Chapter 21
First Flight
Captain Picard sat in his command chair and looked about his bridge. It had been completely altered to incorporate the new High Guard slip stream technology.
His chair was now further back on the bridge than the ships designers had originally intended. The helm and operations stations were further apart. IN the middle of the newly created space was a chair with two joysticks, one on either side with a control panel in front of it. The chair was currently de activated, meaning it had folded and sunk very slightly so that the Captain still had a unrestricted view of the main screen, but when it was activated the chair rose up and blocked his view. Obviously the first starship that was designed with slip stream technology would be different.
Andromeda had supplied them with the slip routes for the Alpha quadrant and Lt Hawk, the ships best pilot had been one of the students practising with the two Andromeda crew members.
As Picard looked at the view screen of his ship he saw DS 9 in the distance with the Andromeda herself between his ship and the station.
" Sir, we have an incoming hail from the Andromeda " Worf reported.
" On screen Mr Worf " Picard responded , while think about Worf's request to be here while the Andromeda departed.
The screen changed but instead of any of the crew appearing it was the Andromeda AI.
" Captain Picard. We are ready to proceed to the Pil'dra system. "
" Very well Andromeda, we'll be right behind you "
Andromeda raised her eyebrow and vanished from the screen
" I wonder why she did that " Picard muttered, more to herself than anyone else, but to his annoyance, Riker had overheard him
" Due to our power constraints we can only travel at roughly 1/3 of their speed while in slip stream. You just implied that we were just as powerful as she is and its not wise to annoy a sentient warship. "
" oh I see "
Before he can say anything else the Andromeda heads away from the station towards the slip stream range of the system and disappears in flash of bright light.
" Well then, I guess we have better make tracks ourselves. Number one, prepare the ship for slip stream travel "
" Aye Sir. Mr La Forge, Power to the slip stream drive, alter the SIF field for Slip stream travel. Mr Hawk, plot your course. All hands prepare for slip stream travel in 3 minutes. Secure all systems "
Lt Hawk moved from the normal helm and activate the slip chair as it rose up the young Lt climbed in and strapped himself down and then began calling up navigational charts.
" Sir, we are going to need to make three jumps, I can do the first two quickly, but are then going to have to travel on sub light engines for 3 hours before the last jump. " Hawk reported.
" That's quiet alright Mr Hawk, we can use the time between jumps to see how the ship faired"
At that point Riker reported
" All departments report ready and Geordie has the drive at 100% power "
" Very well. Mr Data, inform DS 9 that we're getting underway "
" Aye Sir...
" Just out of curiosity Mr Data, if we had to travel at high warp, how long would we need to get to there ? "
" 3 Days 1 Hour 14 minutes and 27 seconds at warp 8............. DS 9 acknowledge They wish us luck "
" Proceed at your discretion Mr Hawk"
" Aye Sir " Hawk replies as he takes hold of the slip stream handles he activates the ships intercom " All Hands, brace of slipstream in 5......4.......3........2.......1 "
On board DS 9 Admiral Ross and the ops personnel watch as the Enterprise vanishes into a flash of light, as the Andromeda had moments before.
**************************************************************************** *************
3 Hours and 3 jumps later
The Pil'dra System
The Andromeda Ascendant waited for the arrival of the Enterprise with all of its officers and crew on the command deck.
" How long before they arrive ? " Dylan asks
" Providing they had no problems they should be here within the next 14 minutes"
Dylan, Tyr and Harper stand on the command deck waiting the Federation vessel to arrive Beka then walked into command with a bottle of water in her hand.
" Why are using a system like this one anyway ? Surely it could support life?" She asks as she descends the ramp.
" Apparently the Cardassians used the system for weapons testing years and years ago, nothing will ever live in this system again so it was an obvious choice "
Before the conversation can go any further Andromeda reports
" The Enterprise has arrived "
" Very well. Contact them and invite her senior crew across one last time "
" Aye sir "
" Right then, Harper, Tyr, If you wouldn't mind, please head down to the weapons bay, I'll have Andromeda open the NOVA safe and if you would please put the weapon into the torpedo casing that they have provided us with ? "
Without a word Harper and Tyr leave the command deck. As they left Tyr gives Beka a smug grin
" Andromeda open NOVA storage bay 1. Authorisation Hunt Alpha Alpha 445454. "
" Aye, Bay open "
" Scan them, how did the ship hold up ? " Beka asks the Andromeda
" Scanning ................ They have a slight power loss, due to a hull breach on the bow effecting a power relay but that's all "
" Damn " Beka mutters, then realising that Dylan had overheard her and was waiting for an explanation
" I had a bet with Tyr that the Enterprise wouldn't have made it out this far, and it looks like I lost "
As the two officers leave the command deck to meet the Star Fleeters Dylan asks
" So what's the forfit ? "
" Looks like I'm going to get a lot of bridge time logged "
" Really, how much ? " Dylan asks laughing
Beka gives him a look
" About a month of night shifts "
First Flight
Captain Picard sat in his command chair and looked about his bridge. It had been completely altered to incorporate the new High Guard slip stream technology.
