Star Trek: Theurgy

Star Trek: Theurgy | Season 1 => Episode 03: Unconquerable Soul | Part 3 => Topic started by: Iron Ferrox on August 08, 2015, 12:51:02 AM

Title: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: Iron Ferrox on August 08, 2015, 12:51:02 AM
Epilogue: Precepts By Which We Survive

Captain's Log, Stardate 57505.28. The hunt has finally come to an end, and it was the prey that bested the predator, yet the achievement - however remarkable - was not without cost. Innocent victims were compelled to commit crimes and mutiny against their will, and they must now be forgiven despite the severity of their actions. Friends and lovers must be allowed to grieve for their lost ones, and accept that the true malefactors of these crimes have already paid with their lives. Still, I wonder, will this crew ever be able to move on from these events? How can they keep their eye on our mission objective, when the memories of the Calamity and the Harbinger might endure?
                                                                                                                       
- Captain Ives, Commanding Officer of the USS Theurgy

[ Maya (https://fc02.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2014/219/e/7/maya_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6n3n.png) | Main Sickbay | Surgical Suite | Deck 07 ]  Attention: Medical Personnel, Lin Kae and Rihen Neyah .

So far sickbay wasn't as overworked as they'd expected.  Patients came in, but they were patients who had been injured during the mutiny and not during the battle between starships.  Nearly everyone who was injured during the fight with the Calamity chose to remain at their posts, and fortunately none had been injured so gravely that they were unable to function.  That still left plenty of patients, both Theurgy and Harbinger personnel who were in critical condition. 

When the battle ended, Maya was in her surgical scrubs trying to save the cybernetic woman known as Selena Ravenholm.  The woman's body had so many mechanical modifications to it that a detailed medical record was essential.  All four of her limbs were artificial, and she had so many implants in her skull that one would have thought she was one of the Borg.  Miss Ravenholm had suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and someone had placed a holographic patch over the ruptured blood vessel.  Currently the patient was hooked up to a blood transfusion unit and was receiving fluids. 

Sickbay was shorthanded, but fortunately Doctor Maya was a brain surgeon.  Hopefully, years of experience and centuries of Vulcan medicine could substitute for accurate medical information on the patient.  "Vascular regenerator," she ordered to the attendant on duty as she held out a long fingered hand that seemed too large for her tiny body.  The attendant in the room was flesh and blood.  Lin Kae and Rihen Neyah were repairing the holographic emitters in sickbay, but they hadn't gotten to the surgical suites yet, and in any case they would have to wait until surgery was concluded.



[ Selena Ravenholm| Main Sickbay | Surgical Suite | Deck 07 ]  Attention: Medical Personnel, Lin Kae, Rihen Neyah, and  Maya

As the procedure continued the civilian's fingers began to twitch slightly before her eyes fluttered open.   It hadn't been the first time she had experienced the rather unique sensation of being partially awake as things within her head were messed around with.  she weakly reached up and touched the surgeon's clothing trying to get her attention as she began to speak knowing that there were a few things that her files probably didn't have that she undoubtedly would need.  and for the sake of the conflict going on in her mind she needed some information herself.

Weakly whispering she spoke.  "Object, Intersection Lateral, central sulcus, surface olfactory cort...  she couldn't complete the word  pausing having to close her eyes tight to focus.  "Complete medical hist..."  she managed to get out before being seized with another painful jarr of both mind and body. 

As Selena had said If the doctor were to look near the intersections of the lateral and central sulcus under where the temporal lobe covered they would find a waver thin disc no larger in diameter than a old Terran U.S. dime adhered to the surface of her olfactory cortex. Upon scanning with a tricorder the etchings on its surface would decode by the sensors within it into a complete and accurate medical history including a mapping of all past and present alterations to her body, any biochemical differences from the norm because of her enhancements, and most importantly a detailed mapping of her brain, its implants, how they connect into the brain, how to remove and reinsert them and replicator schematics to recreate all present hardware in the event of damage.

Before she could do anything else though the cyber-augment needed to know one thing.  "Is the augment dead?" she asked in the clearest tone she could manage. The voice of her brain-washer continued to compel her to accomplish the mission.  She had figured out there was one thing that would shut the voice up for good and that was intel that the mission given to her by the mid meld was an unrecoverable failure. What she needed was information that would render the duties being shouted to her within her mind completely and utterly pointless  she needed the one tool that she could use to finally tell that Vulcan's increasingly intolerable whispers to once and for all shut the hell up.
Title: Re: CHAPTER 04: Invictus [07: Undoing]
Post by: Doc M. on August 08, 2015, 05:54:25 AM
[ Maya (https://fc02.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2014/219/e/7/maya_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6n3n.png) | Main Sickbay | Surgical Suite | Deck 07 ]  Attention: Medical Personnel, Selena Ravenholm.

During the operation, the patient was trying to speak.  "Object, Intersection Lateral, central sulcus, surface olfactory cort... she gasped out.  "Complete medical hist..."

Fascinating.  Apparently Miss Ravenholm had latent extrasensory abilities and such close proximity to a touch telepath allowed her to know what Maya needed.  Maya placed the fingers of her gloved hand on the left side of Selena's face before removing it and holding it out to the attendant assisting. 

"Tweezers," she ordered before being handed the tool requested.  There it was; a tiny wafer thin disc no larger than 1.8 centimeters in diameter attached to the olfactory cortex.  "I need this analyzed in real time," she stated.  "It contains Miss Ravenholm's medical history.  Someone scan it and download her information into our computers.  Have one of the emergency medical holograms analyze that data.  Even though the holographic emitters haven't been repaired yet, the EMH can talk to me using the intercom."

"Yes Doctor."

