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Chapter 03: Loyalty

Episode 04: Simulcast | Chapter 03 "Loyalty"

"If loyalty is, and always has been, perceived as obsolete, why do we continue to praise it? Because loyalty is essential to the most basic things that make life livable. Without loyalty there can be no love. Without loyalty there can be no family. Without loyalty there can be no friendship. Without loyalty there can be no commitment to community or country. And without those things, there can be no society."
- Eric Felten

[ USS Resolve | Briefing Room > Main Bridge ] Suggested PO: 1) Arista (Melissa and/or Parnak) 2) FollowTomorrow 3) Triage 4) Vystori 5) Kaligos

"Captain, you better come to the bridge!" called the Yeoman after emerging in the doorway to the briefing room, where the Resolve's Commanding Officer stood together with the dishevelled A'vura Zeshryr, the ex-Borg named Six and the engineer named Melissa Wright. The Yeoman waved and ran back to whence he'd come, and when they all stepped unto the Luna-class starship's bridge, it was plain what the concern entailed. Derik Veradin was seated at the helm of the ship, and the viewscreen's tactical data flashed the indicators plainly.

"The starbase is on Red Alert, and so is a starship outside the base. It is the Theurgy. The one all over the media channels and in the reports from Starfleet Command. That renegade ship that destroyed a lot of ships in the fleet during its escape. It's that traitor, Captain Ives, and it looks like he has come to attack the base!"

True to the Yeoman's word, there was a clear signature of the massive Theurgy-class starship glowing as a red image on the viewscreen, moving far outside the starbase's hull. Yet the Yeoman wasn't finished. "From the readings, it looks like the base is scrambling fighter crafts, but something is strange... The starships that are docked alongside ours, they have powered up, and some of them are even ready to take off, but it's like they can't. They seem to be stuck on their docking pylons, just like us!"

As the Yeoman said this, the Resolve's aerowing whisked by in front of the viewscreen - Drauc T'Laus drawing as much attention to him as possible. Little did they know that he was not alone either - Ensign K'Ren being aboard as well. Perhaps there was a chance that the aerowing and the Theurgy both would draw enough attention to let them manually release the docking clamps on the pylon. Yet at the same time, Suq had also revealed the truth about who had been behind the bombing on the base, and for framing them as the traitors. Captain Ian Hawthorne was the mysterious 'Aidoann'. Was there any point in trying to alert base security?

From the looks of it down on the Docking Pylon, however, Lieutenant Komial Dotnhil was getting new orders - the vid-feed from the situation also shown in the corner of the viewscreen.


[ Starbase 84 | Docking Pylon to the USS Resolve ] Suggested PO: 1) Julia 2) Brutus 3) Havenborn or DocReno

After Lieutenant Dothnil had clarified her demands to Counselor Ejek and Lieutenant Havenborn, they'd had no time to answer before the aerowing suddenly decoupled from the Resolve - launching at break-neck speed into the docking bay inside the mushroom head of the base. After a barrel roll down into the depths of the docking bay, it soared back up again, and opened fire against a docking pylon just above the one leading to the Resolve. Orange phaser fire lit everyone on the docking arm through the transparent aluminium screens, and debris from the destroyed docking arm was set adrift in zero gravity - coming down like sediments sinking to the bottom of a glass.

The aerowing's course had been too close to the core of the docking bay, however, since its thruster engines had torn out the windows during the climb - setting sheets of glass drifting out as well. In the shredded side of the centre core, no people had been sucked out, but in one of the shattered frames, a bald, dark man was looking straight at the people on the Resolve's docking pylon - a structural integrity field between the man and the vast docking bay. Judging from the tilt of the distant man's head, he looked none too impressed, and it was almost plain how it was his voice that emanated from Lieutenant Dotnhil's combadge - dealing her harsh orders across the static of the link.

[Lieutenant Dotnhil, shut your mouth and listen! Captain Ives is here, and you will deal with any boarding parties from the Theurgy before they manage to sabotage our defences from within. Coordinate with your second-in-command, and keep the Resolve locked down for the time being. I repeat, keep her crew locked in. I am heading to the Command Centre, and if you fail me again... and we are still alive... you will be demoted to Ensign - stripped of your position for all your shortcomings today.] It seemed the Commanding Officer of the starbase did not care that the words were heard aloud in the Lieutenant's company. [Somehow, Captain Kendrick's crew has sabotaged our sensors, and let Ives through our defences. All under your watch. So, will you please get your damn house in order now? Hawthorne out.]

Then, the Captain stepped away from the broken window, never having reached the docking pylon before he left Komial to her duties.

OOC: Aside from these two locations, SummerDawn in next to post with K'Ren inside the aerowing. Furthermore, Kaligos is next to post with Hi'Jak, dealing with the precarious situation in the jefferies tubes. Also, please delay on trying to communicate with the Theurgy at this early point, since we have to make the boarding parties get on the base in Chapter 02 "Crucible" before there can be any solid answer in this Chapter. I reckon the Resolve has enough on its hands as it is anyway. Very soon, however, communication might be established, but consider also how the Theurgy is - by all known accounts - and enemy to Starfleet.

Re: Chapter 03: Loyalty

Reply #1 –
[ Ens K'Ren | Aerowing Cockpit ] Attn: All

Previously:
Finally, he claimed a valid target during his uncontrolled flying. Without hesitation, he opened fire at a docking pylon's arm that held no life-signs, just above the Resolve. As he did, he spoke, but merely because the Caitian might be willing to aid him. If nothing else, out of sheer self-preservation. After all, thruster engines were perhaps recommended for the close confines of the docking bay, but not exactly known for their high-velocity precision. "This would be a lot easier if this shuttle had a control stick instead of making all these manual commands..."

Current:
K'Ren watched this unknown man with a mix or amusement and fear as he maneuvered this craft. He wasn't from their crew or even Starfleet she guessed, his controls inputs, if you could call such rough control inputs maneuvering, as he herded the aerowing shuttle around with an almost ignorant abandon. Screaming around the ship, dodging workbee's, and scraping along the inside of the docking area. It was obvious to her very quickly that this man needed the help of a real pilot, someone who knew how to finess, coax, and tease such a lumbering craft through maneuvers it wasn't designed for. Why he hadn't asked her yet was a mystery, she was dressed in her exo suit and even had the helmet on, visor up so she could easily see. Maybe he thought this was how officers dressed for combat? It was but only fighter pilots.

K'Ren had already locked her suit into the chair, the special restraints built into her exosuit engaging the chair when this whole show started so when Drauc muttered something about maneuvering the craft, K'Ren jumped on it. "How about you leave the flying to a qualified combat pilot and man the weapons orr just watch Rromulan." K'Ren remarked, growling, rolling her rr's as she was wont to when stressed. She wasn't waiting for his answer as she engaged her controls, locking her chair in place as a small control stick lifted from the armrest beneath her hands. Dropping her helmet visor down, K'Ren looked through the display as the aerowing's vitals and sensor displayed across her helmet. Now she was in her element and could make a contribution to the whole mess they found themselves in, and if today was a good day to die, at least she'd go out the way she wanted, in a fireball of plasma and vacuum. And, she thought idly as she took control, if she survived this she was definitely going to hunt Liam down and show him just how much she enjoyed his body.

For now though, as her training took over, if the Captain wanted a decoy, she'd give this base one.

Re: Chapter 03: Loyalty

Reply #2 –
[ Melissa Wright | Briefing Lounge | U.S.S. Resolve ] Attn: Kaligos, Vystori, et al

"I am afraid that your date will have to be put on hold until such a time that I can return you to the starbase without my crew being arrested for war crimes they have not committed."

