Valet Parking Pt. 2

Posted on Saturday 3 September 2016 @ 20:32 by Captain Melody Jones & Lieutenant Commander David Tan & Commander Save'ena (Sav) Tillatix & Major Richard "Wolf" Johnson, Psy.D.

Mission: Old, New Ship
Location: Space
Timeline: MD7 Evening
4040 words - 8.1 OF Standard Post Measure

ON:

Wolf had turned his bird towards the blips that the Talon had sent him. He kept glancing at his instruments and scanning the space in front of him with his eyes in sections. They taught the technique in all flight training, both Starfleet and civilian, so that the pilot didn't end up focusing on just one spot and becoming disoriented, the technique dating back to the early days of flight. As he approached the coordinates he cued his comm, "Actual, two, no contacts yet. I'm going in for a closer look. Flight, hold position and cover my six."

=/\= Two, Actual, copy, 34 and I are into 100 KKlick position behind you.=/\=

=/\= Two, Thirty-three, shifting for six protection, light up your sensors.=/\=

=/\= Two, twenty-six off your port, wingman holding position.=/\=

Suddenly a special command frequency activated and Sav heard a special command executed. =/\= Dragon Actual, Father, Dragons are weapons free. Repeat, Dragons are weapons free. Drones from mother sent out for practice. Enjoy yourselves. Father out.=/\=

Sav sent to all dragons, =/\= Dragons, CAG, Weapons hot and free. Let's find those practice drones, I mean bogeys, and give them one chance, then take them down. CAG 100 Out.=/\= Sav knew her signing off that way would let them know this was fully sanctioned and the fighters were fully ready to rock and roll.

... David was watching the screen intently and noticed one of the fighters moving towards the last location co-ordinates of the group of unidentified craft. He opened a comm to the fighter:

=^= Dragon 2 .. Merlin Tac-Ops .. Information on incoming should be on your screen now .. Judging by what we are seeing there to be one shuttle .. Large possibly up to eighteen aboard .. Speculate two pilots and sixteen Combat personnel possibly Teth Koros ! .. .. .. Four Scorpion Class which are running cover .. They could cause us issues if we let them .. Intercept Intercept .. We need to prevent them from breaching out one hundred kilometer cordon .. Be aware .. We located these but there could be others incoming. =^=

finished with Dragon 2, he tapped the Comm link to Sav:

=^= Dragon Actual .. Tac-Ops .. Be aware .. Incoming craft must have departed Warbird S'Trak 'before' it entered the asteroid field .. The alternative being they came from the Vulcan vessel .. Tac-Ops out =^=

Sav, in Valkyrie 100, dove fully into her ship. She now linked into Talon one and then sent word to them. =/\= Talon One, Dragon Actual, shift to full ECCM, no need to cover us with ECM. Dragon Actual and 34 will provide ECM. Use those special sensors to light up our practice drones, I mean, our bogeys, now.=/\= Sav knew it would take a moment, but it would soon be effective.

He could see Major Johnson in Dragon 2 begin to slow as he neared the location, using textbook approach procedures when facing an unidentified possible foe. The last thing David wanted was for the smaller, more agile Scorpions to break their formation and go after Wolf and the others out there. If that happened it would be all but impossible to locate them until they decided to fire on any of the Merlin's own craft. He realized that should things go wrong, the Merlin may need to fire on the Romulan vessels, an act the Romulan's would not let go unanswered ! ...

Suddenly, the comm mike activated in Dragon 100's craft and the following message occurred. =^= Dragon Actual .. Merlin Tac-Ops .. .. Five incoming confirmed at previous co-ordinates .. They must have departed the Romulan vessel well before entering the system entering the asteroid field while we were concentrating on the S'Trak .. .. Dragon 2 is almost on top of them .. Their speed is less than ten meters per second they are practically crawling towards the Tri'Jema possibly trying not to form a wake .. No indication that they are moving aside but they 'must' see him ahead of them ! =^=

=/\= Merlin Tac-Ops, Dragon Actual, no way that could have happened. Mother sent out practice drones for targeting. We are proceeding with drill maneuver Fielders edge. They will be lit up with Talons configured for full ECCM, Dragons for ECM. Be ready with Merlin's weapons. Dragon 35 and 36 will be ready with microtorps from Dashit besides the fighters in position. The 'Practice Drones' will have to make a choice, turn back or be destroyed.=/\=

