Chapter Three.
Starfleet, Regional Command.
Starbase Forty-Seven.
Office of Rear Admiral, Graham Alderman.
An aging man, in the almost twilight years of his Starfleet career had spent the majority of the recent war, as director of regional fleet operations in the sector, for Starfleet Command. Having chosen one of the most secure sectors in the Federation, beyond that of the core worlds to commence such an experimental war-game scenario, an over-confidant flag officer sat behind his large oak desk as he read the reports on the ongoing war-game which had commenced outside of his very office window with the launch of the largest fleet assembled since the costly war had ended. A sense of anger, rippled through the grey haired, grizzled featured man at the would be, humiliating defeat of his own fleet, at the hands of nothing more than a science ship and an officer not only several ranks below his own, a Commander? But one with the most unusual Starfleet file to have crossed his desk since his promotion to Rear Admiral, before the outbreak of the brief war with the Klingon Empire,
"Hailey Dodge, how the hell did she get past My fleet?"
"Talking to yourself, again Graham?" A deep and powerful, Southern American voice called out, as a tall man entered his office. "Sit, please. This is your office"
"Admiral Pollox, I take it that it was your idea, to put your God-daughter on that ship?"
"Word travels fast. I knew that she was the best officer for the job. Hailey can handle herself. Looking a little sore Graham"
"I've never lost a war game, Sir. I don't intend on loosing this one. Coffee?"
"Yes, thank you. Black, no sweeteners"
From his desk, Admiral Alderman pour out another mug of strong, hot coffee as his guest and superior officer sat in the seat before him. Slowly picking up the cup to smell and taste the coffee, a slight smile and nod crept over his face in agreement at the choice of hot beverage in his own hands.
"Don't tell me this is replicated"
"Not a chance. I set aside a spot in the arboretum where I have some plants growing, this is authentic Arabica coffee made from real beans and spices" He called out, with pride in his eyes.
"Never could get used to that Klingon slop, they call coffee. Now, onto why I am here…"
"I was wandering about that. What do you need Sir?"
"By now, everyone knows that the USS Mercury is the target vessel for this little game. I have come directly from command? Under orders from the Fleet Admiral, to inform you and only you? Of what that ship, really is. What do you know, about the Nova class?"
"Mid-range Science vessel, eight decks high, warp eight maximum speed, crew of around eighty. Originally designed to be an escort vessel, but the prototypes failed to live up to the advertisement and as such, relegated to the Science role"
"Very good Graham. Not the Mercury, she was… redesigned during the war for one purpose. To fulfil that once role as an escort vessel. With recent advancements, the ship is not capable of speeds in access of warp nine. She also boasts an impressive array of weaponry which included, two forwards facing, dual pulse phaser cannons, identical to those used on the Defiant class starships. Actually? They came from a heavily damaged, Defiant class, modified of course. The Mercury, was originally the third prototype of that original design"
"Are you telling me sir, that that ship? Is a tactical escort, disguised as a science vessel?" Admiral Alderman called out, in shock as his jaw almost fell open.
"I am, and she is. Mercury and Hailey Dodge, are the perfect blend of ship and captain. Small, fast, agile, intelligent and never to be underestimated. I know that you're in line for the open Vice Admiral spot, Graham? The reason why I am telling you this, is because I want You… to personally take command of the capture of the Mercury and her crew. Your orders have already been sent to the Orlando, they are awaiting your arrival. This will go a long way, to cementing your promotion"
"Admiral, I haven't been on the bridge of a Starship in five years. Why me?" Admiral Alderman asked, with a slight smile.
"Simple, you used to be one of the best. Take command, of this search Admiral. Those are you orders, directly from the Admiralty. Excellent coffee, thank you. And um, Graham…?" Pollox replied as he stood, took a long drink from his coffee, before placing the half empty mug on Alderman's desk. "… Good Luck. Hailey Dodge, is one of the finest. Do not under any circumstances, underestimate her"
A good night's rest, a hot cup of coffee and small breakfast which I shared with the crew in the messhall later, I was back on the bridge of my first command. The one thing that I had realised that I didn't have on the ship? Was a first officer. Since the assigned first officer had quit the ship, along with half of the crew. On the outside? The Mercury was a science ship, but on the inside she was tactical escort vessel and that required someone special to take up the roll of first officer. Very few people had remained behind, and they where all below the rank of Lieutenant, many where even enlisted personnel actually. Although we didn't really anticipate any form of real combat, there was one person on the ship, whom had nothing to do, beyond pace around in a circle. The Doctor herself. I knew her, from the Academy as we had been good friends, until a misunderstanding, but she was the senior most officer on the ship, other than myself. So I made my choice.
