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Director's Cut / Re: [2374] USS Hamburg: Meditate on the Way of the Targ

Last post by Dumedion - Today at 12:12:50 AM

[PO3 Kino Taer | J’rovia Reclusiam | Ruins of the Main Librarius | 2374] Attn: @JacenSoloDjo

Bolts of polaron energy snapped overhead, while others impacted close enough to shower her in sparks. Kino lay on her side, ass pressed into the small rubble wall of makeshift cover and grunted a curse before lifting her rifle up to fire blind, hoping to suppress the Jems back into cover. Her ears picked up the LT’s arrival, but couldn’t spare a glance just then; not until her pack ran dry. The non-com did note the obvious pain in the woman’s voice, poorly hidden behind humor; a valiant attempt – one Taer appreciated, all things considered.

Might be hope for her yet, the Trill thought with a twitch of her bloody lips while she swapped out her rifle’s power pack; the snort offered in reply only forced her to gag and choke on the blood from her broken nose, however. Kino spat out a wad of it, then sat up, rifle braced, searching for targets. “So far, so good,” Taer answered in a slurred deadpan, her voice just as gravely; coarse from yelling and breathing dust, not to mention nearly getting throttled to death.

The Jems had either cloaked or fallen back, Kino couldn’t tell, but the sporadic fire had trickled to nothing; her rifle and gaze stayed out, searching, while the others conversed. Somebody squealed out in pain; field dressing, Taer figured, wincing in sympathy. She took a second to pat herself down, looking for blood; somehow, she hadn’t been hit – not yet, anyway – but she knew there’d be pain enough in store for all of them regardless. She repeated the process for a quick equipment check next, then stole a hurried glance at the LT’s question.

Anywhere but here, was Taer’s instinctive, barbed reply, but the Trill’s jaw clenched tight instead; a rare moment of self-control, while she thought it through. The hell’s left? The TOC’s a hole, OPs are gone, her eyes darted around the makeshift perimeter they’d created, thinking. Old coms tower? she guessed, turning her head over a shoulder to look. It was busted and broken before, now it was barely visible at all, over on the other side of the gaping hole where the TOC once stood. If they could reach it, it might work – if it was still there.

“Was a,” Taer started, but another coughing fit took over; she spat more bloody spit to clear her mouth out, a knee drawn up underneath to steady her position. A sharp twinge of pain flared in her chest; bruised or cracked ribs, maybe. “Comms tower, my six o’clock, ‘bout four hundred meters. Was a rally point, but it might be rubble for all I know. You’d have to skirt along the crater to get there – through the ruins. Gonna be close work,” Kino warned; not thrilled with the idea, but the situation was what it was. They had to move. “Jems are probably crawlin’ all over lookin’ for us now.”

Gotta be a better option, Kino shook her head. It was getting harder to think. Adrenaline could only do so much, and only lasted so long; as the lull continued, the non-com felt the aches and numbing pain creep in.

“Or,” the non-com added, “y’make for LZ Mortalis; we used it t'lift bodies out b’fore w’lost contact w’the Novo. Due west of the complex,” her hand pointed in a knife edge, “‘bout 800 meters out, built on a hill – only one in the valley, can’t miss it – but the tunnels are likely non-vi, so you’d haveta hump it out in th’ open,” her eyes flicked to the LTs, one clear, the other bloodshot and bruised. “It’s an elevated position, one way up. Y’don’t look like you’re in th’ mood for a run, though – matter of fact, y’look like shit,” she tried to laugh, but grimaced at the attempt.

Something sharp was digging into her hip, which forced Kino to shift her attention. A hand reached down, expecting to find a rock, but dug up half a compacted repulsor-stretcher instead. The handheld device was charred black, but looked to be functional. Kino tossed it to MacFarlane, ignoring the wet, dirt caked blood on the LTs flank. Worst case, the others could move faster with Mac on it than dragging the LT – best case, Mac could use it as an improvised crutch under her own power, if she was that stupid and stubborn. Taer gave it 50/50.

“Call it quick LT, we’re burnin’ daylight,” Kino nodded to her, winced, then resumed over-watch, rifle up and panning for threats. “I’ll stay back an’ cover y’ guys. Long as I can.”

[Meanwhile, in orbit…]

Veyat Three gripped the console before him as the ship shook under another assault. He was quickly loosing his patience. “Why isn’t that ship destroyed,” he demanded calmly. “I fail to understand – were my orders somehow unclear,” he sighed, turning purple-hued eyes upon his First.

“The enemy’s defenses are holding, sir. It is a Galaxy-class cruiser, more than a match for two attackers,” the First responded neutrally.

“We have three ships, do we not,” Veyat’s eyes narrowed at his own rhetorical question. “Recall the third, immediately.”