Maya's sensitive Vulcan ears picked up another hoarse whisper from Selena.  "Is the augment dead?" the injured cyborg rasped.  The little Vulcan's meziofrontal cortex automatically suppressed the emotional reaction so Maya's hands wouldn't shake.  The brief mental contact she had with Selena made her aware of the cyborg's emotional distress.  T'Rena's orders continued to echo in her mind despite her effort to resist them.  The mental conflict was complicating Maya's readings and upsetting poor Miss Ravenholm. 

The truth be told, Maya couldn't truthfully say if Vasser was dead or not.  At this moment in time, she had no way of knowing.  Any definitive answer would be a lie, and despite her nearly flawless poker face, Maya wasn't a very good liar.  She simply didn't have the imagination for it.  But she did know what a placebo was and how to use it.  Right now, she would give the patient what she needed and see if the facts matched her statement later.

"Yes Miss Ravenholm.  The augment was pronounced dead on arrival shortly before you arrived."
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: Triage on August 11, 2015, 02:03:20 PM
[ Heather McMillan |  Sickbay | Deck 07 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Lucan cin Nicander, Hylota Vojona & all medical personnel

[Show/Hide]


The young biologist, McMillan, had never spent this much time away from her little lab before. Never interacted this much with anyone either. Until only just a short while ago, she had suddenly come to know Dr. Lucan Cin Nicander, and Hylota Vojona, and Simon Tovarek. It was, simply put, overwhelming. And as much as she would like to crawl back into her lab and go back into hiding, she had the feeling that was not going to be possible any longer. The Radiant were not isolationists, but rather, very social folk, and McMillan realized, after her adventure with these fine people, that she very much missed the company of people. She was still shy, and awkward if there were too many people, and especially if they showed interest in her. But at the same time, she feared truly being alone now.

Which was why she was still here, now, in the sickbay, after talking herself out of leaving for the fifteenth time mentally. After helping out Nurse Vojona with her problem, giving a sample of the salve she'd applied presumptuously on the Ovri, despite not having sufficient familiarity with their physiology, McMillan accepted the nurse's offer to have a drink some time, but she couldn't help apologizing again to her for causing such damage to her arm. The sight of Vojona's arm in a sling made the young woman feel even worse. She totally blamed herself for that, and made up her mind to ensure she knew the physiology of every alien from now on.

She smiled wanly at Dr. Nicander as she passed by. She didn't want to nag him to take it easy on himself. He really needed to get some rest himself. After all, what good would he be to anyone if he were severely incapacitated? "Run easy, doctor." She said softly when she was close enough.

There was plenty to do after the costly battle with the Calamity. While not normally a violent person, McMillan approved of that ship's destruction. Her singular oblivion meant many more would live. But she saw that sometimes survival could easily be worse than death. It amazed how true doctors endured the sight of this so well. She wore her emotions on her sleeve, and her heart was going out to everyone. She wanted to tend to the whole lot at once, but that was impossible, so she took an assignment, and approached the patient. "Hi," she greeted warmly in a soft voice, "I'm Heather McMillan. Let's take a look at that, yeah?"

She used her medical tricorder and went to work.

Having people around wasn't going to be so bad, after all. Flecks of light danced around her head and body as she glowed with warmth and energy.



[ Cameron "Cam" Elizabeth Henshaw | The Ready Room | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Jien Ives

[Show/Hide]


After being relieved from duty, Henshaw had found a new appreciation for the word 'relief'. While it felt rather fulfilling performing in the role of Mission Ops, the Yeoman found she very much preferred being in her original position. The strain and the fear of messing up, getting something wrong was constantly in her mind, and it prevented her from being able to enjoy the job, as it were. So, once she was freed from the duty, she headed back to her quarters, took a quick shower, and dressed in a clean, fresh new uniform, but more notably, she put on regulation underwear beneath her uniform. Going commando all the time wasn't as fun as she thought it might be.

She had a mirror and examined herself. It was amazing how much just a few weeks could change a person. Henshaw found she no longer cared too much how she looked as long as she was acceptably presentable, and well-groomed. Giving her hair a bit of brushing, she was ready. She grabbed a personal datapad, since she was going to see Captain Ives. Until told otherwise, she considered herself first and foremost here, his/her Yeoman, and she was going to fulfill her duties to the letter as needed, and a little more besides. She mentally braced herself as she made her way to Ives' ready room, where she was told he'd/she'd be at about this time. There was work to be done.

She hit the chime on the doors to announce her presence, and once she heard the familiar voice to enter, she complied, and saluted the captain. After that, she gave a friendly, and ready smile.

"Captain," she said, "I'm ready to serve where you need."

She looked at him with her datapad held ready to jot down anything he/she said. Of course, there was far more in her mind that she would like to bring up, but she needed to know if Ives also felt the need for it. Otherwise, she would just bottle it up for some other time. She couldn't fault the chameloid if he/she chose not to, after all, there was just so much to do. They couldn't let personal matters, no matter how potent, get in the way, sometimes. Unless it put lives at risk.

And yet..."Pardon the bluntness, but how are you?"

A simple enough question, that could be brushed off with a simple enough answer, and yet, Henshaw put all her emotions and feelings into those few words. For an instant, letting down her guard, her posture and air of surety.



ooc: Post for Edena coming soon.
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: Triage on August 11, 2015, 05:06:43 PM
[ Edena Rez | Edena's Quarters | USS Theurgy ]

[Show/Hide]


Edena paced around her room for a while, the ghosts of all the previous hosts surrounding her. Kiya sat on the edge of a chair, Illya lounged on the bed, and Jona stood by the door, arms folded, legs straight and at semi-parade rest. He was glowering, but for the moment, silent. Edena had a time of silence to herself. It was deserved, she felt, and maybe such was conveyed to her by the spirits too. She didn't know, but what she did know was that she needed the quiet, to think, for herself, for once, since the joining.

