Skip to main content
Topic: CH06 Battle Log: Whomever Remains [D03|1410] (Read 7657 times) previous topic - next topic
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Re: CH06 Battle Log: Whomever Remains [D03|1410]

Reply #25
[ Lieutenant Valyn Amarik | Deck 06 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Nesota Kynnovan @Lathaniel @Nolan
[Show/Hide]
Once Valyn had finished off the handler entirely, she shifted her attention to Kino again, watching as she fell right into the procedure for moving out. “Good.” She picked up her weapons, making sure they were all secured, then checked the rifle one more time. “Good.” She slapped the side of the weapon and it let out a low hiss. Valyn cleared the issue and started moving into the corridor. She was close behind Kino, using her rifle to clear and survey each sector that the other office wasn’t already keeping a close watch on.

“Dammit.” Valyn sighed as she looked at the man, who was very likely dead, given all the blood. Valyn moved forward to inspect him closer. She didn’t know anything about the man. To her, it was just another loss they’d have to endure. It was horrible, but a horrible truth was still a truth. Seeing one’s own kind dead was never easy. She didn’t understand the full truth of it until she spoke into the comm.

A Symbiote.

She understood, then. All that history, all the knowledge, and besides that, a life that could be saved, even if it was a slug in a belly. It was still a sentient life. Something she’d come to value far more than she’d used to. Valyn caught the look and just gave her a nod, “S’allright.” She crouched down to check for a pulse, but felt nothing. “I’d have ordered the same thing, if I knew that he was joined.” Now she did though. “Let’s move. Sickbay is going to be a clusterfuck, no doubt.” She readied her rifle and tossed her head to the side, displacing a few strands of hair in the process but she didn’t bother fixing them. She was a mess as it was, her hair didn’t matter.

“Energize.” She ordered. There wasn’t hesitation in her voice, but there was something else. There was just a hint of apprehension. She wasn’t sure what awaited them at Sickbay, but it can’t have been good.

At once she felt the familiar feeling of the transporter take hold of her, a familiar rush of cold going down her spine before she opened her eyes again, and reappeared in what was evidently the jaws of hell. “Down!” She shouted at Kino as she materialized. At once she sought out cover and fired a volley of six bolts into a doorway. She hadn’t aimed at anyone in particular but she was trying to get herself some cover. Disruptor bolts rang over her head as she moved and one exploded against a bulkhead next to her, sending sparks flying. She felt the small markings of heat against her cheek but kept moving.

As she fired, she charged forward and shoulder checked a heavy instrument tray, ducking down behind it before sending one well placed shot into the chest of a Klingon. It seared a smoking hole straight through his breastplate and he fell, limp. With their arrival, several of the Klingons began to back up.

“We need a Doc!” She shouted through continuous fire. She sure as hell couldn’t help with a Symbiote transfer but she could shoot and provide some security. A disruptor bolt flew straight past her head and she collapsed to the ground, breath ragged as she processed the near miss. It had come within an inch of ending her. It wasn’t the first time, but that didn’t matter. “Son of a-“  she took a deep breath and reached for the Klingon disruptor or that she’d looted. “Clear!” She shouted, peeking one eyeball out as she looked towards a grouping of bunched up Klingons in a doorway. In the doorway that led into the corridor, specifically. She tapped a button on the disruptor and immediately felt it getting hotter and hotter. She lobbed it over the instrument tray and heard it clatter against the hard, metal ground. She heard the Klingons shouting. They weren’t stupid, they knew exactly what she had done. She wasn’t throwing them a perfectly good weapon to be a good sport, and it wasn’t glowing red hot by the time it hit the ground as a sign from Kahless. Within seconds, the metal began to expand, until…

BANG.

The sound of the overloaded weapon tearing through metal and circuitry ripped through the sickbay as Valyn popped up and again opened fire on the small grouping. Most of them had been downed already. She didn’t check if they were dead or not, but she saw enough blood and smelled enough burning flesh that she knew that they’d be down long enough for it to not matter. She stood and when she finally got a clear look, she saw Amanda, and another officer, dead. Dead, and draped in her own uniform. “Dammit.” The explosion hadn’t been large enough to cause a hull breach, not even close. Still though, it was etched into her bones that explosions and Starships didn’t mix. She ran forward, seizing the opportunity to seal the door. The door was stuck open so she pulled open a control panel and began to manually pump the mechanism to shut it, assuming that someone, anyone would cover her should she require it.

There was so much death.

Valyn knew the look. The look and the body language that Amanda had plastered over her. She’d seen it countless times before. “Lieutenant Ashby, we need you!” She looked over her shoulder towards where she assumed Kino was, giving a quick look around for any further assailants. She didn’t know if there was anyone around qualified to help, or if they’d have to use the EMH. Or, if an EMH was still functioning. She rose to her feet, stepping away from the door, and kept her rifle at the ready.

She pointed at the door. "Cover that. Anyone not friendly tries to come in. Shoot them." She grabbed an officer by the shoulder and placed him in a position to cover. "You got me?" She rose a brow and gave him a nod.

Re: CH06 Battle Log: Whomever Remains [D03|1410]

Reply #26
[PO2 Kino Taer | Deck 06 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @BipSpoon @Nesota Kynnovan @Nolan

[Show/Hide]

Kino clung to the fallen crewmate with both arms. The smell of blood and smoke filled her nostrils as she was getting ready to act quickly upon arrival in sickbay. She was relieved about Valyn’s approval of her emergency transport request and agreed with the hardened fighter that sickbay was not going to be some sort of utopian rainbow land. It was all too obvious that this invasion must have spread throughout various parts of the ship, confirmed by numerous reports that have reached the back of her mind via comm over the past minutes. Once the transport was done, she would have to assess the situation and get this Symbiote to safety.

She tensed as she felt the tingling sensation in her stomach, which always befell her when she was torn apart and memorized in the computer banks only to be puzzled together on the point of arrival. She never really liked this mode of transport as it was, but not knowing what was going on at the other end? That was a special variant of discomfort. With her precious cargo and limited time, she prepared for the worst.

“Down!” She heard Valyn shout once the mist before their sight cleared and the rough, distorted image of a sickbay in disarray was starting to form. She immediately let herself fall onto Jeen’s body, covering his torso with hers while simultaneously driving her forearms under his shoulders, linking them with his armpits. When Valyn took her first shots from her hastily sought cover, Kino was already dragging the dead Trill behind a biobed. On all fours, her rifle on her back and the man under her, she was straining hard to get him somewhere save. Once he was secure, she would join the Lieutenant at once.

Sparks rained down on her, searing her neck as she made it to relative safety. In the chaos surrounding her, she had no chance but to focus on one issue at a time. Now that the Symbiote was in the right place, this place had to be secured. Huffing wildly, she let go of her fellow Trill, slung her rifle off her back and into her hands while slowly poking her head around the bed. The situation was dire indeed, but Valyn – who Kino was starting to admire – was handling the Klingons quite well. She had just taken down another one of those traitors and then thrown a disruptor… ”Fuck…” Kino muttered and ducked back down behind the bed just before the explosion rocked the room and sent shrapnel flying into all directions.

Something clicked in Kino’s head. She did not notice it right away. Not before getting back up, posing the front end of the rifle on the bed for steady aim and looking down the sights. But then she realized it. Her hand was shaking, so much that aiming was more than simply a bit harder. It was almost impossible to see clearly through the constantly moving ocular. Oh come on, not now! She scolded herself, but to no avail. She kept her rifle up, directed towards the doorway Valyn was closing manually, but she was lucky that there were no more Klingons attempting to enter. Flashes of other explosions started to work their way into the conscious parts of her brain. One that killed her former instructor during a defensive skirmish in the Dominion War, another one which happened on the same planet but a year later, taking yet another life of a friend. And the once just above Fighter Assault Bay, which tore her leg of, fried her pubic mound along with her ovaries and left her a mental mess.

Kino snapped out of it, forcing the images of long-gone events out of her mind by biting on her lip and thereby casting herself back into the here and now. Tasting blood in her mouth she realized that her hand was less shaky, and she finally started to look around, seeing that the door was almost completely shut by now.

”Anyone here who knows how to save a Symbiote? Please, we’re running out of time!” She shouted through the room with determination and volume. They had not made it this far only to waste too much time and yet another valuable life in this goddamn war!
Lt JG Sorek Morgan
[Show/Hide]
PO2 Kino Taer
[Show/Hide]

Re: CH06 Battle Log: Whomever Remains [D03|1410]

Reply #27
[ Lieutenant Amelya Rez | Deck 06 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Nesota Kynnovan  @Lathaniel @BipSpoon


Swamped would be considered an understatement of how overflowing the patient count was in the battle sickbay. There were critically injured everywhere and the less critical patients had been moved out of the way to ensure those that needed the urgent care could receive it. Those who were too far gone however awaited a faith of maximum painkillers to soothe their suffering and lighten the path to the afterlife. If there was any afterlife for that matter.

