"Homeward Bound"
Previous Post: "Into The Darkness"
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Stardate: 60325.1425
Setting: SPHINX, Command Section
Leaving SURIAL III with the command crew of the MERCURY safe and sound onboard had been a small victory for the Romulan/Terran hybrid and her team, one that would have been that much sweeter had the rest of the doomed transport had been located. Concentrating on piloting the SPHINX, the XO kept wondering why the MCO and CMO had chosen to remain behind without some sort of Marine support given the high danger they faced.
Thinking back to the way Lt. Pravat had said that he and the ANUBIS' CMO would stay behind and await the return of the SPHINX, the XO could not help but feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Knowing the Marine CO as she did, more professionally than anything else, the Romulan/Terran hybrid kept wondering if there had not been another reason that had triggered the unexpected volunteering of the two officers. Having more important things to concentrate upon, namely the piloting of the SPHINX, the XO took comfort in that Pravat and Lea had not remained behind alone, the Nausicaan and Hirogen having also decided to remain inside the prison compound and help search for the others.
Breaking through the atmosphere the Romulan/Terran was already making plans to leave the ANUBIS as soon as possible and return to the underground compound now that its location had been discovered. Having gathered as much information as possible on the planet and its unique electromagnetic interference the XO hoped that the CSciO would be able to find a way to use the ship's sensors and transporters to get the rest of the MERCURY's crew to safety. Failing that Lt. Cmdr. Serenna hoped that at least they would be able to use the transporters to beam down to the planet allowing for a more direct and numerous 2nd assault on the compound.
Reaching higher orbit and happily noticing that the orbital defence platforms were still inactive, the Romulan/Terran hybrid's glee was quickly turned into horror as the XO saw not one, not two but three Cardassian ships in the vicinity of the ANUBIS. Seeing the battle scars displayed by two of the three ships, Lt. Cmdr. Serenna recognized them as having been those encountered earlier. Expecting them to be in no shape to give the ANUBIS a decent fight given the pounding that they each had received during the first confrontation the XO concentrated on the third ship.
Appearing to be almost twice as large as either GALOR-Class Destroyer, the third ship was undoubtedly some sort of heavily armored battleship that had been constructed using technology and resources from both the Cardassian Union and the Romulan Star Empire. Using her knowledge obtained from studying the Tal'Shiar, the Romulan/Terran hybrid could identify the external parts of this new ship which had likely come from somewhere within the empire. Using this as a primary base for her analysis, the XO could already forward a guess as to the ship's combat capabilities which grew in her mind with each passing second.
Approaching the ANUBIS as cautiously as possible the XO had decided to maintain radio silence so as to not draw any sort of attention to the SPHINX and to not interrupt whatever action was taking place on the bridge. Thinking that even if only half of what she had expected to be onboard that ship was actually there, a single volley from them would be more than sufficient to destroy the SPHINX and all on board. Drawing closer the CNS who had remained in the co-pilot's seat asked a question that the Romulan/Terran hybrid had been wondering about at that very same moment. "Why aren't they firing at each other?"
Looking down at the sensor information displayed on her instruments, the Romulan/Terran hybrid tried to find the answer to this puzzling stand-off between the two ships as neither one displayed any signs of having been incapacitated or rendered unable to fight.
With here eyes bouncing between the forward windows and the ships visible through them and the information being relayed by the sensors, the Romulan/Terran hybrid found herself unable to give any sort of concrete reply to Ens. Mei. "I am not certain, the weapon's systems of both ships are reading fully powered but neither one of them is firing. Something must have happened."
Appearing concerned as to what this "something" might have been, the CNS turned to look at the Romulan/Terran hybrid and whispered her greatest fear hoping that the XO would dismiss the possibility that she was about to offer. "Do you think the Captain surrendered?"
Dismissing the thought almost immediately the Romulan/Terran hybrid shook her head and pointed to the data being displayed on the small screen located between her and the CNS. "The posture of the ships do not seem to indicate any sort of surrender from either side. Also knowing the captain as I do, I doubt that surrender would be in her vocabulary. After everything she has gone through, Captain Rikar is a fighter who hangs on to whatever possibility there is, however small it may be."
Having noticed that the ventral doors of the ANUBIS had begun to open, the XO figured that this had been their welcoming signal and that the answer to the unexplained inaction between the two ships would soon be revealed.
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Serena Switt {serena1141@yahoo.com.au}
Lieutenant Commander Serenna 2005 post #360
Executive Officer
USS ANUBIS