I suppose I'd better pack up...she mused to herself. It was logical. They'll probably move her back to her old quarters, or maybe reduce her space even. It didn't matter. With that in mind, she decided might as well enjoy some of the perks one last time. The shower would be dearly missed, she supposed. Not that it'd be a real issue adjusting. She's had simpler accommodations before. Her gift of silence ended when she redressed into her uniform, minus the command pins. She held those in her hand.

"You gave up. How very like you." Said Jona.

"Jona..." Kiya started, but Edena held up a hand.

"No, Kiya. Let me take this." She said, and looked to the male Trill evenly.

"Mmmmm..." Illya hummed breathily, smiling. She approved of Edena taking a stand for herself.

"Have you any any idea how much I have done to help you get where you are?!?" Jona said sternly.

"Have you?" Edena retorted, and then scowled, scrunching up her nose, "Don't talk like you did all this for me. Jona looks out for Jona."

The male ghost sneered at her, "The scared little girl who runs away when it gets too dangerous for her. You were never meant to have the symbiont, you're an absolute disgrace."

"At least I have my honour." Edena fixed Jona with a look, "I'll never betray someone just because they didn't agree with me."

"Hah!" The dead SI barked a laugh and looked at Edena incredulously, "You're a lot more naive than I initially believed. Your precious idealism, what has it done for you lately?"

He counted off on his fingers, "You got raped, you got violated by the captain you're so loyal to..."

"He wasn't himself!"

"...you whored yourself out to everyone," Jona continued, ignoring her interruption, "Do you honestly believe Tovarek would ever be able to take you seriously ever again? You think he hasn't spoken to his friends about what an easy ride you are? Oh Illya would enjoy the attention no doubt. Would you like to give full control over to her?"

Edena shook her head, looking at the ghost in disbelief, "How does one become so bitter and spiteful?"

Jona folded his arms, watching Edena, as her temper began to flare. "So Ives doesn't agree with you, and it's his right. First of all, you're dead. Remember that. Your time has come and gone. The fact that you can take control of my body on occasion is not a right, it's a privilege, and one you had best remember to appreciate as such."

She walked right up to him, and jabbed her finger at his chest, stopping just as it came into contact with it, knowing her hand would go right through if she continued, "Moreover, I will accept when your experience and knowledge can be used to help myself, or those around me for a mutual benefit, but any attempt that is deemed beneficial to Jona Rez is unacceptable. Your death has been resolved long ago. Deal with it, get over it." She pointed at herself, "I am now Edena Rez, and that means, for better or for worse, I bear the gifts, burdens and honour of the Rez symbiont. So stop trying to screw my life up, and let me live it as Edena Rez, not Jona, not Kiya, not Illya."

Illya, from her place on the bed raised her hands and daintily applauded Edena, offering her form of support, and Kiya just smiled, acceptance could be felt from the two. It was Jona that scoffed, and looked away, "You'll be the shortest host to bear the Rez symbiont, that much is certain."

"Maybe, but it will be my decision, my fate. I accept you, Jona, as the 'ancestor' of the symbiont. I welcome you into myself, a part of me, and not apart." She walked right through the ghost, and he seemingly vanished.

She repeated this for both Kiya and Illya, and they all vanished.

They were not gone, no. Just for the moment, they were...given rest. Edena's mind quieted for the moment. Thanks to her faulty Joining, come the morning, they would all be back, if not sooner. But pleased with herself, she left her quarters, and headed out to see the captain. They needed to discuss her resignation without interruptions or high-stress situations dogging them.
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: Auctor Lucan on August 12, 2015, 02:21:27 AM
[ Ensign Cir'Cie | Sickbay | Deck 07 ] Attn: All

Raising her hand, Cir'Cie lay it against the face of the tall man front of her.

"My thoughts, to your thoughts. My mind, to your mind..." she said, green eyes staring into the Klingon's brown orbs. He was the Master-at-Arms, and from the looks of his appearance, he had seen battle aboard. Yet she did not need to look upon his uniform, nor espy the blood upon his coarse skin, for she saw into his mind. She saw Zaraq's actions through his own eyes; how he had killed Ensign Cale Winterbourne on the Main Bridge at T'Rena's orders. She saw him holding Miles Renard's wrists against the tabletop in an interrogation room while Daniel Ritwer sodomised the Squadron Commander, and she saw Zaraq force himself upon Dyan Cardamone before Miles Renard appeared in a doorway with a phaser.

All these things Cir'Cie saw, and she made no comment as she removed her hand, and T'Rena's touch had been removed from Zaraq's mind. Now, these memories were plain to the man as well, cast in new light since the Lexorin dispersal, and now - with the mind-meld - the corruption he had been subject to had been made perfectly plain. Cir'Cie could offer no consolation to the man, for it was not hers to give, merely repeating what she had already said to the people before him - the line winding down the corridor. "Please return to your quarters. One of our Counselors will visit you there, and you may discuss the actions your body performed without your consent."

Yet Zaraq did not move on immediately, brown eyes drifting, until he saw the security team that was posted along the corridor as well. They were his colleagues. They were supposed to look up to him and he was meant to train them. How could they refer to him now, after what he had done? Benumbed, he left - slow steps taking him to his quarters. His thoughts kept returning to Dyan, and what he had done to her. He had hoped to make her his mate since she came aboard the Harbinger, but not like that. No. She would never be his mate. He had killed that white-haired human boy, even after what they had done together during Lohlunat . His actions may not have been his own... but he would have to face both the blame and the guilt nonetheless.

