Columbia Mission 06: "The Featherstone Gambit"

From Federation Space - Official Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search

The Columbia is sent deep inside Romulan space to extract a Federation intel operative who had been captured by the Tal'Shiar. They arrive at the known location where the agent is being held to find the outpost's occupants all dead, save for the agent himself. Meanwhile, aboard the Columbia, the search for the spy who has been passing information to the Uihvueri continues. An operative of the new Telepathic Corps comes aboard to test the crew and help develop a medical method to prevent Uihvueri mind control of Star Fleet officers.

Captain's Logs

Capt Adaran 225

Stardate 21312.03

This was a very busy mission, and one that occupied my time so thoroughly that I didn't get the chance to log for it until our return trip. SOCOM sent us on another excursion into Romulan space. With the closure of the border by the Tal'Shiar and militarization of the Neutral Zone, quite a number of operatives were trapped behind the lines and their missions endangered. One of them, a Lieutenant Commander Featherstone, a key contact with our informers in the Uihvueri, was captured and taken to a Tal'Shiar interrogation center, Outpost 19, which orbits a planet in the ULAS1335 system, a brown dwarf with a highly unstable magnetic field. Our job was to either extract him, or if he'd been compromised, to clean up.

As a side project on this mission, we were assigned a SOCOM scientist who wanted to test out a medical procedure designed to prevent Uihvueri telepaths from implanting suggestions in the minds of unwitting pawns. That was how they managed to attack Star Base Bravo. They had two innocent pawns on the base who allowed base defenses to go down long enough to get a ship close. The Columbia itself was known to have a pawn aboard. Our last mission had been compromised by them, and we knew this one would most likely be as well unless we found out who it was and the medical procedure was successful. Unbeknownst to the crew though, the scientist assigned to the ship, Lieutenant T'Sar, was also a member of Star Fleet's new black division, the Telepahic Corps. Her mission was not only to develop the procedure but also to find the pawn and to protect us should we encounter a Uihvueri telepath.

The journey to the ULAS1335 system went without incident. Upon arriving at the location of the outpost, we found our sensors even less reliable in the magnetic interference than we'd expected, making it more difficult to plan our extraction. We were basically blind, only able to rely on visual data for the most part. A close pass to the station showed it to be quiet and possibly without power. I assigned Lieutenant Commander Macleod to take SAS Bravo-2 and proceed to the outpost in the Eidolon. What they found confirmed our visuals—the station was running on standby power with no life support. Several Romulan bodies were discovered inside, as well as one floating outside.

While the extraction team was focused on finding Featherstone, the Columbia began to observe visual and sensor glitches around the planet, leading us to believe that another ship was present, cloaked. Our own power system was being taxed by strong magnetic disturbances, causing our stealth system to flicker and eventually go down. With our presence fully revealed, I decided to take the initiative. We opened fire on the presumed location of one of the glitches, hitting and damaging a target that revealed itself to be a Romulan heavy cruiser. Before we could chase it down and finish the job however, we were attacked by another heavy cruiser that decloaked nearby. T'Sar also reported Uivhueri telepathic activity in the area.

At this point, I decided to lead the enemy vessels on a path that would take them away from the outpost, giving the extraction team time to complete their task. That plan had to be scuttled, however, when upon executing a turn we collided with a decloaking Romulan light cruiser. Kemarrin's piloting managed to lessen the impact, but our dorsal hull scrapped their ventral, causing us the loss of several sensor arrays, leaving us more blind that what we'd been and taking combat off the table. I changed my orders to have the Columbia swing by the outpost, wanting T'Sar to pass orders to Macleod telepathically, and then make another swing away from the station. My goal was to give the extraction team five minutes to get off the outpost, and then the Columbia would turn around and destroy it. It was time to call the mission and clean up. It wouldn't be possible to complete it in our present state.