With the red alert lights still flashing, Amelya tried to keep her head in the game as she was called over by more than one nurse at the same time. A clone would've been handy at this point, she thought to herself. She moved over to a Andorrian officer that had a severed limb, stabilizing the bleeding and checking for any further injuries, she administered him some painkillers before the arrival of more injured crewmembers drew her attention.

It wasn't only the fact that they brought in more injured, more over, it was the presence of loud, shooting, murderous Klingons that made the doctor freeze in her wake. As by a miracle though, security officers arrived on scene, who knows where they came from or how they knew to converge on this very place in this very moment. Regardless, it wasn't the kind of rescue or salvation that Rez had hoped for. All she could do was watch how a new firefight began in the place that was deemed to be a safe harbor for injured. She could only witness how one of the weapons overloaded and send a minor shockwave through the sickbay. The smell of burnt flesh and a flurry of new sprays of blood coated the walls.

The air was knocked out of her lungs for a moment, yet Rez quickly got back on her feet while witnessing the onslaught. Crew members she had treated and stabilized were now laying dead, fresh marks on their bodies from the back and forth shooting, the dimlit, lifeless eyes just staring up at the ceiling or looking right at her. It boiled anger and frustration inside the doctor and she had to regulate her breathing while her knuckled turned white against her tricorder. Her white coat smeared in various fluids, non of which were here, hopefully.

Before Amelya could raise her voice to scold at the present security officers, her attention got called over once again by a new face. An urgent cry that seeped into the very bones of her body.

"Anyone here who knows how to save a Symbiote? Please, we're running out of time!"

The eyes of the Trill doctor shifted to where the sound emanated from and when she saw the lifeless body of the fellow Trill, she sighed and rushed over to the crewman that was Taer "Fill me in on the details. Where, when and how did this Trill come to an end?" her eyes moving up to Kino to look into her eyes "In order to save the symbiote, I will need a host. Are you joined crewman?"

Re: CH06 Battle Log: Whomever Remains [D03|1410]

Reply #28
Drauc T'Laus | Corridors | Deck 21 | Vector 03 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Griff 
[Show/Hide]
Neither Lillee nor Drauc gave the Mo'Kai Klingons any time before they closed the distance and attacked. Drauc had - mid-sprint - already raised his own disruptor and targeted the head of the Klingon that were firing against Chu'vok and M'Ven, managing to sear off a handful of  thick hair and scorching the cranial ridges of the shooter. If the Klingon hadn't been moving in reaction to their arrival, Drauc would have killed him with that a single shot. As it were, the Klingon screamed in pain, before Drauc was right upon him - reaching the group of Klingons alongside Lillee and their Klingon companion.

Drauc's threadbare robe whirled as he kicked the Klingon's disruptor wide to the side, anticipating the attempt to fire back from close range. The Klingon thus unbalanced, Drauc used the opening to deal an overhand strike with the handle of his disruptor against that smouldering head of hair - driving the warrior to his knees. He would have finished the Klingon off with a shot to the neck, but a second Klingon intervened - the slice of his bat'leth coming in from behind.

Squaring his shoulders with his turn, he grabbed the muzzle of his disruptor, and with the weapon making a metal curve in his scarred hands, he caught the Klingon's attack with it. The disruptor frizzled and bent from the impact, and Drauc's boots slid back an inch across the deck plates, but the attack was stalled, and he could reclaim the initiative. He did so by driving his elbow across the Klingon's face, followed with a straight kick into his midriff - driving the air out of his three lungs. With the Klingon stumbling backwards from the force, Drauc returned his attention to the first Klingon, who was struggling to regain his footing - disruptor still in hand and the muzzle rising. Drauc threw his broken weapon straight into the Klingon's face - making the seared head whip back from the impact.

Meanwhile, Lillee's and Drauc's Klingon companion did not fare too well, dying at the hands of the fourth Mo'Kai warrior, yet the triumph was short-lasted, since as soon as he tried to attack Lillee, she decapitated him with her honour blade. In the battlefield, there was no time for thought or consideration - instincts alone having Drauc move to kill the remaining Klingons. Afterwards, he might comment on her skills, but there were still enemies to slay.

Remembering sickbay from the day before, with the image of Jovela's face in the Morgue, it momentarily had Drauc forget himself in the fight. Both the Klingons he fought were about to attack him again, and yet he remained where he stood, with his eyes lowered. Jovela had died in the Spearhead Lounge, at the hands of a coward. An infiltrator aligned with House Mo'Kai, and with her bloodied and twisted face in mind, Drauc bared his teeth. While he had difficulty forming emotions of his own, there was plenty of rage around him to fill that damaged void. He raised his gaze, and his glare pierced the tresses before his eyes.

Flames had begun to dance in the injured Klingon's hair, but they were snuffed out by the strike Drauc dealt to his head - scarred knuckles cracking the cheekbone. A sound hit Drauc's ears, and as he curled his fingers around the scorched scalp of his foe, and twisted the head, he realised it was his own howl of hatred and loss.

The second Klingon was coming for him again, but Drauc picked up the dead one's disruptor - yanking it from lifeless fingers. Before the swing of the bat'leth reached him, he had his aim set, tears in his eyes, and the bolt he fired removed the Klingon's shoulder - making the weapon flail without force behind it. The second discharge removed a thigh, making the Klingon writhe in pain on the deck, and as if picking the limbs of an insect, Drauc's fifth shot eventually removed the head.

He shared the silence of the aftermath with Lillee, who also stood victorious - bleeding but still alive. His own knuckles bled as well, the inside of his hands aching from the disruptor that had been damaged in his grip. The pain was nothing, however, compared to the rage he'd mirrored from those around him to help him feel his own. He was still bereft of grief, however - unable to even begin mourning her.

That was when the intercom in the cargo bay chirped.

[Bridge to General Chu'vok, this is Lieutenant Commander Cross. Commander Stark is presently in talks with Houses S'Kopa, Tovoj and Woldan in the hopes of bringing them to Martok's side, but the Houses are not convinced of the authenticity of our report that Drex sired a child with Jo'reh of House Torg before his death. Perhaps hearing confirmation from you would be enough to convince them.]

General Chu'vok had been looking and Lillee and Drauc, but gave his answer. He stepped towards the control panel upon which Cross' face appeared. "This is Chu'vok, I'll speak with them."

[Go ahead, General, you're patched through.]

"Open your eyes, Klingons!" he bellowed to the screen, and stepped aside so that he might point at the child behind him. "What do you see? There stands the future, the heir of House Martok, M'Ven, son of Drex! You need no bio readings to see his grandfather in his face. His strength in his stare! I ask, what more do you need, warriors of the Empire? Unite, against the usurper that threaten the cohesion of our defences, all in deluded belief that the Chancellor would betray you."

Meanwhile, Drauc sensed rather than saw Lillee, and turned his head in her direction. "How fare you?" he rasped, the ire abating. "The sickbay of this Vector isn't far."

Re: CH06 Battle Log: Whomever Remains [D03|1410]

Reply #29
[Lt. Rhys Williams| Junior officer's quarters | Deck 13/Vector 01 | USS Theurgy] attn: Anyone who wants to interact with him.

Rhys had already been tense and highly strung, and now that the call for battle stations had come he was practically vibrating with nervous energy. He had been relieved of duty, which had already created a tension in him that was threatening to boil over. He had spent days and days trapped with nothing to do but stomach-churning relaxation. He had reorganised his quarters obsessively and cleaned things till surfaces were almost paper thin. There was a limited amount a counsellor could do under these circumstances. In previous situations he had made his way to the medical bay to provide any assistance. Even just carrying stuff.

Fighting was never his strong suit, though he wasn’t a horrible shot with a phaser, trying to get one at this point would be difficult. Rhys prevaricated for a few minutes stomping up and down the main room of his quarters. The ship shook as it was clearly hit and hit hard. Rhys almost lost his footing catching himself on a table. There was no way he could just stay here and do nothing.

Not dressed in his uniform but a loose t-shirt and some tight trousers. He let out a groan of frustration and affixed his combadge to the front of his shirt. Stepping out in the corridor he made his way to the nearest turbolift. As he neared it a site of carnage was revealed in front of his eyes. Some poor technicians had clearly been killed by an exploding conduit. There wasn’t much of the poor man’s pink skin left, most had been horrifically burned off. Rhys crouched by his side and pressed his fingers to the man’s neck. There was nothing. Rhys pulled his hand away sharply feeling a little squeamish now he knew he was touching a dead body. Then he saw it, under some of the wreckage was the handle of a phaser.