With leaden steps of utter shame, the once proud Klingon made a stop by a weapons locker on the way to his quarters.
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: CanadianVet on August 12, 2015, 02:24:43 AM
[ Carrigan Trent | USS Theurgy - Personal Quarters ]

There was an old adage out there.  A senior officer's work was never done.  And Lieutenant Commander Trent knew it to be quite true.  No sooner had the dust settled and the Theurgy had been stood down from Red Alert that he found himself even busier.  In the absence of a Chief Tactical Officer and the tac department being as badly gutted as it had been, the Intelligence Officer took the initiative to man that post for the time being.  Under these conditions, despite the fact that he had not been directed nor authorized to take that particular step, he thought the ship needed someone to handle the tactical department more than an analyst in the Computer Core. 

And after a solid twelve hours of work after the last of the Reavers became part of the debris field and the ship's lighting returned to normal levels, he finally managed to return to his quarters.  A real shower had first stung when the hot water and soap touched his number of scratches and bruises, but then this privilege of senior officers started to do its work and the strain began to wash from muscles and joints even as the dirt and associated filth started to pool at the bottom of the shower.

And he remembered what he had been doing.  Donovra had been a good substitute at Tactical during the battle and Trent would have to make a note to speak to Wenn, see if he could poach her from the Bajoran and brought up to speed as a full-fledged Tactical Officer, but her report on ordnance had not been completely accurate.  Yes, ordnance was perilously low, to say the least, but to be more accurate the magazines that were usable when the ship was in SOM were empty.  There was still some ordnance available in those that were only in use when the vessel was in MVAM.  And there were components in the ship's stores to put together more torpedoes.  And as such, using the transporters from a shuttlecraft, one weapon at a time, he began the transfer of torpedoes to the empty magazines and, using what few technicians he could spare, he started putting together whatever he could.  In the end, Theurgy was left with a pitiful stock of seven quantum torpedoes and nineteen photon torpedoes.  It was not much but it was something. 

As for the rest of the ship's combat systems?  The weapons technicians had done their work and everything that had been damaged, used up or burnt out during the engagement had been repaired but there were still a lot of very definite concerns.  The last of the replacement torpedo tube accelerator coils had just been expended in repairing the damaged tube; the starboard pulse phaser cannons were working, but one of them was using some reconditioned components in its rebuilt prefire chamber.  If the mission to Starbase 84 was important before the mutiny and the encounter with Calamity, now it was crucial.

For if the Tactical department's situation with its stores being practically fully depleted was any indication of the ship at large, then Theurgy was in serious trouble; for no matter how advanced a ship was, she always needed spare parts and components that could not be readily replicated.  That is assuming they had all the resources on hand to replicate what they needed and those were running extremely low to begin with and now that so much battle damage needed tending to the shortages were bound to become critical across the board. 

And with his hair finally dried, he allowed himself to lay down and close his eyes and then the full pall of exhaustion dropped upon him and he fell asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow.

Whatever the morning would bring, he knew he needed his sleep.
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: Absinthe on August 12, 2015, 11:37:11 AM
[ Lahkesis Saugn | The Past ]

Darkness.

In her mind there was darkness.

Then sprang up the fire of the past. She could see the fire, burning everything. The once green leaves of the few remaining Teslyliac plats wilting in the heat. The fire consuming the plants, the dirt, even the metal gave way to the heat of it all. Her life, her sister's lives, up until this point were now over.

She heard cries in the flames. The scientists were dying. Or maybe they were already dead and the crying was just her sisters. Or maybe it was her. It sounded like it was afraid. The smoke filled air burned her eyes, it burned her lungs. She was going to die here.

And then a hand reached out and grabbed hers. She was pulled from the flames by her sister, or maybe she pulled her sister from the flames. She could not be sure. Who was she anyway?

The building burned to rubble. The people inside burned to ash. Everything burned, everything but her and her sisters.

Then came the time in the wilderness. Living in a cave, basking in the sun. Doing away with the tattered remains of their clothes. They would sleep, cuddled together, under the stars. They lived together and free.

And then that ended.

There were questions, so many questions. About who and what she was. About the fire.

She did not know where the fire came from.

Had she done it? Or had it been the other ones, those she called her sisters. She didn't know. She had forgotten, chosen to forget, so long ago.

***

Lahkesis Saugn opened her eyes and blinked. Tears clouded her vision and she wiped them away. Sometime in the chaos of the battle she had crawl under a desk and lost consciousness. It had all been to much for her to process, it still was. The shock of killing that man and the smell of his burnt flesh had dragged her back to the fire, the past she did her best to forget so long ago. She wiped the tears from her eyes and blinked some more, the world around her resolving into something that made some sort of sense.

She slowly got to her feet and looked around. She was still in the Chief Medical Officer's Office. She was also shaking still, it felt like her feet wanted to give out from underneath her. She felt nauseous, though she had only eaten experimentally a few times she only now knew what it felt like to want to vomit.

She fell back into the chair behind the desk, pulling her long limbs in, balling her body in the chair. It felt like her mind was on fire, it hurt so much. Images of the fire and of the charred body of the man she had killed lashed through her mind. It felt like the whole of her mind was spinning in circles, she felt almost dizzy. The burning hurt so much. Her mind was not meant to deal with these emotions and they tore through it like the fire had torn through that building.

Outwardly her body seemed to change. The long faded scars of the fire resurfaced on her once flawless skin and her soft petal like hair seemed to wilt, the color fading from her hair and her skin.