Melissa knew it was a long shot, but she couldn't help but visibly deflate. Christ, could the day get any worse? She prayed that Sera had not only managed to avoid the mess that Mel had found herself in the middle of, but also that she wouldn't just take off in Sabine and abandon her. The tall blonde refused to believe that her act of compassion in trying to save Six would really lose her a new life of adventure and, possibly, love. Who would have thought that Melissa Wright would be such a hopeless romantic? Certainly not herself. After a string of increasingly sour relationships through the Academy, Melissa had sworn off Chocolate hearts, roses and string quartets. The fact that there was something in the Câroon which allowed Melissa to lose herself was not to be ignored. Neither were those yellow eyes. Just thinking of them made her need to stifle a moan. Lost in thought, the meeting carried on without her, leaving Melissa standing in the corner chewing gently upon her lower lip.

It was only when Kendrick asked about zero gravity that she was brought back to reality. She hated spacewalking in those pressurised suits, they didn't tend to be made for woman above a certain height, forcing women like Melissa to have to resort to the more bulky male equivalent. Though perhaps if she were to help the crew here, they could resolve the situation, no pun intended, and she could get back to her original plan. It was at this moment, Melissa Wright decided she would do anything within her power to get this ship sorted, even that was keeping herself from throwing up while magnetised to the side of the ship. The conversation had moved on, but when a gap formed, Melissa interjected.

"Captain, I'm Zero-G rated. Lend me a EV suit and I'll get your ship detached." She smiled to the Captain, if only to keep the look of worry off her face, however that all changed when they all moved to the bridge. Reports of Theurgy had Melissa remembering the news stories from the FNN. The most powerful ship of the fleet, gone rogue, with a insane traitorous shape-shifter in command. Who at Starfleet Command had approved that? Melissa knew the Dominion War was long over, but she couldn't believe that the big-wigs had forgotten it already. Oh well, another reason she would be glad to strip from this uniform and leave her combadge behind once she was safe aboard Sabine


[ Dr. Silim Parnak | Main Sickbay | U.S.S. Resolve ] Attn: Kaligos et al

Silim stood proudly, looking across the bay as its malevolent make-shift ruler. He had saved the day but there was only one issue. There was no one to praise him. The Sickbay was eerily quiet following the exit of the Chief Medical Officer and her orderlies, off to inoculate Drauc and deliver the precious bio-canisters that Parnak had ingeniously thought of. All that was left for the Cardassian was to tidy up the mess that he had created. There wasn't much, usually there would be less as he was quite a meticulous person, however time had a been a factor. 

It had only taken a few minutes for Parnak to return the tools he had used back to their relative trays and any lingering containers were placed into the replicator to be recycled. Staring at the machine, Silim thought momentarily about relaxing with a nice cup of tea, but it wasn't the time. He was victorious, he was king. Where were his worshiping minions? Did they not realise the magic in which he had enacted in this lab? Sighing dramatically he sat down on an empty stool, which wasn't difficult for they were all empty. Parnak called to the computer for the time, which it retorted quickly. It was at that moment that Silim had a realisation. Of course! It was all so simple! Why would the Captain bother to come down to Parnak when he should go up to him? He was captain after all. Jubilant, Silim set off, out of the sickbay into the nearest turbolift, heading straight for the bridge. This was certainly rather exciting. Silim had never seen a Federation ship's bridge. In fact, he hadn't even stepped into a command centre since leaving the Cardassian Military. He knew he couldn't be promoted as he wasn't a member of Starfleet, but perhaps they'd replicated him a medal? Or Certificate? Even an invite to tea and cake at a later date would do.

As he stepped out, he looked across the circular room. The place for the captain was obvious, all the stations were placed so that they would all be within reach of the commanding officer. The part that was the most interesting was that one of the console seemed to be made from wood, and descended sharply to provide a barrier to the back of the bridge. Did Federation captains not turn their back on the viewscreens? Silim wasn't aware of this cultural point, but he wouldn't be surprised if he was right. Confident in his rightful place in this room, he took a few steps closer into the center.

"Right then, who's in need of another minor miracle?"


OOC: I used the bridge design by the original designer of the luna class vessels as influence for Resolve. Let me know if I'm incorrect and i'll update my description.
[Show/Hide]

Re: Chapter 03: Loyalty

Reply #3 –
[Lt Hi'Jak| Jefferies Tubes | Starbase 84] Attn: Auctor, & Rosaria

Hi'Jak had to admit that if he was going to be stuck behind someone at least it was someone who didn't mind the jokes about her ass. Thought that he might one day see it... well now wasn't really the best time for that kind of thinking. As much as he could have liked something to take away the pain of loosing his life's works. His position as a luteniant, all of the time and effort he had put into his life on various occasions. Or the fact that his sexist, racist pig of a boss was now dead... actually that last part made him smile and churn his gut a little.

All of his thoughts were blanked out on when a man dropped down from the above opening. When he felt the man try to strike him Hi'Jak moved backwards a little. Narrowly avoiding the hand that was clumsily aimed towards his face in the narrow corridor they didn't have too much room to move so his turning was slowed significantly and Hi'Jak saw the real danger to his person.

Seeing the Phaser caused him to move more then the actual security guard dropping down. His hand grabbed the side of the mans head, and the next thing he knew he was violently smashing the man against the wall by his hair. The half Klingon smashed him upside the head once but not sure if that was enough to eleminate the threat and in a panic did so again, and again. His hand gripped the side of the mans head in a violent panic he wasn't sure exactly how much strength he was using, just that he was crushing the other person. Bludgening him with the wall and brute force multiple times till the others body went slack and even then he gave him one or two good more hits across the head.

Jack wasn't a doctor, didn't really know how modern medicine worked, how much damage the Federation could repair, but when he dropped the other mans head he slumped and his head bloodily slid along the wall. Even if he was alive, which Jack was in too much of a panic to check for Jack had probably just inflicted damage to the man that wasn't going to be repaired. The thought turned his stomach, as he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do anymore.

Re: Chapter 03: Loyalty

Reply #4 –
[ Crewman Rigell | Starbase 84 | Jefferies Tubes ] Attn: 1) RosariaRosette 2) Kaligos

"Stavros!" called Rigell silently after his superior officer dropped down the chute they climbed, hearing the commotion coming from below when Stavros landed.

Rigell cursed and pulled out his hand phaser awkwardly, trying to climb down the maintenance ladder to where Stavros had vanished. Doing it with only one free hand was not the best of solutions, and Rigell thought about returning the weapon to he holster at his hip before going down. No, it would take too much time. He heard loud banging against the bulkhead below, but no phaser fire. Making a split decision, Rigell brushed some blonde hair out of his eyes with his sleeve and gripped his phaser tighter, quickly letting go of the ladder and landing on his feet in the tunnel below.

His heart was pounding in his ears, adrenaline in his blood, and in such dire moments, only training and experience kept his head cold. He had some training, less experience, but he kept his balance and threw his eyes about to ascertain the fugitives in the dim light. He did not see Stavros at first, his eyes falling on the woman first. He raised his phaser towards her, and he should have shot her. He really should have. Yet he was Starfleet, and wanted to do it right. "Cease and desist! Lay down your weapons!" he cried to the woman, glancing over his shoulder to make sure Stavros was okay.

