Hide and Seek - Part II
Posted on Wed Sep 30, 2026 @ 3:56am by Captain Ricardo (Rico) Montoya - CO USS Phoenix & Civilian Geral Lasuma & Civilian Dorian Torel & Civilian Sha'rae Astare & Lieutenant Commander Alanna Wells
1,406 words; about a 7 minute read
Mission:
Jubilee
Location: Various
[PREVIOUSLY]
"As long as we can use this to get a job with the man later," Jericho countered. "I mean, if the commodore doesn't pardon us, we'll either get demoted to ensign, work waste reclamation for the next ten years, or both."
[CONTINUED]
[Lasuma's Yacht]
The Yacht's Captain nodded at the command coming from the station's command center. "Sir, we've been ordered back. I'm reducing..."
Lasuma cut him off. "I heard them and you will do no such thing. Take us to the planet and land on the surface."
Remaining in the pilot's seat, he crossed his arms. "I will not. We are in a Starfleet control zone that already have a temporary no flight order due to the comet. I won't jeopard..."
Lasuma didn't hesitate. "Then you're fired! Dorian. Take over and take us to Pangaea at full impulse."
While Dorian pulled the now fired man from his seat, Sha'rae pulled her boss aside. "What are you doing?!"
[Station Operations/Command?]
Jericho turned to Phillips. "What do we do now? I'm not gonna stop him."
Phillips sighed. "It's too late, and there are too many ships out there. Let him go. The Marines can deal with him. Besides, our shift just ended."
"Good. Let's get a drink."
[USS Phoenix]
Rico was at the science station as the looked over the data on the temporal anomalies and the various perspectives. Seems the waves had different effects.
"Captain. We have a civilian craft entering the area."
Turning from the station. "On Screen."
The image shifted from the planet to the yacht heading toward the planet. "That's coming from the station. Why didn't they tractor that thing, they know there's only authorized passage."
"Open a channel."
"Open, Sir."
"Unidentified craft. This is Captain Montoya of the USS Phoenix. You have entered a no fly zone. No ships are allowed to passage nor to approach Pangaea. Return to the station immediately."
[Lasuma's Yacht]
Dorian turned back to look up at Lasuma. only to see his boss shake his head. "You know we don't stand a chance against them."
Lasuma's arms were crossed with one hand at his chin. "Just get us closer."
[USS Phoenix]
"No response, sir. They are closing on the planet at full impulse."
"Someone's in a hurry. Move to intercept. Keep us between them and the planet."
[Lasuma's Yacht]
Lasuma watched as the Phoenix move in to block them. "Evade them. Just keep them busy enough to work closer and to keep out of tractor range." With that he bolted from the command deck.
Shar watched Lasuma rush off, "He's not..."
Dorian cocked his head. "Probably." He banked the yacht hard and deployed and armed their defense turret. There was no way they would win in a fight and he had no intention of going toe to toe with a Prometheus class starship, but the more distractions he flashed the better.
While the bank Lasuma was powering up on of his excursion landers and opened the bay on the bottom of the yacht.
[USS Phoenix]
As the Phoenix backed and rolled with the yacht, "Captain! They are deploying and arming weapons."
"Are they nuts! Shield's up. Fire Phaser across their bow."
[Lasuma's Yacht]
Sha'rae physically ducted as the phasers leapt past. Dorian tapped a button. "Ready?"
"Ready."
With his bosses reply the yacht turned toward the Phoenix.
[USS Phoenix]
"They are heading straight for us."
Shaking his head. "Target engines."
"No tractor beam?"
Having a hunch but no time to explain, "Stand by...Fire."
[Lasuma's Yacht]
Dorian had been keeping an eye on the sensors and banked hard again as the Phoenix fired. The blast grazed the shield and the yacht kicked violently but he banked again.
As the yacht kicked, Lasuma had launched and he bounce off the bay, shearing off the shuttle’s rear airfoil/spoiler, even as he dove for the planet at full speed.