Thankfully the team had found Featherstone on the station by that time. From what we've learned since, he himself had been used as a pawn by the Uihvueri. One of their high-ranking officers had been captured and held at the same outpost, and Featherstone was used as an insider to free him. With help from a telepath, he'd managed to kill every Tal'Shiar soldier on the station and disable the station's defenses, allowing the Uihvueri to rescue their officer. The Columbia had stumbled into this operation still in progress. Why the Tal'Shiar was holding an officer of their supposed ally is a good question and shows that the trust level between them is thin. Featherstone's final act was to destroy the station, getting rid of all evidence of the Uihvueri operation, including himself. He promptly informed the team that they had less than four minutes to get off the outpost alive rather than the five I'd given them.

Kemarrin pushed the Columbia into a tight turn around the the station, causing the two Romulan vessels pursuing it to do the same in order to follow. The extraction team subdued Featherstone and made their way off the outpost with less than a minute to spare. Both ships sped away from the station as detonation occurred. The explosion of the station caught the Columbia unawares, as it did the two Romulan vessels. Both were close enough to be caught up in the explosion and destroyed. The Columbia managed to escape unharmed, and thankfully so did the Eidolon. We rendevoused near the edge of the system.

While the Columbia had been dealing with the enemy ships externally, we also had out own problems internally. Our pawn was revealed to be West, our Chief of Security who was on leave, laid up in Sickbay, or so we thought. It was an illusion, as he managed to run amok, killing two crewmembers and sealing himself in environmental control, turning off our life support and gravity. Security, Science and Engineering worked together to subdue him and bring systems back online.

With the extraction team and Featherstone aboard and West brought under control, we headed home. T'Sar and our Medical staff successfully tested the new procedure they'd develop to block Uihvueri telepathic suggestions, and we made it back across the border without incident. Once in Federation space, I lifted Code Black, and we found an emergency message waiting in our comm queue, requesting all ships capable of diverting to the Sol System to do so and help defend Earth from attack by the Krynar. I consulted with 2nd Fleet Command and decided to take the Columbia there rather than heading first to Star Base Bravo.

End Log.

Crew Logs

First Officer

LCdr Xan Macleod

Stardate 21311.30

We have returned to Federation Space to find that the Krynar have made a direct attack on sector 001... my home. We're on-route now and I pray we can make a difference, the things we have heard about the Krynar though make me worry. My sister is on Earth, Charlie, maybe more of my family, I don't know.

Our mission was into Romulan Space to retrieve a SOCOM Operative whom it was believed was being held on Outpost 19. We had also been warned about the possibility of a telepathically corrupted crew member, a pawn who wouldn't even know they'd been got at. This was naturally a serious concern and our liaison science officer T'Sar (herself a member of the new telepathic core as we later found out) led the medical in some, in my opinion, questionable experiments to try to find a way to block it from happening.

We reached the station without incident and I took an away team, consisting of myself and Bravo Squad, over in the Eidolon. The Outpost appeared to have been abandoned, which put us on our guard, and when we boarded we found minimal life support operating and a few dead bodies. Before we were able to investigate further, we were approached by our target, it seems that he was the one to attack his captors.

It was also clear that he was a pawn like the one's we'd been warned about and that he'd rigged the station to explode, which he was kind enough to tell us. We were able to subdue him and return with him to the Columbia, barely escaping the destruction of the outpost. Once we pieced together everything we had found out we were able to ascertain that Featherstone had been sent in by the Uihvueri to release a Tal Shiar prisoner… which is interesting.

We then found out that the Columbia had been attacked from outside and within... by our chief of security, who had also been made into a pawn. West and Featherstone are both undergoing treatment but it's going to be an uphill struggle for them and I’m not sure they will ever be themselves again. I had a lot of respect for West, I hope he can get through this, for his son’s sake as well as his own.