Unknown to the hiding bogeys, the Dragons had backup. Sav now hit the com link to Talon two. =/\= Talon Two, Dragon Actual, time to join the fray. Link up with Talon One, ECCM full, light up those bogey drones while the Dragons disappear using full ECM stealth.=/\= At the same time, she waggled her wings to Dragon 34 twice and they roared outwards to back up Dragon's 2 and 26

=/\= Dragon Actual, Talon Two, understood. Going full ECCM with Scout sensors, prepare to paint bogeys with targeting. Talon two out. =/\=

=/\= Dragon Two, Dragon Actual, Stop and hold. The bogeys are under full ECM and crawling at a snail past to try and get past. Go to full ECM as Talon's One and Two will light them up with their special sensors. Be ready. =/\=

Wolf pulled his throttle back and fired his reverse thrusters, jolting him forward in his seat with a grunt, not wanting to fly into the middle of a trap. He didn't answer the comm, but his actions as he activated the ECM would tell them he was hearing them. Johnson hit his throttle again and cued the comm, "flight, form back on me, arrowhead," he called.

Suddenly All five dragons disappeared from the incoming vessels scans. However, at the same time, the four fighters and shuttle lit up like Christmas trees as they were painted by the scout sensors on Talon's one and two. Then, suddenly, they were painted with Active Lock-ons of Federation Photon torpedoes ready to fire. There were 20 locked on signatures, four by each broadsword and two for each valkyrie and raptor.

=/\= Merlin Tac-Ops, Dragon Actual, ready to proceed with live fire drill. Say the word and the launched target drones are dust, or are we to let them turn around, by chance?=/\=

=/\= Mother to all birds, consider training open and go weapons hot. If that shuttle or those Scorpions move any closer on the asteroid you are free to engage, disable if possible. =/\=

=/\= Dragons 2, 26, 34, and fire support Dragons, we are the line. Paint up the bogeys and hard line them. If they move, fire for engines. If they move away, remove hard line but keep them active painted with Talon's. Weapons fire at your discretion. Dragon Actual Out.=/\=

... Tac-Ops was busy now, they were monitoring numerous targets from the Merlin, along with possible incoming, and both Romulan and Vulcan vessels. David ordered they concentrate the Tri'Jema on a secondary screen, while the incoming Romulan fighters and the shuttle were relocated to their main screen. Several of the Merlin's craft were now converging on the still cloaked but now discovered approaching foe. he received a Comm from Dragon Actual and give her request some thought before replying:

=^= Dragon Actual .. Merlin Tac-Ops .. Commence with live fire exercise on target drones but use caution .. First cloaked Scorpion is now inside 100 kilometers from Tri'jema =^=

He wondered if the fighters were being led into a trap, but at this point, stopping them from carrying out the fire exercise would inform the Romulan's that we knew they were approaching. Either way, Sav would need to be ready to re-task fighters at a moment's notice ....

Sav made sure to be on the command frequency, and also knew that this would be recorded so as to prevent a diplomatic incident. So, she responded as though the Romulan ships were actually launched target drones from the Merlin.

=/\= Merlin Tac-Ops, Dragon Actual, Dragons are proceeding with Live Fire Exercise on 'Drones' until told they are other types of vessels. As far as I know, I do not have any real cloaked Romulan ships nearby. But, I do have now stopped, five cloaked 'drones' with electronic signatures of four Scorpion class fighters and one Romulan Shuttle. If those target 'drones' move closer, they will be destroyed. If they move away, we will stand down. Either way, Live Fire Exercise will be completed properly and functionally by the Dragons. Just make sure if someone decides to own those 'drones', they do it before its too late. Dragon Actual Out.=/\=

Sav cut the link and churred gently. Time to let everybody know what was happening.

Sav 'accidentally' keyed the general communications link instead of the fighter to fighter encrypted link. She sent out, =/\= All Dragons, Dragon actual. If our target drone's come any closer, take them out. If in five minutes they don't skedaddle, TAKE THEM OUT. We are to complete this fire exercise in a timely manner, understood? Oops, was that over the general comm... *click*=/\=

Just then the cockpits of the fighters turned green from the plasma torpedos headed for Merlin. The Scorpians broke off from the shuttle and turned toward the Dragons while the full squadron enter from behind the Starfleet fighter, =/\= Actual, two, we have incoming, twelve and six, =/\= Wolf called, giving both groups positions in front and behind them.

... He was quietly confident that the 'slip-up' with the open comm was actually intended, ensuring the Romulans knew that the Merlin's fighters were about to open fire on their 'Drones' but then the Merlin shuddered after being hit. The Captain ordered an immediate change of orientation so they were directly facing the still stationary war-bird.

