Star Trek: Theurgy

Re: Chapter 03: From the Ashes [ Day 04 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #25 – May 06, 2018, 02:58:36 PM

[Lt. Rhys Williams| Transporter Room|USS Cayuga]Attn: @Masorin @Gadget @lisavw @Veridian @alphawiz @Fife @Auctor Lucan @Triton @Brutus @FollowTomorrow @Arista  , Anyone else 

Rhys took his place on the transporter pad among the rest of the senior staff. The idea of being one of the Senior staff was still staggering to him, in some ways he felt like a fraud. It was a ridiculous notion, he had earned his position just like anyone else. However, he always had the feeling at the back of his mind that one day an order would come in from Starfleet command saying that it had all been a mistake a computer error.

He looked around the other members of the senior staff and kicked himself for entertaining such ludicrous thoughts. Many of those around him had been promoted much more suddenly, given a genuine baptism of fire. They had been doing all they could to get the Cayuga somewhere close to operating. Rhys did not need to be well trained Counselor to see that it had taken its toll on the crew. In many ways there was only so much that he could do to help in that regard. Fortunately the Jamestown seemed to have arrived at the perfect time. The flagging and battered crew had had their mood greatly improved by the news, Rhys could only hope it lasted.

The Captain understandably looked tense, but in the time he had spent aboard she had always struck him as the sought of person who thrived under pressure. That was natural for someone who had reached the rank of Captain. She even tried to lighten the mood with a little joke. Rhys offered her a tired but warm smile. “Yes Ma’m.”

[Lt Rhys Williams| Conference Lounge| Deck 01| USS Jamestown]

Rhys found himself in the rather old fashioned Conference room of a Nebula class starship. He had vague memories of assembling a small model of one as a child, with his mother. There it was again, that creeping dread the feeling that he was somehow calling the borg down upon them. He squared his jaw and resisted the urge to straighten several objects he saw on the table in the conference lounge, and to count under his breath. His hands were clasped behind his back the knuckles going white for a moment as he fought the delusion and the compulsion.

He took a deep breath for a moment and watched the staff of the Jamestown as his Captain talked. It was strange there were so few of them. He had expected to see more of the senior staff. It was also interesting that Captain Williams did not offer his hand to anyone, it seemed awkward. However, Rhys had to concede he knew nothing about Captain Williams, perhaps this was simply his way.

When Rhys heard his name mentioned he politely nodded and smiled at Captain Williams, and along with the rest of the senior staff found a seat. Rhys sat as near the end as possible so as not to be in the way. In truth he felt he had little to contribute to the meeting. He had spent a short period of time as an Operations officer aboard the USS Merica, before discovering his true calling as a Counselor. So he understood many of the technical problems, but not to the extent of the other senior staff. Dr. T’Pnau was in charge of medical matters, and it was Captain Ziegler’s job to debrief the other ship’s staff.

So Rhys did what he always did, sat quietly and carefully watched both the other crew and the senior staff. As Captain Ziegler, began recounting what had occurred he had the sense that many of the senior staff were relieving the awful moments. He was to. He had not fired a phaser in years, and suddenly he and indeed everyone else was having to. The Borg had emerged, like monsters from ancient myth from the darkest recess of his nightmares. It had been a struggle not to fall back into his old ways, the feeling that somehow he was responsible for them being there. This was impossible of course, a delusion but just when his mother had died the feeling was there gnawing at the back of his mind. That a single stray thought of his might have bought them down upon his ship… his friends.

His mother had died at the battle of Wolf-359, the young Rhys had blamed himself, even though he had not been there and could not possibly have caused anything. He now realised that children have a self centered view of the world and it was common for them to blame themselves, for divorces and deaths and all manner of things out of their scope. These feelings had been with Rhys all his life from this point, and even though he knew they were delusions they still sometimes threatened to push to the surface. The attack by the Borg had nearly broken him again.

Rhys listened carefully to his Captain, he could hear it in her voice, the stress, the trauma of all those lives. Being a Captain in many ways forced one to be self centered. The ship and the crew’s lives were your responsibility, and it was all to easy to feel that anything bad that happened was your fault. Rhys made a mental note to have a private chat with her when he next had a chance. He really wanted to help her and the rest of the crew, however the Cayuga’s fate was really in the hands of the crew of the Jamestown.

Rhys paused for a few moments before deciding to speak. “The crew of the Cayuga, is also desperately in need of rest at the moment. They are a strong group, but they have been through a lot so any help you can offer will be greatly appreciated.” His Welsh accent gave the words lyrical and resonant quality, but there was also a strain to his word that indicated his own tiredness.

Re: Chapter 03: From the Ashes [ Day 04 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #26 – May 07, 2018, 01:59:41 PM

[ Lieutenant Masuda Yukimura | Holographic Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | USS Jamestown ] ]

In order to calm his nerves, Masuda utilised a deep breathing technique taught by his old Master when he'd was first taught Shaolin Kung Fu. There were a lot of officers in the room, all likely thinking that the Theurgy was the worst traitors in Starfleet history. Masuda might not have been aboard when they fled Earth, and the greatest number of starships fell victim to the protection of truth, but he'd been there at Starbase 84, when the Orcus was all but destroyed, and the Chester was crippled. When their erstwhile allies, the Asurians, had wrought havoc in the lines of Task Force Archeron. Moreover, these officers didn't care when he'd come aboard. In their eyes, he would be likely just as guilty as those who'd been aboard since last November.

Quietly, he watched and listened when Captain Ziegler spoke, asking the Chief Science Officer to light up the LCARS panel on the wall to show the Cayuga's plotted course. Despite his breathing technique, Masuda suddenly wasn't so sure what version of LCARS would be there for the - the Android? - and hoped she wouldn't try to access anything beyond any upload of information that she carried...

His eyes remained on the figure by he LCARS display while he listened to Ziegler admit to finding cover instead of trying to leave the Nebula and get the word out. He could empathise with the Captain's call, to save her crew. Survival over the greater good, for her and her remaining officers. The Cayuga had made it, but suffered catastrophic damage. The Cardassian CONN Officer illustrated this lack of power quite well, saying they were at ten percent and barely able to keep the ship powered up. Masuda's counterpart - Salem Martin - detailed the loss of ordinance, but the chance to utilise two tri-cobalt warheads. The Trill, Jeen, and the dark-skinned man from Operations amended that the issues remained with all their weaponry being without power. Two days before main sensors were operational? By then, the Cayuga would see through the deception....

When the counselor suggested that the crew needed rest, it dawned on Masuda that they would request coming aboard the Jamestown in larger numbers. This realisation made him turn his head towards Mariner, disguised as the Jamestown's Captain. He almost wanted to shake his head, but stopped himself, not wishing to give any visual indication about the hazard to make such promises too quickly. As it were, the Borg threat was their top priority, despite how much they might wish to help the crew of the Cayuga.

The largest concern, however, was how Ziegler had just enquired to know what the Jamestown was doing in the Azure Nebula. She had directed herself to 'Captain Armstrong Williams', but since Mariner has been too busy with the prostethics and holo-filters to look the part, it was Masuda who had that answer in mind. So, he cleared his throat and spoke up.

"We have been drafted for Task Force Archeron," he said in his quiet voice, looking towards Ziegler with a small frown, which would be quite apt for the lie chosen. "It has entered the Azure Nebula in pursuit of the Theurgy, which was last seen at Starbase 84 before escaping into the nebula. We have yet to rendevouz with the Archeron, so we have next to no intel what actually happened at the starbase. We broke off from our course when we happened upon your distress call."

In order to deflect further attention upon this deception, Masuda wished to transfer attention to something else, and the presence of Petty Officer Lillee t'Jellaieu - pretending to be T'Vin - offered an opportunity. "Commander T'Vin. In your experience with the Borg, do you have suggestions on how they might be here, in the Azure Nebula? The logs from the Voyager has always suggested that an invading force would come from the Delta Quadrant."

Too late, Masuda realised he had put the CONN officer in a tight spot, but perhaps Vanya - the Cayuga's Science Officer - could chime in or make suggestions based on the plotted course on the LCARS display? He took a deep breath, and turned towards the officers by the name Eboh and Jeen, the other matter being the repairs of the Cayuga herself. "How many engineers and operations personnel would you say you need to borrow in order to get the Cayuga self-sustainable and leave the nebula?"

