Post Number: 202 *Getting a Move On*
Posted on Sun Feb 16th, 2025 @ 6:36pm by Commander Jordan Haines & Lieutenant Jude Haines & Lieutenant JG Rory McGregor & Lieutenant Josiah Haines & Captain Marius Pontmercy & Lieutenant Paul Eschenauer & Lieutenant David Chambers & Lieutenant JG Lirian Tarel & Lieutenant V'Lar & Lieutenant JG Celine Quinn & Lieutenant JG Fara Galaway & Chief Petty Officer Rhyth Baines
3,879 words; about a 19 minute read
Mission: Secrets
On:
Marius stood beside his chair in ops, staring out the view screen. The time had come.
"All right everyone, what's the word?"
"Transponders offline, full confirmation, no outgoing signals, no trace." V'Lar said
"Separation program is primed and ready." Rhyth said from the Operations station "Warp core's read as good to go from here. She ain't built for it but she's apparently been moulded into it." Marius nodded, thankful for some good news.
"Engineering, what's your status?" Lieutenant Chambers had been hard at work with his team for two days, and now the fruits of everyone's efforts was going to be put to the test.
“I have my section ready, Captain.” Rory replied through his comm. “The Chief was ahead is schedule you should hear from him shortly.”
A breathless and moderately annoyed Chambers came on the line. "She's not up to my standards, but she'll run, and hide when we need her to, Captain."
"That's good enough for me, I trust you Lieutenant." Marius looked at Eschenauer, now a helmsmen for a Starbase, of all things. "Take us dark," he ordered, the signal to engage the cloaking.
Jude stood at his security console as they waited for them to go dark. He had worked diligently to increase security measures to ensure their safety. He looked over at the Tactical station to his father.
Josiah nodded at his son, a slight smile on his face. He had arrived in time to team up with Jude and the two of them had worked together to make both tactical and security strong and prepared should they be needed.
Eschenauer's fingers danced over the controls, his usual easy-going demeanor momentarily replaced with the precision of a seasoned pilot. Even though he was stationed on a Starbase now, flying—no, maneuvering—was second nature.
"Aye, Captain," he confirmed, his voice calm yet focused.
With a few swift commands, he engaged the cloaking protocols. The hum of the systems subtly shifted, the artificial readouts confirming what the naked eye never could—the station was vanishing into the void.
"All systems responding. We're dark," Paul reported, exhaling slightly. "Guess I'm not just a glorified traffic controller after all." he said to himself
With that, he turned his attention back to the helm, hands steady, ready for whatever came next.
Marius let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
"Okay okay, good," he said. The easy, or easier part anyway, was done. Now for the real test. "Open a channel station-wide." When he was given the signal, he began to speak. "Attention everyone onboard the Starbase Obsidian. We are about to attempt something that, to my knowledge, has never been attempted before- bringing a Starbase to full warp. I wish I could say that this was being done under purely scientific circumstances, but we all know the danger on our horizon. All stations, departments, and civilians, prepare for warp." He glanced around Operations before speaking again.
"Let's start slowly. Helm, take us to one quarter impulse."
Eschenauer's hands moved instinctively, fingers gliding over the console as he executed the order. A Starbase at warp—unheard of. Insane, even. But here they were.
"Aye, Captain. One quarter impulse," he acknowledged, voice steady, though a part of him couldn't believe what he was about to do.
The massive structure beneath them, more accustomed to sitting still or rotating in place, now responded to the gentle nudge of propulsion. He monitored the readouts carefully, every fraction of movement magnified when dealing with something this large.
"Station is responding," he confirmed after a moment. "Structural integrity is holding. We're moving."
There was a surreal feeling to it—taking a Starbase from its immovable place and setting it in motion. Eschenauer smirked slightly, shaking his head.
"Well, Captain, I think we just made history." Marius wouldn't believe it until he had all the information.
"Stations, report. How are we looking?"
“Security is secure.” Jude spoke up. “Our shields are holding steady and I see no sign of trouble.”
