The Final Death of the USS Roanoke

Posted on Thu Mar 12th, 2020 @ 7:25am by Division Admiral Thomas Lasky & Commander Beth Woerner & Lieutenant JG Rachael "Ripcord" Yamaguchi-Cullen & Commodore Teyo Kemoke

Mission: Mission 88: We Must have Bloody Noses and Crack'd Crowns
Location: Goronar System
Timeline: June 4th 2392

Kumirae, who was currently flagged on the Dreamcrusher had her ship contact the newly promoted Marshal K'miras, who was still stationed around Goronar. The fighter corps marshal asked, "So, whats the status of our forces?."

"We have them on the run," Kumirae answered, the Klingons are very nearly out of Gorn space.

K'miras nodded, alright well I guess that explains why I have been ordered to withdraw my ground based units back to Federation space."

"That, and I think the federation has more new equipment for your fighter units."

K'miras sighed, nodding his head. "Yeah, we sure have been upgrading fast."

Any further conversation got interrupted when one of K'miras staff officers interrupted, "Crap, we have missiles incoming."

"From where" K'miras asked.

the officer shook his head, "No idea from where specifically, but there are quite a few of them, they are aimed at the planet."

K'miras blood ran cold, knowing just what would happen if all those missiles hit. "Intercept them now."

The officer frantically alerted the CSP' but then he gave another grim report, the birds that are in a position to intercept, they don't have enough ordinance to shot them all down. And there is only one ship near the past of those missiles. And they will impact in less than 10 minutes."

"Which one," Kmiras asked.

"Roanoke," The officer answered grimly.

Meanwhile over on the USS Manticore which was nowhere near the missile swarm. Commander Tom Lasky paused as he received the same information that other forces nearby did. "Options?"

"We could send a team over to the Roanoke. Get her point defense guns working again."

Lt Commander Beth Woerner nodded her head. "It is worth a try."

Lasky nodded. "Hail Marshal K'miras. I need to speak with him now."

K'miras came on screen, "Yeah, what is it."

"I'm going to take a team over to the Roanoke and see if I can get their point defense batteries online to shoot down those warheads," he commented. "Can you move some ships into the area to assist?. in case this doesn't work."

K'miras shook his head, "unfortunately no. There are no starships close enough except yours. I have a few shuttles and runabout's, but that's it."

"Alright. My guys and I will handle this." Lasky responded quietly. "If you could plug any holes, that would be appreciated," he added before he turned to his Exec. "Beth, this ship is yours."

"I should protest." the Frenchwoman commented in a light tone of voice before she tapped her combadge. "Engineering. please assemble a damage control detail in transporter room three. They are going to save a planet."

"Aye Commander. Damage control three is en-route now."

Woerner regarded Lasky. "Come back alive!"

"I'll do my best." and with that, he rose to his feet and was gone seconds later, he was in the transporter room a minute later and on the Roanoke with his guys, a minute after that.

"Okay. head on down to engineering and see about restoring main power, this was critically damaged in her last battle so it will look like a mess down there. I'm going to head up to the bridge. See if you can also get internal comms working and weapons. I just want the point defense batteries and nothing else. If you can restore this ships warhead launchers, that would be great. Right. off with you."

The team filed out the door as Lasky went on his way up to the bridge.

K'mira's CSP managed to shoot down as many warheads as they could, but now all their expendable ordinance was spent, and they just had their phasers left, and with the phasers alone, they wouldn't even come close to shooting down all the missiles. As a last act of desperation, K'miras sent whatever runabouts or shuttle he had to try and help shoot down those missiles, but even they weren't enough. K'miras then mentioned over the comm. "Lasky, you have ten minutes before those missiles hit."

Lasky slapped his combadge as he moved up the ladder he was in. "Understood. Ten minutes. crap." he muttered as he knew he needed to move quicker than this. He quickly emerged onto the main bridge before he went over to Rykar's old station, the room was covered in dried blood and other bodily fluids. "Wow.. how did any of us escape?" he muttered before he pulled the cover off of the back of the console and he went to work. "I need the main computer up."

Meanwhile, in Roanoke's engineering section, the damage control party arrived and quickly set up shop. The dozen or so personnel quickly went to work as Rachael Yamaguchi-Cullen cleared some debris from a console. "Here guys," she commented as she yanked off the cover to the console before her. "Here!" as one of the guys tossed her a power cell.

