Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: CHAPTER 04: Invictus [07: Undoing] (Read 45408 times) previous topic - next topic
0 Members and 2 Guests are viewing this topic.

Re: CHAPTER 04: Invictus [07: Undoing]

Reply #75 –
[ Aisha S'Iti | Bridge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Bridge personnel

The former Marquis understood exactly what the Acting Captain wanted and adjusted her heading angling the Theurgy's bow towards the Calamity.

Donovra saw the opportunity she needed and unloaded both active forward tubes, sending the projectiles towards their huntress.  As the two shipe collided, she couldn't help but allow a smile to grace her features, feeling a cathartic joy at the sense of being part of sending this she-devil to her oblivion.  When the debris hit them, she barely was able to stay upright but managed to remain standing at her station.

The viper that had hunted them still not only had fangs but more importantly she still had the ability to slither away.  She continued the pass by - angling the still heavily shielded dorsal side into the one angle of escape the Calamity may have had.  On the pass by, she adjusted the angle again as the Calamity lined up with their rear.

Donovra, eager to make sure the Calamity was fully unable to get away, sent the last three torpedoes as Aisha engaged the impulse drive above the usual safety restrictions, pushing them to nearly half light speed to make sure they got to a safe range.


[ Miles Renard (Iron-Fox) | Lone Wolves Squadron | Wolf-01 ] Attn: Mission Ops, Lone Wolves Squadron, Thea

To his rear, an explosion rocked the space near the psuedo-star.  Seeing the incoming telemetry on the close by blastwave, he cut his tractor-beam and rerouted power to shields, decelerating enough that the crippled Reaver's momentum carried her. Even with his own craft holding down the aileron thrusters being the only controls, he juked the stick to the side, inverting his craft and pitching himself so he was directly above Thea's cockpit. With the blast wave from the warp cores going critical nearing them, he did the only thing he could think to do.  He poured every bit of power he could into the shields and expanded the shield bubble into the space of the nearly ruined Reaver's cockpit, hoping to protect Thea's emitter from whatever harm came their way.  Sparing a last moment, he turned the opacity filter on his visor off and looked up at the occupant of the Reaver.  If they were to be together doomed he wanted to at least die with the unfiltered sight of the soul of the ship he was willing to die to protect.

The blast shook the ship as alarms began to howl warnings of loss of flight control and small hull breeches.  Then the ship went dead quiet inside, aside from the faint hum of the vibration of his engines.  At last those were running still but he lost all of the necessary fly by wire systems. Essentially, he was flying blind with only the most basic controls.  He looked up and saw the Reaver,  or rather what could be called a cockpit of one attached to a heavily damaged shell of the experimental fighter, he now doubted he could salvage much from at all now.  Though Papa Bear and his crew were miracle workers, so who knows what they would be able to pull off? Of course, now the two ships were drifting, and Miles was manually keeping his craft steady to keep near the Reaver Thea was in while flying without flight-computer.  Likely the blast had fried his on-board computer along with most other electronic equipment aside from the heavily blast shielded engines.

Then a thought crossed his mind as he began bringing up his systems, most of them came online but his onboard computer was gone so sensors, communication and transponders at the moment were gone.  looking up again he saw his salvation.  His onboard computer system was not dead but the software system was corrupted.  Luckily there was a backup mere feet from his cockpit. Bringing up the needed commands, he attempted to connect with the nearest Federation A.I. system. The one mere feet away.  Attempting to bring the systems up Miles spoke up.  "Thea can you hear me.  I just wirelessly tethered my ship's computer to your emitter.  That blast fried the on-bord computer so I''m flying blind.  Do you think you can access my ship's systems and bring my transponder and radio back up. Sensors would be appreciated too, since I need those to bring a tractor back-up to tow that wreck you are sitting in back to base." 

Sighing in the quiet of space Miles leaned back in the chair awaiting the Thea's reply.  Needless to say, he was thankful for the small favor of having distanced himself so far from the current dogfight because his ship was in no shape to so much as try and bring weapons systems back up.  He would be lucky to be able to limp back to base with the Reaver in tow.  Dealing with live Reavers in combat, to put it lightly, Thea's confrontation with her daughter would seem only mildly suicidal by comparison.

Re: CHAPTER 04: Invictus [07: Undoing]

Reply #76 –
[ Natalie Stark | Deck 01 - Bridge| USS Theurgy ] Atten: all, esp Ives and Henshaw

And suddenly, just like that, it was over. The Cardassian next to her had piloted the ship, bucking, weaving, diving and rotating through a field of fire and death. Many decks below her, Master Chief O'Connel had proved his worth, finding the power where there should have been none to spare, shunting from the warp drive to the sheilds, keeping the ship alive. And Ida zh'Wann,of all people, had brought the USS Harbinger, the vessel whose captain had tried to turn Natalie's crew against its rightful CO, in to the battle like an avenging angel, living up to that ships name. A Harbinger of doom for the Calamity. She watched in muted horror as the link between the two ships cut out midway through Trent's reply to Ida.

Her ship shuddered with the release of more torpedoes, the last of the torpedoes, as Theurgy rained down what death it could upon the Calamity class vessel. She too, was unaware that Trent was no longer the highest ranking officer on the bridge. She couldn't afford to look away from her console and the tactical display on the main view screen.

Natalie's jaw had hung open, slightly, as she witnessed the two vessels ram together. Her console collated scans and tabulated data, marking the exact moment and ferocity in which first the Harbinger, then the Calamity suffered through warp core breeches. The ships sensors did what they could to dampen the effect of the sudden, white glare, but even they could compensate only so much, and, like many, the Ops officer turned her head slightly, even as she worked to keep routing power to the shields facing the explosion. A nearby war core breach was a cataclysmic event to witness, and could wreck havoc on a starship. Two such explosions, one after another...

When the ship settled, it was, safe to say, something Natalie hoped to never experience again. The ship weathered the onslaught, if barely. Shields dropped down to a scant 20%, and everything shook violently. On the screen before them, the visual flared again, static blue green, as derbies from the two ships bounced of the weakened - but holding - shields. Thrown up against the backdrop of the red protostar, space around the Theurgy looked like nothing short of a glimpse into Hell itself, for Natalie.

Orders were given to scramble any and all shuttles, and Natalie passed them down to the shuttle bay, swallowing back the bile and tamping down the shakes that threatened to overwhelm her, before passing the launch coordination along to the Yeoman currently manning the Mission Ops station behind her. For her part, she made sure that the shuttle bay had enough power. That the phaser banks wouldn't suddenly cut out, and that the comms wouldn't go down to the fighters still working to clean up the mess of remaining Reavers. It was a balancing act, as her eyes raked over her controls, only to stop, her head jerking up and back, over her shoulder. Eyes wide, with shock, and relief, as she took in the site of Ives and Rez. She heard Lt. Cmdr. Trent turn control of the ship back over to its rightful captain, and she hated to inturrupt, but...

"Sir..." She said softly, glancing from Trent, to Ives, and back again, swallowing. It was a toss up as to which officer she was addressing. Regardless, she continued, "Sensor logs indicated that prior to the point of impact, there were three life signs on the Harbinger. Apparently, when the auto destruct began, the rest of the crew evacuated the ship." She started to continue, but her console chimed. One of the search programs, scanning the remnants of the battle outside their hull, had come up with a new signal.

"Captain," she said, addressing Ives this time, directly, "I'm picking up a recovery for an escape pod, standard Starfleet issue." She swallowed again, "And a request at comm level to tie into the ships tactical net." Turning back around, not waiting for an order, Natalie worked through the digital hand shake, "Confirming - Pod launched from USS Harbinger." It would not do them any good to inadvertently accept a data link to a false pod launched from the Calamity. "Bringing comm's online now, sir. Channel ready at your discretion." At the same time, she patched the recovery coordinates off to Yeoman Henshaw, to relay to the fighters, for over watch, and the shuttle crew for the recovery proper.

OOC: Well, that was fun! As always, let me know if I missed anything and i'll be happy to clean it up. Too many long days of work = not enough posting fun for Bru.