“Tactical is one hundred percent as well, Sir.” Josiah spoke up. He was keeping his eyes on his station so he didn’t miss anything.
Lirian observed the crew from her place in Ops, sensing the mix of tension, excitement, and underlying anxiety that came with such an unprecedented maneuver. She wasn’t a scientist or an engineer, but she understood people—and right now, people were running on adrenaline, pushing themselves into the unknown.
She spoke to the Captain while looking at her monitors. "I'm monitoring crew stress levels—so far, everyone's focused and holding steady. But I recommend keeping an eye on fatigue, Captain. This kind of pressure can take a toll, especially if things get turbulent."
She glanced around Ops, her sharp gaze picking up the subtle signs of nerves—clenched jaws, white-knuckled grips on consoles. This was history in the making, but it was also a high-risk situation, and fear, if left unchecked, could be just as dangerous as any external threat.
She leaned forward slightly. "If this works, morale is going to soar. But if anything goes wrong, people need to feel like they have control, even when facing the unknown. A little reassurance now could go a long way, Captain."
"Miles O'Brien and Jadzia Dax would like a word about history." V'Lar muttered under her breath as she monitored the area from the central table "Docked ships are following along the predetermined courses, so far so good."
"We're getting a fair bit of heat building up on the docking arms." Rhyth said "It's what we expected for impulse, but we will need to initiate the separation mode before we go to warp." Marius nodded, expecting this.
"Initiate separation mode," he ordered.
"We've made a couple adjustments in engineering." Rory reported. "Things are good down here, Captain." He was excited about this move, about being a part of all of this.
"Separation mode activating now." Rhyth said, what this meant was that from the underside of each of the six docking rings two warp nacelles slotted out, they looked quite like a Concorde class in terms of setup, then much like a Galaxy class the clamps that held the six long docking arms to the habitat ring separated off turning what was essentially one ship into seven, but there was one more trick the 'six new ships' so to speak operated much like the sections of a Prometheus Class in that they could fly on a basic command instruction, in this case 'follow' so the six of them fell into a formation following the central structure.
Marius glanced out the viewport, and then down at a console.
"How's it looking," he called? "Anything popping up I should be worried about?"
“The crew is doing very well.” Jordan replied as he looked at one of the monitors. Nothing unexpected at the moment but I believe we need to stay alert. This is a maiden voyage after all.”
Lirian observed the unfolding events with measured focus, her hands resting lightly on the console as she kept an eye on the crew's psychological state. The excitement and tension were running high—understandable, given the sheer impossibility of what they were attempting.
She took a breath before speaking. “Captain, the crew is still holding steady, but as the separation process continues, stress levels are rising. This is a critical transition, and uncertainty can creep in fast. I’d recommend reinforcing confidence—clear, decisive updates will help keep everyone anchored.”
She turned to Marius, her violet eyes calm but serious. “If people start to feel like they’re just along for the ride rather than part of it, that’s when fear sets in. Right now, they need to know their efforts are seen. Even something as simple as an acknowledgment can make a difference.”
Pausing, she let her gaze sweep across the bridge. “We’re stepping into the unknown, but the crew trusts you, Captain. Just make sure they trust themselves, too.”
"Lieutenant." Rhyth said in Paul's direction "When we're at warp call out everything, I'll compensate as best I can from here." Hearing that everything was looking okay, Marius took a deep breath, and grit his teeth. Here goes nothing, he thought.
"Okay... helm- take us to warp one."
Eschenauer let out a slow breath, fingers poised over the console. A Starbase at warp—this was the stuff of insane engineering dreams or drunken bar bets. But now, it was real.
"Aye, Captain," he said, voice even, betraying none of the whirlwind of thoughts in his head.
His hands moved swiftly, smoothly, guiding the massive structure forward. The station shuddered slightly as the impulse engines shifted gears, transitioning to warp field generation.
