The Mckenzie's Launch
Posted on 03/24/2012 @ 9:59am
Edited on on 04/01/2012 @ 12:37pm
Mission:
Azimuth Horizon: Crusade - Chapter 4: Operation Horizon
Location: USS McKenzie
Posted by:
Crist sat in his ready room. An hour passed by since the meeting with the senior staff, and the call to the Fleet Captain. Crist had been going over the information about the HC, hoping to get an edge on them, learning their tactics. Suddenly a voice came over the comms,
"Sir, a message coming from Starbase 10."
"Put it through here." Crist said.
"To all ships; a situation has arisen. The Artemis and the Alsea are sent out immediately to intercept a Romulan dreadnought on course towards our position. USS Lotus, USS Spectre; hasten your preparations. If the Klingons fancy to do the same, we need to find out real quick and be ready. USS McKenzie; we don't need to have the Horizon Children capitalize on this situation... move out as soon as you can."
Crist tapped his console to close the message. He then tapped his comm badge, "All hands, prepare to launch. Bridge contact the Wisconsin and the Republic, we will be launching in 10 minutes."
Crist rose from his chair and made his way to the bridge. Once there, Hughes and Shran were already prepping the ship for launch.
Hughes, "Sir, were ready to go, just give the word."
"Good, all stations report readyness." Crist ordered.
"...and have Daniel upload his new algorithms, simulations are showing a fifteen percent increase increase in scan resolution with them active." Snowfire's voice cut through the sharp hiss of the bridge door opening and she lowered her voice as she crossed the room. "I want every member of the department secured with a PID before we launch. And that includes you, Nolanis. If I have to, I'll come down there and make sure you've done so myself." There was a mumbled answer to her earplug and she smiled. "Good. Snowfire out."
The ebony skinned woman slid into her chair at the science officer position and turned to face Crist. "Science is secured and ready for launch sir.
“Engineering is reporting manned and ready sir. All stations at full power or greater and all systems are online.”
Then, a firm yet slightly amused voice was heard over the speakers.
"McKenzie, this Adam Wyatt of the Republic. We are about to head for Quadrant Four. Full round of Saurian brandy is on the last one there."
"Hughes open a channel," Crist said with a grin. "O we'll be there. And I like my brandy cold."
Wyatt, "Understood, good luck Captain."
"You too. Just hold tight at the designated location, I have a feeling we'll need you."
Wyatt, "Well be there."
The channel closed, then Crist spoke again, "Hughes contact the starbase. This is the McKenzie, Captain Crist speaking, we request permission to head out."
"Your clear McKenzie." Came a voice over the comms.
"Thank you control. Hughes take us out."
Hughes, "Aye, one quarter impulse."
But just as the moorings were cleared and the impulse drive heated up, the entire ship was shaken by a brief vibration. before anyone could inquire, the voice of Starbase 10's flight control came over the speakers.
"USS McKenzie; you were ordered to follow standard regulations and proceed out of spacedock at port speeds. Power down impulse engines now and tractor beams will deactivate once you activate thrusters until you have cleared spacedoors."
Obviously, someone not only remembered the crazy departure of the Artemis, but the flying stunt the McKenzie itself had pulled on her last mission. Flight control had been wattching them closely it seemed... And true to word, they were released from tractoring only once their impulse had been back to idle state and their thrusters flaring at readiness.
The McKenzie began to move, and cleared the doors of the spacedock. "We've cleared Starbase 10, sir."
"Good, go to warp 9, for a course for quadrant 4."
Hughes, "Aye, ETA, 5 hours, 45 minutes."
"I want a coded messaged from the Republic, when they get into position. "
Shran, "Aye, I'll make sure they do sir."
As the flat disc of the compact warship moved away from the starbase on impulse, the Republic had already flashed away at high warp. So had done the Lotus and the Spectre almost at the same instant. Once Captain Crist's ship followed, Fleet captain Allen Samji sighed audibly and stated solemnly:
"This is Starbase 10; Operation Horizon has begun."
By David Rogers on 03/24/2012 @ 3:39pm
Ok, I misplaced them.
What class are the Wisconsin and Republic? And the Pittsburgh if I may ask?
By David Rogers on 03/24/2012 @ 3:42pm
Found Pittsburgh in the Wiki ...New Orlean's class. The other 2 are not listed.
By Kheren on 03/25/2012 @ 6:07am
The USS Republic is Excelsior class, Lakota refit: Captain Adam Wyatt commanding. Exec, Commander Sarah Doyle; tactical chief, Lieutenant Leong; science chief Lieutenant Revik (Vulcan); helmsman Lieutenant Parini. All NPCs played by Kheren during Borg Invasion.
