Star Trek: Theurgy

Star Trek: Theurgy | Season 1 => Episode 05: Courage is Fear | Part 2 => Topic started by: Auctor Lucan on July 24, 2018, 02:13:41 PM

Title: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [D05|0800]
Post by: Auctor Lucan on July 24, 2018, 02:13:41 PM

CHAPTER 01: BLOOD FOR BLOOD [ DAY 05 | 0800 hrs. ]


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“Security Log. Stardate 57553.5. As of this hour, the USS Allegiant has departed on a mission to find the Borg. Alpha shift has begun here on the Cayuga, and the officers still under my command - after the losses we suffered against the Borg and the Asurians - will in the majority aid Lieutenant Jeen and the Chief Engineer on the Theurgy. In the assault of the Asurians, the entirety of both the Warp-Trail Lounge and Sickbay were destroyed, along with the entire deck in-between. If they had progressed any further, the Asurians would have destroyed the Cayuga and themselves along with her.

Indeed, it seems they operate on a death-wish to avenge those they lost at Starbase 84, where the Theurgy - allegedly - betrayed them by retreating from the battle, making the Asurian fleet perish at the hands of Task Force Archeron and Admiral Sankolov. Apparently, Captain Ives had found allies in the Asurians, but because of the fallout at the starbase, their diplomatic relations have soured... to put it mildly. I have gathered that the Asurians - as a species - are few in numbers, and since they can regenerate from injuries and have a long life-span, they take the deaths of their kin seriously. More so than others species... Alternatively, they just operate by some code of honour, and never forget a slight. Perhaps its both. Either way, I have made sure the ten survivors from the four saucers are well-guarded, since there is no trusting a species that is suicidal in its hate for everything Starfleet.

With most systems on the Cayuga powered down, the stand-alone power source for the holding cells in the brig is still online, and we keep a close eye on them, so that the other Departments can get the Cayuga space-worthy again. I would have prefered to move them off to the Theurgy, but evidently, that Vector has no brig. As for the officers from the Theurgy... I'd rather not have them aboard personally, but my orders are clear in how I must cooperate with these traitors... or untrustworthy allies.”

― Lieutenant Winter Bannin, Chief of Security, the USS Cayuga

[ Lieutenant Winter Bannin (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Winter_Bannin) | Security Center | Brig | USS Cayuga ]
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After she finished her log, Winter left her office and stepped out into the eerily dark security center, seeing the figures of some of her officers working at their consoles. Aside from some emergency lighting along the edges of the bulkheads, only the LCARS screen lit their faces. The first patrols have already left the centre, and Winter was about to schedule a meeting with Captain Ziegler, but she wanted to make her own rounds first. Almost like a Medical officer, she meant to check on those under her care... only hers were no patients. They could even heal on their own.

She stepped into the Brig, and greeted Chief Petty Officer Nilsson - the blond woman turning to her before she spoke. The story between her and Nina was... not according to regulations. It was a new development because of the Cayuga being adrift, and the Scandinavian woman had been a welcome distraction. Perhaps more than a distraction, given the talks they'd shared long into the nights. "Anything to report?" she asked with a small smile, folding her hands behind her back and stepping out in front of the four holding cells.

"No, Ma'am," said Nina Nilsson, a stickler to protocol whilst on duty, a smile barely seen since they weren't alone. She had her pulse phase pistol at her hip as she stepped away from her duty station. "They have been as noisy and unsavoury as before. If we had more holding cells, I would have liked to separate them entirely, since some of them have been... very open with how they passed the time. They are not very modest, Ma'am."

Nor were you last night, Winter decided against saying openly, and shook her head slowly. This, earning her a few leers from the prisoners, some of them whipping their tails and one of them actually striking his horns against the forcefield. It was as if the noise echoed, strangely enough, and Winter turned her frown towards the door from which she had come from. Did that come from the outside?

"But besides that, it seems like they have resigned to their captivity for the time being," continued Nina, folding her arms below her chest, "Any new orders on what we should do with them, Lieutenant Bannin?"

"No..." said Winter quietly, still listening for that noise she'd heard, "but I will try to meet with the Captain before noon, to sug-"

Then, the lights flickered, and there was a loud sound from the deckhead - the shut-down noise of the single-purpose energy cells clearly heard. Winter's eyes widened, and she turned to Nina, to tell her to keep the Asurians in check. The forcefields were down, and Nina drew her pistol, raising it against the prisoners. Nina clearly had her wits about her, so Winter tapped her combadge instead. "Winter t-"

Then, it was as if someone had struck all the air out of her lungs. She couldn't get a word out. She looked down towards her combadge, but saw something protruding from her abdomen instead. It was a long, silvery arc of metal. It took her a few seconds to feel the pain, long after she heard the bloodcurdling cry from Nina. "No! Winter!"

When the blade was yanked out of her torso, Winter lost her balance, and once she'd fallen to the deck, she saw another Asurian standing above her. That she was one of them was unmistakable, given the size of her horns. Besides the arm-blade she had stabbed her with, the Asurian woman was armed with a strange rifle. By this time, the other Asurians had leapt upon Nina, disarming her and shoving her down face-first into the deck plating. Winter tried to speak, but she could just gape like a fish. She could still move, which might mean she'd live. But the Asurian above her raised her blade anew...

"No!" cried Nina, horror in her eyes. "Don't kill her! Kill me instead! I'll do anything!"

This, made the Asurian stall her strike, and she turned her horns and her steely eyes towards the blonde woman on the deck.

"Is that so?" she said quietly, and the Asurian's seeing an opportunity sounded like another blade being drawn.

Breathing rapidly, Winter Bannin shook her head where she laid, her regrets about the breach and her affair with Nina mounting by the moment. Worst of all, the Cayuga was in no condition to handle a breakout from the brig.

[ Chief Marshall Akri Sitaio | Security Center | Brig | Deck 04 | USS Cayuga ]
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Since she had killed the few cravens in the area around the prison cells, Akri Sitaio could easily make it her own. The ten Asurians had, with aid from the oh, so helpful Human with the flaxen hair, already re-acquired their weapons from storage. Armed with graviton rifles and sindt blades strapped to their arms, along with Starfleet weapons they scavenged, it was time to deal orders.

Akri did so whilst standing above the two humans on the deck, them having been dragged out into the main area of the security center - both cut and tied. The redhaired one was evidently high in rank and even to be held for ransom, if it came to that.

"And so, the hunt for the craven... begins," she said, baring her teeth in a smile. This earned grins and laughter, some clanging their rifles and blades together. Akri continued. "You two, stay with me, the rest, hunt in pairs. Iege and Drara, you head for the bridge of this ship. Jisa and Ora-Sedra, you go to Engineering. Ramor and San-Teeg, you two find where the key officers live. Odo-Gah and Vara, you head for their shuttle bay, see what's available. All of you, kill quickly, quietly, and you'll get to kill more. Scout ahead, sabotage when you can, take key hostages if you get the opportunity, and bring them back here. Soon, we will extend our hunting grounds to the Theurgy itself, and claim their debt to us all in full... For Asuria!

"For Asuria!"

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OOC: There! Seven days of posting time in response to the above begins today! At this given point in time, 0800 hrs., let's have all PC characters on the Stallion aboard the Cayuga, helping out with the repairs. Exceptions would be anyone too injured to help out, and either Ejek or Stark. This, depending on preference, but if needed, I will decide between them. As for the conditions, the Cayuga have very, very limited power, most systems offline. Emergency lightening everywhere. Comm systems work most of the time, but internal sensors are offline along with any means to raise force-fields in the corridors. All such reserve power is devoted to the structural integrity fields that cover the gaping hull breaches around the ship, including the bridge.

Moreover, now we have an opening for Supplemental threads in Chapter 03, spanning from 1200 hrs. on Day 04 (directly after the battle) to 0800 hrs. on Day 05, where Chief Marshall Akri Sitaio releases her captured Asurians on the unsuspecting Cayuga. Which, incidentally, is also time the USS Allegiant disembark on its mission to find the Borg. The naming convention for such threads that belonging to Chapter 03 is still: CH03: S [DXX|YYYY] Insert Title. As for the mission on the Allegiant itself, it has its own thread, posted here (https://uss-theurgy.com/forum/index.php/topic,2409.0.html).

Here are those present on the Cayuga:
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Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Doc M. on July 26, 2018, 12:50:19 AM
[ William Robert O’Connell (http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/219/f/7/oconnel_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6n2x.png) | Transporter Room One | Deck 04 | USS Cayuga ]

Meanwhile, not far away in Transporter Room One on the same deck, Chief Petty Officer Benjamin Dover watched Chief Petty Officer M’our operate the transporter console.  Although both of their uniforms had gold collars, Dover was member of the Security department unlike the M’our who was assigned to Operations.  And he really didn’t keep an eye on the Caitian transporter chief so much as keep an eye on the transporter pad where a tall male Terran with dirty blond hair and a wide square face appeared in a shower of sparks. 

“Howdy, y’all, Master Chief Petty Officer William Robert O’Connell, requestin’ permission tuh come aboard,” the newcomer drawled as the hand that wasn’t clutching a tool kit rose in a friendly wave.  

“Granted,” Chief Dover smiled grimly.

O’Connell broke out into a grin as he stepped off the transporter and shook the Security Chief’s hand.  “Well what do you know, Ben Dover!  Ah ain’t seen yew since you passed the Chief’s exam!  Ain’t you a sight for sore eyes!  Ah’m sorry muh team’s late; they wuz up all night helpin’ th’ shipfitters patch up th’ hull…”

“Cut the ‘aw shucks’ routine Master Chief,” Chief Dover warned him.  “What the rut?”

“What the rut, what the rut?” O’Connell retorted.  “Could yuh be uh mite more specific there Chief?”

“I mean, where do you get off joining a ship full of traitors that have defected to the Romulans, O’Connell?” Dover asked.  “We all know what you did at Starbase 84.”

“Yeah we sent uh broadcast informin’ ever’ one with access tuh subspace communication thet Starfleet Command hez bin taken over by uh bunch uh intelligent parasites from another dimension,” O’Connell insisted.

“Have you actually seen that broadcast?” Chief Dover shook his head.  “That’s not what I saw.  I saw your captain declare himself an ally of the Romulan Empire.”

“Whut?  Are you pullin’ mah leg?” Billy Bob shook his head.  “That ain’t whut we broadcast, not by a long shot!”

“Are you sure Captain Ives hasn’t deceived you?” Dover asked.  “I was wondering how he could get an entire starship to defect; are you sure he didn’t just make up a story about Starfleet Command going bad?”

“Well iffin he did, he shore didn’t do it tuh join no Romulans!” O’Connell insisted.  “We stopped them Romulans from takin’ Black Opal!  The Romulans want tuh kill us jest ez much ez ever’ body else, Ah guarantee it!”

“Or maybe the deal went bad,” Dover shrugged.  “In any case, it sounds like you’re making friends all over.  Is your captain the reason why these Asurians attacked us?”

“Truth be told, Ah ain’t got no idea why they’re attackin’ us,” Billy Bob admitted.  “Ah jest cal’culated thet since everybody else is tryin’ tuh kill us they thought they’d jump tuh th’ front ah th’ line.  If yuh ask me Ah think it’s because th’ Savi don’t want no one known they exist since they revealed themselves tuh abduct our people fur Gawd knows whut.  O’ course Ah could, Ah say Ah just could be wrong…”

“And you’re probably wrong about Starfleet,” Dover informed him before stepping over to the door and gesturing for Billy Bob to follow.  The door hissed open and he went out into the corridor.  “Ever think of that?”

“Not hardly.  Hey Ben, where we goin’?” O’Connell asked as he caught up to him.  “The lift’s over thataway.  Where are yuh fixin’ on takin’ me?”

“To main security,” Dover replied as they went down the corridor.  “We’ve got to register that sidearm you’ve got hidden on your person if you want to keep it.  You know there are regs that state that sidearms are only to be passed out to non-security enlisted men during times of war.”

O’Connell blushed.  It was impossible to keep anything hidden from your doctor or your transporter operator.  “Well fur th’ last six months we’ve bin at war,” O’Connell retorted.  “Level with me Dover.  Yew ain’t jest takin’ me t’ th’ brig are yuh?”

“Not until you fix the EPS conduit,” Dover smiled.  “Not much use locking you up until then.  But you need to take your phaser to security if you want it reactivated.”

“What the?  Reactivated?” Billy Bob protested as they passed the doors to the holodeck.  “Now why in Sam Hill would Ah need muh phaser reactivated?” he asked as he extracted a small handheld device that looked more like an electronic razor than a particle beam weapon from a hidden pocket in back of his uniform.

“You’re sailing a pirate ship,” Dover shrugged.  “When M’our detected a powered phaser on your person I had him disable it before rematerializing you.”

“If Ah wanted tuh sabotage yer ship you know Ah got plenty o’ tools in this here toolkit don’t ‘cha?” Billy Bob snorted.  “What in blazes, Ah say what in blazes am Ah supposed t’ do iffen we git another Asurian boarding party?  Ah swear yore as fidgety as a bubble dancer with a slow leak!”

“Well you don’t have to worry about the last ones,” Dover assured him.  “We got them locked up tight and as long as they don’t send a rescue party...”

They turned a corner and saw the entrance the security center and froze in place as they saw pairs of heavily armed Asurians emerge from the doorway clutching their graviton rifles as if they were performing a combat drill.

“My God; they took the armory!” Dover gasped.

“Run you fool!”  Billy Bob cried.  “They's seen us!” 

They turned the corner just as the Asurians discharged their weapons.

“Activate the security forcefields!”  Billy Bob ordered as the legged it down the corridor.

“We can’t!” Dover exclaimed.   “They’re inoperative!  They won’t go back online until you repair the EPS conduit!”

“Why ain’t the alarms goin’ off?”  Billy asked as they ran past the holodeck doors.  “They discharged their energy weapons didn’t they?” 

“Internal sensors are down on at least six decks!” Dover informed him.  “They won’t go back online until…”

“…Ah repair the EPS conduit!” Billy finished.  “Ah got it!  Thanks.  Please tell me that internal communications ain’t out!” he begged as they entered the transporter room.

“What is going on?” asked the Caitan transporter chief.

Billy Bob pushed him aside and operated the controls.  “We got Asurians comin’ tuh kill us so yuh better git yer tail on that transporter pad if yuh ain’t fixin’ tuh git kilt!”

“I’ll hold them off!” Dover shouted from the doorway.  He fired out into the hall and ducked back inside as they fired back.

“Okay, let’s go!” O’Connell shouted as he left the console and ran up to the transporter pad where M’our was already standing.  “Come on Ben!  We gotta git th’ hell outta Dodge!”

Ben Dover was hit by a shot that pulled him out of the doorway and into the hall.  All that was left in view was the pistol shaped phaser the security chief had been using to hold them back.

“Ben!” O’Connell cried as his vision was filled with sparks and the quiet hum of the transporter grew louder.
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Arista on July 28, 2018, 09:59:30 PM
[ Captain Anya Ziegler (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Anya_Ziegler) | Ready Room | Deck 01 | USS Cayuga ] @Brutus @Auctor Lucan @Doc M. @FollowTomorrow , Anyone else 
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Anya Ziegler watched from the viewport in her ready room. Carefully, she studied Theurgy with a small frown crinkling her brow. Waiting. That was all she ever seemed to do these days – wait. With a hand holding her balance against the frame, she brought her face close to the transparent aluminium in the vain hope that would help her see. For the last five minutes she had stood in silence, watching and waiting, until she finally saw it. Slowly moving out from the underside of Theurgy herself; A small black blob against the blue of the azure nebula. The Allegiant.

It was very likely she had ordered half of her senior staff to their death. The burden of command, she reminded herself. Still, watching the small scout ship prepare to depart left a bitter taste in her mouth. Anya had lost so many already. Should she have left Stark to man the manta-class solely from Theurgy? The omnipresent doubts plagued her mind and Anya knew she needed to cast aside those niggles or else they would multiple endlessly. First though, she needed to say goodbye.

“Glückliche Reise.” Ziegler said quietly. She wanted to say more, a makeshift prayer to guide them home safely, but she knew doing so would betray herself. The captain had never been religious and now, to call upon some form of mystical force or deity to protect her crewmen seemed disloyal to her very self.

Carefully, Anya stepped back and took a deep breath, squaring her shoulder and resting her face. By the time she breathed out the doubts were cast back into the shadows from which they came. The decision was made. Time to deal with the consequences.

The ready room was a mess. It had been untidy before, with trinkets and various things knocked over from the battle with the Borg but now it was definitely a mess. The room itself had temporarily been a lounge for those who needed to refresh themselves while on bridge duty. It was useful, especially since it was the only replicator on the deck that worked following Bannin’s repairs.

Now though, the space took on its former guise. There was no need for it to be a recreational space as, along with most of the repairs that had been undertaken, the replicator was no longer in working condition. Ziegler was disappointed when she returned from Theurgy to find that, once again, it appeared raktajino was off the menu. The problem with luxury, she knew, was that you can become too accustomed to it. Too safe and reliant.

Turning away from the viewport, to avoid running the risk of just watching and waiting for the Allegiant to return, Anya looked back across the room. The damage, it seemed, was not limited to just the replicator but also the various books and knick-knacks that usually adorned her shelves. Everything was in disarray, books were toppled, and many items were either knocked over or missing.

“Just perfect.” She sighed, moving closer to the wall. The first things in her sights was standing her books again. Carefully, she stretched out her hand for one of her favourites – The Shadow of The Wind.

Like all good books, it brought back memories. She had found her first copy of Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s great work in a dusty second-hand bookshop, just off the main shopping district in her home town of Schaffhausen. Anya remembered so many things about that time. The smell of the store. The feeling of sitting up last into the night, hiding away in the bay window of her parent’s house, listening to the rain fall and falling in love with the words. Since then she had owned many copies and the latest was a hard-bound issue. The book had been acquired in Barcelona, on a vacation just before leaving for Starfleet Academy. For a joke, Anya had left her hotel on a knowingly fruitless attempt to find the Cemetery of Forgotten Books and instead found one of the finer parts of her collection.

Reaching out to set the leather-clad novel straight, Anya stepped forward and felt the crush of glass underfoot. Lifting her boot away, she discovered the shattered remnants of a photo frame. The completely clear frame was smashed beyond repair. Using the tip of her shoe, she brushed aside the broken pieces and with due care pulled the image from the wreckage. It was a young yellow collared Ensign Ziegler, fresh faced from the academy and keen to get to work. One of her colleagues had taken the photo, from inside a Jeffries tube junction service room. Ziegler had poked her head through the ceiling so that it looked as if she was climbing into the room via the ladder upside down. A long braid of dark hair hung behind her as the ensign beamed widely. Every time she saw the image, Anya couldn’t help but smile. Simpler times.

As much as Anya wanted to, she knew she couldn’t spend too long putting her ready room back together. Cayuga was still adrift and under emergency power. It was all hands for repairs and the captain wasn’t going to sit around and be idle, not when she could help. She had promised Jeen that she would look into a couple of items from the long list of repairs that were needed. Placing the photograph down onto the cool metal of her desk, Anya picked up a waiting toolkit and stepped out onto the bridge.

[ Captain Anya Ziegler (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Anya_Ziegler) | Bridge | Deck 01 | USS Cayuga ]

The bridge itself was a small hub of activity. Various officers, both of Cayuga and Theurgy worked at different stations, co-ordinating or conducting repairs. One such engineer was currently scanning a large spool of illuminated cable resting on the captain’s chair. The length of coil circled the command seat numerous times before rising vertically into an open panel in the ceiling. Upon seeing the captain enter the bridge, the officer began to hastily pull the cabling aside.

“Oh, don’t worry.” Ziegler called with a smirk. “There’s a broken power convertor in the briefing room with my name on it.”

The unit itself was one of many that had blown when the EPS grid had overloaded. Ideally the plan was to replace all the converters before reactivating the conduit, assuming supplies held out, or Theurgy had spare.

Ziegler walked across the bridge in an effort not only to get out of the way, but to cause less distractions. Just as she was about to reach the doors to the conference facility, she heard a voice shout for her.

“Captain!” Called Commander West from the security station. “We’re detecting an unscheduled transport.”

Turning back, Ziegler assessed her first officer with a raised eyebrow. That was odd. Power aboard the ship was limited and as such, things had to happen to a tightly controlled timetable. It had been a logistical nightmare to organise. Certain parts of the ship were unpowered to allow repairs on others and everyone knew that doing something out of turn could overload the system. “Do we know where they’ve beamed to?”

“Internal sensors are still down, but I can tell you that they beamed out from transporter room one to somewhere else aboard Cayuga.” West frowned as he pushed a few more controls on his console. “I’m sorry captain, that’s all I can tell you.”
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Brutus on July 30, 2018, 06:21:36 PM
[Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark, Captain | Sickbay| Vector 03 | USS Theurgy 01 ]Attn: @Arista @Auctor Lucan @Doc M. @FollowTomorrow  
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The other officers trailed out of the medical office - Even Captain Ziegler, for whom the meeting had been held there, in the CMO's office suite. Anya and Natalie shared a passing nod, everything that had been said, before the meeting still hanging in the air between them. Nat had to repress the urge to reach out and squeeze the other womans' arm. She may have been the Captain of the Stallion but Anya Ziegler still out ranked her. In front of other officers, from both ships, it would be entirely too inappropriate a gesture. The nod would have to suffice.

She turned herself to face Ejek, to pose a question to her XO, but then the other remaining member of the Theurgy's crew still in the room, Ensign Six, spoke up. Listening to the girls question, Natalie had to remind herself that Six was, after all, a very recent transfer to her ship. She had only had so much time to adjust. None of them really knew each other well (at least in that room - plenty of the officers on the ship had served together, either on the Theurgy proper, the old Harbinger, or the Resolve. Together, not so much). The Operations Chief and Commanding Officer pushed aside the dark thoughts of how many crews had been forced together, and the loss of life over the past few months, and instead focused on Ens. Six's predicament - and the clear desire of Ejek to speak up.

Seeing that her first officer had an opinion on the subject, Natalie gave a small nod to indicate that the counselor should take the lead. She crossed her arms under her bust as she listened, nodding where she felt appropriate. And while Natalie might have been perhaps slightly more sympathetic in tone, she didn't disagree with Ejek's assessment. Adding on, after the woman in teal finished, Natalie said softly,

"This mission's success comes down heavily on your shoulders, Ensign. It is an opportunity to rise to the occasion, but it is also a burden to bear. We are counting on you, and you must remember, you must internalize that you must remain constantly vigilant." Where she had not before placed a hand on Anya's shoulder, Natalie did so now, reaching out and squeezing Six's shoulder gently - repressing her own urge to shy away at the sight of the Borg implants that decorated the former drone's body. Not her fault she silently reminded herself. "I know you can meet this challenge, and I have faith that you will keep a calm head." It was what she would want to hear, if she were in the other woman's shoes.

[THE NEXT MORNING | DAY 05 | 0800 hrs.]

A new cup of freshly replicated coffee sat in front of Natalie Stark, on a small side table that was placed between the Captains and First Officer's chairs, on the 'battle bridge' of the Stallion. The empty first officers chair - which was one of the reasons Natalie was on the bridge, instead of the crammed Ready room that was provided to her. 

On the screen before her, the CO saw the floating hulk of the USS Cayuga, drifting gently in the swirls that was the Azure Nebula. It really does live up to its name she thought quietly. If this were any other situation....if the ship in front of me wasn't a wreck. If there weren't Borg in the nebula - Borg that I've just sent good people to investigate, and possibly ordered to their deaths. If we weren't being hunted down. If there wasn't a rendezvous to make...

That line of thinking was going to do her no good. Heavy was the head that wore the crown of command, heavy indeed. So sip your damn coffee and at least look like you know what you're doing. They all need that from you, Nat. Would it have helped her to know that, as the Allegiant slid away from view, that her thoughts mirrored Cpt. Ziegler's, on the sister ship floating in the murk?

Putting action to her thoughts, she picked up the mug and took a long sip. The aroma, as much as the flavor, helped relax her nerves. She took pleasure in the ritual, wishing only that she had access to the stock of personal beans she'd stashed away in her quarters on the other Vector. Though that was dwindling as well, and in truth she had not touched the sacred containers in weeks. Right now though, she would have dearly loved a cup from her private stock, freshly ground, and hand brewed.

Setting the cup down (again) she picked up a PADD and scrolled through the data, listening to the quiet hum of the  bridge around her. If she were being honest with herself, moments like this - the beeping of the consoles and the soft whisperes of the bridge crew - left her with a smile teasing her lips. She liked it. When, she wondered, had that happened? Was she getting a taste for this? For Command? For all the panic and anxiety that it caused her, she was enjoying this feeling, of leading, and guiding.

What got replicated into that coffee? she asked herself, chuckling very softly. The data no the PADD wasn't funny though. It was a listing of damage reports from MCP O'Connell, on the status of the Stallion as well as a write up from Lt. Jeen that had been forwarded to her from the Cayuga. Lastly, there was an appended file from Lt. Ejek, her XO, with whom she had spoken briefly over breakfast. The Cardassian had forwarded a list of personnel that had been assigned to assist in repairs on the Cayuga, including the temporary executive officer herself. That had been a struggle of command duties for Natalie. She was an Ops officer by training and choice, and the desire to go over there, to help Cpt. Ziegler and her crew repair the wounded vessel was a strong one.

Not for the first time however, she thought back to Carrigan Trent, and the command course training he'd been assigning her. He'd taken an interest in developing the young Operations Chiefs leadership and command skill set, and that had come in handy during this trial by fire the brunette had been subjected to. She was still startled, days later, that he and Captain Ives had thought as highly of her as to leave her in command of a whole Vector. It hadn't crossed her mind that, of original Theurgy crew, she and Winn Cenn were the only officers of appreciable rank left. They'd not had enough time to properly assimilate the members from the Resolve into something approaching command status and a familiarity that would be acceptable to the whole crew, and there had been no surviving members of the Harbinger of truly suitable rank and expertise.

In that moment of longing, to get her hands dirty once more, her mind flashed back to when Cmdr. Trent had lectured her on the need to delegate, and allow her subordinates to do their job, while she did hers. In respect to running the Operations Department, that was to instruct and teach, but not micromanage. She needed to let her people do the work themselves, instead of doing it for them. She'd had mixed results - not too bad with A'vura, her new ACOps, but less so with Nator, the recently revived and abrasive Hermat under her command. Neither of the officers in question were with her on the Stallion at that current moment, and despite their differences, she wished them all well. Her responsibilities had blossomed greatly in the past few days, and as such, she just couldn't justify going over herself. Her collar might still be yellow, but for the moment, she was the Commanding Officer, the Captain of this Vector, this vessel.

She belonged on her ship, in command. It was what Trent would have done. And she was determined to live up to the trust he and Captain Ives had placed in her.



OOC: I wanted to do more with Nat from the bridge of the Stallion but there hasn't been anything from the Cayuga that I can tell, that would tip them off that something had gone wrong. Feel free to correct me if I've missed something that Conway would have picked up from the Ops station, @Auctor Lucan  and I'll update accordingly.
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: FollowTomorrow on July 30, 2018, 11:26:01 PM
[ Acting XO Lt. Zelosa Ejek | Bridge| U.S.S. Cayuga ] Attn: @Juzzie

Zelosa Ejek, acting XO of the Theurgy’s third vector, and the head counselor of the counseling department, a woman with great skill and finesse in handling the wounds a bio-bed couldn’t heal, a woman whose talents with people had earned her certain recognitions, was now leaned over a massive coil on the Cayuga’s bridge, peering into the horrid guts of the beastly starship, and wondering how in the entire galaxy did anyone expect her to be able to identify what was wrong with it. She could clearly see that it was a coil, but that was it, and she certainly could not start plugging things in and unplugging them without an engineer’s guidance. She also couldn’t admit that she could not do this, though. Everyone had to help with repairs. The mountain of work that had to be done was...monstrous. She narrowed her eyes at the mess of coil around the seat. Was this the mythical punishment of Sisyphus? Would she be condemned to cycling through every position on a starship except her own?

Truthfully, she had been of help aboard the ship. Her time management and scheduling went a long ways in the planning phase. Everyone had a place to be, a thing to do, and someone to report to. Perfect, organized, and efficient, the way she liked it.

But you couldn’t plan a starship back to full health. No amount of itineraries, rosters, and schedules would fill holes in the hull or repair broken conduits. Neither could she spend her whole day counseling the Cayuga’s crew, though she had many such appointments in her daily schedule. So Ejek also had to spend some of her day getting her hands dirty, doing things that were so far out of her expertise that they might as well put a targ in her position and it’d perform just as well.

Thankfully, her PADD’s alarm went off. She had a meeting to get to and could not spend any longer on the bridge, trying to help the team repair power converters.

To say this would be a ‘meeting’ would be a bit of an overstatement. Meetings took place in privacy, peace and quiet. There was no peace and quiet on the Cayuga and there wouldn’t be for quite a long time. In reality, this ‘meeting’ was more like a walk through the hallways with one Lieutenant Rhys Williams, and doubled as Ejek’s lunch break.

So she gathered herself up, smoothed out her skirt and hair, and began out the bridge towards counseling, where she would expect to find this Lieutanant Williams.


[ Acting XO Lt. Zelosa Ejek | Counseling Department| U.S.S. Cayuga ]

The walk from the bridge to counseling wasn’t long, per se, but it included a number of detours and climbing over things. When she finally arrived, she had to fix her hair and her clothes once more. She couldn’t stand a strand out of place or a wrinkle in her clothes, especially not before meeting someone new.

Even though she had no clue who this man—or woman-- was like, she would welcome the break from engineering work. They were to meet here and walk, because, as was immediately apparent, counseling had a few new windows and doors, courtesy of the Asurians. Or maybe the Borg. While she waited, she tried to guess who made which pile of destruction...
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: alphawiz on August 01, 2018, 12:45:07 AM
Lt Kaylon Jeen | Main Engineering | USS Cayuga

Kaylon ran his hand over his face and across the back of his neck, trying to either ease the tension, or wake up, or both.  For the last several hours, his eyes had started glazing over from status reports, and system readouts.  He sighed.  Even while building ships at the UP shipyards, he didn't recall there being this many.  But, he wasn't in charge of engineering then, and he hadn't been trying to RE-build a ship.  Everything was from scratch, neat, relatively clean, and there were all the resources that they needed. 

At least they had the replicator in his office back online.  The entire engineering department, and half the other crewers on that deck were dropping by regularly for coffee refills.  He'd had 4 cups in the past 5 hours himself.  He made a quick mental note to have someone make sure the lavatory facilities were kept in good working order.

More importantly, the report he'd just read stated that the industrial replicator was back online, so those status reports he was yet to receive would start looking better.  Not great probably, but better.

Tapping his combadge, he shared the news. "Engineering to Bridge.  We finally have some good news down here.  The industrial replicator is back online, so repairs should start progressing at a better pace now."

His attention diverted to a nearby panel, his eyebrows going up.  "Has anybody started working on rebuilding the port plasma injector yet?" he called out  "I'm seeing an energy flow here, that shouldn't be there otherwise!"

Sighing again, he headed that direction.  "Guess I'll be needing another cup of coffee" he muttered.
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Juzzie on August 02, 2018, 05:35:30 PM
[Lt. Rhys Williams|Counselling Department| U.S.S Cayuga] attn: @FollowTomorrow

Since returning from the Aerowing shuttle, Rhys felt like he had spent most of his time repairing things than actually doing his job. Repair teams were at full stretch, even with the additional help from the Theurgy things continued to drag on. So rather than exploring people’s problems he had been exploring Jeffries tubes, repairing a conduit, a manifold or a circuit. Before becoming a Counsellor Rhys had briefly been an operations officer, so he could certainly handle some of the low priority repairs himself. It was one less thing the repair crews had to do, and it meant he could try and get his department back in working order.

Though, ‘department’ was a slightly grandiose term, Rhys currently had one assistant a rather shell shocked Ensign named Shona. She was competent but at the moment was totally traumatised, so he had relieved her of duty for a few hours. There was nothing really she could do anyway, most of the crew were working ludicrous shifts as it was to get the Cayuga back to health so they had little time to pop in for Counselling sessions. Rhys had had to relieve a few crew who had been over working themselves, which had not exactly  won him many friends on the repair crews, but there was little else he could do. Counselling sessions were impromptu in what ever free space he could find.

Rhys crawled out of what felt like the hundredth time that day. He pressed a few controls on a near by wall panel, and the light circuits came on line illuminating his office. It was sad on sorry sight, many of his possessions and other items he had kept in here were gone. A huge metal beam was hanging down form the ceiling held up and made safe by some clamps until this part of the ship could be properly repaired. Much of the furniture was smashed or missing, and on the far side of the room was the culprit, a giant hole looking out into space like some awful gateway. However, he looked up at the lights at least they weren’t flickering and giving him a headache any more, you had to hold on to little victories sometimes.

He nodded to himself, now he would have enough time hopefully to get a shower and meet the counsellor from the other ship. He retrieved his PADD from the floor where he left it and saw the time. His smile retreated from his face and he went white. In his haste, to organise his time, he had forgotten to set  a reminder for the time of they were supposed to meet. In fact she was probably already outside in the corridor. He looked down at himself, he had removed his uniform jacket and stood looking rather grimy and sweaty. His treacherous mind conjured all sorts of scenarios, torturing him with images of this officer he head not met, looking at him with contempt. Complaints to the Captain, he had only just made senior grade Lieutenant and now in his minds eye he saw it all come crumbling down.

It of course never occurred to him that he was being ridiculous. This was just how Rhys though about things and himself. So it was this Rhys that confronted Ejek as he emerged from his shattered office. A tall young man with reddy blonde hair, wearing a uniform that made him look like he had lost a few battles with some tools. Rhys himself, saw a well dressed neat and tidy Cardassian woman. All he could think was ‘oh dear, she is going to hate me I know it.’

Rhys shyly offered his hand. “Ship’s Counselor Lt. Rhys Williams. I am assuming your are counsellor of the Theurgy.”He spoke in the slightly sing song accent of a Welshman. Then he noticed his hand was hardly clean either, so he coughed awkwardly and held his hands behind his back.
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Veridian on August 09, 2018, 12:38:49 AM
[Lt. Vanya|Science Lab| U.S.S Cayuga]

Vanya moved carefully around the wrecked laboratory.    During the attack, there was a fluctuation in the power distribution system, and the containment field around the emergency coolant had failed, condemning Ensign Hargreaves and Specialist Jacobs to an instant liquid death.  

She was used to death of course.   She had been trained in it in her old life, and had even come to terms when she had lost friends and associates in this one   But this was different   Vanya had been in command.   It was she who had agreed the rota, assigning Hargreaves and Jacobs to the science lab.    Her choice, even to keep the lab manned had condemned people to die   Jacobs father was a respected Admiral.   He would never see his son again because of Vanya.   Hargreaves was married to an up and coming writer.   She would never see her wife again because of the choices that Vanya had made.   Did she have the right?   Was analysing samples from the nebula really important at a time of red alert?   Could she not have recommended that they be beamed back?.  

She closed her eyes, she tried to let the logic of the situation come to the fore.   Nevertheless, these were her decisions   She tried to ignore the large holes that had been cut from the deck.   These had contained the last of their biomatter, the chemical reaction fusing a few grams of carbon to the deck that hadn’t been melted away. 

She looked at the damaged conduit.   In the absence of any meaningful remains, this was the symbol of her failure, the fact that she had let someone down.    She put her hand on the wrecked conduit, her hand wrapping around the burned casing.   An Engineering team would have normally methodically cut it out of the casing, and repaired the connectors, and installed a new one   Instead her fingers wrapped around the damaged cable, buckling it.   With a cry of rage she tugged it freeand threw it across the room  

Then the doors opened…
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Doc M. on August 09, 2018, 03:04:16 AM
[ William Robert O’Connell (http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/219/f/7/oconnel_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6n2x.png) | Main Engineering | Deck 17 | USS Cayuga ]

In the meantime, down on the lowest deck of the USS Cayuga Lieutenant Kaylon Jeen was in main engineering heading to the port plasma injector when two figures appeared in a shower of sparks and an almost inaudible electronic hum indicating that a transporter had been used.  The two figures wore Starfleet uniforms with gold collars adorned with rank insignias that indicated they were enlisted men, but Kaylon didn’t need look at their rank insignias to know who they were.  The shorter slimmer figure was a feline headed humanoid whose spots indicated that his ancestors had come from the Southern continent of Cait and was none other than Chief Petty Officer M’oar, who was supposed to be on Deck Four manning the only transporter room on the ship that still had power to function. 

The second figure was a tall burly Terran whose sandy hair and pale skin indicated his ancestors had hailed from a continent that was far from his home world’s equator.  His square face and slightly flattened nose was easily recognizable as the USS Theurgy’s Master Chief Petty Officer William Robert O’Connell, who was acting chief engineer of the third stardrive vector of the Theurgy.  Kaylon had met briefly with the outlaw engineer the day before to discuss where the master chief’s people could be utilized and just how many of these renegades they were letting aboard.  O’Connell and his team were supposed to be working on the primary EPS conduit in order to restore full power to at least six decks of the USS Cayuga, but it is was plain to see that those repairs might have to wait.

If the master chief’s facial features wasn’t enough to provide recognition, there was no mistaking that voice.  Master Chief O’Connell’s accent was as distinctive as a musical tune and his voice as a loud and obnoxious as a marching band.

“Lieutenant!” O’Connell shouted.  “Call th’ bridge!”

“M’oar to Security,” the Caitan transporter chief purred as he tapped his combadge.

“Chief, there ain’t nobody fit’ tuh answer yuh in Security,” Billy Bob scolded.  “The Asurians done took Security.  They took over Security an’ now got access tuh ev’ry weapon in yore amory!  Fur all we know, all of yer security people’s dead!”

“Master Chief, the transporter…” M’oar interjected.

“It shore saved our bacon didn’t it?” O’Connell nodded.  “But thur ain’t no time tuh pat ourselves on the back raight now.” he turned back to Kaylon.  “Sir, yuh gotta call th’ bridge and alert ‘em…”

“Master Chief, the transporter,” M’oar interrupted, “When we beamed out, did you set the security override so that they couldn’t use it?”

“O’ course Ah didn’t!” O’Connell snorted.  “How could Ah?  It ain’t mah ship!”  Billy Bob blinked stupidly as he registered what M’oar was asking.  He turned to stare at Kaylon with an expression of surprise, guilt, and horror.

“Then it’s worse than we thought,” M’oar declared as he stepped past O’Connell to address Kaylon.  “Sir, not only do they have access to all of our small arms, they have access to the only functioning transporter on the ship!”
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Auctor Lucan on August 09, 2018, 03:29:22 AM
[ Ensign Cir'Cie (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Cir%27Cie) | Science Labs | USS Cayuga ] @Veridian
[Show/Hide]
As a Botanist, Cir'Cie had been entirely out of her element when they had fought the Asurians, but since she knew of Captain Ziegler from the time before Commander Nerina, she had seen it prudent that the Cayuga was granted aid. Given their current predicament, gaining an ally was an efficient way of furthering the Theurgy's mission, despite how the ship was currently in perpetual MVAM mode until they made a rendezvous with the other Vectors.

As best as she might, she had taken on the role of Chief Science Officer on the Stallion, and in that capacity, she had hoped to aid the repairs of the Cayuga and the Theurgy both by having the few science officers that reported to her deployed to Lieutenant Kaylon Jeen and Master Chief O'Connell. Their basic knowledge in ship repairs, which she shared despite her primary field being botany, was prioritised over their knowledge in all their individual fields. Currently, äneither the Cayuga nor the Theurgy needed experts in biology, chemistry or robotics. They needed people who could use a hyperspanner and could follow instructions from present engineers.

Thus, with a hyperspanner in hand, she had worked diligently on the Cayuga the day before, but this morning, she had decided to seek out her counterpart on the Iroquois-class ship. She didn't know this highly unique officer, but since the day before, she had come to learn of her. A Romulan android, serving in Starfleet, and right then, even a Department Head. 'Unique' felt, to Cir'Cie, an inadequate word.

Having learned the location of Vanya, Ensign Cir'Cie stepped through the sliding doors of the science labs, and faced her.

This Android appeared perfectly Romulan, and there was plenty of emotion to her as well. The android seemed filled with rage, and if Cir'Cie wouldn't know the truth of it, she would have thought the other Chief Science Officer was of flesh and blood. "Pardon me. Are you Lieutenant Vanya?" she asked without emotional inflection to her syllables. "I am Ensign Cir'Cie of the Theurgy, acting as head of the Science department. Is there anything amiss?"

She had stepped into the ruined lab, but there seemed to be an echo to her steps. Frowning, Cir'Cie turned around...

...seeing two Asurians having followed her.

Despite the situation, Cir'Cie's eyes didn't widen, nor did she let out a scream. She faced the two Asurians, only backing away so that she was next to the android. The prisoners had escaped, spotted them, and now, they were trapped in a science lab together, barely having spoken before they were at the mercy of the two armed figures.

Then again, perhaps it was they who were at their mercy, since Cir'Cie didn't know Vanya's specifications...


OOC: More posts to come tomorrow! :)
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Auctor Lucan on August 09, 2018, 11:11:51 AM
[ Ramor & San-Teeg | Corridors | USS Cayuga ] Attn: @FollowTomorrow @Juzzie

Using the darkness to their advantage, Ramor and San-Teeg - two white and flaxen haired Asuian men - had used the Cayuga's transporter to their advantage. They now prowled the corridors of the Federation ship, moving quietly between the dimly lit intersections. They meant to reach what they believed to be the officers' quarters on the ship, to find hostages and bring them to the Chief Marshall. Of course, if they found more than they could conveniently bring to the holding cells, they would just have them slain, and hide their bodies. The darkness might help hide the blood.

They spotted two menial workers ahead, and as quietly as they might, they approached them. They were working on repairing a conduit in the wall, talking about the Theurgy coming to their rescue. Ramor and San-Teeg did not care. When they were close enough, they broke into a sprint. Their footfalls were heard, the workers turning around, but it was too late. The first one didn't even reach his combadge in time before Ramor's sindt opened him from shoulder to opposite hip. The second worker scrambled backwards, making animal mewls of fear, before San-Teeg rammed his arm-blade through her torso and lifted her clear from the deck plating. He looked into his prey's eyes whilst she hung suspended in the air, seeing the spark of life leaving her eyes with a small smile of contentment.

They pried the doors of a turbolift open, and deposited the bodies in the shaft before they moved on, the both of them festooned with human blood.

Before they could reach the area where they believed the officers had their habitat, they entered an area close to the destruction that their kinsmen had wrought upon the Cayuga. Adjacent to Sickbay was an office of some kind, and as they appeared in that corridor, they spotted two figures ahead of themselves. A humanoid that looked like a female snake... and another Human. Ramor and San-Teeg bared their teeth, approaching them as silently as they could, their eyes seeing the marks of rank upon their collars. These were not menial workers. Still, they might fight.

"I will claim the female lizard," said Ramor, and San-Teeg looked towards the flat-cheeked male with a grin.

The both of them rushed their prey as one - their tails whipping in their wake, and their horns about to slam into their quarries.

[ Jisa & Ora-Sedra | Engineering| USS Cayuga ] Attn: @Doc M. & @alphawiz

By the time the Chief Engineer of the Theurgy had finished speaking, Jisa and Ora-Sedra - two Asurian sisters with pale complexion - had beamed into the area adjacent to Engineering. They looked around, and Jisa smiled when she saw the corridor leading to the main area empty. She looked towards her sister. "You will enter through their maintenance tunnels, while I draw attention. Let the others take hostages. Here... we kill."

"For Asuria, sister," said Ora-Sedra, and raised her modified graviton rifle, complementary from the Savi but overclocked to her own preferences. She wore her sindt as well, but for this fight, she thought she might kill more cravens at a distance than in close quarters. "Let's make mother and father proud."

"Aye. We honour their memory today," said Jisa, and yanked a grate in the bulkhead open, quietly slipping into the tube that might lead her to a higher level. Behind her, Ora-Sedra powered up her rifle and strode through the main doors leading into Engineering, and she began firing immediately, a blood-curdling cry on her lips as her beams struck right through engineers in her sight.

She moved between covers after that bold entrance, for she meant to kill as many as possible before her sister appeared as well.

[ Iege & Drara | Bridge | USS Cayuga ] Attn: @Arista

Outside the Cayuga's bridge, Iege raked a hand through his short, white hair, and his light blue eyes sought Drara's, his lover since decades, and his companion in arms. She seemed joyful at the prospect of battle, smiling back at him, huddled as they were in the restroom close to the Bridge after their transport. Iege looked at Drara's body in her battle attire, bedecked with weapons, and he found himself wanting her.

"I know a way we can celebrate our kills," he told her.

"You always know how to celebrate, regardless the occasion," she answered with a mischievous smile.

"We celebrate well together," he said, raising his two graviton blasters where he sat crouched on the floor. "We always have."

"We always will," said Drara, her eyes as green as ever and her blonde braids reaching her waist. Her back-swept horns caught the light as she leaned in to kiss him. "For Asuria."

"For Asuria," said Iege, and rose to his full height. Side by side, they left the restroom, and found cravens guarding the bridge. Two of them, caught unawares, and Drara whipped the first one's head with her rifle, and the second one with her tail. Iege's two overhead strikes ended their lives, their blood spattering across the walls of the checkpoint. Drara checked the door leading to the bridge, and found it sealed. With a snarl, she raised her rifle, soon joined with Iege.

Together, they blasted the door with graviton beams until it collapsed. It took them ten seconds, no more, and then they were inside - the true battle beginning. Finally, they would avenge the death of their lost child. Yara-Tel had only been sixty years old when the cravens had her killed. In her memory, they cried out their rage - their sindts catching the light of their graviton beams.


OOC: There! Seven days of posting time in response to the above begins today! The current conditions: The Cayuga have very, very limited power, most systems offline. Emergency lightening everywhere. Comm systems work most of the time, but internal sensors are offline along with any means to raise force-fields in the corridors. All such reserve power is devoted to the structural integrity fields that cover the gaping hull breaches around the ship, including the bridge.

Again, we have an opening for Supplemental threads in Chapter 03, spanning from 1200 hrs. on Day 04 (directly after the battle) to 0800 hrs. on Day 05, where Chief Marshall Akri Sitaio releases her captured Asurians above. The naming convention for such threads that belong to Chapter 03 is still: CH03: S [DXX|YYYY]  Insert Title, and before the Asurians broke free, such threads can be made with members of the Scouting Mission too.

Here are those present on the Cayuga:
[Show/Hide]
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: FollowTomorrow on August 11, 2018, 03:09:55 AM
[ Acting XO Lt. Zelosa Ejek | Counseling Department| U.S.S. Cayuga ] @Juzzie

Lt. Rhys Williams was a young man, with features that the Cardassian did not find remarkable. That did not mean he was not a competent counselor, however, and she clung to the hope he would be at least her equal.
“I am the chief counselor and the acting executive officer of the Theurgy.” She responded, but did not shake his hand. It was messy. She didn’t like messy, but he couldn’t help it. No one could. She did not regard him with contempt or disgust. Her face was hard to read, and she was being polite and pleasant.
“I see your office is in poor condition.” She commented, with no particular venom in her voice. It was a statement of fact. “If you had renovations in mind, now’s an excellent time to submit them.” She allowed herself...a smile, and she gestured for him to walk with her. This would serve as a good way to take stock of the ship so far, and at the end of their walk they’d be in engineering, which was exactly where she had to be next. “I trust you’re enjoying counseling the EPS conduits back to functioning.” She teased, “If not, not to worry. I’m told the warp core needs some help as well. Perhaps we can medicate it back to health?” She used humor to put the man at ease--she didn't need to look at him to know he was stressed. Everyone was stressed. It would also give her a better idea of what kind of conversational partner he was...

“In all seriousness, counselor, how has your work been? I can only imagine how busy you are.” After all, they had just gone through a disaster. She was of the understanding that Lieutenant Rhys needed to speak to her on matters concerning counseling. That someone from the Cayuga trusted a Theurgy counselor enough to request her presence meant that maybe she could make a strategic ally out of him...

And then she was knocked to the ground, the wind knocked out of her lungs as some great force rammed into her back at full velocity. Her hand scrambled for her phaser, but Theurgy crew were not not to carry phasers around casually. There was nothing there for her to grab, and no way to run fast enough to get away from--Asurians, she saw, as she turned herself over to look.

Uh oh.
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Nolan on August 12, 2018, 02:18:04 PM
[ PO 2nd class Kythalie Benmual | Corridors | USS Cayuga ] Attn: @FollowTomorrow  @Juzzie @Auctor Lucan 

The head of the Betazoid petty officer throbbed as she grunted lightly, perhaps it was too soon to leave sickbay like the medical officer had told her, yet she looked and functioned properly on his tests. Which was reason enough for Kythalie to get herself discharged out of Sickbay after toying with the man's head a little. A very not so fair way to leave Sickbay, yet there were more injured people that needed attending.

Kythalie had managed to slip in a fresh security uniform though it proved to be a skirted version of the outfit. Not that she really minded as it did offer more flexibility near the groin and at the legs, plus the constricting feeling of the Starfleet pants was no longer an issue for her at this time. She had been delivered across the two ships by shuttle as it was transporting materials in order to aid on the repairs for Cayuga.

After returning on the ship she had been shocked by the damage Cayuga had taken by the initial Asurian assault. Parts of the ship that were fine before were damaged now and occasionally she'd find destroyed or fried conduits and panels in the corridors. The encounter with the unknown creatures being a feisty one as she remembered how a piece of deck plating had shifted and caused her to lose balance with her patrol partner. Her partner had broken his leg during the incident and as Kythalie had tried to help him, an overhanging panel had come lose and crashed down upon her head. All in all she was lucky that she didn't fracture her skull or neck because of it. A heavy concussion and some cuts and scrapes was all she suffered though she did lose consciousness which granted her a ride on the derelict Starfleet ship.

It all felt a bit weird to be honest as she was making her way to the security center. Lihting not properly working as there was trails of blood to be seen. It wasn't dry blood, which made her a bit suspicious yet not overly. In the meantime her thoughts went to the people on the Theurgy vector as they called it, all of them seemed kind and proper to Starfleet standards and she couldn't get why the entire fleet was out to get them. She had heard things about an infestation and parasites, yet it all really didn't make any sense. Plus a throbbing head ache wasn't exactly beneficial to these conspiracies or theories. With a sigh she passed the ruined Sickbay center of Cayuga before she heard voices emanating from the hallway leading up to the counselor's office. Hushed voices before she heard the sound of whips?

She slowed her pace and stuck to the wall as she crept closer and peeked past the corner to see two Asurians stride into the office where she recognized Lt Williams, the counselor about her ship. The heartrate accelerated and the throbbing pain became a rather pesky nuisance as she knew she had to act. She swallowed hard as her eyes were trained on the Asurians. Slowly she crouched closer as they had surprised the two officers, she wanted to reach for her phaser, yet realized she didn't have any on her after her stay at Sickbay. Contacting the security center would take too long. Kythalie swallowed as her black eyes followed the moves of the Asurians.

She found two pipes on the floor which were badly damaged causing them create pointy ragged ends at both sides. They would do for now as she had to neutralize the threat for the two officers. She could however feel the burning rage from the two horned figures as she managed to sneak up to the door. The time was now...

With a quick run up she lashed out planting one of the pipes into the upper arm of the Asurian closest to the Cardassian, the second pipe she held was planted in the shoulder of the same target. The pipes had penetrated the skin and probably were planted into some muscle tissue as Kythalie grabbed onto the graviton rifle of her pounced target. With a snap it came lose from him and she positioned herself in front of the Cardassian, shielding her partly from the threat. The rifle felt a bit weird in her hands, the design rather old fashioned while it did seem powered up and ready to fire. He raised the sights towards the Asurian standing at Rhys. Her eyes glancing over injured Asurian before focusing on the other threat still standing close to her counselor "Hope I'm not interrupting anything special here?" she asked with a sly grin on her face "Figured you could use a hand."
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Arista on August 15, 2018, 12:58:03 AM
[ Captain Anya Ziegler (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Anya_Ziegler) | Bridge | Deck 01 | USS Cayuga ] @Brutus @Auctor Lucan @Doc M. @FollowTomorrow @alphawiz @Juzzie  , Anyone else 
[Show/Hide]

“Ziegler to transporter room one.” The captain called, after pressing the combadge to her chest. When there was no reply, she repeated herself. “Transporter room one. Come in.”

Anya sighed loudly. Why was it that right at the moment you need it, the technology failed? The replicators, the sonic showers, the corridor lighting. All of it and more was on the blink, along with the internal communications system. Looking exasperated across to her close friend and confidant, Ziegler tried to understand what was going on. The only way they’d know for sure was to send someone down to find out. Before she could decide on who to send, there was another sharp trill alert tone from the security console.

“Captain, I’m reading at least three more unscheduled transports” Anders called out, hastily pressing controls trying to extract more information. “Again, they’re still within Cayuga but we don’t know where.”

By now the growing sense of dread had built into a noxious pain in the pit of her stomach. Something definitely wasn’t right. One person ahead of schedule could be understood, but multiple? No, there was more to this.

“Crewman, take security from outside and get to the transporter room.” She began, commanding the attention of the enlisted officer with their hands full of the illuminated cable hanging from the ceiling. Ziegler didn’t remember if they came from Theurgy or Cayuga, but it didn’t matter right now. She had to do something. “Your orders are to relieve the transport officer in charge. We can’t risk shorting out the system and losing all power.”

The crewman nodded and opened his mouth to reply but, before they could utter any words, the unmistakable sound of weapons fire came through muffled from the sealed door to the checkpoint.

“Arm yourselves!” West yelled, pushing himself back all the way against the wall. The door to the checkpoint was right next to the security console. Obviously, he intended he try to grapple the intruders when they finally broke through.

Elsewhere across the bridge, a moment of panic gathered amongst the crowd. Some officers froze in place, whereas others tried to hide behind what little cover there was. Ziegler moved, dropped the toolkit in her hands to the floor. Already her mind was moving father than she could keep up, but still, she moved to one of two weapons lockers on the bridge. They were built into the bulkheads, one either side. One by the Briefing room entrance, the other by the captain’s ready room. Hidden, but in plain sight. The panels wouldn’t open without a correct code being ended onto the slide doorbell like panel to the side.

Even with the captain’s command code entered, the panel was slow to respond. Rotating unhurriedly, inch by inch to reveal the type II phaser and type III rifle waiting for use. With no thought about catching her hand in the mechanism, Anya reached in to grab hand phaser and pulled it close. She knew she had hit the power buttons to raise the setting when pulling it free of its housing, but the captain didn’t really know the intensity she’d set. There was no more time to check as from behind, Ziegler could hear the sound of parting doors. In one action, she spun, twisting herself back towards to the relevant alcove and three short sharp shots hoping that, although basically blind firing, she would hit her mark.



OOC note:  Ziegler’s shot was on reflex and without really aiming. Lucan, I’ll let you decide if it hits and if so, the power setting she managed to get it to in the short timeframe.
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: alphawiz on August 15, 2018, 05:16:36 AM
Lt Kaylon Jeen | Main Engineering| USS Cayuga | @Auctor Lucan @Doc M. anybody else

It only took a couple of seconds for Kaylon's mind to shift gears after the crewmembers from the Theurgy transported into the engine room.  Slapping his combadge he spoke quickly "Engineering to Bridge.  Locking down the transporter, now!" Quickly moving over to the primary subsystems panel, he pulled up the transporter controls, and engaged the proper security protocols, taking the transporter offline to prevent further abuse by the Asurians

Technically he should have waited for the order to be issued, but if the Captain decided she didn't want the transporter shut down, it would only take 2 seconds to reactivate them.  Somehow he doubted that order would come.  Pulling up the repair status screen, he looked, hoping his team had pulled another miracle out of their hats.  They had.  Tapping the panel, he brought the newly repaired internal sensor array online.   It wasn't at 100%, but it would at least give Security some intel.

"Thanks for the warning!" Kaylon said over his shoulder.  "Bridge, we now have partial internal sensors online."

=============
OOC: Sorry for delay in posting.  Been away for a few days.  Doc, thanks for the heads up or I might have missed it.
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Doc M. on August 15, 2018, 07:01:35 AM
[ William Robert O’Connell (http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/219/f/7/oconnel_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6n2x.png) | Main Engineering | Deck 17 | USS Cayuga ] Atten: @Auctor Lucan & @alphawiz

"Thanks for the warning!" the Cayuga’s chief engineering officer called over his shoulder.   "Bridge, we now have partial internal sensors online."

“Aww,” Master Chief Billy Bob O’Connell drawled.  “T’weren’t nuthin’.” He pulled out his tiny mark I hand phaser that was nicknamed ‘the cricket’ and wagged it at shoulder level.  “Now how to Ah git this here phaser reactivated?  Ah done left mah toolkit on Deck Four an’ they done deactivated it when Ah wuz beamed aboard.  With security out, Ah reckon thet will be havin’ company down here toot sweet.  Th’ last thing Ah want iz ta end up facin’ th’ Asurians with only whut Gawd gave me.”

At that moment the doors leading to the main corridor opened and a female Asurian screamed her battle cry as she shot at every engineer in sight.  “For Asuria!” Ora-Sedra cried as bolts of energy discharged from her rifle.  “Death to the cowards!”

M’oar was hit by the first blast of her rifle and his body was sent flying… flying right into Billy Bob that is.  Before he knew it O’Connell was over four meters away and lying on his back.  M’oar’s lifeless body was laying only a meter away.  Fortunately, the Asurian shrew was shooting at everyone standing.  She would no doubt get around to shooting folks on the deck later.  Grunting in frustration, he rolled behind a work station.  It should provide some cover before she hunted for survivors. 

Experience aboard the Theurgy told him how this little incident would go.  He glanced over his shoulder to see a second set of doors and a pair of legs belonging to a warp technician that was frozen speechless at the spectacle of the scene before him.

“Git down yuh idgit,” he hissed to the youngster, “or Ah guarantee you’ll be missin’ a head!”

From behind the technician, a hatch opened and a second female Asurian slipped out of a Jeffries tube to slash at his neck with a strange blade that looked like that of a scythe that was attached to the wrist instead of a pole.  “Death to the craven!” Jisa cried as the young man’s head fell to the deck, followed by his twitching body.  “You shall pay for your crimes!”

Billy Bob darted forward and seized her legs, sending her down to the deck and causing the mark II pistol shaped phaser to clatter about while the hand that wasn’t holding her ungainly melee weapon instinctively when out to stop her fall.  O’Connell leapfrogged onto her back to keep her from slashing at him with her blade and tried to use his two hundred pounds (90.7 kg) to keep her flat on the deck and unable to injure him.  His hand clamped her wrist and searched for a release mechanism that would open the bracelet and actually make it possible for her to drop the damn thing.

He hadn’t counted on the horns on her head that nearly put his eye out or her tail that knocked him in the testicles hard enough to make him see stars.  Choosing an alternative, he gripped her horns with both hands and slammed her face into the deck.   “Now cut that out!” he shouted.  “Dagnabbit, why yuh so set on killin’ us in th’ first place?”
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: alphawiz on August 15, 2018, 04:04:48 PM
Lt Kaylon Jeen | Main Engineering | USS Cayuga | Attn @Doc M. @Auctor Lucan

Kaylon was about to tell O'Connell that he just needed the phaser's id number and he could reactivate it when the doors slid open and the Asurian came in shooting.  He saw two of his engineers go down.  Damn!  As if we weren't already shorthanded enough.   Quickly, he hit the deck behind the console where he was standing drawing his phaser and peering around the edge of the console at near floor level.  He was probably in the worst possible location to be able to get a bead on the firing Asurian.  The upshot was that he would have plenty of cover.

Thus far, the Asurian was going for low hanging fruit, shooting anybody she could see.  Tapping his combadge he said quietly, "Engineering to Security - Intruder Alert in Engineering." so as to not draw her attention, and fired his phaser, unfortunately missing.  Nearby, he heard O'Connell.  "Dagnabbit, why yuh so set on killin' us in th' first place?" as he was bashing the head of a second ramhead into the deck. 

He fired again, missing again.  This was definitely not his day, but what did he expect?  He was pretty much firing blind.  At least the engineering crew, that remained had taken cover, and were starting to return fire.  Unfortunately there wasn't a lot of firing that could be done.  One stray shot hitting the warp core and....BOOM.  No more worrying about people tripping over umbilicals in the corridor. 

He may not have been in a good firing position, but he wasn't helpless.  Sensors were working again, so...  "Computer!  Scan for any Starfleet Mark I phasers in Engineering, and reactivate!  Emergency Containment - Seal off engine core!  Authorization Jeen Delta two seven!"   That would seal the doors between them and the warp core, hopefully protecting some of the engineering crew in the process.  It would also make it safer to have a fire fight. 

Using the cover afforded him by his not being in direct line of sight, Kaylon tried to find a better firing position.
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Doc M. on August 16, 2018, 07:37:28 AM
[ William Robert O’Connell (http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/219/f/7/oconnel_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6n2x.png) | Main Engineering | Deck 17 | USS Cayuga ] Atten: @Auctor Lucan & @alphawiz

“Dagnabbit, why yuh so set on killin’ us in th’ first place?”

“You abandoned us and left us to die!” Jisa hissed as she brought her arm up behind her and slashed at O’Connell with her sindt .

O’Connell was forced to roll off of her.  He had almost lost an eye to her horns but would have lost a lot more of his head if he didn’t.  He got to his feet and jumped with an agility he didn’t know he had when she slashed at his legs. 

“Do you know how many of my people died when you fled like cowardly snerts?” Jisa sneered as she rose to her feet.

“Lady what are yuh talkin’ about?” he protested as he ducked and rolled backwards to avoid a horizontal slash that would have cut him in two.  Fleeing like a cowardly snert seemed like a good idea right now.  He started running away from Jisa but shots from Ora-Sedra’s gravity rifle made him stop, wave his arms in a comical fashion to maintain his balance and head right back to Jisa again. 

Jisa grunted a battlecry and slashed at him again, forcing the master chief to dive flat on the deck to escape dismemberment. 

“Look Ah don’t know whut you’ve bin tol’ about us, but as far as Ah know none of us ain’t never even heard of yuh!” he exclaimed as he backed away on his elbows in order to remain prone and keep her in sight.  “Nobody tol’ me we had some kinda alliance!”

“I grow weary of your excuses, coward!” Jisa sneered.  “Prepare to meet your heathen gods!”

It was then that Billy Bob heard the Cayuga’s chief engineer call out.  "Computer!  Scan for any Starfleet Mark I phasers in Engineering, and reactivate!  Emergency Containment - Seal off engine core!  Authorization Jeen Delta two seven!"

Billy Bob fumbled with the hidden pocket in the back of his uniform and pulled out his ‘cricket’.  The tiny hand phaser shot a beam of nadion particles that hit Jisa in the abdomen and sent her backwards into the bulkhead.  When she bounced off the wall and hit the deck, she was like a marionette without its strings.

Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Auctor Lucan on August 17, 2018, 11:20:59 AM
[ Ramor & San-Teeg | Corridors | USS Cayuga ] Attn: @FollowTomorrow @Juzzie @Nolan

After they had successfully pummelled the two officers to the deck plating with their horns, Ramor and San-Teeg had raised their sindts as one, ready to cut them if they tried to draw weapons against them. Yet as they stood above their downed prey, they found them both unarmed. For San-Teeg, it was almost a disappointment, how easily they had managed to acquire these high-ranking officers as hostages for the Chief Marshall.

"Cravens, you are coming with us," said Ramor, but then paused, tilting his head as he looked upon the female lizard. San-Teeg had seen that kind of look in his friend's eyes before, and saw that Ramor found the female very... proportionate. Apparently, by the way he began to suck air through his nostrils, Ramor wanted to claim her, right there in the corridor. San-Teeg, however, knew better than to linger in the open. For his own part, he wouldn't mind sampling the male at his feet. Only later.

"Save it," he said, curling his upper lip. "I am sure Akri will let us ha-"

Then, an assailant suddenly attacked Ramor, and San-Teeg snarled, seeing how his fellow Asurian was injured by another female's makeshift melee weapons. With great noise, and an agitated snarl, Ramor went down, and before San-Teeg had got his aim fixed on her, the female had Ramor's rifle in her hands. She did not fire against him, perhaps because he had his own rifle raised against her, but her actions had told him one thing.

She was a warrior, unlike the two cravens at their feet.

She spoke to him, granting him time to assess. He could not pull the trigger and shoot the rifle, since disrupting a graviton rifle had side-effects he mightn't escape. Having made his decision, the primal instincts of survival guiding him, San-Teeg grinned at the female. "Starfleet rules, about unarmed men? I suppose I should be fortunate, since I merely need to put this down." He spread his hands, pointing his rifle away from her. "If you had been Asurian, I would be dead already."

Having said this, he turned away from her, to place his rifle on the deck, next to the prone male. As he slowly leaned down, he spoke anew. "Ramor will rise to his feet, female warrior, and he will be angry. You should shoot him now, while you have a chance."

Indeed, Ramor was back at his feet, next to her, and he rolled his shoulders, knowing how the bulk of his body might intimidate the inferior female, letting her know how small she was, and that she no longer had the element of surprise.

"Yet I know you wait..." said San-Teeg, and his fingers left the grip of his rifle, "because your are just as craven as the rest!" Having turned away from the woman when he put his rifle down, San-Teeg whipped at her stolen rifle with his tail. After he had lashed at her with his tail, he completed the turn of his body, and let out a loud cry as he sought to strike her from below with his sindt. He hoped to impale her and lift her to the deckhead. Such was the force he laid behind his attack.

Meanwhile, Ramor came at her from the side, his sindt coming across at the height of her neck, meaning to behead her, if San-Teeg hadn't already skewered her.

[ Jisa & Ora-Sedra | Engineering | USS Cayuga ] Attn: @Doc M. & @alphawiz

Diving from cover to cover, Ora-Sedra meant to kill as many engineers as she could together with her sister. Her pale skin was already decorated with craven blood, and her bistre eyes sought new targets while she moved, hunting prey below the glow of the warp core. Someone had managed to aquire a weapon, shooting after her, but so far, he hadn't manage to hit her. She prided herself in being a quick huntress, and step by step, she was making her way around the area - heading towards the elusive shooter.

Yet when Ora-Sedra saw that Jisa had fallen, her eyes went wide...

...and her rising cry struck the walls of engineering. "For Asuria!"

She moved out of cover, bolder in letting her voice strike fear in two engineers that covered behind a console. She leapt on top of it, and her serrated sindt slashed down at them. Their screams ended in gurgling noises. With her teeth bared, her eyes were not on the victims below, but upon the shooter in the distance. Her free hand had her rifle pointing towards him, and her aquamarine beams were decimating the cover he hid behind - cutting it down around his ears. She dared him to come out of cover, yet did not wait for him.

Ora-Sedra made another leap, landing next to another engineer, who cried out and tried to crawl away from her cover. Ora-Sedra lashed out with her arm, and grabbed the waistband of the woman's uniform skirt, and yanked her back to where she'd been. With a snarl, she slid the long blade of her sindt underneath her jaw, letting the sharp metal edge rest against her porcelain neck. "What's your name, craven?"

"P-Patricia... Patricia H-Hallquist," whimpered the woman, staining to try and keep her neck away from the blade - pinned to the floor as she was with Ora-Sedra sitting on her back. The Asurian wasn't even looking down at her - her glare directed towards the last remaining engineers aside from her hostage. There were only two men left - the one that had shot Jisa and the elusive shooter. The rest had fled the area.

"I will release Hall-Qist," she called to the males-in-hiding, "if you drop your weapons... and surrender your lives to me. If you don't, you will hear how I cut her apart - piece by piece. I will begin now."

"No!" called Patricia, her screams louder this time, while Ora-Sedra moved her sindt - slipping it below her right arm.

"Show yourselves!" snarled Ora-Sedra, about to saw off the limb.

[ Iege & Drara | Bridge | USS Cayuga ] Attn: @Arista

When they had breached the doors to the bridge, the two Asurian mates found themselves assailed, which had been expected.

A Human male leapt upon Drara, likely thinking he'd overpower her, perhaps even use her as hostage to make Iege stand down. What the man with the red collar hadn't expected was Drara using his forward momentum against him, pivoting on the balls of her feet and throwing him across the carpeted deck of the bridge. At the end of her turn, she raised her rifle in one hand, and let two graviton beams slam straight through his torso - even burrowing into the deck plating below him. She never stopped moving, however, going for another kill with her sindt.

Iege found himself fired at from afar, a woman with a hand-phaser challenging him. Two beams had struck the bulkhead next to him, and he managed to catch the third against his sindt, the blade turning red-hot and crooked. Iege answered her in kind, however, his two graviton blasters raised against her and striking the distance with gravitational shear - parting or piercing anything he hit.

Regardless of his success, he could not linger on one target alone, his blue eyes settling on two officers that had frozen in place, who only then meant to flee - trying to run out of the bridge. He riddled the first with beams, making her fall apart, and then snarled as he stepped in, making a full turn before he cut the running, male officer in two at the waist with his burning-hot sindt. The ichor and blood sizzled on the crooked steel afterwards, when Iege rounded on the shooter in the distance again, meaning to make sure he'd killed her.

In the meantime, Drara beheaded another officer, and at this point, the remaining repair crew and officers were in panic, and there was no shortage of running cravens to kill. It seemed an inferior compensation for the loss of their daughter, but they had just begun...


OOC: @Veridian , I will post with Cir'Cie as soon as you post with Vanya. @Juzzie , please make sure you post soon in the Corridor scene, but I won't set a posting order, so @Nolan and @FollowTomorrow , go right ahead and post within 7 days. Again, there's seven days of posting time in response to the above scenes.

Once more, we have an opening for Supplemental threads in Chapter 03, spanning from 1200 hrs. on Day 04 (directly after the battle) to 0800 hrs. on Day 05, where Chief Marshall Akri Sitaio released her captured Asurians. The naming convention for such threads that belong to Chapter 03 is still: CH03: S [DXX|YYYY] Insert Title, and before the Asurians broke free, such threads can be made with members of the Scouting Mission too.

Here are those present on the Cayuga:
[Show/Hide]
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: FollowTomorrow on August 19, 2018, 07:14:20 PM
[ Acting XO Lt. Zelosa Ejek | Corridors | USS Cayuga ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Juzzie @Nolan

They wanted hostages, not bodies. It was a blessing too—as a hostage Ejek had a better chance of living, maybe even talking her way out of the situation than she did as a dead body. The Asurian above her seemed to be...distracted to say the least, so there were a dozen very easy ways out of this situation that came up almost right away. Her mind was busy cooking up ideas…

When suddenly, she didn’t have to anymore. The male Asurian was off of her, so she jumped to her feet. She wanted to run, hide away. There was plenty of debris all over this hallway to do so with, but she couldn’t make herself do it. The PO versus two Asurians; she might not make it. How could she arm herself, if she didn’t know the codes to open any of the weapons lockers?

Someone else near her did though. She went to Rhys to pull him to his feet, none too gently.
“Lieutenant, open up one of the weapons lockers, now!” She shoved him off of her and thumped her combadge, praying that this time, communications would work.
“This is XO Ejek, I need a security presence outside counseling, deck 04! Two armed Asurians--” But her voice dropped when she saw both of them go after the PO, thinking that she would meet her end for sure.
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Juzzie on August 19, 2018, 08:51:49 PM
[Lt. Rhys Williams|Corridors|USS Cayuga] @FollowTomorrow, @Auctor Lucan @Nolan

The conversation between Rhys and Ejek had been a pretty one sided affair. She had talked and he had stood there being his usual self. That self, was a ball of nervous energy, with a mind filled with every possible way this conversation could go wrong.  In a strange way it had almost came as a relief when the awkwardness had been interrupted by something crashing into him. Almost being the important word. The feeling of relief did no last past the searing pain in his head.

Rhys was a fit, and tall young man so whatever had hit him, hit him with tremendous force. So much so that his head smashed into the floor.  He heard a ringing in his ears, and warmth slowly rolled down his forehead. The next few seconds passed in a blur as Rhys was barely conscious, his head ached and he felt nausea rolling over him in waves.

However shortly after ward, he felt the heavy weight leave him he could hear words being spoken but could not make sense of them in his confused state. He attempted to lift himself off the floor his arm moving to his side and finding the rifle that had been left there by his assailant. Next thing he knew he felt hands dragging him to his feet. It was Ejek barking an order at him, her lips moved and he heard her voice but he was having difficulty making sense of the words. She wanted him to do something it seemed urgent, and she had pushed him away.

Then he saw them two Asurians bearing down on a young familiar looking Petty Officer. With the unfamiliar  weapon in his hands, Rhys acted on instinct. He dove for the nearest Asurian and brought down the rifle on its head with all his strength. He gave an angry yell “Rhyddid aiff â hi!” The ancient Welsh words reverberating around the ruined corridor. Anyone who knew Rhys would have been shocked by the sight of, the normally timid and mild mannered counsellor with blood covering his face using an alien rifle to attempt to bludgeon an Asurian. There was fire and anger in his eyes, but also a far a way look that showed he was not exactly with it at that moment in time either.
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Nolan on August 20, 2018, 12:04:52 PM
[ PO 2nd class Kythalie Benmual | Corridors | USS Cayuga ] Attn: @FollowTomorrow   @Juzzie  @Auctor Lucan

The Cardassian moved over to Rhys as the Asurians prepared their counter offensive seemingly. It pretty much vibed off their minds as one spoke. The action however of the Asurian she held at gun point spoke otherwise as he placed his rifle down on the floor, talking about Starfleet rules and unarmed foes. Kythalie's lips edged to a small grin as she nodded her head, keeping her weapon trained at the Asurian.

Her eyes followed the injured Asurian she had downed as it attempted to intimidate her. It partially worked as she took a step back and hissed "Don't you two move..." she warned, yet it was too late as the tail of the speaking Asurian lashed out to her rifle. yet years of training had taught her one thing. To never ever let your weapon go despite the force of it. She could feel her muscles and arms extend the impact as she held onto the graviton weapon. Her muscles already sore and probably more bruised now as the Asurians launched their assault. She could feel the anger and hate push up towards her as suddenly something weird happened.

The normal timid and often shy counselor of the Cayuga advanced forward with a war cry that Kythalie didn't understand. It almost sounded alien, as if the man was possessed by some sort of aggressive entity. He strode forward with the rifle San-Teeg had placed on the floor. Using it as a bludgeoning weapon instead of firing it, yet she couldn't really blame the man. Counselors weren't exactly expected to join mid fight with the discipline expected from security officers. His attack managed to give Kythalie the edge she needed to step back again and evade the attack of the sindt. Her attention turned to the already injured Asurian as he sought to strike her from the side, aiming for her neck.

Muscle training kicked in as she let herself drop down on her side, rifle aimed upwards as she could see the blade closing in. Her eyes switching to the target she lined her rifle up for before she squeezed the trigger. The weapon discharged as the graviton beam  spewed out of the weapon mound and connected to the Asurian. With a thud Kythalie fell on her side as she grunted, she looked over the hole she manufactured to Ramor. A hole in his neck as his flesh barely held his head on his torso, his sindt down on the floor as his forearm had been severed by the beam.

She rolled to her back and pushed herself into a seated position, taking an almost lotus position as she trained her weapon to San-Teeg's head "Enough!" she screamed "Stand down or have a hole in your fucking body that stretched from your head to your tail."
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: alphawiz on August 21, 2018, 09:59:57 PM
Lt Kaylon Jeen | Main Engineering | USS Cayuga |Attn : @Doc M.  @Auctor Lucan

The Asurian spoke. 

"I will release Hall-Qist, if you drop your weapons... and surrender your lives to me. If you don't, you will hear how I cut her apart - piece by piece. I will begin now."

Hallquist!  Damn.  I was hoping she'd be behind the containment door. Kaylon risked a quick check around the console.  There was no way he could get a clear shot.  Too many obstructions.  He was essentially helpless in this situation.

Unless...

Picking up his PADD, he pulled up the current status reports.  Scrolling down quickly he checked.  The security fields weren't repaired yet, neither were the other internal security measures in Engineering.  The priority was primary systems.  Well if they survived this, he'd have to talk to the captain about re-prioritizing.

He saw what he was looking for.  The secondary power coupling  was not repaired yet.  That was almost directly behind the Asurian.  A little to the left of her, actually.  If this worked, Hallquist could wind up with some plasma burns, but it beat being sliced to pieces and the Asurian should get the brunt of the explosion. 

Using his PADD, he interfaced with the main Engineering control system, and started to work.  Because everything was so crosswired right now, it would take about 30 seconds to re-reroute the power flow to it, and then about 15 seconds to build up enough to overload and explode.  Kaylon disabled the safety override, and activated the power flow transfer. 

Now, unless O'Connell had something up his sleeve, there would need to be about 45 seconds more than the brief time that she had given them before the blast hopefully took her out.  Kaylon needed to stall, somehow.

"How do we know you'll let her go?" he called out.

Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Doc M. on August 22, 2018, 12:42:11 AM
[ William Robert O’Connell (http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/219/f/7/oconnel_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6n2x.png) | Main Engineering | Deck 17 | USS Cayuga ] Atten: @Auctor Lucan & @alphawiz

"I will release Hall-Qist if you drop your weapons... and surrender your lives to me. If you don't, you will hear how I cut her apart - piece by piece. I will begin now."

“No!”

"Show yourselves!"


Billy Bob retorted by laughing out loud.  Maybe all of the causalities he had witnessed had desensitized him.  Maybe it was the stress.  Maybe it was because he personally didn’t know Patricia Hallquist.  Or maybe he was trying to distract a homicidal manic that was standing on the corner of Nothing to Lose and Something to Prove.

“How do we know you'll let her go?” Lieutenant Jeen called out.  Glancing in his direction, O’Connell saw the Trill engineer crouched behind a console madly working on a PADD.  He was trying something clever and technical and needed time to get it done.  He had started a conversation just to play for time, but he needed to concentrate on what he was doing.  That was okay.  Distraction was the master chief’s specialty.  Back when the Federation and the Klingon Empire had that little spat about what to do about the Cardassian government Billy Bob had kept a Klingon talking so long that the two stellar nations made peace and forged a new treaty in the meantime.

“Let me think now… You say thet you’ll murder someone you were fixin’ on killin’ anyways if we don’t show ourselves an' let yuh kill us?” he called out as he checked his phaser to make sure it was on the stun setting in case he had to shoot through the hostage to hit the Asurian.  “WELL now... that’s a mighty temptin’ offer.  Ah reckon we’ll jest have tuh deliberate on it fur a spell.  Tell yah whut, if yore so brave an’ we’re such cowards, why don’t we jest keep our weapons or are yuh too yellah t' tangle with someone who kin fight back?” he shouted, changing gears as it became painfully clear that Kaylon needed more time.  “It seems t’ me the only real coward in this here room is the lily-livered goat who’s too chicken tuh face someone who kin provide a challenge!” 

To Billy Bob’s way of thinking, Patricia Hallquist was a done duck anyways, and had only been taken hostage because of the remaining Asurian’s frustration on not finding another easy kill.  But if he could get the crazy cow’s attention away from her hostage and get her angry enough to get stupid, poor Patty just might have a chance to get out of this intact.  So he goaded Ora-Sedra, gambling that she might get angry enough to ignore her hostage instead of killing her.  Of course, she might get so angry she’d kill Petty Officer Hallquist immediately but since she was going to kill her anyway, Billy Bob was committed to his bad decision.

“But yew satyrs don't really fancy uh challenge do yuh?” he mocked.  “Ah heard tell thet you Asurians are cowards, born cowards!  Ev’ry last one uh yuh!  Y'all surrendered yer rights n’ liberties tuh the Savi ‘cause yew yellow-bellies wuz all too scairt tuh stick up fur yerselves!  I’ve known Ferengi with more gumption!  Yer all brave when yuh outnumber us, find us all wounded, ‘r got ol’ Uncle Savi fur backup, but deep down yer all jest a bunch' a scared li’l girls ain’t yuh now?”  He punctuated his contempt by making loud and obnoxious chicken noises.  They were out of time.  It was time to move.  If Patty wasn’t dead she soon would be.  Still making his chicken noises, he looked at Kaylon, gave the lieutenant three determined nods, and rolled out of cover firing his tiny phaser. 
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Veridian on August 26, 2018, 10:28:31 PM
| Science officer Vanya | Sciene Labs| USS Cayuga ] attn. @Auctor Lucan

An eternity of plans went through Vanya’s minds  While she couldn’t see any sign of energy weapons on the assialants, there was nevertheless a risk that she could be permanently deactivated if she took a step that was too rash.  She closed her eyes and took a silent inventory of the room that they were in.  Playing her memory from a few seconds ago, she realised that the bracket that had one held the blown power coupling in place was now hanging limply off the wall.  There was also a hand held fire extinguishing unit in the wall. 

Appraising the Vulcan for a fraction of a second, Vanya realised that she may be out of her element in this fight.  She couldn’t afford to rely in her fully in the fight.  She grabbed the Vulcan, reahing for the fire extinguishing unit and forcing it into her hand.  “Use it if you need to” she said  It was entirely up to her.  She could use it defensively by discharging it in the eyes of one of their assailants, or offensively as a blunt force object.    That was up to her.  Vanya ripped the buckled bracket from the wall and began to weild it like a weapon. 

By now, the two Asurans were upon her.  Vanya hit the first one with her weapon, hitting her opponent in the jaw causing him to stagger back for a second  She attempting to do the same thing for the second, but he was quicker, hitting her elbow with a hard thrust from his palm.  Vanya wached in horror as her arm bent backwards and the weapon fell from her damaged arm uselessly. 

Neverthless, though the approximation of pain was severe, it was fleeting.  Whether this was in order to simulate adrenaline, or because some higher function of her brain detected danger, Vanya wasn’t sure.  Either way she took advantage of the situation.  She dropped to her backside, feigning agony.  She pivoted, wrapping her legs around the right leg of her assailant.  Holding her breath, she squeezed her legs together, feeling a small amount of satisfaction at both the crack and scream.  Her victory was short lived, as possibly through chance more than judgement, her opponent fell on top of her.  Yet as he didn’t attempt to move or hurt her further, Vanya guessed that he had passed out  Which was fortunate, as her opponent now pinned her good left arm to the floor, while her right one hung limply at her side. 

She was about to call for aid, when the lights of the science lab were eclipsed by the first assailant, his mouth a bloody mess, and a look of anger in his eyes… 
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Auctor Lucan on August 28, 2018, 08:54:04 PM
[ Ensign Cir'Cie (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Cir%27Cie) | Science Labs | USS Cayuga ] @Veridian
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The two Asurians were as different from each other as they could possibly be - one large and one short and gaunt - Cir'Cie surmised, still calm and entirely passionless in her stare. She had been through quite enough on the Theurgy, so despite her relative youth, the control on her emotions remained secure. What almost broke her concentration was how the Romulan android next to her touched her, which she - as a Vulcan - was comfortable with. The next moment, however, she reckoned that the woman next to her was technically a machine, so she might as well have brushed her arm against a computer console.

Before the mountainous, stronger Asurian came forward, Cir'Cie was handed a fire suppression unit, before the Chief Science Officer of the Cayuga spun and tore a piece of the bulkhead away, swinging it at the colossal alien before he could reach them. A fight ensued, while Cir'Cie raised her chin and adjusted her grip on the makeshift weapon she'd been given. The Asurian did not get the chance to use his arm-blade against Vanya, but Cir'Cie heard him roar, and saw him put his entire weight behind an open-hand strike against Vanya's arm. Cir'Cie's eyes even widened for a moment when she saw the android's arm bending backwards by the brute force applied against her elbow.

Before she realised what had occured, the massive Asurian had crashed down unto Vanya. She'd managed to scissor his legs, hurting him, but he also managed to fall upon the long edge of his arm-blade. The metal endoskeleton of the android became a hard surface behind the back of the blade, and the ponderous weight of the Asurian landed right unto it. Cir'Cie slowly raised her eyes from the blood that poured out of the monstrous alien, only to meet the eyes of the smaller one.

He was no taller than five feet, gaunt and sinewy, and he hissed at Cir'Cie, producing a strange hand blaster from behind his back. He would have shot her, unless she hadn't pushed her thumb down on top the fire suppression unit. The white foam gushed straight into the Asurian's face, and his aim strayed. Cir'Cie felt the pain of the aquamarine beam across the top of her chest and shoulder, but it lasted only a moment. After that first shot, the alien's futile efforts to shoot Cir'Cie and Vanya were moot, for Cir'Cie never released the trigger of her emergency appliance. She stepped forward, the foam making the Asurian slip on the deck, and then, Cir'Cie spun around.

She was a botanist, not a fighter, but she knew centripetal force well enough. She applied it to her swing of the metal cylinder, having to use a vertical swing because of the close quarters, and struck the white-foamed Asurian underneath his jaw. He landed in the corridor, the strange blaster clattering against the deck.

"Are you in critical need of repair, Lieutenant?" she asked Vanya, calmly putting aside her 'weapon' and dragging the larger Asurian off the other officer.

[ Ramor & San-Teeg | Corridors | USS Cayuga ] Attn: @FollowTomorrow @Juzzie

San-Teeg had ended up on the floor, bleeding from his temple. He had never imagined the craven man on the floor to suddenly attack him. Where he had meant to open up the woman's torso with his brutal slice, the man had met San-Teeg's rising momentum with the end of the graviton rifle.

Next San-Teeg knew, he was being pelted with blows from the Human, until he had heard the unmistakable sound of the female firing Ramor's graviton rifle. He looked up in time to see Ramor fall apart, sliced up by the graviton beams, and the parts making wet sounds when landing on the deck of the corridor. The female had her in her sights next, shouting at him, and he supposed he was caught at a disadvantage.

Oh, he wanted to act on the rage of seeing is friend, Ramor, getting killed by a mere human, but he knew that if he acted immediately on his wish, he would meet the same fate. The male had stopped beating him, and San-Teeg put his hands on top of his hair and horns, breathing heavily. He glanced towards the lizard lady, gave the male a wary glance, then spoke with bitterness in his mouth.

"I surrender," he said quietly, his sindt still attached to his forearm, and at any given moment, he would use it to his advantage. For the time being, however, he ended up staring at Ramor's killer, and plotted what he would do to her as soon as soon as the opportunity presented itself.

[ Jisa & Ora-Sedra | Engineering| USS Cayuga ] Attn: @Doc M. & @alphawiz

Ora-Sedra suspected that the two remaining cravens were trying to fool her in some way, speaking as they were at length, asking her questions and taunting her. The human below her seemed as distraught as she was bored by the idleness - the adrenaline running high in her veins.

"Stop speaking, craven fools," she hissed in the end, not about to acknowledge what was said about her. To have the nerve to suggest that she was anything like them?

She made a decision, suspecting that the longer the remained still, the more clever her prey might become. Thus, she withdrew her sindt from below the human female's arm, and snarled into her ear. "Stand up, you'll be my shield, so that I can go say hi to your friends," she said, and grabbed a fistful of hair, pulling the human up and stepping out of her hiding place. She had Hol-Quist - or whatever her name was - in front of herself, and pointed with her rifle past the woman, aiming with her eyes from above the woman's shoulder.

"What's the matter?" she called, baring her teeth in a grin, "why aren't you sho-"

That's when the blast came.

The heatwave came first, and then the great concussion sent Ora-Sedra off her feet, tumbling forward and loosing her grip on the human. She was sent reeling forward, barely able to keep herself from falling, waving her arms to retain her balance. The moment seemed to stretch on in infinity, her eyes casting about while she stumbled forth, the pain across her back, the plasma burning in her hair, her tail helping her to balance her faltering steps, but in no condition to aim.

Her thought went to her parents, to Jisa, while the shockwave carried her forth.


OOC: Seven days of posting time in response to the above begins today! The current conditions: The Cayuga have very, very limited power, most systems offline. Emergency lightening everywhere. Comm systems work most of the time, but internal sensors are offline along with any means to raise force-fields in the corridors. All such reserve power is devoted to the structural integrity fields that cover the gaping hull breaches around the ship, including the bridge.

Again, we have an opening for Supplemental threads in Chapter 03, spanning from 1200 hrs. on Day 04 (directly after the battle) to 0800 hrs. on Day 05, where Chief Marshall Akri Sitaio releases her captured Asurians above. The naming convention for such threads that belong to Chapter 03 is still: CH03: S [DXX|YYYY] Insert Title, and before the Asurians broke free, such threads can be made with members of the Scouting Mission too.

Here are those present on the Cayuga:
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Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Arista on August 28, 2018, 10:18:48 PM
[ Captain Anya Ziegler (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Anya_Ziegler) | Bridge | Deck 01 | USS Cayuga ] @Brutus @Auctor Lucan @Doc M. @FollowTomorrow @alphawiz @Juzzie  , Anyone else 
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There were many things Anya Ziegler told herself she was prepared for. She had run through so many situations in her head. Following the Borg attack, she had secretly thought that aside from slowly freezing to death, she could survive anything.

That had changed on the bridge of the Cayuga. Anderson West, her xo, her best friend and her rock, was brutally murdered. She had seen the man wrestle a Klingon, yet the Asurian had tossed him aside like he was nothing.

Unable to move, Ziegler stared at the body. Willing him to move again. She didn’t even know if her shots had hit anything. In that moment she didn’t care.

It was only when she found herself crumbled to the deck did Anya find herself regaining her senses. Her mind tried to understand what had happened. How was she on the floor? When she tried to press down with her left elbow to lift herself up, she felt the pain. Looking down, there was a clear cut in the upper arm of her uniform and a blood was slowly spilling from the wound. She had been shot, she realised with a gasp. When had it been fired? She needed to get herself back on her feet, but not where she was in danger. Pushing with her feet, Ziegler scrambled back into the briefing room, the door closing with the tell-tale hiss behind her.

Leaning heavily against the bulkhead, Anya pressed the back of her head against the cool metal trying to will the tears to stop. She couldn’t tell what had caused them, the sight of Anders or the fact her wound was no longer numb. The hot wet feeling had changed to a burning sensation. Too many thoughts invaded her head. She needed to move. She needed to stop the bleeding. She needed to carry on. She needed to raise the alarm.

That was it.

Either unable or unwilling, Ziegler didn’t take her hand from the phaser, instead using the side of its head to press the combadge to her chest.

“Ziegler to Theurgy.” Anya began, taking a deep breath, trying to steady herself before continuing. “The Asurians have escaped. We need help. There are unknown casualties.”

While she talked, Ziegler readied her phaser, turning up the power to lethal settings. No longer could she allow this to go on. Beside the deck plating, she didn’t have much left. The Azure Nebula had taken everything else. She hated this place. The time to weep was later. She had to remain strong.

“The bridge is not secure. Repeat, the bridge is not secure.”

Ziegler didn’t sign off the communications. She wasn’t even sure if she closed the channel. She couldn’t wait any longer. The Asurians would be moving, enacting their diabolical plan. She knew she needed to move. Pulling in one last deep breath, Anya moved with speed.

Throwing herself towards the door, which dutifully parted, the captain landed with a thud into a prone position. She was prepared and easily lined up her shot. When Anya thumbed the fire button, she tried not to blink. She needed to see what happened next. She wanted to watch. This time she knew that, no matter what, she wouldn’t miss her mark.
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Doc M. on August 29, 2018, 01:58:10 AM
[ William Robert O’Connell (http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/219/f/7/oconnel_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6n2x.png) | Main Engineering | Deck 17 | USS Cayuga ] Atten: @Auctor Lucan & @alphawiz

Throwing caution to the wind, Billy Bob O’Connell rolled out of cover and fired his tiny palm sized mark one phaser.  An explosion from behind and a little to the left of the Asurian and her hostage sent them flying a good three or four meters.

Patricia Hallquist screamed as she tumbled to the deck, thrown clear of her captor when the Asurian had instinctively let go and opened her arms to catch herself.  Eventually, she stiffly tired to up and clutched her elbow while her other hand held the back of her neck.  “Ow-ow-ow-ow,” she chanted pathetically, but it was still cause for celebration.  Thirty-three years ago, O’Connell’s drill instructor in boot camp told him that pain was the body’s way of telling you that you were still alive.  From the looks of things, Patty Hasquist was feeling very much alive right now, and when resolving a hostage situation that was always a victory.  The Master Chief wasn’t a medical man, but from the looks of things Ensign Hallquist had suffered from whiplash and hit the ulnar nerve on her elbow joint when she landed, although Murphy’s Law added the possibility of a sprain or fracture.

The Asurian she-goat on the other hand, had just gone splat.  Close examination revealed not only plasma burns, but also what appeared to be fragments of metal protruding from her back.  She needed a medic even more than Hallquist did; a medic… or a medical examiner. 

Bewildered, Billy Bob glanced at the phaser in his hand and back up at the source of the blast.  The secondary power coupling blew, and Ora-Sedra and Patricia had been too close. 

“Duh-duh, damn!” O’Connell stammered like a green recruit.  “Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah swear tuh Gawd, Ah only had it on stun, Ah swear!”

Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: alphawiz on August 29, 2018, 03:29:31 AM
Lt Kaylon Jeen | Main Engineering | USS Cayuga | Attn: @Doc M. @Auctor Lucan

"Duh-duh, damn!  Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah swear tuh Gawd, Ah only had it on stun, Ah swear!" O'Connell stammered.

Kaylon stood from behind the console he'd be taking cover behind.  Grabbing the emergency medkit, he walked over toward the others, keeping his phaser trained on the unmoving Asurian.    Coming up beside O'Connell he said, "It wasn't your phaser.  I shut off the bypass and overloaded the power coupling, on purpose."  He indicated the Asurian with his chin, "Her body shielded Harquist from the worst of the blast, but she's still going to need medical attention."

He tapped his combadge.  "Engineering to Bridge.  For the moment, at least, Engineering is secure, send Security and Medical personnel as soon as possible.  We have wounded, and possibly a prisoner."  Turning to Harquist, he knelt down, "Sorry about the way that went down, but there really wasn't much more that could be done."  Judging by the look in her eyes, she didn't really hold her so called rescue against him.  Kaylon smiled with mock sheepishness.  "If it helps though, I'm going to have to rebuild that damned power conduit."

With that, he opened the medkit and started scanning Harquist with the tricorder inside.  "Chief, keep an eye on our "guests" here, until Security or Medical can come deal with them..  As soon as they do, I'll need your help trying to get things back online down here." Putting down the tricorder, he took out the dermal regenerator and started treating some of the more serious looking of Harquist's burns, since the Asurian's body didn't completely block the plasma explosion. 
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Auctor Lucan on August 31, 2018, 04:01:57 PM
[ Petty Officer Third Class Patricia Hallquist | Engineering | USS Cayuga ] Attn: @Doc M. @alphawiz
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Sitting on the deck after the blast, Patricia was grateful to be alive, having been quite scared when the Asurian threatened to cut off her arm. As it were, she'd gotten out of it with minor cuts and scrapes, or at least she thought so, along with some blunt force trauma to her elbow. The two men spoke over her, until the Chief Engineer on the Cayuga checked on her.

"I'll be fine, don't you worry, Lieutenant," she said, running her hand through her long, curly hair, but then her tone became a chiding one. "And it's Hallquist, not Harquist." Correcting him felt important when the Asurian had called her something completely else. Why was it that everyone had trouble remembering her last name? She supposed that was life for someone like her, just another young woman who didn't make it into the Academy and decided to enlist instead. Still, the least she could ask for was to have her superior officers remember her name?

Slowly, she made to stand up, gingerly getting her balance back after the shockwave had sent her tumbling through the area. It was quite embarassing, all of it, having been taken hostage, but this soon after the fact, she was trying not to think about what could have happned. She glanced towards the two Asurians with a slight shudder. "Thank you," she said, smiling to the two at long last, having collected herself enough, "you saved my life."

That's when she realised that Kaylon Jeen had tried to contact the bridge, but for some reason there was no answer.

"Perhaps there weren't the only ones that escaped the brig?" she offered, looking between the two men, before turning to Lieutenant Jeen. "Sir, what are your orders? I'll be fine, I said. Please, just tell me what to do?"

[ Iege & Drara | Bridge | USS Cayuga ] Attn: @Arista

Fighting as one, the couple dispatched as many cravens as they could, even though it was nothing compared to the loss of their daughter at Starbase 84. Their little girl was gone. She, whom they had nurtured and trained, made into a great Asurian warrior. She had been a source of pride for them both, the achievement they had in common, and what had made them the most confident about it was how their daughter hasn't needed them any longer. She had soared... only to have life cut short without hope of healing.

Vengeance was theirs. Rightfully so.

So they danced, back to back, pivoting and shooting, slashing and whipping the security guards that came for them with their tails. Iege and Drara fought in memory of what they lost, and nothing could stop their righteous fury.

Until the Captain of the Cayuga appeared, and the beam from her weapon caught Drara.

He sensed it more than saw it, and Iege's eyes widened. He turned to look into her eyes one last time, before she was vapourised by the beam. He didn't even have time to say anything, before she was gone. His cry was a silent one, his voice inadequate to express what welled up inside him. It was raw hate, the vitriol reaching his face.

Iege rounded on the shooter, his limbs and face covered by craven blood - freckles in his short, white hair. With a roar, he darted out of the woman's sights, not even caring how close he might have been to sharing Drara's fate. He used one of the bridge stations for cover, and advanced on the human that had re-emerged on the bridge. Bodies and body parts were strewn all around the small battlefield, and now, it was only the Captain and Iege left.

"You have just sealed your fate," he said, his voice quiet but keen, like a blade being drawn. "You will soon be with those you failed."

In the background, voices from Engineering could be heard, going unheeded. Iege had only eyes for the one who had taken Drara from him...


OOC: @Brutus , you're it with Natalie Stark. @FollowTomorrow @Juzzie and @Nolan , you are up in the corridor scene. @Doc M. and @alphawiz , you are up in Engineering. @Veridian , you're up with Vanya. 7 days of response time began since my last post in either of the scenes. Once more, we have an opening for Supplemental threads in Chapter 03, spanning from 1200 hrs. on Day 04 (directly after the battle) to 0800 hrs. on Day 05, where Chief Marshall Akri Sitaio released her captured Asurians. The naming convention for such threads that belong to Chapter 03 is still: CH03: S [DXX|YYYY] Insert Title, and before the Asurians broke free, such threads can be made with members of the Scouting Mission too.

Here are those present on the Cayuga:
[Show/Hide]
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: FollowTomorrow on August 31, 2018, 09:24:16 PM
[ Acting XO Lt. Zelosa Ejek | Corridors | USS Cayuga ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan  @Juzzie  @Nolan

To say that this was the most unpleasant moment of her life was an understatement. She was having a very difficult time removing the image and wet sound of the Asurian split in half and each half falling with a wet sound. In fact, she couldn’t remember what exactly Rhys said or did or what the petty officer in front of them did. The body split in half took up all of her mind’s processing power right now. She felt her body dry heave, but she hadn’t eaten, so there was nothing to throw up.

G-great,” She hissed, trying very hard to compose herself. She wanted to run, but her legs were gelatin. “O-okay. Keep your gun on him...” She finally tore herself away. The situation was moving on, she couldn’t remain totally frozen and stuck in this one moment forever. It would be a long time before she ate meat again, she thought, as she turned herself around to an open wound in the side of the ship, where wires, pipes, and the general guts of the ship lay loose and free.

Without thinking too much about guts and viscera, she reached over and pulled on a loose wire. It unplugged, thankfully, and she now had a long cord to do with as she pleased.
"He'll need to stick with us until security arrives, if they arrive. I’ll bind him.” She pulled the cord between her hands, stepped over towards where the Asurian was, and quietly hoped nobody would ask how in the world she knew how to bind a man so well.
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Doc M. on September 01, 2018, 06:44:30 AM
[ William Robert O’Connell (http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/219/f/7/oconnel_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6n2x.png) | Main Engineering | Deck 17 | USS Cayuga ] Atten: @Auctor Lucan & @alphawiz

"Chief, keep an eye on our "guests" here, until Security or Medical can come deal with them..  As soon as they do, I'll need your help trying to get things back online down here."

“Aye-aye sir,” O’Connell drawled as he walked away and tapped his combadge.  “Engineerin’ tuh Sickbay.  Oh that's raight, you ain't got uh sickbay no more,” he muttered to himself.

In the meantime, Petty Officer Hallquist assured Lieutenant Jeen that she was still fit for duty and displayed just enough cheek to prove it.  In the meantime O’Connell surveyed the area in order find out which of the Cayuga’s propulsion personnel  were still ambulatory enough to follow orders.  Sure enough he found some. 

“Crewman,” the master chief said to a technician that was young enough to be his son cowering behind the master systems display table, “Ah need you tuh fetch me some restraints.  It don’t have tuh be handcuffs, back when Ah wuz yore age th’ special forces folks would use plastic zip ties or duct tape.”

“Petty Officer,” O’Connell said to a Tellarite who had taken cover behind the warp core, “See that injured crewman lying unconscious on the deck there?  Ah need you tuh apply direct pressure to stop that bleedin’.”

“You two,” O’Connell said to a Denobulan and a Grazerite who had ducked behind the power regulators, “Take that there unconscious Asurian an’ place her next to the other one.  They’re at two different ends uh th’ room and Ah ain’t got eyes on th’ back of mah head.  An’ while yore at it, take their weapons.  Frisk ‘em an take their guns an’ knives over tuh Lieutenant Jeen an’ find out whut he wants yuh dew with ‘em.  Now go, git goin’.  Look alive and move lahk yew got a purpose.”

Despite their dazed and horrified demeanors, Jeen’s people responded promptly to O’Connell’s ‘chief voice’ and carried out his orders.

“All raight,” the master chief drawled as he looked around the chamber.  “Which o’ yew ladies n’ gentlemen has any medical training?”

Several eyes when down to a dead officer with an ensign’s pip on her collar lying on the deck.

 “Aside of her,” Billy Bob clarified. 

“I do Master Chief,” a young Vulcan announced.

“All raight then son,” O’Connell drawled.  “Find a place tuh set up a medical aid station an’ we’ll see if we cain’t find yuh some help.”



OOC:  Changed my post after being notified that the Cayuga’s sickbay no longer exists.  The Asurians already destroyed that in the first battle, where a saucer moved through the body of the ship with its graviton beams cutting things up.
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Nolan on September 02, 2018, 01:51:34 PM
[ PO 2nd class Kythalie Benmual | Corridors | USS Cayuga ] Attn: @FollowTomorrow  @Juzzie   @Auctor Lucan

"I surrender."

A wise choice if any to make. Kythalie kept her rifle trained on the Asurian as she couldn't help but smirk "Good call hornsy." she answered to the Asurian before her. The weapon she was holding surely packed a bigger punch than she had anticipated. The kill shot playing in the back of her head as she saw it sever the flesh, muscle tissue, fat tissue, veins and bones... It was pretty handy if one were to do an anatomy class one-o-one. The beam didn't seem to stop at just that either as it just eviscerated the entire trajectory of flesh and bone.

The heart rate of Kythalie was elevated as she could feel the thrill of armed response course through her veins. Flashback of Betazed returning to her mind as she blinked a few times and kept the rifle trained. She kept her head in the game from now on, patiently waiting for the Asurian to make a move that would justify her firing another beam.

In the meantime the Cardassian began to tie up the prisoner once more with the cords of electric wiring. She seemed to know what she was doing and looked quite adept in doing so. Kythalie didn't make any comments to it as her eyes looked at the sindt still attached to his forearm. "Hey lieutenant.... Could you try to get that blade off his arm?" she asked Rhys as she'd feel a whole lot more at ease if the man was unarmed entirely.

At Ejek's words Benmual frowned lightly "Ma'am, I am security. I can escort him back to holding if you wish. Unless you wanted me to tag along to somewhere else?" she asked her before suggesting "If we are going to move elsewhere, I suggest we stun this one here and keep him tied up. Will be better for us to move as he'll just be a liability." Her reasoning was quite calculated and cool, a total different kind of Kythalie being seen to Rhys if he'd ever come in contact with her. The warm and playful person no longer seemingly present as her solider instinct had kicked in.
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Juzzie on September 03, 2018, 09:42:07 PM

[Lt. Rhys Williams|Corridors|USS Cayuga] attn: @Auctor Lucan @FollowTomorrow @Nolan

In his anger and with the momentum he had, Rhys first blow had been hard and vicious the rest that followed decreased in strength. As his arms slowed, he sensed that the Asurian had been restrained and was no longer really a threat to him. He knelt next to his fallen foe panting and sweating, his head felt like there was a red hot iron being pressed into his brain.

There were words coming from the security officer again in front of him. Something instinctive in him knew to respect the uniform, but the words seemed to make no sense to him. He felt suddenly irritated with himself it was such a simple sentence very few words in it. He took a full six seconds to process what she had said to him before the words forming into something he could understand. He needed to remove  the blade from the Asurian’s arm.  He nodded slowly, all Rhys’s movements seemed to be slow and clumsy, with a little bit of work a few muttered curses, Rhys removed the blade.

Rhys knew Kythalie, not really well but he certainly had known enough to greet each other in a friendly way whenever they had met on board. However at this moment in time Rhys was struggling to recognise the ship he was on let alone a woman he was a passing acquaintance of.  Feeling tired suddenly an in pain, Rhys slumped against the wall while the other two talked. He felt weak and like he might throw up at any moment. He placed his hand on his forehead and felt blood there. After a moment, he held up a hand and spoke softly. “Uh…. Where am I?” His eyes were looking back at them but seemed to not really be focused on them, “and uh… who are you two? I am feeling….” his hands shakily gestured in front of him as he hazily recalled the word, “...confused.”
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Brutus on September 10, 2018, 09:09:54 PM
[Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark, Captain | Sickbay| Vector 03 | USS Theurgy ]Attn:
[Show/Hide]

Natalie was lost in her musings, not really seeing the words on the report in front of her, when a beeping noise rose up from the Ops station. Sitting in the chair, as was often the case now when Natalie was on the bridge, was Yvette Conway, current Chief of Operations for the Stallion. Just as Natalie had rested the urge to beam across to their wounded sister ship, to better fulfill her role as Captain, so too had Conway been bidden to stay behind - especially since Natalie had authorized MCPO O'Connell to beam over to the Cayuga.

Can't have Billy-Bob and Yvette off ship at the same time, Natalie had reasoned, and rightly so. While there was an acting assistant chief down in engineering, the reality was that Yvette was coordinating both Operations and Engineering while O'Connell was deployed in the field, as well as manning the main station on the bridge. So it was Yvette that noticed the trouble first.

"Captain," she called out in a tone of confusion. "We're picking up a lot of transporter activity on the Cayuga. At first I wasn't sure, but sensors are clearing up a bit. A series of internal site to sites, ma'am." Yvette turned her head away to look back over at her console again, as Natalie rose up from her seat.

"But they're sorely lacking power," Natalie said as she drifted over, her PADD discarded in the seat behind her. She leaned over Yvette's console, feeling her ponytail fall over her right shoulder. Her blue eyes danced across the console as Yvette pointed out the readings. "We've been coordinating the majority of the transports between the ships because of the power instability over there."

"Yes ma'am," Yvette agreed in one of those polite tones that Natalie remembered using with Cmdr. Hendricks when he was being a bit obvious. The console dinged again. "And yet there's another - wait," Yvette broke off, as she looked from the new readings, to Natalie, meeting her commanding officers wide eyed gaze.

"Ma'am, that looked like -"

"Yes, yes it did. Patch me through to the the Cayuga now, Yvette. I don't like that one bit," Natalie cut the Ops. officer off as she stood back up and tugged down on her jacket, her face hardening. For a moment it looked as if the Stallion's[ sensor suite had detected the discharge of graviton based weapons on the stricken Cayuga. Before the radiation soup of the nebula disrupted their readings.

"Captain!" Yvette called sharply, before Natalie had made it back the short distance to her own seat, pausing instead to turn, braced against the railing. "The Cayuga is hailing us. Its Captain Ziegler!" Without needing the order, Yvette opened the comms channel as everyone on the bridge diverted their gaze to the view screen where the wounded Iroquois-class vessel sat in space.

"Ziegler to Theurgy." Anya began, taking a deep breath, trying to steady herself before continuing. "The Asurians have escaped. We need help. There are unknown casualties."

Natalie's eye went wider still as she heard Anya's voice, calling for help. It was impossible! she thought to herself. There's no way that they could have ....but they had. Clearly.

"The bridge is not secure. Repeat, the bridge is not secure."


"This is the Theurgy acknowledging, Cpt. Ziegler. Prepare to receive security teams. Hold on Anya, we're coming," Natalie said sharply, her voice easing right at the end, well aware that everyone else on the bridge could hear her. She swallowed and looked around, before hitting her own combadge.

"Red Alert," she began, as she had to begin. "All hands to battle stations, repeat, all hand's to battle stations.

"Bridge to Security. I need boarding parties armed to the teeth to beam over to the Cayuga," she then ordered. No point in mincing words. "The Asurian prisoners have escaped from the brig. Assume the Cayuga's transporter room has been compromised."

God, did she want to beam over there. It dragged at her, knowing that Anya Ziegler, as well as many members of her own vessel, were dealing with an outbreak of savage alien warriors. How many were already dead?

Regardless of what Natalie personally wanted, she knew where she had to remain - there on the bridge. No matter how much she desired to beam right over, phaser rifle in hand, and personally clear the ship's bridge of the invaders, she needed to stay on her ship. Duty demanded it.

"Sickbay, this is the bridge. Prepare medical away teams to beam over and begin triage support after Security is deployed to the Cayuga. Prepare medkits for graviton beam disruption, and lacerations." Cold logic, but the Asurian's did like their bladed weapons.

"Bridge to transporter rooms. Prepare to beam in Security parties and medical relief teams to the Cayuga," Natalie continued on, grim faced as she sat back down in her chair. She knew the comm line to the besieged vessel was still active. "Target key locations - Bridge, Engineering, Computer Core, and Transporter room one." She knew that was the only stable transporter bay on the Cayuga.

"Begin beaming immediately upon arrival of the security teams. Be ware that you will be beaming into hostile territory," that was to the security teams as much as the transporter chief and their deputies manning the individual rooms.


OOC: Apologies for the delay involved in this post. Meant to get it up over a week ago, before I went on vacation but work didn't see fit to agree with my plans.
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Veridian on September 10, 2018, 11:05:59 PM
[Lt. Vanya| Science Labs| USS Cayuga] Attn: @Auctor Lucan

"Are you in critical need of repair, Lieutenant?" she asked Vanya, calmly putting aside her 'weapon' and dragging the larger Asurian off the other officer.

Vanya sat up and looked at her damaged limb.    The large ball shape that was already visible several inches below where her elbow should be certainly was more than a simple “pop in” job.  

“Depends on your definition of Critical I suppose” Vanya mused as she rose to her feet.   “My arm will require repairs, either via incision or complete removal of the epidermal layer below the elbow.” Being designed to infiltrate, Vanya’s internal skeleton wasn’t as strong as some androids.   Her systems were susceptible to warping and dislocation.   She was easily reparable afterward, however.    “Fortunately, it can wait until our present situation is resolved.”  

She looked down at their beaten foes.   It was oddly reassuring to see that after being able to defeat their ships, this enemy could still be beaten on the field of battle.   She felt a tinge of regret looking at the badly broken leg of her attacker.   Nevertheless, it was necessary to ensure the safety of their crew and themselves.   She hope that sickbay could repair the damage.   She moved over to the weapons locker, with her good arm she input her security code and withdrew two phasers in their holdters, handing one to the Vulcan botanist, then attaching the other one to her pant leg, which automatically adhered to its position.     

“Please keep an eye on our ‘friends’.   I still only have the use of one arm, and I need to report in.”  

Despite her young Vulcan stoicism, the intricate psychological profiling software that Vanya had been given could sense trepidation.  


“I know this isn’t your field of expertise.” She said earnestly.   “But we are Starfleet Officers, and you acquitted yourself admirably.   I think you will do fine.   She tapped her combadge.   “Vanya to Bridge, we have apprehended a pair of escaped prisoners, requesting security…   and medical.”  
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Auctor Lucan on September 13, 2018, 07:37:09 PM
[ Ensign Cir'Cie (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Cir%27Cie) | Science Labs | USS Cayuga ] @Veridian
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Chin raised, and listening to the Android, Cir'Cie followed her with her emotionless stare while she collected armament. She accepted the phaser without comment and turned a little towards the two figures on the deck plating - the phaser pointing in their general direction.

"I am quite aware of my own limitations, Lieutenant Commander, and as for how I acquitted myself, there is little to admire about violence in my opinion. It was a mere necessity for survival." With her thumb, she increased the power setting to maximum stun. "I shall hope there were only these two that escaped from your Brig, but logic dictates that the possibility of there are more Asurians loose is... unfortunately high."

The Cayuga's Chief Science Officer tried to contact the bridge, which would hopefully lead to actual security guards relieving them of having to deal with the two individuals that had assaulted them.

Yet there was no answer.

Cir'Cie raised an eyebrow, the concern she felt equal to the amount that would make a Human woman run around the room, screaming in dismay. Cir'Cie merely lifted her phaser towards the two forms on the deck, and shot them both, one beam each. Satisfied that her aim had not been off, she looked back towards Vanya. "These Asurians will likely not be moving anywhere for some time, yet I suggest they are further incapacitated nonetheless. Since your arm is out of commission, I will bind them. My humble suggestion is that you try to make contact with some other part of the ship while I do so."

With that detached delivery, Ensign Cir'Cie stepped over the Asurian with the broken leg and tried to acquire some kind of wires from the repair cart on the other side of the room. With the energy crisis aboard, it was not like they could raise forcefields around the two, so binding them up seemed to be the only available option.

[ Ramor & San-Teeg | Corridors | USS Cayuga ] Attn: @FollowTomorrow @Juzzie

San-Teeg bared his teeth as the fastenings of his sindt were untied and the blade fell to the deck - the dazed man that had pummelled him earlier able to get it off him easily enough. The snake-lady, on her end, seemed perfectly able to tie him well enough, but he did not make any motion to defy their efforts, since he had a weapon directed at him. He did not look away from the Human with the large hair, however, his stare still the promise of murder. Ramor's fate was, however, not something he wished to share.

Then, the woman with the big hair spoke of 'stunning' him, and from what little he had learned about Starfleet and the Federation, it was that their weapons were able to incapacitate, unlike the graviton weapon she had pointed at him. What was he to do then, if they were able to render him unconscious? What were his options? Eyes darting to and fro, the seasoned warrior's instincts he had told him he should try and make a move, while the male was behind him along with the snake lady. With them behind her, the female in front of his murderous gaze would hit them as well, if she pulled that trigger.

In the end, he made his decision, while he still had the chance.

He leapt forward, yanking his tied hands free from their grips, and tried to ram the warrior woman before him with his hands still bound, specifically trying to strike the rifle from her hands with his horns. He would have no chance to take the weapon, however, so his best odds were to deliver kicks unto the woman if she fell down, but if not, he ought to run away, to the closest intersection, before they could shoot him. As he made his move, the force of his cry struck the air, meant to startle as much as his attack might surprise the woman.

[ Petty Officer Third Class Patricia Hallquist | Engineering | USS Cayuga ] Attn: @Doc M. @alphawiz
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It seemed the Chief Engineer on the Theurgy had the situation with the two Asurians well in hand, instructing the Cayuga engineers on how to tie them up and even had them set up a makeshift triage operation.

Patricia turned back to Lieutenant Jeen, though, the man appearing to be brooding in silence when there was no answer from the bridge. High on adrenaline, she didn't want to just be idle. She raked her brain for ideas to help her superior officer with options.

"I know," she said, keeping the worry from her mind, "we should try to contact people individually, if there is no answer via the location intercom system. Like, instead of trying to reach the security center, or the bridge, perhaps Ziegler herself can tap her combadge, or Winter Bannin? I figure that... if the Asurians are here, they must have escaped the Brig, which means the security center might be in their hands. But what about our access to ship systems? Is there anything we can do about that area? How protected are the evironmental systems in Sec Ops?"

Another thought then came to her. "The Theurgy! Can't the Ops officers there help us with transports? Have we even alerted them about what's afoot here?"


OOC: Seven days of posting time in response to the above begins today! Arista has yet to post, but there will be further development there.

Again, we have an opening for Supplemental threads in Chapter 03, spanning from 1200 hrs. on Day 04 (directly after the battle) to 0800 hrs. on Day 05, where Chief Marshall Akri Sitaio releases her captured Asurians above. The naming convention for such threads that belong to Chapter 03 is still: CH03: S [DXX|YYYY] Insert Title, and before the Asurians broke free, such threads can be made with members of the Scouting Mission too.

Here are those present on the Cayuga:
[Show/Hide]
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Absinthe on September 14, 2018, 12:13:58 PM
[ PO1 B'Nila Skai | Corridors | USS Cayuga ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Juzzie @Nolan @FollowTomorrow
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She had been walking around the dimly lit corridors for what had felt like hours. She would every now and then remember where she was, what she was doing, but then she would falter, her mind playing tricks on her. She would remind herself she was not on the Resolve, that she was on a different ship and that she needed to find someone she knew, someone she could trust and stay with them. But then she would begin to make her way there and would make a wrong turn, forgetting once more that she was not on the Resolve. Maybe it was the lights, maybe it was the damage to the ship, maybe it was the fact that she was in no fit state to be doing anything beyond trying to recover her mental faculties, but B'Nila Skai was hopelessly lost.

Finally, she pulled out her tricorder and locked onto the nearest Starfleet combadge signal. The tricorder had a map of the ship loaded onto it, it would guide her to safety. She began to walk, following the map, ignoring her instinct to go where some part of her told her to go. She did not know this ship and she had to constantly remind herself of that, even if its familiar design and color scheme made her feel as if she did. All Starfleet ships were like that and normally it wasn't a problem, now it was.

After turning a corner she looked up and saw death, bloody and exposed, scattered over the carpet of the corridor. She froze as the sight and smell assaulted her senses and then she saw the man, or perhaps man was not the right word, he was horned and seemed enraged. She saw as he charged. And then she saw Ejek and she felt her chest tighten. She did not know what was going on and in an instant, she felt as if she were back on the Resolve, back where she had spent so long fighting to survive. She reached to her hip, where he phaser was strapped every waking hour when she had been there and she found nothing, not even an empty holster.

She could only stand and stare in horror at the sight before her, unable to even run to them fast enough to make a difference.
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: FollowTomorrow on September 15, 2018, 10:03:38 PM
[ Acting XO Lt. Zelosa Ejek | Corridors | USS Cayuga ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan   @Juzzie   @Nolan

The security officer before her had a good point, and she was pleased that the woman with a gun was competent. Hopefully her advice pans out--
“We don’t know how many others are loose, or where else they are.” She had a few plans in her head, but...most of them involved the Lieutenant Rhys near her being present. As she heard him speak, she came to the understanding now that he was actually rather impaired. Great. She sighed, tied her last knot, and stood back. Back to square one.

“If he got out of holding once, I’m loathe to put him back there a second time--”

Sudddenly he moved. He reminded her of a lizard or bug, at the speed he was moving at. Specifically, she remembered seeing cockroaches back on earth, and he moves just like that. She didn’t have time to process it though.

So, like she would have reacted to a bug, she stomped on him. It was a knee jerk reaction, it wouldn’t serve to save anybody, but a foot pressed on his ankle would stop him for a split moment, give the petty officer just a few seconds to respond.
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Arista on September 15, 2018, 10:50:58 PM
[ Captain Anya Ziegler (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Anya_Ziegler) | Bridge | Deck 01 | USS Cayuga ] @Brutus @Auctor Lucan @EricMatthias , Anyone else 
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Scrambling to her feet, Ziegler stood and stared down the Asurian across the bridge. Though small, she knew he wouldn’t be able to get across the command centre of Cayuga without her being able to take another shot.

Quietly but with enough force to reach her ears over the sound of various reports coming in, the intruder announced his intention to kill every living thing aboard.

“You assaulted my ship in an unprovoked attack.” She fired back with a sharp tongue. As she spoke, Anya pressed the beam width controls on her phaser without raising it to look. The power setting had been enough to vaporise the other combatant. By widening the beam, Ziegler knew she could be less precise if the Asurian lunged towards her. “You’ve then attempted a rampage on my crew.”

Ziegler wanted to say more, but the word clung to her throat. She couldn’t think of the bodies littering the bridge. Of West. She had to survive first, then she could grieve.

“What did you expect me to do? Sit idly by?” She asked the questions more hypothetically than expecting a real answer, but she had to keep going somehow. Against the back of her left hand, Anya could feel the warm trickle of blood from the wound to her arm. She knew she was mainly running on adrenaline by this point.

As the questions were posed, there was the tell-tale whine of transporters from the back of the bridge. For a moment, Anya’s heart sunk further, until the saw the gold markings on Starfleet uniforms. Stark had heard her plea and sent help.

From the corner of her eye, she could see the group materialise, heading by a male junior Lieutenant with a close shaved haircut and a rifle in his hands. He looked almost familiar from her time as Executive Officer onboard Theurgy, but she couldn’t place her name. She didn’t have the opportunity to study him closely, as the Asurian attacker held most of her attention. This situation had to end quickly. She had to try something.

“What now?” She called, trying to distract her foe from the emerging reinforcements. “What’s the grand plan here?”

Anya hoped she bought them time to act rather than sit and wait this out. With every fibre of her being, Ziegler willed the new arrivals from Security to shoot first and ask questions later.
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Veridian on September 17, 2018, 12:24:28 AM
[ Lt Vanya| Science Lab | USS Cayuga ] @Auctor Lucan

Noticing the repair cart, Vanya decided that having two arms was just as important as communication.  She moved for a repair kit, sliding off her jacket and rolling up her uniform sleeve.   Her arm was discoloured and bruised as a human’s would be.   She walked over to a defunct station, and dropped her damaged arm on the side.  

She took a lazer scalpel and cut into the arm   There was a hiss and burning smell as she cut her synthetic flesh, she cut a vertical line at her elbow, followed by a horizontal line going down to her wrist.   As she feared there was extensive warping of the joint.   As such, she would be unable to pop her joint back in and do a full repair.   She carefully peeled the flesh below her arm off and left it to one side.   She took the limp ball joint and forced it back into the socket.   The lights along her arm suddenly lit up again. She performed a quick diagnostic.   Obviously her touch sensors would be offline, but she wouldn’t be restricted with her movement

“There” she said, satisfied.   “My arm will still require repairing, but I will at least be able to use it to a decent degree.  

She picked up her jacket sliding it over her arm.   With her hand that was still covered, she tapped her combadge.   “Computer, status report, where are command activities being coordinated?”  
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Nolan on September 19, 2018, 04:13:40 PM
[ PO 2nd class Kythalie Benmual | Corridors | USS Cayuga ] Attn: @FollowTomorrow   @Juzzie  @Auctor Lucan 

The stare of the Asurian on her was keeping Kythalie on edge. Even while he was being constrained by the bindings the look on his eyes glared pure death and murder at her. She could compare it to the look convicted killers would have, those men or women who had always reveled and flourished in causing as much pain, agony and death in their lifetime. She had seen the holovids during boot camp about prisoner transports and she had done some extra research about it.

She listened in the meantime to the Cardassian officer as she wasn't too keen to put him back in holding as he had escaped from the place once. "Well, I was heading back there myself ma'am. To be cleared for duty and be deployed where nee-" the Asurian lunged forward as he simply snapped the ties off. His battlecry making her raise the weapon to fire. She realized it than why she couldn't fire as Ejek stood in the trajectory of the weapon.

The Cardassian however stomped on his ankle, breaking the momentum and Kythalie raised her rifle higher before she slammed the butt end of the rifle towards the incoming danger. A loud crack was heard as the weapon was stomped into the horns of the Asurian. The left horn cracking as Kythalie was brought off balance and fell to the floor with a thud. She was left to the mercy of the murderous Asurian if he would chose to assault her further. If he didn't however, she'd be sitting up in a matter of seconds, weapon raised and ready to fire at him as he'd make his way to the intersection.
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Juzzie on September 21, 2018, 09:37:55 PM
[Lt. Rhys Williams| USS Cayuga| Corridors] attn: @Nolan @FollowTomorrow @Auctor Lucan

The conversation, of the two women present passed right over is head. When the Asurian spoke Rhys could feel the hostile intnetion in the voice even if he was having difficulty concentrating on the actual words. No one had answered his question of where he was, though at the moment he was not sure he would have understood any response they had given. He raised a hand to his forehead, it came away again red. The early adrenaline had numbed some of the pain, however now things were more settled he felt everything. Every bump and bruise, every muscle ached and all he wanted was to sleep.

There was no time for sleep. The Asurian was on the attack again. He had lunged for the young woman from security attempting to knock the weapon from her hands. Ejek had stood on his ankle in an attempt to slow him down, and Rhys was not sure if that would work. Then again at that point in time he was not sure of much, the limited lighting hurt his eyes, his head throbbed and his body wanted to wave a little white flag.

There was one thing he was defiantly sure of though, he was very angry. Rhys did not think he had felt anger like this in a long time. He got to his feet, he was wobbly and slow moving but utterly determined. With a yell he attempted to throw his body on the Asurian, his limbs a windmill of punches and kicks. There were more curses in Welsh, at the injustice of everything that had happened in the last few days. The stress, the worry, the Borg attack. He was apoplectic with rage that this creature had invaded his already damaged ship, and was bent on killing his friends and fellow officers. As he exerted himself the sweat mixed with the blood, sending it running in little streams down his face. 
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Auctor Lucan on September 26, 2018, 01:29:09 AM
[ Lt. JG Adam Kingston (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Adam_Kingston) | Engineering | USS Cayuga ] Attn: @Arista @Brutus  
[Show/Hide]
Barely fully thawed yet, Adam Kingston had been called into duty by happenstance. He had been available in the security office when the call for aid came, and the guards present were too green to quickly form up for transport. Adam had not been able to keep his mouth shut, even if he was still in physiotherapy, and had picked up a rifle - shouting orders to the NCOs.

Every second counted, he knew, even though he didn't know the situation he'd arrive at. Asurians? Never heard of those, but then again, he hadn't been able to read up on all the PADDs he'd been given, the logs of the Theurgy crew's ongoing mission.

The transporter room had vanished in brilliant light, and when he could see again, a damaged starship bridge came into view. Together with five other security officers, Adam took in the sight of all the dead bodies and the blood. There were only two figures standing. One was a woman in Starfleet uniform, while the other... had horns? Between the lovely lady and the demon, the choice of target was plain.

Too soon, the Asurian figure noticed the shimmering lights behind him, and he rounded on them with those pistols in his hands. He managed to kill two of Adam's officers before they had managed to riddle the beast's body with stun bolts and beams. He made a disjointed dance while he suffered the onslaught from the firing squad that Kingston had arrived with. And as soon as he fell to the deck plating with a loud noise, Kingston stapped his combadge, not wearing any exosuit since there hadn't been any time for it.

"Security to the Theurgy, the bridge is secure. Send all available medical staff over here as well. We have a lot of injured," he said in his flavoured voice, and walked over to the woman on the far side of the area. He noticed the pips in her collar. She might have been the XO on the Theurgy once, but that was before Adam came aboard. "Captain Ziegler, I presume. If these escaped from the brig, then you can count on your security center being overrun. In fact, if I were them, I'd use the area as a base of operation... for whatever they are trying to do."

It also meant that they would be prepared, if the order came that Kingston would take the fight there.

[ Ensign Cir'Cie (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Cir%27Cie) | Science Labs | USS Cayuga ] @Veridian
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While Cir'Cie had spoken, Lieutenant Commander Vanya had begun to repair her arm already. The Vulcan noticed this as she turned around and saw the Android preforming the task herself. Cir'Cie made no comment while the superior officer finished up, showing no reaction to the grisly display.

When the Android made her inquiry to the computer, Cir'Cie raised her green eyes and listened to the answer, phaser still in hand.

[Captain Anya Ziegler hailed the USS Theurgy twenty three seconds ago from the Bridge.] This answer was omnious, since they couldn't get a reply from that deck.

"Computer, state the location of this ship's Executive Officer."

[Commander West's lifesign vanished fifty nine seconds ago. Commander West's last known location was the bridge.]

Cie'Cie glanced towards Vanya, the fact plain. Her First Officer had been killed, unless he'd been transported out of the area, but she was certain that the computer would have stated as much. Cir'Cie tried another idea, allowing the Android to process the loss of Commander West, if there was any need for lamentations.

"Computer, has any of the other Senior Staff tried to communicate with the bridge, and if so, please state their locations?"

[Lieutenant Kaylon Jeen attempted to establish communication with the bridge 63 seconds ago, from engineering.]

Cir'Cie looked towards Vanya. "I humbly suggest we try to join your Chief Engineer, and then estimate a prudent next step."

[ Ramor & San-Teeg | Corridors | USS Cayuga ] Attn: @FollowTomorrow @Juzzie @Nolan

As desperate as his attempt had been, just as quickly had the cravens managed to subdue him. Between the different fighters around him, San-Teeg had ended up on the deck with his horns cracked and his body pummelled. The male didn't desist in his mad attacks, and soon enough, San-Teeg lost conciousness.

The last thing he saw was a female with white skin down the corridor, looking like a ghost with golden eyes.


OOC: Sorry for the short San-Teeg bit, but I couldn't come up with anything more, and yet I wanted to make sure B'Nila is noticed to have entered the scene. Seven days of posting time in response to the above begins today! Alphawiz has yet to post, but now, it is time to put two and two together and have them realise they need to clean out the Cayuga's Security Center.

Again, we have an opening for Supplemental threads in Chapter 03, spanning from 1200 hrs. on Day 04 (directly after the battle) to 0800 hrs. on Day 05, where Chief Marshall Akri Sitaio releases her captured Asurians above. The naming convention for such threads that belong to Chapter 03 is still: CH03: S [DXX|YYYY] Insert Title, and before the Asurians broke free, such threads can be made with members of the Scouting Mission too.

Here are those present on the Cayuga:
[Show/Hide]
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: alphawiz on September 27, 2018, 07:03:49 AM
Lt Kaylon Jeen | Main Engineering | USS Cayuga  |Attn:  @Doc M. @Auctor Lucan , anybody else

Standing there lost in thought, he almost started to feel overwhelmed.

"I know, we should try to contact people individually, if there is no answer via the location intercom system. Like, instead of trying to reach the security center, or the bridge, perhaps Ziegler herself can tap her combadge, or Winter Bannin? I figure that... if the Asurians are here, they must have escaped the Brig, which means the security center might be in their hands. But what about our access to ship systems? Is there anything we can do about that area? How protected are the evironmental systems in Sec Ops?" said Hallquist.

Kaylon snapped out of his brooding.  Why had that happened to him?  He wasn't usually the sort to start doing that, especially in the middle of a crisis.  Hu'tegh!....he needed to snap out of it.  It was probably just the adrenaline crash.  He tuned out the inner voice and tuned in to Hallquist.

"It's a good thought." he said.  "Normally we can access any system on the ship from here, at least in some form.  With all the damage, it's hit or miss, though."  He turned to walk to the nearest working console, about 15 feet away.  After another minute he had the system status board up.  "Environmental controls are more or less intact.  We've been giving them a high priority since most of us on board like to keep breathing."  Good...his sense of humor was starting to return.  He was starting to get back on balance.  Definitely must've been the adrenaline.

He turned back to Hallquist.  "What exactly do you have in mind?" he asked.
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Doc M. on September 28, 2018, 12:23:10 PM
[ William Robert O’Connell (http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/219/f/7/oconnel_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6n2x.png) | Main Engineering | Deck 17 | USS Cayuga ] Atten: @Auctor Lucan & @alphawiz

“Well in the first place sir, Ah’d suggest shutting down power tuh th’ Security Center,” O’Connell drawled.  “Last time Ah saw it, the intruders were in charge an’ th’ last thing we need is fur ‘em to have access tuh all th’ security monitors and such.  Then we’s got tuh make uh decision ‘bout what tuh dew about it.  Do we stay here an’ defend engineerin’ until we git th’ all clear or do we call the Theurgy an' ask 'em tuh send some folks over tuh go on the offensive an’ mount an attack on the security center?  Or do we do neither and choose a ‘Plan C?’”

At this point the master chief’s voice became softer and almost conspiratorial.  “Now this is a crazy idea, but Ah wuz thinkin’…  Whut if we use the transporter tuh lock on tuh any Asurian patterns we kin find aboard this here ship an' beam ‘em intuh outer space?  Ah mean… into a cargo hold!” he corrected himself as his eyes looked left and right guiltily.  “Yes Ah definitely meant into uh sealed cargo hold,” he repeated with more composure.  “Now Ah know thet yew only got enough power fur one transporter room but there’s no reason why that transporter room’s uh gotta be th’ one on Deck Four.  Why if memory serves, yuh got one on this deck thet we could use.  Once yuh got their patterns in the buffer yew kin disable their energy weapons jest lahk mine wuz.  Uh course, Ah don’t know jest how many patterns yew kin store in the buffer or if yew kin dew it fur any amount of time whut with the main EPS conduit bein’ busted ‘n all, but if we kin use the transporter az uh weapon it give us more options, alternatives that is… ”
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Auctor Lucan on October 01, 2018, 09:09:13 PM
[ Lieutenant Winter Bannin (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Winter_Bannin) | Security Center | Brig | USS Cayuga ]
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Her face was numb, hands shaking and red with blood, and she couldn't move.

Winter Bannin was helpless as she watched from the holding cell in the brig. The Asurian leader had locked her in there together with Nina, who had retreated to the bulkhead in shame over what she'd done. Winter didn't exactly blame her lover for helping the Asurians in order to spare her life, but at that rate, bleeding her life out as she was, Winter just didn't think Nina had accomplished anything beyond letting the escaped aliens kill a lot of the Cayuga's crew. She would die anyway, and she'd gladly died for the crew of the Cayuga. She just thought Nina had shared the sentiment, instead of putting her superior officer before anyone else.

"Nina," Winter tried to say, eyes blurry as she looked at her lover in the corner of the cell.

Before the blonde Brig Officer could answer, the forcefield winked out of existence, and when Winter looked in that direction, she could see boots and tails outside. "You're coming with us," said a voice, and Winter was fairly sure it was the Asurian leader.

"Where?" asked Nina, sounding afraid.

''We're leaving the ship, and you'll help us," said the woman, and her two companions entered the cell, going for Nina. Winter tried to lift a hand, but she had no strength left.

"No! Get away from me. I refuse to leave her!" cried Nina, fighting the Asurians.

"If you get us on a shuttle, you're free to go back here," said the Asurian, and she put something down outside the cell. It was a Federation medkit. "If you hurry up, you can still get back here in time and save her."

Winter heard Nina keep arguing, but something in her voice had given in, and as Winter foresaw, she was soon alone in the Brig, with the forcefield raised again between herself and the medkit. The Asurians were gone, and so was Nina. The Chief of Security, closed her eyes, and tried to push harder against her abdominal wound, even though there was no strength left in her limbs.

[ Petty Officer Third Class Patricia Hallquist | Engineering | USS Cayuga ] Attn: @Doc M. @alphawiz

Patricia Hallquist had followed Lieutenant Jeen and Chief O'Connell over to the console, watching what her superior officer was doing from over his shoulder. She was asked what she had in mind, but before she could answer, the Chief from the Theurgy spoke up, speaking of transporters and what they might be doing with those. It was a good idea, so she merely added her own in the wake of the Southern drawl from the Chief.

"I was thinking we could vent the air just enough to make them unconscious, before resetting the environmental systems. I don't think we have enough power to do something extraordinary with the gravity plating where they are, like, increasing the gravity to make them unable to move, but between venting the air and trying to get a lock on their lifesigns with our transporter system... why now both, if one method fails?"

She reached for the other half of the console, giving the gentleman from the Theurgy an embarrassed smile as she cleared her throat, slowly brushing her lithe body in-between them, just so that she could reach the LCARS control screen. "I'll just try to power up the surveillance system in the security center..."

Doing so, she could see how the system was already online, and the previous login was Nina Nilsson in Security, just a short while ago. The list of feeds recently watched included the bridge, engineering and different corridors. "Um, I think they have been watching us," said Patricia, and toggled between the different camera units in area. "And I don't think they are in Security any more. We need to find th-!"

Behind them, there were shimmers of transporters, and Patricia's heart almost stopped, she rounded on the lights with wide eyes, expecting to see Asurians with weapons and blades. Scared, she grabbed Jeen hard, digging her fingers into his upper arm in fright.

Yet what had arrived were no Asurians, but officers in teal uniforms, likely from the Theurgy since she didn’t recognise them, with medkits in hand. Patricia was so relieved she forgot to let go of Jeen.

[ Chief Marshall Akri Sitaio | Corridor | USS Cayuga ]
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With a murderous pace, Akri Sitaio walked down the corridor, the two Asurians behind her dragging 'Nina' with them by the hair, just to keep her from having second thoughts. Akri was furious, having seen her people killed or incapacitated in short order on the live feeds in the Cayuga's security area.

There was no choice but to take the last two Asurians she'd freed with her and board a shuttle, leaving the cravens behind for another day, and another battle.

Her bloodied sindt and graviton pistol caught the emergency lighting as she glanced back towards the struggling hostage. "Hush now, if you open the last doors for us, you will be spared, and your can run back to your dear beloved..."

Defeat left a sour taste in Akri's mouth, even worse when suffered against the cravens.


OOC: Looking forward to your posts! Akri is on the run, so you better catch her somehow. I think I am waiting on replies from all of you here, and since Ramor and San-Teeg are down for, I think it’s @FollowTomorrow that’s next in the corridor, followed by @Nolan , @Absinthe and @Juzzie . Please make sure to include B’Nila in the scene there since she’s arrived!

Again, we have an opening for Supplemental threads in Chapter 03, spanning from 1200 hrs. on Day 04 (directly after the battle) to 0800 hrs. on Day 05, where Chief Marshall Akri Sitaio releases her captured Asurians above. The naming convention for such threads that belong to Chapter 03 is still: CH03: S [DXX|YYYY] Insert Title, and before the Asurians broke free, such threads can be made with members of the Scouting Mission too.

Here are those present on the Cayuga:
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Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: FollowTomorrow on October 03, 2018, 01:40:40 AM
[ Acting XO Lt. Zelosa Ejek | Corridors | USS Cayuga ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Juzzie @Nolan @Absinthe

If it wasn’t one thing, it was another. Just as soon as the Asurian was downed, she glanced up and saw B’Nila, who really ought to be spared from the carnage that was the halved corpse behind Ejek. In fact, whose bright idea was it to have B’Nila aboard the ship? Who authorized the woman to be here? It certainly wasn’t Zelosa Ejek, that’s for sure. She’d have quite a heart to heart with whoever allowed this to happen.

“B’Nila,” She called her name, as gently as she could. Without knowing what state of mind B’Nila currently inhabited, Ejek would be forced to assume she was at her worst, or maybe her best. Schrodinger’s psychosis. She walked towards her, but slowly and with her hands outward, to show she was unarmed. “B’Nila, we need to get you back to the Theurgy.” She would figure out who allowed her here later. Likely just the oversight of some stupid, under-trained crewman, really, but it didn’t make her less angry. This was unnecessary trauma. The fact that someone allowed this to happen made her blood boil, figuratively speaking. It was a good thing she was excellent at hiding her anger and putting up a kind, counselor's front.
"Will you let me walk you to the transporter room?"
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Veridian on October 03, 2018, 11:17:19 PM
[Lt. Vanya| Science Labs/Corridor|USS Cayuga] Attn: @Auctor Lucan
“Agreed” said Vanya.  The Vulcan was proving to be a surprising study.    

As they made their way through the corridor, Vanya could certainly feel the strange atmosphere on the Cayuga   Even through the darkest times, there had been a sense of home on the ship.   The corridors were a hub of activity, now, it just seemed… eerie to her.   She wished she could find a way to convey it to Cir’Cie.    Almost as if the heart of the ship had been ripped out.  

They stopped at a junction.   Vanya held her skeletal hand in a gesture of holding.   She peered around the corner, and dashed into the open in the corridor.   Satisifed there was no danger she lowered her phaser slightly.  

“Clear” she said as she waited for the Vulcan to join her.   It had been an easy trip so far, but they couldn’t relax for too long.  

“Are you alright?” she asked, trying to offer some cursory comfort.   She knew that Vulcans had exceptional stamina, but Vanya had no way of knowing what ordeas the Theurgy had been through this point.   One thing she did know, is that it was very hard to “break” a Vulcan, but when they were broken, they were certainly problematic at best.
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Nolan on October 04, 2018, 06:02:55 PM
[ PO 2nd class Kythalie Benmual | Corridors | USS Cayuga ] Attn: @FollowTomorrow  @Juzzi  @Auctor Lucan @Absinthe

Panting slightly from the surprise attack from the Asurian, Kythalie stood back up as she watched consciousness fleet from the individual before her "We need to replicate some restraints..." he muttered as she kept the rifle trained on the downed warrior. Her eyes stuck on him before she felt the presence of a newcomer coming closer. Her eyes darted sideways as she looked at the pale skinned woman with golden eyes. Before she could even muster a word, the Cardassian lieutenant spoke up, seemingly knowing the woman.

As Ejek went over to the woman, Kythalie tended to her own ship mate. "Lieutenant Williams?" Sir?" Are you okay?" she asked carefully as she looked at the blood and sweat covered face of the counselor. She walked over gently towards him before reaching out with a single hand to shake him by the shoulder. She did so with utmost care though as she wasn't sure how'd he react. Would he lash out at her like he did at the Asurian or would he remain the speechless for the moment until he had gathered more of himself?
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Arista on October 06, 2018, 10:37:37 PM
[ Captain Anya Ziegler (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Anya_Ziegler) | Bridge | Deck 01 | USS Cayuga ] @Brutus @Auctor Lucan @Veridian @alphawiz , Anyone else 
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Anya Ziegler remained motionless, watching as the reinforcements from Theurgy took shot after shot into the Asurian intruder. It was only after the vicious hulk was downed, that she allowed herself to take a long breath. Thank goodness for Starfleet Security.

The leader of the security detail called for reinforcements and Anya used the break to reflect on the situation. More had been injured, more had been hurt on her watch. With little to bring her back to the moment at hand, she wondered if the bridge carpet would ever stop being red from the stains of bloodshed. It was only after she was spoken to that it snapped back from her sombre reflections. When the balding officer suggest the Asurians were using the security centre as a centre of operations, Ziegler nodded.

“I agree. Our first priority is to re-take the security centre and then the ship.” As medical personnel began to beam in, Ziegler took a cursory glance around the command centre for the Cayuga. “Lieutenant, you’re with me. The rest? You need to get the bridge operational again.”

With little else to say, Ziegler strode for the turbolift; the doors parting automatically with a waiting car. Push through the pain, she told herself, just keep moving. When she entered and turned back to the doors, she caught once more the sight of the muscular body laying on the deck. On insight, she felt herself tighten her grip on her phaser. With a look to the security officer with her, she quietly ordered. “Wait here.”

 Marching back out onto the bridge, Anya stepped right up the lumbering frame of the Asurian and raised her phaser. With her thumb held against the metallic trigger button, she checked the settings. It was still on a high level, powerful enough to vaporise any biomatter that when foul to the beam. Just one quick blast. That is all it would take. That would stop the chance of the Asurian coming back to life and laying siege to the bridge once again. The Asurians didn’t deserve their mercy. Not after the slaughter that they had committed. She could halt the rampage and destroy the remains. She could get revenge for Anders.

Anders. She daren’t think about her friend and executive officer right now. He had been there for her so many times, kept her honest and true, and now his body laid crumpled on the floor not mere metres away. Would disintegrating a lifeless body bring back West? Would it give him peace? Would it be a fitting memory of the man? With a bitter taste in her mouth, she pulled the phaser away. Ziegler just couldn’t do it. It wasn’t right. Instead she turned to a nearby crewman “Get this thing off my bridge.”

Backtracking one more, Anya returned to the turbolift, grabbing a medkit as she did. When the door finally closed, she ordered them to the security centre and the car skimmed away, gently humming as it propelled them to their destination. Passing her phaser to the junior lieutenant, Ziegler opened the medkit and retrieved an autosuture, placing the device to her wound and turning it on. She needed to stop the flow and close the wound before she bled out. Perhaps that was why she felt a little out of control. The lack of blood, rather than the murder of her best friend. When she was done, she dropped the tool of the ground and snatched back her phaser. Good enough, she concluded, a doctor could look at it again later.

The ride continued in silence for a few moments before Ziegler had a thought and tapped her combadge. “Ziegler to all senior staff, report in. Bridge has been secured and we are en route to the security centre.”

When the turbolift arrived and the doors parted, Ziegler stepped out, checking both ways down the corridor. There was no one in sight. Carefully, the pair moved towards the security complex. The doors to the centre kept opening and closing with a hiss and it was only as they got close did Anya realise it was because there was an arm on the floor, blocking the doors from closing completely. Once they were beside the doorway, Ziegler knelt, opening the medkit once more. This time, she took out a medical tricorder and used it to scan the local area.

“No Asurian lifesigns.” She whispered to the compatriot. Though she couldn’t read everywhere, it seemed the centre was empty. With a breath, Ziegler stood once more, leaving the open medkit on the floor and counted to three before turning into the security complex.

It was deserted, the only person she could see was laid at their feet, their arm through the doorway. The blind, lifeless gaze of unblinking eyes immediately told Ziegler that there was nothing she could do. Instead, she stepped over the body and took a few more steps into the room. Watching from side to side, she muttered. “Where is everyone?”

Eventually, the pair found themselves working through the centre to the holding facility. As the doors parted to the brig, a bright blue light illuminated the otherwise dark room. Only one cell remained active. Ziegler’s stomach twisted as she tried to understand. Why not open all the cells? Who would they leave behind? Was this a trap?

Slowly, the captain crept closer to the last active holding cell, her mind racing, a bead of sweat slowly rolling down her forehead and her phaser held ready to fire. It was only as their approached, did she finally see the unmistakable look of a Starfleet uniform. Propped up against the wall, severely injured but alive, was the Chief Security Officer of the Cayuga.

“Bannin!” Anya called, running to the side of the cell. If she was quick, she could save her. Without any thought to check for traps, Ziegler depressed the controls to lower the forcefield.
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Doc M. on October 09, 2018, 05:50:41 AM
[ William Robert O’Connell (http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/219/f/7/oconnel_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6n2x.png) | Main Engineering | Deck 17 | USS Cayuga ] Atten: @Auctor Lucan, @alphawiz, ]@Brutus

“Well Petty Officer Hallquist’s idea iz az good as any Ah suppose but Ah still think thet we should…” O’Connell’s thought was cut off mid-sentence as he heard the familiar hum of the transporter.  Pivoting like a holodeck gunfighter, he pulled out his mark one model sixteen hand phaser and pointed it at the assembled figures that appeared in a shower of sparks.  “Well Ah’ll be,” he smiled in relief as he relaxed and concealed his tiny phaser back into his pocket  as six glowing forms appeared to reveal Doctor George Hernandez, Nurse Jones, and four paramedics from the Theurgy

“Doctor Hernandez.  Ain’t yew uh sight fur sore eyes?” Billy Bob grinned.  “Ah’m afraid we got a mess o’ casualties an’ th’ Cayuga ain’t got a sickbay raht now; it’s was destroyed, Ah say, destroyed, it’s uh completely gone, that is.  Ez yew kin see we got plenty uh casualties raight here; yew kin thank our two prisoners fer that,” he added as he pointed to the two comatose Asurians.  “Ah reckon those two need medical attention too, but since none of us here got uh degree in Asurian medicine we kinda put treatin’ them on the back burner, on the tuh dew pile that is…”

The two Asurians were in sad shape.  Ora-Sedra was critically wounded if not dead, and Jisa could have cracked the back of her skull when O’Connell’s phaser shot had thrust her into the bulkhead.  Billy Bob didn’t know if those two were prisoners or medical cadavers. 

