door frame. Suddenly, the frame buckled and part of the roof and wall collapsed on top of him!
After a moment, Hines slowly regained consciousness, coughing and spitting dust and grit from his mouth. He mumbled, "Pat? Den?"
Den and Patterson were some 30 to 40 feet away in the same building. Den was speaking when they heard the collapse, "Pretty sure we need to get back to the Cerberus ...," he cut out when he heard the noise. He quickly peeked back out the front exit and down the street and said, "Kat and T'Lin are seemingly safe ...for nowWorking on triage."
Patterson heard the collapse too and turned quickly towards the sound, flinching as he did, "Nnnah!" But he called out, "Derek! Hang on!" Together he and Den hurried over to the other man.
As they got there, they found Hines pinned under a pile of roofing materials, and small fragments of wall debris ... and a rather large steel beam with concrete wrapping. Hines gestured, "My leg is stuck on something." He shoved at some of the debris with his arms.
Patterson flinched again as he strained against some of the debris. "Ugh! My back!" He gestured at Den, "Den, check my lower back for me."
Den checked Patteson out and found he was bleeding from several small cuts and scratches, but there was a significant wound in his lower right back. As he studied it, Patterson prompted, "Anything?"
Finally, Den said, "That doesn't look good. Shrapnel. I don't think you should be moving. I can get Hines out." He waved with his Borg-replaced right arm and said, "Only one real arm so I've got the strength to clear that with the other." Only, as he waved his hands he noticed blood on both of them. He muttered to himself, "No telling whose blood that is at the moment." For all he knew, it could be his own from minor shrapnel.
Hines continued struggling, then announced, "Pat ... I can't feel my foot." They couldn't see it yet, but beneath the beam, Hines' leg had managed to get tangled with the strap of his duffle bag when he went down. It was tightly wrapped and pinned by the beam as well.
Patterson looked at Den and gave a sigh and a shrug. "No choice but to move, Den... I won't just lay down and die, now help me move this beam!"
Hines studied Pat, gave a slight smirk, then glanced up at Den. "He's got a point, you know." He adjusted his grip and said, "On three, gentlemen. One ... two ...,"
Hines was a big man in his own right, probably as stout as any two normal men. Den's enhanced Borg arm probably made him as strong as two men as well. And Patterson's nanite-infused body was easily as strong as two men, at least in the short-term. The three of them lifted the concrete-encrusted steel beam and rolled it to the side, freeing Hines so they could assess his injury. They found his lower leg nearly crushed, both the tibia and fibula broken and the skin torn and bloody. Thankfully, the bones weren't protruding from the torn skin.
"Not good," Patterson said.
Den agreed, "Well, it certainly looks broken. At least there's nothing outside the skin. There should be enough rebar around here for a simple splint."
Hines saw it as well. "Great," he said, then added, "Must be a severed nerve ending ... why I can't feel it."
Den was scrounging for enough of the right size rebar. He said, "Um ... if it is completely broken, it could be cutting off blood flow. Setting it could fix that."
The building groaned around them and Patterson glanced around then said, "Can't treat it here, too hot. We gotta move."
Den returned with several pieces of rebar and gestured with one at Patterson, "Well, you're injuredI can't tell if this is my blood, but ... I can carry Hines and we can make for the triage center."
Patterson shook his head, "Not yet." He tapped his commbadge, "Papa Bear, do you read me?" He called the Penumbra using the code language the Commodore had used previously. Only, he got no response.
"Okay," Den acquiesced, but commented, "At least, we all do medical training in the Academy, and here and there." He bent down to check Hines again and prepare to move him if necessary. He noticed as he did that he, himself, was riddled with small cuts and scrapes all around his body, but none seemed deep or serious, that he could see at least.
Den looked at Hines as he prepared to check his leg. "Gonna hurt one way or another," he said and started to feel along his leg.
Hines winced suddenly, "Ouch! Careful!"
Patterson raised an eyebrow at Hines' response. "Well ... you felt that!" He gently tapped the toe of his boot against the bottom of Hines' boot. "That too?"
Hines tensed, nodded, and gave a grunt. "Y-yeah ... feeling's coming back. Kinda ... wish it wasn't though!"
Den smirked, "Okay, that's good. Probably just the beam pressing on it too much. Means we don't have to amputate!"
Hines laughed, then coughed and shook his head, "Oh, screw you too, Den!"
Den plucked a piece of shrapnel out of his own shoulder. "I didn't hear a reply back from the ship," he said.
Patterson shook his head. "Ne neither. We gotta move." He grabbed Hines under one arm.
Den shook his head, "NOW you want to move. I mentioned that part a minute ago." He paused and looked back at Patterson. "You still shouldn't do it, Colonel. I've got him."