The USS Wisconsin is Nebula class commanded by Captain Onia (Deltan female) with Commander Glek (Ferengi male) as exec and Lieutenant Zapetti as chief of ops. Commander Kraytine is chief of engineering and lieutenant Mm'tek (Caitan male) is chief of tactical. All NPCs played in Borg Invasion by Jae Onasi.
The USS Pittsburg, New Orleans class, is commanded by Captain Speaker-Of-Names (Kzinti male PC played by Caltern), former commander of Starbase 10 and chief tactical officer of the Lotus. No other detail except it had been initially deployed at the border of Kzinti space.
additions:
The USS Steamrunner, prototype of the class, is also an NPC ship of Lotus Fleet. Captain Ramabai commanding.
And of course, let's not forget the USS Aurora, Nebula class, the Lotus Fleet Academy ship. Since no commander is assigned and Crist, the Academy CO is playing his RP namesake as captain of the McKenzie, I've assigned Commodore Brigham, his exec, as the commanding officer.
There is also the USS Nuntio, Nova class, (the newsletter RP promo ship) Captain Rousseau commanding, Commander Shaell (Saurian as exec), currently lost with all hands inside the AH and in the pocket universe.
With the PC ships Lotus, McKenzie, Alsea, Spectre and Artemis, this is the entire LF RP ship complement as of now.
Previously we had also the USS Umpqua, Nova class (decommissionned); the USS Tempest, Akira class (destroyed) amd the USS Grimsby, Defiant class (decommissionned). For a time, the USS Sapentia , Sovereign class, and the USS Ivan, Defiant class, had briefly been temporarily assigned to LF command but now have returned to Gemini Fleet.
By David Rogers on 03/26/2012 @ 5:03am
Many thanks Admiral.
By Kheren on 03/29/2012 @ 7:33pm
At warp 7, it takes 13.36 hours to cross a light year (from SB10 to the AH) NOT 45 minutes...
Even at its absolute maximum speed of warp 9.982, a Defiant class will still need 1.31 hour to get there...
BTW the Republic can not do better than warp 9.6, so it can only get there in 4.59 hours... Enjoy your Saurian brandy, Crist ;)
Please edit accordingly. And btw, the Wisconsin is in Quadrant ONE with the Pittsburg, not with the McKenzie and the Republic in Quadrant FOUR so you need to edit that too... unless you have something in mind...
Captains, please use the following calculator when writing about speed, time and distance:
http://www.ussdragonstar.com/utilitycore/warpspeeds.asp
This is the official LF RP warp calculator. Using it will avoid confusion in dialog and action, (like the Lotus calling red alert and wait for a ship that would arrive... 34 hours later at best), which must be avoided as we are all going to have to synchronise events happening in five different locations. It will also help in building suspense as well as avoid accidental godmoding.
By Daniel Crist on 03/30/2012 @ 5:32pm
Ok warp factor and time is fixed, i didn't know how far it was, nor how long it took, I just guessed.
As for the Republic and Wisconsin, I was told that they both would be with the McKenzie. I was under the impression it was in the briefing. Although I think the Wisconsin was assigned to two areas or whatnot.
By Kheren on 03/31/2012 @ 3:49am
Yes there was a bit of confusion in their original assignment. But the discoverd Romulan dreadnought incoming modified and clarified assignations and the Wisconsin and the Pittsburg were the first ships assigned to the anomaly once the Artemis and Alsea were sent to intercept and the Aurora and steamrunner to guard.
Sorry if it made for a bit of confusion. In such a huge story with so many people posting in any order, it is bound to happen from time to time. Hence the usefulness of these comments. :)
To make things clear, the "Operation Horizon" post will be used as the "overseeing post" to coordinate all the ships, individual actions. here to set things plainly:
- USS Aurora and USS Steamrunner: at Starbase 10 to guard it and either support other ships or lead evacuation.
- USS Pittsburg and USS Wisconsin: assigned to quadrant 1
- USS Alsea and USS Artemis: assigned to quadrant 2 and the Romulan threat;
- USS Lotus and USS Spectre: assigned to quadrant 3 and the Klingon threat.
- USS McKenzie and USS Republic: assigned to quadrant 4 and the Horizon Children threat.
All ships are now bound for their respective quadrant (except Alsea and Artemis currently diverted to intercept the Romulans on course to SB10.
Quadrant 1 is the closest to the starbase and the inner part of Federation space, coreward
Quadrant 2 is closest to Neutral Zone and coreward
Quadrant 3 is closest to Klingon border and rimward (thus farthest from SB10)
Quadrant 4 is closest to the inner part of Federation space, rimward.
The anomaly is 1 light year from SB 10 and roughly 10 light years from both borders. It currently covers a bit over 3 light years (one parsec) and will expand up to SB10 (4 light years) in 6 days unless checked.