Re: CHAPTER 04: Invictus [07: Undoing]

Reply #77 –
[ Open space near the remains of Escape Pod A-475 ] Attn: All, esp. ThanIda zh'Wann, Amelya Duv, Jien Ives, Natale Stark, & Cameron Henshaw

When the comm-system let him know that he was tied into the Theurgy, CJ said "This is Ensign Christopher Slayton, two zero four nine seven one, formerly of the Harbinger. I'm with Lieutenants ThanIda zh'Wann and Amelya Duv, sorry we're late to the party Theurgy but I am requesting a priority distress call."

CJ took long enough to look at both of the women that he was holding onto, his arms not really straining due to the systems of the exosuit but the day's events was already quickly catching up to him and he was starting to feel the exhaustion of doing a multi-deck combat climb catching up with him.

"As far as I can tell, both Lieutenant zh'Wann and Duv are alright and my sensors are showing that their exosuits are working properly without any breaches at the moment so we're safe but a SAR pick up is requested." he said firmly into the channel before looking over at zh'Wann and giving her a smile. "Also, request permission to speak with Theurgy Actual."
=============================

OOC: Sorry if these last couple of posts are a little short, getting ready for the new work year. Also if I got the location wrong, I apologize ahead.

Re: CHAPTER 04: Invictus [07: Undoing]

Reply #78 –
[ Ryuan Sel | Life Support Systems | Sickbay] Atten: Sarresh Morrali

Sel shifted her weight from one foot to the other as she waited. The fact that there really wasn't a good way to hook up the canisters meant that it took Sarresh a good few minutes longer than Sel wanted to wait. And then came the news she really did not want to hear. They would have to wait even longer before the Lexorin would even be dispersed and in the mean time they would have to wait there in order to load up the second half.

Closing the door to prevent anyone from bursting in and trying to stop them would have been ideal, but as the panel was broken and now had a dead pilot sticking in it, it seemed like that option was out.

Yet as she turned around to check on Sarresh she had an idea. The biobed, once uncovered, would be just about the right size to block off the doorway.

"Ok, I think we should barricade this door before anyone shows up and tries to stop us releasing the lexorin," she began as she moved over to the Temporal Affairs Officer. "I think if we jam the biobed into the doorway it should work, after we clear it off first."

She did her best to smile as she lifted a cannister and set it on the floor.

Re: CHAPTER 04: Invictus [07: Undoing]

Reply #79 –
[ Sarresh Morrali | Life Support Systems ] Atten:  Ryuan Sel

He didn't quite scowl as he ran his fingers through his hair again, mostly in frustration. Waiting was not something he was good at, these days. And especially not after what had happened. But he bit back any sharp reply and simply uttered a cool, simple, "Acknowledged. Will await your notification." Or our utter destruction he thought with more then a little unspoken snark. The room shook again, as another strike impacted the ships shields, and Sarresh held his ground, muttering something foul under his breath.

Feeling Sel approach, before she spoke, Sarresh managed to turn around to face her as she came near, listening, his expression attentive - certaninly more expressive then usual. With a slow nod, the trim man reached out as well, grabbing a canister. "Its a sound idea," he said to her, walking the short distnace from the biobed to the pile the Bajoran was starting. "And given our options, probably the most effective." Aside from locking him in a room with the woman he was currently lusting after, things were going rather peachy.

They made short work of the remaining canisters, shoe horning them into one corner of the cramped Life Support control room, without really blocking anything important. Twisting the biobed around would  be the tricky part, given the less then spacious, close quarters they were in. His artificial eyes saught out, and met with the Petty Officer's, as he began to manipulate the bed up onto one side. "Take that end?" he asked her, pointing and - as always now, it seemed - trying not to stare at the view she offered from behind. He was really starting to hate how Eve Jenkin's pheromones had affected him, almost as much as he hated the late, but certainly not unlamented, Bleed.

With a thump, they were able to get the bed into place, fairly snug against the partially closed doors. The question that remained was simply, how well would it stand up to an assault by determined mutineers, should any of them figure out what Sel and Sarresh were up to. Before the TAO could ask her opinion on 'What Next?' the ship was rocked by heavier fire, sending everything in the room scattering about. One of the canisters broke loose from the pile they'd just finished setting into place, and bounces into the back of Sarreh's legs - sending him straight into P.O. Ryuan.

OOC: Short, but moves things along a bit. Sirus, lemme know if there needs to be any changes.

Re: CHAPTER 04: Invictus [07: Undoing]

Reply #80 –
[ Ryuan Sel | Life Support Systems | Sickbay] Atten: Sarresh Morrali

As she moved the canisters from the biobed Sel did her best to not bend over to much, something that would expose the still damp spot on her panties. Despite the assault and her own desire to keep control the pheromones from the Deltan head nurse still pumped through her veins and into her mind, causing her body to ache. She wanted to touch and to be touched, to fuck like some wild and mountable creature. Bajoran women were known for their passion and the pheromones did nothing to help her keep control of herself. Still she had done her best to ignore the feelings and urges they caused her, she did not have time to waste on them.

As the last canister was removed and the biobed was jammed into place, the biobed was just about the same size as the opening and with a few pumps on the manual override the biobed was jammed in the opening tightly enough that it would be next to impossible to get in or out of the room. The manual override would need to be disengaged, then door could move freely and the biobed removed. With the state of damage the door had gone through before they had even gotten there it would take an engineer who knew the system, probably someone from the Theurgy, a few minutes at least to get them out. They would be trapped until the fighting was over.

And then the ship shook violently. In a moment she was reminded of the Calamity and it seemed less likely than ever before that either of them would leave the room alive and in one piece. But before she could put to much thought into it a loose canister caused Sarresh to lose his footing and tumble into her.

Before Sel could stop herself she had her arms around him, their faces close. And then he lost control. She had maintained control as long as she had kept her distance, now breathing in the smell of his sweat, feeling the warmth of his body against her. She could not help herself or even stop herself at this point. She kissed him. Not a sweet soft kiss, but one blinded by primal lust. Her fingers clawing at his back, grabbing hold of the medical gown her still worse. At that point any true thinking or analytical part of her brain jumped ship and left her wanting nothing more than to fuck, and fuck hard.

Re: CHAPTER 04: Invictus [07: Undoing]

Reply #81 –
[ Thea | Mk I Reaver Attack Fighter ] Attn: Miles Renard

Drifting in silence, Thea had time to analyse the turn-out of the battle, and also, calculate what might have transpired if she'd acted differently. It was a background task, however, run primarily by the processor in her mobile emitter. She remained projected in the pilot's seat inside the Reaver since her body was strapped to it, and the emitter would float away if she powered down. She had shut down the pain receptors in her sensory mapping, and was not likely going to visit the memory of the pain in her memory banks any time soon. The silence was oddly... comforting, even if it was restricted to her projection alone.

Primarily, her tasks were devoted to whatever assignments were given to her by the bridge crew and the rest of the departments, whom were all dedicated to damage control to some extent - some more than others. She generated and observed the datafeed from her physical self via the wireless link, not quite certain how her crew would treat her after what she had done. Was she now a liability because of her actions? Would her freedom be restricted by updated security clearances? Or would they understand her? Forgive her folly and attribute it to the fact that she was trying to save her daughter?

She had no way of knowing for certain, and did not want to put credence in the odds she derived.

[Thea can you hear me.  I just wirelessly tethered my ship's computer to your emitter.  That blast fried the on-bord computer so I'm flying blind.  Do you think you can access my ship's systems and...]

Hearing Miles' voice, Thea closed her eyes as she listened to the request with the realisation that there was no use prolonging the silence she revelled in - knowing that there was no escape from the judgement of her own crew. The Vulpinian Lieutenant Commander was resourceful, and had found a way to reach her, and a means to give her remote control to his ship's systems. When he finished talking, she opened her eyes, and she answered through the digital link she shared with Miles' Valkyrie.

'I read you. Instead of waiting for help, I will make sure we get back.' She paused, the silence filled with meaning. 'Thank you, Miles Renard, for saving this emitter, and the freedom it grants me. Without it, I would now feel... reduced. Less than I now want to be, even if I still lack a couple of senses. A sense of smell, for instance...'

And thus, they made they way back to the Flight Hangar through the clouds of debris.

OOC: I think we can wrap this scene here, and if there is ought else to be said, it can be covered in the Epilogue thread.

Likewise, I will be ending this thread with my next Jien Ives post, both in regard to the bridge and the trio floating in space. The scenes in Life-Support and in Sickbay will be moved/continued in the Epilogue thread. I will arrange this via PMs and moving posts to the Epilogue once it is up. Still waiting for posts from Triage, Zenozine and RosariaRosette to post here.