That was when he saw his superior officer begin manhandled by the... the Klingon? The light from the bulkhead caught the ridges on the forehead, making the assailant look like a monster. "Stavros!" he called, forgetting to keep his eyes on the woman until he was, perhaps, too late. He whipped his gaze back, the lapse ended, blue eyes meeting golden yellow ones in the dark of the jefferies tubes. He pushed the button of his phaser, casting everything into bright light, but he had no time to take aim - fear for his and his superior officer's life making him act.


[ Drauc T'Laus | Aerowing Cockpit | Inside Spacedock ] Attn: SummerDawn

When the Caitian introduced herself as a combat pilot, Drauc turned his eyes towards her - realising that she had to be one of Havenborn's officers. Glimpses gleaned from the man's mind had suggested the origin of the human's white collar, and Drauc fit the words 'Tactical' and 'CONN' together as one - failing to have seen the connection before. It seemed a lot had happened in the fleet since he left it, but in the current situation, he could be none the more gratified that someone had realised that the plan might be better off with an expert pilot on the aerowing. It was the kind of forethought he could respect, since it granted an advantage in the field of battle. He might not be fighting alone, as he often preferred since he lost his brother... but his new Captain would have a distraction lasting far longer than if he had piloted the aerowing on his own.

As rusty as he had been at flying a Starfleet vessel, Drauc did not mind the growling she made either - her opinion of his skills as a pilot righteous. Her mind intruded upon his own, scattered and quick thoughts a maelstrom of piloting instincts, and while he gleaned images of a human - of a lover that she initiated coitus with inside what looked like an engine - Drauc did not catch her own name. "Acquiring safe targets around the space-dock now. Powering phasers to open fire once we pass them. I recommend a circular route around the core, with shifting altitudes, so that I may hit them all."

As his hands worked - fingers sticking out of the sleeves of his threadbare cloak - he paused, unsure if further talking was needed. With the task at hand, he usually held his silence, yet if he was forced to enter battle with someone at his side again, he felt compelled to know whom he might die with. "I am Drauc T'Laus," he rasped, not looking at her since there was hardly any time for it. The lights from the spacedock ran across the curves of her exosuit while they whisked by docking pylons and scattering work bees, so he could see her gleaming outline in his peripheral vision anyway. "I hold little hope of survival, with no one waiting for me at some distant port. So, if it comes to it, you should know that I wouldn't hold it against you if you used the transporter to get off this shuttle before its destruction. This Liam Herrold that you hold dear... he would likely want to see you again too. Target acquired starboard, opening fire."

As he fired upon a pilot-less mule that had been parked above a Nova-class starship, Drauc did not consider how he might have used his abilities in a way to alarm the Caitian. There was hardly any time to explain his scarring anyway, the task at hand taking up his attention, but he did say one more thing as they passed above the debris of the mule. "I desire to know whom I might die with, if you would be so kind to tell me your name."

Sensors chirped at them, and again, and again, which drew Drauc's stare. Engines powering up, all across the bottom of the spacedock. A hundred. A hundred and fifty. More. No visual, but a premonition of what was to come one the bay doors down there opened. "The base will be launching all of is fighters soon. There might not be much more time... yet it is an honour to make your acquaintance, as brief as it might be."

Re: Chapter 03: Loyalty

Reply #5 –
[ Ens K'Ren | Aerowing Cockpit | Inside Spacedock ] Attn: Drauc

K'Ren nodded, seeing the targets Drauc was feeding her, her own sensor telemetry confirming the lack of life signs. "Plotting course," she remarked, aiming for the best trajectory for this hulking craft. She really wasn't thinking about it as her training kicked in the moment she took control of the craft but firing on her own, unmanned drones or not, would've given her pause if she'd been concerned. They were already outlaws in the eyes of their own people so what some hardware?

She was going to give her name to the man when he mentioned Liam Herrold, the man she'd gotten intimate with not an hour before, but ended up hissing in reaction when his name was mentioned. Nobody knew about that brief liaison, nobody, and she hated telepaths with a passion, those that could read her mind. Her mind was her own fertile playground and she didn't like others intruding. "You rread my mind telepath?" she hissed, now distracted. She tried to regaiun her composure, partly so, and continued to fly.

"My name does not matterr telepath. But you do not need to ask do you?" She remarked, growling a bit as she continued flying. Her training though slowly took control again and she was soon back in the zone. "K'Ren." she remarked, "And our acquaintance may be shorter then you can imagine if we end of tangling with those fighters. I can handle 3 to 1 odds, but 150 to 1 is a bit outside even my piloting skills."

Re: Chapter 03: Loyalty

Reply #6 –
[ Lt. Jg. Suq | Main Engineering | USS Resolve ]

The last thing to echo off the walls of this empty, familiar, terrible room was Captain Kendrick's voice through his comm. Suq's mind briefly brought up images and memories of past spacewalks, then dumped those memories immediately. Those were not happy memories. He's sure his skull is still dented from that time he got pelted with tiny chunks of frozen ice. All he really wanted was a good, long nap, maybe in his favorite Jeffries' tube. Maybe later though. He has something important to do. What was it again? Something about fighting their way out of this nightmare.
"You know what happens when I sleep? Not this." Suq spoke aloud, mostly to himself, but now he considered that maybe the Resolve has been bugged. He placed his PADD down, then remembered he'd need it and picked it back up again. He held it and stood still. That's right, it was time for a space walk. He groaned, then hit his comm to page the captain one more time.
"On my way."
"Guess I better go grab my suit." He spoke to himself again. He stepped forward, then backwards again to check that the jamming signal was still going strong (it was.) Perhaps he's being listened to. If he spoke enough, perhaps he could overwork the mysterious information analysts. Or he'd look crazy. He started to meander towards where he kept his personal suit, the one marked with both how many he's killed and how many times he's been smacked over the head by a tiny asteroid.
"Guess it's time to invest in some good old-fashioned tinfoil. Or Jumja sap. I hear if you smear it above your ears and in your armpits you're safe from telepathy. It's probably because no telepath is going to want to be near someone covered in smelly tree sap...Hey computer, where's Kendrick? Where am I going?"



[ Bridge ]

Not even a few more moments later, he found himself on the bridge, leaning by his favourite wooden console. He had only just stepped out of the turbolift and heard it swoosh awaywhen he heard another approaching. He stepped back and adjusted the heavy suit in his arms. He had lugged it all the way here purely to avoid having to put it on for a few more moments. He hopped that the Captain--obviously the one in the turbolift--wouldn't mind.

However this was not the Captain. This was a Cardassian, one he didn't immediately recognize at that. Further, this one just asked if someone would like a miracle. Suq's hand shot up into the air.
"Yeah. Unfuck things. Thank you." His hand went back down, but he added onto his first statement. "Actually, uh, if you can tell me what's going on, that'd be...that'd be pretty cool, you know."
Already, he felt shame creeping up his spine. This guy was Cardassian. Aren't they essentially the social skill geniuses of the known galaxy? Suq's social skills left a lot to be desired. Perhaps he was just making himself look stupid, like an ineffective leader, but he didn't know. All he could do was wait and hope he said the right thing in the right way.

Re: Chapter 03: Loyalty

Reply #7 –
[ Krystal "Meony" Tancredi | Ship Environmental Systems | Engineering Deck | USS Resolve ] Attn: Tristan Kendrick, Melissa Wright, Parnak, Six and A'vura, Suq

[Show/Hide]


With that, there was only one other person Kendrick was going to contact. "Kendrick to Tancredi. I need an extra set of hands for some work are you free to go for a walk with me? I promise you will hate every step of it."

Tancredi was quick to respond the second she heard her beloved captain's voice over her comm, "Ah'm on mah way!"

