Message #316359

[Flipz]

**GM Note: Kojan (the character) has yet to speak up.  Unless Kojan (the user) informs me otherwise, Kojan (the character) is now part of the Defense Group.**

==Bridge==
--(Story Post)--

“All hands, brace for impact!”

“Sir, main hull integrity down twenty percent.”

“Shields?”

“3% of normal capacity. Remodulating now!”

“Brace yourselves!”

The bridge shook, but not as nearly as bad as last time.  The Nuparu’s bridge crew took the brief respite to return to their normal stations; the initial volley had tossed the crew around the bridge, and before this pause they couldn’t afford the extra few seconds it took to get back.

“Andre, remodulate your shield frequency every third shot.  They’ve gotten into a nasty habit of using our anti-Borg strategies against us.”

“Hans, three spheres approaching us on the lower port bow.  13.6537 seconds to impa--”

“On it.  Commander, I need extra power to the maneuvering thrusters.”

“9.4986 seconds--”

“Are you crazy, Sulu?!  You’re going to get us all killed!  Bank AWAY from them!!”

“4.63--”

“Just do it!”

“2...1...”

Just as the Nuparu was about to collide with the Borg vessels, Sulu put the ship into a tight spin.  The Nuparu missed the spheres by meters; the spheres themselves were not so lucky.
Sulu’s cry of victoy died in his throat when he saw what lay ahead of them.  T’Sing, calm as always, reported his readings.

“Captain, I am reading severe subspace distortions emanating from the Borg structure.  I believe it is a transwarp conduit.”

“Sir!  We’re being hailed by the I.R.S. Charvanek, from Empress Sela’s escort.  Sir, the Borg are on the verge of breaking through to the Empress.”
 
“Bridge to transporter room, how long until we’re within transporter range of Empress Sela’s escort?”

“Sir, it’ll take us at least 60 seconds to get within range, and then we’ll have to lower shields for at least-”

“Outta the way, chump.”  Even over the comm, Chief O’Realley’s voice was unmistakable.  “Twenty-eight seconds, tops.  Less if we drop shields now.”

“Commander Wi--” Flipz began, then reconsidered.  “Mr. T’Sing, you and Chief O’Realley will beam over to the Charvanek and coordinate the dispatch of Engineering teams to Empress Sela’s escort.  Mr. Norton, send your teams to the aft shuttlebay.”

T’Sing nodded and headed to the turbolift.  Pavlov stood as well.  “Sir, they’re taking a beating.  If I go over there, I can coordinate their shield inverters to--”

“No, I need you on the bridge.”

“I’ll go, Captain.”  The words came from Cadet Hikari.  “On the bridge, we cadets are dead weight.  Out there--”

Flipz’ hesitation at the man’s youth lasted all of a moment.  “Go.”

Cadet Hikari rushed to the turbolift, but had to stand aside for a group of his fellow cadets who, forgotten in the chaos, had decided to come to the captain for orders.  That’s when it struck him.

‘Children’ Flipz thought.  ‘I’m leading a ship full of officers who are practically children.’
‘You’re no wise elder yourself,’ his more cynical side noted.
Flipz studied the cadets, many of whom seemed to have armed themselves.  Rather heavily, at that.  An idea began to form in his mind.  He glanced at the Borg vessels on the main viewer, then back to the cadets.
“Hey, Cadets,” he began, “You up for a crazy scheme with million-to-one odds?”

Just then, the world exploded.
 
When the viewscreen belatedly dimmed the burst of light, it took Captain Flipz and the others a moment to realize they weren’t dead.

“Damage report!”

“Superficial shrapnel damage, slight drain to shields, sir.  We weren’t the target.”

“Then who in blazes was?”

Just then, the battle-scarred hulk of the Romulan Warbird Charvanek rolled in space, revealing a caping yet surgically-precise hole blasted clean through the ship.  The vessel would have lost its atmosphere even before the automatic safeguards kicked in--if the Romulans had them in the first place.  Several cadets invoked the name of their deities.

Lt. Sulu joined them.  “Steve Jobs protect us...if the Borg can do that to a warbird...we’re doomed.”

Counsellor Riker made a mental note to question Sulu on his...unusual choice of deity.  Nearby, she heard Chief Engineer Norton bite back a curse.  “The subspace feedback from that...thing must have rattled something in our comm. systems.  I’m getting an unchecked power flux in Engineering, and I can’t raise them on intraship.  I’m going to have to go down there.”

“I’ll go with you,” Riker offered.

“Me, too, I want to take a crack at it,” Sulu piped up as he stood from the helm.  A cadet quickly took his place.

“Sulu, wait-” Flipz began, but the three were already gone.  He frowned, but let it pass.  He returned his attention to the group of cadets.  “Alright, listen.  There’s too many Borg ships, and they’re too tough to blow up with Federation--or even Romulan--weapons.  So, what do you say we beam over and infiltrate a Borg--”

“Sir, the Borg--targeting lock--our SHIELDS--they--!”

A shimmer of cyan light later, Flipz blinked to try to see his new surroundings.  “--ship?” he finished lamely.

INTERMISSION: END OF ACT I