“Sir, our ground forces –“

“Are expendable. We have ample supply lines in place and can always breed more reinforcements,” Veyat smiled coldly. “I want that ship destroyed, now. Once that task is completed, we will continue to retrieve any troops that remain alive on the surface,” the Vorta moved calmly to stand right in front of the massive Jem’Hadar, to peer up into its eyes with contempt. “And when I report to the Founders, I might omit your unorthodox behavior,” he warned, “so long as we understand each other.”

“Understood, sir,” the First closed his scaly eyes, head bowed respectfully.

“Good,” Veyat Three smiled pleasantly, “very good. Such harmony is but one of their gifts,” he exhaled, then took a step back to return to his station, features blanked as if the happiness and joy he’d just expressed had never existed at all. “Now we shall teach it to our foes - crush them.”

Through the tactical headset, the Vorta watched as his ships swarmed and ravaged their larger prey. The Federation vessel’s shields lit up under the multi-angled assault, rolling in an attempt to track the far more agile hunters. Lances of burning energy streamed out, striking one, only for it to come under fire from the other. Veyat smiled confidently as he watched the third attack ship rise up from the dusty atmosphere to join the fray, adding its own fire into the engagement a moment later. Even as the hulk fought for its life, it was only a matter of time before it grew too wounded and too exhausted. It’s corpse would slowly fall, weeks or months dead, to burn up over the worthless world it failed to protect; just another sad lesson for a sad, savage people.

A pity, Veyat mused, but, such sacrifices must be made. “We will make an example of them,” he lifted his chin proudly. “Once their defenses are crippled, concentrate fire on life support and living quarters, while the other ships focus on critical systems. Let them bleed to death while we burn them from the stars. Perhaps others will learn from their folly,” the Vorta shrugged in doubt, but in truth, he couldn't be bothered to care either way.

Episode 02: Cosmic Imperative / Re: Chapter 2: DIS Engage [ Day 1 | 1259 ]

Last post by Nolan - August 30, 2024, 10:59:25 AM

[ PO Kythalie Benmual | Engineering | Deck 26 | Vector 3 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @rae @Brutus @Relatively Insane @RyeTanker
Sarresh was a sight for sore eyes perhaps as Kythalie looked him once over. He attested to her steady hands and before the Betazoid knew it, she was drafted to join Sarresh to save the ship. She let the rest of the security contingency move on and listened in to what had to be done. The room was filled with emotion as her mental barriers struggled to keep out the loud thoughts that were echoing throughout the engineering deck.

Benamite crystal containment was the task at hand it seemed and Kythalie was backed by Sarresh that her steady hands would get the job done. No pressure. The caramel skinned woman followed the lieutenant to the slipstream chamber, a shared smile between them before the ship nearly tossed them around. Whatever was going on outside, it was nasty, very nasty... Kythalie was steadied by her forearm by Morali and she smirked and pointed out in a hushed tone to him "You do know I can take care of myself right? Though I appreciate the gesture." a sly wink followed before they made their way up the ladder.

When the new horrifying alarm set off, radiation was the last thing Kythalie needed right now. In hindsight, she might've been better qualified to tackle Azrin instead of Sarresh, though she had been given another crucial job that had to be done. She made her way up the ladder skipping one handle at a time before she sprinted off to the slipstream drive to retrieve the Benamite crystal. How she was going to perform this with steady hands was a mystery to her. Surely on a steady ship it shouldn't have been an issue, yet here with the rocking and tossing... She exhaled as she ignored the order to suit up, this was a major priority. This had to be done.

Sarresh's sprint to intercept Azrin proved to be successful, in a way. Kythalie soon found herself behind the console and double checked the input given by Azrin. All of it seemed fine, besides the fact that the safety protocols hadn't been activated yet. Kythalie glanced at the recommenced settings and what Azrin had keyed in, though instead of pressing no, she hit the yes button and watched the forcefields activate in just a second.

With the security measures in place, she glanced over to Sarresh and gave him a nod before she entered the slipstream drive, edging closer to the Benamite Crystal to retrieve it. Here's to hoping that no other shock or explosion would cause her to lose balance or anything of the sorts. Her fingers clasped around the crystal and slowly but steadily she began to retrieve the crystal.

Episode 02: Cosmic Imperative / Re: Ch 4 S [ Day 01 | 1915 ] The Remains of a Crew

Last post by Dree - August 28, 2024, 03:59:48 AM

Ensign Sash Kreshkova | Unnamed Cell | Alternative Asteroid Station | Romulan Space | Attention @Ellen Fitz

Sasch blinked her large blue eyes. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed as she had listened to Ehfva. It kept her mind occupied and off of other matters. But now the Vulpinian was asking her story. Her story? What did she have to say? The green-haired young-woman thought for a moment. Once she gathered her thoughts, she started.