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OOC: Posting order 1) @alphawiz, @Fife, @Griff & @Veridian (in no particular order) 2) All the rest, with a 7 day response time starting once Veridian has posted. This means @Arista, @Masorin, @Gadget, @lisavw, @Juzzie, @Brutus , @FollowTomorrow , @Doc M., @StarDuster

Re: Chapter 03: From the Ashes [ Day 04 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #27 – May 07, 2018, 05:39:18 PM

Lt Kaylon Jeen | Conference Room | "USS Jamestown"|Attn:  @Fife @Griff @Veridian @Juzzie, @Auctor Lucan , others

So the Jamestown was part of Task Force Archeron and they were going after the USS Theurgy.  Kaylon searched his memory.  That was the Multivector dreadnaught that was supposed to be a ship full of traitors.   Something about that whole thing had never really set right with him.  Perhaps it was his own sense of injustice at a whole crew being all but summarily convicted of treason, or maybe it was the diplomatic way his father had always viewed the world, knowing that there were at least two sides to every story, if not more.  Two hundred years of meticulous common sense was telling him that there was definitely more to the story than Starfleet was letting on.

"How many engineers and operations personnel would you say you need to borrow in order to get the Cayuga self-sustainable and leave the nebula?"


The question brought him back to the present, and he took a deep breath, and consulted his PADD again.  This was the question he had been anticipating.

"Ideally, 35 to 40 engineers" he stated, resisting the urge to address the Lieutenant as "sir".  His own recent promotion to full Lieutenant still fairly new.  He wasn't yet used to it.

"That number would put us back to almost a full complement, and repairs could proceed more efficiently.  We would still require several days to get everything completed, and have the Cayuga spaceworthy again and capable of warp velocities.   I realize that number probably isn't realistic, and  the Cayuga will still need to get to a space dock for more extensive repairs, but at least then we would be self sufficient enough to get their on our own.  Basically, what I'm saying is that right now, we need all the help we can get." 
 
Glancing over toward the doctor, he added "Plus that would allow my people to get a little bit of sleep.  We've been running around the clock since the attack on little more than caffeine, and adrenaline."    As he turned to  Counselor Williams, "I don't even want to speculate how busy you're going to be when this is all over." 
Smiling he said,  "I may even have to pay you a visit myself." 

Re: Chapter 03: From the Ashes [ Day 04 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #28 – May 07, 2018, 07:50:11 PM

[ CPO Ekon Okotie-Eboh | Conference Room | Deck 1 | USS Jamestown ] @Auctor Lucan @Arista @alphawiz @Veridian @Griff Anyone else.

As Lt. Vanya moved to the LCARS display Chief Eboh noticed that the tactical officer of the Jamestown was watching her intently, and that he had a slightly worried air about him. He also saw the Lieutenant glance briefly at Captain Williams before he explained that the Jamestown had been assigned to Task Force Archeron in pursuit of the Theurgy. The mention of the treasonous dreadnought stirred conflicting emotions in Ekon. He had spent almost half his life in Starfleet, longer than many in the room had been alive. In all that time a situation like that involving the Theurgy had never developed. If they were indeed traitors, however, then the crew of the Theurgy should be brought to justice and answer for their crimes.

Ekon’s thoughts were interrupted when Lt. Jeen began his report. Ekon waited for Lt. Jeen to finish his estimate of the Engineering requirements necessary to complete repairs to the point where the Cayuga could limp to the nearest Starbase. Once Lt. Jeen had finished, Ekon directed his gaze at Lt. Yukimura.

”If you are able to provide engineers to assist Lieutenant Jeen, it would allow some of the operations personnel who have been assigned to engineering to be tasked with repairs elsewhere in the ship.” Ekon reported, glancing down at his PADD before returning his gaze to Lt. Yakimura and continuing. ”Operations did not suffer such heavy losses as the engineering department. If you could provide us with a half-dozen operations crewman on top of the engineers, we should be able to get the Cayuga underway.” Ekon glanced down at his PADD again. ”Another issue is materials, sir.” Ekon said, raising his gaze back to Yakimura, ”With our limited power, and with half of the replicators still offline, it is difficult to make many of the necessary repairs. We simply do not have the materials, and have no way of producing them. If we could have access to the Jamestown’s replicators, it would allow the repairs to be completed much faster.”

Re: Chapter 03: From the Ashes [ Day 04 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #29 – May 07, 2018, 10:20:53 PM

Lt Kaylon Jeen | Conference Room | "USS Jamestown"|Attn:  @Fife @Auctor Lucan

Not wanting to interrupt the flow of the conversation with a secondary discussion, but not wanting to forget due to the exhaustion he was feeling, Kaylon pulls up the messaging menu on his PADD and sends a quick message to Ekon.

Once we get back to the Cayuga - unless told otherwise by the Captain or XO, make the replicators your team's top priority, if it isn't already.

"It would especially helpful if we can get access to the Jamestown's Industrial Replicator.  Ours took more than just a beating." he interjected.

Re: Chapter 03: From the Ashes [ Day 04 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #30 – May 07, 2018, 11:18:08 PM

Lt Vanya | Conference Room | "USS Jamestown"|Attn:  anyone


"Our mission was to explore, scan and catalogue various areas of the Azure Nebula in a further part of Starfleet Science's mission to better understand the region." Turning to her android officer, Anya pointed towards an idle LCARs display on the wall. "Vanya, our course if you would?"

Vanya got up and accessed a map of the region. 

"The nebula is densely packed" she said  "Understanding these gasses and the way that they disperse and mingle is vital in the work that we are doing.  If we can get a sound understanding, we will be able to improve sensor resolution to scan for ships that have been damaged in nebulae, or even ships that might be hiding.  It may also allow us break the latest version of the Romulan cloak if we need to." 

She hit the panel and a red line appeared along the surface of the nebula  "As you can see, we've been exploring some of the most concentrated areas of distortion.  The patterns were easy to break once we got a handle on them  I think we can come up with a pattern to break the code  I can even understand the nebula visually. 

She looked out of the window and scrutinised the nebula.  Her eyes widened for a second and then closed again.  This was not their nebula.  A thousand possibilities when through her mind.  There was one in particular, but she couldn't risk alerting the crew until they were alone or off the ship. 

"That is to say, from certain angles."  She said, simulating exasperation  From here it's just another swirly thing in space.  Hmmm." 

She took a step back and looked at the room.  Were there saviours aware of the situation?  Were they complicit in it?  She needed more data. 

Re: Chapter 03: From the Ashes [ Day 04 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #31 – May 07, 2018, 11:34:56 PM

[Ensign Six | Battle Bridge | Deck 11 | Vector 3 | USS Theurgy] Attn: @Triton @Auctor Lucan @alphawiz @Griff @Veridian etc.
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Ensign Six entered the Battle Bridge of the “Stallion,” the nickname for Theurgy’s Vector 3. It fit, given the equestrian similarities when it came to the nicknames of the rest of the vectors she gathered. Six could picture in her mind a knight. Sir Theurgy. Would make a fitting holo-novel series.

She took in the bridge, small as it was compared to the main Theurgy bridge and stood at attention, her uniform better than she realized. More and more she felt the need to be in uniform. Perhaps it was a demonstration of loyalty to the Theurgy, dedication to their cause. Perhaps it was loyalty to the Federation, the true Federation that remained clean from the parasites. Or it was so that, were there any unscrupulous individuals on ship, they wouldn’t take in her physique from her body suit. She remembered how many eyes trailed her, and most of them weren’t staring because there was an ex-drone to potentially cause trouble. In fact, she had a feeling a lot of them were not staring at her Borg implants.

She cleared her throat, standing in attention. Well, it was time to prove her usefulness to the Theurgy.

“Ensign Six reporting for duty. Who is the current ranking officer?”

Well, she figured it’s the best thing to say; she never entered the “Stallion’s” Battle Bridge before. In fact, most of Theurgy was relatively new to her.

