Not a failure if it was meant to fail
Posted on Sun May 17th, 2026 @ 6:38pm by Technical Sergeant Decker & Chief Warrant Officer Karzen Son of Arjune, Son of Ragan MD, MPH & Warrant Officer Loren Baro & Technical Sergeant Josi Baro & Sergeant Benjamin "Ben" Hall
2,831 words; about a 14 minute read
Mission:
Quiet Stone
Location: Ada Lovelace
"So, not live fire exercise, but as close as we can get," Decker said with a chuckle, glad that Starfleet gave them the training drones that would act as whatever was needed for the enemy. "Enemy will be a basic raiding team, keep it simple between 7 and 11/12 enemies, basic weapons, with basic hand-to-hand combat."
"We are gonna run it twice. First run, I want Ben to go with the doc to get him to the bridge while Baro and I hold the raiders at bay. The other Baro is gonna lock herself in engineering. Second run, doc gets to the bridge by himself, and we three strong go to different defensive positions." Decker said, hoping he wasn't overstepping, but this was what he was good at, both defending and attacking.
Loren nodded, accepting the plan. Unlike some, she didn't need to feel like she had to prove herself every 5 minutes. Decker knew his business, "Sounds good. Later, if we really make our lives complicated by them beaming into a critical zone like the bridge or engineering." This was a solid plan. There's no need to make everything happen all at once.
Ben shifted his stance slightly, focus locked on Decker as the plan fell into place. "Understood," he said when Loren finished. He briefly looked toward Karzen. "Doc runs. I make sure anything behind him doesn’t keep up."
His gaze returned to Decker, expression steady. "They’ll favor primary corridors and intersections. I’ll take us through secondary access...maintenance if needed. Fewer angles, less exposure."
"Agreed. Remember, breachers, they are gonna be fast and easy. They know they don't know the ship as well as the ship's crew. So, their only hope is to overwhelm the crew with speed and numbers," Decker added.
"Alright, folks, we are gonna run this twice. First, the doc will be escorted. Second, the doc will be unescorted. Everything else stays the same. Josi, your one job is to lock and secure all infil and exfil points in engineering, and just bunker down until the threat is taken care of, or you get the worst call you'll ever receive." Decker said, looking at the group.
Josi’s focus had shifted inward, visualizing the engineering layout in her mind before Decker finished speaking. "Understood," she said. "I’ll secure all access points—primary and secondary. Bulkheads, junction controls, internal routing. Once it’s sealed, nothing opens without going through me."
She paused briefly, eyes narrowing in thought.
"I’ll shift critical systems to local control and isolate the core pathways. If they try to force entry, I’ll have time to respond."
"Since we're not doing this on a holodeck, where we can shoot, punch, and stab things to our hearts' content," Karzen said, as he made sure to set his disruptor to the lowest stun setting to avoid mishaps. "How do you intend to safely simulate any kind of near-realistic hand-to-hand combat? I've just turned this thing," Karzen indicated he was talking about his pistol. "Down as long as I can and still make a target drone realize it's been hit, so that shouldn't be a problem if I miss," Karzen grinned a feral grin. "Especially because I rarely, if ever, miss." Karzen tapped the hilt of his blade. "But the only stun setting this has is if I use it with the scabbard still on, which I can and have done. I've trained with it as both an edged weapon and as an impact weapon."
"These," Decker said, tossing a laser-finder, "attach it to the underbarrel of your weapon, and it'll simulate shots fired. "And, unfortunately for blades, these," he said, tossing a durable, but still non-sharp blade. "These are the closest we'll get, and seeing as our lovely raider does not have a holodeck and most likely won't get one, this is the best we can do."
Karzen hefted the fake blade in his hand. "The balance is off," he said. "But it will have to suffice." He attached the laser to his disruptor, but left the weapon turned all the way down and the safety on. "This, however, will do nicely."
Loren checked her weapon with the addition and made sure the fake blade was properly attached to her belt. She disliked training with weapons, but guessed it was better than getting new equipment all the time, though they'd never had much luck with that until recently. "Anything is a bludgeoning weapon if you just believe in yourself hard enough, but let's not ruin the Fleeties toys; they may not give us any more if we shred them all right off."
Ben accepted the laser-finder, giving it a quick check before securing it to his weapon. His gaze shifted toward the ship’s layout, already working through the plan after imagining a Klingon hybrid and a Xenexian one 'handling things' in hand-to-hand combat. "Secondary access should keep us clear longer," he said. "Less traffic, fewer angles." He glanced briefly toward Decker. "If that changes, I’ll adapt." With that, he settled back, composed and ready.
Josi stepped slightly away from the group, attention already shifting toward an engineering schematic. She didn’t reach for a training blade, her focus elsewhere. "I’ll secure engineering once we start," she said. "Bulkheads, junctions, internal routing." She paused briefly, considering. "Once it’s sealed, access will be limited. If you need a route through there, plan it ahead of time." Her gaze lifted back to the group, expression steady. "We’ll hold the space, she added, referring to her and her new engineer crewmember.
