I needs More Coffee!

Posted on Tue Sep 27th, 2011 @ 3:34pm by Major Patrick Smith & Commander Oralia Zeferino

Mission: In Our Time of Need
Timeline: Shortly After Abduction

Patrick sat and watched the main party leaving the room casually noting the occasional plain clothed officer getting up and heading out before and after. Turning back to the bar he drained his drink, left a tip and set off back towards his quarters looking forwards to his first nights sleep since the sabotage. It was nice to be walking through the corridors with no sense of urgency and as he approached his room he felt the caffeine wear off and tiredness hit him.

Entering his room he sat down on his bead and took off his boots and tied his flight suit down around his waist showing off his standard issue green t shirt they wore underneath. He made a move to head to the bathroom to shave but before he even managed to get halfway across the room the intercom went off.

A gruff voice filled the room: "Captain Smith, this is Lieutenant Gilroy, Starbase Security."

Pat stopped dead and let out a groan before walking over and pressing a button on the panel by the door. "This is Smith go ahead."

"Sir, Commander Zeferino requires that your team track and recall any ship that has left the Starbase in the last thirty minutes," Gilroy passed on the orders as instructed.

"Not to be a pain but why? I can't turn them around without a reason. Freighter Captains can be a nightmare sometimes if they start to run late."

"Lieutenant Commander Kh'ali, the diplomat handling the Divitian Speaker Zee'hrai, is missing. According to the computer, she is no longer on the Starbase. I'm sure you can see the issue?"

Patrick's brain kicked into gear straight away. Kidnapping a diplomat? Someone had a death wish. "Ok I'll get everything we have up. I'll tow them back myself if I have to."

There was a low conversation on the other end of the commlink then Gilroy spoke up, "Either that or take the dogs and search each ship. Ops informs me that two freighters and three passenger ships departed in the time frame we're concerned about."

Smith thought on the dogs idea quickly and decided it may have value even if it may have been a joke. "I'll load up the runabouts as well then. Let your boss know if there's anything she needs to get in touch. I'll not be flying this one so I'll be in the flight centre."

"Great, I'll let her know. If you come upon anything, contact her, no matter the hour." Gilroy knew Zeferino would kill him for that if the Marines did find anything.

"Ok Smith out." Patrick turned and looking behind him at his boots and sighed before turning once again to the panel and hitting a buzzer to the pilot in charge of this shift. "Smith to Lieutenant T'Kyl'th."

"Yes sir go ahead," came the somewhat sleepier than wanted reply.

"Set condition red for the Fighter sections. I want every bird we have airborne inside 15 minutes. Send Ops a message and get the names and positions of the last 5 ships to depart. They should be two freighters and 3 passenger ships." He stopped to make sure that was everything. "Ah yes I want two runabouts ready to head towards each of the ships in case they refuse to turn around and all traffic currently at the base to hold position. The incoming needs to stop well out side of transporter range as well."

T'kyl'th could be heard barking the orders as they were given to him. "Done sir. See you in ten," he replied before he signed off.

Patrick walked over to the replicator. "Hello old friend. Yet another coffee black." He watched it materialize in front of him, and grabbing it he took a large gulp before heading and quickly suiting up again. It took him just 4 minutes to get to the fighter deck thanks to his room being so close. As he arrived he could already see other pilots and mechanics running into the room to start prepping the craft, some looking more awake than others. Passing on particularly tired looking 2nd Lieutenant Smith stopped him, handed him the rest of the coffee before proceeding on to the control room where he promptly replicated another for himself.

Lieutenant T'Kyl'th turned around as the boss was getting his coffee. "Sir we have the locations of all the ships and sent out an early message to them requesting them to turn around. Four have agreed but one of the passenger ships has refused."

Smith moved to the console in the centre and pulled up the 3D war map of the base and all the ships. "Ok mark that ship as red, designation Sierra 1. I want 5 Valkyries out and glued to each of the other 4 and I want another 10 out to turn that one around." He caught Jad entering from the corner of his eye. "Good timing. Did you hear that last bit?"

"Yes sir. 10 Valkyries out to the passenger ship. You want me to lead?" he asked knowing the answer full well.

"Yep sure do. If your fighter isn't ready grab mine. It's always prepped." Smith turned back to the war map as Jad exited. Another long night for the fighter crews but that's what it meant to be fighter jocks.

---

30 Minutes Later - Fighter squadron in formation with Passenger Ship

The command room was a flurry of activity by this stage. With every fighter on the base as well as the runabouts up flying it meant that a lot of staff were present to coordinate them. Smith was only concerned however with one controller and that was the one monitoring comms between the base and Jads flight. While Smith could hear it himself he could also hear every other piece of chatter and so having someone say it loudly over the top was helpful even though usually not needed.

"Sit Jad reports that the Passenger ship refuses to turn around as it has a deadline to meet and a docking berth to reach. The Captain has contacted his boss and the boss won't let him turn about." There was something to be said about these guys. They gave everything back as straight and always with what was needed.

"Ok tell Jad to tell the Captain that a Federation Officer has been kidnapped and as such the ship must turn around and return to the base." The entire room went silent save for the comm chatter. Smith had kept the reasons close for now to avoid panic but the Captain needed to know how serious it was. "Corporal now please."

"Oh yes of course sorry sir." He busily set off passing the information across. The seconds seemed to tick away as they waited for a response but when it did came it was just getting worse. The Captain merely assured Jad that the officer was not on board and that he had no reason to stop. "Sir orders for Jad?"

"Yes I know," Patrick snapped back the lack of sleep showing. "Ok tell Jad to give one last warning or he will open fire. If he doesn't I want a 3 torpedo salvo across the bow of the ship."

"Aye sir," the reply immediate this time from the young corporal. Now back to the waiting game. Again the time ticked on this time for even longer before the comms channel came through.

"Jad to control. Passenger ship is turning about. One pissed off CO though," he added with a chuckle.

"Good job. Fly him in and keep a group with him. It's up to security now to do the leg work." Now finally some sleep he thought. Turning to one of the command Lieutenants he gave his last few orders for the night, "Ok set up a rotation so that pilots swap with the relief's so that no more than 10 fighters are down at any one time. If anyone wakes me without a good reason they can expect to find themselves in an airlock. Goodnight." And with that Patrick set off once again in search of the land of nod if only for a few hours until undoubtedly security or someone would call. None the less it was something.

A Post By

Marine Captain Patrick Smith
Now sleeping at last
CAG

&

Lieutenant Gilroy
Passing the Buck
Security