CHAPTER 04: Invictus [04: Retaliation]
Chapter 04: Invictus [04: Retaliation]
Attn: Zenozine, Doctor Maya, CanadianVet, Axius, Triage & RosariaRosette.
Later, in the Brig, also IronFerrox, Cathreen Dawinter & Kurohigi
[ USS Theurgy | Lower Shuttle Bay | Deck 07 ]
Attn: Wenn Cinn, Axius vel Onea & Cameron Henshaw
While the Intelligence Officer's announcement was heard on the intercom, the group remained set on reaching the shuttle bay. After the words fell silent, they did not hear anything more for a minute, during which time they continued to close in on their destination. Yet as they peek beyond the last intersection, they espied two vigilant guards outside the doors of the shuttle bay. It became evident that the bay area had not been left unchecked.
This was when the voice of T'Rena was heard - a reply to Trent's speech.
[Captain T'Rena to Lieutenant Commander Trent, this is not acceptable, and I hope you realise how futile your efforts truly are. We are about to upload a reprogrammed version of the Ship A.I. from her mobile emitter and into the pasitronic brain core. Whatever access you might have gained from Lieutenant Fedd will then be rescinded and if you do not surrender immediately, Thea's first act to further our cause will be to shut down life support on your Battle Bridge. So unless you put away your weapons and surrender, you will be taking the lives of everyone on that bridge with you as you draw your last breaths. You will not be able to shut her out of her own systems, so I do suggest you comply.]
Cold, dispassionate words - as if she read the tenants of Kolinahr.
[State your choice, Lieutenant Commander.]
There was due cause for worry, for it was as the Vulcan claimed - and Vulcans were not prone to lie - then things were rather grim. If Thea had been lost to them, what was the ship but a vessel that had lost its soul? The two guards, not spotting the group led by the Chief of Security, soon turned and entered the shuttle bay - vanishing from sight. It was therefore evident that they were patrolling the large area, and Cinn, Axius, Cameron and their companions had just caught the guards when their route took them to the corridor.
[T'Rena, this is Lieutenant Commander Trent. First, as an officer and a delegate of this ship's lawful commanding officer, I do not recognize your authority or your rank as you and Vasser have obviously chosen to dispense with any Starfleet protocols or procedures unless you find it convenient.]
It was Carrigan Trent again, answering the Vulcan's ultimatum on the public channel.
[You want to murder me? Be my guest. But bear this in mind. I'm betting not only my life but that of everyone in this room with me that right now, there's dozens on this ship who just decided to start fighting back. And over here, I have Ensigns Kenneth Urban, Nizni Peri and Pavel Yelchin as well as. Master Chief William O'Connell and again, I'm wagering all our lives that they've got friends who would take exception to their being murdered.]
One of the deck hands that had accompanied the Chief of Security's team grunted in affirmation to that announcement. It was time to lay claim on the transporter systems of one of the shuttles, but how much resistance awaited them beyond those doors? After the guard returned into the shuttle bay, the corridor lay quiet besides the conversation on the intercom, which continued uninterrupted...
[ USS Theurgy | En-Route Deck 05 | Deck 07 ]
Attn: Tessa May Lance & Sten Covington. Optionally: Morrigan
The distraction team, lead by Tessa May Lance, was making their way down the corridors while Carrigan Trent's words continued to be heard over the intercom.
[Unless you can show me where in Starfleet regulations and orders it states that sabotage, murder, coercion, mind-rape, mutiny and conspiracy are lawful ways to relieve an officer of his command, I. Will. Not. Yield. This is a Captain Ives's ship and I will fight to keep her as such. Go ahead. Murder us and make martyrs of the five of us. Polarize every man and woman you haven't brainwashed or murdered against you, encourage them to fight to the death. Even if you prevail, you won't have a crew left in the end.]
Had things truly escalated so far? Had the gruesome battle in the Flight Hangar just been the beginning? How far were Vasser and his Vulcan right-hand-woman willing to go? Were they listening to the last words of the Intelligence Officer and his team? On which of the Battle Bridges were they? Wenn Cinn had ordered them to move towards the Life Support systems and Deck 05's Battle Bridge. Was it possible that they, the distraction team, were the closest one to lend aide?
[Now here are my terms. You, Vasser and your cohorts will disarm. Captain Ives, Commander Rez and any other detainee you hold will be released. You and yours will return to the Harbinger and you will surrender all command authority over her and wait there with your warp core cold and all tactical systems physically disabled. Then, the brainwashing will be reversed and we will part ways. Whoever willingly buys into your vision will be allowed to join you and everyone who still sees themselves as Starfleet personnel will be allowed to stay with us.]
Terms that were, perhaps, too fair in regard to what Vasser and T'Rena had done that morning. And yet they were terms that were in line with the creed of Starfleet as it once were. There were individuals from the Harbinger that did not deserve such leniency. Two of which appeared ahead of the distraction team, springing their ambush. Sten Covington knew the two quite well from the Festival of the Moon - those who had attempted to force themselves on Narik Cinsaj in the middle of the night.
They were Petty Officers Sullivan and Tilliander, otherwise known as Smoke and Titan from the Harbinger's Tactical Conn division.
Once they spotted the distraction them ahead of them, they opened fire - leaning out from their chosen cover while their energy beams scorched the bulkheads around Goldeneye and Papa Bear. Two of the men behind them fell to the deck plates - stunned and out cold. The cover they picked were the opposite walls of an intersection - the last intersection between the distraction team and the Vector 02 Battle Bridge.
[Comply and have a chance at going forward with your vision of things or face an entire crew that will fight you tooth and nail,] finished the Intelligence Officer, his voice overriding the shooting. [Trent out.]
"Like hell we are," said Smoke with a confident grin. There were no further words given. No glib remarks. Just cold pragmatism behind their actions, just like if they sat in their cockpits. The two Tactical Conn pilots were not idle behind the cover they had found either. Titan held out his phaser rifle and shot blindly down the corridor towards the distraction team, while Smoke powered up a phaser grenade - soon tossing it down towards Sten and Tessa. Two more on Tessa's and Sten's team fell, and the grenade was just about to go off...
OOC: Attn: All - In order to read the dialogue between T'Rena and Carrigan Trent in its entirety, which most people on the Theurgy will be able to hear on the intercom, you should read the paragraphs in italics in the different relevant sections in this post. This thread will also include the people in the Brig once the rescue party gets there.
Shuttle Bay team, I will post a tactical map as required as soon as I learn what manner of approach you chose to reach a shuttle. Perhaps you won't need it and we can focus on the arrival to the Brig.
Distraction team, below is a quick map to help you get your bearings. RosariaRosette, this is one option for where Morrigan may appear, but to make the ic-timing work, she'll have to arrive by turbolift at the end of the intercom dialogue and hear the shooting from a distance.
This Chapter in the Theurgy story is dedicated to Mr. Leonard Nimoy, 1931-2015. May he never be forgotten.