Re: CHAPTER 04: Invictus [07: Undoing]

Reply #82 –
[ Heather McMillan |  Corridor > Turbolift | Deck 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Lucan cin Nicander

[Show/Hide]


"Oh goodness!" exclaimed McMillan as she moved with all the speed and instinctive reflexes available to her to protect herself from anything potentially fatal. Still, for all her positioning and preparation, she still found herself in a most...unusual position, and with a man, no less. Blushing, the young woman made a nervous laugh, without smiling, and she looked away from the doctor's face. This isn't comfortable...

It wasn't that McMillan found Dr. Nicander so off-putting or unappealing. It was quite the opposite, but she wasn't comfortable at all because of how new all of the experiences were. After such a long time isolating herself even on board on a ship, and now suddenly opening up to so many people all at once. Well it was more than a little overwhelming to say the least.

She had been enjoying paying attention and learning about the Câroon from Nicander. He did a good job of detailing and describing the nature of his people along with their unique talents and abilities. She had wanted to say and express her envy of their race, when the ship had been shaken by a particularly powerful impact. In addition, there seemed to be a problem with the vessel's gravity controls, quite likely.

But her mind began to panic over something worse. Nicander! He wasn't in tip-top condition, and with his ribs being the way they were...and with the painkillers in place, he might not even realize that he'd aggravated his injuries. "Doctor," said McMillan nervously, "do you feel all right?"

She tried to gently move the doctor off herself and inspect him, her eyes glinting with flecks of light in them. "Best we get to the medical bay right now, yeah?"


[ Cameron "Cam" Elizabeth Henshaw | Bridge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Bridge Crew & Lone Wolves

[Show/Hide]


It was all Henshaw could do to keep track of the situation. Stark and Tovarek fed her a host of additional information, so her console was certainly kept quite busy, and the Yeoman relayed this information succinctly to Wolf Lead, keeping the wording to a minimum, and yet ensuring all necessary information reached the fighters. She watched how the displays kept updating instantly with new data and imagery. She didn't assume that the fighters could see all that was happening for a fact, and did her best to update without intruding too much on their concentration. She gritted her teeth whenever she saw one of the Valkyries disappear. One, was one too many, and more than one had been lost. Impacts from the Calamity rocked the Theurgy-class starship, more than once threatening to knock the petite young woman off her seat.

She spared a split second to glance desperately around at the bridge crew. Everyone was doing their best, and this gave Henshaw the grim determination to give the same. For the Theurgy and all aboard her.

Her hands and fingers hovered and danced over the consoles as she matched and transmitted all necessary information wherever they were needed, and that was when the Harbinger contacted them. The image wasn't good. However, when she heard the turbolift doors opening, she whipped her head around to see, very much to her relief, Captain Ives, Edena, and Wenn, all alive and well. Her lips parted in an open-mouthed smile of pure joy, but her attention was diverted back to her tasks when Trent ordered her to alert the shuttlebay to prepare for rescue operations. She nodded with an "Aye sir."

"Bridge to main shuttlebay," said Henshaw into the comm, "we have pods evacuating the Harbinger, prepare all craft available for emergency launch, mission rescue and recovery. Stand by."

She then sent a message for medical teams to stand by and be ready to receive injured personnel from the doomed vessel. Keeping her eyes on her console, where she could watch the Harbinger's final moments, Henshaw remained impassive in her expression as it exploded, destroying the Calamity once and for all. "This is for Lisa, you bitch." She whispered, gazing steadfastly at the blossoming image in the display, that was once the Calamity. Not once did she look up at the viewscreen itself, but she looked up at the ceiling, imagining Lisa's ghost smiling down at her, her death avenged at last. Henshaw smiled back, a single tear escaping from her left eye. As the last tremors ended following the destruction of two ships, she heard Trent's final order.

"All shuttlecraft, launch." She said, and then relayed Trent's command to the fighters, "All fighters, lure the Reavers into our weapons envelope."

When Trent turned over command back to Ives, Henshaw too, stood up. She turned and looked over at the captain, the look of relief pure and unmasked on her face. She only kept her look on him for a short while, before turning her attentions back to her station. Until told to leave, she decided it would be best to remain where she was. There was still a lot to be done, and a lot more to be laid to final rest. She closed her eyes for a moment and steadied her mind, then went back to it full force.


[ Edena Rez | Outside the Captain's Yacht | Deck 04 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Wenn Cinn, Dyan Cardamon & Jien Ives

[Show/Hide]


When the shot was fired, Edena Rez yelped in fright. For a split second she though it was Vasser that pulled the trigger, but as she felt the man's grip loosen, and she was suddenly standing under her own power, she realized at last that not only was she still alive, but Vasser was dead. For all his power, his strength, ambition...it all came to an abrupt and painful end, with one shot. Making a sort of whimpered noise of both relief and fright, she turned around to see who her savior was, and found herself looking up at Wenn. Her lips trembled as she moved her arms, wanting to hug him and just hold on, but she refrained. Instead she touched his hand and rested another cold palm on his chest, trying her best to rein in her emotions, though tears still fell down.

We're alive...we're alive... Edena could hear Kiya, Illya, and even to some extent, Jona, though the ghost was now sullenly sulking in the corner of her vision. He wasn't going to forgive any of the women any time soon. If there was one thing Jona could hold very well, it was a grudge.

"Thank you...thank you..." whispered Edena in a shaky, frail voice. She took out her hold-out hand phaser, and with a trembling hand, surrendered it to the Bajoran, "No matter what happens...if Captain Ives is near me, do not let me have any weapons...I'll explain, later."

Edena couldn't trust Jona not to do something incredibly stupid now, and so she had to do everything she could think of to safeguard the captain from herself. It was for the best. There was still plenty she could do. She could help in the medical bay, perhaps even return to her original job as a counsellor...well that was a briefly amusing thought. No, Edena would figure that out later. For now, they were still in danger. So she turned away from Wenn and gazed at Ives, who was also looking at her. She couldn't tell what he wanted to say, what he felt, with that expression of his, but she had the feeling she could hazard a wild guess. From the brig to now, she has been producing no end of surprises for him. Resigning from command, Jona trying to defect to Vasser, Edena's preference for death to being a problem for Ives, and now, the potential danger that she might, against her own will, try to kill Ives. She didn't think Jona might be that drastic, but she didn't want to take any chances.

When Ives moved, Edena followed mutely, keeping a fair distance.

[ Bridge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ]

As she emerged from the turbolift with the captain and Wenn, she briefly saw Ida's face on the viewscreen, before it shut off, to reveal the horrific battle going on beyond, and Illya "reacted" a little. The Trill swallowed, and just fought down the suffocating sensation in her chest.

Carrigan Trent continued to issue commands, despite the arrival of the "command" crew, and that made sense, since Trent obviously had things in hand, and there wasn't time to get Ives up to speed with all that he would need to know. She almost wished that he hadn't come after and sent maybe a crew or something. Not that it was essential now, by the looks of things. But Edena couldn't help but feel that this was yet another reason for her to put distance between herself and the captain, especially if she might ever again be used against him/her. Edena couldn't live with that possibility.

But it ended. Just like that, it ended. The Harbinger throttled directly into the Calamity, and empathic warp-core overloads brought an end to the ship from the future. For all her advancements and capabilities, she had been overcome. Edena heaved a sigh of relief, hands clasped behind her, while she stood at parade rest after the upheavals ended. Trent stood up, and turned over controls to Ives, when Stark informed them of one of the pods having successfully escaped the destruction of the two ships, Illya was asking if Ida was in it. The answer came back a while later from Ensign Slayton, who affirmed the survival and presence of Ida and doctor Duv.

Pursing her lips, with her face contorted into a mixture of emotions, she stepped back, moving further and further away from the bridge. She was all but standing close to the turbolift now, ready to leave at a moment's notice. It was funny how, not too long ago, she had sat in that command chair, coordinated an evacuation, and yet now, she would thank the stars and Wenn's Bajoran deities if she never had to see the bridge ever again let alone sit in the command chair.

"It's over." She said under her breath, barely giving any voice to her words, "The worst is over."

It was a good thing she didn't really know or believe in jinxing, or she might have refrained from even thinking it.