“Vhen I vent to zhe Academy, I turned my back on my Papa. I kept in touch vizh my my mama, but not my Papa.”

Sasch looked over at her companion. "My Papa is zhe head of TacCon - zhe place vhere fighters are trained, and I vanted to be a fighter. But, of course, everyone knew who my Papa vas and zhought he vas helping me, so I stopped talking vizh him."

Sash’s eyes welled up. "I love my Papa, Ehfva. I hope he knows zhat I love him. I vant to tell him zhat I love him. But I needed to stand on my own two feet. I needed everyvone to know zhat he vans’t giving me special favors or tutoring sessions or helping me in any vay. "

"But I made a friend. His name is Armand, and he took me under his ving. He stopped people from discussing me behind my back. He saw my potential for what it vas. He gave me space to breathe. He gave me zhe chance to excel and to vork hard. I proved zhat I had talent on my own, and he recruited me into Nova squadron - an elite flying group."

"But after I graduated, my mom sent me on vacation before I vas to report to TacCon, and ve vere picked up by Tal Shair and zhen ve vere rescued by zhe Cayuga. And zhen zhe Cayuga vas attacked by zhe fiends zhat haf us now."

Sasch shrugged. "Zhose are zhe most important parts of my story."

Episode 02: Cosmic Imperative / Re: Ch 3 : The Meeting of Heroes (or Villains) [ Day 1 | 1500+]

Last post by Nesota Kynnovan - August 28, 2024, 02:08:13 AM

[Ensign Jaya Thorne | Bridge Crew Mess Hall | Deck 01 | Vector 01]
Attn: @Ellen Fitz, @Brutus, @Stegro88, @Dumedion, @P.C. Haring, @JacenSoloDjo, @Juzzie, @GroundPetrel, @Eirual

As they walked towards the turbolift, Jaya could quite honestly relate to Kelistina’s problems. During the height of the Dominion War she’d once found herself stuck on a Klingon colony; nothing related to the larger conflict, but mainly because of overdue maintenance finally taking its toll on her beat-up old freighter. The Klingon mechanics who performed the necessary routine overhaul were just as bad as the bootleg parts they were forced to use due to equipment shortages, maybe even worse in fact, and to this very day the brunette Denevan sometimes found herself surprised that she managed to even escape the planet’s gravity in one piece without stalling and plummeting back down. While she stepped into the turbolift, Jaya pushed that thought out of her mind and, as she nodded in silent reply to the Zaroodian, instead focused on a possible way to help the woman.

Jaya was still contemplating how she could possibly help Kelistina when the turbolift doors opened. Her first instinctive reaction was to disembark without looking, just like she always did, but when the red-skinned woman spoke up there was something about the woman’s tone of voice that instinctively put the brunette Denevan on alert. As the other woman quickly moved away from the doors towards the opposite end of the turbolift, Jaya peered around the doors and into the corridor. The sight she was presented with however, immediately made the hairs on the back of her neck rise up and, at that point, she realized why Kelistina had been so distressed.

Right in front of them, laying in the corridor, were three motionless Starfleet Officers. From what Jaya’s eyes could see, there was enough blood sprayed all over the walls and floor of the corridor to make it painfully obvious that this was far from a natural occurrence.

Within mere moments, Kelistina suddenly moved out of the turbolift to check up on the two Officers nearest to the doors. Instead of immediately calling for help however, Jaya immediately followed the Zaroodian and moved to the Officer furthest from the other two. That particular Officer was wearing the yellow uniform of Starfleet Security and, as Jaya kneeled down next to him, she immediately realized whose blood it was that was sprayed all over the corridor. From what she could see, the man’s thick muscular neck was already turning into a bruised shade of deep purple; almost as if someone had exerted a huge amount of pressure to break it but somehow failed. A closer examination presented Jaya with multiple deep gashes across the man’s equally muscular lower arms and big hands. The index-, middle- and ring fingers of the man’s right hand were cut straight down to the bone, as if he had tried to defend himself from a sharp weapon, and the knuckles on both of his hands were chafed and bruised; the man had clearly put up an incredible fight from which his attacker hadn’t escaped entirely unscathed either. From what Jaya could tell, whoever had assailed the Security Officer had managed to slash their blade across the right side of the man’s neck and severed his carotid artery in the process, thus sealing the man’s fate.

It was only at that point that Jaya noticed the rank pips of a Lieutenant Commander and connected the dots; the man in front of her was the Chief of Security, Lieutenant Commander Kai Akoni. While she had never met the man in person, his reputation as a tough-as-nails Security Officer had preceded the man and, in the end, it seemed like that reputation was well-earned. As she shook her head in despair over how a man like Akoni could end up getting killed like that, Jaya realized what Kelistina had told her earlier before they left the turbolift and quickly tapped her combadge. ”Thorne to security, intruder alert!””