She had been entertaining herself for a while with thoughts and plans for various things to do on board. She could go find Dr. Silim Parnak and keep her personal promises about what she was going to do to the Cardasian while her family and captain weren't surrounding him. Or she could look for Officer Useless and gloat at him. Nothing like rubbing it in the face of someone she didn't like, and that list was lightyears long. Alternatively she could go to the docking area and join Havenborn in annoying the security team, or just shoot stuff up to make things a little more exciting than they needed to be. Of course, the more responsible idea was to get back to the launch bay and get her turkey of a fighter up and running. There was shooting to do, and she would be damned if any of her Tribbles fired off more weapons in one engagement than she ever did. Plus she wanted to make one last check-in with her favourite gruff-growl, Randall, and make sure he was all right. Anybody outside of the Resolve wouldn't know it when they looked at them, but despite how he was to her, Tancredi loved and appreciated the man exactly for that reason. He was the big brother/uncle she wished she had back when she was living on Earth. What she had was an asshole who abused and tormented her along with his other siblings for nothing other than that she was easy pickings. So seeing him and ensuring he was alive was often one of her top priorities right after the Captain or ch'Rayya. Of course, all these ideas and plans came to nothing now that Kendrick was calling her.

A quick query of the ship's computers told her where to find the captain presently, and the redhead was darting into the bridge right behind Suq, just shy of barreling into him. Many wouldn't think the slender and lithe girl could possibly weigh enough to knock over a man twice her size, let alone anything at all, but Tancredi could break down solid oak if she wanted to. "Pardon meh!" She said carelessly as she sidestepped the man to take in the scene.

Her eyes widened when she saw what was happening, "Aw hell no..." she threw her hands in the air, "...ya ain't gonna tell meh on to' of it all, we got what Ah think Ah'm seein'? What is it? Motherfucker's Day?"

She muttered and growled all the way, unconsciously drifting closer towards Silim Parnak with one hand on her Klingon Disruptor, Flash, ready to be drawn, but she adjusted her hat and looked out over the screen, "Whaddaya need me ta do, boss?" She asked Kendrick, who knew the girl was hair-trigger and overanxious when it came to battle. The less thought or planning, the better, even more so when she was alone. A quick glance to the Cardassian, she nodded curtly at him, acknowledging him in some manner, then turned back to her Captain. The man who had been like another brother to her would have to word his instructions carefully and as simply as possible, lest he send her running off into the slaughter with the wrong idea in mind. She seldom cared either way, unless it involved the lives and safety of others besides her own, and most of the crew knew how reckless she could be if only her life was at stake. It was cheap, and expendable.

Re: Chapter 03: Loyalty

Reply #8 –
[Ensign Six and Ensign A'vura Zeshryr | Briefing Room/Bridge | Resolve] Attn:  Everyone!

Everything was happening too fast for A'vura to really keep up. In a few moments they were all storming down to the bridge to find the Theurgy just outside their doors so to speak, ready to attack. It could be either a blessing or a curse for the members of the Resolve depending on what the Theurgy had planned and intended. Turning to her captain she was ready to undock from the Starbase just as eagerly as he seemed to be. "As much as I'd like to help, if you're not going to be on the bridge, and others are to be that we don't know, it might be better if I stay here to hold down the fort more or less until you get back." 

Six nodded as well after seeing the Theurgy. She had heard many of these stories of the Theurgy from her own Captain, but as it turned out, her own Captain seemed to be the traitor they were after, and knowing that made her question the information she had been told about the Theurgy. "I too will assist where necessary. Just point me in the right direction and I'll do what I can. It's too bad I could not use my implants outside the ship. They could aide in unlatching the hull from the docking port. It is doubtful though that I will still have access to the Starbase computer, even with my implants."

Stepping over to one of the computers, she clicked a few specifications then translated the readings. "It seems the jamming fields are working well. No one will be able to scan the ship and pinpoint life signs. That jamming field seems to reach outside of the ship as well, so long as those going out remain somewhat close to the hull. Despite not being able to unlatch the ship via the computer, I can still help with the heavy lifting there will likely be. I am far stronger than many of you likely are."

Making her way back to the Captain she nodded her affirmation. "It seems that you, myself, and my companion here would be the best choices for now. A'vura is right that the bridge should not be left unattended. Seeing the state she is in, I can understand why she might wish to remain in one spot for now as opposed to having to maneuver around. Either way we should be on our way as quickly as possible. The sooner we can get your ship unlatched from the docking port, the better off we all will be."
"You wish to knock over cows? What is the significance of this? Do you derive pleasure from such things?" - Ensign Six

Re: Chapter 03: Loyalty

Reply #9 –
[Komial Dotnhil | Starbase 84 | USS Resolve Docking Pylon]Atten: Hawthorne, Havenborn, Juila, Kendrick

She was struck dumb as debries fell around them, at the words coming from her combadge. It never even dawened on her that her troops could hear the threat the captain leveled - fix this or suffer demotion. That hurt. She understood, analytically, that he was mad, and that, as captain, he would have to demote her. Did he have to make the threat to drive it home? Perhaps not.

But her Ian had nearly been killed. She'd nearly lost him. In the so very short time since his confession in his quarters, since their coupling, him finishing in her and telling her he loved her - things had cascaded horribly. It wasn't fair, it wasn't right - and it was all these terrorists fault. Ives and Kendrick both, it seemed.

"Aye sir," her tone belayed none of the inner turmoil she felt - more so at nearly loosing her lover that at the threat of demotion. She understood, in the core of her being that he had to say what he had to say and that she was truly the one at fault. He was right to be mad at her, and she owed it to him to take whatever he met out. It was her duty to correct this. She had to prove herself, no matter the cost.

She would not fail.

"Dotnhil to Security Center. Mack, lock the starbase down, now. Get transport inhibitors up if you can. I want anti boarding parties deployed now. IF there is anyone not already at their post bust their asses down and get them there now."

The deep, calm tone of her assistant reassured her as she scrambled the troops. If there was one constant she could count on in all of this, Mack was just that person.

Turning back to her personnel and seeing looks of shame and discomfort and outright anger in their faces, she then realized that they had heard everything Ian had said to her, and that they felt it reflected upon them, as much as upon her. It left her speechless for just a moment, the looks of determination they felt on her behalf, as well as the embarrassment. All this she acknowledged with one stoic nod, before turning and marching towards the Resolve.

"Things have changed. New deal - surrender now, fully, or we'll open fire. We will not abide terrorism. The outlaw Captain Ives has shown up almost at exactly the same time you raise a scrambling field? How stupid do you think we are. You have 60 seconds to comply."

Komial was done playing gamess

Re: Chapter 03: Loyalty

Reply #10 –
[ Ensign Elroy Sherman | Docking Pylon to the USS Resolve ] Attn: Julia, Havenborn, DocReno, Brutus

"Wait, I..." exclaimed one of the security officers behind Lieutenant Dotnhil, almost as if calling for a cease-fire even though he was just blurting out what he just detected on the scanners that Junior Lieutenant Selnak left behind. The Ensign stepped up to it, seeing the images of all the wanted persons hovering around the readings of the aerowing. "Look at this! It's Kendrick. He is aboard that aerowing that almost killed Captain Hawthorne."

With his free hand, the other holding his hand phaser, the dark-skinned security guard turned the portable computer console around on the barricade to show Komial - drawing her attention away from the ones from the Resolve that had stepped out to meet then.