"Initiating warp drive sequence," he reported, eyes scanning the readouts. "Field stability within parameters. Structural integrity holding."
The hum of the station subtly changed, a deeper vibration settling into the deck. A moment later, the familiar streaking effect of warp travel filled the viewscreen—except this time, it wasn’t a starship.
Paul exhaled. "Warp one achieved, Captain. And, uh…" He let out a breathy chuckle. "Starbase Obsidian is officially a warp-capable vessel."
He kept his hands ready at the controls, knowing full well that any minor course correction would be an entirely new experience for a structure never designed to move like this.
"All systems are green," he added. "Now let’s just hope we stay that way."
"And now we talk about being in the history books." V'Lar said "If Zefram Cochrane could see this... In any other context there'd be a revolving door of scientific and engineering greats wanting to congratulate us for this."
"You're telling me," Marius said with a rare grin. "What's the maximum warp we can achieve?"
"In separation mode we can touch the higher warp factors more easily." Rhyth said checking the console for her theory notes "If we can't separate in future then we're likely capped at warp three for safety and even then that's a lot of shear in the traveling. But like this I'd say warp seven is well within grasp, maybe more if Mr Chambers has the luck of the engineer that Starfleet is famous for."
"Well then for now, take us to warp 7," Marius ordered. He wanted to get to their destination as quickly as possible. He was glad they were able to stealth, that was an advantage they sorely needed.
As the station accelerated toward warp seven, Paul’s grip on the helm tightened slightly. Adjusting course on a vessel of this size was entirely different from a starship—every motion had to be deliberate, calculated, with little room for error.
"Engaging warp seven," he confirmed, fingers dancing over the controls. The station—responded, the vibrations beneath his feet shifting subtly as the warp field adjusted to the increased velocity.
"Stabilizing… Structural integrity is holding within expected parameters," Paul continued, monitoring the data feeds streaming across his screen. "No sudden spikes. We're still in the green."
Marius glanced around, spotting the looks of relief and excitement echoed around the room, and he had to admit that it felt good to get ahead of the enemy for once.
As if on cue, alarm klaxons began to ring out, and he immediately took a seat.
"What is happening," he ordered.
"Sir," an Operations officer called, "two Synthulans vessels have just appeared at our previous coordinates." After a second, Marius sighed.
"Well I'm glad we left when we did."
"Captain! I'm receiving reports that Vulcan, Trill, and several other Federation worlds have just been attacked!"
"Synthulans," he asked?
"Affirmative. And we lost the 9th fleet... And the 5th fleet-"
"Sir I've just been informed that Earth was just attacked- Starfleet Command!"
After a few seconds the myriad of new reports began to wash over him as his hearing faded into a ringing noise. The Synthulans had attacked before being provoked... Before the away team had gotten the Admiral back.
"How far are we from our destination," he finally asked?
"Three hours sir."
"Red alert," he ordered.
Paul felt his chest tighten as he processed the incoming data. He had been focused on the technical feat of maneuvering a Starbase at warp—now, the reality of war came crashing back in.
"Captain," he said, voice steady but tinged with urgency, "we need to assume the Synthulans have already mapped our last known heading. If they can track us, they'll be right behind us."
His hands hovered over the helm controls, ready to make any necessary adjustments. "Recommend immediate course deviation. I can throw in a few unpredictable maneuvers to make it harder for them to pinpoint our trajectory."
He glanced at Rhyth and the others. "I'll call out everything, as ordered, but we might need to push this rig harder than we planned."
His jaw tightened. "Because if they're hitting Earth, Captain… we might be the only ones left to fight back."
Lirian immediately took stock of the emotional undercurrents in Ops. Fear, anger, disbelief—it was all there, simmering just beneath the surface. She had to act quickly before panic took root.
She stepped forward, her voice calm but firm. "Captain, we need to keep focus. Right now, everyone is reeling, but if we let fear take hold, it will cloud our judgment."
She turned slightly, addressing the bridge as a whole. "We are still here. We are still standing. And right now, Starbase Obsidian is in the best possible position to act."
