Closing In

Posted on Sat Sep 12th, 2015 @ 11:22pm by Lieutenant Commander Michael Darwin & Lieutenant Riley Sukotav & Lieutenant Raj Amani

Mission: Further Challenges
Location: Robart's Ship

"Sir, the engines are at max and are starting to overheat. We need to drop our speed and let them cool off a bit." Rekkar glanced at Robart.

The big Orion glowered darkly. "Drop to warp eight. As soon as we're able, increase speed again." He stood and as Rekkar acknowledged the order, left the bridge to seek out his passengers.

Raj was in the lounge with a cup of coffee. Despite looking like he hadn’t slept in days, he seemed perfectly alert. “Hey Robart, what’s the good word?” he asked.

"There isn't one. We made up some time, but have to drop back to warp eight now. Otherwise, our engines will overheat and we'll be dead in the water." He mixed a mug of something warm and earthy smelling then took a seat near Raj. "How is the Lt. Sukotav?"

“Holding on,” Raj answered. “I gave him dinner and then we talked for a while. That man has a long road ahead of him and speaking purely on a personal level? What they did to his head makes me want to find them and break their necks. Believe me, after my time on the border? I know about ten ways to do it, too.”

"Perhaps Cyllene can help him," Robart suggested.

Raj sighed aloud as he looked down into his mug. “I certainly hope so or I never would have agreed to this trip. I think it’s important that he has the chance to save her, to do something he sees as atoning for what happened with Six. That, and he wants her back more than anything. He loves her and I think he deserves the chance to get what he wants. If that makes me sappy, so be it.”

Robart held out his mug in what some might recognize as a human 'toast'. "I agree, Counselor. Although, my interest is in getting Cyllene what Cyllene wants. In this case, that seems to overlap with Sukotav's needs." He sighed. "Fisher's ship is eleven hours ahead of us. If they make it to a trading hub with that kind of lead,...." He shrugged.

“Reva’s an engineer, let’s hope that she has a chance to help us catch up.” Raj tapped his mug to Robart’s. “Eleven hours is a damn sight better than it was. We might want to make some plans for when we get there.”

"If she can, perhaps we can board their ship. I'm short on crew, but we have...," he looked at Raj, as if suddenly recalling that he was talking to a Fleet officer. "Ah... We have ways of evening the odds. I will get Sukotav close to Cyllene and he will rescue her."

“If you’re curious,” Raj smiled, “I spent years in a very rough outpost along the Romulan border. Not much scares me anymore. I will not be a liability, I promise you that.”

Robart frowned. "I am not worried about you as a liability. I am concerned that your adherence to rules and regulations will be. To retrieve Cyllene from this slaver's ship, I will disregard inconvenient restrictions."

“If it means saving Reva, I’ll do what I have to do.” Raj shrugged and reached for his mug. “I suspect they will give us plenty of provocation anyway. I wouldn’t worry.”

"Is Sukotav avoiding me, Counselor? I have not yet had the pleasure of conversing with him as you and I have."

Raj shook his head. “No, but he’s been through hell both in his head and some time in the brig. He’s been asleep if he wasn’t awake to eat. Catching up and really, it’s the best thing for him right now. Some of it’s certainly avoidance, but he truly was exhausted, physically and mentally. He’s trying to sort it all out but worrying about whether his best friend will even see him after he tried to kill her. There’s also the concern over the fact that she is living with the Pit’s resident crime lord who certainly won’t look too kindly on all this.”

"I wondered about that. Former Borg? And she was in Starfleet as a Science officer? Same as Sukotav? Why would the Fleet let her go so easily? Unless she is more valuable as a crime boss's girl?" Robart knew that it was often the boss's girl or boy who was a spy.

Raj shook his head. “The Fleet isn’t a slave driver you know. She was given the choice to drop him or resign her commission. She chose him, much to her department chief's displeasure. She took a lot of heat from her friends over it too. She also made herself a big target. I suppose we’ll deal with any danger to Riley when we get home.”

"Danger?" Robart's brows knit together for a moment, then he realized Raj's meaning. "Ah, retribution for attempting to kill Six. Yes, a payment can be made. It should be enough to ease Suresh's taste for blood."

That surprised Raj. “Why would you do that? Just for Riley?”

