Subject: Grail: "The Great Brightness" - Distress Call
<<Stardate: 47307.31- 10:00>>
<<Main Bridge>>
Captain Epic Terrakian sat still, reading the incoming reports that
all duty officers were filing at half-hour intervals. Those that
concerned him were the reports from Engineering and Sciences. The
shields were suffering a constant and powerful drain because of the
unrelenting and conflicting pressures of the star cluster. And Sciences
was reporting a massive build up of baryon particles on the ships hull.
Ordinarily, it might take a few months for baryon particles to
accumulate to the degree that the Grail was suffering after only a
couple of hours exposed to the Great Brightness. Epic only hoped that
Kerestia was stable enough a place to off-load the crew for a while. The
ship needed a baryon sweep to free them from the alarming contamination
and the high frequency plasma `bath' required to decontaminate was fatal
to organic tissue. The entire ship would need to be evacuated for the
procedure.
Of course, if Kerestia was what it was when T'Nek left it, they
should be able to find a nice quiet place for everyone to `picnic' while
the necessary decontamination was affected.
Epic looked away from the reports and rubbed his eyes. Watching the
Bridge crew, Epic started feeling that they were finally meshing as a
team. Hopefully, things would only get better.
"Sir...", Lt. Fionn called from Tactical. "I'm picking up a
distress beacon." His tone suggested incredulity.
"Can we identify them?", Epic asked.
"Negative, sir. Sensors are unreliable while dealing with so many
distortion fields. Perhaps if we got closer....", Fionn suggested.
Epic nodded. "Mr. DeMontigny. Adjust course to intercept."
"Aye, Captain.", DeMontigny replied. `Why did Starfleet protocol
always sound so sarcastic coming from him?', Epic thought, then
shrugged. That was just `Francois', and Epic liked him just the way he
was.
After a few minutes, Fionn reported. "It's an escape pod, sir. It's
using all its thruster power to fight the gravity of the nearby Blue
Dwarf. It will be drawn into the corona in 7 minutes unless its
thrusters fail."
Epic tapped his communicator. "Terrakian to Velaj. Chief, I need
you to get a lock on the occupant of that escape pod you will be
receiving the coordinates of.", Epic nodded for Fionn to transmit them.
=^=Because of the interference, I am unable to get a fix on the
occupant.=^=, the stoic Andorian replied. "I can, though, bring the
entire pod on board.=^ "Do it.", Epic looked to Brinn as he closed the channel. "Major.
Alert Security and meet them in the Main ShuttleBay. Let's find out who
our `guest' is."
Brinn nodded and rose.
=^=I got it, Captain.=^=, Velaj reported. =^=Where do you want
it?=^ "Main ShuttleBay, thank you, lieutenant."
<<Main ShuttleBay>>
Arda Kaje was not made aware of her new arrival until it
materialised in her hangar. At the same moment, Major Brinn entered with
Lt. Castle, En. Charr, and another pair of Security Officers that she
did not know.
A second later, a half dozen Marines entered and fell in around the
pod without a word. Arda recognized Jeb Kirby from their poker game.They
all looked to the young-seeming woman for approval. She nodded minutely
in acknowledgement. For a Marine, it was all the direction they needed.
As they settled into position, the hatch of the pod opened with a
hiss of an atmospheric seal breaking. And stepping from the pod came a
Romulan woman of proud bearing, wearing the rank insignia of
SubCommander. She stood tall, almost regally, and looked at the woman
who seemed to be in charge. To Brinn she said, "I am Subcommander
Thalissa of the Warbird R'Larn. I am at your mercy."
And as the Romulan looked at Brinn, she was certain that the pretty
young woman had no idea what the word `mercy' meant.