Her violet eyes met Marius', a silent urging to take control of the moment. "They hit us where it hurts, but that means they believe we’re a threat. And they’re right."
She let that sit for a beat before adding, "Captain, what are your orders?" Marius took a breath.
"All right, here's what we do. Deviate course. Until we rendezvous with the away team, our destination is where we are ending up- but we don't have to be obvious about where we are going. Change course. All hands, we will need to take time to deal with what has happened, but for now- we have to stay on task. Battle stations, prepare for anything."
"I recommend waiting a moment on that course change." V'Lar said, mentally telling herself one thing at a time, "There's no point changing direction without erasing our footprints." she looked at Pontmercy "Drop a tachyon mine in our wake and detonate it first that'll degrade our warp signature and should help us evade for the moment."
Paul’s hands hovered over the helm, the tension now palpable as the urgency of the situation hit him. He could feel the weight of the moment bearing down on him, but he had to stay sharp.
"Captain," Paul said, his voice steady despite the rising stakes, "I’ve got a better idea than the tachyon mine. We’re already flying dark, but if they’ve mapped our trajectory, they’re expecting us to follow a straight line." He glanced at the monitors, his fingers already moving across the console with practiced precision. "I can push the station’s warp field—create a simulated warp signature that makes us look like we're still moving in one direction, but we’ll actually be veering off at a sharp angle."
He quickly tapped a few commands, setting the warp field manipulations in motion. "If we make them think we’re heading one way, but we shift course subtly, we’ll throw off any targeting systems they might have on us. It’ll give us the time we need to plan the next move."
He shot a quick look at Marius, then focused back on his console. "It’s a bit of a gamble, but we’ll be harder to track. I’ll make it look like we’re still on the same course for a while, then throw them off when we’re ready."
Paul’s fingers danced over the controls with a confidence that came from years of experience. "I’m ready to execute whenever you say, Captain." Marius glanced from V'lar to Eschenauer.
"We are cloaked," Marius said finally. "By simulating a warp field, we are almost asking for them to look for us. I think it's better for us to cover our tracks altogether, if they're even looking in this direction. Drop the mine, and stay the course." He sighed, thinking over his previous order. "We can't risk doing anything that will jeopardize the return of our away team. We have to be exact and intentional, now. We have no idea how widespread the attacks are, and how much of the Federation was attacked. We need to be strong folks."
“Drop the mine, Tactical.” Jordan ordered looking over at Josiah. He agreed with the captain’s decision and had been about to recommend that he go with v’Lar’s recommendation. Jordan didn’t like the odds of trying to outsmart them it was too great a risk.
“Dropping the mine.” Josiah spoke up from tactical, following the captain’s orders. He personally agreed with the call. They needed to try and stay hidden to keep their enemy as far away as possible. He dropped the mine and then waited.
Jude had brought them to red alert earlier and he was now keeping his eyes on the console and dispersed what security officers there were on Board around the base just in case trouble came there way. He would he prepared.
"Mine detonation confirmed, tachyon wave in motion." Rhyth said looking at her console "Lieutenant Eschenauer please go to warp 7.5 for ninety seconds so we don't risk warp bubble integrity issues from the radiation."
Marius watched his crew at work, proud of their calm under pressure. He knew that everyone was reeling from the news, but it showed true strength to remain focused through it all.
Paul sent the ship into warp.
Jordan stood as they went to warp and glanced around the room at the crew. He would be forever thankful that his family were all here…except for Joel but somehow he knew at this moment he was okay. Jordan couldn’t tell from looking at them all that they had suffered a huge shock from the news that had been coming in. He had conflicting emotions himself but mostly anger and a will to get revenge. It had always been his way but he held it in, knowing Marius would have a palm. Their priority at the moment was to get to safety and wait for the away team.
Jude had mixed emotions at the moment, he had been transferred to 5th fleet when the position on the station had caught his eye. Had he not seen it, he would be… He shook his himself mentally and went back to studying his console. He couldn’t live in what if’s, they were alive and needed to stay that way.