Re: Chapter 03: From the Ashes [ Day 04 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #32 – May 08, 2018, 04:40:40 AM

[Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark, Captain | Temporary Quarters | Vector 03 | USS Theurgy 01 ]Attn: @Griff @StarDuster @FollowTomorrow @Doc M. @Auctor Lucan @Arista @Triton @Multificionado @Veridian @Fife @alphawiz @Gadget @lisavw @Juzzie @Masorin 
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Standing outside, looking in. That's what it felt like as Natalie Stark stood in the center of the battle bridge - her bridge - with her arms crossed over her chest, just under her bust. Up on the view screen was a display of the Conference Lounge, mere paces away, tucked back to the side of the Vector's battle bridge. A room that had been holographically enhanced to be something other then the super sleek environment it had been, instead transformed into a technologically regressed lounge of a Nebula-class starship. And Ens. Jimmy Mariner was playing the role of a Starship Captain. It was almost like watching an old holo-casting of the Twilight Zone.

Clearly the staff had done a good job, in between the initial hail from the Cayuga and there current rendezvous, just outside of visual sensor range. The soup that they floated in allowed the two ships to be within transporter range, but not be able to clear up the visual interference enough to get a clean picture of what each ship looked like. Just sensor readings - manipulated by Ens. Cir'Cie and MCPO O'Connell. Bless them both she quietly thought, just as the charade began to unfold in front of her. The bridge itself was quiet as tomb, save for the ever-present beeping of various consoles and stations. And yet all the same it seemed to Natalie that a pin could have dropped and been heard by everyone there.

At least until the chimes came over the comms.

There before her on the view screen, the transporter effect faded and Natalie felt herself suck in a sharp gasp of air. It hadn't been all that long, had it? Not really, she told herself. And yet Anya looked aged, as if she bore the weight of the world on her shoulders. And if she's faced off against the Borg - and I have absolutely no reason to believe she has not, other than sheer paranoia - then she does have the weight of the world there on her shoulders. It was a shock to see her there, and a part of Natalie that remembered a stern but understanding First Officer wanted to call the whole charade off right then and there, rush into the room and - and what? Throw your arms around the woman? She'd likely kill you for trying. Breech of decorum indeed!

They hadn't been close. Ziegler was her bosses boss after all. They'd shared the occasional duty shift and skip level review.  And yet....and yet Anya Ziegler was a connection to Natalie's past, from before the revelation back on Earth, and the flight from the system that started with the Jupiter Station assault and led them to here and now, fleeing the advance of the Savi, straight into the mechanical maw of the Borg, it seemed. Someone who knew her before the Theurgy was declared a ship of traitors.

A quick glance around the room confirmed that everyone not in the lounge was hanging on every word told. The Cardassian Flight Controller sent an icy stab of pain through Natalie. She looked so much like Aisha S'iti, the late helm officer of the Theurgy, so recently slain and replaced that Natalie had to blink a few times. A pang of loss and remorse, buried swiftly. The similarities were skin deep at best. Odds were most of it was in her head, and now was not at all the time to dwell on that. One by one, each of Ziegler's staff gave muted, solemn testimony to the encounter with the Borg. There was no doubt in her mind now that they were telling the truth. They were unlikely to be some kind of twisted plan to lure the Theurgy out of hiding.

The question remained however, could they be trusted with the truth? Before Natalie could reach a conclusion, Cpt. Ziegler asked the pertinent question. Just what was the USS Jamestown doing in the Azure Nebula.

"Dammit, Anya," Natalie whispered under her breath, sure that she was drawing a few looks from her crew. She ignored them and stared, hard, at the screen. She wished she were a telepath in that moment, so that she might gain insight into the mind of her  ships former first officer. How will you react? Will you too condemn us? Or simply put up with us until the Borg are gone?] Natalie hated that a small part of her feared rejection, feared to see hate on that familiar face.

A wry grin tugged at her face. Lt. Masuda had latched upon the best test that Natalie could think of. The man deserved a commendation. Hell, everyone in that room did. That caused a frown on her face. Even in the unlikely event that the succeeded in exposing the truth, and did not end up in jail in the process, she doubted command would affirm any award she put them in for, certainly not for deceiving fellow officers. Her train of thought was interrupted by a voice asking for the ranking officer, announcing that "ensign Six" was reporting for duty.

Natalie turned around, her back to the view screen, resisting the urge to shush the younger officer. As well as the urge to shudder. Ensign Six as she was known, recent refugee of Starbase 84, responsible for bringing the truth of treachery in the Starbase's command staff to the ship. Former Borg Drone. And there were Borg in the nebula.

"That would be me, Ensign," Stark addressed the junior officer, keeping her voice calm. She had not, in fact, seen the borg drone - former Borg Drone! - she scolded herself, since she joined up with the crew after the flight from the Starbase. Furthermore, she had not been on the bridge when the Lieutenant Commander had addressed the ships compliment, shortly after they dropped out of warp, having beat an expeditious retreat from the encounter with the Savi.  Perhaps then, the Ensigns ignorance as to who was in charge was forgivable.

Re: Chapter 03: From the Ashes [ Day 04 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #33 – May 08, 2018, 05:31:50 AM

[Ensign Six | Battle Bridge | Deck 11 | Vector 3 | USS Theurgy] Attn: @Brutus @Triton @Auctor Lucan @alphawiz @Griff @Veridian etc,
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Ensign Six studied the ranking officer. Lieutenant Commander Natalie Stark. She recognized her instantly; she would, given the Theurgy’s crew manifest was among the first files uploaded to her own systems in her Borg implants. Plenty of information can be stored in Six’s database; she’s practically a walking, talking, emotional organic computer.

“My apologies if I had been tardy,” explained Six. “I wasn’t sure if I was needed for the time being, and my regeneration cycle can take a lengthy amount of time.”

Noting the absence of Ensign Mariner, she realized why she had been summoned to the bridge. “I assume I’m here to relieve Ensign Mariner for the time being?”

Even as she said it, she realized she asked the question and answered it at the same time. She may be a forensics officer, but she was still in the security department, and for the time being, forensics will have to be put on hold. She had other skills to be of worth.

“In addition, may I inquire what recent events are currently upon us?”

She did have a distinctive feeling she was missing out on the action. She was, after all, busy setting up her forensics lab, conjuring her ideas in her head, and when she was not working, she was sleeping. Well, regenerating in her alcove. But she had a point; she wasn’t sure if she was currently needed, as a forensics officer.

She could hear the whispers in her head again as she was brought up to speed, a still small voice consisting of millions of whispers droning together…but so far away as they were, she pushed them out of her head. Now was not the right time for it.

Re: Chapter 03: From the Ashes [ Day 04 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #34 – May 08, 2018, 07:59:31 AM

[ William Robert O’Connell | Vector Three Battle Bridge | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy ] Atten: @Brutus, @FollowTomorrow, @StarDuster, @Triton.

By this point, nearly everyone on the bridge was listening to every word being said in the “Jamestown’s” conference room. 

Master Chief Petty Officer William Robert “Billy Bob” O’Connell groaned inwardly.  Mariner was making Captain Armstrong sound like a Ferengi used shuttle salesman.  He was pouring it on too thickly with the all of the resources and features the Jamestown could offer them.  They were Starfleet.  They knew what resources should be available. 
 
Thankfully the folks from the Cayuga didn’t seem to notice.  They were too upset about their recent clash with the Borg to pay attention to his little slipups.  Seriously, the Borg?  What were the odds?  One predatory species trying to assimilate them wasn’t enough?  Just butter his butt and call him a biscuit. 

And was that really Ekon Okotie-Eboh, his old shipmate from the Hiroshima who was making the repair and supply requests?  He hadn’t seen the coffee colored El-Aurian in person since he passed the chief’s exam three years ago and got himself transferred to the Cayuga, despite keeping in contact periodically before the Theurgy amscrayed out of Federation space five months back.  It was clear that he was high up on Captain Ziegler’s pecking order since he had been serving with Starfleet since Christ was a mess cook.  Speaking of Captain Ziegler, did they really think that the former first officer of the Theurgy wouldn’t recognize her old ship?  If anything happened to the holoemitters, they were in big trouble.

Despite everything that was happening, Master Chief O’Connell found his mind wandering like a Suliban with an itchy foot.  They couldn’t keep the deception going forever.  What was going to happen when the folks from the Cayuga discovered that the “Jamestown” was in reality one third of the legendary outlaw starship Theurgy?  And that thanks to the beating the Savi and Asurians had given them they were in no better shape than the Cayuga?  Would they power up their weapons to make an arrest or try to destroy them?  Would they call Starfleet to come and get them at the risk of giving away their location to the Borg?  What were they going to do when they found out that the captain of the “Jamestown” was so full of feces that his eyes were brown?

