Star Trek: Emergency Deep
S01 E02 “Taken”
Taken
Previously on Star Trek Adventures: Emergency Deep.
Here is the second session report from yesterday, once again in the form of a Captain’s Log written by Dan who plays the Captain Ellison.
Captain’s Log, Supplemental.
USS Östergötland (NCC-72227). Captain Greg Ellison in command.
The biggest question is why was Sally abducted?
Why wait till she boarded the USS Östergötland unless the abductor(s) were onboard. It makes sense as clearly the ship’s computer had been tampered with. As Cmdr. Drake was leading investigations in the aft torpedo, Initiated a search to search whether there were any missing crew members. Within seconds, the reassuring voice of the ship’s computer replied that all crew members were accounted for. Could it be that the abductor was still onboard?
Special uniform for the Östergötland crew
Investigation
As if to answer my question, Cmdr. Drake reported that he along with Lt. dos Santos had found the physical terminal that was used to hack the ship’s systems. I immediately ran a search pattern as to which crew member had been in the vicinity. Only one search result came up – Specialist Talas zh’Azollarh, an Andorian. Immediately I ordered Cmdr. Drake and Lt. dos Santos to intercept her. At the same time, I reported this development to the authorities on Station Alpha.
At the same time, Lt. Cmdr. Tosk in the Vänern providing air cover along with the cetacean security team searching underwater were lucky as they were able to sniff the ‘scent’ of a fleeing submersible. Based on Tosk’s best estimates, the submersible will break the surface in 50km. His skills as a Chief of Ops were apparent as he was able to even identify an approximate shape of the submersible, which looks very much like a manta ray.
I quickly ordered the Östergötland to rendezvous with the Vänern and then to intercept the submersible.
Cmdr. Drake had by then cornered Specialist Talas on Deck 6 with a security force field. The Andorian readily gave herself up without any resistance. She was then brought to the Brig for interrogation. I pulled her file and she was involved in the Dominion War and her ship, the USS Xerxes, was destroyed. She was saved by Romulans and spent three months with them before returning to the Federation. Could this be the point she began to sympathised with the Romulans? Is this a connection, I wondered at the time.
Interrogation
On a hunch, I informed Lt. Cmdr. Tosk to look for a cloaked ship of Romulan origin. Pieces are falling together as we saw no trace of the microwave emitter or a vehicle nearby, most likely it was cloaked.
The shuttle bays of the Östergötland
As Cmdr. Drake began to interrogate Talas, Security Chief Lt. Libby dos Santos intervened and mildly suggested that she had more suitable skills in making Talas talk. Apparently her methods were effective. Talas started to open her mouth not sure whether she was about to speak but certainly she seemed fearful from the intimidating dos Santos, Drake was not sure. According to dos Santos, suddenly her face became calm and Drake immediately sprung into action by trying to knock her out but unfortunately his punch did not connect 100% and gave Talas the opportunity to bite into a false tooth filled with poison. She was dead in seconds.
Pursuit
The Östergötland rendezvous with the Vänern and proceeded straight to the coordinates where the submersible will surface. Lt. Cmdr. had beamed directly to the bridge and began scanning for anything that could help track the vessel. Then we all saw a vessel resembling a mini Romulan Warbird breaking the surface of the ocean, invisible but we could discern its shape as water was running off its surface as it began its ascent. As suspected, a cloaked ship of Romulan design.
Immediately, Tosk ran a complex series of scans to track the vessel. Through an encrypted channel, I reported the incursion to Starfleet Command and sought immediate assistance to intercept the Romulan ship. Once again, Tosk managed to lock onto the steam trail of the ship as the seawater boiled away from the Romulan ship’s exhaust ports provided us a solid lock on their shop.
We had a few moments before we may lose them, I couldn’t allow them to take Sally. I had to make a decision quickly. Knowing Romulan tech, means it is likely the ship does not have its shields up and as we know their exact location for now, I decided to beam a security detail led by Cmdr. Drake and Lt. dos Santos to seize the Romulan vessel.
Engagement
The surprise was complete as the Romulans surrendered almost instantly. They were perplexed as to how the Östergötland managed to lock on to them whilst they were cloaked. They knew we managed to track them but were confident we would not be able to do anything about it. I must thank Tosk and Drake for their actions today.