OOC: Well it's been awhile since I've posted for Lahkesis huh? LOL. She was pretty much out of it after killing Phantom. But I hope this gives some insight as to why that fucked with her so much. I'm gonna leave this open ended in case anyone finds her and tries to tend to the seriously fucked up plant girl. If not I'll probably have her fail to recover and deal with the crap in the interregnum, or maybe just let the mind fuck carry through into the next episode. Who knows?
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: DocReno on August 13, 2015, 12:46:26 AM
[ Ensign  Chris "Husker" Slayton | USS Theurgy | Fighter Assault Bay | Deck 15 ] Attention: IronFerrox and Lone Wolves


Even though Chris had been on the Theurgy for a short time and while Ida had vouched for him, he still felt the need to show that he wasn't apart of what had happened to them even though he had heard the captain's words earlier, he inwardly felt that he should've been confined to quarters because of what the rest of the Survivors had done to this ship..

...which was the ultimate irony because he was now officially the Survivor of the Survivors.

Chris stopped what he was doing and wiped his forehead with one bare arm as that finally sunk in. An Akira-class starship was considered to be a medium type carrier due to the fact that it carried forty fighters of various types but towards the end of the Harbinger's "life", she carried only a squadron which Phanatos had called the "Survivors" and Chris was proud to call himself that as he survived so much before becoming a pilot and after.

But the events of the past few hours...that started to slowly tear at him but he was a Slayton and as his father once told him "Slayton men are adaptable and hardy folk, capable of throwing back even worse then what we get."

This time he was willing to believe his late father.

Chris went back to helping fix the hanger bay which had been damaged in the fighting, his new uniform jacket was off and hanging near by as he picked up another piece of debris and carried it over to a anti-grav gurney before going back to what he was doing as he waited for the squadron commander to contact him in order to have a sit down interview before being put back on the active flight roster with a Valk and a number, he didn't mind helping out with the repairs as it was engineering was something amusingly enough he enjoyed doing.

But as he worked, his mind every so often kept going back to his kiss with Ida. How she felt against him, her smell and everything else about her and her comment about "speaking of it later" which he fully expected for her to want to physically spar over the situation which he would be glad to do as he didn't get a chance to spar with another person trained as a guardsman since Paran's death a few years earlier.

Chris stopped and let out a dry, mirthless chuckle. "My god, what a day." he said before going back to work as he waited and pondered.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

[ LT. Lin Kae | Main Sickbay | Surgical Section | Deck 07 ] Attention: Medical Personnel, Rihen Neyah, Selena Ravenholm, Thea, and Maya


Kae was going around from deck to deck to try and get as much of Thea's emittor network back up online that was damaged during the attempt by Declar and his people to take Thea but as hard as he worked, he still couldn't get over the events of the day which made even him slightly disturbed.

As he started on the first of the surgical suite's emitters, he couldn't help but be thankful that both Rihen and Skye made it out safe with him as did Thea..but he hadn't heard anything about Soo Young, Oracle. He knew that some of the pilots had been injured and a couple of them were dead but Soo was too nice to have something like that happen to her and he hoped that she was okay.

Kae quickly pulled out the damage sections of the emitter and started to check each one of them over as he had done with each singular emitter so far. While they were all damaged by the sabotage, not everything was completely damaged and with every bit of corrupt code that he could find was another piece of a potential way of helping Thea keep from ever being used like this again. Despite T'Rena's opinion and views, Thea was a living entity with her own hopes and dreams and didn't deserve to be treated as nothing more then some weapon by someone who claimed to be dedicated to pure logic but was instead a simple savage.

Kae stopped and shook his head to clear it, it was events like this that only helped to serve his preference to photonic beings rather then the flesh and blood ones.

But he stopped in mid thought and looked over at Rihen then allowed himself a slight smile. *Well, maybe not all of them* he thought to himself before he went back to work.
=====================================================

OOC: Apologies on the Lin Kae half of this, trying to get into the groove of writing him while trying to keep as much of Kuro in him that I can while adding to him.
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: Auctor Lucan on August 13, 2015, 03:06:50 AM
[ Captain Ives | CO Ready Room | Deck 01 ] Attn: Triage

She sat by her desk in her female form, far from idle in the wake of the battle and the prior mutiny.

Not a minute had gone by where Jien hadn't been reading reports from all departments and dealing new orders as required to the senior staff. The top priority had been the Lexorin dispersal and its timing, added with the proceedings in Sickbay and its security surveillance. Thea had been helpful in handling the seamless communication, but Jien had also heard that their Ship A.I. had disobeyed orders, which put Jien in the difficult position of having to address the insubordination of an A.I. It was, however, not something that she would be able to handle that very same day.

One of her first appointments in her Ready Room had been with their new Chief CONN Officer, Aisha S'Iti, closely followed by others that she needed to see briefly. One by one, the department heads were passing along the reports on the hostile takeover and their individual actions to Jien for a final say about disciplinary actions. These were, however, not a priority when the extent of damage that the Calamity had caused them were still being investigated by the dedicated crew from Engineering. Bit by bit, Jien was piecing together what had actually happened aboard while she had been confined to the Brig, and what continued to give her pause were margins of error, and how small the variables had been between their success and their destruction.

If Dr. Nicander, Lieutenant Tovarek and the civilian by the name McMillan had not assisted in Cargo Bay 04, then the gravimetric mines would have detonated against the bay doors. If Selena Ravenholm had not defied the mind-meld placed upon her cybernetically augmented mind, then Thea would not have been restored to the ship systems, and none of the communication she had supplied to the resistance cells would have helped them coordinate the retaliation against Vasser. They might not have managed to reclaim the bridge or arranged for the Lexorin to be dispersed. If Sjaandin Fedd had not chosen to aide Lieutenant Commander Trent, then the Intelligence Officer's speech would not have rallied the crew to their stations in time for the battle. If ThanIda zh'Wann had not requested her transfer to the Harbinger and worked together with the two prisoners there, the Calamity might not have been destroyed. If Wenn Cinn and Dyan Cardamone had not intercepted Vasser by the Captain's Yacht, Vasser might have escaped, or Edena Rez would have been killed by Jien's own hand.