+taps+ Alright, everyone ready? +taps+ Decker asked the doc who was in the infirmary, Josi, down in engineering, Ben was stationed close to the infirmary, and then Decker and Loren were at the choke point on the Ju'day vessel. It was big and could be easily overrun, but again, this was why they were running this very specific situation.
Ben’s response came a moment later, steady over the comm. +taps+ In position. +taps+ He stood just off the main approach to the infirmary, not directly in the corridor but close enough to intercept anything coming through it. His attention moved once across the surrounding access points, confirming lines of movement. +taps+ Route’s set. I’ll move on your mark. +taps+
Josi’s voice followed, quieter but no less precise. +taps+ Engineering is secured. +taps+ Engineering responded as systems locked down, more than one set of hands moving across the consoles as access points sealed in sequence. +taps+ Bulkheads are in place. Internal access is restricted. +taps+ Then, another beat. +taps+ We're holding here. +taps+
+taps+Decker, Infirmary,+taps+ Karzen said. +taps+I've stretched and limbered up, and I'm ready to sprint to the bridge. Do try to start before I stiffen up again, and not in a good way.+taps+
Loren kept her muscles loose, her weapon a familiar weight in her hand. The knife in a forearm sheath acts as a layer of protection. Ready to act but not making the mistake of tension, such things can only distract one's focus.
Decker tapped a few buttons the combat drones were activated. The ship's klaxons blared as the deep-red light of red alert swamped the ship. The drones were swarming quickly, pushing into the first choke point that Decker was there to hold. He didn't have the best shooting angle, but for him, it was the best defensive position, one that would slow them down and give the others a chance.
"Fuck," he cursed as he took a few pop shots, struggling to even have a chance to truly aim, as the drones were relentless, which was good, as it would give them the closest to real life that they could get.
At the sound of the klaxons, Karzen grabbed the "go" bag he'd set up specifically for this scenario and started moving expeditiously through the corridors towards the bridge without sprinting. There were too many opportunities to injure himself or just trip or get his bag snagged on something if he ran willy-nilly through the ship like a targ with its head cut off. Likewise, he didn't prematurely draw his weapon. Too many opportunities to drop it. Besides, he'd spent countless hours over his life quick-drawing and shooting, both from a stationary position and on the move. He'd be fine. Probably. If not, today (like any other day that ended in the letter 'y'...in Federation Standard, anyway) was a good day to (pretend) to die.
The klaxon hit, and Ben was already moving. He didn’t step into the main corridor. Instead, he slipped along its edge, taking a position just off-angle from the infirmary entrance, where he could see both the primary approach and the nearest secondary access point. +taps+ Ben, moving. +taps+ His eyes tracked movement as the first drones pushed deeper into the ship. Fast. Direct. No hesitation. “Predictable,” he muttered under his breath. He didn’t wait for them to close in.
One step forward, just enough to draw attention, then a controlled shot from the laser-finder, aimed to disrupt the lead drone’s advance and force the others to adjust around it. +taps+ Contact incoming...multiple. They’re pushing through the main corridors. +taps+ He shifted again immediately, never staying where he fired. +taps+ Decker, they’re not slowing. +taps+ And then a calm, certain beat later: +taps+ I’ll hold them here as long as I can. +taps+
The red alert lighting washed over engineering as the klaxons sounded, but Josi was already in motion. Her hands moved across the console in quick, precise sequences; no wasted input, no hesitation. +taps+ Engineering, executing lockdown. +taps+
Bulkheads dropped in sequence, heavy doors sealing with solid, final impacts. Secondary junctions followed, isolating pathways and narrowing access routes to a handful of controlled points.
She rerouted control authority to local systems, cutting off remote overrides. +taps+ Primary and secondary access sealed. Internal routing restricted. +taps+ Her eyes flicked to the schematic, tracking the drone incursion paths as they updated in real time.
She adjusted—one junction closed sooner than planned, another rerouted to create a longer approach vector. +taps+ I’m seeing movement near forward access lines. If they redirect, they’ll be funneled. +taps+ A brief pause as she locked the final control layer into place.
+taps+ Engineering is secure. Holding. +taps+
She didn’t look away from the display.
Karzen made it to the bridge and secured it as best he could. He used the sensors. A galaxy-class multitasker, Karzen tapped his comms as he checked through the trauma kit he'd painstakingly packed and then stored on the bridge himself, just to be sure everything was the way he liked it. +taps+ Decker, Karzen. Bridge secure. +taps+. Switching channels so only Ben could hear him, he called the boy. +taps+ Apologies, Benjamin. I was supposed to let you escort me to the bridge. I forgot. I'll take the hit. I left without waiting for you. If Decker comes at you, send him to me. +taps+
The drones were doing exactly what Decker wanted them to do. Essentially run the Kobayashi Maru, essentially putting them in the no-win scenario. This was very important in helping the crew realize they may face something like this and that tough decisions will have to be made.
