USS Edinburgh – Shuttle Bay – 1450

Doctor Jordan Reid had never run faster in her life than she had to get from Sickbay to the shuttle bay.  The orderlies had followed behind her with the equipment she had determined they would need and as they arrived in the bay, she got her first look at the Atlantic class Runabout.  Much like her impression of the Edinburgh, she found it beautiful – the bright white exterior and the reimagining of both impulse and warp engines were impressive.

“Doc!  We’re almost ready.”  The voice of the Chief Engineer brought her out of the momentary reverie and she headed to the new ship.  She stepped inside and continued to be impressed.  A mass of engineering crew was working in the back part of the runabout, installing the medical equipment and beds quickly.  Okada pushed to the front and handed Reid a PADD, “Here’s the standard loadout for the medical operations.  The cabinets are preloaded and we just shift them in and out of storage based on the needs.  I dreamed of one day getting to play with one of these.  Engineers really outdid themselves with it.”  Kondo stepped on board and gave a wave to them as he headed to the pilot seat, his security bag hanging on his back.

Reid read the PADD, “The ship is called Robert the Bruce?”  She looked at the CEO.

She chuckled, “It has to do with the history of this ship.  The Edinburgh.  Apparently, Robert the Bruce was the king of the country for which this ship is named or something.  We’ve just been calling him ‘The Robby’.  Kinda cute, if you ask me.”

Jordan heard the engines warming up as the Chief of Security started up the runabout.  She gave Okada a look, “Don’t engineers usually call ships ‘she’ or ‘her’?

A laugh followed by, “Robert the Bruce is a king and we’re gonna respect his name.  I’ve heard stories of ghosts from the old country haunting people who disrespect them.  Something about a Scottish Play…or something.  I should probably read up on this, you know?”

Reid chuckled, “I would highly recommend doing just that, Chief.”  A final check from the engineers and they departed, securing the door behind them.  Reid did a quick walk through the medical setup and returned to the front control area impressed, “They really gave us a gift with this ship.”

Kondo nodded as he tapped the console to continue his setup and launch procedure, “Eventually all of this will be old hat for us, you know…but for now, it’s something magical.”  A chirp from the control panel and he accepted the incoming hail.

Chief Katsumi’s voice came through, =^=Runabout Robby, you are cleared for departure from Shuttle Bay.  Keep us appraised of all…the stuff.  Edinburgh Shuttle Control out.=^=

Jordan keyed into the console and glanced at the security and tactical chief, “He’s all yours, Mr. Kondo.”  The Robby rumbled and then lifted into the air, and smoothly left the shuttle bay, and fell into space.

Runabout Robby  – 1500

Kondo frowned as he plotted the course of the runabout into the atmosphere, “This will be a little rough…”  The ship rattled and the automatic seat belts activated, securing them both in their seats.  “Clever…”, Kondo observed as they pushed through the various levels, the ship shaking and even dropping down heavily a few times as he navigated the various air bursts and jet streams that careened through the atmosphere.  Reid grunted as they smashed through four more rough patches of turbulence and then…it was calm.  He tapped at the console, “Location locked on the crashed Raven.  Intercept course set.”

Reid put her hands on the console and began to gather as much as she could.  The life signs were stronger and she focused the scanners on their conditions.  “They’re holding on, but I’m going to jump out as soon as we land.”

Chief Kondo steered them carefully, “I’ll be running alongside – sensors are not showing anyone else out there but…you never know what the enemy will do to catch you unawares.”

Reid nodded and then sat up in her chair, “Chief Kondo…something isn’t right here.”  She tapped her console and sent him her data.

He glanced at it as the Robby sat down softly, “What am I looking at?”

She aligned the life signs and biological readings for Crewmen Gilberto Febo, Gilad Can, and Afya Ismael and stacked them up against the injured readings.  “Febo and Can check out…but that…that’s not Crewman Ismael.  It doesn’t correspond to anyone onboard.”

“They must have known we’d check.”

Reid shrugged as she slipped her seatbelt off and began gathering her equipment, “This runabout is equipped with some serious sensors based on the medical template they installed.  A normal shuttle or another runabout wouldn’t detect it.”

The security chief pulled out his body armor and strapped it on with ease.  He lifted the phaser rifle up and clicked the power to maximum stun, “And you’d be too close with the tricorder…and the trap would be sprung.  Do you think they can copy DNA and fake it as well?”