Re: Chapter 03: From the Ashes [ Day 04 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #35 – May 09, 2018, 03:40:05 PM

[ Chief Medical Officer T'Panu | Conference Lounge | Deck 1 | USS Jamestown ]

It was T'Panu's turn to speak, and she did so whilst trying to convey confidence. She knew the Jamestown was there to help, but was still a little wary of what they were doing this far out. She hoped they all could trust them.

"I have brought with a list of medical supplies that would be very beneficial if you have some to spare. If we are attacked by the Borg again, our supplies will be too low to truly help out our crew. We would be grateful to receive anything you are able to give us."

She handed over the PADD and waited patiently. On first glance, they seemed like quite normal requests. That was, until, they read the Neural Interface. T'Panu had worried they wouldn't understand her request, as she thought she could disengage any Borg tech with it. It would take a lot of precision, but if it didn't work, her crew was doomed once they were assimilated anyways.

T'Panu had a strange feeling about this Jamestown coming to their rescue. She thought they were the only ones out this far, no other ships had even registered nearby, she heard.

She sat quietly and observed, allowing everyone else to converse back and forth as she analyzed the situation.

Re: Chapter 03: From the Ashes [ Day 04 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #36 – May 10, 2018, 08:13:12 PM

[PO1 Lillee t’Jellaieu] | Holographic Conference Room | “USS Jamestown” | Attn: @Auctor Lucan, @@Arista, @@DocM, @Follow Tomorrow, @StarDuster

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The tension in the conference room between the two crews was thick enough to swim in. To Lillee’s eye, the Cayuga crew were still firmly at red alert, the tension, fear and adrenaline of battle having not yet drained from them, sitting as if they expected to be attacked at any moment...which might well happen. Even if the Borg weren’t hunting them out in the nebula (oh stars, there’s a cheery thought), the Cayuga crew had no idea that they were facing traitors and criminals in a heavily armed starship. Lillee had seen the Stallion’s armaments and engines. Even without the rest of the Theurgy, and even damaged, the Stallion was perfectly capable of smashing the Cayuga into dust if Commander Stark chose to.

And if the story about the parasites was just an elaborate deception, then she might do exactly that, Lillee mused ruefully as everyone talked. Or, if the Cayuga crew discovered the deception, they might attempt a futile assault. Or Task Force Archeron could turn up and destroy the Stallion in seconds. Or the Savi and Asurians could turn up and finish the job. Or the Borg could arrive and simply assimilate the lot of them.

Oh for simpler times...

In order to deflect further attention upon this deception, Masuda wished to transfer attention to something else, and the presence of Petty Officer Lillee t'Jellaieu - pretending to be T'Vin - offered an opportunity. "Commander T'Vin. In your experience with the Borg, do you have suggestions on how they might be here, in the Azure Nebula? The logs from the Voyager has always suggested that an invading force would come from the Delta Quadrant."

“Yes, that is the prevailing theory,” ‘T’Vin’ said haughtily, barely stopping herself from instinctively adding the ‘sir’. Oh, how she wanted to smack Yukimura, which made it all the harder to maintain her false Vulcan serenity! How in the four Elements would a Romulan noncom know strategic details about the Borg? Or about Voyager? She didn’t even know the name of Voyager’s captain, never mind what that spirits-be-damned ship had learned about the Borg!

“However,” ‘Commander T’Vin’ added cautiously, “the Borg have been known to adopt unexpected tactics before. Their targeted assimilation of Captain Picard prior to the first invasion in 2367 is a prime example.” And aren’t I glad that I paid attention to the news on ch’Rihan in ‘67. “It is possible that they have another objective in this sector rather than a full scale invasion. Indeed, they may be targeting the Theurgy, as the ship is isolated, has no support, and according to our latest reports, badly damaged. Capturing a state-of-the-art Theurgy-class dreadnaught would give the Borg a wealth of information on the current state of Federation technology, as well as our defensive capabilities. As for how they got here, bypassing so much of the Beta Quadrant...” (Lillee paused a moment to scratch her brown-haired wig, the damned thing itched madly), “they are the Borg. There is still much that we do not understand about their abilities.”

Re: Chapter 03: From the Ashes [ Day 04 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #37 – May 12, 2018, 08:22:53 PM

[ Lt. Zelosa Ejek, Temporary XO |  Battle Bridge | Vector 03 | USS Theurgy 01 ]

Through miracles of technology, they were hidden. Like some voyeur or predator animal, stalking their prey. Though, in Ejek’s mind, she felt more like the prey, remaining in safety until the coast was clear. If she had any control over the situation, the ship would’ve just turned around and left. Whether this was task force Archeron’s ruse or a genuine Borg attack, she didn’t want to be here to find out. Both outcomes were dangerous.

Nevertheless, being here was her job now, and she would perform it well, as she did in all things. She kept her analytic gaze on the screen in front of her, analyzing all on the screen. Jimmy was a little hammy for her tastes. She preferred a much more subtle performance. In fact...everyone here was a dreadful actor. The more she watched, the more on-edge she became, worrying that their big fat lie would explode in their faces. Peculiarly, no one else picked up. The Cayuga’s crew was wary, but they had every right to be, if they were genuine.

When she glanced over at the Captain though, she noticed a few cues. When she looked around the room and their eyes met, Ejek started to wonder if there was an emotional component to this meeting she was missing out on. It didn’t feel right to pass judgment until she knew her temporary Captain’s thoughts.

Ensign Six reported. Her voice rudely interrupted the Cardassian’s train of thought. She knew the Ensign was not a borg drone, but the irony of the moment had seized her for a second. She briefly imagined being boarded by the Borg when she had heard the voice.
“We have answered a Federation distress call from the U.S.S. Cayuga.” She began to explain, “In order to speak with them, we’re pretending to be the U.S.S. Jamestown. We’re meeting with some of their senior staff in a lounge, holoprojected to be a Nebula-class conference room. Our staff is pretending to be staff of the Jamestown. We’re hiding just out of sight from the ship, so they don’t recognize us. They claim to have been attacked by a Borg cube here in the Azure Nebula.” She explained, to catch the ensign up to speed. She had a hard time tearing her eyes from the screen to meet Six’s, but she did anyway.

Re: Chapter 03: From the Ashes [ Day 04 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #38 – May 12, 2018, 10:21:38 PM

[Ensign Six | Battle Bridge | Deck 11 | Vector 3 | USS Theurgy] Attn: @Brutus @FollowTomorrow @Triton @Auctor Lucan etc.
[Show/Hide]

Ensign Six turned to attention to the Cardassian…she almost thought of them as Species some-number or whatever (she realized it was a good thing she can’t remember an exact species number; it meant she was embracing her individuality better) …and she remembered she was Lieutenant Ejek, a counselor and the second ranking officer of the “Stallion.” She shrugged at the mention of the deception; it’s an understandable necessity for the outlaws. But she started slightly at mention of the Borg.

“They claim to have been attacked by the Borg? In the Azure Nebula?” She took in the counselor’s words. And she thought of the whispers in her head…

“I wouldn’t rule out the possibility that the Borg are somewhere in the Azure Nebula, Lieutenant,” she said quietly. “Their claim could be entirely true; I think…I can hear them…”

She said the last words so quietly, she shivered slightly in fear. She heard the call of the Borg, albeit so far distant it may as well be on the edge of a whisper. But she heard it nonetheless. And the news of the Borg attacking the Cayuga may very well have confirmed to her that the Borg could very well be in the Azure Nebula.

“What I mean to say is,” she added hastily, in case she incited some alarm in the Cardassian and everybody else on the bridge within earshot, “I’ve been hearing the Collective calling to me. It’s on the edge of a whisper, it is so faint. But I can hear it…nonetheless.”