"That's our escapees too, A'vura Zeshryr and Drauc T'Laus. They are aboard with Kendrick on that aerowing. It... It looks like they have a hostage, though. They got Bradford aboard too, life-signs weak. No idea what they have done to him, but isn't that all of our eggs in one basket, so to speak?"

What Elroy wouldn't admit was that when facing the brave Counsellor from the Resolve, and realising that Komial was about to open fire against her... Elroy just couldn't have it go by without protest. He had no idea what compelled him to raise his voice, mentally grasping as he had for some manner of protest before he saw the readings from the aerowing. It was just something about her, and his heart going out to her in the least favourable time possible.

Unwittingly, he had provided the Resolve's crew just the kind of distraction that they needed...


[ Drauc T'Laus | Aerowing Cockpit | Inside Spacedock ] Attn: SummerDawn

Realising, in the thick of battle, that he had offended the Caitian moved Drauc to interject an apology, but she had already introduced herself when she was finished speaking, and he was finished plotting more targets around the next section of the circular space-dock.

"Despite how our battle together may be brief," he rasped to her, turning his eye towards her in the cockpit, "I still offer my sincere apologies - one soldier to another. I meant no disrespect."

Alerts went off in the cockpit, informing them both that new weapon signatures were read ahead of their path. Drauc's gaze returned to the HUDs. The fighters had yet to launch, but it seemed that a small Defiant-class ship - the USS Chester - had powered up responded to the alerts of Starbase 84. For some reason, none of the starships docked within the spacedock were launching - as if they were stuck to their docking pylons. The Chester, however, acted as if it wouldn't let that deter her or her crew. No, it was powering up its aft phasers, opening fire towards them in response to whatever had been said to them about the aerowing.

"Incoming," Drauc said evenly, the orange light of the phasers directly in their trajectory.

As if that wasn't enough, however, Drauc noticed a shadow moving over the controls after he spoke. Then he felt the malign intent like a scent in the air. He whipped his head around and saw the source. The human led his assault with his fist - aiming towards Drauc's temple. If it was reflexes or experience that made him deflect the strike a bit, he did not know, but the next second, another one came in - the fist connecting with his cheek. Minute pain, lost in rising ire.

Next he knew, the offensive and determined Bradford - having exited his inactive stasis unit at some point - was grappling with him, swearing loudly as he tried to wrest Drauc out of his seat. And Drauc was responding to the violence against him - the red rage of battle claiming his conscious thought.


[ Lieutenant Mackenzie | Starbase 84 | Security Centre ] Attn: Kaligos & RosariaRosette

"Dotnhil to Security Center. Mack, lock the starbase down, now. Get transport inhibitors up if you can. I want anti-boarding parties deployed now. If there is anyone not already at their post bust their asses down and get them there now."

"Aye, Lieutenant!" said Mackenzie, and began to delegate the orders to the present officers in security. "Still no response from Stavros or Rigell? Try again! Get a hold of Selnak and have him converge on the base's command centre. Forget the lobby, just make sure Captain Hawthorne and his staff are protected, and scan the entire base again for new life-signs! Any new readings that weren't there before are likely from the Theurgy!"

As he said it, Mackenzie realised he had another duty, and that was not towards Dotnhil or the Captain, but towards all the civilians aboard the starbase. All the diplomats and the families, the representatives of trade and commerce that had come to do business in Federation space. Thousands of people, some who might already have learned about the arrival of the renegade ship and its murderous Captain - the ominous multi-vector dreadnought  looming outside the base. He stepped up to the centre console and activated the base's PA-system, hand trembling a bit as he lifted it to his lips.

"This is Starbase Security to all citizens on the base. Please remain calm. An attack on this base may be imminent, but please be advised, there is nothing to be gained by panicking, or trying to launch your vessels from the space-dock, for you will be exposing yourself and those closest to you to even greater danger. Instead, stay alert, stay calm and stay in your assigned accommodations. The safest place is there, out of the corridors. Stay until you are told it is safe to come out. Do not, in any circumstances, go back into the corridors once you have secured yourself inside your accommodations. All further information will be announced on this channel. I repeat..."

As expected, when he was done, all the monitors around him showed people of all species running down corridors, carrying children who could not keep up the pace. The Theurgy had come, and they all knew what it might mean. They had all seen the images of dead Starfleet officers and destroyed ships on the news, and now, the Theurgy had come to Starbase 84.

"I... I want the guards previously assigned to the Travel Core to aide the public in getting to safety. Tell them to prepare for crowd control, and to keep them from trampling each other in attempt to use the turbolifts."

Hopefully, Stavros and Rigell had managed to secure Hi'Jak and vers Aldnoah, but Mackenzie could not let the capture of two suspects jeopardize the all Federation citizens on the base as they tried to get out of harm's way.

Re: Chapter 03: Loyalty

Reply #11 –
[Captain Tristan Kendrick | Bridge | USS Resolve ]Atten:Auctor, Krystal, Melissa Wright, Parnak, Six and A'vura, Suq

A'vura brought up a good point; there was no one left to have command of the bridge except for helmsman Veradin, who was likely needed where he was. If no one had the command, coordinating an extraction would be much more difficult. They needed someone there as well as on the hull. Thankfully she was willing and capable of having that job. "You have the bridge A'vura, Keep her intact."

Kendrick looked over his team that was slowly falling in line, and when Six said she would join them to do the heavy lifting he was thankful for it. It seemed all of the new comers were ready and willing to help them, and for that he had to admit he was greatful. Any chance they had of de-escilating the situation was gone, so for now they had to do what they could to turn and run from Starbase 84. "Thank you Six, your help will be appreciated. i'm sure there will be a lot of lifting to deal with."

Once his team had assembled on the bridge Kendrick lead them towards the Airlock on deck one. Getting an EV suit and directing everyone to theirs he started getting ready as he began a mission briefing. He currently had to agree with Suq's comment about getting everything un-fucked. Krystal put it best though and with her accent he had to chuckle slightly at what she said.

"Okay listen up. Were going out onto the resolve to break the docking clamps. Hopefully it won't be that hard to get them off the ship, in all the chaos I don't think the Starbase has been able to change any pass codes or security holding them down so we should be able to release them manually."

As Kendrick finished what was probably the shortest briefing in his life he finished putting on the environmental suit and already felt an uneasy sickness in the pit of his stomach as he walked into the airlock. Pressurizing his suit as he waited for the others to do the same, and once they were ready one set of heavy doors closed, and another opened, and suddenly it was the deafness of space.

He hated that. The suit made it so that the only thing he could hear was the radio of his team and crew and his breathing. The weightlessness of space was held off by the magnetic boots, but they also made his feet heavy to move, he felt clumsy, and it didn't matter just how strong the environmental suites visor was, he always felt like it was a flimsy glass ready to break and suck his brains out through some tiny hole.

Out of everything the Federation did he had to admit that this was the worst job. Just standing out here in space was the worst and yet simultaneously most beautiful part of the job. "Lets get this done people."

Re: Chapter 03: Loyalty

Reply #12 –
[ Lt. JG. Ejek | Docking Pylon to the USS Resolve ] Attn: Havenborn, DocReno, Brutus, Auctor Lucan

Lt. Dotnihl gave them 30 seconds to comply. Lt. JG. Ejek did not even need the standard decisecond of a first impression to know that the Resolve's case was hereby lost. Up until Starbase Captain Hawthorne entered the scene, the Cardassian's mind was preocuppied with finding a way to turn this conversation around. They were all looking for the reason of current events around the Resolve, and even though the odds were against her crew, Ejek was positive to have interesting information for any impartial chief of security.