At this point Rhys didn’t care if he was meant to have on or not. If they were fighting Klingons, he would probably need it. Rhys retrieved it, amazingly it still seemed to be functioning, and with that he stepped into the turbolift and headed to deck 6.

[Lt. Rhys Williams| Deck 06 |Vector 01 | USS Theurgy]

He emerged a short while later, ahead of him he saw moving ahead into the sickbay in two gold suited members of the crew holding someone injured and heading into sickbay.

Re: CH06 Battle Log: Whomever Remains [D03|1410]

Reply #30
[PO3 Lillee t’Jellaieu | Corridors | Deck 21 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan

[Show/Hide]
[Show/Hide]

Lillee ignored Drauc at first, his words taking a few moments to penetrate her addled brain, and she glanced at him, eyes wide. Lillee took a deep breath, trying to slow her racing heart. She was used to flying in a cockpit or at the helm, not in person with her sword, where the impacts were visceral, the aches in her body were urgent, the copper taste of blood was undeniable. Lillee shuddered as she tried to reclaim her pilot's equilibrium.

"I am functional," she said, then winced as the act of speaking caused her jaw to explode in agony. Klingons hit hard. "I...ow...I will stay until a security team comes to protect the boy." As Chu'vok did his thing, she looked over herself, marveling at how she hadn't been more seriously hurt. She gingerly touched the cut in her stomach, inhaling sharply as it burned, green blond still trailing down her stomach. Lillee tried not to look at the bodies. It wasn't the first time her blade had tasted Klingon blood, but she hadn't much enjoyed it the first time, either.

She looked at Drauc more closely, seeing how he too struggled in the aftermath of what had happened amidst the grisly scene around them. Three bodies missing heads, blood all over the deck, pooling. It was a horrible sight, and Lillee's stomach threatened to rebel. She was only saved when a four-person security team rushed into the cargo bay, rifles at the ready, all looking rather ragged themselves after some hard fighting against the boarders.

"We are secure," Lillee told them succinctly to minimise the pain from her jaw, waving vaguely at Chu'vok and the boy. One of the security officers seemed just as nauseous as she was, but also just as determined to retain his dignity as he and another officer went to Chu'vok, the other two keeping watch in the hallway.

"All the boarding parties are beaming back, it looks like the fighting is done," the officer (who was holding his stomach contents inside quite well) said to everyone. "General, we're here to escort you both to a safe location. Please come with us, sir."

"Good," Lillee said, taking a breath. She glanced back at Chu'vok, realising that his communication was likely a contributing factor, and raised her blade in a grateful salute, bowing her head briefly. She was too tired to care that she was saluting a Klingon, and really, Lillee's old hatreds and prejudices were fading. Only two weeks past, after all, she had explored passion with a Klingon in a thoroughly memorable encounter, a sure sign that she had changed from her days in the Empire, and indeed her days before the Theurgy.

Lillee took a step towards the cargo bay door, then paused, glancing at Drauc. He appeared uninjured, at least seriously so, but she could see the strain in how he held himself. She extended her hand towards him, her eyes warm. "Come with me."

Re: CH06 Battle Log: Whomever Remains [D03|1410]

Reply #31
[Lt. JG Amanda Ashby | Deck 07 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy] Attn: @BipSpoon @Nolan @Lathaniel

[Show/Hide]

The sound of a loud bang abruptly ended Amanda’s state of melancholy and threw her back into the chaotic reality of the moment. Or rather, it was the force of the explosion which did that as it shattered the window of the Medical Officer Duty Station and showered both herself and the lifeless body of Ensign Marija Ferik with broken safety glass. In a reflex, which wasn’t all that hard since she was already sitting on the deck with her head rested against her knees, Amanda dropped onto her left side and wrapped her arms around her head to protect it.

That was when she heard someone shouting her name over the ringing sound in her ears. Still reeling from the mental shock of everything combined, Amanda looked up in the direction of the voice. It took her a moment to fully realize that it was Lieutenant Valyn Amarik who was calling her name but, before she could even find the energy to get back up to her feet, the blonde-haired Counselor could hear a much more desperate voice shouting over the chaos in the Battle Sickbay; something about saving a symbiont. At that point, without Amanda even consciously realizing it, years of training and medical experience took over and almost instantly prioritized that call. As she turned her head to look in the direction of that voice however, the Martian noticed that she wasn’t the only one who had done so as Doctor Amelya Rez was already rushing over to assist as well.

It took Amanda a couple of seconds to fully comprehend what was happening. There were so many things going on all at once that it was difficult for her reeling mind to properly process it but, when she turned her attention back to Lieutenant Amarik, Amanda allowed her brain to fill in the blanks of whatever she might have missed and grit her teeth as she quickly rose to her feet. By that time the Lieutenant had already grabbed a different officer by the shoulder and apparently put him into a position to assist but regardless, Amanda half-stumbled her way over towards Valyn and looked at her with blood-shot and undoubtedly wildly confused eyes. ”Yes... yes?”

Re: CH06 Battle Log: Whomever Remains [D03|1410]

Reply #32
[ Drauc T'Laus | Corridors | Deck 21 | Vector 03 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Griff 
[Show/Hide]
In his present state, in the wake of the fighting, Drauc stood there in the aftermath of the battlefield feeling lost - bereft of meaning and mind devoid of passion. Having exerted himself emotionally, in thanks to present prevalent hate and anger amongst the combatants, he was left with just the memory of grief. Benumbed towards the loss of Jovela once more.

So when Lillee spoke to him, compelling his attention, he raised his dark eyes towards her, and saw the warmth she emanated towards him. It was the same kind of warmth he saw in her face that Jovela had held towards him, the Head Nurse remaining ever grateful for his involvement in her life. Her warmth and gratitude made him feel purpose beyond the battlefield. In fact, it made him fight on to begin with, because he had been shown what taking responsibility for others was a good thing, even at the cost of his own commission and standing in the world.

So, he set himself in motion, glancing towards the Security personnel - whom he'd once shared duties with in a previous life - and followed Lillee into the corridor. Since the fighting was over, he had simply dropped his disruptor on the torso of a Klingon, and he flexed his scarred hands while he walked next to her - the aches and pains of the brief battle keenly felt now that the adrenaline thinned in his veins. Lillee wanted his company, and he would not deprive her of it, even though he did not quite understand why she felt compelled to be with him.

"<You are deserving of your blade, t'Jellaieu,>" he rasped in Romulan, for he had noticed her proficiency with it. "<You are an impressive woman and warrior. I am grateful that you are no longer a part of the Star Navy, for then we might have found ourselves on opposite sides of the battlefield in the times to come.>"

He spoke, of course, of the Praetor declaring war on the Federation. It wasn't exactly that he considered himself part of the Federation either, but he had ended up on the ship that he believed would take him to the final battlefield, against that of the Infested. The representatives of the dark chaos he'd felt at Starbase 84.

"<Are we heading to this Vector's Battle Sickbay, or do you prefer to treat yourself with a dermal regenerator?>" he asked next, for in all likelihood, the auxiliary medbay would be overrun with other injured, and there were only so many biobeds available.

Re: CH06 Battle Log: Whomever Remains [D03|1410]

Reply #33
[ Lieutenant Valyn Amarik | Deck 06 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Nesota Kynnovan @Nolan @Lathaniel
[Show/Hide]
Valyn had fallen right back into her training, as if she’d never fallen out of her old role as a soldier, or an agent. It was all so deeply etched into her mind that truly, it didn’t take much for her to fall back on it, it was instinctual. Despite her skill at taking down her enemy, that was no longer her sole purpose. Starfleet had shifted her perspective. The instant the door was sealed and covered with an officer, she turned her attention to the others in the room. She first fell to an officer who was on the ground, likely having taken cover from the blast or having been knocked over by it itself. She crouched down to check him over, but he was fine, and made sure to make it clear that he was, and instead just gripped her by the arm for a hand to his feet.

Hearing Kino however, her attention shifted and she let the medical staff get to work, staying out of their way. She kept on alert though, keeping a hand on her phaser pistol, and her focus intermittently moving from the Symbiote situation, to the status of the Sickbay as a whole.