Rachael caught it before she plugged it into the system, there was a loud sound as the system powered up, all of the lights turned on as all the stations nearby also quickly powered up too.

"Engineering to Lasky," Rachael commented after she tapped her combadge

"Lasky here. Nice work. Where are we with weapons?" he inquired. "I got about six minutes left."

"I can get you six batteries but that's all." came the response as Rachael checked the impulse engines. "I can give you maneuvering thrusters but the impulse engines are critically damaged. If I power them up, I'll blow this ship apart..." she paused. "Guys, take over here. I'm heading to the bridge." and with that Rachael turned and raced off down the hallway.

The man in charge of the damage control party nodded. "Guys, let's see if we can get any other weapons online for the Commander."

Meanwhile, Rachael reached the nearest turbolift as she knew she needed to reach the bridge quickly but she had little choice. She tapped the button to call a turbolift.

To her shock, the doors opened and a turbolift appeared. She stepped into it. "Bridge." and with that, the lift started moving. She checked her wrist chrono. "Four minutes left," she commented softly.

Meanwhile on the bridge. Lasky was standing at the weapons console. "Missiles entering range," he commented as he activated the ships weapon system. As phaser blasts went flying towards the targets downrange, one of them impacted a missile, detonating it as many more phaser blasts missed.

However, Lasky had a backup plan. So the man moved to the conn station. "I need to do this," he commented. "I'm Sorry Kurt," he whispered right before the doors opened to the turbolift. "Sir. Let me help!" Yamaguchi-Cullen's strident tone crossed the bridge to Lasky's ears

"Rachael. Is everything set down there?" Lasky inquired.

"Yessir. We're ready." Rachael responded. "The D/C party has already departed, it's you and me now." the young woman responded quietly.

"Then it's time for you to leave Rachael," Lasky responded quietly. "I have to do this, you do not." he eyed her.

Rachael watched as another missile exploded on the display but there were eight warheads left. "We can still find a way to resolve this."

"Yes. By giving Roanoke the funeral she deserves and not the breaking at the scrap heap she was destined for." Lasky responded quietly. "Rachael. Get off this ship."

"I'm not going anywhere." the younger woman went over to the tactical station as she went to work. "We have eight missiles incoming, one minute to impact."

"Well. Shoot them!" Lasky responded quietly.

Rachael proceeded to shoot down three quickly and then a fourth. "Blast!" she snapped. "Phasers are burned out."

Lasky nodded as he rose to his feet. "Then Rachael. It's time to say goodbye." and with that, he jabbed her with his emergency transporter unit, she opened her mouth as she was beamed away.

Lasky sighed. "Goodbye." before he went back to the conn station. He smiled. "I do this, so others may live.." he muttered as Lasky activated the Roanoke's engines for her last flight, he clearly intended to use the ship itself as a weapon.

Abbaddo and K'miras where both is a Runabout attempting to help shoot down the missiles when K'miras pointed out. "Abbado, bring us to the Roanoke, whoever is onboard is about to use the ship to ram those missiles."

Abaddo nodded and guided their craft to the Roanoke's position, and K'miras tried to establish a transporter lock on the single person left on the ship, However, he had to leave it to the last moment in order to ensure the ship would connect with the missiles. K'miras activated the transporter beam at the instant the first missile hit the Roanoke.

Lasky watched as she warhead swarm was just moments away. He sighed softly as he felt an inner peace come over himself, one he had never known before. "Thank you.." he whispered softly as he looked up at the ceiling. "People will sing songs of you," he said to the Roanoke herself.

Lasky felt the first warhead smash into Roanoke as the transporter beam took him. Lasky paused as he felt himself dematerialize to appear on the Runabout. "Gentlemen." he addressed the two men. "Not quite what I had expected." he paused. "But I won't complain either, I owe you two a drink each."

K'miras watched as every last remaining missile slammed into Roanoke, immolating the ship in the process, but not a single missile hit the planet. "Well congratulations Lasky, you have just saved a planet."

"I was prepared to die so others could live," Lasky responded quietly. "When we're back in port. We'll have that drink"

Abbado commented dryly. "Well you better be prepared to buy a lot of drinks, the furball can put away a lot of booze."

"I'm good with that," Lasky responded as he sat down in one of the nearby chairs. "Ahh, Abbado. I've missed working with you. Its always good to see you around. Lets get outta here."