After the Failed Bridge Takeover

Posted on Mon Apr 13th, 2020 @ 9:03pm by Captain Cynthia Jackson & Lieutenant Xenia Windsor & Lieutenant Jane Sinclair MD, DVM & Lieutenant Luke Osswell & Lieutenant JG Neza Glenn

1,090 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Mission 2 - Love ORION Mistaken
Location: Legacy Bridge

Xenia's shots were true. They hit both the Orion ships and sliced through their weapon systems without any difficulty. Apparently, they did not have their shields up, anticipating that Legacy would soon fall.

Cindy grinned at the viewscreen, "Someone, put those Orions on."

Xenia's fingers danced around her console until the view of the Orions appeared in front of them.

Cindy's eyes danced a dangerous green with flecks of brown. "This is Captain Cynthia Lynette Jackson of the USS Legacy. You will surrender immediately. Vivyra has been given amnesty and will remain on this ship until further investigation is complete. You have ten minutes to comply."

The Orion ship's Captain came back on the screen, "That's impossible!" He then grew indignant, "You have committed an act of war against us! Firing on helpless ships!"

Cindy rose to her full height and said, "Should I show you proof of a hostile biological attack?" She went to the wailing and defeated Jella and dragged her front and center for the Orion Captain's observation.

"Clearly, we have had a misunderstanding," the Orion Captain responded. "I was not aware of such hostile actions taken by some obvious rebels. I shall have them punished when you return them and you may leave in peace."

"I don't know," Cindy replied, dragging out the last words. "There's a bunch of others like her on the planet below.... I shall consider your request; however, the crimes were committed on our ships. We have jurisdiction. I will decide in ten minutes, while you decide on your surrender."

She immediately cut the screen and looked at her 2XO. "Bec's not here. What do you think, Jane?"

Coming down off the rush from helping to retake the bridge, Jane caught her breath as she watched the exchange. Then the Captain asked for her opinion. It was to be her first time giving a professional command opinion while on the bridge. In that moment she felt two things: that she was truly the Second Officer, and that she didn’t deserve to be.

“I’m not sure my opinion should be trusted right now, Cindy,” she offered. “I’m feeling better, but I took a much bigger dose of pheromone than the rest of you. I think I’m still technically compromised. But for what it’s worth? My opinion is we keep these ones as prisoners, accept his surrender or fire on him a few more times if he doesn’t, drop off all prisoners at a base, and arrange for a specialized Starfleet Security ship, inoculated against the pheromone, to deal with the rest of them on Vivyra’s planet.”

"Nonsense, Jane. Your opinion is important. I would not have asked if I did not want it," Cindy told Jane. "Any other opinions?" she asked of her conscious crew remaining on the bridge.

"It's a bunch of BS, their excuses," was all Xenia said, short and convinced it was nothing else.

"Of course it is. However, I meant as to what to do with our Orion women on board, Vivyra, and the ships out there. By the way, Xenia, jam all their communications so that they can't send anything out or vice versa. I don't think it would be a good idea for them to be having a conversation that we are not a part of, right?"

The helmsman nodded. "Aye, Sir, jamming their signals."

Neza still held her hand against herself and shook her head, "I don't know of any other options."

Having been revived by Jane, and with the pheromones being rapidly purged from his system, Luke's mind finally cleared up, and with it the realisation of what he had done, which made him feel ashamed, shocked, but above all feel anger, anger at himself, that he hadn't been stronger... It was only because Jane had ordered him to remain sitting where he had slumped to the floor (both for his concussion to subside, as well as the cure that had to do its job properly, that kept him where he was. Otherwise he'd have stepped up to Neza immediately to apologise for what he'd done, apologise to all of them. "We should toss them out of the nearest airlock", Luke said, anger and disgust oozing out of the words. But then a jab of pain shot through his head. Clearly the force with which the Captain had slammed him against the console had been quite strong.

"We can't do that and you know that, Luke." She blushed as she smiled at him uncertainly. Again she turned to Xenia, "Are they jammed? Any word from the Orions, yet?"

"They haven't even been able to order take away, much less call for help." She grinned. "They haven't tried to contact us yet either."

"Good, then they will have to bargain from a position of weakness." She showed her pearly whites and then with an air of confidence sat down in her Captain's chair. "What do you think? She would put them back on the screen now?"

"Sounds good to me, Captain," Jane said from just behind the central seat.

Xenia patched a visual signal through to the Orion ship, which showed on the screen.

Cindy got back on with the Orions who were noticeably less confident. "Captain, I am afraid that our laws require that we must try your criminals for offenses on our ship. Though, some suggest that the Orions on the ground are prisoners. Is that true?"

"How dare you insult us like that?" The Orion Captain answered, obviously not appearing truly insulted. "Regardless, under interstellar law, those Orions are ours and you have no jurisdiction over them."

"I see. Very well, we will be transporting these Orions for trial; however, should their stories be verified, we will be back to free these prisoners. Do I make myself clear?"

"Indeed, Captain. You will not find us to be any trouble. May we leave, now?"

"Yes, I think it is best that we both do that. Captain Cynthia Jackson out."

Cindy tugged at the bottom of her miniskirt uniform confidently, flipped her long platinum blonde hair behind her shoulders and said, "Xenia, get us out of here. Plot the course for Starbase 5."

"Aye, Sir," she said after cutting the signal. Once again she took to her console. "Course plotted, Captain."

Jane stood with her hands clasped behind her back, watching as the ship went to warp and away from the Orion ships. Away from the colony that was Vivyra's home. Away from a terrible chapter in their lives.

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