Re: Chapter 03: From the Ashes [ Day 04 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #39 – May 13, 2018, 10:32:24 PM

[Lt. Rhys Williams| Conference Room | "USS Jamestown"]Attn:  @Fife @Griff @Veridian @Alphawiz, @Auctor Lucan , others

Rhys, noted that his request to allow some of the crew to board the Jamestown for rest largely seemed to fall on deaf ears. He sighed internally, largely no surprise technical issues and physical medical issues always seemed to be uppermost in the minds of Starfleet officers. Solidly at the bottom was any concerns about mental health. It was understandable with all that as happening, he hoped to raise it again once all the technical issues had been discussed, so he waited patiently as the Captain of the Jamestown explained their mission.

The USS Theurgy. Rhys had heard of the incident, it had been shocking and upsetting. It was rare in the History of Starfleet to hear about actual mutinies. It was unnerving to ever hear about anyone betraying the Federation let alone such a respected crew. However, Rhys was nothing if not soft hearted, and the idea of even traitors being attacked… assimilated by the Borg. Their voices, that strange way they moved… his mother. He felt it again and tried to resist counting under his breath or organising things on the table. He spoke mournfully, “I don’t even want to think of what might have happened to the Theurgy’s crew.” He swallowed and looked around the table not really sure if the others would share his sentiments. “Traitors or not, no one deserves the fate the Borg have in store for them...” His voice trailed off into a horse whisper “...no one.”

Rhys looked around the table for a moment, concerned he was making a fool of himself. “Sorry.” He swallowed and turned to Lt. Jeen who had been mentioning how busy Rhys was going to be. That was true, in truth he had not stopped being busy since the Borg had left them. He forced a weak smile on to his face. “Indeed. Lt. Jeen, my door is always open to you. Actually my wall to, seeing as my office no longer has one.” He said attempting to inject a tiny bit of black humour into the proceedings. Anything to lift the mood.

Re: Chapter 03: From the Ashes [ Day 04 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #40 – May 14, 2018, 05:33:02 PM

Lt Kaylon Jeen| Conference Room | "USS Jamestown" Attn : @Juzzie @Fife @Griff @Veridian @Auctor Lucan , others

"Indeed. Lt. Jeen, my door is always open to you. Actually my wall to, seeing as my office no longer has one."

Recognizing the remark for what it was, and always willing to try and accommodate a lightening of the mood, smiled and replied, "Wait, what?  Counselor, are you telling me that you didn't ask for that office expansion?"  He turned to CPO Ekon, "Chief, did you know anything about this?  Who fouled up the paperwork this time?" he asked in a rapid mock serious tone.

A ripple of chuckles went around the table as some of the tension dissipated.  Grateful for the opportunity, but just as quickly getting back to business, his tone sobered and he said, "Let us know if the missing wall becomes an issue.  I've still got teams assessing damage in the less critical areas, and I don't want any more problems to crop up with structural integrity" then added "...or crew morale."

Kaylon's combadge chittered.  "Pardon me, " he said, tapping it.  "Jeen here."

"Sorry to disturb you Lieutenant, but I thought I should let you know, we just had two more power conduits blow out.  One of them was the primary feed from one of the shuttle  umbilicals, so we've lost a half dozen replicators, and the shields are starting to destabilize."

Damn!  Just what they didn't need right now.  But a lot of the crew he had left were less experienced, and so leadership was what was needed right now.  His mind racing, Kaylon ran thru a mental checklist, looking down at his PADD after pulling up the relevant schematics.  Oh well, there was nothing for it.  People were just going to have to watch where they stepped.

"You did the right thing.  Alright.  Bypass the ruptured conduit by laying another cable down the corridor, and feed it into the grid at the next juncture, but shore it up before you connect it or else we'll blow that one out too.  Then get somebody on repairing the one that just blew out.  Until we can main power back online, those shuttles are our lifeline."

"Yes, sir."

"Jeen out."

Turning back to the table, he said said first to the captain,  "You heard?"  After an acknowledgement, he turned to the table and said, "My apologies for the interruption, but as you can see, we're fighting something of an uphill battle here."

Re: Chapter 03: From the Ashes [ Day 04 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #41 – May 15, 2018, 06:25:27 AM

[ ["CAPT" Armstrong Williams | 1200 hrs. | "Conference Lounge" | Deck 1 | "USS Jamestown" ]
[Show/Hide]

@Auctor Lucan @Doc M. @FollowTomorrow@Masorin @Gadget @lisavw @Veridian @Fife @Absinthe @Brutus

It was not easy to have to lie to other Starfleet officers, but the CO had to warn them of what threats these people had yet to face. And Starfleet had pretty much lied about Theurgy from the get-go, so this was only fair. Resolve didn't have the luxury when her survivors were rescued without the need for so much deception. Still, he felt honor bound to warn the Cayuga crew, and by the grace of God, it could've been the Resolve out here in the blind, unwittingly stumbling into alien abductors or their threatening warships.

Jimmy--err, Amstrong, held his composure well, and applied his inherited ability to tell a good story once a flowchart was in place. He acted as if putting the pieces together and his brow furrowed in apprehension before he motioned to elaborate further on what the Jamestown had been doing before it supposedly went after the Task Force and why it was off-course before rescuing the Cayuga. "Lou-tenant. I think it's time we warn our guests as to what... else we encountered out here."

"What I'm about to tell you is Top-Secret, originally it would've been for Admiral Sankolov, but it may have something to do with the Borg presence." he began with an expression that bore the face of genuinte personal loss and a failed responsibility to protect those he cared for; even a Betazoid would sense his loss.

"The James was on its way to rendezvous with the task force," he used acceptable jargon for a tenured Nebula-class vessel (He wasn't wasting any time dropping out of his role with total formality) and continued without pause, "When we detected an unusual energy reading from a long-range sensor sweep in the Azure Nebula caused by what was believed to be an unidentified ship or construct. On my orders we went in to investigate. Active scans revealed it wasn't a moon or a space station," Armstrong's gaze hardened; he sighed and, emphasized certain key words, he took a deep breath and continued what information he could play. It was either this or casting doubt on Starfleet Command. He only hoped this would be taken into consideration by his guests later on. Otherwise, he had an exit strategy, even if he hoped to avoid using that.

"After a few hours' search yesterday, we got our answer: We encountered an alien vessel of unknown origin. We hailed them but, the craft opened fire and abducted some of our officers when our shields were hit by graviton beams. Specifically, they beamed out all of our hybrid personnel or anyone of mixed species or otherwise unusual heritage. And that's not the half of it." Armstrong went on with an indignant but neutral tone, loading up specific data-files to demonstrate on the lounge's display screen. For emphasis, he displayed the Jamestown on a size comparison chart alongside the most up-to-date scans and estimated figures of the Versant.


*((Swap Theurgy in the scale for the Jamestown))


"Our noncoms have been calling it ,'the Axe', the name stuck until First Contact is formally made." He paused to allow the revelation sink in, as if allowing any prior hospitality as the first real delight one could have after the week of triple-fatigue and limited rest could last. The alien vessel's magnitude and dimensions spoke for themselves when the display revealed profile images of the craft, no euphemism or light humor could soften the blow. "As you can see, we're facing an Executioner, and if the Borg are out here too, they've probably got something to fear... if the collective is capable of that. The Axe is not, I repeat, not of Borg origin. The Collective may have sent a cube because they perceive 'codename Axe' a threat, or a species of interest, their technology to say the least. "

Armstrong spoke with the authority of someone who had fought the Borg firsthand and had been briefed, when in fact, this particular officer had only fought them in simulation and holodeck training, but he bluffed with what knowledge he did know. Thoughtfully, he held his chin and with his other hand, he zoomed out the 'Axe's' size to that of the USS Jamestown. Read-outs indicated notable weapon hardpoints in red indicators and blue brackets for suspected weapons arrays. Graviton beam lances and tricobalt torpedoes came up in the ensuing tactical analyses which still indicated that there were potentially even more weapons.

"A ship of this size is meant for one thing: Invasion. I know my crew is prepared to do what we have to do, and we will conduct in accordance with Starfleet rules of engagement." Armstrong sighed then rose in his seat, now scowling at the Axe's readouts as he narrowed his eyes. "That ship took my people," he glowered, "Before Starfleet can blast that Axe back to Hades, I'm going to get them back... if I can". He swore, Especially Heather. The utterance of the term Hades almost cost him his accent.

