#67 Time to Move

Posted on Fri Mar 31st, 2023 @ 5:29pm by Captain Rogue Green {Meji} & Warrant Officer Shannon Money {Meji} & Lieutenant Tara Herculoid PhD

Mission: Vanished
Location: USS Euphrates
Timeline: current

ON:

Green had the Euphrates ready to launch and that was when Herculoid showed up saying she was ready to go. "Glad to hear it," stated Green, her mind more business-like and on point, so her responses reflected the emotional content.

"I'm here, Commander," said a female voice coming up behind Tara as the Diplo Chief was mounting the steps to enter the runabout. Looking around Herculoid, Green could see Ensign Jazmin Al-Sahir. Both officers got aboard so Green tapped the key and closed the hatch.

"Here," said Green, relinquishing the pilot's seat. "Your chair, Ensign. I'll be busy with other things while we're moving.

Al-Sahir gave a nod and sat down, going over the console.

Green moved to the aft Bridge standing station, tapping keys as she locked the transporter onto a case she needed brought over. Activating the device, and seeing on the monitor it had arrived in the aft section, Green closed down the transporter.

Tara took a seat next to the pilot, her helmet in her lap as she waited for take off. "Commander when we get to the fighter would you like for me to bring it back to the Amandora or the star base? We'll find Dwight, I promise." looking to the pilot "When we get to the fighter please come alongside so I can beam aboard and see what happened to Captain Rivers."

Jazmin gave nods to Herculoid, keeping her eyes on her station while doing so. In Starfleet, coming alongside meant a 40,000 kilometer distance, if need be, with average transporter range. But, she understood what the Lieutenant meant, and would let the woman see the fighter with her own eyes. She lifted off and got the ship moving.

Green had gone in the back and moved the large rectangular case/chest over to the side, against a bulkhead, and strapped it in place. Returning to the Bridge she saw they were well on their way to Money's last known location. "Tara, to answer your query. Nothing goes to the starbase until we know for certain who is doing what to whom. Aside from the small craft already allowed, we don't need more losses of equipment." Then, to the other statement made by Tara. "As for Dwight, I will find him."

"Commander, Ro, once I'm aboard the fighter and make sure it's okay I'll help look for Dwight as well as try to figure out what happened to Alesha, that fighter if need be has a lot of fire power," Tara said.

"You work on Rivers, I'll work on Bachman," said Green. "And, what you just said about the fighter is why it needs to come back to Amandora, not to the starbase. We can't afford to let more of our FED tech fall into enemy hands."

Tara nodded "Your right, I just was offering to help. Hopefully the fighter will tell me something. But you need help you let me know and I'll be there as fast as I can get there."

Green gave a nod to Tara, along with a slight grin turning up in one corner of her mouth. "I have a sample of the soil we ascertained on Amandora. I have the perfect companion to help me hunt down the exact location. Plus, I have Ensign Al-Sahir to accompany me on this little jaunt. It goes against every grain in my being to sit on my hands while others are suffering. We will get our people back and, we will put an end to whatever is going on out here."

Tara got to her feed, tucked her helmet under her arm and walked back to where Ro was and placed her hand on the commander shoulder and gave it a squeeze "We'll find Dwight and Alesha, I may not have the combat experience Alesha does but I can kick ass in that fighter if I have to. I'm here if needed."

"Damn right we'll find them," stated Green. She moved away from Tara to see to other stations briefly. "If I have to stay behind in Euphrates to make sure we get all our people back, then that's what I shall do."

"Not alone, you won't," said Jazmin. "You got a pilot and a companion for that, Commander."

"Thank you, Ensign." Green gave them both a crooked grin. "The Core tells me there is more going on out here than meets the eye-or several other senses, for that matter. But, it is more than one..." Her voice trailed off as she closed her eyes briefly and reached out with the Core "...three parties with malevolent intent." Her eyes opened again.

"I won't be far away either, I'll scout things, see what the fighter tells me and be here to help you as well. If Alesha did fire the phasers on the fighter I can have them recharged in no time," Tara said "I still cannot quite get a feel for Antis, part of me wants to believe him while the other part says he's hiding something. Ro how many more are you thinking could be out here?"

