By Commander Salvek
80301.16
Following Making Our Stand
80301.16
Following Making Our Stand
Ship's Log, Supplemental.
Despite my protest, the Captain has assembled a boarding party made of members of our crew and the Executor's. Commander Reece has returned from Sickbay, and is the lone senior officer on the bridge besides myself. Ensign Nimue Andraste remains at the Serendipity helm. Lair Kellyn and February Grace remain in Sickbay under the supervision of Doctor Terasha. Avery Breaux remains in command of Engineering.
All other senior staff members are assembling with the Captain to board the Gauntlet.
Our orders are simple, we are to find any way possible, either through coercion or force, to get the Gauntlet to lower her shields for transport. End Log.
-=Bridge of the Sera=-
"Commander," Ensign Talbot, filling in for the absent Lieutenant Blakeslee, finally announced what everyone knew was coming. "I have the Gauntlet on long range sensors."
"What is their status?"
"Shields are up, weapons fully charged, speed, Warp 9.8." Talbot said.
"Maybe they really really really want to trade something at the station?" Reece said, hopefully.
"We are being hailed." Tenney stated from Communications.
"On screen, but return audio only from our side." Salvek said.
[That was a good trick, Captain Zanh. I underestimated your crew. No more parlor games. If you value the lives aboard your ship, you will surrender upon our arrival.] Admiral Spangler sounded upset to say the least.
"I am sorry, Captain Zanh is not available. I am First Officer, Commander Salvek. We request that you stand down, there is no reason why this situation needs to dissolve into a battle between sister ships."
[Is that why you are not transmitting visually? What is your Captain up to now?]
"She is attending to matter below decks. Again, I request that you stand down."
[No deal.]
Spangler cut off the communiqué.
"I guess getting them to stand down peacefully is out of the question." Reece said. "Maybe if we offer him a month of free HBO he'll listen."
Ensign Andraste spun in her chair at the helm towards Salvek, and raised her hand sheepishly. “Hi.”
“You wish to speak Ensign?” Salvek asked.
“Yeah, so here’s the thing, Captain.”
“Commander.” Salvek corrected her.
“Right, so, why don’t we just give them what they want? I mean is there any reason we should get blown to bits over all this?”
“Ensign, the Alchemy information is too important to sacrifice unless it is a last resort to protect the lives of the crew.” Salvek said.
“Buuuuuuuuuut,” Nimue dragged the word out, casting her eyes up at the ceiling as she spoke. “Doesn’t the Captain just need to get their shields down? I mean we aren’t really going to have to give it to them, just offer it.”
“Almost like a Trojan horse! Except instead...” Reece was cut off by Nimue.
“Instead of a horse we’re using a box of chips and instead of Trojans we’ve got a surprise lead by a Bajoran. Same thing really.”
“But, that’s what I was going to say.” Reece said, his lips curling up into a sneer.
“Sorry!” Nimue grinned and cheerfully spun back around in her chair. Reece harrumphed and went back to his Science station.
“Salvek to Security. Retrieve the Alchemy data chips and bring them to the transporter room. I’ll inform that Captain of our plan.”
As Salvek explained the plan to Zanh Liis, Talbot tracked the Gauntlet. The ship was mere moment away now and showed no sign that they intended to do anything other than open fire the moment they dropped out of Warp.
Gibraltar station was lightly armed and too far away to provide them anything other than an eyewitness account of their deaths. The only thing the Sera had going for it tactically was that Spangler could not completely destroy them, at least not until he got his information.
Salvek concluded his conversation with Liis, just as Talbot announced that the Gauntlet had arrived.
“Hail them again. Audio only.” Salvek ordered.
“They are responding.”
[Unless you are calling to surrender, I’m not interested.]
“The Captain has authorized me to end this altercation. The Alchemy data is in our transporter room right now awaiting you.”
[Yeah, and as soon as we lower our shields, your ship attacks.] Spangler said.
“You have my word, the Serendipity will not fire on you. Mr. Talbot, please power down all our weapons, and lower the shields.”
While Vulcans were incapable of lying, there was certainly no reason they ever felt obligated to offer up specific information that was not requested. Salvek was completely truthful with Spangler in that the Alchemy data was in the transporter room. However, he felt no need to specify that there were scores of officers in the transporter rooms as well.
Salvek, true to his word, had no intention of attacking Spangler’s ship with the Sera’s weapons either, and could hardly be held responsible for Spangler not being completely thorough with his line of questioning. There was no inquiry about whether an attack was coming in the form of a boarding party, so logically Salvek had no reason to reply to a question that was never asked.
Salvek heard Spangler discussing the situation with someone on his own ship.
[Confirm their shields and weapons are offline, and the Alchemy data is in the transporter room.]
[Confirmed, Admiral.]
[No sign of any bombs along with the data? Or some kind of booby trap?] Spangler asked.
[No sir, the box reads clean.]
[Very well, you have a deal Commander Salvek. I’m glad Zanh Liis came to her senses. Lower our shields, Lieutenant.]
Salvek gave the “mute” signal to Tenney by slashing his finger across his throat.
“Channel closed.”
“Salvek to Zanh, their shields are down. You may commence transport.”
**************************
Commander Salvek
Executive Officer
USS Serendipity NCC-2012
Commander Salvek
Executive Officer
USS Serendipity NCC-2012