[USS Phoenix]
As the yacht pulled to their starboard Rico saw the smaller craft tumble away before making a run at the planet. "Hard to Port! Tractor the shuttle!"
Lt. Robins grabbed the little toy in the ship’s tractor beam with a grin. "How did you know sir?"
Pulling out a cigar as he sat back, "Call it a hunch."
[PANGAEA]
It was too early, but the figure on the planet knew they had to act now if the plan was going to work. They were bending too many rules as it was. Breaking them had to be avoided. At least for now. Besides, this might even be better...
A moment later, Lasuma disappeared from the yacht.
[Lasuma's Yacht]
Dorian hit the console, "Shit."
Hailing the now captured excursion, "Boss you ok?"
There was no reply.
"...Boss?"
[USS Phoenix]
"Let's see if they wanna talk now. Hail the yacht and beam whoever was in the shuttle aboard."
As they awaited the hail from the yacht. Robin's cut in. "Captain there's no one on the shuttle...there was...but now he's gone."
[PANGAEA]
Alanna was in her office at Bag End, monitoring the now-active portal complex. The Marines response when she informed them of the temporal fluctuation and subsequent activation was gratifyingly prompt.
She wasn't sure if the portals were now at normal status, or if someone on the other side of one of the portals had been alerted to their activation. And, while the one person she feared might return was dead, she had no idea if that ripple the comet pulled through the system also passed through the portals to the worlds they connected to and altered the timeline there.
At least with the Marines back on guard, no one would be able to exit onto Pangaea without their notice. Or hers.
And then she felt a sudden presence on the main continent. Two presences, actually, but one she recognized as Commander Letsul. The other...she couldn't read. All she could tell was that the other person was female. And Vulcan. Commodore Michaels? Maybe. Probably. But Alanna had only met her the one time she came down to Pangaea. Cara was a telepath, so it was easier to identify her. Then they were gone.
Something was wrong. they hadn't arrived at the shuttle port. Their appearance was too sudden for them to arrive by shuttle, anyway. And to disappear like that? You couldn't transport onto or off of Pangaea.
She tried to reach out to the station to let them know, but she couldn't get a signal.
So, she immediately reached out to the one person she could find anywhere on Pangea or DS5 without needs comms. Jason.
It took her longer than it should to find him. And when she did...he was in sickbay. And unconscious. He was ill but it was not life-threatening. She'd have to go see him as soon as she could, but for now, she had something she felt was more pressing.
She knew Colonel Means was somewhere on the planet, but with the portals now active and people trying to land in the forbidden areas, she wasn't sure if he was available. She'd try, but...
She checked her computer. Yes. There was a starship close by. They could relay a message to the station. So, she tried to contact the USS Phoenix.
For just a moment, she could have sworn Captain Soren was on the planet. Then she was gone. She glanced at the sensor readings. Another temporal ripple. But that one was…odd. Or was it an omen of some sort. She shook her head. No.
Alanna focused on the present. She had to check Pangaea and the portals to make sure they were still in the correct timeline. They were. But what about Geral Lasuma? She didn't know him, and had no idea where--or when--he was. Or the commodore and commander. Her sensors didn't pick up any of them.
Jason. She needed to talk to Jason. As soon as it was safe to do so, she’d go back to the station. She needed to make sure he was okay anyway.
In the meantime, she would wait. And continue monitoring in case there was another blip of…something. Or someone.
A Post by
Jericho
Station Operations
Deep Space 5
Lieutenant Commander Alanna Wells
Director of Science, Exploration, and Archaeology
Pangaea
Geral Lasuma
Owner - Lasuma Enterprises
Dorian Torel
Bodyguard/Henchman for Geral Lasuma
Sha'rae Astare
Exec Assistant Lasuma Enterprises
Captain Ricardo (Rico) Montoya
CO USS Phoenix
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