+taps+ Copy to all teams, I am pinned down, +taps+ Decker said, remaining calm, and working his best to be able to eliminate a drone. +taps+ Hold position. And keep fighting. +taps+ He said not pessimistic, but in a realistic, and at peace tone, that most SpecOps operators get when they know they won't be making it out alive.
Ben was already moving when Karzen’s voice came across the private channel. Grozit, he swore to himself internally. The thought came and went in the same instant, buried as quickly as it surfaced. +taps+ Copy. +taps+ There was no pause, no correction. The plan had changed, and so he adjusted. He cut toward a secondary junction, taking an angle that gave him partial sight down the corridor leading toward Decker’s position.
Josi didn’t look away from the schematic as Decker’s transmission came through. Pinned down... Her eyes tracked the drone movement instantly, mapping their advance through the ship’s internal layout. +taps+ Engineering copies. +taps+ Her hands moved across the console, closing junctions ahead of the drones and forcing them off the most direct paths. +taps+ Locking down secondary access and cycling bulkheads. +taps+ There was a brief pause as she watched the routing update in real time. +taps+ They’ll have to reroute. It should slow their approach. +taps+ She sealed another junction, narrowing the available corridors even further. +taps+ Engineering remains secure. +taps+
Loren dropped to one knee without warning as a shot went over where her head was and she returned fire, stunning the drone and responding, "Decker, backup incoming." She used the knife to block another shot as another drone found her, dodging around a corner, trying to gain a sightline on him.
Karzen sat in one of the bridge chairs, his feet up on the console, and relaxed. He listened to the messages coming across his comms with detached amusement. +Taps+ The bridge remains secure --- +Taps+ Suddenly, the bridge hatch popped open, and two drones appeared at the entrance. Karzen, faster than he should have been able to move, from outside appearances, calmly rolled out of his chair into a cover position, drawing his disruptor as he went, casually took aim, and shot both drones as though this kind of thing happened every day and was more an annoyance than a serious problem.
"Computer," the old Klingon said. "Resecure the bridge hatch and add another layer of encryption to the lock while you're at it." The hatch closed, and the lock re-engaged.
"Acknowledged," the Computer replied.
Karzen settled into his cover position facing the hatch. +Taps+ As I was saying, the Bridge remains secure. However, the hatch lock got hacked. Two intruders attempted to take the bridge. We now have two fewer intruders. I will hold this position. +Taps+
Karzen frowned. Ada Lovelace had been upgraded by Starfleet. Starfleet used anesthetizing gas to subdue intruders. If Starfleet had added the gas system to the ship, Karzen was willing to bet he could run a computer simulation of releasing anesthetizing gas. But he would need to get the computer to access the drones so they would respond. A quick systems check told Karzen that Starfleet had, in fact, not installed the gas system required to release anesthetizing gas. It did have a halon fire suppression option, but that would suffocate everyone exposed, including the crew, and if their opponents had EVA suits on, it wouldn't affect them. Oh well. Things to try later.
While all of this was going on, a drone stayed back, stayed silent, drifted to a wall terminal, and quietly hacked its way inside the Lovelace. Mostly accessing the internal sensors so it can spoof them first by making the drone disappear, then spoof what the crew in engineering and on the bridge were seeing.
It also started opening, unsealing everything except engineering and the bridge, but the drone was getting close. Just then, reinforcements arrived, and not through the breach that they created, but the drones transported in, as the hacking drone got control of the transporters. The new drones quickly surrounded and subdued Decker and Ben, ending the simulation. The drones went back to their crates.
+taps+ Simulation is over. Everyone to the mess, for post-op briefing. +taps+ Decker said simply. A small smile on his face, yes, they failed, but they lasted longer than he thought, and the big thing was they didn't give up.
+Grozit+ Ben growled in Xenexian into the comm, knowing they had failed as well. +taps+ On my way. +taps+
+taps+ Understood. Enroute. +taps+ Karzen said. He sighed and went to the mess to get dressed down for forgetting to let Ben escort him to the bridge. To be honest, Karzen felt stupid for forgetting that part of the plan, which is why he told Ben he'd take responsibility for the error.
+taps+ "Acknowledged," Loren said, wiping sweat from her brow. Damn, but she hated being reminded of her ship's shortcomings. Still, she thought they did fairly well considering.
Josi remained still for a moment longer, eyes fixed on the schematic even as the drones powered down and the simulation ended. The tension in engineering eased by degrees rather than all at once, bulkheads unlocking in controlled sequence under her supervision.
When she finally keyed her comm, her voice was steady and even, absent the frustration that had edged into some of the other responses. If she was disappointed, she kept it buried beneath the same measured professionalism she had maintained throughout the exercise.
+taps+ Engineering held. On my way. +taps+
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