Patterson just grunted, Den shrugged, and together they managed to get the big man to his one good foot and hobbled with him back to where Kat and T'Lin were doing first aid.
Commodore Zak Taylor, the older Human in command of the Penumbra , was pacing back and forth across the center of the Bridge. Cmdr. Relok, the equally elder Vulcan Chief of Sciences, was sitting stiffly in the XO's seat since ColTravis Patterson was on the Away Team. Cmdr. Adonudo T'lanuwa, the aging Medicine Man, Chief Medical Officer and Counselor, sat in the Counselor's seat opposite Relok, his mouth slightly open, stunned at seeing his Spirit Guide, Hawk's, vision played out so clearly.
Behind them, LtRe'Libel Standin, the normally quiet Vulcan, manned the Tactical Station while LtCmdr. Denovan Hawke was on the Away Team. In front of them, LtCmdr. Tabeshk Tibris, the half-Klingon, half-Romulan albino sat at the Operations ConsoleAcross from him, LtCmdr. Jason Carter, a Human seemingly born at the controls of a starship, sat at Helm. On the port-side wall the Recon Station was occupied by MstSgt. Khal'Gon, the enormous half-Klingon, half-Nausicaan, instead of SgtMaj. Derek Hines, who was on the Away Team. Opposite him near the starboard wall sat Lt. Jackson Carshel, the Human Science Officer, manning the Primary Science Station while Relok was Acting XO and LtCmdr. T'Lin was on the Away Team.
Carshel was stunned at the situation down on the planet. He was trying to figure out every logical way to come at this situation while struggling not to give into his emotionsHe was understandably worried about two men down on the planet he saw as uncles, Patterson and Hines.
Khal'Gon grumbled, "Comm traffic is all over the place." He wasn't normally the Recon officer. He was doing his best to decipher and isolate channels, but ... he wasn't Hines or Patterson.
Carter reported, "We're in Low Orbit, under MIRAGE. Sensors are picking up several vessels powering up rapidly ...," he trailed off.
Standin confirmed, "I am tracking 3 vessels powering up. There are also 4 large sphere ships converging on their location.
Zak turned to the big half-Nausicaan, "Khal'Gon, we heard some Purity faction took claim for an attack. Concentrate on comms about them. And find out what the Kinshayan military is doing in response. I'd hate to get in the crossfire."
Khal'Gon grunt-growled, "I'm working on it."
Adon suggested, "Commodore, we could offer assistance ... that might buy us some favor."
But Relok glanced across the empty chair between them and said, "I am not sure if that is the logical response, Commander. We are not supposed to be out here to begin with, and what aid can we provide a densely inhabited, military theocracy?"
Carshel glared at Relok, trying his best to remain calm. "Those are ... my uncles down there! Neither of which I know are okay! We can't just sit here, Relok!"
Relok responded, "I have come to appreciate LtCmdr. T'Lin almost like ... perhaps a niece if not a little sister. I understand your emotional response, Lieutenant. However, we must remain focused on our mission and on a logical response to the situation."
Carshel's glare softened. "I'm ... trying, sir." He took a breath and said, mostly to himself, "I've been through worse. Even had radiation poisoning and broken bones, plus the loss of part of my hearing. I'll manage. I did before, I can do it again."
Then Khal'gon turned and said, "Actually, Commanders ... there is one thing we could offer ...," he paused.
Zak scowled at him, impatient. "I'm all ears, Master Sergeant."
Khal'Gon continued, "Patterson and his company went down as Maquis, right?"
Tabby replied, "Yeah, they did."
Zak just continued scowling at Khal'Gon's dramatic pauses. "Yeah ... and?"
Khal'Gon finally got to his point. "The best way to fight a terrorist cell ... is to use their own methods against them. We volunteer to the Kinshayan Government our services as ... private contractors, for free. Our mission is to identify the Kinshayan involvement in the Klingon-Gorn war. I think we found our new target. 'The enemy of my enemy ...,'" he trailed off.
It was Carter who finished the quote, "'Is my friend.'"
Tabby turned and grinned a toothy half-Klingon smile at the other half-Klingon.
But Zak only made a sour face. "I don't know, Khal'Gon. We're supposed to on a covert mission. Admiral Sulyk would have my ass!"
Tabby shrugged, "As if he wouldn't have your ass for failing a mission already, Captain."
Adon added, "Sir ... Admiral Sulyk is not here. And you are a Flag Officer in your own right, sir. You have the authority of the Federation behind you to negotiate as needed."
Zak surveyed his Bridge crew and saw only supportive faces. He muttered, "I'm gonna regret this, aren't I?" He shook his head and returned to his seat in the Command Chair then said, "Mr. Standin, drop the MIRAGE. Mr. Tibris, open a channel to the Kinshayans."
