Turning the Tide

Posted on Fri Apr 18th, 2025 @ 2:02pm by Captain Malcom Llwyedd & Lieutenant Hank Solomon & Lieutenant JG Randolf Forst

1,294 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Mission 1: A Long Hard Road Ahead
Location: USS Firebird, Deck 1, Captain's Ready Room
Timeline: 3 hours before appearance of Jem'Hadar Fleet

[ON]

Malcom was pacing as he read the short, science-laden report that Lieutenant Forst had submitted after returning to the Firebird. He was glad to have the bulk of his science team returning, but after the attacks on the crew a few short hours ago, he had the feeling that something bad was about to happen. He needed the wormhole open. He'd ordered Lieutenant Solomon and Lieutenant Forst to meet him, giving the latter just enough time to change and eat something. He didn't think they'd even had time to officially meet.

Hank approached the CO's ready room as requested. A quick uniform check just to be sure and made sure to notify the Captain of his presence.

Malcom looked up at the door notification. "Come in," he said and smiled at his Chief Science Officer. "Thanks for coming so quickly, Lieutenant. I know there's a lot going on but I wanted to get you and Lieutenant Forst together and talk about the Wormhole. Please, have a seat."

Every long-engrained instinct for Forst was screaming that the stubble (almost a beard at this point) he was sporting to the Captain's office was somehow wrong, but the sonic shower and the food had taken priority. I almost didn't even eat. He half scolded himself.

He was also nose-deep in a PADD and had apologized to two ensigns and a crewman that he had bumped into on the way.

The door wooshed, and he stepped into the office.

"Sorry for the delay, Captain. I was trying to sort out the last set of temporal drift statistics that we gathered on the way back." He nodded at the other officer in teal and thumbed the PADD off for the time being.

"No need to apologize, Lieutenant Forst. I'm impressed that you are here at all, and I mean that literally. You and your crew on the Littel Bird performed admirably and were able to find your way back home," Malcom said. He felt himself growing emotional. Losing crew, in any way, was the hardest part of his job. "I'm personally grateful to you for shepherding everyone home. I'm going to be adding Letters of Achievement to all of your files."

Malcom motioned for Forst to sit and then sat on the couch, facing the two science officers.

"This meeting also serves as my introduction for the two of you. Lieutenant Forst, I present to you your new Chief Science Officer, Lieutenant Hank Solomon," Malcom said.

Hank nodded a salute to the officer nearby him.
"Glad to meet you, lieutenant," he smiled politely. "No need to tell you how impressed I am as well, and happy actually. Really happy to have you and the team back", the CSO mentioned.

Forst sat and nodded a moment. He wondered at the commendations. All they had done was solve the science problem in front of them. But he supposed that it was a rather unique problem.

"Good to meet you sir," he nodded back to Solomon.

"What are we looking at next, sir?" Forst added,d looking back to the Captain."

Malcom frowned. "We've had six weeks of relative quiet. In that time, we have managed to repair a lot of the damage that was done to DS18. We've also acquired a small fleet of ships that had planned to transit the wormhole but are stuck here. A few hours ago, a group of Jem'Hadar attacked key personnel on the station. Thankfully, most of those attacks were successfully fought off. However, I have a feeling that it was just the first blow. There's something coming. I can feel it. And it won't be long. So, the two of you are here for perhaps the most important thing," Malcom said. He paused to look at the two officers. Both of them look tired and worn, especially Lieutenant Forst. He hated to ask so much of them. To put so much on their shoulders, but he had no choice.

"I have no doubt that Starfleet has assembled a rescue force on the other side of the Wormhole. If the Coalition attacks again, with the aid of some Jem'Hadar ships, I don't think we will be able to hold them off. The only chance we have is if you and the rest of the science team can figure out how to open the wormhole."

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more Forst could remember which ancient poet had said it, but it seemed appropriate. The last time he was given that order, he had spent an unknown amount of time out of time. He shuddered at the phrasing, wishing again that his vocabulary could have never expanded on the temporal front.

He turned to look at Solomon, "I hope you have some ideas, sir, the last time I tried I ended up 350 years in the past. But we can share all of our data from the first trip."

Realizing that this sounded a little more petulant than he had intended, he added to the Captain.

"I'm sure that we can find something this time, sir."

Hank couldn't suppress a smile at the 350 years joke.

"Lieutenant Gale and I got some information on how the Jem'Hadar probably activated the anomaly. But we still have to work out a way to activate it towards the right time and place," he considered. "With your data and experience, I'm sure we can work something out," he concurred with Ford.

"I'm sure the two of you can," Malcom said. "I'm also sending over the entire collection of information we've gleaned over the last six weeks. There's a really good report from Lieutenant Woodhouse on the functions of unique power sources the Coalition uses, in addition to a few reports from a Coalition member named Uluv, who is an expert in their technology. Uluv has applied for asylum with the Federation, and I have granted it provisionally. Feel free to bring him into any conversations you think he can help with," Malcom said.

Forst nodded and turned to Lt Solomon. "I suppose we should start running some simulations, sir." He was already downloading the various reports to his PADD.

Hank nodded, "You can also access the data we gathered before Jem'Hadars raided the lab. Thanks to Lt. Gale, most of our work had been saved. They used frequency generators to displace the anomaly. Maybe running simulations on the different frequencies might make us hit jackpot by getting the right one," he acknowledged.

Forst and Solomon started to bat ideas back and forth. Forst (having only recently met the man) fell into the conversation easily enough. The details of the attack, the gathered data from Littlebird , all working together to start cutting down the space of possibility.

Malcom smiled. The two scientists were already solving his problem. "Gentlemen, I'll leave the details to you. You're on the clock already. I need a plan of action soon. Let me know when you have anything," he said. The two scientists nodded and, still talking, exited the room.

Malcom leaned back, looking up at the ceiling. If they didn't find a way to open the wormhole, things were going to get desperate. He sighed and stood. Still, it felt like the tide was turning. After so long, it felt l like things were finally turning in their favor.

[OFF]

Captain Malcom Llwyedd
Commanding Officer
USS Firebird NCC-88298

Lieutenant Hank Solomon
Chief Science Officer
USS Firebird NCC-88298

Lieutenant JG Randolf Forst
Assistant Chief Science Officer
USS Firebird NCC-88298

 

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