Re: CHAPTER 04: Invictus [07: Undoing]

Reply #83 –
[ USS Theurgy | Main Bridge | Deck 01 ] Attn: All

When Captain Ives had arrived to the bridge together with Edena and Cinn, his male form had adapted to wear his uniform jacket once more, and the first thing he saw was how the Harbinger had dropped out of warp on the viewscreen. This, while the bridge personnel were working furiously to keep the Theurgy from being destroyed by the merciless Calamity, and with Carrigan Trent in the seat of command. No more than having taken all that in, the hail from the Harbinger's Bridge came, and Jien saw the Deputy there, together with two from the Harbinger crew.

He had to admit that he'd had doubts about the Andorian's character, thinking her a blunt instrument, but even a sledgehammer had its purpose, and now he saw her apply herself to hers. With chilling determination, she ordered the cruiser into a collision course, and Jien could not think other than that whatever misgiving he'd had about Lieutenant zh'Wann before, this might truly be her act of redemption. Through the static, Jien heard her order all systems but transporters cut to increase velocity, so he could but hope the remaining crew on the Harbinger had some kind of escape plan in motion. This, however, proved unlikely since the collision came so soon after the hail ended, and Jien could not fathom any other outcome than he was seeing an entire crew complement die in the massive collision between the two ships.

Knowing how harsh he had been with Ida, how he had demoted her on Theta Eridani IV, seeing her sacrifice herself for the sake of her old crew was... humbling, to say the least. He could not think else than that the Deputy had always said her duty was to protect the crew of the Theurgy, but would she go so far as to sacrifice the skeleton crew of another ship to do it? Mister Trent and the bridge crew acted with alacrity, however, launching the rescue operation even before the afterimage of the warp core detonations faded from their eyes. There were fighter pilots out there too, and a few last Reavers to destroy, so the shuttles needed protection. A task left to Tactical and to Mission Ops, while Carrigan Trent rose from his seat and acknowledged Jien's presence on the bridge.

Seeing the man turn around to face him, it was evident that taking the command from Vasser and T'Rena had not come without cost, neither for him nor many others around him on the bridge. While Lieutenant Tovarek had cuts and large bruises over his face, and others wore armament and signs of fighting, the former Commander was limping his way over to Jien because of the wounds he had sustained. Besides the fact that he showed signs of bruising from de-pressurisation, burns across his remaining uniform and the deep cuts you got from metal and glass across his face, his bionic arm was coated with the translucent green of Vulcan blood. A fact that hinted to whom the man had fought and survived.

"The ship is yours, Captain Ives."

With those words heard, Jien could not help the faint smile that came to the corners of his eyes. It was a relief, to be certain, and he clasped the man's hand in gratitude - holding his gaze. "I knew you still had it in you. My gratitude, Mister Trent," he said, and let go. There was still much to be done, and they might just have seen too many forfeit their lives just so that they might live. The time to rejoice was yet to come... if it ever would. "I will take it from here. You ca-"

"Sir..." Hearing Natalie Stark call from her station, Jien turned his attention to her. "Sensor logs indicated that prior to the point of impact, there were three life signs on the Harbinger. Apparently, when the auto destruct began, the rest of the crew evacuated the ship."

This was heartening news, and Jien was immensely relieved to hear it, even if it still might mean that the Deputy and the two others they had seen on the Harbinger's bridge were dead. With a nod to Carrigan Trent, Jien stepped towards the Operations station. "Any signs that they made it?"

"I'm picking up a recovery for an escape pod, standard Starfleet issue, and a request at comm level to tie into the ships tactical net. Confirming - Pod launched from USS Harbinger. Bringing comm's online now, sir. Channel ready at your discretion."

"Patch it through," Jien said, turning to look at Mission Ops, where he saw Cam standing before she sat down to continue coordinating the rescue efforts. It seemed she had things well in hand and knowing that Cam had made it, Jien wanted to say more, but they would have to speak later. Instead, he said, "Mission Ops, send one of the shuttles to the origin of the signal."

Then a husky, male voice was heard on the bridge, rasping through the static of the comm-link. [This is Ensign Christopher Slayton, two-zero-four-nine-seven-one, formerly of the Harbinger. I'm with Lieutenants ThanIda zh'Wann and Amelya Duv, sorry we're late to the party Theurgy but I am requesting a priority distress call. As far as I can tell, both Lieutenant zh'Wann and Duv are alright and my sensors are showing that their exosuits are working properly without any breaches at the moment so we're safe, but a SAR pick up is requested. Also, request permission to speak with Theurgy Actual.]

There were whispered words and sighs of alleviation around the bridge. Hearing that the three were alive and well, Jien had also felt great relief, which might have touched the tone in his voice when he replied. "This is Captain Ives of the USS Theurgy... so I think you got the right connection, Ensign Slayton. Stay alive out there. We are coming to get you. You might not see us, but there is a whole bridge filled with people here who are grateful for what you just did. Better yet, that you are still alive."

There was a pause, then the voice of ThanIda zh'Wann was heard over the link. [This is zh'Wann, is Lieutenant Commander Wenn there?]

"He is," said Jien and turned his head to glance at the large Bajoran at the back of the Bridge.

[I hereby request you to consider my transfer back to the Theurgy,] she said, and you could almost hear the ruefulness across the comm-link. [If I may, I would like to serve in my old position as Deputy Chief of Security aboard. I seem to have misplaced the ship I was supposed to serve on.]

It was not only Ives that chuckled a little when the Andorian tendered her transfer request.

OOC: RosariaRosette, you have one last post to write with your two characters.

Re: CHAPTER 04: Invictus [07: Undoing]

Reply #84 –
[ Open space near the remains of Escape Pod A-475 ] Attn: All, esp. ThanIda zh'Wann, Amelya Duv, Jien Ives, Natale Stark, & Cameron Henshaw


Husker was a tired fighter jock and while he was used to hard work and the such, his tiredness was only slightly confusing and besides he had a job to do as he kept his grip on both women firm and he refused to let go until they were safely aboard a ship because he had fought hard to keep the three of them alive and he would be damned if he let them down now.

Husker was distracted from his thoughts as the slightly accented voice of the Theurgy's commanding officer came through his comms with [This is Captain Ives of the USS Theurgy... so I think you got the right connection, Ensign Slayton. Stay alive out there. We are coming to get you. You might not see us, but there is a whole bridge filled with people here who are grateful for what you just did. Better yet, that you are still alive.]

Husker allowed himself a smile as he heard Ida's voice come over the comms with [This is zh'Wann, is Lieutenant Commander Wenn there?]

[He is,] the captain's voice came back.

[I hereby request you to consider my transfer back to the Theurgy,] she said, and you could almost hear the ruefulness across the comm-link. [If I may, I would like to serve in my old position as Deputy Chief of Security aboard. I seem to have misplaced the ship I was supposed to serve on.]

Husker couldn't help but give an honest sounding laugh to what the Zhen had said before squeezing Ida's forearm through the suit.

Re: CHAPTER 04: Invictus [07: Undoing]

Reply #85 –
[Dr. Hayden O'Connor | Main Sickbay | USS Theurgy]

Hayden nodded at Hylota's suggestion that O'Connor should help dress Vinata and she set to work doing just that, making sure to explain what she was doing to Vinata so as not to traumatize him further. The last thing she wanted was for him to retreat further into his own mind and to cause more ire for his sister, who was clearly more affected by what she had been through than she was letting on. She offered another simple nod when the female Ovri explained she was going to search for a sling for her arm, though O'Connor felt a twinge of obligation to attend to Hylota more personally, if only to show her she wasn't alone. Circumstances aside, Hayden felt uncomfortable making someone treat their own injuries, particularly one of their own who'd left to help the entire crew, only to come back and discover the person she loved the most in worse shape than when she had left him. Even though Hayden knew she was not responsible for what Phantom had done, she still felt partially responsible. Sickbay was supposed to be a safe place Hylota had trusted her to protect and care for her brother at perhaps the lowest moment in his life to date.

Hayden finished dressing Vinata, and after another quick but thorough exam, she was satisfied he was physically and emotionally stable for the time being, noting the sedative Hylota had administered helped him virtually retreat into his own world. Hayden wasn't one hundred percent comfortable Hylota had administered drugs to a family member without supervision, but under the circumstances, she couldn't exactly blame her either.