Hazel hues found the familiar blonde lieutenant, stumbling towards her, and they narrowed, concern evident on her face. “Lieutenant, stand tall.” Valyn had seen it before. Not in those like her. She’d seen it in others though. Many others. “You ain’t no good if you can’t keep your head screwed on right. If you can’t keep your head on right you are gonna get yourself shot, one of your crewmates shot, or hurt one of your crewmates trying to provide medical care and you make a hell of a critical mistake. Stand tall. Remember your training. You don’t get to fall apart until afterwards, I’ll help you put yourself back together after if need be but you need to hold it together.” She reached forward to put a hand on her shoulder, “Come with me. Only if you can hold it together, otherwise, go sit down until they can check you out.” She was stern, but her voice wasn’t cruel. There was still a Symbiote that needed saving, that took urgency.

She looked to the dead Trill first, jaw tightening as she got a good look at him for the first time. That same rage that had been building all day, boiled just a little further and she turned away, looking over to Kino, trying to study her for a moment. She didn’t say anything, but she tried to gather what information she could from the woman's look. Urgency. Desperation, almost? Valyn pursed her lips and turned as another Trill joined them. It was another that she didn’t know, but this one didn’t wear the security uniform that her and Kino wore.

“Vector One Engineering.” That was really about all she knew. She looked at Kino, unsure if she had managed to gather much else but she said nothing else, herself. This was between the Trill, and she was here to help if need be and elsewise, make sure no more Klingons broke through the sealed doors. Valyn stepped away from the small gathering, giving the Trill and the medical officers room to work, she stayed close though. Then she heard a bang on the door. Without hesitation, she moved away from the others, and posted up next to the security officer, phaser aimed directly at the door.

Re: CH06 Battle Log: Whomever Remains [D03|1410]

Reply #34
[PO2 Kino Taer | Deck 07 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @BipSpoon @Nesota Kynnovan @Nolan

[Show/Hide]

Kino was still in cover, her arms around the dead body of her fellow Trill, trying instinctively to protect the symbiote from any more danger. The voice of Dr. Rez answering her call for help served not only to bring back some hope into the darkness of her thoughts, but also sent shivers down her spine. Are you joined, crewman? Rez’ words echoed in her mind. Joined? I was never even considered to be a potential candidate!

She lifted her head, looking up at the elegant figure in front of her. Slowly, as if in trance, she began shaking her head. ”N…no… no Doctor, I’m not joined. I… She began explaining before interrupting herself as she realized that the rescue of this symbiote was possibly a matter of seconds. And even though she never thought much about the possibility of being a host, she knew that she was very likely the only person in the room who could serve as such.

She felt Valyn’s eyes on her and turned her head. The Security Officer had helped her and a lot of other crewmen by standing her ground. If there ever was an Officer Kino would grant the title of warrior, Valyn was the one. For the blink of an eye she looked down at the dead body below herself, than back up. She knew what she had to do.

With a painful groan she rose to her feet, trying hard to ignore the holes in her leg and the ringing in her ears. She straightened her back and nodded with determination in her dissimilar eyes. ”I’m not joined, Doc. If there is no better candidate in range, I volunteer!” And she meant it. Yes, it was a bold move. And yes, she had no time to think it through. But for once she had the chance to save a life instead of taking one. Kino was not going to let this symbiote die.

”What do I have to do?”
Lt JG Sorek Morgan
[Show/Hide]
PO2 Kino Taer
[Show/Hide]

 

Re: CH06 Battle Log: Whomever Remains [D03|1410]

Reply #35
[ Lieutenant Enyd Madsen | Deck 10 | Observation Lounge | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ]

It had been eight hours since she'd met with Rutherford, or very nearly so. Enyd stood alone in the observation lounge, arms crossed, a pensive frown creasing her brow. There was still so much to learn. So much to adjust to. But, just as she'd predicted to Captain Ives, there was no time for a smooth transition, no time for relaxation. She would have to roll like a duck in water and just keep swimming.

Enyd tightened her hands, making half-moons in her fisted palms. She stood still, expression loose as if in a trance. A half-drunk cup of tea sat cold on a nearby table, accompanied by an untouched piece of peach cobbler. Her eyes were not taking in the scene outside the viewing window but were instead reviewing reports in her mind, her ears full of pertinent conversations with members of the diplomatic corps. There could be nothing left to chance. Enyd felt as if the countdown clock had started long before she'd arrived and was only ticking faster the closer they got to Qo'nos. What would be different when all this was done? How were their actions going to affect the Klingon Empire, and with that, the Federation?

Recognizing that she'd reviewed the collected data in her head long enough, and now was the time to apply it, Enyd turned and picked up the remains of her tea time. It was a ritual she'd started again after news of her grandmother's passing reached her on Starbase 133. The woman had been an absolute fanatic about taking tea and a proper tea at that. Had she seen Enyd's attempt at tea time here, she would've flicked the tips of Enyd's ever-so-slightly pointed ears and clicked her tongue against her teeth just as she did whenever at her wits end with something Enyd had said or done. For her grandmother, tea was a meditative time for socialization, be it with oneself or others, and not something to be trifled with through limpid frivolity. Traveling so far from home, Enyd had felt the need to bring a piece of home back into her routine.

Her lips turned upward in a sardonic smile as she moved back to the replicator, and where she could dispatch the remains. Home. Just what was that anyway? For four years, she'd considered Cardassia Prime her home and had been ready to settle there permanently. Now, though there remained people there whom she'd once called friends and very nearly in-laws, Enyd had no intention of ever returning. If Starfleet requested she return, Enyd would politely decline. And decline again. And again. Until they either threw her in a brig, discharged her, or gave up. Vulcan had been her home for a total of four years as well, though nonconsecutive. Yet, that had never quite felt like home. Before that, she'd only ever known Earth. Aside from earlier memories of home when her parents were alive, and later memories when it was just Enyd and her grandmother on the farm, Enyd no longer felt the migratory pull to return as she once had.

Enyd stilled as she drew up to the replicator. Her grandmother had always bragged about the "premonition" gene that ran in their family; Enyd had never bought into the notion. But if pressed, Enyd wouldn't be able to articular what she felt milliseconds before an overhead alarm sounded, a call was made for battle stations, and all hell broke loose in quick succession. The countdown clock ticked faster in her head, and this time she felt as if it was ticking down to her time of death.

Tossing the porcelain cup and saucer, not caring if it made it to the correct area or not, Enyd turned towards the door. From somewhere deeper within the ship, there was a rumble. An explosion? Even without years under her belt on a starship, she knew that was a serious problem. Just as she was about to press the button to leave the observation lounge, she heard sharp cries out in the corridor, the burning sound of disruptor fire, and then a telling silence.

Withdrawing her hand, Enyd darted back around the corner. Quickly, she realized there was no cover. She also didn't know who had boarded. Though, considering the situation, she deducted most likely, it was a rival faction of Klingons as that would fit their modus operandi. Her eyes fell on her discarded fork and, after snatching it up, along with the empty cup, she took two rapid steps and leapt over the back of one of the lounge couches, landing on its cushions with a soft thud. She curled into as small a ball as possible, letting the curved back of the couch serve as cover. If someone checked the room and didn't venture in further, they wouldn't see her.

Enyd had no intention of remaining here. Theurgy had only been her posting for hours, but for the unforeseen future, it was to be her home. Enyd did not like uninvited guests. Especially not at tea time. But she also no fool. Enyd knew bold moves typically rewarded those who took them. If they were built like a Klingon. She took calming breaths, understanding that the only way to remain alive was to calculate, initiate, adapt, and respond. Her quarters were down the corridor and across the way. If she could get there, she could retrieve her phaser and the tik'leth. She had no grandiose illusions that she'd mastered the tik'leth enough against Pa'Qis that she'd survive against a Klingon warrior in true battle. Ranged fighting would give her a greater survival chance.

A few jarring moments passed, but no one entered the lounge, leading Enyd to the conclusion that this boarding party was more interested in a quick overrun, killing any seen while taking out essential systems. They would take the time to search and destroy later if necessary. Enyd took a few more calming breaths before quietly slipping off the couch and moving to press her body against the wall. Studying the fork and cup in her hands, Enyd shrugged. Anything was better than nothing. She made quick work of tucking the fork into her bun while switching the cup to her non-dominant hand. Moving into a crouch, Enyd reached up and pressed the button.

At first glance, the only thing in the corridor, almost at the lounge's doorstep, was a body. A dead crewmember, judging by the sizeable maroon pool on the carpet haloing out and still growing. Enyd glanced both ways before creeping out into the corridor, keeping her body low to the ground. If the crewmember was miraculously alive, they would live longer if Enyd could secure their position or get help. If Enyd remained and tried to play hero, they would both die. Enyd averted her eyes from the woman's blood pool and instead began her slow but steady crouched gait toward her quarters.