Several seconds passed following that call but, instead of hearing the intruder alert activating, there was just an eerie silence that was only broken by her own heartbeat. Twice more did Jaya repeat her call, only to be met with the same result before she looked back at Kelistina. ”I’m not getting through…” While she spoke, Jaya attempted to smirk as to hide her growing fear, but it failed miserably. Looking back down at Kai Akoni, as if he was the one who held the answers, Jaya breathed a deep sigh before her brown eyes noticed something.

The death struggle between Kai Akoni and his unknown assailant had been so quick and unexpected that the bulking Chief of Security hadn’t had the chance to draw his phaser. As it was, the weapon was still holstered on the man’s hip; the black holster still magnetically sealed by the bio-coded lock that was designed to prevent non-Starfleet personnel from easily yanking the phaser out of the holster. Before enlisting in Starfleet, she’d made the mistake of trying something similar and it had very nearly earned her a beating as a result. However, she was a Starfleet Officer as well nowadays, which meant…

Jaya pressed her right thumb onto the top of the holster and, without even as much as a sound, the magnetic lock disengaged; allowing her to silently unholster the weapon. ”Kel…” Now she had a weapon, Jaya kept it trained onto the corridor without taking her eyes off the unknown ahead. Her voice definitely betrayed a strange mixture of determination and fear now. ”Call the turbolift back. I will shoot anyone who comes at us while you do.”

Episode 02: Cosmic Imperative / Re: Ch 4: S [Day 1 | 1810 hrs] A Friend Indeed...

Last post by TWilkins - August 28, 2024, 01:14:08 AM

[ Ensign Sylvain Llewellyn-Kth | Biological Laboratory Quintus | Aft Tertiary Research Deck | Erudite ] @Dumedion

Sorry ‘bout this, mate.

Sylvain wasn’t fully conscious. Since he’d made the request to be taken to sickbay, the words leaving his mouth as easily as the heaving wretches that had wracked his body with spasms, he’d been stuck in a limbo between the conscious and the unconscious; not fully aware, but not entirely unaware either. It was a tumultuous place, ringed with enough consciousness to identify the absolute mortification that he felt, at the knowledge that he had wretched and gagged himself stupid in the Common Area, dripping saliva and bile all over the Savi’s floor. Equally, he could still feel the sting of embarrassment that he’d all but knocked himself out on their bulkhead, and the burning humiliation of having to request a visit to sickbay for actions entirely self-inflicted, whilst their ship hurtled towards a battlefield…

Truthfully, his actions hadn't been all that becoming of his rank or position...

But whilst he did retain some recognition of his emotions, the limbo also served to blind the rest of his senses, to keep him numb enough that he remained mostly imperceptive of the events unfolding around them, his mind processing his thoughts whilst his body became a ragdoll, thrown through an ordeal whilst remaining predominantly unaware of the particulars. Mostly and predominantly, being key words in highlighting his ordeal.

Whilst he hadn't been fully aware of what was going on around him, he’d been conscious enough to identify a vague series of events. At least, he thought he had; semi-conscious awareness was right up there with daydreams, on the list of things that were inconceivably confusing to someone with precognitive capabilities... Still, there were a few things that stood out above the haze that sometimes masked a premonition, a few sensations inflicted upon his body, movements that had happened against his will…

He recalled that something had repeatedly thumped into the sides of his chest, thundering into his ribs and then withdrawing, time-and-time again, until another unseen force had pulled him from their clutches. Then, the sensation of being dragged through some indiscernible distance, a motion that had left him perhaps even more nauseous than the scent that had perturbed his nostrils before; being dragged through an unfamiliar alien Starship, whilst the entire universe was spinning like a centrifuge, was disorienting, to say the least. A lurch had sent him hurtling through space-time, after which he’d fallen from orbit onto a hard surface, before he’d been dragged, once again, across miles of cold floor, his body threatening to tear apart at the seams as he was manhandled in every-which direction, hoisted and heaved with no grace or dignity, as one might treat a slab of meat, rather than a…

“HUARGHKRRRRK!”

The noise that fled his throat was unnatural, but warranted, given the circumstances. His consciousness returned somewhat abruptly, igniting his neurons just at the right moment for Sylvain to get to experience, with perfect clarity, as something disgustingly long, thick, and slimy, was abruptly wrenched out from his windpipe. It felt infinite, pulled from his body like an old-time nautical vessel hoisting an anchor from the depths of the sea, sliding across his lips like an abyssal worm emerging from his mouth. It was wet, slippery, foreign. His body was all too happy to assist with the dispelling of the foreign entity by attempting to vomit once again, atrocious gagging sounds squeaking out from around the sides of the tube as it exited his throat.

