Bug Hunt – All stock must go.
by HoD Ro' Matlh & Beq Marcus Quexana

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Title   All stock must go.
Mission   Bug Hunt
Author(s)   HoD Ro' Matlh & Beq Marcus Quexana
Posted   Wed Apr 17, 2013 @ 10:21am
Location   The Free Enterprise
Captain Stanz congratulated himself. He had taken a risk and it had paid of in Gold Plated Latinum. The Triangle, as it was called, between Federation, Klingon and Romulan space was frought with Pirates and other Ner-do-wells, but he had seen an opportunity and run with it.

Prometheus Station and the Iapetus Colony it supplied was a little beacon of Federation light in the darkness, but it was poorly suplied and supported by a single fleet of ships. Luxury items were few and far between. He had done his research and bought up the trade rights on small but expensive items, then taken a mortgage on his house to finance the ship and a second to buuy the items.

But the sale had gone well. He had made back three times his investment in the first shipment. Enough to pay his debts, buy another load, and give his small crew a healthy bonus to keep them interested.

The small crew had been key. While other traders ran with 12 - 15 crew he had managed with a skeleton of 4. His brother, Andrus was a competant if pedestrian engineer. He had a friend, Dana, who was a competant Quartermaster and medic and they had managed to hire on a Pilot Mercanary who was pretty good with a weapon if pressed. He spoke a bt funny and seemed to like wearing a dress on occasions but... the galaxy was a big place, there was room enough for everyone. Dana certainly seemed to think he was cute.

They had just left the Prometheus station and were looping around Iapetus Prime to use the gravity boost. he was still in the captain's chair, but his mind was on the Romulan Ale he had managed to secure as part payment for some exotic spices. it was only he and the Mercenary, Marcus on the bridge.

"Captain!" Marcus said urgently, "Sensors indicate a large energy release on the surface, source unknown. And, of more immediate relevance, I'm showing a Klingon B'rel Class ship rising from the surface on an intercept course!"

Stanz sat forward in his seat and frowned, "Iapetus is registered as low tech. Might it be something to do with their terraforming? As for the Klingon, hail them an..."

There was a sudden shower of sparks as weapons fire ripped into the side of the ship. The engines fell dead under Marcus' hands and claxons blared from all over the ship.

"Did they just fire at us?" Stanz demanded, regaining his feet.

"Negative, Captain!" Marcus called, clinging to the panel as the ship rocked with secondary explosions. He struggles with the flight controls but it was pointless. They had no power to even attempt to operate them. "The fire came from a point ahead of the Klingon vessel. Nothing was on the sensors there. Possibly a cloaked ship."

The Nav station was also dead, so he struggled across the small bridge to the Science station, which had been powered down and might have therefore escaped the cascade overloads that had apparently taken out the active systems.

"Fortuna favors the bold..." he muttered, hitting the activation stud as sparks from other systems showered him. Like dawning salvation, the systems lit up, scanners immediately erupting with a variety of readings. It only took moments to readjust for internal scans.

Stanz tabbed the intercom, "Engine room. Damage report?"

No answer.

"Andrus, what's going on?"

"Heavy damage all over the ship, Captain!" Marcus shouted over the increasing din, "EPS system seriously comprimised. Reading multiple plasma leaks, fires and ongoing explosions throughout the ship! Life support is offline and I can't even get a scan of Engineering!"

There was anther shudder as soemthing else inside the ship ruptured. Stanz switched to visual connection to the engine room. It was gone. All that was left was plasma spewing out through a rent in the side and into open space.

"Andrus..." Stanz breathed.

The roof overhead exploded showering them both with hot metal. Stanz turned to Marcus, "Send a distress call to Prometheus station. I'm going to find Dana!'

"Yes Sir!" Marcus replied, switching to the comm system, which was sensibly connected to every bridge console.

"Mayday, mayday!" he shouted, "Merchant Vessel Free Enterprise to Prometheous Station. We have been attacked by an unknown vessel. Extensive damage, multiple casualties..."