Jayme sat watch in the Combat Information Center on Thermopylae. It was three hours into her watch when the tech on scan turned to her and said very excitedly, "Ma'am," He looked back at his station and then turned back. "I have three unknown ships fifteen minutes out."
Jayme stood and walked with her hands clasped behind her back and looked at the scan. The ships in question were red ringed--the automated threat klaxon began sounding. "Get me the size, a count on passengers, and weapons signatures, now!" Jayme knew, as the tech bent to see, what he would find out. Jayme noted that they were less then fifteen minutes out, whoever they were. "Give me base wide comm, please." The communications tech nodded and Jayme addressed the base.
"This is NOT A DRILL! All Companies suit up. Alpha company secure and hold Engineering, Beta company hold the docking bay, Delta position yourselves to cover CIC, Gamma company scatter throughout the station. All medical staff fall in with your companies; those non-assigned head for sickbay. Everyone else not listed...lock yourself in some securable space. This station is going dark in two minutes. REPEAT THIS IS NOT A DRILL!"
The scan tech looked to Jayme, and added, "Ma'am those ships are armed, and I count fifty bio-signs total."
She asked, "Who is in range to launch ships of that size against us? Could they have been dropped on the edge of our scanner range? If you don't know, look it up." She smiled and thought what was in the Marine inventory that would meet the bill and came up with the Hawke transports...it wouldn't surprise her if the Colonel sent a force out to test the base security, the training provided, and Jayme Alcon's situational command ability.
Jayme had modified and stored one of the combat helmets in a locker in CIC where the weapons were stored when she first started sitting watches. She took out one of the phasers--and checked power levels and setting before she placed it in the front of her pants. Other members of the CIC started arming themselves. She then pulled the helmet out of the locker and walked back to her seat. She activated the helmet. With the display screen active she'd be able to track the positions of her teams, hear their comments, and be able to comment should she need to.
The scan tech looked up from his screens sweat building on his forehead. He noted that she was seated and appeared relaxed as he said, "Ma'am, I've Identified the incoming ships as Mulluran."
Jayme looked to the scan techs and ordered, "We're too far for them to have come from their home worlds...find the base ship that ferried them here." She then turned to the communications tech and ordered, "Send out an emergency hail to the Orion Star and the Dark Fury--don't code the transmission. I want the Mullurans to hear the calls and the responses back from those ships!"
The old G'kar standing at the tactical station cleared her throat and announced, "Tactical stations up, all shields activated, the five phaser canons are hot, and I've started plotting firing solutions." Jayme nodded and cheered inwardly that at least one member of the watch was qualified for her station. The rest should not have needed as much hand holding, what with all of the drills and extra training that had gone on in the time since the inspection.
Mer'an had left the base to Issira, and had gone to an emergent meeting on SB901. Issira was off duty and drugged to the hilt after being injured in a combat training session that very morning. Captain Alcon had taken her watch and now stood Issira's as well. Jayme tuned in and listened to the communications officer. The engineer was on the comm with his unit as the order to go dark was initiated, and the scan crews worked to find the Mulluran vessel. "Captain, the three Mulluran attack shuttles are seven minutes out."
The Engineering officer met her eyes. "Ma'am, security measures are in place, we've gone dark, and all blast doors are locked down. I am channeling the extra energy phased cannons and shields."
"Give me comm," Jayme ordered. The communications technician looked up and nodded. "This is Captain Alcon. Incoming vessels are identified as Mulluran and are armed. We are not going to lose this station to the Mullurans--weapons are free!"
The base rocked as one torpedo after another hit the bedrock of the base and sent tremors throughout. She watched as several phaser beams crossed the CIC windows--and the bridge team cheered as one of the ships exploded. Jayme yelled over their cheering. "What the HELL are you doing??? Get back to stations!" Her heart rate increased and she wanted desperately to stand and pace or call someone else up to hold CIC while she joined the companies on the decks below her. She took a deep breath and released it when her heart rate calmed. She'd run her own tests and knew the Mullurans couldn't take this base, but there was always the chance that they might.
"I've lost track of one of the shuttles!" the scan tech cried out. Less than a minute later Jayme over her helmet comm heard Beta company leader click his mic twice. Jayme tied into the communications station at her seat, and put it live so everyone in CIC could listen. In the background could be heard the slamming of ramps, phaser fire, and the sound of concussion grenades. And swearing and screaming as those nearest the grenades went down. Jayme could see what the team leader was seeing and saw a dozen vac suited bodies rush through the air lock that they'd blown open. Jayme watched as Beta company held the bay.
The other shuttle was making strafing runs against the base. Luckily most of the base was protected by the rock it was carved into. The tactical tech shook her head. "We've just lost two of the five cannons." The ship that had dumped its commandos pulled up and joined the other ship in an air attack. The tactical station tech yelled, "Incoming torpedo!"
The base rocked with the explosion. The engineer looked to Jayme and said, "We've lost the first shield...blew the generator! Second shield holding at 70%"
Beta company in their EVA suits worked in the unpressurized bay. Safety protocols wouldn't allow the doors to the interior of the base to open. Without the proper codes and isolinear chip the enemy was out of luck. Jayme noted that phaser fire was still hot and heavy in the bay and turned her attention back to the bridge.
The communications tech jumped when over the general communications channel came the announcement. "Base, this is the Dark Fury and we are in route--ETA twenty minutes. Once again CIC erupted into cheering-- Jayme stood in front of her seat and yelled, "Shut up! There will not be another warning. As it is, your asses are mine when we are secured from General quarters!" Jayme sat back down and looked at each offender. Jayme looked to tactical and asked, "What's the location of the two attack shuttles?"