The female Ovri's voice helped pull Hayden from her reverie and remind the counselor she had more work to do. She was grateful when Vinata requested a full body scan as Hayden felt compelled to do one anyway. After everything they been through, her maternal instincts were flowing full force, and though she was reminded everywhere about all those she had been unable to protect, including the corpses that needed to be moved to the morgue, the desire to personally examine everyone who looked remotely sick or injured could not be ignored. This was her ship and her crew, and no one was going to suffer any more than they had to, or come any closer to death than they already had.

Before she could focus on that task, however, Vinata reminded her of the grim work ahead with the simple question about transports to the morgue. It was a valid question since she had no idea what had transpired in the time she'd been gone, and they would need the room. Briefly closing her eyes, she mentally recalled the name of the other person lost besides Phantom. O'Connor vaguely recalled the deceased had been killed in some sort of altercation with Maal who’d been critically injured, but for the life of her, she couldn't recall the circumstances. At the moment, she supposed it no longer mattered, and besides, she been just a little bit focused on the other things. "Patrick Anderson expired here in the ICU not long ago, so I'd appreciate it if you could tend to him and move him to the morgue, as you're right, we could need the space." O'Connor took a deep breath then and forced herself not to think about anything else along those lines. She didn't want to think anymore about death and she had to focus on what was right in front of her.

She tapped a nearby bio bed and gestured for Hylota to hop on up and lie down. Expecting casualties any second, she couldn't escape a silent countdown in her head, but she pushed it aside and reminded herself to deal with the patient in front of her, one step at a time. Scanning slowly down the Ovri's body, she paused briefly at the nurse's abdomen, her expression as professionally unreadable as ever, in part because she knew it was necessary and in part because she couldn't be 100% sure she was reading things correctly. Nevertheless, every instinct told her she was right, even as her heart stopped for a moment on the female Ovri's behalf. Hayden placed her hand atop the other woman's out of instinct. Normally, she wouldn't make such a gesture without permission, but these were not normal times. "Hylota, according to these scans, you are pregnant. This diagnosis is consistent with what I'm reading hormonally as well as what I'm showing in your abdominal scans. I'd recommend you meet with Doctor Nicander to confirm this, as he is the most up-to-date on Ovri physiology, but please know, I'm here for you medically and emotionally."

Before Hylota had a chance to respond, they were both interrupted by increased chatter out in the main ward. Hayden rushed out, fearing they were facing another attack. She exhaled as soon as her eyes rested on the new arrivals, Heather McMillan and Doctor Nicander himself.  "Well speak of the devil," O'Connor muttered.

Re: CHAPTER 04: Invictus [07: Undoing]

Reply #86 –
[Open space near the remains of Escape Pod A-475 ]

Amelya tried to keep her breathing under control as much as she could as they awaited their SAR team to arrive. It was nearly impossible to believe that they survived the entire ordeal yet she was grateful. In fact, she was even more grateful when she heard her two comrades still alive and seemingly well when she listened in to the brief exchange between first Husker and afterwards Ida with the Theurgy.

The young Trill doctor looked around as this was really one of the few times she had actually been really out in open space. She looked at the remains and debris of the Calamity and Harbinger as her eyes gazed further to the red proto star. It was horrifying yet so peaceful and beautiful to watch at the same time. She squeezed softly in Both Ida's and CJ's forearms as she held on to the both of them, making sure to not let go. The last thing they wanted was to be set a drift in open space.

Eventually Amelya closed her eyes again as she felt her body tremble a bit as most of her adrenaline levels started to plummet. She could feel the sore and the hurt from all the climbing and from the events that had lead to their current position. It was something she never thought herself doing, yet here she was, awaiting a pickup and a whole new ship to explore.

[Simon Tovarek | USS Theurgy | Main Bridge | Deck 01 ]

After what seemed to be a grand finale between two starships, Simon had kept his eyes locked on the viewscreen as his scientific mind was too curious to how this would look like from a distance. Ideas of the energy being released and the sheer mass and power that had to be involved already distracting him from his duty at hand. Yet when the best of it seemed to be over he heard the hail from the remaining crew requesting a SAR.

He worked on grid locking their coordinates and showed it up on the view screen where the three survivors should be. He added the info about the ETA for SAR to arrive before he cracked his fingers against each other and taking a deep breath. He looked around now from his station, first over to Natalie who was still busy with ops before he looked over his shoulder to Henshaw at Tactical. He nodded at her, showing her in a nod of appreciation that she did a good job. Yet only then did he see the exchange between Ives and Trent as the captain retook command of his ship.

"I bloody hell hope we don't get one of those things after us again..." he mumbled behind his station before his body started to ache and his face felt a bit numb from the bruises. "Great, I'll even have a headache and it won't be from drinking..." He muttered after feeling up his cheek and bruises. His body started to signal him where else he had been hurt during this mutiny and his thoughts rather quickly brought him to Tatiana Marlowe. Her situation still unclear to him since the start of all this. He promised himself to visit her once time and duty allowed him.

Re: CHAPTER 04: Invictus [07: Undoing]

Reply #87 –
[ Tessa May Lance | Lone Wolves Squadron | Wolf -07 | USS Theurgy ]  Attention: Wolves and Mission Ops

Tessa's fighter rocked as a piece of space debris bounced off her wing and took down what was left her shields.  Now that the adrenaline was wearing off, the young lieutenant could feel just how tired she really was.  The number of damage reports the Valkyrie's computer was giving her meant that Nightmare's Valk had had enough exercise for one day too. 

First things first.  Time to get the sensors back online.  Apparently she hadn't been a hundred percent fast enough because her sensors were down.   Even so, being this close to the pseudostar and the lights shining off the Theurgy's hull gave her more than enough luminance to look out of the canopy at the not so empty space around her and actually see objects drifting out there. 

She wasn't the only fighter that had sought shelter behind the Theurgy.  She waved at the other fighter while waiting for her sensors to come back online, even though it would be impossible for the other pilot to see her with the naked eye.

Finally, some of her sensors came back on line.  Data started returning to her screens.  Now where was everyone?  Who had survived?  The fighter closest to her was...

...A Reaver!   One of the ruttin' enemy!  Apparently it had temporarily lost sensors too because after identifying it, Tessa suddenly registered an active scan coming from the enemy fighter.  It had a weapons lock on her!  And Tessa's shields weren't back up yet; she was a sitting duck!  

Activating her sublight drives, she shot forward heading straight for the Reaver.  Screaming like a banshee she peppered the Reaver's shields with her Valkyrie's pulse phasers only to see it shudder under weapons fire.  The shield harmonics of the enemy hadn't been changed; the information that Thea had sent Tessa and her fellow Lone Wolves was still good!  Tessa's first shot must have caused a malfunction with its weapons system, because for some reason it hadn't shot at Tessa's Valkyrie yet.  

The Reaver exploded under Tessa's onslaught, but Goldeneye's elation was cut short when a fragment of the enemy fighter bounced off her starboard wing and sent her spiraling out of control.  Oops.  Tessa's shields had been knocked out.  And now she just lost her starboard stabilizer.  "Oh well," she thought, "in an emergency I can always use one of the fighters Dor'GhItlh Squardon left in our fighter bay."

"Theurgy this is Goldeneye,"  she said as she brought her injured Valkyrie to a full stop and activated her short range comm.   "Requesting permission to come home."


[ William Robert "Billy Bob" O'Connell | USS Theurgy | Main Engineering | Deck 10 ]  Attention:  Bridge

A cheer went through engineering when Petty Officer Tenchi Koizumi thought to patch one of the viewscreens into the feed coming from the external sensors.  The fireball created by the Harbinger's collision with the Calamity was still visible, even with the psuedostar as a backdrop. 

"Woo!" Master Chief William Robert O'Connell howled triumphantly when it became obvious that the Theurgy was no longer going to be shot at.  Then he sobered when he realized that he still didn't know which captain was in charge of the ship!  There was a quick and easy way to find out.  "Engineering to bridge," the burly engineer drawled as he slapped his combage.  "Is it over?"

"Yes, Chief O'Connell. It is over," the familiar sound of Captain Ives' masculine voice replied.  "You may return to your station here on the bridge as whenever you are ready."

"Captain Ives!" O'Connell blurted out before the rest of his response was drowned out by another cheer from the men in engineering.   The Calamity was gone and Captain Ives had the bridge again.  It really was over. 