Doctor Reid paused and sighed, “Damn…hadn’t thought about that.  I think we’re going do this your way.”

Desert Planet  – 1520

=^=Understood away team.  Keep us updated.=^=  Kondo closed the channel and advanced on the still smoking wreckage.  The bodies were splayed a few feet from the Raven Class, and his phaser rifle was pointed up as his eyes searched the world around him for any kind of movement.  Reid walked cautiously behind him, peeking out from behind his imposing frame every so often.  She was a doctor and patients – good or bad – still needed healing.  He motioned, “Which one is our outsider?”  She checked her tricorder and pointed to the one closest to them.  She wasn’t moving.  He advanced carefully on her, keeping his rifle aimed at her and staying far enough back to avoid any immediate fire.  “Name and rank!”, he shouted, breaking the relative silence of the desert surroundings.  The woman startled and opened her eyes, widening at the sight of a rifle pointed at her.

“Uh…Afya Ismael, Crewman.  USS Edinburgh.”  Kondo didn’t move.  He kept his eyes on the sight, and his finger in the combat position on the trigger.  “You should look at them first…they are worse than I am.”

Reid remained in her position behind her escort, “The gig is up, whoever you are.  Your readings don’t match our Afya Ismael.  Mr. Kondo here doesn’t have much patience…far less than I do.  You can see his finger’s distance from the trigger.  Whatever you had planned today…isn’t going to happen.”

The woman looked from Ried to Kondo and back again.  She didn’t speak for a moment.  It looked as if she was contemplating pulling whatever weapon she had out and firing.  Kondo spoke quietly enough for her to hear, “You can choose to die today, Romulan…or you can choose to live with a chance of something else in your future.  Choose.  But do not doubt my aim or my intent.”  

She seemed to be weighing his words until she sighed, “Damn Starfleet.  She raised her hands and Kondo advanced on her in a flash, stepped behind her, and pulled the hands down and into cuffs behind her back so quick the woman shouted in surprise.  

He glanced at Reid, ”Now I am satisfied.”  Doctor Reid quickly ran to the two others and began to scan them as Kondo circled the scowling Romulan woman, “I expect you won’t be telling me who you are?”

She spat at the ground, “Starfleet scum won’t get anything from me.”  She glanced at him, “Who says my mission is over?  What if this was the way to get on board?  What if this is how I take your ship from you and spill your blood?”

Reid scanned the two and found they were indeed who they were supposed to be.  She activated one of the pop-up bed transports and carefully laid Crewmen Gilberto Febo on it and secured him for transport.  He was the more stable of the two.  Crewman Gilad Can was bloodied and beaten – his path had been harder than the other.  She lifted him and placed him on the next pop-up transport.  She pulled out her PADD and connected to the Robby.  The transporters would get these two young men home and she’d get to work.  She glanced at Kondo, “You need me?”

He shook his head, “She’s not going anywhere yet.”  He glanced down at her, “She thinks she’s got a mission still to do.”  Reid frowned but didn’t respond.  Tapping at the PADD she remotely transported them back to the Robby, leaving Kondo with his prisoner.  He pulled out another set of cuffs and slipped them on her ankles to her protest which he summarily ignored.  Then he rolled her over, snagged a powered restraint cable, and connected her handcuffs to her leg cuffs, tightening it just enough to secure her and prevent her movement.  She cursed him out throughout the entire process and he rolled her on her side so that she could at least be comfortable.  “Your mission ends here.  You can imagine a future where you break free or seduce one of us or talk one of us into turning the ship over to you…I do not know what your imagination had attempted to imagine….but you must know – I am the security chief.  You took part in this injury to our crew.  You will be put in a hole to wait until your turn at the wheel of justice.  Then you will pay,”  He leaned in, his stare causing her to flinch slightly, “…one way or another.”  He stepped back and slid his rifle onto his back and turned to the Raven class ship.  There was an investigation to begin and he needed to find out what had happened.  The woman hadn’t said a word as she watched him go about his task.  She had a sudden thought – why had they put her to this task?  Was she supposed to return alive?  She had been so blinded in service to the Commodore that she had firmly expected to be onboard a warbird being celebrated.  She closed her eyes, defeat inching its way into her heart.