The tech looked up from the station and said, "One is still trying to take out mounted defenses and the other has dropped off my screens. Working to locate vessel."
Jayme pulled up a schematic of the stations and started looking for other points of entry when the scan tech interrupted, "Ma'am, we have a large combat ship that's just moved out from behind the sun and is powering up heavy weapons."
She sucked in a breath and looked at the counter she'd set with the ETA of the Fury--twelve minutes. There were seven hundred men and women scattered throughout the station...she looked back at the schematic. Then she heard in her ear, [Gamma leader to CIC, Vessel just hard docked to station at frame nineteen, C-ring. Airlock just cycled to green and we have incoming.] She heard phaser fire and a concussion grenade go off. The battle was three decks below. Jayme knew that there were about two hundred troopers between her and them.
[Beta company to CIC, threat to docking bay neutralized...awaiting your signal to secure and repressurize. Over.]
Jayme keyed in her mic, "Received--stand by for orders."
"Ma'am. Once again I have the second shuttle on scopes." It wasn't a moment later when she said, "Fire!" and everyone saw the shuttle explode.
Jayme mentally calculated the ETA of the incoming warship and figured less than three minutes when the Orion popped out of warp and crossed close to the larger ship, firing as it went passed on an opposing flight path.
The scan tech just stood there, mouth open, staring at Captain Alcon. Jayme shook her head and noted that he would be removed from scan and given some other menial task to do for the rest of his enlistment. "Tactical, slave scan to your system and take over." Jayme then pointed a finger to the scan tech and said in a cold voice, "Sit against that wall!" She watched as he complied.
She took a second and checked on what was going on on C-ring and found that the action there was still going...and that they'd lost some ground as they were at the lifts, and that someone was trying to bypass the overrides on the lifts.
The Gamma company leader said over the open comm channel, [Delta company the enemy is trying to bypass the lifts on C-ring.]
[Received,] said the Delta company officer. The ten armored troopers standing watch around the inside perimeter perked up.
Jayme looked to the engineering station. "What's the status on the shields and mounted weapons?"
He looked up and smiled, "I have both shields back up--had to run the second generator through one of the mounted phaser generator and relays. So we have four of the five phasers operational. The torpedo launcher is set up and we've done all of the tests but no live fire exercises."
Jayme looked up. She knew of its existence, but not whether it was even close to operational. "Do we have warheads for it?"
"Yes, ma'am."
Jayme looked to the tactical station. "Location of the Mulluran vessel?"
"Vessel has increased speed, and it is still engaging the Orion Star. They are five minutes out." Jayme looked to the counter for the ETA of the Dark Fury..and they were six minutes out. She looked up and said, "Plot firing solutions on that vessel! Prepare to fire torpedoes, on my mark. Communications, tight band coded transmission to Orion Star--tell them to prepare to fire everything in sixty seconds. Out!."
When the Mulluran vessel was one minute out Jayme gave the order. "Fire all weapons until that vessel blows!" The next sixty seconds were tense as they opened fire and continued until the ship broke at midships and blew. This time the CIC was absolutely quiet as everyone watched.
One minute later the Orion Star called. [Base, you have incoming vessels. Three Mulluran attack shuttles.] Jayme knew that the base's shields had been overtaxed and at least two of the heavy weapons were out of action. One of the shuttles headed for the command area and opened fired, launching everything it had. Most was deflected from the base rock and the 25% shield still up. But the other two shuttles had blown open the docking bay doors. The battle was renewed in the bay.
Quickly, she checked and found that the battle on C-deck was over and that they had detained three POW's.
The tactical station tech announced, "Dark Fury is in system and taking up station." The communications officer was talking with the Fury and then said, "Captain Alcon--Commandant Mer'an for you."
Jayme switched frequencies and talked with Mer'an for a few minutes. He would stay on the Fury until the station was secured. He also told her that he'd ordered the Orion Star to patrol and watch for other Mulluran vessels.
She waited and waited, watched and listened over the helmet and an hour later Beta team's 3rd officer came online and announced that the dock was secured and that a team of engineers would be needed to help place the new bay doors and get them back online. He also informed her that the leader and second had been killed in combat.
"Received." She stood and paced around the stations and talked to those at their stations. She looked at the time and noted that they'd been at general quarters for six hours. She looked to the engineer and said, "Cancel condition Dark--clear General Quarters."
"Give me an open comm, please." A moment later Jayme announced, "All hands secure General Quarters. Delta company continue armed patrols of all levels and areas until further notice. Alpha company join Engineering for damage control survey teams and start inspecting the structure. CIC, out."
An hour later the bay doors were back in service and the bay repressurized. Commandant Mer'an was on his way back to CIC.
Mer'an led Jayme into the office off one side of the Command center and took his seat. He watched Jayme who stood at attention and waited. "Take a seat."
Jayme for the next thirty minutes explained in detail the events of the last six hours and answered his questions, then took a reaming for using the torpedoes. The system hadn't been tested and he hated that she'd relied on an untested system and didn't want her making that mistake again. He also told her he'd see to the POW's.
She then told him of the scan tech's lack of aptitude for CIC and that he should be transfered to another department, and that the communications tech needed work. She was dismissed from the office to finish the watch. He left to check on Issira. She returned to CIC and listened to the damage control teams and to her troopers moving thoughout the station.