"What's the Vulcan's doing ?" he asked, eyes flicking between numerous screens.

"Still in their original position." Lysia said, double-checking with her last set of readings, "They have raised shields but have not brought their weapons on-line."

"Ensign Kent, drop what you are doing and watch the Vulcan Vessel, I want to know if anything changes." he said, seeing the fighters manoeuvring into optimal firing locations. The five 'drones' had still to de-cloak and he wondered if the Romulan's were going to attempt to get them through to the Tri'Jema without having them fired on. His wondering didn't last long: The Scorpions de-cloaked, turning sharply to confront the Merlin's fighters. The large viewscreen was suddenly awash with red and green icons, signifying the Romulan and Federation fighters ... The Scorpion closest to Dragon Two dove below Wolf, almost throwing itself through a one eighty and firing.


=/\= All Dragons, Dragon actual, commence dogfight. Dragon's Hot, launch, Dragons 13-14 join 22 and 25. Dragons 23, 24 Talon escort service, Dragon 36 Dashit support. Move it.=/\=

The already in the launch bay dragons dropped out of Merlin. The two backup Valkyries shift up and over to join the two Raptors. As they did, Sav gave her orders.

=/\= Dragon 22, Dragon Actual, take out those singularity core. No power, no plasma, move it before the next plasma's are charged.=/\=


Sav did some specific wing waggles to her wingman and he returned the waggles. Dragon 34 peeled off to go to 90 KKlicks and lie in wait for any approaching fighters. He would sit there, full stealth, passive sensors, waiting for Sav to paint his targets for him.

Sav shifted up and over, looking for any fighters trying to get past 2, 26, and 33.

Lt. Tan suddenly realized that he could see only three of the four Scorpions !

"Lieutenant T'Seng. Roll back to the moment the Scorpions de-cloaked, we've lost one !"

"There !" Lysia said, highlighting the wayward Romulan fighter ... It had corkscrewed over Dragons two, twenty six, and thirty three and was now on the far side of one of the larger asteroids with a possible free run at their own runabouts. He opened a Comm to Sav:

=^= Dragon Actual .. Merlin Tac-Ops .. One Scorpion pealed off and is now hiding behind asteroid at co-ordinates two zero four mark eight six .. Possible it is waiting on an opportunity to make a run on the Tri'Jema .. I am requesting Tactical fire on the asteroid so keep your birds clear =^= Not waiting for the Air Group Commander to reply he flicked the Comm to the Bridge:

=^= Bridge .. Tan .. One scorpion making a possible run on our runabouts .. Tactical fire on asteroid at location two zero four mark eight six .. Full spread recommended .. .. =^=

He waited, anxiously watching the large viewscreen, he didn't want the Scorpion to break away before Eleena could destroy the asteroid and the hiding fighter beyond .....

Sav growled out to herself as she was already near that particular asteroid grouping. She had expected a fighter to come up and over or down and under as that is a tactic she has used plenty of times as many fighter pilots seem to get into a planer mode of battle, rather than 360 degree. She saw the Merlin was facing the warbird with her fighters targeting its energy core, so knew any spread coming would be from aft launchers. She shifted higher up, hiding in the signature of the Talon, waiting for the asteroid to pulverize and the scorpion to be momentarily blinded, but she wouldn't be.

Of course, if the Scorpion came charging at the Talon, well, she would be the surprise there and would be ramming directly into her weapons. Trusting the other fighter pilots with their tasks, she waited the requisite couple of seconds for target lock and fire from the Merlin.

Even though engaged in battle with the Romulan main vessel, the Merlin still found time to blast the asteroid into sparkles of dust. As Sav's sensor were off during the blast, she was not blinded by the discharge of energies. Going to full ECCM, she found the weakened Scorpion coming around what used to be there to make a run towards the center of their grouping.

Sav cursed to herself as she realized that while the Romulans would not know which asteroid the find was on, they would know it was in the middle of the fighter perimeter. 'Next time, Sav, do a shifted circle pattern and lay a trap at the middle. Lesson learned, time to take out the baddy.' She dove hard towards the Scorpion, lighting him up with the Talon's and her sensors. She fired to keep his attention, yet came directly at him.

The scorpion shifted to rush by the incoming fighter, his orders to find out where the ship from the past was. However, as he was concentrating on the incoming Valkyrie and Talon, he missed the on passive only Broadsword lazily incoming from his side. He was hit by a barrage of weapons, his shielding going down as the Valkyrie's fire now blasted through his exposed fighter. An explosion and only dust remained of the Scorpion.