Stats for the Type-9 shuttlecraft
Once we secured the bridge, Drake instructed the Romulans to drop the cloak. We then made a full sensor sweep and once we had located all the Romulans – we beamed them all to the brig and makeshift holding areas as the Östergötland is a small vessel with a limited sized brig and there were 16 of them. Our scans also revealed an unconscious Sally who was then beamed directly to Sickbay.
Starfleet had by then also responded and announced that two ships were dispatched to assist us – a Prometheus-class starship, USS Hephaestus and an Intrepid-class starship, USS Al-Muqaddasi. Whilst we still had the Romulan ship in our control and my curiosity as to the motives the Romulans may have as to abduct my sister, I ordered Drake, dos Santos and Tosk to hack the Romulan computers. As I thought I might be of help, I beamed across to assist. It took longer than expected but we managed to access their last orders before the crew from either the Hephaestus or the Al-Muqaddasi came aboard: to stealthily travel to Earth, pick up and beam the subject to their ship and escape Earth. Then, to rendezvous at a moon in the neutral zone named Pedrocal VII.
Why on earth do the Romulans want Sally?
Revelation
At the time, I didn’t know that soon this would be answered. Dr. Saladin Chau, our new Chief Medical Officer, communicated that he needed to see me at Sickbay immediately. I beamed directly along with Drake and Tosk. Upon closer examination, it appeared that both Talas and Sally were not human. They were Romulans who were altered to look like an Andorian and a human. What have the Romulans done to the real Sally? How long have they been spying all this time? I have been Captain for about half a day. There are more questions than I have answers. I wonder what Starfleet Intelligence will make of this?
It’s time I call in some favours.
End recording.
Dramatis Personae
- GM – Me
- Dan – Capt. Greg Ellison
- Ivan L – Cmdr. Morpheus Drake
- Ivan T – Lt. Cmdr. Tosk the Studious
GM’s Synopsis
I think the Majel dicebot spells “Momentum” wrong
S01E02 “Taken”
- Stardate: 58457.85 17th Jun 2381 1340 hrs UTC.
- Location: Station Alpha, New Atlantis Project, Atlantic Ocean.
USS Östergötland NCC-72227, with Capt Greg Ellison tries to determine if it was the new XO (and his sister) Cmdr Sally Ellison who was shot out of the aft torpedo tube by unknown agents.
Lt Cmdr Tosk on the shuttle Vänern scans the ocean for the torpedo/lifepod presumably with Sally inside. With the help the Cetacean security team, he detects a sinking tritanium tube 5 km away, 80 metres below.
Cmdr Morpheus Drake & Chief Duc Tran sweep the torpedo bay and find a tampered panel. They determine from records that the saboteur is Andorian engineer Specialist Talas zh’Azollarh. Drake & Security Chief Lt Libby dos Santos intercept & apprehend her successfully. Ellison orders her to be held in the brig.
The tube is beamed to Cargo Bay 1. Orion Transporter Chief Zree Tepelo finds it empty but for an oxygen mask & an intravenous drip of tranquiliser.
Aboard the Vänern, Tosk detects a submarine wake pattern allowing him to extrapolate ship shape, mass & vector. This unknown ship will surface 50 km northeast. Knowing this, Capt Ellison orders the ship to take off & follow the shuttle. After Tosk beams to the bridge, a cloaked ship bursts out of the sea into the air. Ellison immediately pegs it as Romulan.
At the brig, Specialist Talas is broken by Lt dos Santos interrogation & commits suicide by pill. Drake is unable to stop it.
Tosk is able to scan through the Romulan cloak. Ellison orders Drake & a security to beam aboard the Romulan bridge. Drake’s team surprises the Romulans thanks to Tosk’s scans & scares them enough for them to stand down, come to all stop & drop the cloak.
A Romulan CS-2 Graceful Flyer Type 21 courier in the 24th century, designed and illustrated by me
Tosk detects a non-Romulan biosignature & transports them to Sickbay. Dr. Saladin Chau visually confirms the unconscious human to be Sally Ellison.
As the Prometheus-class USS Hephaestus and Intrepid-class USS Al–Muqaddasi arrive to escort them to a secure orbital drydock, the Romulan crew are transported to the brig. Breaking the ship’s databanks, Capt Ellison finds that the Romulan ship was sent from Pedrocal VII across the Neutral Zone and is unaware of the identity of their precious cargo. As they ascend, Tosk transports the cetacean security team back aboard the ship.
Then, a worried Dr. Chau calls them all. In Sickbay, he tells them that deeper scans reveal Sally Ellison to be a disguised Romulan!
TO BE CONTINUED