But when Billy Bob realized that they were still friendless, on the run and stuck with an uneducated enlisted man for a chief engineer he realized that in many ways the war had just begun...

Re: CHAPTER 04: Invictus [07: Undoing]

Reply #88 –
[ Wenn Cinn | USS Theurgy | Main Bridge | Deck 01 ] Attn: All


          Cinn stuck close to his Captain as they made their way to the bridge, he had come this far, so he was not going to let the Captain out of his sight until the ship was well and truly theirs again. He moved along with Captain Ives back onto the bridge, as they arrived he took up his position on the ridge. As Captain Ives was handed control of the sip again he felt a sense of relief  wash over him although there was much needing to be done it at last put them on the road to recovery from what they had fought through today.

As Cinn took his place and looked to the screen as the USS Harbinger began to make its move to save the Theurgy. Wenn Cinn would have commented on the tactics that they were using and how extreme it was, but he had to admit he would have likely done the same, but this Sledge Hammer tactic was indeed one of the best solution for the matter at hand, even if both ships were fully manned it, would have been unlikely that they could have pulled victory out of this conflict.

As the ships collided Cinn directed his attention to the tactical station and look over his readouts to make sure the there was nothing of hazard that he should inform Ives about, but thankfully there appeared to be a calm that they were entering now after the collision of the ships. But as they were contacted and Cinn was actually called on for a question. Looking up from his station he listened to the request, he tried to smile from the joke, but a serious look lingered on his face. "Indeed... As much as I wish I could share a good joke with you at this point in time, I fear that current information here prevents me from being so jovial. When we get you aboard I will need your assistance rounding up what remains of Vasser's security forces, I hold out hoping that things can be resolved peacefully, but I get the feeling that we will be spending a lot of time isolating people and gathering testimonies. I will work to gather up a team, I expect you will impress me as always. I will send for you after you are cleared for duty."

Cinn looked to his station and began to go over those that he could hopefully call upon to help him with rounding up the crew, after whet had happened he needed to make a full picture of hat went on, find out who had been turned forcefully, and contain any potential threat to his fellow crew, because if one of his officer as caught in the act of rape, he had to assume that others might have been doing similar acts, and these people needed to be contained before the they caused a scene or got themselves hurt. "Captain, with the events that happened your Loyal crew discarded their comm badges, we will need to broadcast a message to the crew to get loyal crew out of hiding and back to helping sort out damages and injuries caused by the mutiny."





[ Hylota Vojona | Main Sickbay | USS Theurgy]


          Hylota nodded as she was told about a body that need to be transported to the morgue, and she took in the identity of the person as she was adjusting her arm in her sling so that she would not have to deal with any possible discomfort later on. "Alright then, I will take care of the body and hopefully Dr. Nicander will return and bring leadership back to the sickbay before I get back. With what is coming I would love to have him here to guide our efforts." Hylota sighed as she was motioned to lay down on one of the bio beds so that she could be scanned more easily. As she walked over to the bed she hopped up onto it and then laid down on it and for the first time in hours she closed her eyes and took deep breath to try a relax herself and give Dr. Hayden what would hopefully be proper readings.

As Dr. Hayden began her scan Hylota felt herself relaxing as she laid there with her eyes closed. She listened to the beeping of the scanner as it moved over her body, but she could hear the beeping of abnormalities as the device passed over her midsection. As the scan concluded Hylota opened her eyes an she lifted her head to look at Dr. Hayden and she took in the news that she was showing signs of a pregnancy. Letting out a groan Hylota rested her head to the bed and placed a hand to her forehead. "Wonderful, just wonderful, this is not what I wanted to deal with..." As Nicander arrived, Hylota sat herself up and looked to Hayden before she left her side. "Doctor, I do not have time to discuss my sexual affairs at present, and with what is coming I cannot take priority." She rubbed her head. "I think we should meet up... this is all a bit much... I need to think about this, but I can assure you that things will be moving along quickly for me." She got out of the bed. "I would like it if we could keep this between us for now, it is quite likely that this pregnancy will fail, I do not want to cause too much of a stir if that come to be the case."

Getting up and walking towards Heather and Nicander, Hylota bowed slightly to show respect. "I am glad to see the two of you are alright, Heather I would hate to ask something of you so soon after all you have had to do, but I would like for you to supply Dr. Hayden with a sample of your salve so that we can safely break it down from my system." She forced a smile. "When this is all over I would like to share a drink with you and have some well deserve relaxation. Maybe you can share our adventures with me." She then looked to Nicander. "Doctor, there is a deceased crewman, I will take care of his body and relocate him to the morgue before things get hectic here." She then took a deep breath. "And before you inquire Doctor, my brother has suffered in our absence, he is no longer fit for duty and requires isolation... I do not have time, nor do I wish to elaborate further. With your permission I would like to get on with my duties." It was clear Hylota was trying to bury her feelings under her work ad get the tasks at hand done.

Re: CHAPTER 04: Invictus [07: Undoing]

Reply #89 –
[ Captain Jien Ives | Turbolift > Sickbay | Deck 07 ] Attn: Hayden O'Connor, Hylota Vojona & Heather McMillan

The voice from out there in the radiation of the proto star answered Wenn Cinn, and Jien heard Deputy zh'Wann acknowledging her orders through the static of the link.

[Understood, Lieutenant Commander. Thank you for your confidence in me, even if I requested that transfer. We are activating the beacons on our suits now to help with the SAR, and I will report to duty as soon I am able. Lieutenant zh'Wann out.]

The Chief of Security raised valid concerns. Turning to Cinn, Jien nodded solemnly in agreement. There was indeed still cause for concern and much to be done, and they would not be safe until all departments were secured. He opened his mouth to give the orders, but Thea chimed via the intercom.

[The message has been sent. All crew that did not rally to Lieutenant Commander Trent's call to arms prior to the battle has been instructed to report to their superior officers. If I may, I do have some good news in regard to the crew that was loyal to Vasser. It would seem that T'Rena utilised the Vulcan mind-meld to guarantee their loyalty to Vasser and his ambitions. After the hostile takeover, Doctor Lahkesis Saugn suggested to use Lexorin to alleviate the indoctrinated state-of-mind of the Vasser Loyalists. This has proved effective, even if the effect is temporary, but it will help rounding them all up so that Doctor Maya and Ensign Cir'Cie can clear their minds permanently, using the same Vulcan technique that T'Rena utilised. The fact that Doctor Maya managed to restore the mind of Ensign Cir'Cie proves that we possess the means to restore the entire crew, this by using with the dispersal system we added to my Life Support systems after the Niga Incident.]

Taking all the information in, Jien nodded slowly in thought. He suppressed the relief he felt, dared not rely on the hope that Thea gave them all, and tried to ignore the flare of ire he felt towards the late Captain and his Vulcan second-in-command. That they would have gone to such extremes, breaking the minds of so many people just to see their will through, it was so vile it practically made his stomach turn. At the same time, this meant that the crimes committed by the brain-washed Vasser Loyalists needed to be absolved by all rights, despite how a lot of people might not accept the absolution so easily. After the Niga incident, the infected did not remember what they had done, which had made things a bit easier for everyone involved. Now, however, they might no be so lucky. Briefly, Jien considered if the removal of memories from the Vasser Loyalists were a viable option, but in the end, such telepathic tampering would not make him any better than Vasser.

"What is the status of this Lexorin option?" he asked in the end, brow furrowed in thought.

[Lieutenant Eve Jenkins, Junior Lieutenant Sarresh Morali and Petty Officer Ryuan Sel has already synthesised enough Lexorin for me to disperse. Morali and Ryuan are standing by, ready for the command to activate it. When the dispersal has been executed, I will broadcast the instruction for all affected crew to report to Sickbay, where Doctor Maya and Ensign Cir'Cie must be prepared to receive them.]

Pausing before he spoke, Jien looked towards Wenn Cinn. "Coordinate with Thea and our two Vulcan officers. Have your teams oversee these proceedings. If the effect of Lexorin would wear out before the Vulcans can handle them all, the affected crew need to remain in line until they have all been restored to whom they once were. Give word to the Temporal Affairs Officer and the Petty Officer once you are ready. Best of luck, old friend. Keep us posted."