Dragon 34 pealed away and went back into support hiding as Sav shifted over to provide six support for Dragon 26. He was the most junior, and the Scorpion he was battling with realized that and was making a move to shift by him. However, Sav wasn't too worried. The Raptor was made for quick maneuvers. She performed some wing waggles and Dragon 34 shifted and began creeping up on the Romulan Shuttle, ready to 'appear' and blast if it got closer than 100 KKlicks.

... In the TIC David was pushed into his seat. He heard the Commander requesting the position of the shuttle:

"It has changed course but is still on a general heading that will take it close to the Tri'Jema." T'Seng informed him as she heard the request, "One of the Scorpions is in close proximity and seems to be firing blindly. The shuttle is currently passing through co-ordinates, two zero two, mark six four, three hundred kilometers from the Tri'Jema and closing."

David relayed the information up to the Bridge and watched as both sides' fighters danced between erratically moving chunks of rock that could crush a fighter instantly. The one Scorpion that had concealed itself was drifting away having been destroyed by the Merlin's destruction of the asteroid it was hiding behind, the one guarding the shuttle was far from powerless though, as it suddenly turned on it's axis and headed directly for the Merlin, and he wondered if it were going to attempt something stupid. He wouldn't put it past them to try a suicide run just to focus the Merlin's attention. He eyed the screen covering the still observing Vulcan vessel. It had powered up drive systems and was inching its way into the asteroid field and the Merlin.

"Sir, I'm getting more accurate readings from the shuttle now ...." Lysia T'Seng said suddenly, "Eighteen on board, assuming two pilots, there are sixteen others, they would have to be Romulan Ground Forces, likely intent on getting into the Tri'Jema." she finished. David opened a Comm to the Bridge:

=^= Tan to Bridge .. Confirmation of shuttle personnel .. Two pilots sixteen others possibly Ground forces .. Can we put ourselves between the shuttle and the Tri'Jema .. Force them to change their tactics ? =^= he suggested.

On his screens, David could see all three vessels, plus the Tri'Jema and the Runabouts meters away on the asteroid. He couldn't help thinking that they were rapidly approaching what used to be called a 'Mexican Standoff' situation. The Tri'jema as the focal point, while the three prospective protagonist's hovered in equidistant positions, all being able to cover the others should this evolve beyond the current, and decidedly fragile situation. While the Merlin had only one priority, that being the safe return of her personnel currently entering the stricken vessel, he couldn't say the same for the Romulan's or the Vulcan's. Both had sent vessels, and it was blatantly obvious that both had something to gain from taking possession of the crashed Tri'Jema. He fervently hoped it could be resolved without more bloodshed, but despite that, he still thought things would escalate beyond posturing ...

Normally, dog fights in space usually don't last long as the mother ships are helping to take fighters out besides each other. However, the fighters in the asteroid field did not have much support from their perspective mother ships, and they were having to dodge asteroids besides each other. And, this is where the Merlin fighters had a one up on the Scorpions.

The Dragons had been in the asteroid field, this specific area, for over six hours when the bogey's came in. Much of the short time movement of nearby rocks had been mapped for this area and the Dragons were using that info to fight with. The Romulan Scorpions were high and dry for such information. Suddenly, Dragon's 26 and 33 performed a pincer maneuver with two known erratic but mapped asteroids flying as their 'wingmen'. The Scorpion, trying to home in on Dragon 26, swerved due to fire by 33, and smashed directly into the elliptical asteroid shifting around the two other asteroids the three fighters were playing among.

A confirmed kill appeared for Dragon 33 with Dragon 26 assist. This was the second Scorpion down. On the display in Tac-Ops, Dragon Actual had zoomed 30K negative plane and was upcoming onto Dragon 2's position, fast.

=/\= Dragon 2, Dragon Actual, I see your six. Swerve around the Betty on your right, you'll get an assist.=/\= Sav knew Wolf would know a Betty was a small Asteroid, just large enough for cover, but small enough to be affected by shield brushes and impulse thrusters.

The Marine jammed his foot into the left peddle, causing the right thrusters to fire and pulled back on the flight stick. His fighter banked and turned sharpely to come around the asteroid, kicking the the small object into the Scorpian chasing him.