That brings me to something else that happened while we were on the Outpost. There was a telepath on the ship attacking the Columbia, controlling Featherstone, and when I tried to stop him they attacked me. I fought it off, despite being told that that shouldn't be possible, and T'Sar has confirmed that I wasn't compromised. At first I thought it was just the way my sister taught me to create my mental barriers... Annie is paranoid about privacy and she tells me that she can not only keep out full telepaths, but Ullian Adepts too. It seems it was more than that however.

I was born with my telepathic abilities switched on. It now seems that I was born with full telepathic abilities… the complete opposite to my eldest sister Rachel. I guess when Annie reached out to protect me as a baby she managed to dampen or partially block my abilities but the contact with the Uihvueri telepath unlocked my full potential… which in practical terms means that unless I keep a mental barrier up I have a permanent headache. It’s not that bad, I’ve been around telepaths my whole life, I know what to do, it’s just that it’s like someone turned the volume up and I’m in danger of overhearing things I don’t mean to… but I’m assured that I’ll get used to it.

My most pressing concern is how we can get all our repairs done before we join what might possibly be a battle for the Federation’s homeworlds.

End Log

Science

CSO Lt Kellan Vos

Stardate 21311.24

The Columbia yet again breached the Neutral Zone to take care of some rogue Romulan operations. Unfortunately for us, the enemy's base of operations was located in a star system that rendered most of our sensors useless. The ship's shields were able to cut out some of the natural interference, but even that was spotty at best. Our best results for keeping a sensor lock was when I was able to tag Romulan vessels with a tachyon sweep combined with a general sweep for known cloaking-produced particles.

I am glad to say my injuries from the attack on Starbase Bravo did not hinder my performance on this mission. Then again, I suppose it helped when the gravity plating went off line. It's hard to fall down when there is no down. But I'm getting ahead of myself. A crewman in my department reported a strange person sighting not too long after internal sensors registered an intruder having come through an airlock. Despite the Columbia moving much too fast for such an entry, I joined up with Security to investigate the report. The intruder, later identified as our own brainwashed Lieutenant West, had locked us out of Environmental Control both physically and through the ship's computer. We were able to regain control via a site-to-site transport into the room where we incapacitated West.

Unfortunately, the strike was not exactly clean cut. There were a few injured crew members by the time I arrived, but Dr. Wood was already tending to them. Another Security officer suffered an electrical arc to the chest when phaser fire struck the door to Environmental Control. I know Lt. Gray of Engineering also suffered a phaser burn when we beamed in. Unfortunately, I do not know the condition of Crewman Ng who was already inside with West by the time I arrived. On the bright side, the sabotage to the ship was minimal. It seemed West knew only how to disengage the systems and booby trap the door, or maybe he just did not have the time to scramble the programming. Either way, Gray and I were able to restore internal ship's functions just as the Away Team returned from their mission.

The sensor array took a nasty beating though. I will be spending the brunt of our return to Sol working on the repairs. Even though we're Second Fleet, we've been recalled to Sector Zero-Zero-One to repell the Krynar armada. Hopefully we make it back before the call to battle is sounded. But, I am tackling the repair work as though we don't have the luxury of regrouping. Speaking of which, I better go tend to that now. I have to bypass a lot of damaged relays, and they're not about to do it themselves.

End Log.

Tactical

CTO Lt Raass Giraath

Stardate 21205.22

We have received another mission behind enemy lines, this time to rescue or neutralize (if necessary) a captured Intelligence operative. The operative was captured when the Tal'Shiar seized the Neutral Zone. The mission will be difficult, as the target is located on a starbase orbiting a brown dwarf, whcih will interferre with sensors and transporters. And possible other systems should we get hit by an EM burst. It is safe to assume that the Tal'Shiar will have at least one ship guarding the facility, as well. Our orders give us leeway to destroy the facility, though that wil no doubt be difficult.