Having given his orders, Jien changed... to her female form, and she walked to the command chair. She sat down with a deep breath, watching the launched shuttles head into the debris clouds. "The remaining crew on the Harbinger abandoned ship before it arrived here," she said quietly, and she thought of what she had said to Vasser before Wenn Cinn shot him. "We won't leave anyone behind. Somehow, they need to be found and given the chance to have their mind's cleared from T'Rena's touch. Hopefully, once they have come to terms with what happened to them, they will return to duty aboard this ship instead."

For a moment, Jien observed how one of the Valkyries were towing a damaged Reaver back to the Theurgy - the magnified image on the viewscreen for a couple of seconds before switching to another part of the rescue operations."Tend to our wounded and begin repairs," she said thoughtfully, glancing to the crew around her. "There is a lot to be done. I want reports every hour until further notice. As always, propulsion and tactical systems take priority."

Starfleet could find them any moment, and they had to be able fight for their own survival.

OOC: Post with Dr. Nicander coming soon!

Re: CHAPTER 04: Invictus [07: Undoing]

Reply #90 –
[ Dr. Nicander | Turbolift > Sickbay | Deck 07 ] Attn: Hayden O'Connor, Hylota Vojona & Heather McMillan

Finding himself on top of the Radiant, propping himself up on his arms where he lay between her legs, Lucan soon realised that the situation had likely become quite... awkward. Well, at least for Heather. Of course, while it was inspirational, it was awkward for him too since he had to handle the situation in a way that would not shed bad light upon his own character. Despite how... inspirational it was.

His injuries reminded themselves though, having been jarred by the fall, and his breath caught as his sharp mind centred on something so trivial as pain. He touched his side, hearing Heather ask about his condition and feeling her light hands guide him into a more comfortable position. Eyes lined with pain that persisted despite the shot he got from her, he met her eye as he sat back. If there was something that had passed between them, Lucan had lost the opportunity to see it in her face. He had no way of guessing her thoughts, and little time to pursue them. The turbolift doors opened, and they were on Deck 07.

"Indeed, it seems we are there already. My apologies," he said and grimaced as he got back on his feet. He set the pace down the corridor, ship still rocking now and then, until they finally reached the main entrance of his domain. The sight of him had the effect of medical personnel deferring to him immediately, and some patients in the waiting room called for his aide. Others than Heather were worried about him too, given his state of appearance, but Lucan managed to keep moving and placate the people that came towards him with quick words of reassurance. As he was stalled, he saw Chief Counselor O'Connor talking to Hylota before they both came to meet up with him and Heather.

When Hylota requested Heather's help and suggested that they'd share a drink, Lucan did not let his thoughts about what the two of them would look like together show in his bruised face. Rather, he simply met the Ovri's black eyes with a calm air about him - absorbing the information about the dead body and the state of her brother with a frown. "I'm sorry to hear about your brother. We'll do all we can for him, of course. Please, have that arm seen to with Heather's assistance and resume your duties as soon as you can. Like you say, the injured are bound to come here any time now."

Then he turned to Hayden O'Connor, giving her a smile. He had heard from the one posted in the reception area that she was in command. "My gratitude for standing in after I had to escape from the mutineers. The winds know I am grateful that we now have a counselor with medical expertise. I will take it from here, but please, fill me in and stay to help if you can."

That was when the emergency entrance doors slid open, and through them walked Lin Kae and Rihen Neyah, carrying... chairs. Behind the two engineers, the EMH Mk 1 hologram carried a lifeless woman that Lucan remembered from the Senior Staff meeting. A certain Selena Ravenholm, unless he was mistaken. To top it off, Skye Carver - one of the Lone Wolves - were providing armed escort to the group with a phaser rifle. It was not until the two Engineers got up on their chairs to repair the holoemitters in the ceiling that Lucan could piece together what was going on. Evidently, the patient depended on the hologrid to stay alive.

"Prepare a surgical suite," he called out, and despite the fact that he was injured as well, he picked up a labcoat from a peg on his way to meet up the EMH. "If someone can find Doctor Maya, tell her that she'll have a patient there. I need to coordinate with the different wards before I can take patients of my own. Give the engineers some room, people. They are repairing the emitters for us."

In the end, Lucan did not know what compelled his actions any more. It did not matter, it seemed, because as long as he aided the crew, he could continue his act and remain above any suspicion, and hopefully, he could learn for himself what his motivations had become of late. All he knew was that the mutiny had placed him in harm's way, and he had still fought to preserve Ives' command of the ship.  The thing inside was no help either, unable to help maintaining the façade, especially around the exciting Radiant specimen. It begged a lot of questions that he had no answers for.

For if he found himself willing to bleed for the ignorant opposition that he surrounded himself with, what did that make him? 

Re: CHAPTER 04: Invictus [07: Undoing]

Reply #91 –
[Fasha "Morrigan" | Lone Wolves Squadron | USS Theurgy]

As the battle waged between the Lone Wolves and the USS Calamity's Reaver contingent losses were had on both sides of the conflict. With Quake's death Fasha could feel the wound upon her soul inflicted by Oracle's death widen another one of her family was gone. Her grip on her flight stick tightened for a brief moment her eyes fluttered shut in remembrance to the lost but only for a moment as they once more opened. There would be time to properly mourn the lost when the battle was won. Her thoughts were drawn elsewhere however as Goldeneye's voice came over the comms.

"This is Goldeneye to all fighters!  Collison imminent for the Calamity and the Harbinger!  Recommend evasive..."

Fasha turned her head toward the massive pair of capital ships. One moving at ramming speed toward the other whilst the other unloaded every bit of ordnance it seemed to be carrying upon the approaching craft. The sight alone was enough to prompt Fasha to quickly throttle her fighter up and bank away from the two ships towards the Theurgy. She was more focused on making distance not wishing to be anywhere near the blast the collision both ships would cause. Her fighter gunned forward at breakneck speed but just as she was about to enter the safety of the Theurgy's shield she felt a shockwave ripple across the black. The force of the blast pushed her fight forward she quickly pulled back on the flight stick and activated the craft's underside repulsors.

She felt the cockpit's safety restraints tighten around her chest as her body was rocked forward from the sudden cease in momentum. As the fighter came to a stop her body was thrust back into the seat her head knocking against the head rest of her cockpit causing dots to blossom across her vision. Her breaths came out in shallow wheezes as she brought a hand to her chest trying to rub the pain caused by her seat restraints away. Once she'd steadied her breath at last she let her body go limp in her seat as she relaxed. She listened in on the comms which were still chattering away in her helmet although somewhat muted likely from some sort of damage caused by her helmet hitting the seat so hard.

Fasha listened for a moment trying to make out anything being said on the comms before she thrust her head back once more hitting her helmet against the seat. This time the comms came through clear as whatever had been knocked loose apparently fell back into place.

"Theurgy this is Goldeneye." Fasha felt relief rush through her at hearing Tessa's voice to know someone was okay after everything they'd gone through thus far. "Requesting permission to come home." Tessa's voice said once more.

Fasha flipped her own comm on "I second that request Theurgy..." Fasha said breathlessly as she once more sank into her seat closing her eyes for a moment.

Re: CHAPTER 04: Invictus [07: Undoing]

Reply #92 –
[ Eun Sae Ji | Fighter Assault Bay | Deck 15 | USS Theurgy]

Eun Sae was in the midst of pointing out a few errors that had come up in one of the MK-IIIs propulsion output regulation systems to a few of her team members when Sten's voice calling out new orders. Any remaining repairs would have to be put on hold as Eun Sae once again summoned the members of her team with a sharp whistle before cupping her hands around her mouth "You heard the Chief clear up the deck!!" Eun Sae called out before turning to jog up to Sten himself. She felt a light strange feeling in the pit of her gut at seeing the man again. Yes she'd seen him across the deck but ever since she'd returned this was the closest she'd been to the man since what had occurred between them before her transfer to the Harbinger. She shoved the feeling out of mind however as she arrived at Sten's side.

"Sir!" She said nodding at him she was really unsure of where to begin did he just want the bare minimum or should she go into detail on how this entire debacle had begun. In the end she decided to provide him with what was important at the moment "I did my best to get the hangar operational again with what little I had to work with! The Harbinger sent me back over to try and get the Theurgy's flight deck operational after their initial takeover. Thea arrived shortly after my own arrival and requested my assistance in repairing the Reaver we had on hand. She believed with it she could somehow prevent the Calamity from assaulting us. After I assisted her member of the deck crew and other mixed department crew members began to filter into the hangar I put them to work to the best of my ability" Eun Sae said quickly in one breath.

