Tardy to the Party (Part 2)
Posted on Wed May 21st, 2025 @ 5:22am by Captain Patricia Cooke & Lieutenant Charlotte E. "Charlie" Yeager & I-402 & Boso Gane & Oko Gane & Commander Katrina Chance & Lieutenant Commander Joseph Nixon & Lieutenant Commander Andrew Star & Lieutenant Akira Kogami & Lieutenant Sara'draphia T'eseri & Lieutenant Gabrielle 'Gabi' Shimoda & Gunnery Sergeant Roy Erbun
Edited on on Wed May 21st, 2025 @ 5:23am
1,278 words; about a 6 minute read
Mission:
Impending Midnight
Location: Romulan Neutral Zone
Timeline: After 'Tardy to the Party (Part 1)
Previously, on Star Trek: Missouri:
“I wasn’t questioning the Captain’s competency, I was merely voicing my concern. My people have a rather strained relationship with Artificial Intelligence and I wished to offer my knowledge” Sara explained, glancing over at the turbolift where the I-402 had left through.
"Of course not, Doctor," Katrina acknowledged kindly.
And now, the continuation:
Katrina was very well aware they were on a ticking clock, and she looked back at Patricia with a reassuring expression on her face. It was time to assemble the away team. She looked around the bridge, and with a gesture at each officer she called out, "Lieutenant Kogami, you and a security detachment with me. Doctor, we may need your assistance down there if there are any casualties from all the weapons fire."
Then, as she moved to the turbolift she tapped her communicator. "Chance to Sergeant Erbun."
=^= Erbun here. Go ahead, Commander. =^=
Katrina stopped in front of the turbolift and pressed the control panel next to it, summoning it to the bridge as she spoke into her communicator. "Assemble an armed detachment and meet us in transporter room two immediately. We are transporting down to Lazaro."
=^= Acknowledged, Commander, we're hot to go, =^= the Gunny replied, his voice bouncing with excitement as he ordered his Marines to get Oscar Mike. =^= See you at the transporter. Erbun out. =^=
Sara nodded, "I'll meet you for our departure. I just need to retrieve a medical pack from sickbay"
Akira turned to Patricia one last time. "Welp, I guess this is it," she sighed. "Wish me luck, Patty?"
"Good luck, you're going to need it." Patricia said. "Oh, and uh... Keep an eye on the wizard for me, yeah? I don't want to have to consider sending you off to Starfleet Medical again."
"No need to ask me twice," Akira smirked as she disappeared into the turbolift.
With the assignments given and confirmed, Katrina saw no further reason to delay. She would let the others come down when they were ready to, but she wanted to get down to Lazaro as soon as possible. Entering the lift, she called for deck 4. A short ride later she exited, retrieved a phaser and a tricorder from a nearby equipment locker, before she proceeded to enter the transporter
[Transporter Room One, Deck 4]
Transporter rooms two and three had already been prepped to begin receiving evacuees, but transporter room one had been readied for a different purpose: To put boots on the ground. A noncom in Ops stood at the transporter controls awaiting the arrival of the away team.
The fist to arrive, Katrina nodded to the NCO at the transporter console. "Chief," she said, tucking her phaser and scanner into their respective holsters on her uniform. "I'm leading several parties down to Lazaro. You should have access to the local shield grid segment for transport, as well as to the target coordinates. Confirm?"
The transporter chief straightened at the console, hands already hovering over the controls. At Katrina’s approach and greeting, he gave a crisp nod.
"Confirmed, Commander," he replied, his voice steady and professional. His eyes flicked over the glowing displays. "Shield grid for sector Delta-Seven has been synchronized with our transporter buffer. Target coordinates locked. I've got a clean window for insertion — no interference detected."
He tapped a few keys, bringing up a visual confirmation of the landing site. "Standing by to energize on your command, ma'am."
Then, with a faint smirk born from long experience, he added, "And don't worry — we'll keep the light on for you."
A moment later, Erbun and his platoon filed into the transporter room. Every Marine was fully kitted out—rifles, medkits, a field engineer’s toolbox—the full weight of the Corps in one tightly packed formation. Boots struck the deck with a steady clunk, discipline evident from private to sergeant.
Erbun passed his rifle off to his assistant and stepped forward. “Marines are ready, Commander. I'm Gunnery Sergeant Roy Erbun, acting detachment commander.”
Katrina smiled at the transporter chief, a simple, but warm gesture, then gave him a nod. She turned her attention to the marines as they entered. "Well met, gentlemen," she said. "I hope you're all well rested! Where we're going, you'll need your wits about you."
"You got it." Erbun nodded, falling into formation with his team.
Sara stepped into the transporter room, adjusting her medical bag on her shoulder before looking around at the gathered crew.
Katrina nodded to the doctor as she saw her. "Welcome to the team, Doctor," she greeted. "Are you ready?"
Sara nodded in response, “I am prepared Commander, I will not disappoint”
Last to arrive was Lieutenant Kogami, a high-powered phaser rifle slung over her shoulder and several flash grenades lining her belt. It was clear that she was not taking chances this time.
"Locked and loaded, Commander," she nodded as she took her place on the transporter pad. "let's roll-!"
"Hold that transporter!" Came a rather synthetic call.
Into the transporter room stepped I-402, flanked on either side by Boso and Oko. None of them carried weapons, but each of them could themselves be considered "weapons."
"If you're going to stop I-400, you're going to need someone who can isolate her influence on computer systems." I-402 explained.
"Ah, hell no," Akira groaned. "Isn't there some way you can do it remotely from the Missouri?"
"Unfortunately not." I-402 shook her head. "The best way to purge I-400's influence is to do it at the source."
Sara watched I-402 with caution and suspicion. Her people have experienced nothing but trouble when it came to A.I. and having fought more then a few in her years as a huntress, Sara was prepared to rip this automaton into pieces if needed.
Katrina raised an eyebrow at the fast arriving AI and examined her for a moment as she thought things over. Her gaze moved from I-402, to Sara, to the rest of her team and back again. When her eyes landed on I-402 for the second time, she spoke. "There's a saying. It takes one, to know one. If you think you'll be better able to help down there, you can join us."
"Then there's no time to waste." I-402 responded as she and the Gane siblings stepped up onto the transporter pad.
Stepping up to Katrina, Sara whispered to her, "I don't think bringing the automaton is a good idea" she said before moving off to stand on the transporter pad.
Katrina gave the doctor a sympathetic look, then looked to I-402 on the platform. She shrugged a little and said openly for all to hear, "Whether or not we bring an AI unit with us, if we fail, we're just as dead as we would be by betrayal. But I understand your feelings, Sara."
As she spoke, she too stepped onto the platform, then nodded to the transporter chief. Then, with a soft harmonic hum and a swirling of lights, Katrina and the rest of her team were beamed off the Missouri and down to the planet below.
A mission post by
Captain Patricia Cooke
Commanding Officer
Commander Katrina Chance
Executive Officer
Lieutenant Commander Joseph Nixon
Chief Operations Officer
Lieutenant Commander Andrew Star
Chief Science Officer
Lieutenant Akira Kogami
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
Second Officer
Lieutenant Sara'draphia T'eseri
Chief Medical Officer
Lieutenant Gabrielle 'Gabi' Shimoda
Chief Intelligence Officer
Lieutenant Charlotte E. "Charlie" Yeager
Assistant Chief Flight Control Officer
Gunnery Sergeant Roy Erbun
First Sergeant
Boso Gane
Mission Advisor
Oko Gane
Mission Advisor
I-402
Computer AI Interface
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