"If any Borg or Starfleet renegades get between us and that vessel's destruction, I assure you, we will conduct ourselves within those rules of engagement as well. I feel that if there's any way we can even the odds for Starfleet by tracking or sabotaging the hostile ship, we can get the attention of the Borg and pit them against each other. At the very least we can learn more about this craft, or paint it for Archeron and the task force." The plan was broad and ambitious but admittedly had to yield trust from Ziegler and her crew. Of course, in the end it was her call, given the on-queue state of play. And the implication for Ziegler to agree with Counselor Williams, someone who hadn't seemingly fully-hated Theurgy. He resisted the urge to mention Theurgy, but implied that ship if spotted would make a fine ship to destroy in the chaos of the battle, though he questioned if Ziegler would inquire about that vessel's fate. He'd let Ziegler's reaction weigh out his suggestions. This was all a test after all, though in reality, Jimmy would hope that Nat Stark would weigh in on his earpiece as he focused on Anya Ziegler directly, assuming a neutral hawkish posture.

Re: Chapter 03: From the Ashes [ Day 04 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #42 – May 15, 2018, 10:23:49 PM

[ Lt JG, Salem Martin | 1200 hrs. | "Conference Lounge" | Deck 1 | "USS Jamestown" ]
[Show/Hide]

Martin listened to all of the follow up reports, in short neither ship seemed to be in the greatest shape, and with their combined class efforts really neither would survive against a Borg Cube, and then somehow the situation got worse. Salem leaned back in his chair uncomfortable for a long moment as he looked at the size comparison between the Nebula Jamestown and the massive thing that they encountered. How the heck did they escape that thing alive?

The news that Starfleet personel had been captured didn't sit well with the former POW, and the fact that it had gravitational weaponry something that was based in theroretics, but not yet seen or developed, the cube would have been a long shot, but if they had played unfairly and used the standard borg tactics on them it would have been possible to defeat, this thing was likely in a class all of its own. He sat looking at it for a moment.

Then the captain mentioned something that caused him pause. "Task force Archeon should have it's hands full hunting the rouge Theurgy near Theta Erridian IV." Unless something had changed while they had been in the nebula that should have been the last known location of the task force.

He paused when the captain mentioned that they were trying to meet up with Task Force Archeon. "Tactically speaking we aren't in any condition to be using our ship as bait, we have no guns, we should fall back to Starbase 84 for repairs, and then regroup with the task force if that's an option. take care of ourselves first keep power low, and get back to some semblance of safety first. The sooner we warn about an invasion the better, and we don't have the communications equipment to reach anyone else in the nebula."

Re: Chapter 03: From the Ashes [ Day 04 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #43 – May 16, 2018, 01:40:12 AM

[ William Robert O’Connell | Vector Three Battle Bridge | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy ] Atten: @Brutus, @FollowTomorrow, @StarDuster, @Triton.

"What I mean to say is I've been hearing the Collective calling to me. It's on the edge of a whisper, it is so faint. But I can hear it...nonetheless."

Billy Bob O’Connell was listening to the exchange in the conference room when he was distracted by the young woman in the black and silver body suit.  She was a newcomer to the Theurgy, and had probably been shanghaied during the ruckus at Starbase 84.  Did she come from the Resolve, the Orcus, the starbase, or had she been one of the newcomers from the Harbinger that the master chief hadn’t encountered yet?  Who did she say she was?  Ensign Sicks?  A name that sounded like a number didn’t mean anything; it didn’t look like the girl came from Earth anyhow and folks from other planets were namin’ there offspring all sorts of funny things.  Billy Bob didn’t know her from Adam’s sister but when she claimed to have telepathic contact with the Borg that made him sit up and take notice. 

Lieutenant (junior grade) Yvette Conway took notice as well.  Like Billy Bob, she looked up from her console to actually gape at Ensign Six.  Only Billy Bob was startled enough to actually say anything though. 

“Beggin’ yer pardon, Ma’am did Ah hear yuh right?” the master chief stammered.  “Did you actually say thet somehow you’ve got telepathic contact with the Borg?”

Re: Chapter 03: From the Ashes [ Day 04 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #44 – May 18, 2018, 01:56:45 PM

[ Lieutenant JG Yvette Conway | Battle Bridge | Vector 03 | USS Theurgy ]
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Sitting at Ops in the Battle Bridge, Yvette had great difficulty to relax - rapt as she was by the scene playing out in the adjacent room. As one of the original Harbinger crew in Ops, she had faced a lot of ordeals, ranging from having her former Captain Vasser be revealed for what he was, along with what T'Rena had done to them all, to the plights she'd suffered on Nova Arctis before she was picked up by the Allegiant and the battle at Starbase 84. Yet despite it all, the suspense of what was going on had her at the edge of her seat.

When a Ex-Borg Brunali walked into the bridge, and told them she was in contact with the Borg, it send a chill up Yvette's spine - eyes wide as she looked at the short-haired woman with the Borg tech around her eye. "Wha-" she said, unable to quite formulate her question well enough, so she clamped her trap shut - the answer best suited for Stark or Ejek. Yet O'Connell was not late in trying to get some clarification. Not only did Ensign Six confirm what the Cayuga crew was telling them in the other room, she openly suggested that the Borg were close enough to reach her in the soup of the Azure Nebula. Did that mean they were clo-

BEEB-BEEB.

Yvette's wide eyes slowly turned to her console.

BEEB-BEEB.

With a hand she couldn't quite stop from shaking, she reached out and pressed the glowing button on her display. Thea's soulless voice was heard in the Battle Bridge, her voice recordings dispassionate as she made the announcement. [Tactical alert. Four vessels approaching. Bearing Five-Two-Niner Mark Four. ETA, thirty seconds.]

Yvette couldn't quite bite down on the whimper that rose in her throat. Please, I don't want to die. Still, she was a Starfleet officer. She schooled herself, blinking hard. The Borg was there, and they were in no condition to fight. They will assimilate us all. Cut off our limbs, replace them with mechanic ones. Graft plating unto our flesh. Resistance is always futile. They will... No, stop it! With her heart beating rapidly, she turned to Stark. "O-Orders, Captain?"

[ Lieutenant Masuda Yukimura | Holographic Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | "USS Jamestown" ] ]
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Meanwhile, in the holographic conference room of the "Jamestown", Lieutenant Masuda Yukimura had noted down all the requests of the Cayuga, ranging from the manpower that Engineering and Ops needed to get the Cayuga spaceworthy again, to the medical supplies that T'Panu needed. That she needed tech to counter Borg assimilation was no greater surprise, given the circumstances, but just like with the industrial replicator they wished to use, Yukimura had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach as he realised that the ruse he had suggested - that they were to pose as another ship - had led them to the dilemma of actually helping them or not. Because doing so, Captain Ziegler and her crew would learn that they were right then standing upon the deck of the Theurgy.

Then, Mariner had decided on an initiative of his own, and Masuda played along as best as he could, not having any idea what the Ensign was up to. Since the man was a junior officer underneath that Captain's uniform, Masuda's first instinct was to try and make him stop talking, since there was no telling what he might say. Anything could raise the suspicions of these experienced Starfleet officers they were dealing with. But in the end, he had to play along, for there was no other alternative. Mariner showed them the Versant, and had cooked up a story that connected the Savi with the presence of the Borg, which was all guess-work, but still served to brief the present officers about the new threat in the Federation. Or, well, the second new threat, now that the Borg had crossed the Federation's border from the wrong side of the quadrant. When the Ensign had finished talking, and the Cayuga's Tactical Officer had offered his cautioning words, Masuda played along and added the unspoken.

"While we have come to call it 'the Axe', the unverified name of the ship is the Versant, supposedly of 'Precept-class', and the aliens that boarded us and abducted our crew called themselves 'the Vigilant of Sa', or the 'Savi', for short. Witness accounts vary on that point. After the brief battle , they left no bodies behind," he said, almost saying 'on this Vector', knowing that the Sword ought to have remains of the Savi to study. Perhaps even the Helmet. "So we know next to nothing about their anatomy, strength or weaknesses. All we know is that they are advanced enough to transport - abduct - crew through our shields, perhaps because they were modified to protect against the Nebula's radiation at the time. We just don't know."

He turned his head towards Lillee - to T'Vin - and almost asked her to fill in before he stopped himself, not about to put her on the spot again. But as he looked at her, he came to hold his breath. She must have touched her wig... because Masuda could see two thin tresses of blonde hair peeking out at the edge of the fake hair. He clenched his jaw, about to launch into something else to discuss in order to distract the Cayuga officers, when there was a chirp from Captain Ziegler's combadge.