Enyd knew it would be foolish to count her lucky stars so soon and couldn't help but feel a ripple of icy disappointment when as the corridor curved and she shifted towards the middle of it just long enough to see around the corner, she spied a pair of heavily armored and armed Klingons. She'd taken the time to study Martok's people from the time she'd boarded Theurgy and in the time since meeting Rutherford. While she hadn't met them all, Enyd knew for certain these two were not allied with Martok. Biting back a curse, Enyd moved against the wall and took another calming breath.

The Klingons were directly in her path to her quarters. There was no way in any planet's hell she could take on two Klingons, even if she'd had the tik'leth. Enyd looked back down the corridor in the direction she'd come. She still wasn't completely familiar with the ship's layout and had no PADD on her to quickly consult. If she survived this, Enyd had every intention of improving her self-defense skills and memorizing every Jeffries tube and random broom closet the Theurgy had if a situation like this ever happened again. Feeling exposed and vulnerable was scratching at the layers of control she'd built after The Forge, and she did NOT like that one bit. That's all she needed: to come onboard her first starship posting and immediately stick her foot in her mouth with the captain yet miraculously be placed as an assistant chief diplomat, but then facedown some Klingons and crack from the resurgence of memories she thought she'd come to terms with.

To hell with that.

Enyd had no intention of being a victim of her self-pity again. She'd hated herself in those first days after Cardassia, and she had no desire of ever becoming that person again. Gripping the cup's handle tighter, Enyd shook her head. She hadn't fried her eyeballs in the dastardly desert of Vulcan for nothing. From around the corner, Enyd heard the Klingons speaking then, and she quit the pre-death pep talk to listen more carefully. A voice sounded as if it was growing more distant rather than closer, a small blessing there, and when Enyd dared to peer around the corner again, she smiled. There was now one Klingon, seemingly waiting for his companion to return, his back to Enyd.

But then Enyd tensed, hearing other Klingon voices rapidly approaching from near the observation lounge. The clock had reached zero, and it was time to move. Relying on her naturally more quiet movements, Enyd stalked around the corner. She increased her pace but kept close to the ground. He heard the voices of his comrades coming up behind just as she came close. And that was just the opening Enyd needed.

As he turned, Enyd stood and threw the cup as hard as she could at his eyes. The Klingon reared back; the cup bouncing off the bridge of his nose, his arms raising in defense at the sudden attack. Using his surprise to her advantage, Enyd pulled out the fork, jarring her hair loose. Dodging askew as he finally realized just what was attacking him, Enyd stabbed at a gap in the Klingon's armor at his armpit. It didn't penetrate, but it was enough to annoy. Enyd ducked down further when the Klingon let go of his gun with one hand to apprehend her. She continued her twisting, shifting momentum, pivoting around the Klingon. It was an almost dance-like move as she fluidly moved from a crouch to her knees, now behind the Klingon. With another quick jab, in and out, she caught him behind the knee. Yelling out curses in his native language, the Klingon moved around to grab at her again. But Enyd rolled between his splayed legs and stabbed the fork with all her strength into the Klingon's rear.

The cup was just out of reach to her left, but Enyd lost her advantage in the milliseconds it took to note its location. Suddenly hands seized her by the shoulders, and she was lifted. The Klingon looked murderous. And she would, too, if someone had stabbed her with a fork. It was then that the other Klingons finally emerged from around the corner. Her captor barked out a few spittle-laced phrases to his companions in answer to their shouted question. The corridor was filled with Klingon laughter then, and Enyd momentarily relaxed. A Klingon didn't kill you if they were laughing. Maybe. Hopefully. A few more barked phrases erupted from her captor's throat, and a growling reply came from one of the others facing him. Her captor smiled. The laughter stopped. Enyd's anxiety ramped up again.

"You die now, human." The Klingon's accent made it difficult, but not impossible, to understand his words when he switched to Federation standard. Well, at least he'd been polite enough to speak her own language before killing her.

The Klingon turned, and then Enyd was suddenly drifting, falling, weightless, as if in the vacuum of space. The bloody Klingon had thrown her down the corridor as if she were a bloody baseball. However, what the Klingon didn't realize, but Enyd's reflexes well remembered, were the youthful years spent in gymnastics training and the years since in dance. Given her size, Enyd had always been a top or a tumbler and was well acquainted with the micro-adjustments necessary to reposition or regain control of an unexpected fall. Enyd did just that now, and instead of slamming against the corridor floor in a moaning mass of human flesh, she tucked, rolled, then used the momentum to stand.

Enyd didn't bother turning around to gloat. Breaking into a run as she heard the yells behind her, Enyd hurried down the corridor's remaining distance to her quarters. She keyed in her code and darted inside just as the first Klingons drew close enough to aim their disruptors and fire. She'd always been a bit of an organizing fanatic. Even before the events on Cardassia. But after the hellish time of grief immediately after Javec's death, her OCD tendencies towards her living space had only intensified. They would prove life-saving this day.

Enyd knew immediately where her phaser was, and before the Klingons could pursue her into her room, she had it in her hand. The first Klingon got a shot to the face, but since it was at its lowest setting, it did little more than cause him to stumble back into the corridor and slump to the ground dazed. The second Klingon got a shot to the shoulder, the momentum of his run not allowing him to stop before shifting into her line of sight. Enyd was hunkered down around the dividing wall out of direct view of the door by the time the third, her original captor, reached her quarters.

He and his companions immediately made a few potshots in her direction. As silly a thought as it was while in the potential grips of death, Enyd was thankful she hadn't brought much by way of decorative items or else they'd be completely destroyed. Enyd returned fired blindly around the corner, pulling her hand back quickly before they began another volley. There was no way she was going to get out of this alive. For them, it was like a turkey shoot, and she was the turkey.

But then the firing stopped. Enyd listened as the Klingons argued amongst themselves. When she glanced around the corner, she made eye contact with her former captor. He still looked murderous and sent an angry roar in her direction. But then there was nothing more. He dematerialized as a transport beam enveloped him and his companions.

Enyd blinked. On a heavy sigh, she turned and fell the remaining way to the floor, her head falling against the dividing wall. Holding up her hands, she saw the tremor before she felt it, and soon her whole body was wracked with similar tremors. It was as if someone had abruptly adjusted the ship's temperature control, and she was now on Andoria in the middle of a storm. If anyone was making any announcements on the overhead or directly to her combadge, Enyd couldn't hear it. Her ears were ringing, and her head felt heavy. A long black tunnel appeared before her eyes, and an instinct to lean forward and clutch her knees overcame her.

Gone was the cavalier bravado that had carried her from the observation lounge to her quarters. What was left was a woman on the verge of cracking. Images of her dead crewmember were replaced with visions of Javec, and her hands felt warm and slick with his blood. Enyd didn't realize she'd stopped breathing until a desperate burning sensation in her chest had her sucking in air so quickly she coughed. By some twisted miracle, her tear ducts remained dry.

 Enyd might have survived, but it seemed not without a price paid in her sense of control.
__

*OOC: As a side note, I was listening to William Shatner's "Major Tom" on repeat while writing

Re: CH06 Battle Log: Whomever Remains [D03|1410]

Reply #36
[Lt. JG Amanda Ashby | Deck 07 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy] Attn: @BipSpoon @Nolan @Lathaniel
[Show/Hide]

To some people, people much like Lieutenant Valyn Amarik, violence was a form of art in which they excelled. As Amanda listened to the Romulan Security Officer however, she began to feel just how incredibly tired she really was; in all honesty the Martian Psychiatrist was done with the fighting and the violence, with all the needless bloodshed, and she was especially fed up with being so scared. Contrary to the Lieutenant who was now putting a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to convince her to hold herself together, Amanda just wasn’t a trained Security Officer. She was a Doctor, someone who had sworn the Hippocratic Oath, and the knowledge that her lack of combat experience directly caused the death of Marija Ferik was weighing heavily enough on her conscience as it was. The only thing she wanted right now was for everything to go back to normal or, if that would be too unrealistic, to be able to go back to her quiet corner in the Medical Officer Duty Station. To hear that Lieutenant Amarik was trying to convince her to pick up a weapon and jump back into the fray once more, to join a form of art which she genuinely detested, actually began to upset the blonde-haired Martian.

At the same time she didn’t had the energy to tell Lieutenant Amarik to do this without her though and, as her remarkably empty blue eyes stared into Valyn’s hazel ones, Amanda slowly pulled her phaser from its holster before nodding meekly. ”I’m ready.”

Re: CH06 Battle Log: Whomever Remains [D03|1410]

Reply #37
[ Lieutenant Amelya Rez | Deck 06 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Nesota Kynnovan  @Lathaniel @BipSpoon

The Trill that was holding the deceased crewmember spoke up and looked up at Rez. She was unjoined which would make things easier to save the symbiote. 'Easier' in a way. Medically, the procedure would be best handled by Rez, a joined Trill by only a few weeks. The whole ritual behind it would have to wait. It probably would be against the code most used on Trill, a set of rules that had been picked out by the Trill leadership. Yet they weren't here, Amelya didn't feel anything for them. She looked at Kino and smiled faintly.