Impartial being the cue. Ejek did not need a raise of voice or obvious increase of body tension to understand the pressure her captain had just put Lt. Dotnihl under. Nor to interpret her change of heart from relatively loquacious to making threats as a direct result. The counsellor had no illusions concerning the Trill's mood or further patience for the homecoming crew's efforts to explain themselves. Deliberate or not - he had almost been killed by who was allegedly Ejek's captain, which made a resulting shock and knee-jerk reaction more than understandable - Captain Hawthorne pulled all of the security chief's triggers to render her useless for the Cardassian's plans.
In the light of recent happenings, deliberation would not come as a surprise. The Resolve was framed by a captain ranking officer from the base, and now its captain further aggravated the situation between the starbase's security team and its officers. It would not even surprise Ejek if the captain himself had taken care of the defected starship's arrival. She was Cardassian after all, there was very little in terms of far fetched political subterfuge that was able to surprise her.

Not that she had any time to contemplate that fact just about now!
Before her conscious mind had any chance to catch up on  her decision (take that, all you firm believers in the freedom of will!), Ejek's body had already turned around. Some precious Ensign finally took their bite and drew attention to the life-signs on board the aerowing. Maybe later she would feel sorry for him. Now she was just thankful for the welcome and desperately needed distraction.

"Retreat," she issued to her superior officer, Lt. Havenborn, who had kept in the background to let her do the talking. Her voice was firm, yet hoarse, and for some reason she was eager not to yell, nor to make any rash movements. Did she hope their escape would go unnoticed? Unlikely, yet still. She was the furthest into enemy terrain. Even the fraction of a second of indecisiveness by one security officer could turn the odds in her favour.

From her new position facing the air-lock doors, Ejek saw Lt. ch'Rayya and a few of the Resolve's security officers in the opening. Incredibly relieved, she let go of her composure and gave in to her panic. She ran.

Re: Chapter 03: Loyalty

Reply #13 –
[ Melissa Wright | USS Resolve | Hull] Attn: Kaligos, Triage, Vystori, FollowTomorrow, All Others

She hated this. 

As expected the EV suits on Resolve didn't cater for women of height, leaving her stuck in the male equivalent. The added bulk of the ill-fitting suit meant that instead of the usual feeling of having difficulty moving and prying your magnetised boots from the hull was only made worse. As she looked across the rest of the group she wondered if they were having as much difficulty? It wasn't helped by the way that the spacewalk in silence apart from the sound of her own breath. Did she always breathe this loud?

After a while she figured out that the constant internal question asking was mainly a distraction method trying to keep her from feeling sick. It wasn't the activity of a spacewalk that made her ill, it was more being stuck on a ship at an odd angle which made her stomach feel like it would do somersaults. While they walked across the top of the Saucer she'd be fine, if she needed to go on the underside or the side of the stardrive section, then she'd just have to concentrate on the hull plating. Speaking of which, if they wanted to get this ship loose as soon as possible, they'd have to work fast. Carefully, Melissa pressed the button for the radio.

"Sir, What's the plan here? Should we split up? It may be faster if we work on separate docking latches."

Re: Chapter 03: Loyalty

Reply #14 –
[ K'Ren | Aerowing Cockpit | Inside Spacedock ] Attn: Auctor Lucan

K'Ren nodded silently, focused on keeping the craft in one piece as the thing danced around the interior of the docking bay, trying to keep everyone guessing what was going on. She really didn't want to chat at it was distracting and right now with the number of enemies growing rapidly, she needed to concentrate.

So it was a bit of a shock when Draus told her one of the warships was arming their main weapons. She knew hitting a small craft like this was difficult at the best of times, which was fine in deep space as the energy would dissipate eventually but in spacedock there was only the inner hull of the station to absorb the energy, and she knew exactly how thick duranium plating was, and how much energy it could absorb.

So while she responded to the call of incoming as her training dictated, it came as a serious shock when the ship lashed out with it's phasers. K'Ren dodged the fire easily enough but at the energies required to cripple this vessel, any misses would wreak havoc on the station's interior, especially if it hit a habitable section and not the machinery spaces.

She didn't have time to dwell on such things, as much as it changed the odds against them for the worse, but instead staying frosty as the humans called it, for suddenly beside her, a scuffle of some sort arose between the mind reader and an unknown assailant. She was too focused on the flying to assist, as their lives right were dependent on her skills, as much as they were on his subduing whomever this was.

Moving towards a tighter area of the docking bay, K'Ren kept the craft moving, leaving disoriented workbee pilots scrambling, hoping the distraction would keep the defiant from targeting her while she caused a distraction. She also hoped, whatever the Captain had in mind, he'd do it fast so she could either dock, or at least beam off this flying target.

Re: Chapter 03: Loyalty

Reply #15 –
[ Krystal "Meony" Tancredi | Hull | USS Resolve ] Attn: Tristan Kendrick, Melissa Wright, Parnak, Six, A'vura and Suq

[Show/Hide]


"Raht b'hind ya, boss!" said Tancredi. As she already had her Tactical CONN suit on, all she needed to do was flip off her hat, put on the helmet, secure it, and she was done. Her ready smile and seemingly eager movements made it seem to anyone else who didn't know her as if she lived for this kind of activity. The truth was she didn't like it, but she had very little complaints in general. She just went wherever Kendrick wanted her to be. Somehow she had her trusty sidearms, Flash and Burn respectively holstered and latched to her space-suit. She stuck close to Kendrick, moving as fast as she could on magnetized boots and zero gravity as she could. Her hat hung around her neck, floating behind her. She'd pulled the string on tighter so that it couldn't slip over her head and float away. No way she was leaving her hat, even in space.

When the woman with short golden-blonde hair spoke up, the girl twisted her torso to be able to look her in the eye and grinned. "Ah lahk yer thinkin'! That'd work fer me too. Mebbe 'n' Ah'll get ta shoot somethin' or 'nother!"

Her eyes quickly scanned their surroundings. There was trouble all around, she could feel it, and her breathing was excited, rapid.

Re: Chapter 03: Loyalty

Reply #16 –
[ Lt. Jg. Suq | Main Engineering | USS Resolve ] Attn: Triage, Kaligos, Artista, Vystori

Moments before, Suq was worried about his first impression on the new Cardassian. Now, Suq was worried about being splattered on the side of the Resolve. Both carried equal weight in his mind, but he could at least ignore the former worry until later. He stepped into his suit and took extra time and care putting it on. Suq did not like wearing his EV suit, it was slow and bulky, but so was every single EV suit aboard the ship. When his hearing narrowed down to only his breathing and the radio, and the only thing keeping him from death via vacuum was the suit, Suq made no complaints to his other team-members.

He had lead a small group on a space walk before. When he heard Melissa and Krystal speak he almost felt obligated to give an answer. Split up, one group here, another group there, watch each others' backs. This was Kendrick's carnival, though. He outranked Suq and was the one to call for a spacewalk in the first place. He could only suggest and endorse so far.
"Captain, if I may, splitting up is a good idea. We don't have the luxury of time. We can use our radios to walk each other through the unclamping process if we have to, but it's pretty easy. We could all meet back inside as soon as we're done."

Re: Chapter 03: Loyalty

Reply #17 –
[Ensign A'vura Zeshryr | Resolve Bridge] Attn: Arista

A'vura nodded at the Captain as he turned and left with his team for the undocking process. Within minutes of him leaving she started giving orders to those on the bridge, including asking one ensign to procure her a fresh uniform to change into quickly. As the ensign left the bridge to do as commanded A'vura turned to Dr. Parnak and spoke to him directly. "Doctor if you would, please check the sensors here," she started, motioning to the computer console where an officer stood waiting to check any sensors he needed, "and help to make sure that your biomatter canisters really are showing up on the ship's sensors. We want to make sure that the away team, and myself, do actually appear to be on the Aerowing."