The list never ended. So many actions had - collectively - led to victory.

The chime alerted Jien of another visitor, and when she called, Cameron Henshaw appeared in the doorway and stepped inside, holding a PADD. The Ensign was a welcome sight, sparking a quiet smile, even if Jien's own resentment towards the woman after what Fedd had said about her on the Main Bridge was just as fresh as it was false. It appeared that Cam had showered, and wanted to resume her duties. Looking at her, Jien paused instead of answering her the first time she spoke. Instead she put down the report in her own hand and leaned back in the chair - trying to sort out her own mind in the wake of all that had happened.
 
"Pardon the bluntness, but how are you?" A legitimate question. Jien was not entirely sure, though.

"I don't know," she replied, and she quietly got back on her feet. She raked her dark hair back from her face as she answered, rounding the desk that sat between them with slow steps - the look of her gaze making it plain that Jien was focused on the ordeal they had just got through, the collective weeks that the Calamity had chased them, and the time spent with the Harbinger commanders and crew. "There is a lot to think about, if you allow yourself to do it, and it leaves me... bitter."

That was one word for it.

"I could not protect my crew from what befell them today when Vasser tried to take command. After Niga, and the Ishtar Incident, I can but hope we will be able to rise again. Once more, we repair and rebuild our strength so that we may carry on, but when the wounds are so... fresh, it makes me doubt we will be able to put this behind us. What I tell you now, I cannot tell the crew, of course; that I fear for crew morale. I can only say it to you, since it is your duty to be frank with me... and advise me on how to make them all stand tall again."

Leaning against the edge of her desk, Jien folded her arms underneath her chest and took a deep breath. "That is, if you still want this position... given what happened today. I cannot make any excuses about the circumstances, neither in regard to the cell's condition nor the mutiny and its body count. I truly thought you were one of those backing Vasser because it was plausible, with your application and because... of what happened between us on Theta Eridani IV. I thought you seduced me and had blinded me; made me unable to see the red flags... even if there were none there. I find my actions unforgivable, and I would understand if you want to serve in some other capacity."

It pained Jien a great deal to speak of what had happened, but she had to - her oaken eyes lined with the fatigue and worries that she would never let her crew see. She needed to stay strong and lead their way back into the Alpha Quadrant and Starbase 84 despite the odds.
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: Iron Ferrox on August 13, 2015, 03:28:30 AM
[ Miles Renard | USS Theurgy | Deck 15 | Fighter Assault Bay | Office ] Attention:  Surviving Tac-conn personnel, and deck crew

The Vulpinian stood within the ruins of his office still in his flight suit save for having removed his helmet which now sat on the scorched surface of his desk.    It had been a full thirty minutes since he had landed, and he had no words for the emotions going through him as he stood there looking down at the surface of the PADD which bore the casualty report. 

Giving one last glace at the report he--in a moment of weakness--threw the device at the wall causing the display to immediately crack on impact as the metal around it deformed not to mention leaving yet another dent in the exposed metal of the office wall.  He turned away from the report and looked out into the hangar bay contemplating what he would do now.  Officially he was supposed to be filling out the necessary requisition forms and rubber-stamping papa bears requests that the noncom didn't have the rank to authorize. 

Of course the part he was really dreading was filing the necessary authorizations on the funeral services. What it came down to was that, he just couldn't stomach to even look at another reminder of the losses his squadron and the two ships as a whole had suffered today.  Finally he took a look at the cracked PADD seeing how it was still functional.  Picking it up, he switched to a list of casualties for both ships. 
Amongst the list there was no mention of a certain person who had also been lost.  "Add casualty listing."  He said before the small computer chirped in acknowledgement. 

"Name: Calamity NX-79995.
Status: KIA attempting to preform her Mission.
Surviving relatives, Theurgy NX-79854: Mother. 
Upload."

He then sat the mostly broken PADD back on the desk beside his helmet.


[ Selena Ravenholm | Main Sickbay | Surgical Section | Deck 07 ] Attention: Maya

She smiled hearing the news looking a bit relieved, feeling her thoughts begin to become more coherent and her struggles to speak seeming to clear as the mind within her had very little recourse but to surrender to the logic of the situation. 

Vasser, the very lynch pin of her logic was dead.  Without his existence much of the success in her plan was gone.  Now it was a plan simply to hide.  No longer was there altered genetic stock necessary to over time create a race capable of defeating their enemy.  Now the only logical choice for a means of defeating the enemy was the plans Ives had proposed.  Sure it was comparatively suicidal.  But from a position of pure logic it had the higher probability of creating some lasting success in the long run for defeating the enemy than hiding and breeding a resistance without their augment would provide.

The logic that had made the mutiny the only option in her mind was now gone.  "Hear that bitch? You lost." she said feeling a sense of relief from the constant throbbing of headache and voices.  Turning to the doctor she smiled softly, "If you don't mind." she asked, "Can you get this green-blooded-sorceress out of my head.   I believe the strain of my resisting her control has caused most of the cerebral damage that you are seeing."
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: Triage on August 13, 2015, 01:43:41 PM
[ Cameron "Cam" Elizabeth Henshaw | CO Ready Room | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Jien Ives

[Show/Hide]


Henshaw followed the captain's movements closely with her eyes, while she held her PADD against her chest, seeing as Ives chose to initiate something on a more personal basis. This was what she swore to do. To be. And it pleased her that Ives was willing to give her that much. She gently nodded her head once when Ives brought up the matter of how she felt about the last few events. Bitter was a pretty accurate summary.