"You are brave to volunteer for a joining. As a medical officer and as a joined Trill though, I must warn you of the ramifications it will bring. Both to your near and distant future, but most importantly to yourself as well." she informed the security officer "Things will be... Different. Surreal at times. Whilst we do not have the time for the right rituals now, we will be going through them once we're out of this storm. Understood?"

The latter was not a request but more of an order. While Amelya did not care for the judgement or consequences other Trill might bring to them, she wanted to make a joining that somewhat abided by Trill customs. She knelt down and looked at the deceased, checking if the symbiote was still viable for a transfer. Which in this case, it was, if only barely. Whilst Kino stood up, Rez noticed the injuries to herself and she looked up "You need medical attention yourself." she stated calmly, purging the horrors of what had happened before to the back of her mind and focusing back on the task at hand.

"Get on one of the biobeds. We'll move you over to one of the surgical suites. The nurses will prepare you for sedation and strip you down. I'll extract the symbiote first and I'll join you after to perform the most sacred of things for our people." she said to Kino, nodding to a nearby biobed while she treated the deceased engineer with the final respects he deserved.

Re: CH06 Battle Log: Whomever Remains [D03|1410]

Reply #38
[PO2 Kino Taer | Deck 07 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @BipSpoon @Nesota Kynnovan @Nolan

[Show/Hide]

Kino listened closely to the Doctor while at the same time trying to stay alert enough to be prepared for the worst. This ship was still under siege. And of course Kino was well aware of the implications for her life. She has witnessed a few Trill before and after their joining and was quite impressed about the impact a symbiote can have on a Trill's personality. But she was ready. Maybe even more than just ready, maybe this was exactly what she needed.

"I know, Doc. But I am ready. And I will follow your lead." A quick glance down her own, hurting and partially artificial body followed before she adressed the Medical Officer again. "Are my synthetic parts a problem, Doc?" By then, Kino was already moving towards the biobed, as ordered. Dragging her damaged leg slightly, she looked around and shook her head over the mayhem caused by the Klingon intruders. And while she was a fighter and very much understood the concept of war, she was unable to comprehend the motivation behind all this.

Her body ached when she lifted her bottom on the bed and pulled her legs up. Laying back slowly, she realized how vulnerable she would be for the next hours. Sedated aboard a ship that was under attack and being boarded. Could it get any worse? With a painful groan she turned her head and tried to make out Lieutenant Amarik. When her eyes found her she put on a cheeky smirk.

"Lieutenant, try not to get killed, please." She uttered and winked at her.
Lt JG Sorek Morgan
[Show/Hide]
PO2 Kino Taer
[Show/Hide]

Re: CH06 Battle Log: Whomever Remains [D03|1410]

Reply #39
[ Lieutenant Amelya Rez | Deck 06 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Nesota Kynnovan  @Lathaniel  @BipSpoon

Chaos was very much still ensuing in the medical wing and Amelya's eyes looked up from Kino to assess the situation they were in. She had followed the stumbling frame of an woman she didn't quite recognize off the bat. A counselor that took the orders from one of valiant security officers that was taking the initiative to defend the med bay. Kino's question brought Rez's attention back on her.

The synthetic parts would undoubtedly complicate the procedure, yet Amelya shook her head and assured the fellow Trill "It'll be more work, but it should work. If not, at least we'd have given the symbiote every chance it had to survive." she answered her. Amelya wasn't a big fan of surgery mid ship combat, the ship to ship damage a treacherous variable to keep into account when performing surgery. She rounded up a few nurses to prep the surgical suite and let Kino say her final words before she moved the biobed towards the suite.

"You focus on staying with us too petty officer. You took quite a beating yourself. You'll need your energy for the transfer." she smiled down to the female Trill. Amelya's hair had been messed up a bit, with a bit of blood smears over her features and on her uniform. She look back over her shoulder and called out to the defenders "Try to give me as much time as you can. Thank you for defending us." her eyes moved away from them, seeing the injured others, those who hadn't survived the initial assault. It even went that far that some crewmembers had just been eviscerated by the brutal Klingon assault. It wouldn't exactly haunt the experienced doctor, though it pained her to know that these people were killed. This close to being helped before the barbaric assault.

Looking back at her patient, Rez smiled faintly and started to make decent progress towards the surgical suite as a nurse had placed Kaylon's body on another biobed and followed in suite.

Re: CH06 Battle Log: Whomever Remains [D03|1410]

Reply #40
[ Lieutenant Junior Grade Rem Kile | Secondary Computer Core Level 1 | Deck 06 | “The Sword” Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn:

Rem Kile crouched at the corner of the T-junction leading to the secondary computer core, his pulse phaser rifle raised and ready to fire. He had not expected to be in this situation four days ago but here he was, and he intended to do his duty, to keep Theurgy and her crew alive. Five more security personnel crouched in the corridor, knelt at either corner of the T-section, a prime choke point from which to defend against Klingon boarding parties.

Seventeen hours had passed since the Betazoid intel officer beamed aboard from IKS Kajunpak’t to greet his new captain. Seventeen hours ago the Klingons were his ally. They still were but like anything Klingon, things were complicated.

Chancellor Martok’s warriors bolstered their numbers, prepared to engage in close-quarters combat while their Starfleet cohorts provided fire support. The complication: other Klingons opposed to Martok’s rule stood to beam aboard at any time. Rem expected them to come ready to inflict maximum damage, maximum carnage. Their mission, to keep Theurgy from reaching their homeworld, Qo’noS at any cost. Rem steadied his footing as Vector 02, called “The Sword” rocked violently against a barrage of hostile weapons fire. The Betazoid heard an electrical hum followed immediately by a sizzling sound as 50cm of ablative armor boiled away. Internal lighting flickered, indicating a momentary lapse in power, which in turn left a momentary gap in the ship’s defensive shields.

[Intruder alert, deck six, section–!] the voice over the comm crackled as explosions rocked the deck in the distance. Phaser fire screamed incessantly as the team defending Engineering repelled hostile boarding parties.

[This is Engineer–!] Rem’s combadge chirped to life with a piercing screech of feedback as the sound of disruptor fire carried to the Betazoid’s ears as well as the comm channel. He gritted his teeth as he listened to the panicky male voice shout over the din.

[We need imm– backup! They’re– cut– us– pieces down here! Repeat–!] He did not repeat.

“Hold your positions,” Rem waved his team back when they climbed to their feet to help.

“If we lose engineering, it won’t matter what happens to the computer core–sir!” A young crewman hissed in helpless frustration.

Rem did not have to respond but doing so kept his subordinate occupied and in place. “The most likely scenario for intruders is to catch anyone rushing to defend engineering in a crossfire while a secondary team closes on the computer core. Ridge?”

The human OPS specialist shook his head. “They’re using proximity jammers, sir. I can’t read anything with internal sensors or my tricorder. Attempting to compensate.”

“We must advance and draw their fire away from Engineering!” one of Martok’s Klingons gripped his weapon impatiently. “Cover us!”

“Wait!” Rem hissed after them but the Klingons vanished around the corner, on the hunt for glory. A short time later the distinctive hiss of disruptor discharge drowned out the howls of the enraged and the dying. The air grew thick with acrid smoke and the sickeningly sweet smell of charred flesh, causing Rem’s eyes to water. He considered reaching out with his telepathic senses for a moment but decided quickly against it.

Too much pain, too much fear, too much chaos, he gritted his teeth and thought about the attackers. I know you’re coming but from where? He peeked around the corner and caught movement from out of the corner of one eye. One of his subordinates had crept forward to look in the other direction. He sought to be helpful but only succeeded in exposing himself to danger. Rem yanked the crewman back in time to see an intruder take aim.

“Sir, I’m getting something on the motion sensor–” Ridge looked up in time to see a pistol barrel leveled at him. His skull above his mandible vaporized in a brilliant green glow. The strike cauterized most of his exposed blood vessels save for the carotid artery, which burst with the force of a geyser, spraying the ceiling with blood before his corpse toppled over in a twitching heap.

The scene erupted instantly into chaos with shrieking weapons fire, a vomiting junior officer, shouts of determination, and Klingon curses. Rem heard a telltale clatter of metal against the bulkhead, looked back, and shouted, “Grenade!”