“HURAGH-ARGH!” The retching that exited his lips as the final inch of the tubing escaped his mouth, was even louder than before, his entire form lurching forward as Sylvain’s body made an abrupt jolt from a lying position, to sitting upright at almost ninety degrees, involuntarily flexing almost every muscle in his torso and delivering him a cacophony of agony in the process. “ARAGH!” The gasp was voluminous as it escaped his throat, his body slumping back down onto the hard surface below him instantly, his abdomen shrieking with a diabolical ache in response to his involuntary contraction of muscles, the impromptu work-out hitting him like a photon-torpedo to the gut.

“Argh…” Everything hurt.

And Sylvain wasn’t a stranger to a bit of physical pain; he’d been on the Parrises squares team at the Academy for crying out loud, he could handle a bit of pain... But this ,was different. It felt like he’d taken a shuttlecraft to the gut, all while someone had jammed Klingon pain-sticks into his ribs, unleashed a plasma torch down his throat, and kicked him in the head a few times for good measure…

Still, he forced himself to endure the pain for a moment as he attempted to gather his bearings, sucking a hiss of air into his battered body, and counterpointing it with a ragged exhale. The Ensign attempted to occupy his mind with the task at hand, trying not to think about the discomfort surrounding his torso as he forced his tear-stained eyes to open. Sylvain had been optimistic, hoping to see some sort of sickbay-adjacent facility, maybe a couple of Starfleet officers in teal undershirts, some sort of confirmation that he was in a location intended for rest and recovery, as opposed to anything more… Well, anything more Savi…

Unfortunately, the room appeared to be the latter.

The room was once again a drab spectacle of white and chrome, a harsh light burning down upon him from the ceiling, illuminating the somewhat alarming lack of variety in the colours of the room; if it hadn’t been for the black, grey and red uniforms of he and Cora, who lingered at the end of his bed, it would have been a wasteland of white-on-chrome carnage. Centred in the room were several examination tables, whilst the space beyond the tables was packed with dozens of consoles, monitors, pieces of equipment, tools, all of which were objects unfamiliar to Sylvain. As his eyes flicked back above him, his hazel irises swallowed by his widening pupils, he stared up into a disturbingly scientific bouquet of lights, sensors, scanners, and an untold amount of technology foreign to his eyes, though he had no doubt that the array was not something he wanted anything to do with.

His eyes returned to Cora, as he began to attempt to slide himself off of the table, manoeuvring himself onto his side, swallowing the pain that rippled through him as he did so. It took him a moment, but Sylvain managed to slip his left leg out from under him and down into open air, booted foot clacking against the floor as his right leg swiftly followed. From there, his torso naturally pursued, hoisting himself onto his feet with a gasp of pain, his body weight braced into his left arm as he managed to set himself into a standing position, the pain forcing a hiss of air from his mouth, like sitting on a very old chair. He was slightly hunched as he glanced at Cora again, forcing a ragged breath into his lungs as he tried to find a way to get his bearings on their situation

“W-whe w-whe aww-aww..?” He began, before he halted his attempts, in realisation that his tongue seemed almost completely unresponsive to his instructions, its numbness becoming even more apparent as he consciously tried to move it within his mouth. “W-whe-ruh, aww-ruh, we…?” He forced, overemphasising his letters as he desperately pushed past the fact that his tongue felt like a foreign visitor in his mouth, and tried not to dwell all too much on the somewhat sweet taste that was lingering around his palette like a ghost... He’d certainly had precognitive tastes before, they were never fun; most of the time he seemed to seemed to change the future by chasing whatever phantom taste had graced his tastebuds in the premonition, leaving him thoroughly unfulfilled… Yes, he'd learned to ignore any precognitive event that manifested itself as taste...

Unless, this wasn’t that?

A whirlwind of alarm overtook him before Cora would have had a chance to speak, immediately glancing down at his hands with abject horror peering through his eyelids as he did so. He stared down at his pale-skinned fingers with such intensity, that he threatened to vaporise the digits, relief bubbling up within his chest as he did so, though nowhere near enough relief to counteract the ascending panic in his soul. He hadn’t changed colour at least, he hadn’t fallen victim to some Savi experiment and turned green; Sylvain knew that he’d make a terrible Orion, all that hedonism would be far too uncomfortable for him…