V'Lar practically bent over the central table she'd been monitoring from, it was in that vain of putting one's head down for a moment to get some energy back. She knew what the next few hours held in store for her and she wasn't looking forward to it, but it was however the job. There were days that she was glad that, even though she didn't do it as a matter of routine, she could tap into her Vulcan side and push her emotions down.
Lirian’s breath caught for half a second—a barely perceptible pause before she forced herself to focus. Her hands clenched into fists for a moment, then relaxed.
The room around her had shifted. It wasn’t just the surreal thrill of making history anymore. Now, the air was thick with something sharper—fear, dread, urgency.
She turned to Marius, her voice level but carrying an edge of urgency. "Captain, we need to keep people steady. This kind of news—it's going to spread fast, and if we don't manage the response, fear will take over."
Her violet eyes swept the room, scanning the faces of the officers. She could already see it—some holding their breath, others with their jaws clenched tight.
She lowered her voice slightly. "Panic is as dangerous as any enemy, Captain. If the crew sees you calm and in control, they'll follow your lead. But we need to act now before the weight of this breaks them."
She took a step forward. "Let me work on containing the emotional fallout. We need everyone at their best—because this? This is just the beginning."
Marius nodded.
"Agreed. We still do not know the extent of the casualties, but we can assume it is massive. Do what you can."
Paul, despite the intensity of the situation, kept his hands steady on the helm. His mind processed the information like a pilot—keep flying, keep moving, don’t freeze.
His stomach dropped at the mention of Earth. That was the heart of the Federation, the place where it all began. The Academy, Starfleet Command—gone? His jaw clenched as the reports kept coming.
He exhaled sharply through his nose, muttering under his breath, “Jesus.”
But there was no time to dwell. He wasn’t just a pilot, not just a helmsman. He was a Starfleet officer, and right now, his job was to keep this station moving, to keep them ahead of the chaos.
He turned slightly toward Marius, his usual humor gone.
"Captain, whatever orders you give, I’ll fly them. But wherever we’re going… we better be ready."
He tightened his grip on the console, jaw set.
Because for the first time in his career, it felt like there was nowhere left to go.
Jordan felt like everyone was ignoring the elephant in the room. “Look everyone, he called out in a calm and steady voice. “The news we are receiving is the worst imaginable and I get that your emotions are all over the place. The thing is, this is when you need to dig in deep and concentrate on our jobs. There are survivors out there and they will be counting on us, we can’t let them down.” He hoped this helped in some small way. “I believe in all of you and I know you can do this.” Marius looked at his Executive Officer, proud of the man he had become. A few years ago and this... This would never have been his response.
"We can still retrieve our away team. Once they're onboard, I'll have another plan. For now, let's just pray they get back to us soon. We have a few hours until our arrival... With any luck, they'll be waiting for us.
Off:
Captain Marius G. Pontmercy
Commanding Officer
Starbase Obsidian
Commander Jordan Haines
Executive Officer
Starbase Obsidian
Lieutenant Jude Haines
Chief Security Officer
Starbase Obsidian
Lieutenant Junior Grade V'Lar
Chief Intelligence Officer
Starbase Obsidian
Lieutenant Junior Grade Josiah Haines
Chief Tactical Officer
Starbase Obsidian
Lieutenant Junior Grade Rory McGregor
Assistant Engineering Chief
Starbase Obsidian
Lieutenant Junior Grade Celine Quinn
Chief Diplomatic Officer
Starbase Obsidian
Chief Petty Officer Rhyth Baines
Transporter Specialist/Engineering Officer
Starbase Obsidian
Lieutenant Paul Eschenauer
Assistant Flight Control Chief
Starbase Obsidian
Lieutenant Lirian Teral
Acting Chief Counselor
Starbase Obsidian
Lieutenant David Chambers
Chief Engineer
Starbase Obsidian
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