"The Core works in mysterious ways," said Green. "I cannot be certain, only that my instincts tell me there is no less than three interested groups, or parties. Three different directions for anger, fear, resentment, and so forth. As for Antis, I cannot say. We left before I could meet him. Ainkara sent me a brief rundown of what was said and talked about but, not very much detail."

"We've arrived on site," announced Jazmin, sliding her runabout around a small ion micro nebula, and when it was clear they could see Alesha's fighter with Money's parked next to it out the front window.

Green stepped towards the front a few paces, looking at the two fighters, tapping her badge after a moment. "Green to Money. Respond."

"Money here, Sir." Shannon answered, and a gleeful bout of droid speak came through. "Cozzy says hi, too." They could hear Money giggling at the little automaton.

"Cosmo!" Said Green, a smile coming to her face. "Good to hear your voice, buddy. Shannon, anything unusual from your own ship scans?"

"No, Commander. The fighter is in mint condition far as I can tell."

Tara looked at Alesha's fighter for a few seconds and turned to Ro, "I'm ready to beam over," Tara put her helmet on "Shannon this is Herculoid I'm beaming over to the fighter now."

Money came back. "Gotcha, Herc. Commander, you still need Cosmo to beam over?"

"I do, yes," said Green. "He and I have a little trek to go on. His scanners will come in handy." Stepping to the standing station Green locked onto Cosmo and beamed him over. "Energizing, now." She announced. When he appeared Green dropped to her knees like one would when greeting a child, with a big smile and a hug, using her fingertips to rub his rotund body on the front. "Good to see you, Pal!" She kissed the top of his little domed head before standing to full height.

Knowing the size of the cockpit of the fighter Tara squated down and gave Cosmo a pat on the top of his head, "Tara care of her little buddy. Ro I'm ready to beam over to the fighter."

Accessing the controls again, Green set up the transport. "Energizing now." Herculoid shimmered out of sight.

Cosmo rolled up next to Al-Sahir in the pilot's seat, blurping at her. Green chuckled. "Jazmin, meet Cosmo. For lack of a better term, he's my son. Built him from scratch, completely automated, and AI sentience. He is his own little person."

Jazmin could not help but smile at the little guy, being all round and cute. "Hello, Cosmo. Jazmin Al-Sahir," she said, touching her chest to introduce herself. "Nice to meet you."

Tara materialized inside of the fighter and right into the seat, the systems were fully active. After running several scans and checks Tara tapped the coms "Commander, Shannon the fighter is fully operational. It's as if she just stepped out. I am picking up a residual trace of a transporter beam. But it's badly degraded. It seems to come from one of the large planets moons.Weapons are fully charged and they've not been fired. What ever happened to Alesha took her by surprise. What are your orders?"

Green took a few moments to think on it. "You're in fighters. Keep your shields up to block unwanted transporter locks. In the meantime I want both of you fighters to go out and begin to take orbital scans of each moon. Short range, high intensity scans of the surface of each. Topography, all of it. Get that data sent to Amandora and see what the Commodore wants to do from there. I have to prep for going down to that Class-M world where the soil sample came from. Both of you stay frosty and don't get caught unaware. Scanning the moons will take time but hopefully I'll be finished on my end by the time you folks are done."

"Understood, activating shields now," Tara responded "My weapons are on line and ready. Ready to start scans," Tara fired the thrusters and brought the fighter about. "Be careful commander and god-speed. Shannon you ready?"

Money watched Herc flip the fighter around. "I was born ready, Lieutenant." She gave a thumbs up out her cockpit window. She was a bit saddened that she would not have her chatting companion, but, Cozzy was needed elsewhere.

Green watched as the fighters got ready to begin their duty. "Both of you be careful," said Green. "No one dies today. Those are my orders. Green, out." Once the channel was cut Ro told Jazmin to head for the world she had plotted in the navcomputer.

"Now you sound like me," Tara said returning the thumbs up "Feels good to be back in a fighter again."

OFF: