Star Trek: Theurgy

Topic: Ch 3 : The Hunt is On [ Day 1 | 1530+]

February 01, 2025, 07:49:34 PM

[Kelistina Kavat Droga | Hallway | Deck 04 | Vector 01 | “Helmet”]
ATTN: @Ellen Fitz  @Brutus @Stegro88  @Dumedion  @P.C. Haring  @JacenSoloDjo  @Juzzie  @GroundPetrel  @Nesota Kynnovan

Lights started flashing in the corridor and Kelistina ducked even lower than before. The weapon in her hand felt odd and she wasn’t sure she even knew how to use it. She kept herself hovering over the body that lay before her. She knew she couldn’t stay where she was but she wasn’t sure where she should be going. She stood up and moved to stand by the wall. She turned to her companion and pointed down the corridor, “We find more hurt?”

It wasn’t exactly what she really wanted to do, but if someone else was down here and was hurt she would forever feel guilty for at least not trying to help. She inched her way along the wall of the corridor trying to see what was ahead. She could hear something further along the corridor. She held the borrowed weapon in her hand, not at all certain she could even use it, but it was at least better than nothing.   
                    
Kelistina prayed to the gods of her ancestors and the spirits of her people for strength and wisdom. She was not a hunter, but that did not stop her from trying to protect the ones that saved her and let her stay on their ship.

She took a deep breathtaking a decision before looking at Ja-ya, “You call help. Arrive soon. Come, we find hurt, or we find evil ones.”

Re: Topic: Ch 3 : The Hunt is On [ Day 1 | 1530+]

Reply #1 – February 24, 2025, 12:20:23 AM

[Ensign Jaya Thorne | Hallway | Deck 04 | Vector 01]
[OOC: Tag: @Eirual @Brutus]

Ensign Jaya Thorne was not the kind of person who was easy to scare but, in this particular case, the Assistant Chief CONN Officer found it particularly difficult to stay calm. As her brown eyes scanned the dark hallway, which was periodically illuminated by the flickering lights just enough to mess up her night vision, the Denevan knew that they were at an incredible disadvantage; whoever (or whatever) was out there in the hallway was likely aware of their presence and had not only the defensive advantage but also the choice of when to engage them. Those were only the advantages Jaya could think of at that moment and only one glance at the deceased Lieutenant Commander Kai Akoni, whom had been a trained and highly decorated Security Officer, was enough to convince her that their enemy had plenty of other tricks which she couldn’t even think of. Every instinct Jaya possessed screamed at her to run, that she couldn’t possibly hope to succeed where the burly Chief Security Officer had failed, but she knew she couldn’t.

All it took was one look at Kelistina to realize that running away would mean abandoning the Zaroodian to her fate, and the only outcome would be that the red-skinned woman would get killed by whoever was out there. Jaya listened to the words of the woman and took a couple of deep breaths to regain her composure before nodding. If they were to stick together, at the very least they would be able to watch each other’s backs and stand a fighting chance. ”I already triggered the intruder alarm, so Security is en-route.” As she spoke, she lowered her voice to a mere whisper so only Kelistina would be able to hear it. ”Let’s go, we might find other people in need of help.”

With those words, Jaya began to sneak forward. While she was scared, the Denevan knew that they would stand a better chance if they were to keep moving; if they would stay near the body of Lieutenant Commander Akoni, they would only make themselves a stationary target and become much more vulnerable in the process. And thus, she slowly began to move, making sure not to make any noise in the process.

It would prove to be a good idea too because, if Jaya had moved at a regular or even slightly faster pace, she might have completely missed the flickering reflection in the corner of her eye. ”Kel!” While her voice was still a whisper, there was an urgency to it when she held up her hand and crouched down near the green blood that had drawn her attention. The blood was still fresh, slowly dripping down the hatch of the Jefferies Tube and reflecting the light of the hallway. ”Look, the blood is still fresh.”

The first thought that crossed the Denevan’s mind was that this could be an ambush, an elaborate attempt to get them to lower their guard, and Jaya’s brown eyes flashed around the dark hallway in a way that must have looked ridiculous and paranoid to Kelistina or any other onlookers. When nothing happened for several seconds however, Jaya took a deep breath to calm herself down and turned her attention to the hatch once more. It was one of the entrances to a vertical Jefferies Tube that ran all the way up to Deck 02 and the Assistant Chief CONN Officer had been about to disregard it and signal for Kelistina to keep moving when the thought struck her.

”Hey Kel…” When she spoke up once more, her voice was just a little louder than a mere whisper as she voiced her thoughts out loud. ”If someone triggers an intruder alert, all nearby Security Officers are sent to the location of the alert, right?” She turned her brown eyes to the other woman in the hopes that her thought process held water. ”Security Officers shift their priorities accordingly and zone in on the threat.” Jaya tried to remember if there was anything of value on the two decks above them. Due to security reasons, the Jefferies Tube didn’t run all the way to Deck 01 so whoever (or whatever) had killed Kai Akoni couldn’t be headed for the Main Bridge, and the only things of real value on the decks above was the Primary Computer Core.

And at that moment, Jaya realized. ”Kel!” As Jaya’s brown eyes widened out of sheer shock, she gestured towards the Jefferies Tube and spoke up on a normal volume; now knowing that the enemy wasn’t waiting to ambush them. ”It’s Thea. They are going after the Positronic AI Brain Core.” While speaking, Jaya stood up and began to insert her command codes into the access panel of the Jefferies Tube. It took her a while to open it, given how her own intruder alert had locked out the entrances to the Jefferies Tubes so any potential intruder wouldn’t be able to escape, and in the meantime she tried to convince Kelistina of her logic. ”Think about it, if they destroy the Positronic AI Brain Core, they’ll kill Thea and cripple the entire ship in the process. With Security scrambling to our location, the Core itself is vulnerable!”

Re: Topic: Ch 3 : The Hunt is On [ Day 1 | 1530+]

Reply #2 – May 02, 2025, 10:39:45 PM

[Kelistina Kavat Droga | Hallway | Deck 04 | Vector 01 | “Helmet”]
ATTN:  @Brutus @Nesota Kynnovan

Kelistina had no idea what the  female was talking about. She did not understand what a poz-e-ton-ik  a i brain was or who this Thea person was that would be killed, or even how that would hurt the ship they were on. All she knew was that someone was doing very bad things, and she was somehow caught in the middle of it. 

Looking down at the strange drops reflected in the flickering lights, she couldn’t quite understand what she was looking at. She had never seen blood the color of grass before, so she would take the word of her companion on what it was. All Kel knew was that someone was hurt, although she wanted to help, she wasn’t a healer. Or a fighter, for that matter. She was just a mechanic without a ship to fix anymore. Just a visitor with no other place to go.

When Ja-ya began to talk without her quiet voice she looked around cautiously, wondering if she was still talking to her or to someone else. Kelistina couldn’t even understand half of what the other woman was trying to explain. She guessed that Ja-ya was talking about the dark place she had opened.  Looking at the tunnel she frowned at how small it was. “We go in there? I no small to go in,” she said slowly, “but you think must be, I will try.”

She was certain she would get stuck inside the tunnel and never get out. She’d seen lots of the crew going into and coming out of these tunnels so she knew they had to go somewhere. “You know why more,” She said as she took a deep breath, “you tell other to help too.”

The Zaroodian stuck her head into the tube then looked back at Jaya, “I not have know where to go.” She stepped back, “I follow, not good you behind me I get stuck, yes?”

---

OOC: Sorry for taking so long and for the short post. Life has been throwing some heavy stuff at me lately. I will try to catch up.

Re: Topic: Ch 3 : The Hunt is On [ Day 1 | 1530+]

Reply #3 – June 13, 2025, 07:15:35 PM

[Lt. Enyd Madsen | Jeffries Tube Junction | Deck 4 | USS Theurgy] Attn: @Nesota Kynnovan  @Eirual

A muffled thud, followed by a flurry of motion, announced her entrance before Enyd even had a chance to speak. One boot slipped on a crossbeam, sending her tumbling forward with an undignified grunt as she landed squarely in view of Jaya and Kel. Her disheveled braid swung over one shoulder, a stubborn streak of conduit grease decorating her cheek.

“Don’t shoot,” Enyd coughed out, lifting one hand in half-hearted surrender while awkwardly regaining her footing. “Unless you really didn’t like my last diplomatic report.”

Her grin faded into urgency as she adjusted her posture, brushing herself off with a quick sweep of her palms. “I heard something earlier—crawling, shifting metal—back in one of the auxiliary tubes. Thought it might’ve been someone in distress or, worst case, sabotage. So I followed it. Got turned around just in time to hear about the frontal assault on Engineering over comms.”

She nodded toward the route ahead. “I was already heading that direction when I ran into, well… gravity.” A slight gesture to where she'd fallen. “I’m guessing you two heard something?”

Her gaze sharpened, scanning their expressions for unspoken tension. “I don’t think that attack on Engineering is the *real* problem. It feels too loud, too direct. My gut says it’s a distraction—something nastier is crawling its way in through these tubes.”

She unholstered her phaser, the gesture crisp and practiced, voice dropping slightly. “Suggest we stick together and keep our weapons ready. If I’m right, the next threat’s going to come from behind, not in front. Meaning the core itself is likely at risk.”

With a firm nod to Jaya and Kel, Enyd moved to take point beside them, expression grave despite the remnants of her earlier fall.

Re: Topic: Ch 3 : The Hunt is On [ Day 1 | 1530+]

Reply #4 – June 22, 2025, 07:56:02 PM

[Kelistina Kavat Droga | Hallway | Deck 04 | Vector 01 | “Helmet”]
ATTN:  @Brutus  @Nesota Kynnovan @Ellen

Kelistina Jumped back when something, or rather someone, tumbled out of the ladder tunnel and fell at their feet. Looking down at the female in confusion and fear at first. She recognized the female as one she had seen at the fancy party earlier and relaxed somewhat.

“Ja-ya said brain core target,” Kel said reaching out a hand to help Enyd to her feet, “You know what is it? I tell might get… stuck in tunnel. But I go too.” After Enyd was back on her feet Kel held out the phaser, “I not use this, you take?”

Considering that Kel wasn’t a Starfleet officer, it was unlikely the weapons would have even worked if she had fired it. “It from others not breathing now,”she said sadly, pointing back towards where they had found the murdered officers, “much saddness.” She finished slowly shaking her head before taking a deep breath.

She looked between Enyd and Jaya, “We go now?”

Re: Topic: Ch 3 : The Hunt is On [ Day 1 | 1530+]

Reply #5 – July 03, 2025, 10:27:10 PM

[Ensign Jaya Thorne | Hallway | Deck 04 | Vector 01]
[OOC: Tag: @Eirual @Brutus @Ellen Fitz]

As she listened to Kelistina, Jaya nodded in agreement. There was a serious language barrier and the Assistant Chief CONN Officer found herself struggling to understand the woman, but she clearly understood that Kelistina mentioned that she’d follow her. Before she could answer, Jaya suddenly heard a series of muffled thuds coming from the Jeffries Tube and she quite nearly jumped out of her skin when someone suddenly fell right through the hatch. The person landed in between her and Kelistina and it took the Denevan Ensign a good couple of seconds to realize that it was not just a Starfleet Officer, but a member of the Senior Staff.

Lieutenant Commander Madsen.

While Jaya didn’t know the woman personally, she had once overheard one of the Diplomatic Attache’s talk about the woman and tried to remember what the Caitian had mentioned. Jaya could recall that it had something to do with the new Chief Diplomatic Officer being overly aggressive and often preferring to fight her way out of tough situations instead of talking things through. Filling in the blanks on the spot, the Assistant Chief CONN Officer concluded that Lieutenant Commander Madsen was likely a former member of the Maquis who had turned to piracy before being recruited to Theurgy’s fight against the infected. It only caused Jaya to smirk; in this situation, she very much preferred someone who knew how to fight.

In the exchange that followed between the Chief Diplomatic Officer and Kelistina, where Lieutenant Commander Madsen mentioned a frontal attack on Engineering and how it was probably a distraction for something much bigger, Jaya’s respect for the former pirate only grew. It was no wonder that the Chief Diplomatic Officer had flourished in such a dangerous profession if she was always that sharp and quick to reach the right conclusions. When Kelistina asked if they should go now, Jaya reached out and took a hold of the phaser the woman had offered to Enyd. ”I’ll take it, don’t worry.” As she spoke, Jaya’s voice matched the friendly smirk on her face even though it was clear that she was in a rush; if anyone managed to reach the Positronic Brain Core, there was no saying how much damage they could do to the ship. Turning her attention to Enyd, Jaya presented her with a curt nod. ”I’ll take point, Commander.”