“All right, just like we trained,” Doctor Hernandez said to his staff.  “Diagnose, stabilize, and beam them to our sickbay aboard the Stallion.  The worst injured will be placed in stasis.  The emergency medical hologram will prep them for surgery.”
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Absinthe on October 10, 2018, 08:02:06 AM
[ PO1 B'Nila Skai | Corridors | USS Cayuga ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Juzzie @Nolan @FollowTomorrow
[Show/Hide]

There was a moment when a look of confusion and fear crossed over B'Nila's face, a look that showed how lost and afraid she truly was. A look that showed how damaged she had become during the long months of their voyage on the Resolve and her painful relationship with the now deceased Michal Silika had been on her and how the death of Michal had fractured the carefully created and maintained world B'Nila had. There was a moment when it was all laid bare on her face.

And then it was gone, B'Nila's mask of professionalism slipped back on, hiding the trauma and the pain, hiding the fear and confusion. It hid the broken woman and in its stead was only the strong career minded woman B'Nila made it a point to make everyone believe she was.

"No, it's alright," she said with a plastic smile to Ejek. "I can be of more help if I am here." Even though she was not overly certain what ship she was on she knew that she was of more use where the action was. "And I think the situation here calls for all the help it can get." She looked beyond Ejek at the mess on the floor, the bloody, fleshy, tangled mess of horror, and she could feel the panic creep up her spine, her mind railing against her as she struggled to maintain any semblance of a calm and collected exterior. She had to maintain, she had to fake it, at least for now.
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Juzzie on October 10, 2018, 11:38:38 PM
[Lt Rhys Williams| Corridors | USS Cayuga] attn: @Follow Tomorrow @Auctor Lucan @Absinthe  @Nolan

Rhys slumped against the bulkhead, the world around him retreating once again to a distant haze, his vision distorted. Everything seemed to him to be so distant. The Asurian was downed and his Cardassian counterpart seemed t have it under control. The adrenaline stopped running thorugh his veins leaving him feeling nauseous again. Every check his damaged body had written was now demanding cash with interest.  He lent his head back, his eyes closed tightly against the pain in his head.

Then he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. His eyes opened slowly. They were glazed and not really focused on Kythalie. He seemed to be looking straight through her. He was just about able to discern her words, she was expressing concern for him and calling him Sir. Under normal circumstances Rhys would have normally recoiled at being addressed as Sir. He was utterly uncomfortable in his position as an officer, he hated being in charge with a passion. However, as his injuries had caught up with him he was unable to really react. He swallowed hard, "Um... where am I?" He heard his own voice but it felt far off as if some one else were speaking. "I feel a little confused." Those words forming one of the greatest understatements that had ever been uttered by anyone.
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Auctor Lucan on October 11, 2018, 09:01:39 PM
[ Lieutenant Winter Bannin (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Winter_Bannin) | Security Center | Brig | USS Cayuga ]
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At the sound of her Captain's voice, Winter's eyes fluttered halfway open, but she couldn't focus on the movements in front of her. Her vision was blurred, and she could but make out shadows and lights at that point. She heard, distantly, how the forcefield was lowered, and noises of someone approaching, and soon enough, she could make out a face in front of her.

"Anya.." she mustered, through numb lips, when she saw that her Commanding Officer had come. Immediately, the first thought that came to her was to do her duty. "Shuttle... bay. Hurry..."

There was naught more she could do, and in the knowledge that she had relayed the critical knowledge she held, it was as if her body finally surrendered. There was no use holding on any more. Yet she was still bitter, at herself. At her failure. "I am sorry, Captain..." she breathed, eyes distant, "I'm sorry..."

Then, she said no more, eyes staring vacantly at nothing at all.

[ Ensign Cir'Cie (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Cir%27Cie) | Corridor > Engineering | USS Cayuga ] @Veridian @Doc M. @alphawiz
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Standing impassively behind the end of the corridor while the Cayuga's Chief Science Officer checked if there were any hostiles waiting for them, Cir'Cie shoulders were relaxed, her chin raised, and her phaser half-raised at her side. When the Android gave word that they could proceed, Cir'Cie seamlessly joined steps with her and proceeded towards Engineering. Cir'Cie showed no signs towards trepidation or fear, walking the dimly lit corridors of the Iroquois-class ship as if there mightn't be murderous savages with blades, horns and grossly powerful weaponry behind any intersection.

“Are you alright?” Vanya asked in what appeared to be some kind of cursory comfort, and Cir'Cie raised an eyebrow before answering, not looking towards the artificial humanoid beside her.

"Your concern, however token, is without cause. I remain quite dependable," she said, and then glanced towards the bared metal skeleton arm that the Android was flaunting. It was still beaded with fake blood, yet she made no comment in kind, for they had reached Engineering. When they entered the large area, it was immediately apparent that the Asurians had been there. Moreover, it appeared like Theurgy crewmembers had been beamed over to assist with medical relief and to deal with the threat. To this, Cir'Cie was grateful. She was a Botanist, not weapon-toting savage.

Not far away from the door from whence they had arrived, Cir'Cie espied Chief O'Connell from the Theurgy, and she inclined her head towards him. She knew her repute with the man wasn't good, given the sabotage she had preformed on the Theurgy when under T'Rena's influence, but she would be naught but polite towards him nonetheless. Next to O'Connell was a blonde woman from the Cayuga, as well as the Chief Engineer of the ship.

It appeared they were planning something, talking over the comm-system, so Cir'Cie decided to remain silent and wait for orders. She could but hope her worth in killing Asurians would remain minuscule in comparison to the Bolian woman and the other security officers.

[ Lt. JG Adam Kingston (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Adam_Kingston) | Engineering | USS Cayuga ] Attn: @Arista @Brutus  
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Standing behind the Cayuga's Captain, Adam Kingston heard the last words of the ship's Chief of Securtiy. He couldn't help but be impressed with the redhead, who had clung to life in spite of such significant bloodloss and injury, just to do her duty and tell her Captain what the Asurians were up to. Hearing those quiet words, Adam felt compelled to step up to the task. Not just because he was the highest ranking Security Officer on the Theurgy, about to be the Stallion's CSec once he was officially cleared for duty. For the Cayuga's didn't have any Chief present, and it fell to him to take care of this threat as best as he might.

"Captain Ziegler," he said, his flavoured voice respectful and quiet in that moment of grief. "If you would permit, I am taking charge of this security matter. If needed, should any of your officers ask, you need just confirm my authority. There is no time."

Waiting for a moment for a sign of confirmation, Adam marched up to the main security console and tapped the interface with his fingers, rifle raised towards the deckhead while he opened a comm-link to all security forces, both from the Theurgy as well as the Cayuga.

"This is Lieutenant Kingston, Acting Chief of Security for both ships," he said tersely, biting his teeth together. His voice could be heard from combadges in Engineering, in the corridors as well as the bridge of the Theurgy, since he had opted to ask Captain Stark for aid as well. "There are still Asurians on the loose, and they are making a run for it. All available security personnel, converge on the Cayuga's shuttle bay immediately and stop them from launching. There is no telling how much damage they can inflict with the phaser arrays on the shuttle they pick. Theurgy, if you are getting this, we need site-to-site transports to cover the distance, but we will not be waiting for you. Move out! I repeat, move it!"

Said and done, Kington nodded for two security officers to remain with Captain Ziegler, then he began to sprint down the corridor - the rest of his security detail at his heels.

There was no telling who might reach the shuttle bay first, but if Stark was fast enough, those who were picked for transports was the best bet.


OOC: Still missing a reply from Alphawiz here, but I can't wait any further since we need to open up for Vector 02's arrival. Post as soon as you can, and those with security officers (NPCs or PCs), have them open fire at the Type-9 shuttle that the Asurian and Nina Nilsson will be aboard! Free-form posting for all others, and they might just join in too!

Again, we have an opening for Supplemental threads in Chapter 03, spanning from 1200 hrs. on Day 04 (directly after the battle) to 0800 hrs. on Day 05, where Chief Marshall Akri Sitaio releases her captured Asurians above. The naming convention for such threads that belong to Chapter 03 is still: CH03: S [DXX|YYYY] , and before the Asurians broke free, such threads can be made with members of the Scouting Mission too.

Here are those present on the Cayuga:
[Show/Hide]
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Brutus on October 12, 2018, 05:11:06 PM
[Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark, Captain | Bridge | Vector 03 | USS Theurgy ]Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Arista @Doc M. @Nolan 
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Reports poured in from all over the ship. Helm had maneuvered the Stallion in closer to better facilitate the transports. Yvette at Ops was handling the coordination of said transports, working in time with the various Ops crew manning the transporter rooms. Security teams were reporting in as they beamed over.

And then, silence. Nothing for what seemed like the longest time ever. Just the beep and whistle of the consoles around them, the slight hiss of reprocessed air, flowing back onto the bridge. Please be there in time, she thought to herself.  I need to do better, be there. The itch, the desire to beam over there and take the matter in hand had Natalie gripping the arm rests of her chair. Her chair. Her bridge. Her ship. I belong here.

Natalie was about to cave into the desire to call for a status report when the dual beep of an incoming transmission toned.. She gestured with a hand and the channel was opened, and out poured the voice of Adam Kingston - she'd read a report, earlier that morning that he'd been defrosted and patched up, in stasis for so long - confirming that the bridge was secure.

"Excellent work, Lieutenant." What he'd done during Niga was pushed to the back of Natalie's mind. None of them had been in control of themselves, and she would not hold it against the man who had just willingly strode into enemy fire less than a day after coming out of deep stasis. Relief washed over her. Kingston was a competent officer, and she knew if Captain Zeigler had been injured he would have reported it.

"Proceed at your discretion. Medical is on the way." She pressed a button on the console that sat between the Captain and (empty) XO's chair and muted the external comms, only to open an internal channel. "Transporter room 6, prepare to beam first medical relief team directly the the Cayuga's bridge. Stand by, all teams, for immediate transport upon notification from security teams. Bridge out."

Within moments of her words, a medical team would arrive on the battered bridge of the Cayuga in time to see Lt. Kingston escorting Captain Ziegler off the bridge, on their next step of the hunt. Aboard the Theurgy medical crews queued up. In short order, Natalie heard the request coming in from their sister ships engine room. The security team there made a call and Natalie could make out the iconic drawl of their own Billy Bob in the background.

One less person to worry about, she thought as the trill Kiiz could be heard responding with the transport request. "Pull up a schematic of the Cayuga," Natalie ordered, leaning forward in her chair.

"Highlight areas where we've reclaimed. If we can narrow down Asurian life signs, display them there as well." She needed more information, and watched in silence over the next few minutes as the infographic was updated as more reports came in, and sensor readings flickered in and out.

Her musings were interrupted when Kingston called back to the ship once again with his report. Nat sat bolt upright in her chair, eyes wide. "Viewscreen forward. Helm, bring ups into position to cover the Cayuga's main shuttle bay. Tactical, arm phasers, but keep shields down." They would need those out of the way to continue the transporter support, which would leave them vulnerable should the shuttle make an escape run and attempt to damage them in the process.

"Bridge to Transporter room 6. Ens. Kiiz get on those transports now!"  She ordered sharply. She did not want to have to fire on any shuttle leaving the Cayuga. Both ships had precious few remaining as it was. Nor did she relish the idea of killing the enemy, but they were not giving her a whole lot of options there.

Over the comms she could hear a reply coming in from the transporter bay. "Kiiz to bridge. Transports cycling through now. Cpt. Ziegler and Lt Kingston have arrived at staging area. Next team beaming over."

"Acknowledged. Coordinate with Lt. Conway and Lt. Kingston on the Cayuga."

"Stark to Ziegler," Natalie finally opened a channel to Anya. "We're holding position aft of Cayuga. We'll make sure they don't escape. Good hunting, Anya."
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Nolan on October 13, 2018, 12:48:41 PM
[ PO 2nd class Kythalie Benmual | Corridors -> Shuttle bay | USS Cayuga ] Attn: @FollowTomorrow  @Juzzie   @Auctor Lucan @Absinthe 

She kept her looks on Rhys as she wasn't sure what she had to do about his injuries. As he spoke about being confused she gave a soft squeeze in his shoulder "You're on board the Cayuga. I... I don't know why." she admitted as she looked over at Ejek and the pale ghostly woman. "Do I need to ask if we can beam you over to Sickbay?" she looked worried at the counselor of her ship. She wasn't quite sure why they were here, what there goal was and her eyes drifted over the mess she had created with the dead Asurian as the blood was expanding further and further from the sliced up body.

She was about to ask the XO from the Theurgy if they could help Rhys when her combadge came to life and the voice of an unknown man came through it. He identified himself as Adam Kingston.

[There are still Asurians on the loose, and they are making a run for it. All available security personnel, converge on the Cayuga's shuttle bay immediately and stop them from launching... Move out! I repeat, move it!]

Kythalie looked at Rhys and at the other two officers as she stood up, swinging the confiscated weapon over her back "I-I need to go..." she said as she looked at the people around her "You guys just try to beam back to the Theurgy. You'll be safer off there I think." She waited for them to either agree or disagree with her plan. Regardless though she was going to move out like her acting chief ordered her to. Unless one of the officers gave her a direct order to stand down and remain with them.
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: alphawiz on October 13, 2018, 04:45:54 PM
Lt Kaylon Jeen | Main Engineering | USS Cayuga | Attn @Doc M. @Auctor Lucan  anybody else

"I was thinking we could vent the air just enough to make them unconscious, before resetting the environmental systems. I don't think we have enough power to do something extraordinary with the gravity plating where they are, like, increasing the gravity to make them unable to move, but between venting the air and trying to get a lock on their lifesigns with our transporter system... why now both, if one method fails?"


Kaylon shook his head.  "I think the transporters are out of the equation for now.  The power was fluctuating on it earlier.  With that blown conduit, power reroutes will have overloaded in a couple of other locations.  Not the extent here, but enough to burn out a few relays.  I wouldn't trust the transporter right now.  Not that I'd mind if the beam ripped these bastards' atoms to shreds."  He chuckled, smiling grimly "Maybe we could even tell the Asurians their people died in a transporter accident while trying to return home.  Let's check Security and see if the other option is a viable one. "

Hallquist pushed herself between O'Connell and himself, pulling up the information and video feeds.

"And I don't think they are in Security any more. We need to find th-!"

The familiar sound of a transporter whine hummed in the air.  Oh no.  The Asurians were sending in reinforcements.  Damn those inoperable shield generators!   "Arm yourselves!" he called out to the few remaining people in the Engine Room who weren't tending wounded or already in a Jeffries Tube trying to do repairs

Kaylon felt a sharp pain in his arm.  "Aaagh!" he barked.  Hallquist had his upper arm in a deathgrip.
Given what she'd been through in the last hour, it was a natural reaction.  Unfortunately it was his phaser arm.  He'd have to extricate himself from her vice like grip before he could fire at any boarders.

The transportees coalesced into not Asurian, but human form..wearing blue Starfleet uniforms and carrying medkits.  He felt himself sag in relief.  "Thank the gods" he said in relief.  His mind suddenly working again, he called out to them  "We still have plenty of wounded who need medical attention.  Best we could do is get most of them stabilized.  I take it you're from the Theurgy?"

He turned to Hallquist, who still had his arm in a death grip.  She met his gaze.  "And I'm going to need a dermal regenerator over here!  I think I'm going to have one hell of a bruise." he said, the mirth returning to his eyes for the first time in hours.  Maybe the situation wasn't as hopeless as it had seemed a few minutes ago.
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: FollowTomorrow on October 14, 2018, 06:07:46 AM
[ Acting XO Lt. Zelosa Ejek | Corridors | USS Cayuga ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Juzzie @Nolan @Absinthe

No, it’s not alright! Who in these two damnable ships decided you were fit to counsel once more, hm? Not I, certainly not I, and I should hope for the sake of their careers that nobody in my department allowed this either. Ejek had some very loud thoughts, but like B’Nila, she was trained to keep them on the inside of her mind, not the outside.

“The situation here calls for you to stay on medical leave, B’Nila. I’ve given no authorization for you to work again, and this is the worst place for your mental health.” She tried to scold her as gently as possible, considering it’s also possible that the alien managed to wander here on her own. She looked back to see Rhys--

Also useless, Ejek thought. Her first impression was souring very quickly. Why didn’t anyone here have a smidgeon of mental hygiene? Why did everyone she run into have to be so deeply traumatized?

“Beam him to sickbay.” She sighed to the petty officer. “That’s...not a good sign, to say the least.” Agression, and then complete memory loss didn’t line up with any diagnosis she knew of, anyway. Perhaps he had a stroke—but no, now came the voice of an Adam Kingston. They would lose possibly the only competent officer in this eclectic bunch.
“Go, be safe.” she nodded and bent to lift up Rhys by the arm, to walk him towards B’Nila. She tapped her combadge.
“Acting XO Zelosa Ejek, to Theurgy. I need Lieutenant Rhys beamed to sickbay and PO B’Nila Skai beamed someplace safe.”

She, however, would remain here until the ship was declared safe, even though she knew full well her leadership capacity was about as deep as a fishbowl.
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Veridian on October 15, 2018, 09:47:52 PM
Lt. Vanya | Main Engineering | USS Cayuga | Attn @alphawiz @Doc M. @Auctor Lucan  anyone else

Vanya was about to make a cursory rebuke to the Vulcan’s retort when she stopped herself.   Truth be told it was a token response.   In her experience, humanoids generally did require some form of affirmation, an offer of assistance even if it was obvious to all, including the potential party needing help that help was beyond Vanya’s abilities.  

Their thoughts were stopped when Vanya heard a human with the oddest dialogue she had heard since an aspiring Pakled mercenary intended to “buy” access the Morska array during her early career.   Apparently he wanted to look how to be “Strong” from the Klingons.   He was sent on his way, but he was the talk of the communication channels for a while.  

Her thoughts returned to the immediate situation, particularly when medical staff beamed into Engineering.   She cast a look at her exposed hand, the servos and joints visible.   Already she could feel the internal repair systems beginning to kick in, with the repair systems laying the groundwork for what would become her new arm’s system of nerves.     He wasn’t sure who had seen her, so she surreptitiously hit her arm behind her back.

“There were a couple more interlopers in the science labs.” She said, thinking again of those who had died.   “They are ‘resting’ from their encounter with the ensign and I.”   She gestured towards Cir’ce with her good hand. However, they will need appropriate treatment, be it security or medical.”    
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: alphawiz on October 16, 2018, 03:43:11 AM
Lt Kaylon Jeen|Main Engineering | USS Cayuga | Attn: @Arista @Doc M. @Auctor Lucan

Kaylon felt himself breathe a sigh of relief for the first time in hours.  The security and medical personnel were doing what needed doing.  He tapped his combadge.  "Jeen to Ziegler.  Captain, Engineering is secure.  It's a mess down here, but it's solidly in our hands now."  Switching to another channel he said "Jeen to all Engineering personnel still in working order. Be on the lookout for stray Asurians.  If you spot them, notify security at once, but  let's get back to work, folks.  We've got a lady to get back on her feet.  I want regular status reports."

Not one to take anything for granted, Kaylon holstered his phaser, then picked up his engineer's kit, and headed over to start trying to piece that EPS conduit back together.
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Doc M. on October 16, 2018, 08:52:11 AM
[ Doctor George Hernandez (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Medical_NPCs#Lieutenant_George_Hernandez.2C_MD) & William Robert O’Connell (http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/219/f/7/oconnel_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6n2x.png) | Main Engineering | Deck 17 | USS Cayuga ] Atten: @Auctor Lucan, @alphawiz, @Veridian.

In the brief time Doctor George Hernandez had gotten to know William Robert O’Connell he had learned that although the universal translator in his combadge could convert a thousand tongues into the language he had known since birth, occasionally it could be totally stymied by the master chief’s accent, folksy idioms, and obnoxious drawl.  During those times he tended to tune him out.  Billy Bob O’Connell tended to talk so much that if you missed what he said the first time, he would likely mention what you missed a second time.  On the other hand he did listen to the Cayuga’s chief engineering officer when he called out from the master systems display table.

"We still have plenty of wounded who need medical attention.  Best we could do is get most of them stabilized.  I take it you're from the Theurgy?"

“Why yes Lieutenant I am,” Doctor Hernandez replied as he knelt over a wounded warp technician.  “I’m guessing there’s an ‘and’ attached there somewhere,” he added wryly.

"And I'm going to need a dermal regenerator over here!  I think I'm going to have one hell of a bruise." Kaylon joked.

Before Hernandez could respond the voice of Captain Anya Ziegler (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Anya_Ziegler) was heard over the ship’s communications system:

[ "Ziegler to all senior staff, report in. Bridge has been secured and we are en route to the security centre." ]

Kaylon tapped his combadge.  "Jeen to Ziegler.  Captain, Engineering is secure.  It's a mess down here, but it's solidly in our hands now."  Without missing a beat, he tapped his combadge a second time.  "Jeen to all Engineering personnel still in working order. Be on the lookout for stray Asurians.  If you spot them, notify security at once, but  let's get back to work, folks.  We've got a lady to get back on her feet.  I want regular status reports."

William Robert O’Connell coughed into his fist, cleared his throat and spoke to the chief engineer.  “Sir if yuh don’t mind, Ah cal’culate thet it’s high time Ah wuz…”

He was cut off by the terse but familiar voice of a man Billy Bob had believed dead.  He had been placed in cryosleep.

"This is Lieutenant Kingston, Acting Chief of Security for both ships.  There are still Asurians on the loose, and they are making a run for it. All available security personnel, converge on the Cayuga's shuttle bay immediately and stop them from launching. There is no telling how much damage they can inflict with the phaser arrays on the shuttle they pick. Theurgy, if you are getting this, we need site-to-site transports to cover the distance, but we will not be waiting for you. Move out! I repeat, move it!"

“Well Ah’ll be!” the master chief gushed.  “Thet wuz Lew-tenant Adam Kingston wuzzn’t it?  When they put him in cryosleep Ah wuz shore it wuz jest uh fancy body bag but Ah reckon we must uh got somethin’ from Black Opal…”  He glanced at Lieutenant Jeen guiltily.  It wouldn’t do to talk about the time the Theurgy had (ahem) commandeered vital medical supplies (engaged in piracy) just a week ago if he wanted to convince his new friends that they were the good guys.  His hand went to the hidden pocket in his uniform before relaxing when two women stepped out of the shadows to join them.  “Ensign Cir’cie.  Lieutenant… um… Ah should know who yuh are ‘cause yew were aboard th’ Stallion jest yesterday but Ah cain’t quite place your name…  Did’ja encounter any Asurians ma’ams?” 

"There were a couple more interlopers in the science labs," Lieutenant Vanya replied as she covered her injured hand with her other hand before quickly hiding her wounded extremity behind her back.  "They are 'resting' from their encounter with the ensign and I." she gestured towards Cir'ce with her good hand.  "However, they will need appropriate treatment, be it security or medical."

Doctor Hernandez tapped his combadge.  “Hernandez to Theurgy, beam the casualties directly to sickbay.  We’re ready to beam to the next location on the Cayuga that’s secure.”  Fortunately for Vanya, Hernandez wasn’t concerned with anyone who didn’t have a life threatening injury.

Billy Bob turned to Kaylon to find him repairing the conduit he had overloaded in order to stop Ora-Sedra.  Approaching the beleaguered chief engineer, O’Connell coughed into his fist and cleared his throat again.  “Ahem.  Ez Ah wuz sayin’ sir, the Cayuga ain’t exactly whut you’d call secure raight now.  It’s a combat zone thet iz, an’ Ah cain’t help but thinkin’ thet until it’s secure there’s a lotta stuff Ah could be uh fixin’ aboard mah own ship…”


Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: alphawiz on October 16, 2018, 09:04:00 PM
Lt Kaylon Jeen | Main Engineering | USS Cayuga | Attn @Doc M.  et al

Peering into the conduit, Kaylon smiled.  It may have overloaded and blown, but in a rare instance of good luck in the hell of the past week, the damage was limited to just a small section.  He'd be able to  repair it and get part of the power grid back online just as quickly as he could replicate a new conduit casing and replace the flow circuit calibrator.


"Ahem."

Kaylon turned as O'Connell cleared his throat.  "Ez Ah wuz sayin' sir, the Cayuga ain't exactly whut you'd call secure raight now.  It's a combat zone thet iz, an' Ah cain't help but thinkin' thet until it's secure there's a lotta stuff Ah could be uh fixin' aboard mah own ship..."


Taking a moment to mentally translate and process what the Chief was saying, and wishing for the ninth or tenth time since the man had shown up in Engineering that one of his previous hosts had been a Linguist, he turned to the man and smiled.  "I imagine there are a lot of things that need fixing all over both ships, Chief.  I take it you've got a powerful reason to want to get back to the Theurgy?  I won't pretend to not need all the help I can get around here, since most of our primary systems are still down, but if there's something you need to do back on your own ship...well I reckon I owe you at least a couple." Smiling at the man and holding out his hand to him, Jeen said solemnly, "Clear it with the powers that be, and I have no objections.   Thank you, for everything my friend."

Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Absinthe on October 17, 2018, 07:37:33 AM
[ PO1 B'Nila Skai | Corridors | USS Cayuga ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Juzzie @Nolan @FollowTomorrow
[Show/Hide]

For a moment B'Nila said nothing. She knew, on some level, Ejek was right. She shouldn't be there. And honestly she wasn't a hundred percent sure how she had even gotten there, that was reason enough for her to not be there, but at the same time, she couldn't bring herself to leave, to go back to the Theurgy.

"Wait," B'Nila said suddenly and reached out to touch Ejek's shoulder, stopping herself before she got too close. "I... I can't go back... I can't be... there. I can't do it right now. I don't want to be on that ship. I don't want to be on the ship with that broken room, with that blood-stained hallway, with her corpse..." B'Nila could only give Ejek a pleading look. She didn't know how she could explain herself, how she could make herself clear. She was usually well-spoken, but at that moment she felt like a child trying desperately to convince a guardian to let them remain because there were monsters in their room. The only real difference was that B'Nila knew that the monsters were in her head.

"I can still be of use here. I can do... something... I don't want to be... alone..."
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Arista on October 21, 2018, 02:17:53 AM
[ Captain Anya Ziegler (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Anya_Ziegler) | Bridge | Deck 01 | USS Cayuga ] @Brutus @Auctor Lucan @Veridian @alphawiz , Anyone else 
[Show/Hide]

Anya Ziegler listened to the words of her newly appointed chief of security and swallowed deep to try to clear the lump in her throat. The captain wanted to say so much. It wasn’t her fault. It’ll be ok. Don’t apologise. By the time Anya opened her mouth to comfort the woman, it was too late, Bannin was gone.

Ziegler watched as the weight of shipboard gravity took its course and the lieutenant’s body slowly slid to the decking with her cold, unblinking eyes staring off into the distance. She had put her duty above everything else. There were times Anya wished she had the passion of a Klingon - to cry and scream at the top of her voice. Another warrior was on their way to Sto’vo’kor.

Instead, all Anya had was numbness. Almost paralysing. Once again, just when she thought she could lose no more, she was proved wrong. What else was there? Her ship? Her life? If she never saw another Asurian again, she concluded with a small blackness growing in her heart, it would be too soon.

Too soon proved right, as the security officer from Theurgy spoke into the quiet moment within the brig. He brought focus back to the important fact. They weren’t out of the woods. The Asurian leader, and possibly the most dangerous of the group was still loose. As he explained his request to take over security operations, the captain stood quietly. When he finished she said only two words.

“Do it.”

Orders were spoken and with the sound of thudding feet on deck plates, Anya was left alone, aside from her escort. She wanted to join in, to run down the corridor, but the emotions of the situation left her drained. Like a car running on fumes, she needed to muster up the energy before she could set herself into motion.

The call from Engineering gave her what she needed. That small glimmer of hope. Jeen and the others had saved the main engine room. Stark was there too, jumping into the channel just moments later, confirming they were covering Cayuga’s back.

“Ziegler here. Thanks, Theurgy.” Turning, the commanding officer of the Iroquois class finally managed to gain some more resolve. “Natalie, whatever happens, make sure that the Chief Marshall doesn’t escape without justice.”

Checking her phaser one again for power, Ziegler rushed off towards the shuttlebay with the other officers in tow. Quietly, she prayed that the shuttlebay operations team hadn’t disconnected any of the shuttles from the main power grid. They had been used for additional battery power during the aftermath of the Borg attack. Assuming that they were still plugged in, the shuttle bay would be a mass of cables and trunking. It would slow the Asurians down to have to removed everything to launch a small craft. Hopefully, this would give a chance for security to congregate.

By the time Anya got there, no matter if it was a hostage negotiation or full blown shootout, the final Asurian battle aboard Cayuga would be underway. 
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Doc M. on October 21, 2018, 02:35:10 AM
[ William Robert O’Connell (http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/219/f/7/oconnel_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6n2x.png) | Main Engineering | Deck 17 | USS Cayuga ] Atten: @Auctor Lucan, @alphawiz, @Veridian.

"I won't pretend to not need all the help I can get around here, since most of our primary systems are still down, but if there's something you need to do back on your own ship...well I reckon I owe you at least a couple." Smiling at the man and holding out his hand to him, Jeen said solemnly, "Clear it with the powers that be, and I have no objections.   Thank you, for everything my friend."

“Why thank yew Lew-tenant, yer an’ ossifer an’ uh gen’lmen,” O’Connell purred as the sound of the transporter became audible and the medical team and their patients vanished in a shower of sparks.  “Ah promise yew Mister Jeen, thet as soon as th’ Cayuga is secure mah team an’ Ah will beam raight over an’ fix up thet EPS conduit in two shakes of uh lamb’s tail.” 

Although in some ways it felt like turning tail there was no way O’Connell and his team could begin repairs on the main EPS conduit until the injured starship was free of homicidal maniacs.  In the meantime there was no point risking the chief engineers of both ships by having them both on the ship that had intruders bent on mass murder running free.

Billy Bob walked away and tapped his combadge.  “O’Connell tuh Theurgy, beam me back to th’ Shield, Mister Kiiz.  Until th’ Cayuga iz Asurian free, Ah’m ready tuh return home.” 

“I’m afraid you’ll have to wait a moment Master Chief,” the transporter officer’s voice replied.  “Currently our medical and security teams have dibs on the transporter.  You’ll have to wait your turn.  I’ll call you as soon as a window opens.”

“Well ain’t this jest sweeter then smeg,” O’Connell grunted.  Grimacing, he looked back at Lieutenant Jeen before walking over to him.  “It looks like our transporter room is a mite busy fur th’ moment,” he admitted sheepishly.  “Need uh hand?”



OOC:  It looks like Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ] is wrapping up, at least the part with the engineers in it.  I’m going to assume that any subsequent repairs take place “off stage” unless Lieutenant Jeen wants to ask O’Connell any questions.

(https://www.deviantart.com/schematization/art/McCoy-My-Halloween-Costume-101249602)
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Auctor Lucan on October 22, 2018, 08:59:59 PM
[ Petty Officer Third Class Patricia Hallquist | Engineering | USS Cayuga ] Attn: @Doc M. @alphawiz @Veridian

When Jeen had protested against the pain caused by her grip, Patricia had let go immediately, hands spread wide and apologising. She'd been startled by the beam-in of personnel, but was very relieved to see that there were Theurgy officers present that could take care of the injured. Not long after that, Patricia saw the new Chief Science Officer - Lieutenant Vanya - arrive together with a Vulcan. She noticed the arm, and being an Engineer and already familiar with the Android's rare anatomy, she stepped forward - letting others deal with the developing situation with the Asurians since she had little to offer there.

"I can follow you to the Theurgy's sickbay, Lieutenant," she said, offering a brief smile, and stepped up to Vanya and Cir'Cie, the Vulcan merely giving her a flat stare. She looked like she wanted to hand her phaser over to someone, almost as if the thing caused a rash on her hand, but there wasn't anyone suitable in place. Patricia chose to focus on Vanya. "Whatever the medics can't figure out, I can. I don't think I've ever seen your synthetic skin this damaged before..."

Soon enough, together with all others on the Cayuga that were to due to switch ships, Patricia, Vanya and Cir'Cie vanished in a shimmer of light.

[ Lt. JG Adam Kingston (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Adam_Kingston) | Corridors > Shuttle Bay | USS Cayuga ] Attn: All
[Show/Hide]
It seemed like Captain Stark leapt upon his request for tactical site-to-site transports, for at some point whilst the security detail he led was running for the shuttle bay, they were contacted by Kiiz on the Theurgy. The Trill helped them cover the distance, and Adam could regain his breath a little.

He was feeling keenly how he'd been on ice for too long, but since he woke up - and the parasites were still not dealt with - he had become more and more compelled to do something about it. If not the parasites, it was something else, and while he had been gone, the roster of original Theurgy crew had become too diminished for him to not give a damn. He'd lost too many, and the problems weren't just going away. It was time to rise to the damn challenge.

When he rematerialised, it looked like he was in the corridor outside the bay, and while he waited for Captain Ziegler and the rest to join him, he tapped his combadge, speaking whilst he shook out his legs a bit - pulse loud in his ears. "Kingston to all security officers on the Cayuga," he rasped hoarsely, glancing at a control panel next to him to see where he was, "Captain Ziegler's and my team are ten souls strong and we're entering the bay from the port side. If you have a choice, enter from the starboard side so we can pinch them where they are. Engaging the Asurians in three, two, one. Go!"

He tapped his combadge to end the call, and set a brisk pace through the sliding doors, his rifle's stock against his shoulder and his brown eyes along its sights. He rode the rush of adrenaline, forgetting any fears for his own life. He waved to the left and right, making the present security officers fan out to the sides in the bay, which seemed like it had been abandoned in the middle of some weird engineering project. Like kids forgetting to put away their toys, cables and wiring hung from the deckhead and laced across the large deck. Four shuttles seemed like they were getting an IV, but the fifth...

"Enemy sighted, fifth shuttle. Fire at will!" Kingston barked, but the two large, male Asurians on top of the Type 9 shuttle already had their weapons up - firing green beams into the advancing Starfleet officers. Adam dove for cover behind the closest shuttle, swearing as he began to fire from cover.

That was when the starboard door of the shuttle bay opened, and they got reinforcements. Perhaps it was too late, however, since the shuttle was coming alive - the cables already cut by the Asurians on top of it. It was only a matter of time before it would activate shields, and begin to fire back at them. Adam tapped his comabdge again. "Kingston to Kiiz, I need whatever officers you have a lock on, and I need them now! Location: Inside the shuttle that's powering up. It's shields might come online any moment!"

[This is Kiiz, I hear you. Deploying personnel now!]

[ Chief Marshall Akri Sitaio | Shuttle Sato - Interior | USS Cayuga ] Attn: All
[Show/Hide]
In the cockpit of the Starfleet shuttle, Akri Sitaio had her sindt against Nina Nilsson's throat, the blonde woman at the helm. "Power up the shields, now!"

"No," said the woman, defiant now. As if she'd finally found her backbone. "I refuse. You're not going anywhere."

There was but a second of hesitation, before Akri decided against making good on her threat, wishing to see the woman's aorta severed and seeing the blood cascade against the shuttle controls. Instead, she growled, and whilst keeping the brig officer where she was with her blade, she leaned past her, and tried her hand at getting the shield up herself.

She saw the light more than she heard the beam-in, the noise drowned out by the firefight raging outside, but she caught on to what was happening in time, and rounded on those that had arrived. She'd yanked the blonde woman up from the seat and held her as a meat shield between herself and the cravens that had come to kill her.

"Let me leave," she hissed, teeth bared, "and she lives. One false move, and her blood will be all over you. Literally... and figuratively too, if you have any conscience."


OOC: Any character(s) can be beamed into the shuttle and face Akri. There are also two Asurians to deal with on top of the shuttle. Your next posts in this thread might just be the last ones in the Chapter! Free-form posting for all others, and they might just join in too!

Again, we have an opening for Supplemental threads in Chapter 03, spanning from 1200 hrs. on Day 04 (directly after the battle) to 0800 hrs. on Day 05, where Chief Marshall Akri Sitaio releases her captured Asurians above. The naming convention for such threads that belong to Chapter 03 is still: CH03: S [DXX|YYYY] Insert Title, and before the Asurians broke free, such threads can be made with members of the Scouting Mission too.

Here are those present on the Cayuga:
[Show/Hide]
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: FollowTomorrow on October 24, 2018, 07:01:37 PM
[ Acting XO Lt. Zelosa Ejek | Corridors | USS Cayuga ] Attn: @Juzzie  @Absinthe

Why did things happen to her? Why did the universe specifically target Zelosa Ejek and throw all the shit at her? She took a deep breath and sighed.
“The rooms here will likely be even more bloodstained than the ones you came from, and you know full well how adding more trauma to your mental state will affect you, and I daresay you know it better than I do. You’re returning to the ship.”

“But you won’t be alone.” She added, her eyes going over to Lieutenant Rhys. He was also a basket case right now. In all honesty, she did not trust Rhys nor B’Nila to counsel each other, or even themselves. She did trust them to at least maintain a buddy system for a few hours. B’Nila, at least, she could trust to keep documentation of Rhy’s symptoms as well.
“This man is Lieutenant Rhys Williams of the Cayuga.” Ejek patted the poor sod’s shoulder. “We intended to have a meeting wherein I would advise him regarding the mental health of his ship. We were subsequently attacked. He froze, and then attacked back. He now does not remember where he is. I have no medical history and no diagnosis. I need someone to remain with him until such time that we can beam him out for treatment, if necessary. I want someone with counseling experience to remain with him so that his symptoms can be documented. I am having you beamed out." She repeated, "but you still have a job to do. So go, and do it well."
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Absinthe on October 26, 2018, 09:04:25 AM
[ PO1 B'Nila Skai | Corridors | USS Cayuga ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Juzzie @Nolan @FollowTomorrow
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With all her heart B'Nila wanted to stay with Ejek, or at least stay with someone she knew, someone she could trust, but as Ejek spoke, a calm came over her none-the-less. She had a task to do, not much of one, but one that only someone in her shoes could do. She had to make sure another traumatized individual stayed safe and keep some kind of record so he could be helped later. It wasn't going to be an easy task, given her current mental health she could barely keep herself in line, but it was the task she was being given.

"Okay," she breathed in resignation. It would do little good to point out that blood didn't bother her, indeed she was barely fazed by the bloody mess on the floor near them. No, it was the fact that it was her blood, Michal's blood, that carved its way into her mind and she could not escape the feeling of sickened terror, of absolute loneliness that crept into her when she remembered. "I can do it. I still know how to fill out the record forms, I can do that." She offered Ejek a tightlipped smile, a look that showed how scared she was, but also how hard she was trying to do it right.
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Nolan on October 27, 2018, 03:16:43 PM
[ PO 2nd class Kythalie Benmual | Corridors > Shuttle Bay | USS Cayuga ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan + anyone else present

Running as if her life depended on it Kythalie heard her badge chirp as the voice of Adam Kingston was heard once more. Ziegler and himself would be coming on the port side of the shuttle bay, ten men strong. Kythalie looked behind her and spotted nobody yet as she figured she was making a good run to the starboard side of the shuttle bay. She stopped at the starboard side doors as she caught her breath, regulating he breathing as she swung the confiscated Asurian rifle into both her hands. She closed her eyes, the head ache still present and not really fading. The thrum of her heart echoing in her ears as she felt like she was about to puke.

She swallowed the bile however as her muscles protested yet complied to her movements. She opened the starboard side doors and moved in swiftly with the rifle trained. She scanned over the shuttles before she heard the barking order from Kingston echo through the bay. Fifth shuttle... Her eyes shifted before she spotted the two Asurians on top of it. She narrowed her eyes and complied to the order to fire at will. She sank through her knee for more stability before the green beam fired out of the muzzle of her rifle.

The first shot missed by a hair as the targets were moving, the second one sliced through the Asurian firing onto the oncoming security forces. The beam disintegrating the spine and leaving a large incision from his lower back to his shoulder blades, yet due to the nature of the beam weapons, a similar incision was made from the base of the Asurian's bowel all the way to the top of his torso. The figure stumbled backwards towards the front of the shuttle before the skin gave way. His intestines, stomache, liver, lungs and a whole lot of blood gushed out from both sides before the Asurian toppled down over the front of the shuttle. The cockpit windshield probably smeared open by the various organs and blood before the Asurian slid over it and smacked into the deck plating.

Kythalie looked at the result of her shot and moved into cover just to be safe as the Asurian's buddy would undoubtedly figure out what had happened to his fellow warrior. She tapped her combadge "Kingston, I'm at the starboard side, alone for now, I think I got one of the hostiles on the shuttle. Do I push on or wait for reinforcements?" she asked as she poked her head out and fired a couple of more times at the remaining Asurian, though he seemed to be more agile then the first as her element of surprise had passed. He jumped off the top of the shuttle and thus she lost her line of sight of him.
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Auctor Lucan on October 28, 2018, 05:32:06 PM
[ Ensign Cir'Cie (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Cir%27Cie) | Shuttle | USS Cayuga ] @Veridian
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When Cir'Cie materialised, she was certainly not aboard the Theurgy. She raised an eyebrow, facing an Asurian with a hostage, having been beamed aboard a shuttle instead. A Type 9 shuttle, unless she was mistaken. She wasn't alone either, finding herself standing next to Lieutenant Vanya once more, only now facing a different situation involving one of these hostile aliens that had broken free aboard the Cayuga. Unfortunately, she had given up her phaser to the present officers in Engineering too, so she was unarmed. It seemed Vanya, however mightn't be.

The ultimatum that the female Asurian posed was quite clear, and Cir'Cie looked back at her, the absence of emotion in her tone telling in how exasperated she was with violence. More so than any inflection of anger might. Cir'Cie was a Botanist, and she had no interest in hostage situations.

"Well, then release her," she said cooly, glancing towards the blonde officer with a blade at her throat, "and we will step out with her, letting you be on your way. We have no interest in jeopardising this woman's life if the only term is that you are allowed to leave."

"Then step out of the shuttle, and tell the present security forces to stand down, craven," said the woman, tilting her head and horns forward, while there was blood running down the viewport of the cockpit.

Cir'Cie glanced towards Vanya, since she was the higher ranking officer.


OOC: Just an intermediate post, since I noticed that @Doc M. might not be beamed into the shuttle any more with the final edit of the latest O'Connell post. @Veridian , post away! @Arista , please post again as soon as you can in the shuttle bay, dealing with the second Asurian there. Feel free to NPC Kingston too, as long as we can end this Chapter soon enough and get the Sword to the Stallion.
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Veridian on October 31, 2018, 11:47:10 PM
[ Lt, Vanya | Shuttle Sato - Interior | USS Cayuga ] @Auctor Lucan

Vanya held out her hands at her side.  

“Conscience.”   Vanya said, almost distantly.   “That’s something that I might or might not have….   Philosophers have been discussing this for decades.”   She rolled up her glove and dropped it to the ground, showing her exposed skeletal hand.  

The plan to negotiate was already going through her mind   It was time to find some common ground.  
 
“Listen to me.   We are very similar.”   She said choosing her words carefully, knowing that time was of the essence.   “I was built by an enemy of Starfleet, but I was in a desparate situation.   They didn’t want to hurt me, but they had to look after their own, so I had to work with their security.”  

“We do not want to hurt you”   Vanya said attempting to gauge the hostile’s strength and speed compared to her own if there was the slightest chance that the negotiation would fail.      “There has been enough blood spilt this day.   If you attempt to hurt your quarry, I’ll have to take steps to stop you.   I will also put this shuttle on total lockdown   This will likely result in pain for you, and leave you in a position of weakness, without a shuttle to fly.”
 
She thought about her next words carefully.   “But put your blade down, surrender now and you have a position of strength to negotiate from, give us answers about this attack, and let us learn more and we might be able to return you to your own people at some point.   I cannot promise this, I can onlyc give you possibilities.   But possibilities of negotiation are better than the guarantee of a shuttle full of blood.”   
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Arista on November 01, 2018, 01:53:19 PM
[ Captain Anya Ziegler (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Anya_Ziegler) | Bridge | Deck 01 | USS Cayuga ] @Brutus @Auctor Lucan @Veridian @Nolan  , Anyone else 
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By the time Anya Ziegler and her escort arrived to the shuttlebay, the firefight was already ongoing. The large bay was a mess, it had been since the Borg had attacked Cayuga what felt like forever ago. The main shuttle facility on the Iroquois class was wide and tall, overly large for the vessel’s size, but it was nowhere near the ample provision on Theurgy. Nearly all the shuttles had been tied into the main power conduits as an additional battery source during the energy crisis. The others were plugged during in the storage facility located in the deck below alongside the work bees and the Argo shuttle. This meant, as Ziegler scanned her eyes over the bay, there were six shuttles strewn all over with large amounts of cabling and trunking plugged into the various small craft. At the other end of the cables, there were makeshift adaptors allowing the vehicles to directly interface with ODN and other power conduits. In other words, trip hazards were everywhere.

Waiting for a pause within the shots, Ziegler and her companions joined the Lieutenant from Theurgy covering themselves behind one of the large cargo shuttles.

“Report.” Ziegler ordered, listening to the sound of Asurian weapons fire zinging off metallic bulkheads.

“We have two enemy contacts on the fifth shuttle. They’re attempting to get it operational.” Kingston replied between shots. Whatever else Anya could say about the little time they had spent together, she would be sure to note that this officer was calm under fire.

Carefully she slid herself towards to the rear of the shuttle and peered around the edge. On top of the shuttle was two Asurians. As Anya formulated a plan, there was a few shots from across the bay. The first missed but the second hit it’s mark. The rifle fire caused the Asurian to collapse in on himself until his skin burst in some form of grotesque display. Feeling a twist in her stomach, Anya wanted to look away, but knew this would be a good opportunity. When the last remaining Asurian turned to check on her colleague, Ziegler raised her phaser and fired. The shot struck her in the shoulder, but it was enough, starting from the impact there was an orange glow as it vaporised skin, flesh and bone. In less than a few seconds the intruder was completely gone.

Turning back into cover, Anya took a deep breath. “Kingston! Secure the shuttle. I’m going to get tractor beam controls.”

Standing from the crouch that she was in, Ziegler sprint towards the aft of the bay, over to a freestanding console. It was a relatively open position compared to her last location, but it would allow her to stop the shuttle from leaving, assuming that Cayuga had enough power for a tractor beam.
Title: Re: Chapter 01: Blood For Blood [ Day 05 | 0800 hrs. ]
Post by: Auctor Lucan on November 02, 2018, 09:15:34 PM
[ Chief Marshall Akri Sitaio | Shuttle Sato - Interior | USS Cayuga ] Attn: All
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Standing there, with her sindt against the windpipe of the blonde officer named Nina Nilsson, Akri Sitatio utterly despised what she was hearing from the odd human with the metallic arm prosthetic. Craven-talk, and also, did she truly expect her to be foolish enough to surrender? That she'd be of the same ilk as them? Obviously, they were not about to step out willingly, these two women - one with pointed ears. Therefore, since it appeared they were unarmed...

"This a waste of my time. You had your chance to leave," she said, and then, she forcefully pushed the blond on her grip straight towards the woman with the metal arm prosthetic. The idea was to unbalance her, and getting the time to raise her short graviton rifle and kill all three women. She began to fire against the blonde she had just pushed, and the graviton beam hit dead centre, hopefully piercing through both the women. Then, she turned the muzzle towards the Vulcan.

Only the Vulcan was right in her face, all of a sudden, and pushed the graviton weapon's aim straight towards the deck - the green beam scorching a rift into the plating. Being new to the Federation, she might have underestimated the sheer strength of the woman with the pointed ears, who was trying to twist her arm around... to great success. Akri grunted, and let go of her rifle, so that she might roll with the twisting motion. It was a cumbersome affair, with the close quarters of the shuttle, and the strength of this Vulcan, but in the end, she got around, and was presented an opening. She bared her teeth, pulling back her sindt in order to impale the Vulcan with her blade.

Yet there was movement in her peripheral vision, and the last thing she saw, was a flare of orange light.

[ Lt. JG Adam Kingston (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Adam_Kingston) | Shuttle Sato - Interior | USS Cayuga ] Attn: All
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His face grim, Adam Kingston lowered his phaser rifle, standing in the opening to the shuttle. His heart was racing, and his breathing rapid, but with his eyes unblinking, he watched the headless Asurian sink down to the deck, right next to the rifle she had dropped.

He glanced towards Cir'Cie, whom he remembered well enough from the Theurgy, not even knowing she was still alive before that point. The Vulcan returned his glance, before crouching down next to the fallen. She turned the blonde woman over, and the face stared emptily into the deckhead of the shuttle - mouth agape. The other woman seemed to move though, perhaps even unscathed, and Kingston suppressed any guilt he might have felt in that moment, since he had shot the Asurian within the second of stepping inside. By then, the blonde officer had already been shot.

Since Cir'Cie was seeing to the woman with the metal arm, Adam stepped out to Anya Ziegler. "The last Asurian is dead. Shuttle secured."

Yet considering the body count that the Asurians had managed to amount... the victory felt quite hollow.

"Adam Kingston to Theurgy bridge," he added quietly after tapping his combadge. "Asurian threat neutralised. Send over more medics... This crew needs all the help they can get."

Having seen the carnage on the bridge alone, Kingston had already realised, that there was no way that the Theurgy could just leave the Cayuga behind and go to the second Rendezvous point.

- FIN


OOC: Right! I know this ending was a bit rushed now, but since we really need to progress the Episode overall, we now open up for Supplemental Threads instead, for all present characters on the Stallion and the Cayuga, leading up to 0700 hrs. on Day 06. That's the day after the current one

I will be opening up a thread set on 0700 hrs. on Day 06 where the Sword arrives to the Stallion and the Cayuga. I think it might be a good idea to consider how much repairs could have been made until then. Stay tuned for the new thread, set on Day 06, and go right ahead and post your Supplemental threads at your leisure, with the naming convention CH01: S [DXX|YYYY] Insert Title
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