_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


[Ensign Six | Resolve Hull ] Attn: Triage, Kaligos, Arista, Follow Tomorrow

Six followed the Captain and the others to the airlock that would take them outside to the hull of the ship. While Kendrick gave his orders and began the briefing, she quickly changed into the provided EV suit. Within the span of a few minutes, the team was dressed, briefed, and ready to start out on their mission. And if they thought they were amidst chaos inside of the Resolve, the shit had hit the fan once they reached outside of the ship.

The Aerowing was zipping around inside of the docking bay, while phasers from the USS Chester were blasting holes into the docking bay bulkheads, sucking Starbase personnel into the vacuum of space before sensors picked up on the breach and put up force fields to stop the vacuum from pulling out more. It seemed as though the Chester was aiming for the Aerowing, but missing due to tactical maneuvers produced by those piloting the small shuttle craft. As a result phasers blasts were flying through the air at high speeds, hitting the bulkheads and other areas of the interior docking bay, debris and large pieces of metal showering the air around them.

What they had entered in the mere seconds it had taken them to transition from inside to outside the hull of the ship was a warzone, quite literally. "Captain we must be watchful. There are many phaser blasts around us, and along with your Aerowing things could get far nastier very quickly," she said over the comm in the suit. Carefully she walked on the magnetized surface, following orders quickly and efficiently as Kendrick gave them out, moving to wherever he needed her to be.
"You wish to knock over cows? What is the significance of this? Do you derive pleasure from such things?" - Ensign Six

Re: Chapter 03: Loyalty

Reply #18 –
[Captain Tristan Kendrick | Bridge | USS Resolve ]Atten:Auctor, Krystal, Melissa Wright, Parnak, Six, and Suq

When Suq suggested everyone split up that made the most sense to him, and he had to agree that it would be good for everyone if they did just that. They had five targets, and there were five of them. He decided that he would take the longest walk, as much as he hated being out here he was also the one person that Security on this ship really wanted to protect/find so if he was outside the longest it wouldn't matter.

With the debris and the attacks going on Six had a point. "We do have the ships shields protecting us overhead but you should be careful. Regardless, space walks are always dangerous. Debris or not."

That said with the aerowing this place was looking more and more like an active warzone and they were going to need to focus and get some work done before they had any more trouble. "I'm going to head to the port fuel nacelle. Everyone else can divide up and choose which docking clamp they want to take. Melissa, I have a special task for you."

It was of course one of the more dangerous missions, but at this point everyone was in danger and no one was playing this game without some risk involved to their personal well being."The docking pylon will also need to be removed. Your an engineer from the starbase so I imagine you are familiar with how that is done manually from the outside?"

With that Kendrick started the long walk towards the back of the ship. Every step made him feel a little more queasy, and considering that the ship was several foot ball fields long from deck one to the fuel nacelle there was plenty of ground that made him queasy, walking along the side of the ship was especially disorienting. In space there was no up or down. Just whatever the person was attached too, and he tried his best to think about it like that.

When he did finally arrive at his location he was already starting to feel cold, EV suites still cut off circulation feeling like he was having to move cement in cumbersome gloves, not to mention the damage that it did to your nails. Bending down slowly to look at the clamp, he worked to remove the panel to reveal the magnetic locks underneath. Gripping the heavy magnetic lock he struggled to pull it up as best as he could. It took both hands to lift and twist, feeling the suction and shudder as the lock was released he gave the metal arm a heavy push as it floated away ever so slightly. Far enough that it wouldn't magnetise at least.

"Kendrick here. Clamp released."

Re: Chapter 03: Loyalty

Reply #19 –
[ Drauc T'Laus | Aerowing Cockpit | Inside Spacedock ] Attn: SummerDawn

Meanwhile, on the aerowing, a brutal fight had ensued. It was able to last only because the inertial dampeners granted both the combatants footing. The craft might have pitched and turned, but their feet were level with the ground. At that point, Bradford was bleeding from the corner of his mouth, breathing laboured and yet undeterred. His shaved head was beaded with sweat. "Where the hell am I?" he demanded loudly, eyes flicking nervously towards the viewscreen at times.

Drauc T'Laus faced his former captor, this human that had been brought aboard as a hostage as the aerowing acted bait for base security. The security guard might've prevented him and K'Ren from being fired at, or at least so Drauc had thought before the USS Chester began to chase their trajectory with its phaser banks. The human, Drauc now reasoned, had failed to serve his purpose in the operation. Normally, he would have killed him... but that was not the righteous path, was it? As it were, both of them catching their breath, Drauc glared at him through the tresses of his red hair. He had his guard raised, his jaw aching from that first strike Bradford had landed, but his mind was focused - keen to read every fickle idea that Bradford betrayed ahead of time. He reached for his phaser, knowing it would provoke a reaction.

Indeed, Drauc foresaw Bradford's intent, knew he was coming at him even before Bradford closed the distance. Thus, he caught the man's fist before it gained momentum, and with his calloused and scarred fingers wrapping around the human's, he wrenched the whole arm around with his step. Bradford's face slammed into the deck plating, and he screamed against the metal. Not because he'd fallen, but because Drauc had broken the human's arm and twisted it so far up his back his fingers traced his shaved scalp.

"Be silent," rasped Drauc sharply, overriding the noise. He let go of the disjointed arm. It hardly helped the noise at all. Therefore, he reached down and lifted the human a bit with a grip on his collar... only to ram his fist unto his temple.

He missed. The aerowing was hit by a phaser beam, making the whole craft spin and turn.

[Shields at 43 %,] announced the computer dispassionately, a klaxon emphasising the distress instead.

Drauc ended up with his back against the bulkhead, and Bradford rolled across the floor before he got back on his feet. In the turmoil, Drauc had lost his phaser,  he knew so because it clattered across the deck between them. As much pain as Bradford was in, he spotted the phaser too, and went for it... and so did Drauc.


[ Sera vers Aldnoah | Starbase 84 | Jefferies Tubes ] Attn: Kaligos

When the blonde security guard's phaser went off, the whole Jefferies tube was lit up by the discharge. Sera was nearly upon him when it happened, because she had opted not to fire at the risk of hitting her happenstance companion - her only ally in the whole mess she had gotten herself into. Well, the only ally except for Melissa, whom she hoped to see at the Sabine. She needed the half-Klingon, so she had raised her weapon to deliver an overhead strike against the new guard. Belatedly, she realised that she might not reach him in time.

For a moment, she thought she had been hit by the phaser beam, could almost feel it zing her clothes, but instead, the strike she had levelled again the guard hit, and the metal handle of her phaser struck the human out cold. Indeed, he dropped like a sack of sand sema fresh from the harvest, the blonde human completely unmoving afterwards. Her whole arm ached from the strike she had delivered, jarred by the impact against the guard's head, but it was a minor thing compared to the realisation that they had overcome the guards together.

"Hey! He is dead, let's move on before more of them finds us," she said after a glance towards the mess that had become of the first guard. Hi'Jak, as his name was, seemed taken aback by the development, so she half-crawled over to him and laid her tattooed hand on his shoulder, shaking him a little. "Hey, come on! It's not like it makes any difference. Your old Starfleeter friends were not going to trust a word we said anyway, and... I already killed the fat one. Neither of us have any options. We must get to my shuttle and get out of here."

