Up the Creek (Part 1)

Posted on Thu Aug 21st, 2025 @ 1:51am by Captain Maho Takahashi & Captain Erica Hartmann & Commander Keisuke Takahashi 'K.T.' & Lieutenant Commander Chrirhc Chihc & Commander Ichika Misono & Lieutenant Commander Kurumi Ebisuzawa & Lieutenant Ami Rori & Lieutenant Kael Ryo & Lieutenant JG Jane Sinclair & Master Chief Petty Officer William Pitsenbarger
Edited on on Thu Aug 21st, 2025 @ 1:58am

1,094 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: The Next Myogi
Location: Sector 811
Timeline: January 23, 2397

Captain's log,

We are now three days into our patrol in Sector 811 with the Akagi. Everyone is on edge, making even the most routine patrol anything but...

End of log

The Myogi and Akagi had been following the assigned patrol route for the past three days since leaving Starbase 234. The newer Luna class ship led the way, and the forward view on the Myogi's viewscreen was that of the Akagi's aft.

Maho was seated in her chair on the Myogi's bridge. She had been in the chair for almost 8 hours, only being absent when taking meals in her ready room. Both ships had been on high alert since the patrol began, and were almost waiting on the other shoe to drop. As such, the atmosphere on the bridge was one of tension.

And tis was all too evident for her Inuto XO, of whom was presently making her rounds for what must've been the fifth or sixth time this hour. Of course, Maho understood that Ichika was anxious- who wasn't, at this point?- but looming over the bridge officers every ten minutes, like clockwork, was beginning to fray on more than a few nerves.

"How are we looking, Mister Chihc?" she inquired as she drew up to the Intel station (and a rather frazzled-looking Hebitian) for what was evidently not the first time this hour. Or second. Or third, for that matter.

"Sensor readings are still normal." Chirhc responded. "Nothing noteworthy to report from the Akagi."

Kael stepped out of the turbolift and approached the captain. No poetry this time.

"That seat was not made for expecting mothers, captain."

"Your concern is noted, doctor." Maho responded. "And I have been periodically getting up and stretching, even going back and forth to and from the ready room for food."

He clasped his hand behind his back, expecting that answer.

"I hope its noted in bold letters, you do know you don't have to be on the bridge for every shift right?"

"Yes, but it is also my responsibility as the captain of the Myogi to keep yourself and everyone else on board safe." Maho responded firmly. "But, tell you what, if you want me to have a change of scenery that badly..."

Maho then turned to Ichika.

"Commander; schedule a senior staff briefing once we pass Checkpoint Epsilon." Maho then instructed. "There's a few more things we need to go over since leaving dock..."

"Aye, Captain," Ichika nodded in the Affirmative.

Chief of Boat Office

William sighed and leaned back in his chair. He stared at the viewscreen of the computer sitting on his desk, and was not pleased. He looked about his office, the C.O.B. office was directly across from the First officer's office and next to the Second officer's office, then the door leading out of it. He again reread the report on the viewscreen.
He stood up and stretched, he hated paperwork and now that he was the Chief of the Boat, he was knee deep in it. The job also called for what he was about to do next; report to the captain the number of crew, and by that it meant enlisted and NCO, incidents. At this moment the count was up to fifty two, and he was now firmly in the belief that the command team needed to be made aware of how bad the tension of the mission was getting. All the incidents had been minor and normally fell under his philosophy of enlisted and NCO matters remain under the enlisted, NCO chain. The latest had been a food fight in the crew mess on deck six. It has quickly been broken up and the responsible parties were even now being dealt with by their respective department NCO heads. Still this was just one of many minor incidents happening. Surprisingly the Marine detachment was behaving relatively well, but then again given the First Sergeant of them he had no doubt she was clamping down hard on them. Thank God for small miracles. William straightened his uniform and headed toward the bridge.

Bridge

From the helm station, Jane looked back at the Captain. "Ma'am, we're approaching Checkpoint Epsilon," she reported. At some previous checkpoints, they had stopped, whether for deep scans or brief maintenance. At others, they simply adjusted course for the next one. "Course for Checkpoint Zeta is ready to be entered."

Maho looked up to the viewscreen to see the Akagi suddenly slowing rapidly.

"Helm, full stop!" Maho hastily ordered.

“Full stop, aye!” Jane called back, inputting the command. RCS thrusters engaged and the ship came to a full stop quickly but not forcefully, taking position behind the Akagi.

"Status of the Akagi?" Maho asked. This stop wasn't planned; meaning something was up. "What the hell do they think they're doing?"

"Hold on;" Chrirhc immediately piped up. "I'm getting an encrypted transmission from my Akagi counterpart..." Chrirhc worked to decrypt the transmission as quickly as he could. "He says the Akagi is detecting something on their long range sensors."

"All hands, yellow alert," Ichika ordered as she scurried over to join Maho in the central command pit. "Tactical, raise shields; Intel, continue to monitor the situation on the Akagi."

However, before anybody could respond, no less than five ships of unknown origin had suddenly appeared flanking the Akagi and the Myogi, and before anybody knew what was happening, without so much as a hail or a warning of any kind, the two starships found themselves being fired upon.

"Well, this just went from bad to worse..." Maho grumbled as the Myogi shuddered, the bridge lights automatically switching over from yellow to red alert. "Red alert! All hands, battle stations! Helm, evasive maneuvers!"

“Yes, ma’am!” Jane responded. “Evasive pattern Sinclair-three.” The ship accelerated to two-thirds impulse and the chief flight control officer banked it this way and that in the third of several original evasive patterns she had charted.

Ichika glanced over at Kael. "Strap yourself in, Mr. Ryo, it looks like this is going to get bumpy..."

He nodded in pain as he pushed himself up from behind the captains chair, which is what he used to to break his fall earlier. ''New ghosts complain and old ghosts weep" He quoted. "I'll be on the sickbay" His own station during a red alert.

Kurumi had relieved Tactical and had managed to get the Myogi's shields raised.

To be continued...

RSS Feed