Those able sprang through the door into the computer core. Rem, along with others defending the corners launched into the corridor just as the grenade detonated. Fire engulfed everything for a terrifying instant. Rem blinked to his senses to find he lay on his back. His vision drew into focus in time to reveal a grinning Klingon looming overhead, batlh’etlh sword reared back for the killing blow.

The Betazoid acted without thinking. He swept up with his rifle in one hand, butted the emitter crystal against his opponent’s belly, and pulled the trigger. Academy instructors warned against using the heavy stun setting at point-blank range. They never said anything about skin contact. The energy discharge left a six-centimeter hole in the Mo’kai’s armor. The subsequent flash charbroiled his groin, his bladder, and his lower intestines but he did not have time to notice. The burst slammed him into the ceiling with enough force to snap his neck. Simultaneously, the rifle recoil struck a glancing blow against Rem’s ribcage and threatened to wrench his shoulder out of its socket. The Betazoid felt something crack inside. He gritted in pain, but he could not indulge in a moment to check his injury. Other intruders pushed into the junction spoiling for blood and revenge.

The dead Mo’kai warrior fell on top of Rem, incidentally providing cover against an incoming flurry of disruptor bolts. Once again Rem yanked his phaser rifle up and fired. His aim might never have won a trophy but at this range, it sufficed. The Betazoid pulled the trigger until he saw no one standing. All fell silent save for the blaring of the red alert klaxon and reports from distant weapons fire.

“Get up,” Rem spat at himself past trembling lips. “Get up, get up, now!

He scrambled back into the T-section as more Mo’kai surged into the passage. He rolled away with disruptor bolts scorching the deck at his back. Rem scrambled into the small office, locked the door, and to make sure it stayed shut, he slagged the manual override.

“Computer–Thea–raise the security force field on this door.” He received a warning chirp indicating a comm failure. He rapped his badge directly. “Computer, raise a security force field at the entrance to the secondary computer core, Deck Six.” He bit his lip as he received another warning chirp.

“Damn jamming field.” He looked over the office used for direct access to the core and considered his options.

The office consisted of a long, narrow walkway leading directly to a set of three workstations that accessed the computer core. A space to the right led approximately four meters to a curved convex bulkhead about ten meters across. A door set in the center of the curve entered the Deck Six stack of computer storage and processing.

Between the curved wall of the computer core and the hallway stood four columns, rectangular in shape, with dark glassine partitions between them. The columns housed security checkpoint sensors while the partitions contained the equipment necessary to drop forcefields. This was the final line of defense in the event unauthorized personnel sought access to the brains of the ship. Rem took note of defensive choke points as he approached the workstations.

“Sorry, Thea,” he shot out the workstation panels, filling the air with smoke and sparks. He turned to the two surviving members of his team, a young human male and a Benzite female. They appeared calm but gripped their rifles tightly.

“There is no security force field. The Klingons will cut through that door shortly. We have to hold this position. Klein,” he directed the human. “Take the lift in the core to Deck Nine. Once you’re outside of jamming range, update them about our situation. Bring help, we can’t let them take the core!”

“Yes, sir!” Klein vanished into the core while Rem faced the final crewman. “Detos, take position inside the core. I want you to shoot any Klingons who come through that door. Don’t hesitate even if they use living shields or take hostages.”

“Sir?” The blue-skinned alien breathed mist in shock.

“Crewman,” Rem gave her a look of grim purpose. “If the Klingons reach the core, they will destroy it. That will cripple the ship and allow a hostile power to seize control of the Klingon Empire. After that, if we survive, there will likely be war between the Empire and the Federation. Do you want to live in that world, crewman?”

“No, sir,” She hissed mist from her rebreather past clenched teeth. “I’ll do my best, sir.”

“I know you will, so take position.” He patted her on the shoulder as she departed as already, the Klingons were cutting through the outer door.

The Betazoid clenched his rifle at the enormity of the challenge facing him. Rem entered the central core and studied his environment. The inner core was a stacked cylinder four decks tall with walls of storage and processing banks. He saw a two-meter shaft in the center of the deck that plunged a full three decks before hitting bottom. A thin metal guardrail offered protection against falling in while a lift to the left of the entrance looked like it might fit four humans if they stood shoulder-to-shoulder. A two-meter walkway surrounded the central shaft, enabling access to the maintenance panels of the various computer stacks. Detos lay on her belly opposite from the entrance, her phaser rifle trained on the door. The guardrail offered no cover and there was nothing in the core to hide behind.

They didn’t build these things with firefights in mind. Rem sighed in resignation.

He panned his gaze across the luminous data stacks that encompassed the totality of Federation knowledge. They glowed in beautiful washes of blue light, pulsing with the demand for knowledge, eager to share. Rem took it in and it struck him how much like a living thing this wonder of technology was. Thea’s heart thrummed with strength and boundless compassion but the very light of her soul robbed her defenders of any shadows from which to protect her. That thought led him to brace suddenly.

“Detos, I recall that you work in OPS.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Can you bypass the jamming field from here and get a message out to the rest of the ship?”

She brightened, “I’ve never done it manually but it’s possible. I’d just need to–”

He cut her off with a wave. “Do it, and while you’re at it, see what you can do about dousing all of the lights in this section of the ship.”

“Sir–?” She saw his look and coughed, “yes, sir.”

“Work quickly, they’re almost through!”

______________________________________


A short while later, the outer door to the core exploded inward with devastating force. Disruptor bolts pierced the smoke immediately after, scarring the far wall of the office.

An imposing figure mantled in leather, armed and armored for war pushed inside with his pistol drawn. A mane of tightly beaded braids clacked about his shoulders. His dark, weathered face hinted at casual cruelty as he searched the vicinity for resistance. Satisfied for the moment, Skrel, son of Tavrad of House Mo’kai gestured to his warriors to enter, “place the second spatial charge directly inside the core. Let us see how well this Federation tug flies without a computer!”

“The core is beyond that door, joHwI’,” A warrior pointed.

“Where are the miserable toppa’pu’ defending this place!” Skrell demanded and the scanner officer shook his head.

“Their countermeasures are good. I’m not getting anything. Wait, something on the motion scanner–there!” He spun about and pointed in time for Rem to down him with a phaser bolt. The Klingon's scanning device clattered under the desk with another warrior scrambling to retrieve it. Skrel and two warriors rushed through the partitions to get a clear shot at Rem and triggered force fields, trapping them.

One down, four occupied, Rem counted as the remaining Klingons opened fire on his position. He ducked behind a partition and gritted his teeth as the lights were still on. “Detos!”

The ship lurched violently and without warning against pounding weapons fire, disrupting power and throwing everyone off their feet. They fell against the long bulkhead leading to the workstations with Rem now within line of sight of his opponents. “Shit!”

Gravity surged unexpectedly and Rem suddenly felt twice his weight. Klingons taking aim at him with their pistols shot the deck with muttered curses of surprise. Gravity failed completely after that but only for a second. Rem used that second to spring from his position back behind the safety of the partitions. He rolled into a crouch as the lighting blinked once, twice, and finally failed altogether, plunging their surroundings into pitch darkness.

Good girl, Detos!

Elsaria was a rogue planet devoid of a star. The only light natives knew came from molten lava at the bottom of planetary rifts. Though biologically Betazoid, Rem grew up on Elsaria from the time he was a year old. Darkness was his natural state and he put it to use against his opponents. He avoided blind shots fired by the Klingons and began picking them off with ease.

“<SCANNER! GET A FIX ON THAT DAMN FLEETER!!!>” Skrel howled in frustration. He did not know that the scanner lay in a corner under the body of an unconscious subordinate.

The battle ended in short order with only one intruder remaining, Skrel. Rem leveled his rifle to fire when lights snapped back on. Back in the core, Detos muttered a misty curse and jumped to the exposed panel where she had shorted them out earlier. “No, no, no!”

“<There you are, little glob fly!>” Skrel slapped the rifle from Rem’s hands, then bull-rushed the Betzoid back through the door into the central core. Detos sprang for her rifle only to watch in helpless horror as both men tipped over the guardrail and fell down the shaft.

“NO!” She lept to the guardrail and peered down, expecting the worst. She spied the Betazoid clinging to the stack two decks down. His foe lay broken and unmoving at the bottom. Reinforcements ascending on the lift stopped to help the Betazoid.

The battle in space continued to rage. In the meantime, Rem sat in one of the chairs at the workstation while a medic held a small, blinking tool pinched between her fingers. She waved the tool over Rem’s ribs as he offered a report to the officer in charge of the defense. After that crewmen, Detos and Klein stepped up with smiles of relief.

“You gave us quite a scare back there, sir. How did you do hang on to the wall like that?” Klein asked.

Rem lowered his arm and tested the pain in his rib, taking a moment to think about an answer. “I’m from Elsaria, climbing is natural for us. I’m good as long as there is something to hold.”