Ives brought up the Niga and Ishtar incidents, which Henshaw had remembered reading up on, drawing what little data she could find on it, out of personal curiosity. She watched as the captain literally bared her soul to Henshaw, a sense of vulnerability that she could not show to anyone other than someone she could closely trust. It was a twofold thing, by Henshaw's understanding. On one hand, Ives needed this. But on the other, she was being asked to walk barefoot on coals of fire. The repercussions of the incident with Sjandinn Fedd was fresh on both people's minds. Well, Henshaw guessed Ives would be thinking on it as well, she knew she certainly was. Henshaw was being given a gun and asked what she would do with it.

And then she brought up what happened with them on Theta Eridani IV. For a moment Henshaw felt so oddly detached, as if she were listening to Ives talk about someone else. But that person was her. No matter how much she may have changed since, the events of the past would forever be seen as a definition of things between them, for better or for worse. Of course, that wasn't to say that the past locked the future on a set course. What Henshaw did here, now, would also define things between them. She knew where her heart stood with the captain. She saw the weariness in Ives. And she wanted nothing more than to be able to bolster the spark that still burned in her soul.

Share the fire.

"My place is here, with you," said Henshaw, "I forgive you. It wasn't in your control. But more than that, please learn to forgive yourself."

She lowered her PADD and walked closer to the captain. She allowed a warm, gentle smile to form, offering everything, and she continued to speak, "In many ways, you are now faced with a situation Jonathan Archer, captain of the Enterprise NX-01 was faced with in his time."

She placed her PADD on the desk, and looked away wistfully, "Alone, cut off from a stable means of support, having little more than the immediate resources of his ship, and a crew of eighty-four individuals. On his shoulders sat the weight of command in ways few captains ever had to endure. His every decision would alter the course of history as we would come to know it." She looked back at Ives, with a strange look in her eyes, "Only people, with greatness thrust upon them, have ever endured. You're one of them."

Henshaw chewed on her lip, "Yours is the duty to uphold the principles of the Federation. The Prime Directive. The rules of conduct. With perhaps a slight difference."

She turned and positioned herself, until she was beside Ives, and facing the same direction as her, "I think, whether you may want to consider it so or not, this crew, the people of the Theurgy, are now family. And you're the head of the household."

This was the most important point Henshaw wanted to get at, "We look out for each other. And we look to the head for leadership, for protection, for providence. But as much as you protect us, captain..." she leaned closer and whispered, "...we will protect you too."

She stepped around, to stand before Ives, "No one expects you to be able to protect us all the time, from everything that comes at us. And sometimes, horrible things just happen. Like the Niga or Ishtar incident. And sometimes, we shouldn't put it behind us, but let the wounds run its course. We carry the scars as a mark of strength. That is what defines us. We don't fall away from it, but be better than it, and move on. In time, on its own, it will be behind us. Maybe not for some, but it will be behind us. It's up to us to make it so."

"You ask my advise on how to make your crew to stand tall again, and I say this," she smiled, "trust them. Trust in them, to stand tall, for you, for each other. You're our leader, and if you trust us, how can we not stand taller? Will you stand with us?"

They had bad days, so they could appreciate the good days better. She extended her hand to the captain, inviting her to take it, "Do you know why we fall down, captain?...so we can learn to pick ourselves up."
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: Nolan on August 13, 2015, 03:51:56 PM
[ Simon Tovarek | Sick bay | Deck 7 | USS Theurgy ]

After all the critical issues and major problems were solved, Simon Tovarek had left the bridge in order to find himself some peace and calm time for himself. The bruises along his body still hurt and a quick glance in the Turbolift at the decks made him proceed further to the Sickbay. Yet it wasn't entirely for himself as he saw how busy it was in the medical ward. Flocks of people waiting in line to get treated as others left from the beehive of medical. Tovarek walked past most of them, not asking anything or saying a word as he made his way to a biobed. His eyes were focused on the woman laying on it as she seemed a bit more isolated from the bulk of the patients.

He took a stool from one of the nearby desks and he sat himself down next to Tatiana Marlowe. A faint smile slowly forming on his lips as he pushed his hand through her hair. "You missed a hell of a show you know..." Simon whispered yet his voice sounded croaky as he talked to her. The first glance at the readouts of the biobed confirmed his expectations and these weren't all that great. The head of Engineering was slipping from this world it seemed, yet the induced coma kept her among the living. There was no telling how long she'd hold on to this frail strain of life or perhaps she might knock through at some point and regain consciousness. Yet the damage from the sabotage had been extensive to say the least. Physically most of it was healed with dermal regenerators, yet internal damage was hard to asses without a conscious patient.

This moment truly felt hard for Simon as he had started to grow a feeling for the woman he met on Theta Eredina. They had shared some wonderful moments, even up to the last moment whilst they both knew that survival was slim. Yet it felt unfair that he was the only one still around of the both of them to live on. The lieutenant rested his head on his forearm as he closed his eyes and guarded over Marlowe.

[ Amelya Duv | Sick bay | Deck 7 | USS Theurgy ]

After SAR got to Ida, Husker and Amelya, the three of them had a routine check up in Sickbay. Husker and Ida had been cleared relatively quickly and Duv was the last one to undergo the final range of tests. She was still wearing the exosuit and waited for one of the attending doctors to come look at her. She had already peeled the helmet off and her eyes were looking around already to take in the atmosphere. Seeing so many patients in the sickbay she wanted to get out of this suit and put to work as fast as she could. She wanted to help these people as fast as she could.

Yet suddenly Doctor Nicander stood before Amelya and the Trill doctor was caught a bit off guard. "Oh, uh.. Hello Lieutenant Commander." she mused a little as she felt a light blush taint her cheeks. She hadn't seen Nicander again from this close since their rather intimate yet interrupted encounter on Theta. Now that he stood before her, she sort of relived some of the moments that he had given her and she looked away, her eyes unluckily diverting down to his groin. "I was wondering doctor, if you could clear me for duty. Could I directly start assisting here in medical? I know the ranks and all might be a bit confusing for staff, yet I really just want to help the people here as fast as we can. We can discuss later how I could fit in here if that would be alright with you and your staff of course." She said quickly in order to avoid an awkward moment.