His chair was now further back on the bridge than the ships designers had originally intended. The helm and operations stations were further apart. IN the middle of the newly created space was a chair with two joysticks, one on either side with a control panel in front of it. The chair was currently de activated, meaning it had folded and sunk very slightly so that the Captain still had a unrestricted view of the main screen, but when it was activated the chair rose up and blocked his view. Obviously the first starship that was designed with slip stream technology would be different.
Andromeda had supplied them with the slip routes for the Alpha quadrant and Lt Hawk, the ships best pilot had been one of the students practising with the two Andromeda crew members.
As Picard looked at the view screen of his ship he saw DS 9 in the distance with the Andromeda herself between his ship and the station.
" Sir, we have an incoming hail from the Andromeda " Worf reported.
" On screen Mr Worf " Picard responded , while think about Worf's request to be here while the Andromeda departed.
The screen changed but instead of any of the crew appearing it was the Andromeda AI.
" Captain Picard. We are ready to proceed to the Pil'dra system. "
" Very well Andromeda, we'll be right behind you "
Andromeda raised her eyebrow and vanished from the screen
" I wonder why she did that " Picard muttered, more to herself than anyone else, but to his annoyance, Riker had overheard him
" Due to our power constraints we can only travel at roughly 1/3 of their speed while in slip stream. You just implied that we were just as powerful as she is and its not wise to annoy a sentient warship. "
" oh I see "
Before he can say anything else the Andromeda heads away from the station towards the slip stream range of the system and disappears in flash of bright light.
" Well then, I guess we have better make tracks ourselves. Number one, prepare the ship for slip stream travel "
" Aye Sir. Mr La Forge, Power to the slip stream drive, alter the SIF field for Slip stream travel. Mr Hawk, plot your course. All hands prepare for slip stream travel in 3 minutes. Secure all systems "
Lt Hawk moved from the normal helm and activate the slip chair as it rose up the young Lt climbed in and strapped himself down and then began calling up navigational charts.
" Sir, we are going to need to make three jumps, I can do the first two quickly, but are then going to have to travel on sub light engines for 3 hours before the last jump. " Hawk reported.
" That's quiet alright Mr Hawk, we can use the time between jumps to see how the ship faired"
At that point Riker reported
" All departments report ready and Geordie has the drive at 100% power "
" Very well. Mr Data, inform DS 9 that we're getting underway "
" Aye Sir...
" Just out of curiosity Mr Data, if we had to travel at high warp, how long would we need to get to there ? "
" 3 Days 1 Hour 14 minutes and 27 seconds at warp 8............. DS 9 acknowledge They wish us luck "
" Proceed at your discretion Mr Hawk"
" Aye Sir " Hawk replies as he takes hold of the slip stream handles he activates the ships intercom " All Hands, brace of slipstream in 5......4.......3........2.......1 "
On board DS 9 Admiral Ross and the ops personnel watch as the Enterprise vanishes into a flash of light, as the Andromeda had moments before.
**************************************************************************** *************
3 Hours and 3 jumps later
The Pil'dra System
The Andromeda Ascendant waited for the arrival of the Enterprise with all of its officers and crew on the command deck.
" How long before they arrive ? " Dylan asks
" Providing they had no problems they should be here within the next 14 minutes"
Dylan, Tyr and Harper stand on the command deck waiting the Federation vessel to arrive Beka then walked into command with a bottle of water in her hand.
" Why are using a system like this one anyway ? Surely it could support life?" She asks as she descends the ramp.
" Apparently the Cardassians used the system for weapons testing years and years ago, nothing will ever live in this system again so it was an obvious choice "
Before the conversation can go any further Andromeda reports
" The Enterprise has arrived "
" Very well. Contact them and invite her senior crew across one last time "
" Aye sir "
" Right then, Harper, Tyr, If you wouldn't mind, please head down to the weapons bay, I'll have Andromeda open the NOVA safe and if you would please put the weapon into the torpedo casing that they have provided us with ? "
Without a word Harper and Tyr leave the command deck. As they left Tyr gives Beka a smug grin
" Andromeda open NOVA storage bay 1. Authorisation Hunt Alpha Alpha 445454. "
" Aye, Bay open "
" Scan them, how did the ship hold up ? " Beka asks the Andromeda
" Scanning ................ They have a slight power loss, due to a hull breach on the bow effecting a power relay but that's all "
" Damn " Beka mutters, then realising that Dylan had overheard her and was waiting for an explanation
" I had a bet with Tyr that the Enterprise wouldn't have made it out this far, and it looks like I lost "
As the two officers leave the command deck to meet the Star Fleeters Dylan asks
" So what's the forfit ? "
" Looks like I'm going to get a lot of bridge time logged "
" Really, how much ? " Dylan asks laughing
Beka gives him a look
" About a month of night shifts "