Still, he couldn’t check his spots without a mirror, of which the room surprisingly had none. Thankfully however, the indecent amount of chrome served that purpose wonderfully, Sylvain taking a ragged pace over to the examination table that Cora had evidently occupied, and almost melting with relief that in place of any unwanted facial ridges or additional orifices, he was greeted by a familiar reflection… Still, his relief was limited. He was in an unknown medical lab on a Savi ship, he had no idea how Cora and himself had arrived there, and after Commander Cross’ briefing on the Savi's proclivities for genetic resequencing, Sylvain didn’t intend on taking any chances…

Perhaps the gas he had smelt had been some biological weapon, a nerve agent designed to incapacitate Cora and himself in order to extract them from the Theurgy crew’s population as efficiently as possible; perhaps his Yattho biology expediated the process? The Ensign had to credit the Savi for their ruthless ingeniousness; they’d certainly chosen their candidates well. Sylvain hadn’t interacted with any of the Theurgy Crew since coming aboard, and he didn’t imagine that Cora would have had much chance to do so either... Since they were both new to the crew, only having arrived that very afternoon, they no doubt wouldn’t immediately be missed by their colleagues, especially with the imminent battle occupying everyone’s attention… Then, even if they survived the conflict, they could easily be mis-recorded as casualties following the battle, left in the Savi’s clutches as the Starfleet crew departed back to the Theurgy, damning them to lives of torment and modification forever…

Not if he had anything to say about it.

“We fould…” Sylvain began, turning back to Cora whilst trying to appear as authoritative as possible, a difficult task considering the aggressive lisp his numb tongue had gifted him; he was the ranking officer of their pair, and thus it was his duty to get them out of their predicament as soon as he could. What exactly he should do however, eluded him for a moment; Sylvain was hardly someone equipped to deal with a hostage situation… And then a brainwave hit him. He might not equipped to deal with such a situation, but the Theurgy had sent over a whole team of tactical officers to the Erudite for the mission, and Sylvain was sure that at least one of them, would know exactly how to handle something like this; he was pretty sure that he overheard someone mention that they also had a diplomat aboard, in case there was room for negotiations with the Savi.

Sylvain felt a triumphant smile blossom onto his face; they needed to alert the chain of Command, just like Starfleet taught them to do. Maybe it was too early to give up on such ideals after all.

“We fhould ale-ruh-t Command-eruh Leavitt.” His sloughing speech was all but humiliating, and he wouldn't have been shocked if Cora hadn't had a clue what he was trying to vocalise at all... Instead, purely on instinct, he reached for his combadge, intending to alert someone to he and Cora’s predicament as soon as possible, somewhat ignoring the possibility that whoever he tried to communicate with would also have to contend with his slurred speech, and instead focusing on his goal of escaping their predicament as soon as possible.

Though on account of the fact that his right arm was suddenly screaming with pain, he hadn’t been able to make the manoeuvre from his hand to his combadge, quite as quickly as he would have liked…

Episode 02: Cosmic Imperative / Re: Ch 3 : The Meeting of Heroes (or Villains) [ Day 1 | 1500+]

Last post by JacenSoloDjo - August 27, 2024, 11:40:24 PM

[ Bridge Crew Mess Hall | D. 1 | V. 1 | 2000 hrs ] Attn: @Eirual‍ @Nesota Kynnovan‍ ‍ @AbsintheDeux‍ @Brutus‍ @Stegro88‍ @Ellen Fitz‍ @GroundPetrel‍ @P.C. Haring‍ @Nolan‍ @Juzzie‍

Kath found herself internally glad that everyone had stopped looking her way and seemed to be absorbed in their own conversations and that everyone was still playing nicely. She noticed the doors opening and closing on the other side of the mess hall but she noted the general lack of panic behind the movement and the fact one was wearing Starfleet 'colors'. So she dismissed the situation as needing her notice.

<What is it that you do on this ship?> Sang'tew' asked and Kath had to admit that was a fair question. And then she nearly burst out laughing because honestly she hadn't been given a chance yet to actually do anything to begin with besides fling her things into her new quarters and get dressed for this 'shindig'.

<We'll see eventually, I guess,> Kath started joking then paused. She shrugged her shoulders before, <I was Security and now here I'm Tactical. It's kind of a lateral move, really. But one I was prepared for and waiting for. The recruiting brochure said less ground patrol and guard duty if I move to Tactical so I figured why not?>

That was also a joke. A bad one. In all honesty she had never disliked said 'ground patrol' or 'guard duty'. But being Tactical meant there was more work on the Bridge which meant a foot in the door for a diagonal move to Command. Though that was likely a number of years into her future but she was... ironically, trying to go by things tactically when it came to promotion and moving up the chain of command. You made yourself indispensable on the Bridge, you got noticed.

Kath made a face when she went to take another drink of her bloodwine and found her glass to be empty. Again. She would have an internal monologue about slowing down on the alcohol but honestly she knew from experience she could probably get another two glasses and still be just fine for going on official duty. Not that she would ever actually admit that to anyone higher than her on the food chain, of course.