Valkyrie CAG 100 sped hard at the small asteroid Dragon 2 was speeding around. But, instead of hitting it, the Valkyrie shifted 180, shields double back, to then slam those shields into the asteroid and hit impulse thrusters full. The asteroid, jarred from its orbit, accelerated away from CAG 100, and right into the Scorpion on Dragon 2's six. The Scorpion careened off the asteroid, tumbling, and right into Dragon 2's weapons lock.

Johnson squeezed the trigger, causing bolts of yellow orange light to shoot out toward the enemy fighter. The first few bolts bounced off the shields, however, the next volley of phaser fire caused the Scorpion to explode in a greenish ball of fire.

A third Scorpion showed gone and a confirmed kill for Dragon 2 with CAG 100 assist. Meanwhile, the asteroid that had been knocked out of its orbit went right back into it thanks to the force of the Romulan Scorpion hitting it. The Merlin Sensors recorded the event, chalking it up to pure luck the forces applied had cancelled each other out. No one could hear the churring of the CAG in her fighter for a task well done. Now, time to finish this.

Sav sent to the engaged Dragons =/\= Dragons 2, 33, and 34, converge on that shuttle. I want it gone or crying back to Mama. Dragon 26, your with me, lets get that last Scorpion. Dragon Actual Out. =/\=

"Copy," Wolf replied simply and turned. The enemy shuttle was already on the ground and he could make out weapons fire, "Dragon two to Knight Actual, we'll cover your fallback to the runabouts...three three and three four, begin strafing runs."

The fighters shifted and began their run towards Dashit.

Meanwhile, Sav was watching her sensors. Why were her fighters heading towards Dashit when the Merlin Strat-Ops had it pinpointed 300 KKlicks from the Asteroid? That was when she received data from the Dragon giving cover for the find. There was a shuttle already on the ground. So, how did it get there, and what of the shuttle 300 KKlicks away. She felt angry with herself for their perimeter having been breached so easily.

... The Merlin, the S'Trak, and the Sarak, were now holding station in a triangular formation 5,000 meters apart. The Vulcan Sarak was still playing passive observer, while the Romulan S'Trak, were still holding off, but he could imagine the heated conversation that might going on on their Bridge as the Senor Officers argued with Hexce to uphold Romulan honour. He could only assume Hexce was holding firm, or they would have fired regardless of the consequences by now. He could see that several fighters had been re-tasked to go after the one remaining Scorpion, while the other, firstly positioning themselves between the Tri'Jema and the Romulan shuttle, began their approach. The Sarak still watched impassively as the fighters and the shuttle closed the distance between them ... It was now or never. If Hexce didn't recall his ground troops aboard the shuttle, they would have no option but to destroy it, and then, who knows ...

"Lysia. Concentrate main sensors on the Romulan vessel. If it makes any aggressive move I need the Bridge to be aware instantly."

"Their reaction's thus far are totally atypical. You would have thought they would have reacted to our destroying their fighters." Lieutenant T'Seng commented."

"Yes ..." David said, eyes on the Romulan Warbird ....

Sav pealed away from the running Scorpion. That Scorpion was heading directly into the area controlled by Dragons 22, 25, 13, and 14. She and 34 now made haste to head out to where the 300 KKlick shuttle was to make sure it did not join the fray.

There was some tense moments before the all clear was given for the Merlin Away teams having gotten off of Dashit and heading back towards the Merlin. The command circuits activated and all the Dragons heard: =/\= All birds, Mother, escort away teams to Mother, then signal all Return to Base, repeat, Return to Base.=/\=

Sav pealed away from her course deeper into the Asteroid field and shifted over to join Dragon 2 into his escort of the away teams runabouts. As they emerged from the Asteroid field, they created quite a sight of 14 fighters and two Talons escorting two runabouts. The four fighters that had been posturing after the weapons fire had ceased between the two combatants now flew 'escort' for the lone Scorpion back to his ship. At the halfway point they peeled away and headed for Merlin.

The fighters performed a ballet dance around the Merlin while waiting for the shuttles to land. After that, they maneuvered for their landing areas along the lower two decks. Three waves in, and all were landed.

Final tally: 3 enemies taken out, no fighters lost.

OFF:

Lieutenant jg. David Tan
Chief Operations Officer
USS Merlin

Lt. jg. Saveena Tillatix
CAG/ Uroboros Squadron Leader
Bridge Command Specialist

Lieutenant Melody Jones
Chief flight control officer / Second Officer
USS Merlin

Major Richard "Wolf" Johnson (APB Barstow)
Longwing's TAD Squadron Commander
USS Merlin