[This is Commander West!] called the voice from the combadge, and Masuda knew him to be the Cayuga's First Officer. [We are under attack by an unknown hostile force! Our damaged sensors can't make a clear reading, but we're under enemy fire!]

That was when the first impact hit the Stallion as well, jarring the whole conference room. The walls and the deckhead flickered from the commotion, momentarily revealing the real conference lounge hidden for their eyes. Masuda was on his feet, having to hold on to the table for another moment, before he ran over to the viewports in the wall. Looking out into the nebula, he couldn't see anything. It was a false image of the nebula, and they were blind to whatever it was that assailed them.

Masuda turned towards the Cayuga officers when the Red Alert klaxon began, and he saw in their eyes that the ruse had ended. Still, he didn't have the time to apologise. He and Lillee t'Jellaieu had to return to the bridge. They were the CONN and Tactical Officers on duty. "Hurry!" he called to her, and ran for the door - leaving Mariner alone with the guests.

Another hit, and the hologrid faltered, not just showing the real room, but also making Mariner's holographic appearance fail.

[ Meanwhile | Azure Nebula ]
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[ Chief Marshal Akri Sitaio | Overseer-saucer K'thill | Azure Nebula ] Attn: All

Twice, she had been in battle with one of these ships. First, as an ally, the next, as their enemy. She had barely managed to escape at Starbase 84, all other vessels of her people having vanished in the onslaught they faced. She had lost both Hara Sar-Dia and Viel Erion, along with many other dine warrior during the second battle, when the Sheromi had betrayed their word. Now, the third battle was about to commence... and she would avenge the fallen.

"This is Sitaio!" she called to the other three Marshals out there, two of them engaging the allied Starfleet ship not far away, while she focused on the Theurgy Vector before her. She bared her teeth and tightened the straps of her sindt. The first streaks of graviton beams had dug new gouges into the hull, but it was but a foretaste of what was to come. "In the name of vengeance for those we've lost, we have but two options! We win or we die!"

The answer came. It was a loud battle cry shared by all four saucers. "For Asuria!"

They were the last of the Asurians that had gone after the Theurgy, and they engaged the two Starfleet ships in full. One was adrift, without shields, so it would be boarded. It was an unknown, but clearly in alliance with their enemy. One vessel would ram into its hull, straight through the aft observation deck, while the second saucer would start cutting the ship apart from the fore. As for the Theurgy, it seemed in better shape, so they would be more cautious. Nonetheless, they knew there was another Overseer-saucer in that lower shuttle bay, and they would claim it back somehow.

"Have at it!" cried Sitaio, raising fist and blade towards the enemy on the view screen. "Kill the cravens!"

---

OOC: All right! For those with characters on the Stallion's bridge, @Brutus should post first. However, since @Arista is busy IRL, 7 days to post in reaction to the development begins now for all who have characters in the faltering holo-lounge! Posting order is completely free, but be mindful and let your co-writers react too. Masuda Yukimura has left the door open on his way out, him running into the Battle Bridge (Lillee likely close behind him). Needless to say, @Absinthe , your Klingon now have Asurian boarders to battle - the saucer having rammed into the Warp-Trail Lounge. There would be seven Asurians with rifles and arm-blades cutting their way through the Cayuga. Have fun people!

Re: Chapter 03: From the Ashes [ Day 04 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #45 – May 21, 2018, 05:08:54 AM

[Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark, Captain | Temporary Quarters | Vector 03 | USS Theurgy 01 ]Attn: @Griff @StarDuster @FollowTomorrow @Doc M. @Auctor Lucan @Arista @Triton 
[Show/Hide]

The joys of having a First Officer, Natalie had been discovering, was that you could let them handle any minor annoyances that pop up from your own hang ups without looking like you're snubbing someone. Its part of their job to run interference for you. She felt more guilt about her initial reaction to Ensign Six - whom certainly did not ask to be assimilated - than she did in allowing Ejek to take the brunt of the encounter.  The Ensigns abrupt demeanor was equally not her fault. Natalie could only imagine how difficult it might be to readjust to individuality. She'd read reports on other liberated former drones, and so far, her very limited interactions with the Brunali drone matched up with expectations.

Which were to say, less than pleasant. And then, the Ensign opened her mouth and managed to pull Natalie's attention completely away from the scene unfolding on the viewscreen. It was a small miracle that she didn't get whiplash as she spun about on her heels to look at Ensign Six from where she herself stood down in the command well. As a result, she completely missed Ens. Mariner's revelation of the Savi to the crew of the Cayuga. She would have to trust her people in the other room for the moment.

"The Borg are whispering to you, Ensign?" She knew she had gone pale in the face, but she kept her back straight and, trying to channel Carrigan Trent, her voice stayed even and calm. She owed the man quite a lot, for his personal tutoring was probably the only thing that was helping her keep her cool at the moment. "An....echo of the connection of the Collective?" Was that a thing that former drones had? She wracked her mind, trying to remember...

BEEB-BEEB

[Tactical alert. Four vessels approaching. Bearing Five-Two-Niner Mark Four. ETA, thirty seconds.] The alarm cut through the conversation and snagged the attention of every member of the bridge. Natalie's eyes went wide,  and then shut as she sucked in a breath to tamp down the sudden frustration. Even as she heard Yvette calling out to her, Natalie was turning towards the main screen again, addressing the intercom system. "Red Alert. All hands to battle stati - " her words were cut off at the sudden impact of weapons fire. The ship rocked about Natalie, and she managed to keep her feet by sheer force of will.

Straightening back up, she swept loose stands of hair from her hair - and saw Lt. Matsuda barreling his way onto the bridge. Oh hell, the conference room. Anya Ziegler would be in there with her crew, alone with Ens. Mariner. She knew that her orders would have been heard there as well.

"Yvette, make sure those shields are up," she barked as she dropped back into her chair. They were going to be playing it close, with only 50% shields, thanks to the needed radiation protection protocols. Her crew would need to finish this, and fast, before either the enemy, or the nebula finished them. Rock and a hard place indeed!

"Matsuda, get me a bead on whoever is out there and open up. We don't have time to play nice." She started pulling up bits of information on the small display for her. "Give me an analysis on the weapon damage. Since we're still here, there's no way that was Borg attack." She watched as her people took their stations and brought the ship about, hard. From Ops, Yvette shook, but looked at the readings. Not Borg, but still..l

"Captain," she called towards Stark, "It's Asurians, Ma'am."

"Oh, great," Natalie snapped off. "Matsuda, get me a bead and blow that out of the sky." She pointed two fingers towards the helm. "t'Jellaieu, evasive action. Take us closer into towards the Cayuga. They're barely holding on as is. We cannot let the Asurians take them down. Get us between them and the ship." The next part would be the hardest.

"Bridge to Conference Lounge. We've got a lot of talking to do later," she didn't wait for a reply, just barreled on through. "We're under attack by a race of warlike aliens called Asurians. They've taken a bit of umbrage with the Federation in general." And us in-particular, she didn't say aloud.  The vector shook with the impact of another blast before she could finish, and sent the whole battle bridge listing to port for one brief moment as the internal dampeners played catch up. "We're moving to place ourselves between them and Cayuga. Captain Ziegler, I'd appreciate it if you'd order your ship to take up a defensive posture and kindly not shoot at us." A glance about and then, to the bridge. "Make sure they can open a channel."

---

OOC: I can update this as needed, lemme know if i pushed the narrative a bit too far

Re: Chapter 03: From the Ashes [ Day 04 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #46 – May 21, 2018, 04:56:24 PM

[ Chief Medical Officer T'Panu | Conference Lounge | Deck 1 | USS Jamestown ]

T'Panu had been quietly listening to the conversations as she felt the blast. She couldn't believe they had been found again! Just as they were hit, she noticed the projection flickering and realized they had been in a false meeting the entire time. As everyone began running out to their battle stations, she wondered if they could even trust them as the whole meeting felt like a sham. She didn't know if they could, but she knew they had no choice.