Laughing, the Orion shook his head. "Not for him; for Cyllene. If she needs him for her happiness, then we will make certain he is not harmed."

“Yeah, good luck with that.” Raj smiled. He had more information on that little situation that he was not at liberty to share. “Maybe time to see if anything new has turned up on the long-range scans.” He finished his coffee and carried the mug back to the replicator.

"Come to the bridge with me." Robart emptied his own mug then replicated a fresh mug of something else. Carrying that, he led Raj to the bridge, where he handed the mug to Rekkar. "Anything new?"

"Not really. We did get a blip - some sort of energy flux on the Fisheries ship." Rekkar sipped the brew Robart had brought him.

"Hmm. Keep scanning." Robart took his seat and gestured for Raj to do the same.

Raj did, then turned to Rekkar. “Are they still moving?”

"Yeah. Whatever caused that flux was minor." Rekkar shrugged. He kept tabs on their own engines, noting that the internal temps were falling. He edged their speed up again.

"Do they still have eleven hours on us?" Robart asked.

"About that. Dropping speed gave them an hour," the pilot answered.

“How much will we gain if we get back up to top speed?” Raj asked. “And then, how soon if they stop?” Rekkar’s news had given him a bit of hope that they might have a chance here.

"Depends on where they stop. We're back up to eight point three. If we both maintain current speeds, then we could overtake them in fourteen hours. If they stop right now, it'd be twelve point four hours till we're in the same place." Rekkar glanced at Raj and shrugged.

"If they make it to a trader's hub with more than a five hour lead, Fisher could have Cyllene sold and transferred to another ship before we get there. We'd have no way of knowing where she's gone." Robart frowned and thumped the arm of his chair with a fist. His comment chilled the conversation for a long time; Rekkar broke the silence only occasionally to announce an increase in speed.

Suddenly, Rekkar sat up straighter and his fingers flew over his console. "Ro, the Fisheries' engines are dead. They're out of warp and coasting. Sensors are detecting a plasma explosion."

That certainly got Raj’s attention. “That’s either one hell of a coincidence, or Reva’s handiwork. Either way I’ll take it. Revised estimate Rekkar?” He shot a hopeful look at Robart as they awaited the answer.

"Ro? Warp ten?" Rekkar looked at the Orion.

Looking at Raj, Robart said, "Bring Sukotav here. Rekkar, warn the others. Five minutes lead time then go to warp ten."

Rekkar grinned and carried out his duties.

Several minutes later, Raj returned to the bridge with Riley in tow. “Buckle in Riley, we’re about to do something you may never do again. Warp ten.”

Riley did a double take but quickly did as requested. “Seriously? Why the sudden crazy hurry?”

"Welcome to my bridge, Lt. Sukotav," Robart smiled. "The Fisheries ship is disabled. At warp ten, we can close the distance faster, in approximately six hours. The bridge is safe from the radiation but the rest of the ship is not as well shielded."

“Six hours?” Riley smiled for the first time in a long while. He knew the dangers of warp ten but this was Reva and fortune was suddenly giving them a helping hand. He would’ve space walk without a suit if he had to to get there. “Then what are we waiting for?”

Glancing back at them, Rekkar said, "We're ramping up, chill. Nine point eight." He watched his console. "Point nine...." The stars in the view screen altered slightly as Rekkar announced, "Warp Ten."

The entire ship vibrated under them, shimmying lightly every few seconds. Robart gripped his chair, visibly tense. "We do not use this speed often."

"Ten point one," Rekkar announced.

Raj uttered a soft curse at Rekkar’s announcement. “It’s not the safest speed but in this circumstance…”

“I don’t care,” Riley finished for him. “As long as this ship holds together.” Despite his words, he was not at all relaxed. He knew well the issues with hitting warp ten.

"Ah, no worries with that, Lieutenant!" Robart's assertion was hearty. "When we board the Fisheries, you will be with me and we will find Cyllene quickly. You will be the one she sees first."

Riley’s smile lingered. He really liked the sound of that and nodded. “Whatever it takes, I’ll get to her.”

“I will make sure you do,” Raj added. “If they are still without engines, it will be easier to board and take out anything or anyone standing in the way.”

"I will give you weapons," Robart said. "Settle in, we have a few hours."

****************
Robart
Rekkar
Raj (Lt. Amani)
Riley (Lt. Sukotav)
In Hot Pursuit