She felt a small burn of shame at how her attempt to take charge had gone. In her own mind it had gone extremely poorly considering the fact that the Hangar was still the mess that it was when she'd arrived. "Fortunately I managed to prep all of our remaining fighters for launch if there is any positive to be taken from any of this sir." Eun Sae said finally taking a deep breath to replace the one she'd been holding onto all this time. As she finished speaking however she felt the entire deck rock. She felt her feet fall from under her as a blinding flash appeared and before she knew it she was on the floor of the deck recovering from whatever had shook the deck so hard.

Re: CHAPTER 04: Invictus [07: Undoing]

Reply #93 –
[ Miles Renard (Iron-Fox) | Lone Wolves Squadron | Wolf-01 ] Attn: Mission Ops, Lone Wolves Squadron, Thea
Miles spoke through the computer and simply thanked Thea for the assistance then added something he felt Thea needed to hear before opening up the comm systems to reach mission ops and the remaining Valkyries.  "Thea, I want you to know." he paused.  “What you did, I doubt there is a crew member or officer on the Theurgy who wouldn't risk their career and rank to attempt the same if it was their child instead." he said before adding.  "Perhaps there is still hope for her though, perhaps with our efforts we will able to save the Calamity of this timeline. Even if we couldn't save the one from the spoiled future we wish to prevent, perhaps by defeating the enemy that seeks to destroy us The Calamity who is yet to be built can be saved from the one we have lost's fate."  He toggled a few switches in the cockpit focusing the sensor systems and setting a course for the Theurgy. Slowly he began bringing the com systems online again.

“All fighters, lure the Reavers into our weapons envelope.”

"You heard miss-ops," he said catching the last of the address.  "If you are still combat shape then take’em out. When they go down I want you to tow in whatever large pieces of hull you can.  Papa Bear's gonna need a lot of spare armor and hull components for the repairs and I want to lose as little as possible to that gravity well.  Make sure you don't bring anything in with a functioning holo-emitter though. We all know the damage Cala herself did when she attacked us from the inside once and I don't want the pilot holo's to have even a chance to do the same."

Knowing there was still one part of his mission left to go he sent a signal to the fighter bay letting them know to be prepared to lock on with a tractor beam to guide the Reaver back into the hangar before vectoring the Valkyrie back onto course and angling her to the approach vector to land.  "Wolf 01 to lone wolves.  I'm RTB.  Send wing report pings".  I want to know who's flying and who's drifting. I haven't detected quake's ship on sensors for a while so I know there's at least one ship dead in the water."  Mission ops please advise have any pilots emergency transported back to base.  I 'm going to need a casualty report on both ships and pilots"
He sighed before hanging his head down for a moment feeling a mix of victory and defeat.  It was hard not to notice how barely functional his ship was currently as he spoke aloud with no one other than Thea to hear.  "All this things good for now is as a glorified desk.  May as well get started on the paperwork."  he said musing to himself.  "Probably in better shape than my office anyways."


[ Aisha S'Iti | Bridge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Bridge personnel

The Cardassian began to breathe sighs of relief hearing the plans on how to deal with the mutineers as they were brought up.  Still there were others that needed help as well.  All of her friends who were still on the harbinger until evacuating, they were stranded who-knows-where now.  Were they drifting through space; had they landed on a harsh uninhabited planet?  She knew the only right thing to do was to do anything she could to recover them and restore their sanity but in doing so how would they react.  The people they had been brainwashed into seeing as their enemies could hardly aid them without being attacked in some way, she imagined.  Nor would they believe anything that the Ives loyalists would tell them.  Then she had an idea on how they could recover the evacuated crew without endangering Ives' crew. 

Still she knew that when the mutiny began she had been part of the party who had beamed over and was the helms-person who had been witnessed stepping over the dead body of her desk's previous occupant.  Needless to say, she would understand if the chief of security would feel the need to not allow her an audience with the captain to be as private as she would usually prefer.  She had to weigh every option before she broke her silence and attempted to address the captain.

Re: CHAPTER 04: Invictus [07: Undoing]

Reply #94 –
[ Sten Covington | Deck 15 - Fighter Assault Bay ]

Watching his fellow deck apes move to the booming of his voice was a comfort for the Chief of the Deck.  Despite the mutiny, despite the damage done to the ship and to his hangar and the fact they had engaged battle against a nightmare ship from the future, the sight made him feel as though things would be all right in the end and he allowed himself a small smile, especially as the diminutive firecracker of a Petty Officer took up his orders and repeated them for emphasis.  That was not really his style, but he knew he could deal with it.  Between the stress and the unusual situation, that kind of thing could be forgivable. 

However, addressing him as 'Sir', on the other hand, was something he'd have to rectify.  Granted, warrant officers could be properly addressed in such a way, according to regulations.  However, Sten much preferred 'Chief'.  First, he listened to the words that fairly tumbled out of her mouth.  Good Lord she spoke fast!  And he could tell she was unsure how her report would be taken, in the end. 

Regarding the Reaver, it wasn't really his place to talk.  The damn thing hadn't been tested or sorted out yet and that bothered him, but the fact the ship's AI had decided to take it out for a spin was beyond unusual, and he'd leave that one for the Captain to handle.  And truth be told, he didn't mind seeing its parking spot on the deck empty; seeing it there with techs crawling all over it would be a very painful reminder of the loss of Nahrik Cinsaj.  And if he had anything to say about it, he's see that thing used for target practice, or just flung into the nearest star to be forgotten about good and proper. 

However, he did allow a grin to come through once she finished her report.  "First of all, Ji, I'm no Sir, I work for a living!"  That particular line must have been used by every man in a leadership position who was not an officer since the first armies were organized by the most ancient civilization.  And still he liked it well enough!  But then, he landed his hirsute paw upon her much, much smaller shoulder.  "You did good.  Especially with the cluster-fuck we had going on today."

He was going to say more, but the ship was rocked by an explosion, a large one if he was any judge and when the deck pitched and rolled under the shockwave, he managed to keep his feet while the Asian woman obviously did not. Bending down, he got a hold of her arms and as though she weighed nothing, he straightened himself and set her back on her feet.  "It's good to see you again," he then said, much more softly.  And it was!  With the mutiny and all that talk of brainwashing and using female crew members as breeding stock, he couldn't deny the guilt at having sent Eun Sae away to the Harbinger when they'd rendez-vous'ed what felt half a lifetime ago.  But seeing her on his deck, whole, herself and unmolested was a blessing he hadn't dared ask for. 

Not to mention the guilt at having sent her away in the first place, ostensibly to avoid any friction following the Ishtar incident.  Four decades in Starfleet, he ought to have been able to deal with it!  He was a professional and despite her relative inexperience, so was she!  They ought to have been able to keep working side by side regardless of what some kind of deity-like entity forced them to do.  But at least now he had a chance to make amends. 

"We'll be getting busted birds in any time now.  What d'you say we get to work and we discuss what we're going to do with you once we get this mess within shouting distance of being sorted out?"

Re: CHAPTER 04: Invictus [07: Undoing]

Reply #95 –
[ Eun Sae Ji | Fighter Assault Bay | Deck 15 ]

As Sten smiled at her Eun Sae could feel one of her own form on her lips it was good to see that the Chief hadn't changed that much in her absence from the Theurgy's FAB. As she felt his hand fall upon her shoulder she felt the strange feeling that she'd previously been able to work down surface once more. But in short order she quickly reined it in once again shutting it away in the back of her mind under lock and key as she gave a short nod at his approval of her short stint of being in command. "Thank you Chief." She said it appeared he would say more until the ship rocked as the explosion sent waves through space.

But before she could fall to the deck she felt a pair of hands encircle her arms ceasing her descent and setting her back upright. Her eyes had closed as she fell but as she opened them she could see Sten looking at her as he expressed his relief at seeing her again. "I can say the same Chief." She said smiling once again at him. So many different emotions and thoughts wanted to run wild inside her head but right now was definitely not the right time to let them. So many questions wanted to be asked but it was definitely the wrong time to ask them. She stepped away from him as he continued speaking once more she nodded.

"I'll make sure my teams ready Chief." Eun Sae said before turning to leave him, If the explosion that had rocked the entire deck was any indication today would be a very long day for everyone.
 
Simple Audio Video Embedder