"On it," Tabby snapped as his fingers flew across the Operations board.
"Sir?" Standin asked, hesitating only a moment before saying, "Dropping MIRAGE, sir."
Relok just nodded, accepting the the Commodore's orders. "Then perhaps we should have an excuse for our presence here, sir? Are we an official mission of Starfleet or ..renegades ourselves?"
Carter gave a nod and said, "Helm control switching to Manual. Tabby? Give me all the power to maneuvering you can spare. Those Kinshayan disruptors and orbital defenses aren't gonna mess around if they decide to open fire."
Tabby nodded, "On that too, Carter."
As their MIRAGE hiding dissipated, Standin asked, "Shall I raise shields at least?"
But Zak turned to the Tactical Officer, "No shields, Standin. Non-aggressive stance."
Carter stiffened. "No shields?" He cracked his knuckles and neck and muttered, "Oh boy."
Tabby groaned, "This is going to be shitty."
Khal'Gon grumbled under his breath and reached under his console for the special-made, over-sized helmet stored there and pulled it on over his huge head. He remembered an incident not too long ago where he'd gone flying head-first over the guardrail and into several chairs below and didn't want to repeat the events! Besides, he'd heard the Kinshayans didn't particularly take well to Klingons so figured he should try to conceal his identity a little.
The main viewer switched from the view of the planet below to a huge Kinshayan. Zak spoke as soon as the creature appeared on screen, "Greetings. I am Commodore Zak Taylor of the Federation Starship Penumbra We have detected explosions on your planet and stand by to offer assistance."
The Kinshayan responded, "Why is there a Federation Starship orbiting our planet? Do you have anything to do with the attack?"
Zak stood and stepped to the center of the Bridge. "No, we were actually here investigating some rumors ... I'll explain more fully to your superiors if needed. For now, we offer any assistance we can provide."
The Kinshayan ruffled his wings in irritation. "What could one ship offer us? You will instead be detained for questioning."
Carter mumbled, "If you can catch a ghost."
At that moment, one of the four Kinshayan spheres diverted and headed towards the PenumbraSeconds later they had activated a Tractor Beam!
Standin's reflexes were quick. "Sir! Tractor Beam! Red Alert!" he hit the alert button and a klaxon wailed, red lights flashed, and the ship's shields were instantly activated.
MAX, the Artificial Intelligence they'd inherited from the decommissioned USS Darmok, manifested his holographic face on several monitors and pedestals around the Bridge, "We are capable of disrupting the tractor beam lock for a few seconds."
And at the same moment, Tabby's console chirped with a call from Patterson on the planet below, "Papa Bear, do you read me?" Tabby glanced at the Commodore for permission to respond but didn't get any recognition.
Instead, the Commodore continued to address the Kinshayan currently on-screen, "We will not be taken in a Tractor Beam. Sorry. But, if you could lower the shield around the port, I will beam down to talk with your superiors. I believe you having a Starfleet Commodore in your possession might give you some advantage."
Relok stiffened, "Commodore, I cannot allow you to surrender yourself!"
But Zak just raised a hand towards him, "Stand down, Commander, that's an order."
Carshel nonchalantly wandered over near to his superior and whispered, "Stand downWe'll get him back. I can't lose a father figure and my uncles, or my boss!"
Adon slowly rose from his chair and sauntered over to stand next to Tabby at the Operations Console. He leaned down and whispered, "If they lower the port's shields, beam up as many of our Away Team as you can while the Commodore is beaming out."
Tabby whispered back, "Don't tell me how to do my damn job! Besides, what do you think I was going to do? On it as soon as able."
Suddenly the viewscreen flickered and a new Kinshayan appeared on screen. He was obviously in a different location. This one was larger, greyer, and with brighter wing colors ... probably a senior officer. He spoke, "It would be interesting to converse with a Starfleet Commodore, but we won't be lowering the port shieldsInstead, you will join me on my ship. Lower your shields and I will beam you over."
Zak raised both hands in surrender. "Fine, have it your way." He turned towards his Acting First Officer. "Relok, you have the conn ... get our people back." He turned to the Tactical Station. "Standin ... cancel red alert, lower the shields."
Relok stood solemnly and faced the Commodore. He said clearly and distinctly, "Commodore, you are relieved, sir. I have the conn."
MAX recognized the formality of the tone and stated, "Commodore, command level clearance on this vessel is hereby revoked effective immediately."
Standin scowled unhappily but said, "Canceling Red Alert. And ... lowering shields."
As soon as the ship's shields went down, the Commodore was beamed off the Bridge.