She squeezed the shoulder of the halfbreed harder, and scooted closer, changing her tone to something that might break through his spell. "You said you liked the view, right? Listen, if you can help me get there, I'll be really, really grateful," she said, speaking deeper down in her throat, giving him rueful smile in the dim light, "and I show it to you. I'll-"

[Red Alert. Red Alert,] came the announcement on the intercom, echoing down the Jefferies tubes. A loud klaxon went off too, robbing her of any chance to give the male the incentive he might need. Or perhaps, the alarm managed to do the job better than she could. "Come on! I have no idea what's going on but its not like I am going to find out! Let's use the noise and the panicked crowd to get away!"

Indeed, through the bulkheads, they could hear people running and shouting, civilian and Starfleet. The base was in turmoil, and it might be the best chance they'd get to use the Travel Core.

Re: Chapter 03: Loyalty

Reply #20 –
[Lieutenant Keval ch'Rayya| Docking Gantry| Starbase 84] Attention: everyone in scene.

Keval heard the base security chief's demands followed by Ejek's reply and when she turned to face him and Jaffe-he saw the relief cross her face.

"SUPPRESION!!" Keval shouted as he moved to a standing position and started to move forward quickly as he laid down several bolts from his rifle to push back the now hostile deputies as he made his way to the cardassian woman.

As he drew up close to her, he noticed one deputy had gotten a clean shot on her at which point he switched hands with his rifle before gripping Ejek by her closest arm and spinning the two of them around as he pulled her in tightly against his taller frame right before the sicking feeling of a lower setting phaser blast slammed high into his right shoulder blade.

The hostile deputy did. Not have time to try it again as Jaffe quickly caught him in turn high in the chest with his own weapon as Keval made sure to help get his fellow out of the danger zone.

"SOMEBODY CLOSE THAT FUCKING PORTAL!!" The andorian shouted as he got Ejek to safely before he allowed himself a moment to feel the pain as he was more concerned with Ejek them himself."Are you okay?" He asked with concern on his face.

Re: Chapter 03: Loyalty

Reply #21 –
[ Krystal "Meony" Tancredi | Hull | USS Resolve ] Attn: Tristan Kendrick, Melissa Wright, Six, A'vura and Suq

[Show/Hide]


"Ah got dibs on that clamp!" Tancredi declared, excitedly pointing at her intended target. Like Kendrick, the girl naturally took the longest journey, and the greater risk. A subconscious death-wish that she would never admit having but would be visible to any who paid enough attention. Out here, alone, her true face showed itself, where none might see. The smile was gone, the fear was all that she would show. The fear, and the anger. She wanted the enemies to see her, to come after her, and she would face them. Better her than others. She idly wondered whether she could finish with her clamp and go after Melissa to lend a hand. After all, she was familiar with engineering work herself.

She reached her destination and got to work. She worked fast, putting all she had into the effort, whilst also looking around in all directions frequently, out of habit, as if she were in her fighter. She watched as the clamp came away from the ship, and she shoved it away. Tapping her comlink, she said, "Tancredi here, Ah'm done!"

Re: Chapter 03: Loyalty

Reply #22 –
[Lt Hi'Jak| Travel Core| Starbase 84] Attn: Auctor, Brutus.

Considering the original plan had been to start up a red alert and then run away in the panic and confusion of it all, there was a common sense to getting to the travel core now when everything was chaos. Hi'Jak was snapped out of the confusion after a long moment when he felt Seras shake him. The fact that he had just killed a man with his own hands was a little startling he had always thought of himself as a scientist rather than a fighter he wasn't sure that he liked the idea that he was now a killer. He moved to check the mans pulse, and it was there, but faint. He paused for a moment knowing that they had scant few.

He Ripped the mans badge from his shirt and pressed it. "Lieutenant, Komial Dotnhil or any security team that is willing to hear me out. This is Hi'Jak I have just beaten two of your security guards to near death. If you move quickly you can save one of them. If you continue to pursue me than I can not garentee the safety of your security teams. You have larger fish to fry lieutenant, make a sound choice. You can pick your men up in the Jefferies tube at this location, I won't be there, and if you continue to hunt me, I won't give the same chance twice."

With that he dropped the comm's unit and hurried out of the bulkhead joining the crowd. Keeping his head down as Seras told him too do. He may be on the wrong side of the Federation law, but he wasn't a killer, not yet. He wasn't sure if the security guard would make it or not, or just how good the Federation was at fixing swelling brain damage.

But he wasn't a monster, and would not be held accountable on some idea that because he was part Klingon he was a monster. Joining in the panic it was so much easier to make it towards the travel core with everyone running and screaming. No longer was this a sixteen mile hike through tubes so cramped you had to crawl. No now it was a mad dash for the fastest and most direct rout.

[Location changed to travel core]

Re: Chapter 03: Loyalty

Reply #23 –
[ K'Ren | Aerowing Cockpit | Inside Spacedock ] Attn: Drauc, Bradford

K'Ren had no time to directly assist Drauc with his fight as she attempted to keep the runabout in one piece. The enemy ship's phaser was getting closer with every volley as the tactical officer narrowed down K'Ren's maneuvering with this craft. She needed solutions and she needed them fast otherwise the end for her and the mind reader were as a carbon smear on the side of some debris. A quick few taps on the console and the air in the cabin began to thin as the gravity plating increased the apparent gravity inside the confines of the aerowing. She could handle the excess G's as they practiced in the simulator for high G maneuvers, and her suit would compensate with extra oxygen as the air beyond her suit rarified. She could only hope that would give the vulcanoid an advantage in combat against the human.

A burst from the ship finally found it's mark and K'Ren's world spun as the craft was knocked spinning from the hit. Recovery was a painfull process as the controls were sluggish, more so then a moment ago. She needed Drauc and this battle had to end. Recovering she found a place outside the range of the enemy, giving her a moment to breathe. A quick glance at the floor told her both men were going for a phaser. Doing the unthinkable, K'Ren leapt from her seat knocking into Bradford, giving Drauc a chance to scramble for the phaser. Her armor slowed her reflexes badly but the armor would absorb any punches or even a phaser on low. She ended up on the bottom of the pile, Bradford on top and she only hoped Drauc could use the distraction to their mutual advantage.

Re: Chapter 03: Loyalty

Reply #24 –
[ Lt. Jg. Suq | Hull | USS Resolve ]Attn: Triage, Kaligos, Artista, Vystori

"I call dibs on port saucer. The closer one." These were the last few words Suq intended to speak out here. If he kept his mouth open, it's possible he could puke. The others seemed to be going out of their way to take the farther docking clamps. Maybe they actually liked being out here or maybe they're just trying to be big damn heroes. If he had an asthma attack out here, his suit had the ability to deliver medication to his helmet, but the intense feeling of drowning out of water was terrifying. That, and if he puked in his suit, he was wearing it back whether he liked it or not. Better to be smart than brave.

To quell his stomach and his fears, he thought about flowers all the way to his clamp. Tiny yellow ones that grow in the cracks of sidewalks on Earth and the larger blue ones that would grow in between the weeds on the roof of his home on Efros, and gigantic carnivorous alien plants that think he tastes pretty good with a dab of ketchup...

Before he knew it, he was standing outside the clamp. He unlatched the metal panel hiding the magnetic latch. The lock took a measure of strength to remove, but it came apart easily enough. He gave the arm a solid kick to move it away as he spoke over the radio again,
"Saucer clamp released."
 
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