<Ahh, that is similar to what I used to do before I became an adjutant. Then perhaps you might be the one to consider speaking to about possible sabotage?> Sang'tew noted the empty glass in Kath's hand then realized her own was identically empty. She could hardly remember drinking much of it.

Kath felt a record scratch moment in her mind at that 'S' word she had been trained to always be on the lookout for. To say nothing of the fact she had training to cause some of it herself. Her brows furrowed before brown eyes flicked over and up to her Klingon companion.

<What sabotage? Where?> her tone was still neutral but now she was like a dog on a scent, ready to lead the way to the perpetrator.

She earned a giant shrug for her pointed questions.

<It's been rumor mostly. But then, a situation like this... a lot of people jumping at shadows.>

That did not reassure her at all. Her jaw set as she considered her options, her gaze sweeping the area around her. This was an unprecedented situation in about five different ways. Her fingers twitched and her hand moved as if to reach for a phaser she didn't even have because she wasn't Security (anymore). Though, she did have her backup on her ankle but that would kind of be noticed at this point in time.

Instead, Kath meandered her way to the table again and refilled her drink then quietly moved closer to the Klingon side of the room, as it were. The problem, of course, was she knew absolutely no one else in this part of the ship personally and going by rank was not always the best way to go about things. You didn't talk to a communications officer for a Security issue, as it were. The Klingons she really only knew by sight because of her days on Deep Space 18. But she did see a flash of very human forehead in a sea of sagittal crests. Perhaps things were already being worked out and her last minute addition to everything kept her out of the loop? She stayed nearby, however, just in case there came a reason to volunteer for service.

A shrug then before she glanced at Sang'tew'. <You realize of course how often rumor of dirty deeds floats about the Empire?> Kath asked, as if more to reassure herself the issue wasn't as urgent as she felt in her gut.

<This would be the perfect target,> Sang'tew' replied instead.

Great.

OOC: Shrugs I'm talking to myself again because Kath decided she wanted to play sheep dog, I guess.

Episode 02: Cosmic Imperative / Re: Ch 3 : The Meeting of Heroes (or Villains) [ Day 1 | 1500+]

Last post by Eirual - August 26, 2024, 10:21:52 PM

[ Kelistina Kavot Droga | Corridor outside Bridge Crew Mess Hall | Deck 01 | Vector 01| “Helmet” ]
ATTN: @Brutus @Stegro88 @GroundPetrel @P.C. Haring @Nolan @Juzzie @Ellen Fitz

Kelistina kept walking towards the lift to escape the crowded mess hall. The small female had followed her suddenly as if she too were attempting an escape. Kelisitna glanced down at her companion, “My ship in little pieces,” she replied forlornly, “be no more to fix. Kling-onz parts not work so good in Zaroodian ship.” She took a breath, “I try learn fix here, this place now.” She ducked her head as the lift doors opened and she entered, “Take me deck home of 11.” She wasn’t really looking for a teacher, so much as she wanted to feel useful. Turning to Ja-ya she smiled slightly, “maybe I learn good, I stay help nice ones. Kling-onz try hurt not help. No like.”

The lift doors closed and the Zaroodian braced herself. It always made her nervous that the little box would fall with her in it and not stop till it broke out the bottom of the ship. When the doors finally opened, the lift was on deck 4 and she stepped out, only to find she was not on the correct deck and that something bad had definitely happened. Blood covered the deck and the walls, “Tokarit! This not be right. Much bad here!” She moved off to the side of the doors as she surveyed the corridor in front of her. Two bodies lay only a few feet from her, one male one female, another a female lay another 2 meters down the corridor. That one she recognized as one of the fixers she’d been watching. “You call, get help here,” She said as she moved to check on the still lifeless forms nearby.

Tokrit – Son of a bitch

OOC: From what I recalled from the initial chaos for this, coms won't work, and not sure if the lifts will either. Have to assume it did or they would have crashed into the other one.

Interregnum 01-02 S2 / Re: Day 15 [0823 hrs] Starships Aplenty

Last post by Pierce - August 26, 2024, 06:45:39 PM

Ensign Lauren Pierce | Holodeck 03 | Deck 21 | Vector 03 | USS Theurgy] Attn: @tongieboi [Show/Hide]

"It is rather retro but interesting, to say the least. I will have to see if my ancestor would mind the story, as that Pierce is still alive through a freak accident." Deciding to change the subject some, she heard the comment about the uniform matching her hair which caused her face to also change shade to match as she blushed. "T-thank you." She said cutely as she looked down momentarily admiring the thought.