Additionally, our crew is to the test run for a new, yet-to-be-developed, countermeasure against the Uihvueri's telepaths. We've been assigned a mission specialist to develop and implement said countermeasure. Needless to say, the medical staff was been outraged by the crew being used as test subjects. But it can't be worse that getting mind probed by our own telepaths everything we leave the ship. And it is necessary. I'm beginning to see why the Romulans hate and fear telepaths so much.

In preparation for the mission, I've designed a training program for our helmsmen, including myself, to complete. It should prepare use for whatever we encounter at the objective.

End Log.

Stardate 21311.26

Our mission was a success. The captured Intelligence Offcier was recovered, though all indications point to the fact that he was compromised by the Uihvueri before they turned him over to the Tal'Shiar. Apparently they used our operative to destroy the Tal'Shiar. Fortunately, we arrived in time to rescue him before the station was destroyed.

We encountered at least three Romulan warships in the vicinity of the outpost, which complicated the mission. An EM burst took the stealth system offline, and left us with only the naturally occuring EM interference as cover. Fortunately, the Eidolon was able to launch and proceed to the outpost with no trouble. The Columbia, on the other hand, had quite a fight on her hands, aas we engaged with all three of the Romulan ships we detected. One we failed to detect until they decloaked in an effort to avoid collision. The result was a minor collision, wich will limit our sensor capabilities somewhat, until the dorsa; sensor arrays can be replaced. After that point, the battle turned into a manuevering fight against two of the Romulan ships. The fight ended when the outpost exploded, taking both Romulan ships with it. Again, fortunately, the Eidolon had completed its mission and was on its way back to the secondary pick up loctation. After retrieving the Eidolon, we left the system, returning for home.

The only other complication to the mission occured after it was discovered that Lieutenant Commander West had been turned into a pawn by the Uihvueri telepaths. Fortunately, Security was able to apprehend him before his programmed tasks had been fully completed, and Science was able to reverse the damage done to ships systems.

En route to Starbase Bravo, we received a distress call from Starbase Alpha. We have diverted to the Sol system to defend Earth against a Krynar incursion there. Our ETA is five days.

End Log.

Lt Martok Kemarrin

Stardate 21311.23

This mission went better than some of our previous ones. The mission was to rescue a captured Federation officer who was aboard a Romulan space station.

We made it to the station without too many issues but that is when things got complicated. Our first sign of trouble was the fact that our sensors wouldn't work through the interference caused by the star. Next was the fact that the station looked completely abandoned.

Once we got close to the station we found that we were not alone in the system. We were quickly attacked by multiple Romulan ships which had been cloaked in the area. I managed to keep the Columbia from sustaining any serious damage although we lost our dorsal sensors when a Romulan ship decloaked right in front of us.

The away team was successful in locating the captured officer although something was not right with him. It was also found that West was the Romulan pawn onboard the ship. How long he had been a pawn is unclear at this time although we are taking precautions to prevent this from happening again.

After leaving the system we got a message that there was an attack ongoing in the Sol system. We are currently on our way there and I'm doing what I can to compensate for the lack of dorsal sensors. It will not make things easy by any means but I enjoy a challenge.

I still look forward to the chance to talk to Lt. T'Sar about possible defenses against telepathic attacks although I have not had the chance since she has been busy with Featherstone and West.

Another battle looming over our heads and the Columbia not at one hundred percent; sounds like another day in Starfleet to me.

End Log

Engineering

CE Lieutenant Skyler Gray

Stardate 21311.24

It's been a hard couple weeks. While I have yet to have a one-on-one with the Captain about what could only be called Engineering failures during the last mission, I am sure it will happen soon. S/he is not one to let those things pass by un-addressed.

During the last mission, some form of EM field radiating off the local astronomical bodies was wrecking havoc with all of our equipment. Because we were on a secret mission, we were utilizing the stealth system, and thus unable to use our shields which would have protected us from the field normally. Power was fluctuating though both essential, and non-essential systems, and it was all we could do to keep up life support and gravity functioning let along implement any sort of preventive measures.