“I guess they don’t do much spelunking on Qo’noS.” Klein enjoyed a smile of cold satisfaction as he remembered the intruder that had fallen.

“I’m surprised he didn’t get back up.” Detos shuddered. “Klingons are resilient.”

“It’s enough that he survived.” Rem thanked the medic before turning back. “You both did well.”

“Until someone in OPS decided to turn the lights back on.” Detos huffed a misty breath in exasperation.

“It all worked out and now we have to get back to our positions.” The Klingons won’t give up and neither can we.”

“Sorry, but you’re going to sickbay.” The medic interrupted, giving Rem a stern look. “I patched that broken rib but it’s only temporary. You need better attention from a doctor.”

“But–”

“No, ‘buts’, Lieutenant.” the medic pointed. “Sickbay, now.”

The Betazoid climbed to his feet with a grumble of protest when Klein spoke up. “Sir, you shouldn’t go alone. There are still boarding parties on the loose.”

Rem’s lips drew to a thin line but the officer in charge overruled him before he uttered a word. “This point is secure. You two see the lieutenant to sickbay and double-time it back.”

“Yes, sir!” Detos and Klein fell in beside Rem.

“Once more into the breach, it seems.” The Benzite huffed with jaunty enthusiasm.

“So it seems,” Rem turned his gaze ahead, wondering what surprises the future might spring next.
"We are all leaves from the same tree whether green, yellow, red, or brown."

Re: CH06 Battle Log: Whomever Remains [D03|1410]

Reply #41
[PO2 Kino Taer | Deck 07 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @BipSpoon @Nesota Kynnovan @Nolan

[Show/Hide]

Resting her head on the bed, Kino tried hard to relax. With the adrenaline fading and her mind coming to a rest, she started to really feel waves of pain riding through her nervous system. As her gaze followed the appealing physique of her doctor, she could not help but wonder what the future had in store for her. Thing have changed so rapidly ever since she joined Starfleet. Every step she took, every experience she made, every enemy killed and friend lost have brought her to exactly this moment in her life. She suddenly realized that what was about to happen would be the most dramatic change in her life so far. Considering her history, that was a rather overwhelming epiphany.

I can do this! I have to and want to do this! She thought to herself, effectively calming down the chaos in her mind. This was no time to let fear reign one's decisions. And despite the fact that she knew that this was the right thing to do, she was also unable to come up with any sort of positive outcome of the path she was following before she saw Kaylon Jeen in this corridor. This path was paved with self-hatred, despair and an utter sensation of meaninglessness. No, this was a new chance, a new chance for her and a chance for Jeen to survive this horrible nightmare in which the Theurgy apparently was the protagonist. 

She was ready. Slowly closing her eyes she started to smile. An honest smile for once. The first in a very long time.
Lt JG Sorek Morgan
[Show/Hide]
PO2 Kino Taer
[Show/Hide]

Re: CH06 Battle Log: Whomever Remains [D03|1410]

Reply #42
[ Lieutenant Valyn Amarik | Deck 06 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Nolan @Nesota Kynnovan @Lathaniel
[Show/Hide]
Valyn stood nearly as still as a statue, only her head and upper body rotating every so often to do a quick sweep of the room. She held her body as tall as she could, and she clearly had the mind that she was the most experienced security officer in the room. As such, she pointed at an empty biobed and tapped another officer on the shoulder, “Cover behind that, cover your 11 O’clock to 5 O’clock.” She said nothing else as the officer gave her a nod and took position. Her eyes shifted from the security officer back over to the dispirited appearing counselor. “No you ain’t.”

She gave Amanda a once-over and sighed, “Keep it on you, maybe help with the wounded. Be ready to use it though.” She didn’t need someone on the front line of their defenses in her condition. Valyn had never been there, that had been beaten and manipulated out of her from a young age. She’d seen it plenty though. Even Romulan soldiers were susceptible to the shock of a battle.

She kept one ear as tuned in on the events of the symbiote procedure as she could, but the noise of the rest of the sickbay didn’t let her hear too terribly much. “I’ve faced worse than some Klingons.” She shot back at Kino, “Worry about yourself, I’ve got you covered.” She fired the wink back and turned her gaze back to the door, right as a blade of some sort slashed through the metal, and with it, the throaty call of a Klingon chant became audible. Seconds later, the blade was withdrawn and again plunged into the metal. She checked the side of her rifle and buried the stock in her shoulder, bracing herself to open fire.

She nodded, but didn’t look at the Doctor when she spoke. More time would be great, but Valyn wasn’t sure how much she could buy in their current state. “I’ll do my best. Try to be quick...quick but still…” She stopped talking and as an arm came through one of the metal cuts in the door, she shot it, the Klingon on the other side letting out a roar of agony. “Bet it does hurt…” She muttered under her breath, the doors slowly starting to wrench open. “Here they come, do not let them take this sickbay!” She shouted at the other security officers, sending several warning shots through one of the splits in the door.

Re: CH06 Battle Log: Whomever Remains [D03|1410]

Reply #43
[Lieutenant JG Amanda Ashby | Deck 06 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy]
Attn: @BipSpoon @Nolan @Lathaniel

Amanda wasn’t entirely sure if she was happy to hear that Lieutenant Amarik decided that she wasn’t ready for more action or if she was a little disappointed because she had to leave Security to fend for themselves. Deep down inside she knew that the Romulan Security Officer was very experienced though, experienced enough to notice when someone was more of a liability than actual help, and if the blonde-haired Psychiatrist had to be completely honest she wasn’t too sad about being told to hold down the fort; now the adrenalin, which had been keeping her going since that first encounter with that Klingon back in the hallway, was starting to wear off Amanda was beginning to feel the exhaustion.

Putting her phaser back in her holster again, Amanda nodded in reply. ”Understood ma’am.” As she spoke, Amanda's voice betrayed her adrenalin withdrawal and only further accentuated the meek look in her blue eyes. With that, the Martian Lieutenant Junior Grade slowly turned around and began to make her way back to the Medical Officer Duty Station where she’d left the lifeless body of Ensign Marija Ferik. Just slumping down near the chair and sleeping for hours and hours on end was definitely starting to sound intriguing, especially in the knowledge that Lieutenant Valyn Amarik was leading their defense. Over the past hour, which actually felt like days had passed, she had come to know Valyn as the kind of person who could get people through the worst situations the Galaxy could possibly throw at them; the kind of natural leader who could weather any storm.

In the doorway of the Medical Officer Duty Station Amanda turned around once more, listening how Valyn was rallying the other officers in their defense. Klingons were about to assault the Sickbay again but, as she leaned back against the wall and slowly slid down on her behind while listening to the phaser fire, Amanda closed her eyes and put her trust in the Romulan Security Officer. Valyn would definitely get them through everything the Klingons could possibly throw at them and, just for the sake of at least attempting to be of any help, Amanda knew she would be the last line of defense. All she needed was just five minutes of peace and quiet to regain her composure…

Re: CH06 Battle Log: Whomever Remains [D03|1410]

Reply #44
[PO2 Kino Taer | Deck 07 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @BipSpoon  @Nesota Kynnovan  @Nolan  @Auctor Lucan

[Show/Hide]

With the invasion still in progress and Battle Sickbay merely protected by a handful of crew members, Kino slowly slid away into unconsciousness. Her head getting heavier and heavier until she was completely gone. Thoughts that crossed her mind, unfocused, unsorted but kind. Pictures of Bremmer, of her family and friends, of dear comrades from the Dominion War. Feeling save despite the dangers all around her, knowing the Lieutenants had her back, her mind was starting to fade away.

Despite her decreasing consciousness, Kino faintly noticed voices in the distance. Voices which shouted something. Danger? Kino forced herself to come back, at least for a little while. She could still hear the rumbling and hissing of a ship in battle, but the voices - clearer now - proclaimed something different.

batlh Heghpu'DI' mIghwI'! tam!

Did she translate that correctly? She knew only little Klingon, but she was almost certain. But before she could think any further about what she had heard, another voice was audible.

"They're leaving! The Klingons are beaming off board..."

A soft, almost angelic smile crossed Kino's lips. The constant bombardement under which the Vector had suffered throughout the battle had stopped. Once again, they made it. Hoping that the same was true for the other Vectors, Kino relaxed and finally fell into a deep unconsciousness.

FIN


OOC: I hope this FIN suits all contributors. It was fun writing this and my sincerest thanks to everyone who made Kino's transplantation possible.

Lt JG Sorek Morgan
[Show/Hide]
PO2 Kino Taer
[Show/Hide]

 
Simple Audio Video Embedder