"You wanted to see me, Hailey?"
"Of course, Sara thanks for coming up here. Take a seat…" I called out, as I pointed to the First Officer's seat and her eyes opened wide with fear.
"Oh no, not a chance in hell Hailey. I am not taking that seat…"
"Sara? Other than myself, you're the senior most officer on this ship. I need someone I know, to sit in that seat"
"You're not listening to me, as you always did. You got me a small, temporary medical staff, from Enterprise and I thank you for that, but I am a Doctor, not a First Officer. What about him…"
I saw that Sara, just pointed to someone at random, as I knew that she was just trying to get out of the position. Actually? Her choice did make sense in a way.
"Me, Sir? No, I'm just a pilot. A helm officer…"
"Jonny, Jonny…? I need a First Officer for this one. It would only be for a few days, just until this game is over"
"I'm only an Ensign…" The young, blonde haired man protested, instantly.
"I was only a Junior Lieutenant, barely a month out of the Academy, when I was thrown in at the deep end, and on a several times larger ship than this one. I know that there are others on this ship whom have a higher rank? But I need someone in that position, someone to have my back when we go up against the entire fleet. Those other officers, are busy. Double as my first officer? And I'll call in a few favours and make you formally, a full lieutenant when this is over"
"Am I going to regret this?"
"Perhaps…" Sara called out, with a slight smile.
"Most definitely…" I replied, with a similar smile.
"Alright, just until this, whatever it is? Is over and then I go back to the helm"
"Nice. Attention All hands. Effective as of this moment, Jonathon Parker? Will take up the position as Acting First Officer for the duration of this assignment. Bridge, out!"
"You know Hailey? Some are going to hate you for that one?"
"It's a long list of people, Sara. Now, I don't know about you guys? But I'm tired of looking at the inside of this old hanger bay, it's depressing the hell out of me. We move out, in two hours. By that time, the fleet will have spread out looking for us anyway"
I couldn't have been closer to the truth, when I said that the fleet had spread out to search for us, they where all over the engagement zone and actively searching every little hiding place, especially the bone yard where we had hidden. It had become almost impossible to move anywhere without a ship appearing on our long range sensors, hell? We had to even fight our way out of one or two situations. Luckily for us, they where smaller ships, Steamrunner and another Nova class vessels, which we took on with ease, thanks only to the surprise of our new forward cannons. Although our weapons had been set on their lowest possible setting and the computers on all ships, would record the damage and the ships would react accordingly? Our projected damage from those combat situations, hadn't really injured the ship much, but we had become sluggish when on impulse drive, to port. Simulated damage to the other ships had reported that we had crippled one and destroyed the other, those ships where out of the fight until the completion of the scenario and was ordered, by the Enterprise to return to Starbase 47, to sit out the remainder of the games. That's when the fleet, changed their tactics. As expected.
"What the hell are they doing now?" Sara called out, as she sat at the Sciences station, basically for something to do. "They're travelling so fast, and banging away on their sensors so hard? They could pass by a supernova explosion and not see it"
"I've seen this before, I used a similar tactic during the war. We where searching for a Cardassian fighter group. We sent out a wing of fighters to plough the area, with sensors banging away, just as they are now…"
"Why?"
"Simple, Sara? They where pushing that wing of fighters, towards a predetermined location. At that time? It was an asteroid field where a cloaked Klingon Bird of Prey was waiting with the Long Beach. They are doing the same tactic, with us. Now, where do they want us to go? Show me this sector on the main screen please?"
I could see it, we all saw it. It was almost perfect but for what had looked like a small corridor, between the ships. It was too perfect actually, and just large enough for us to slip through undetected. But, what was awaiting us on the other side of that long line of ships, another ship, a small fleet perhaps? It just didn't feel right, not only to myself, but the crew on the bridge also. As if in answers to our prayers at that time? A solution presented itself, in the form of a large, very large, civilian vessel which had begun to pass just inside of the containment zone. The problem was, getting to that ship as we would be easily seen by one of those ships at the rear of the formation.