The Recording stops, and the display flashes red "CLASSIFIED". The computer speaks.

[The following section of this recording has been Classified Level Nine Alpha, Priority Three, please enter your security code.]

After a short period of time it became obvious that We needed to abandon some of our systems in order to put together a plan that would prevent any more damage from being done. It was at this point that I devised a method of increasing the conductance of our hull by infusing Carbon Nano tubes through our the hull in a grid shape. This would have caused the hull to act as a much stronger Faraday cage, and prevented any of the EM field from effecting electronics within the confines of the ship. Unfortunately the Stealth system was damaged, going off-line before these alterations could be completed, leaving us vulnerable in a very hostile situation.I will let other Senior Officers report on the goings on outside the ship and on the bridge, and focus more on the events involving my Engineer teams.

The failure of the stealth system initiated a horrible spiral of system failures. Due to the sensitive nature of the stealth system, repairs would be difficult, and in fact turn out to be impossible within the time frame needed. The damage pieces would need to be replicated. A fact made worse by the severe damage to not only Engineers Replicator system, but also Sciences, and several others across the ship. Because I am one of only two Engineers on ship with an advanced knowledge of the workings of the stealth system, I had to leave Midshipman Banks in charge of making repairs in Engineering while I went to salvage various pieces from multiple replicator stations.

Recording continues from this point for those without Level Nine Alpha and Priority Three clearance

To his credit, Midshipman Banks performed admirably, repairing several systems during my absence. Several of the crew, to include Chief Price made a point to mention his competence, and confidence in light of the chaos ensuing around him. I intend on filing a separate more detailed report on Midshipman Banks stellar actions at a later time.

While collecting parts, I found, to my regret, a dead crewman laying in the hall outside of the Environmental Control room. I notified only medical at first, as I was unaware of the pawn's actions on the ship. It wasn't long before I was joined by Lieutenant Cavalier with a Security detachment and Lieutenant Commander Vos from Science. Later we were joined by Doctor Wood. It was at this time we learned that the EC was locked, and that we were likewise locked out from accessing the controls within from any other station. Shortly after environment control powered down, to include the artificial gravity. Luckily we were able to find some breathing apparatus and gravity boots, though not enough for everyone. I opted out, figuring the security team had more use for them than I.

Before I was able to try anything other than my override code, a potentially over zealous call by security occurred that resulting in the death of a security officer, and me taking a minor wound to my right bicep. We immediately regrouped, and I found my self suddenly transported within the EC, once again attempting to dodge phaser fire in zero-G. It was at this time that security was able to overcome the man (who I later found out was actually the Security Chief, West) and I was able to help restore all of the systems from there.

Overall, it has become obvious that I need to institute some new procedures and backup plans should some of our classified systems go down again in the future. I plan to submit a request to the Captain to see these actions done.

End Log.

Mid William Banks

Stardate 21303.12

The mission took a toll on Columbia, she held together unbelievably well - a credit to not only her design but also her construction. I had expected myself to be put through my paces, my limits tested - and there wasn't a single limit that wasn't. However the same was said for Columbia.

After answering the emergency call muster from Lieutenant Gray, I immediately set to work delegating personnel into a number of tasks to attempt a number of simultaneous subsystem repairs. With all subsystems offline, I observed standard order of priority - ensuring Life Support, Subspace and Warp Engines, and Subspace controls where all operating. Second run through was Inertial Dampeners, Phasers and Tractor beam where all operational. Vilchis, Zagod, Th'Naar and Chief Price all proved to be invaluable during those repairs. Th'Naar was placed in a tough situation, I relied on his abilities as an Engineering Crewman to write a subroutine for an ODN JTD - not an area of his expertise, but I didn't hear a complaint, nor a hint of reluctance. He rose to the challenge, and delivered well beyond my expectations - solving a data modulation problem that had not occurred to me. it was during these repairs that Lieutenant Gray realised he'd need to be elsewhere to continue Stealth System repairs and left me as the Officer on deck. I was surprised to find Engineering in my hands at such a crucial point, but knowing Lieutenant Gray he wouldn't have done so if he hadn't trusted my capabilities as an officer. Or he was left with no other choice. I had learned the hard way that Diagnostics were not functioning, i had assumed they would be and set one to run on the Phaser's while I attempted to fix another subsystem, only to find it had not progressed. I had wasted precious seconds, that in a slightly different equally threatening situation would've been excruciatingly dangerous.