T'Panu rushed to her feet, her mind racing, trying to figure out what she could do. She heard the "Jamestown" would be covering their ship as it was badly damaged. The Cayuga was only a few hits away from being blown to oblivion and she was thankful for the cover. Hoping, determined, they would make it out of this alive, she grabbed her PADD and ran to see if there were any emergency med kits and dermal regenerators she could bring back to their ship if it was still there. She left the conference lounge and ran until she found the medical supplies, grabbed a few things she needed and threw them into her bag. She realized she hadn't payed any attention to how she found the medical supplies and began to panic she wouldn't find her crew. She didn't know if she could trust these people and didn't want to stay aboard to find out if they couldn't.

She hauled ass back to the conference lounge where she found the rest of the crew. She knew they were sitting ducks until they were either beamed back aboard the Cayuga to help the wounded, or left on this "Jamestown" to try and defeat this threat. She feared the worst, that they would be unable to help the Cayuga and it would have lost all the rest of their crewmates. She tried to think positively, that they would simply win this fight and repair their ship, but she knew that was being far too optimistic. With this new threat, and the Borg not far away, she had no idea what was coming next.

Re: Chapter 03: From the Ashes [ Day 04 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #47 – May 21, 2018, 10:11:35 PM

[ CPO Ekon Okotie-Eboh | Conference Lounge | Deck 1 | USS “Jamestown” ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Brutus @Arista @alphawiz @Veridian @Gadget @lisavw @Doc M. @Masorin Anyone else.

As the ship rocked with the impact of incoming fire and the conference lounge of the USS Jamestown flickered, revealing a different room altogether, Ekon glanced at his crewmates and then looked at the officers of the “Jamestown”. The room that had been seen in the brief flicker of the holographic projection was much more modern than that of a Nebula-class starship. When the second impact caused the holographic conference lounge to falter yet again, Ekon noticed that the appearance of “Captain Williams” also changed.

Our saviors are not who they claim to be… Ekon thought, surprised at his own level of calm given the situation.

[Red alert. All hands to battle stati…] Came a female voice over the ship’s comm system.

Ekon rose from his seat as Lieutenant Yukimura, if that was indeed his real name, raced from the conference room. Through the doors to the conference lounge he could see the bridge of the “Jamestown”, which was certainly no Nebula-class ship. Ekon moved to the doorway and looked at the bridge, gripping the edge of the doorway for support against further rocking from incoming fire. He saw a short brunette woman seating herself in the command chair and barking orders, and recognized her voice form the red alert announcement. He heard the operations officer address the woman as “Captain”, and glanced back into the conference lounge. He saw Lieutenant T’Panu race wordlessly from the room as he looked from “Captain Williams” to his own Captain, still hearing the mystery ship’s real Captain giving orders, directing her people to move to protect the Cayuga.

At least these people seem to be on our side, whoever they are. Ekon thought, turning back to look at the bridge once more.

As the ship’s Captain spoke again over the comm, Ekon heard her voice both from the bridge and the comm system. ["Bridge to Conference Lounge. We've got a lot of talking to do later. We're under attack by a race of warlike aliens called Asurians. They've taken a bit of umbrage with the Federation in general."] Ekon barely kept himself upright but for his grip on the doorframe as the ship rocked once again, the whole ship listing to one side before the inertial dampeners righted it. ["We're moving to place ourselves between them and Cayuga. Captain Ziegler, I'd appreciate it if you'd order your ship to take up a defensive posture and kindly not shoot at us."]

”There is little risk of that, ma’am.” Ekon spoke to the Captain as he stepped onto the bridge, gripping the railing above the command well to keep his footing. He hesitated for a brief moment as he recognized the man at the Engineering station, his old shipmate from the Hiroshima, William Robert O'Connell. He pushed his shock aside and turned his attention back to the Captain. ”The Cayuga is defenceless! Her weapons are still down, and her shields are minimal at best.” Ekon realised he was out of line, and also giving away tactical information to their deceitful “saviors”, but given the situation and the plight of the crew still aboard the Cayuga, he didn’t care about propriety or trying to keep information from the crew of the “Jamestown”. He’d seen enough ships lost during his time in Starfleet, and held no desire to see the destruction of yet another.

Re: Chapter 03: From the Ashes [ Day 04 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #48 – May 21, 2018, 11:04:49 PM

[Ensign Six | Battle Bridge | Deck 11 | Vector 3 | USS Theurgy] Attn: @Brutus @FollowTomorrow @Auctor Lucan @Triton @Fife @Doc M. etc.
[Show/Hide]

"The Borg are whispering to you, Ensign? An....echo of the connection of the Collective?"

Ensign Six turned to Commander Stark, and as collected as she was as the current commanding officer would be, she can see Stark had paled. Well, that’s to be expected if one heard that somebody was hearing voices in their head, but worse so if those voices came from the Borg. And she wasn’t the only one; she noted a couple of people, like Chief Engineer O’Connell, reacting to the words that instilled fear. She even noticed Lieutenant Conway on the edge of panic. But her focus was on the ranking officers; Seven of Nine always confided in her superior officer, and that’s what exactly she will do.

She had barely made an affirmative nod at Stark, realizing her own words were scaring everybody else, when the tactical alert went off. Then the red alert, and then the impact that she staggered at. Her first impulse was that the Borg had caught the “Stallion” and the Cayuga by surprise, but she immediately shoved the thought aside. From how faint the whispers were, they were too far away. Conway’s words then confirmed it wasn’t the Borg.

With aid from her ocular implant, she studied up everything known in the Theurgy database about the Asurians. And…Holy…! When she pulled up what an Asurian looked like, she almost crapped herself. Those horns! She imagined an Asurian with horns that huge would be a match for even a Klingon.

Brushing the appearance aside, it occurred to her to analyze the ships. The impacts kept rocking the ship, but she remained amazing steadfast, almost like Earth’s “Stonewall” Jackson. And…

What’s this? There was an Asurian ship already in the Theurgy? Further analyzing the database, she saw that there was an Asurian ship on board in the Shuttle Bay. Suddenly, a tactical maneuver formulated in her mind. The Theurgy had an Asurian ship aboard, and if that’s the case…

“Commander Stark, Lieutenant Ejek,” she called out, as calm as composed as she could, “I understand you have an Asurian ship down in the Lower Shuttle Bay?” She added quickly, forestalling the question, “I have learned about the Asurians from the Theurgy database. With your permission, I wish to go down to your…impounded ship...not to fly it," again forestalling the question, "but to mess up the communications of the attacking Asurians from there.”

What she had in mind required the Asurian ship, but she had no intention of flying it. She was no pilot, and in any case, she didn't know if there were pilots available who knew how to fly that ship anyway. All she knew was, it was again time to make use of her skills as a hacker. And she said communications for a reason.

Re: Chapter 03: From the Ashes [ Day 04 | 1130 hrs. ]

Reply #49 – May 22, 2018, 01:42:48 AM

[ William Robert O’Connell | Vector Three Battle Bridge | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy ] Atten: @Brutus, @FollowTomorrow, @StarDuster, @Triton.

“Structural integrity field is compromised by twenty two percent!” Billy Bob declared from the engineering console.

After that Commander Stark started doling out the orders.  Ensign Six thought she could jam the Asurian’s communications and made a request to go to the shuttlebay to access their attackers’ assault boat that had been left behind after the boarding action yesterday.  

“Deflector screens are up Ma’am, should I extend the shields to protect the Cayuga as well?” Lieutenant (junior grade) Yvette Conway reported from the Ops station.

“She’s raight!” Billy Bob O’Connell proclaimed.  “We’ve got to beam the command crew of the Cayuga back to their ship!  The Cayuga’s a sittin’ duck without ‘em!”

O’Connell could picture it now.  With the senior officers stuck aboard the Stallion, the junior officers left in charge wouldn’t know what to do and would hesitate just long enough to let bad guys turn them into an enormous fireball.  The problem was that they didn’t dare lower the shields long enough to beam Ziegler and her people over unless they extended them to protect the Cayuga the same way they did to protect the other stardrive vectors when the Savi had disabled all three sections of the Theurgy yesterday.  Such a protective gesture had the additional bonus of letting the folks on the Cayuga know who the good guys were, at least until the shooting stopped.  Of course, that strategy depended on the Cayuga staying still, and on the battlefield speed is life.  It was more than likely that the Cayuga would move out of range and make beaming the command crew back impossible.