"Contact! On the outer edge of the system. Looks like, a civilian cargo ship…" Cried out Sara, from the Science station, with a slight smile as she knew my idea.
"Confirm the target, Sara and please, calm yourself?"
"Target, confirmed. It's a Hauler, the Arkansas Prize. Searching the database for her flight plan… SB-47..."
"Alright, the Prize it is then. We make our run towards that ship, maximum burn and don't leave anything out…" I called out, before Jonny, my young and inexperienced first officer spoke out, with a slight smile.
"To do what, Hailey? The moment we power make our move, those other ships will see us and move in for the kill. We can't out run the entire fleet. See that ship, upper left quadrant? That's the USS Galaxy…"
"Yes, I know. We make our run towards the Prize. They'll detect us for awhile, but that won't last, once we're inside of the Prize's warp field. The size of that ship, will mask our signature"
"Hailey, are you crazy? They'll torpedo us, before we even get close to that Hauler"
"If we break now, at maximum burn and run like hell? We're smaller and faster, they'll have their own inertia to deal with and once we're inside of that ship's own field? All they'll see is that Hauler"
"Inside. And just how am I supposed to do that, ask them to give us a ride?" Jonny called out, with laughter from the helm.
"Hardly, we go right between their nacelles. Directly in the centre. The fleet will see us, we'll break up for a moment, then all they'll pick up? Will be the Hauler. You can do this, Jonny. I read your file, I know that you're an expert pilot. You can do this…"
Hiding between the four warp nacelles of the Arkansas Prize, was a dangerous tactic for any ship as being in the wrong place, the radiation from the nacelles could cause serious damage to the Mercury. Since had we raised our shields, the impact would be recording by the Hauler's own sensors and as such, reported back to the pursuing fleet. Confining our small crew to the innermost sections of the Mercury, away from the outer hull, was the only way to ensure their safety and once inside? A modified shield frequency was implemented, and our shields raised to protect the crew from the radiation produced by the massive hauler. At the slow speed of warp two, we knew that it would take the Hauler, twelve hours to reach SB-47. And hidden inside of the ship's own warp field? We just hoped that none of their crew would look out of the window. I had one more, very delicate move to make to insure that that would not happen.
"Alright, this is where the fun begins. Open frequency 401 terahertz and encode with cipher 014"
"Hailey, that's a civilian frequency?"
"I know. Open the frequency, please"
"Channel, open"
"Attention, Arkansas Prize. This is the Starfleet vessel, USS Mercury transmitting a Code One-Alpha. Do you read me?"
'USS Who?'
"Mercury, I am Captain Dodge. Am I speaking with Joseph Jefferies?"
'I am Captain Joseph Jefferies. Who did you say you are again?'
"Hailey Dodge, we met two months ago. Do you remember me?"
'You're hard to forget, Dodge'
"That's what I hear. It's good to speak with you again Joseph. No doubt you can see us now, so I need your help with a delicate matter. We're riding in your six o'clock level, between your nacelles. That little nudge you felt a moment ago, was us entering your warp field. Nothing to be alarmed about, just a little war-game with the fleet and us as their target…"
'You're WHAT?' Cried out a shocked, deep male voice.
"Jefferies, you once told me that you where kicked out of the Service, do you want a little payback? Embarrass the hell out of the fleet?"
'Of course, what do you need?'
"Maintain your course towards Forty-Seven, once we're in position? We'll peel off and make our run towards our target. That's all we need you to do, just give us a ride"
'That's it? What's the catch, Dodge?'
"Just, play along Captain Jefferies. And I'll owe you one, I always repay my debts and you know that you want me in your corner. Or should I board your ship now, and check your cargo? The last I checked, Romulan Ale is still illegal in the Federation?"
'Maintain your position, and enjoy the ride. Jefferies, out!'
"Hailey, how the hell did you know he had Romulan Ale, onboard?" Called out my Acting First Officer.
"I took a gamble, Jonny. Our last encounter, he was trafficking several crates of Romulan Ale into the Federation as a side business, he's been doing it for years. Keep an eye on him, match every move he makes, for god sake, stay inside of his warp field. I'll be in my quarters"