The code within the Inertial Dampener's would have to be tested thoroughly, if we could borrow a few hours of Vos' time we could discern whether this method was more or less efficient. In the mean time I've kept the sensor module in the supply cabinet. There was an error in communcations between Engineering and the bridge, we had reported the inertial dampeners functioning when they weren't. It was not until I delved deeper and with Th'Naar's assistance did we realize the root of the problem. If Gray had a spare moment I'm very certain he'd remind me about that mistake, as justly he should. That was an err in judgement, the second one that day.

As the situation developed and Lieutenant Gray required assistance I sent Crewman Zagod and Chief Price. With me on Engineering I felt I could still be an efficient team leader while partaking in repairs, and I was not privy to all of the details occuring with the Pawn on board at the time. Deciding Price's experience not only as an Engineer, but of all her time in Star Fleet - would serve better than sending another Crewman. It was shortly after this we impacted with another Vessel, suffering loss of a number of Dorsal Shield Generators and Sensor Arrays. Something we've attempted to repair on our return to Federation Space.

Lieutenant Gray proved to be a man of his word, he said his number one priority was duty to this ship. Something he demonstrated effortlessly, as both an Engineer and a Leader. It's proven to be an honour to work with him, and the rest of this crew. Being assigned to a SOCOM vessel means you have a certain capability, a capability required to receive the assignment - however to deliver on it is another matter, a matter I hope I succeeded in.

End Log.

Miscellaneous

PO3 Mor'tah, Auxiliary Craft Operator

Stardate 21311.25

I have wondered on many occasions if I had made the right decision joining Starfleet. I had the belief that they talk too much and do too little. I just finished with my first spell on the Bridge of the Columbia and I can now say, yes, the crew I service with are honourable and brave men and woman.

My first Bridge spell threw me in the middle of a battle. We were outnumbered, out gunned and on the back foot. But with pure cuts and fight, we managed to overcome the odds. I was most impressed with Lieutenant Giraath, and the Captain, they were both cool under pressure and knew exactly what to do and when to do it.

I hope I have done enough today to be noticed by the Captain. For far too long I have been doing minor jobs on the ship. I hope to become an important member of the crew and help where I can, in order to strengthen the crew. Only time will tell.

End log.

MCPO Antar Sul, SAS Bravo-2 Squad Leader

Stardate 21311.26

Our mission was a success. Lieutenant Commander Featherstone was recovered alive. However, he had been turned into a pawn of the Uihvueri prior to his delivery to Tal'Shiar Oupost Nineteen. The Uihvueri used Commander Featherstone to rescue aone of their own operatives being held by the Tal'Shiar. With apperant aid from a telepath aboard a nearby Uihvueri ship, Commander Featherstone killed the entire Tal'Shiar crew. He then set charges to destroy the outpost, erasing any trace of Uihvueri involvement. We arrived in time to rescue Commander Featherstone before his explosive devices detonated. He is being held in the Brig, until he can be turned over to SOCOM for full debriefing. Joining him is Lieutenant Commander West, formerly Chief of Security aboard Columbia. Commander West was also compromised by the Uihvueri, though his mission was interrupted aboard Columbia. He also awaits transfer to SOCOM for full debriefing.

The team performed admirably on this mission. No casualties were taken, and all goals were achieved.

End Log.