Lauren smiled and giggled as he did the twirl of the uniform too. "Very handsome." She smiled warmly with a glint of appreciation and a twinkle in her eye for Joseph's enjoyment of the moment as much as herself.

Pierce stepped out of the dressing area and into the corridor of the USS Enterprise, displayed in all its glory, took their breath away. The ship was meticulously restored, every detail preserved to reflect its storied past. “Wow. It’s even more magnificent than I imagined.” She was captivated. “It’s like stepping into history. So many legendary missions started right here.”

They walked towards the entrance ramp, where a holographic guide greeted them. “Welcome to the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-A. Please follow the guided path to explore key areas of the ship.” She nodded as the hologram took them around despite not being summoned. But she guessed that had something to do with the fact she used the holodeck to summon the Starfleet Museum and not the ship itself.

Their first stop was the bridge. As they entered, the familiar layout of the command center came into view. The captain’s chair, the helm, and the various stations around the perimeter were all exactly as they had seen in countless historical records. The old-styled neon green pre-LCARS setup was fascinating. She brushed her fingers on the helm controls which weren't digital but little buttons and nobs with a few touch pads on them, as well as a joystick in the event it needed that sort of precision. "I love this ship.” She said with giddy enthusiasm. "You should check out the captain's chair, Captain Adams!” She said with a smirk of excitement.

Episode 02: Cosmic Imperative / Re: Ch 5 S [ D02 | 0600 hrs.] Old Friends Die Hard

Last post by Pierce - August 26, 2024, 06:13:48 PM

[ Lt. Commander Alana Pierce | Avra Trel | Romulus ] Attn: @rae @Ellen Fitz [Show/Hide]

Alana Pierce stood firm as they arrived at the cove. It was quiet but footsteps could be heard coming. She listened to the man coming towards them. He introduced himself as tr’Rehu. The interaction beginning between tr’Rehu and her ally Hirek along with their Andorian friend, Nysari in tow. She wasn’t liking the directions made with tr’Rehu as he conversed with Hirek and where this was headed but they were in uncharted waters now.

Her non-Starfleet security tricorder buzzed quietly enough for her to realize they were likely being tailed by Tal Shiar operatives now and not just general security agents. Glancing at Hirek who made a turn towards her she made a slight head tilt and raised an eyebrow towards her tricorder alerting him to the fact they needed to move soonor they were going to be captured. The crimson hairs on the back of her neck were on edge and that feeling was best used by an intelligence agent.

The dimly lit area of the Romulan outskirts was a labyrinth of shadows and whispers. The city’s architecture, a blend of ancient grandeur and modern austerity, loomed over them, casting long, foreboding shadows. The air was thick with tension, a palpable reminder of the political turmoil that had gripped Romulus since the fall of Shinzon.

As they navigated and paced around the cove, Alana couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. The Tal Shiar’s presence was everywhere, their operatives blending seamlessly into the surroundings, their eyes always searching, always vigilant. The stakes were high, and any misstep could lead to their capture or worse with this secretive meeting now underway to get the information where they needed to proceed onward.

OOC - Replied to keep the thread moving since we're over a month after the previous post.

Episode 02: Cosmic Imperative / Re: Ch 4 : Knock Knock! [Day 1 | 1800+]

Last post by Eirual - August 26, 2024, 04:36:03 PM

[Ens Mia Dunne | Habitation Hull Common Area | Aft Recreational District | Erudite ]
ATTN: @Brutus @RyeTanker @ob2lander961 @Tae @Eden @Sqweloookle @Griff @Dree @Ellen Fitz

Mia had found a corner of the common room in which to work. It was a bit distracting with all the voices around her at times, especially from the card game a few meters away. But she was too busy trying to make sense of what information she’d been provided, which sadly wasn’t a whole lot. Apparently, these Savi didn’t want to share much of anything. It wasn’t that she was trying to be nosy about them, she really believed that knowing about their social norms and such would help.

She picked up one of her sketches and studies it for a moment and then looked back to the PADD. If she could just get past this block she might be of some use. As it was now, she felt like her being on this mission was more of a hinderance to it success than anything. She sat back in her seat and rubbed her tired eyes for a moment. Glancing over to the card players she felt a twinge of jealousy that they got to relax before they had to do anything. She was pretty much working since the moment she stepped foot on the Savi ship. She noticed another Ensign also studying a PADD and saw the look on his face. If Mia was right, he was feeling just as unhappy as she was. She could certainly share sympathy with that.

She sighed again and went back to work. She didn’t have much time. She didn’t even have enough time to study everything the way she normally would. She could only hope she had enough information when the time came for them to…

Her thoughts were interrupted by an announcement by Leavitt. Now she felt like she was definitely running out of time to make sense of what she had. She only prayed it would be enough when the time came.