NAZGUL: Innovation

Posted on Sat Mar 1st, 2025 @ 8:03pm by Lieutenant JG Ken Kudo

Mission: THE LAST CRY FOR HELP
Location: Delta Flyer
Timeline: Current

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Arriving in shuttlebay One, Kudo gathered an OPS officer he knew, and a couple more of the flight control officers. "Suit up, fellas. We're taking a Delta out to play impulse for the Nazgul. EVA suits, just in case." They all nodded and moved to the locker room. Ken boarded Delat One through the aft hatch/ramp, going forward and sitting in the upper pilot's seat for better all around view from the windows. Tapping keys he got the small craft's power couplers warmed up, activating full power through all system. In the middle of his hands moving gracefully over the controls, he stopped dead still as another epiphany came to mind. Grinning to himself, Kudo once again set to the pre-flight checks and got the power up.

The door between Bridge and aft section opened, with the OPS officer saying they were aboard and ready. No one had their helmets on yet. "Thanks, Samson." Brett Samson was a friend of Kudo's since the helmsman had come aboard, sharing a junior officers berth until Kudo had been given the position of Chief Flight Control officer by Number One. So, that friendship still carried on and Ken trusted the man since he had always shown himself to be hard working and diligent. "Get the others seated. I have an idea I'll need help with once we get the Delta in place. Prepare for some physical labor, Brett. Let the others know, will you?"

"Got it." Samson disappeared into the back.

Kudo tapped the comm. "Delta One to Captain. We're ready for liftoff, Sir."

"Do your thing, Mister Kudo. Get in position and let us know when set."

"Aye, Sir. Kudo, out." Tapping the comm off, Ken lifted off, the tight quarters for the Delta making it quite a task to spin around to face aft of Nazgul. But, with his skilled piloting he accomplished without scraping paint on Delta Two. He hit the internal comm. "Alright, boys, leaving Nazgul interior now." Running his finger up the impulse drive speed access, he left the bay at an inth of actual impulse power. The small craft shot out of the bay, with Kudo doing a sharp turn to port to come about and face the Nazgul from aft. It was disheartening to see the ship with so few lights coming from it. Even the running lights were down. Easing the Delta forward he passed over the impulse engines, the crystal aperture chamber, and finally came over top a flat portion of hull. "Helmets on, guys." Ken took up his own helmet, making sure to rub his nose and face before donning the item. He hated the itchy nose when he could not scratch it and it always seemed to happen when people did not prep for it. The helmet locked down and his air started. He activated the EVA comm. "We good, Gents?"

The four in the back acknowledged that they were ready. The whole time they had been getting their helmets on, Kudo had maneuvered the Delta to an exact spot, remembering the internal schematics for Nazgul. What he sought to be close to, even though it was inside the mother ship, was something they would need for his next idea. Setting the Delta down easy, Kudo activated the magnetic landing locks, the small craft now stuck to the hull. He then tapped the ship comm again.

"Kudo to T'Pri."

On the Bridge, T'Pri was surprised that she was receiving a call from the brave Lieutenant. She half spun to look over at the Captain, glancing back and forth between him and Number One.

"You gonna answer that?" Sheyla asked with a grin.

"I...of course, Commander." T'Pri then spoke aloud. "T'Pri here, Mister Kudo. Go ahead." She did not miss the amused look passed between Loewen and Sheyla.

"As the Science Chief, Miss T'Pri, I will tie you in to the Delta's sensors." Kudo announced. "That should provide you with active, accurate scans instead of passive."

T'Pri responded well, having found her Vulcan grounding again. "I would find that agreeable, Mister Kudo."

"You're welcome." Ken tapped some keys and tied his sensors in with T'Pri's console. She now had access to active sensor data without burning power to do so. "All set, Lieutenant T'Pri."

"Thank you, Lieutenant Kudo."

Loewen gave a smile to Sheyla, winking at her over another problem solved by their brilliant crew. He half spun to look at SCI. "Miss T'Pri, please gather more data on that unknown planetoid and the metal object in its orbit."

"Yes, Sir." T'Pri spun back to her station and began to use the Delta's scanners as if they were the Nazgul's.

"I'll get back to you, Bridge. Kudo, out." He cut the transmission and then got up and went to the back. Looking at the four, one of whom he already knew the answer, he made a query. "I know Mister Samson has training, so this question is for you three. Which of you has done space walks?"

All of them gave a quizzical, cynical expression, with one of them answering for the rest. "All of us, Lieutenant. We're flight control. Part of the curriculum."

"Okay," said Ken. "Which of you passed that course without issue?"

One of the men looking to be the youngest ensign, raised his hand to chest level. "I had issues with the expanse of being around nothing, Sir. I got disoriented and went into a panic attack every time. Not my cup of tea, I guess."

"I drink tea," said Kudo with a grin. "We'll work on your space walking since I'm your boss. For now, though, you two go with Samson and enter the ship through the access hatch nearby. He'll show you where. Go in, gather power conduit, and then bring one end of those conduits to the Delta. You two will hump the conduit to the Delta while Samson gets set to connect it to the Nazgul's power grid at the other end. It will provide minimal auxiliary power, but it is better than battery power, by far."

The one who said they failed space walking had to ask. "Won't the Chief Engineer have something to say about that?"

"She might," Kudo agreed. "However, as an engineer she will see the bonus of having actual power to work with until she can restore Nazzy's systems. A win-win, Ensign. I'll take the heat since I am a department head. I don't know many on board but if what I read about Commander Ejo is true, she'll welcome the help. If not, I get chastised for pissing in her pond."

The meek ensign deflated. "Aye, Sir."

~This guy really needs some lessons~ Kudo thought to himself. "Samson, take those two with you and get moving. Contact us if you have problems. You," he motioned at mister meek. "Will stay here with me. Monitor the EVA suits for the others and keep in contact with them. When this is all over we will get you trained up so you can see that space walks are cake walks. Carry on, people." The officers did as instructed and got moving, with Ken going back to the front. It was going to be a long day of sitting around.

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