With those words, Jaya began to climb into the Jeffries Tube. ”Don’t worry Kel, it’s a tight squeeze but we’ll get you through!”

Re: Topic: Ch 3 : The Hunt is On [ Day 1 | 1530+]

Reply #6 – July 26, 2025, 12:17:09 AM

[Lt. V'reliss | Jeffries Tube Junction | Deck 04 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy] Attn: @Eirual @Nesota Kynnovan

Lt. V'reliss paused at the swirling cross-section of the Jeffries tube, his cloak of seniority dropped as he inched through the narrow maintenance conduit. The corridors ahead were silent—pressure vents clicking, distant emergency lights throbbing, and his pulse hammering in his Romulan-augmented ears. The strategically placed billet allowed him to slip unseen toward the ship's AI core.

At the juncture where three tunnels met in a triangular hub, he came face-to-face with an unexpected adversary: a Klingon officer—female, battle-hardened, eyes narrowed behind a crimson-lit visor. She carried disruptor grenades strapped to her gauntleted belt, and the tattoos along her jaw glinted with lethal promise. Neither spoke. Then, with a furious roar, she launched forward. His reaction was instant—Romulan precision versus Klingon ferocity. Their pulses clashed in the confined space; his knives at twilight, her cleaver flashing bright. Each strike sought two goals: kill the other, breach the AI core, and destroy Thea.

They fought as ghosts in the tube: the sound of steel clanking, sparks leaping off maintenance conduits, and the tremor of rigid plates under their scuffling boots. Neither wanted to stray—the mission demanded the AI’s destruction—but also to prove dominance. Ultimately, V'reliss found an opening—his wrist-blade slicing across her armored bicep. She staggered, growled—and for a moment their eyes locked. Without hesitation, he leapt forward, disengaging from the fight, but she pounced again. Their silhouettes blurred in the tunnel's dim red lines.

That was where he broke away—pressing forward on a narrow path toward the core, adrenaline coiled in his limbs. He glances back once: she lay slumped across a bulkhead grate, breathing ragged but alive—and seething with unresolved fury. V'reliss turned forward. Somewhere ahead lay the AI core entrance.

“Almost there…” he whispered under his breath, sliding deeper into the tube’s shadows. Thea was just ahead—its destruction within his grasp.

---

[Lt. Enyd Isolde Madsen | Jeffries Tube Junction | Deck 4 ]

This was not at all what she'd hoped to find herself doing after the failed diplomatic dinner, and yet here she was, side questing as was her habit. Jaya took point while Kel shifted to the back. She was indeed much larger, and the risk of getting stuck was likely legitimate, but at the same time, Enyd found herself thankful for the larger woman's presence. If they did encounter someone--and she had a hunch they would--she figured they'd need every edge they could get. Granted, what edge you could have in an enclosed space was debatable.

Re: Topic: Ch 3 : The Hunt is On [ Day 1 | 1530+]

Reply #7 – October 15, 2025, 06:27:38 PM

[Kelistina Kavat Droga | Hallway | Deck 04 | Vector 01 | “Helmet”]
ATTN:  @Brutus @Nesota Kynnovan @Ellen Fitz

Kelistina squeezed her arms and legs closer so she could fit inside the ladder tube. It was not comfortable at all and more than once she had to shift oddly just to climb and not end up contorted and trapped. Her ornately covered dress was also not very helpful and more than once she had to pull it from under her feet.  She heard sounds from inside the tube, echoing loudly. Clangs, growls and shouts. Most definitely the sound of a battle between a hunter and its prey.  She could only hope that she would be able to move enough to protect herself and her new friends if the hunter or its prey came for them.

By now the two other women, had moved with practiced ease in the confined space, were too far away for her to quietly speak to them. She also did not think speaking that loud would be safe for any of them. She held in the need to call out for them to wait for her, even as she kept looking back from whence they had come, expecting to see some predator coming for her.  When she finally came to the bottom of the ladder tunnel she saw the other two women. Around the space, red and green substances had spattered the walls.
Kel moved in closer, ducking in the small space and listening carefully. She turned her head, “The fight done,” she said, “what that way they go?” She asked as she unknowingly pointed in the direction of the core.