She was probably running ahead of herself as the good doctor still needed to start with her check up, yet Amelya thought this might be the best therapy for her, considering the assault she suffered on the former ship she served on. She needed to get her mind of things and back to the work she loved so much.
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: Auctor Lucan on August 14, 2015, 01:52:17 PM
[ Captain Ives | CO Ready Room | Deck 01 ] Attn: Triage

That Cam wanted to stay in her position as her Yeoman meant a lot to Jien, especially given the circumstances in which they had found themselves in a couple of hours ago. A brief and quiet smile of gratitude touched her lips, only to slowly fade away when Cam began to speak of Jonathan Archer and his voyages, wondering how much of his time in command had been erased from the history books. Once being Starfleet Intelligence, Jien knew some facts the majority of the fleet didn't, much of it in regard to the Temporal Cold War.

That had been her leverage when she had asked Captain Ducane of the Relativity to ask his crew for volounteers. Sarresh Morali, who had been instrumental in finding the Theurgy in the timestream, had volounteered, even if he couldn't remember doing so. Again, Jien wondered how much Sarresh had known about the return to his own century. She supposed that the amount of foreknowledge the Ash'reem had before the MEM treatment was the measure of bravery in the man. Unlikely, perhaps, since the Calamity had yet to make its temporal incursion. Yet if he had known the dangers to his own life and his people when he volounteered, perhaps he had nurtured the hope to save them all from extinction. Unfortunately, regardless of his intentions when he volounteered, he had failed, and the entire Neotin family and the key to their people's renewed fertility were gone.

"Only some people, with greatness thrust upon them, have ever endured. You're one of them."

When Cameron said that, Jien could not help but think that the outcome of it all had yet to be seen, and that they did not know how long it might take to rinse the influence of this enemy out of the Federation. Much less how much longer she could endure. Already the toll was... undescribable. She dreamed of the families of the crews that had been forced to kill in battle against the Theurgy whilst escaping the Alpha Quadrant. She kept telling herself that the survival of the intel they possessed was more important for the Federation as a whole...

But all those orphans, all the hatred of the mothers and fathers out there who lost their children when she called 'fire' - deceived by Starfleet to think she was some kind of traitorous monster. How was she supposed to convince them otherwise when they reached Starbase 84? What kind of rhetoric would ever tear the veil placed over their eyes? Vasser had thought the precepts by which they survived - as now mentioned by Cameron - may be their downfall, but Jien was more worried about letting the lies fester and grow until the point they became a 'truth' that rivalled their own. With each day that passed, each hour, the chance that her crew would be vindicated diminished. If she had to, she would take the blame for it all, claim that she had acted on her own and fight with teeth and nails to make them accept that her crew merely followed her orders. If it meant she could save them from the trials to come, she would sign any confession. In fact, a part of her believed she deserved to die for her actions the past months.

But not before she saw this through.

Not when people like Cam still believed in her, despite her shortcomings. When the Ensign came to stand before her, Jien quietly met her gaze - trying to take heart in the words that they would emerge stronger, unbroken by the ordeals that they lay behind. She asked for Jien's faith in them, and to lead by example. She knew this, of course, but hearing Cam ask her to remain strong made it sound so easy. Jien's brown eyes lowered to the hand her Yeoman was holding out to her, and with a deep breath, she unfolded her arms and took it into her own.

Doing so, she changed... into his male form, as if trying to put his doubts behind. Cam's hand seemed smaller when his calloused fingers encompassed hers, but the Ensigns' words still breathed life into a desolate place; the empty courtyard that lay behind the cold fortifications of his heart. "Thank you," he said, his deeper tone of voice wrought with the cost of command, but underscored by the acceptance of her advise. His eyes were still the same as those of his female form - a limit to his kind's abilities - and they rose from her palm and fingers, travelling her figure where she stood before him. His thoughts led to what they had done in the modular shelter, and later, what they had done right on top of the desk he was leaning against. Then, he believed Cam had initiated the unspoken intimacy between them to escape the grief for her late half-sister; for her own sake. Unbidden his thoughts were, but nonetheless there - sprung by the forbidden closeness they now shared.

His eyes did not belie his thoughts, but he still felt he could never be the first to act on what lay between them. Instead, he looked away - the same principles and regulations he had to uphold keeping him from what his heart needed in order to thaw. "In the end, we can only go forward, regardless what we leave behind... and how much we might regret. Like you say, I have to stay strong. Somehow. It's not like I have the luxury of choice in the matter. Neither of us do. We are all victims, but can't victimise ourselves. It resolves nothing. It is exactly what the enemy wants us to do. They turn our brothers and sisters in the fleet against us, because regardless who may die, they win, meaning to cripple us with guilt and destroy us when we can't take any more."

Sometimes, the ire Jien felt towards the enemy was his only recourse to rise above the guilt they lay on him. For it was their fault, not his, that all those men and women had died, even if that perspective might slip his mind. The anger had flared in his gaze now, looking out at the vista of space from where he stood. He had to stay strong until the very end, and then he would save his crew from the public outcry for their blood.
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: Auctor Lucan on August 15, 2015, 01:18:56 AM
[ Dr. Nicander | Sickbay | Deck 07 ] Attn: Amelya Duv, Lin Kae (via Rihen Neyah) & Lahkesis Saugn

Leaning against the door-frame to the corridor, Dr. Nicander watched the long line of mutineers that had been exposed to the Lexorin dispersal.

They were many, and their every move was being watched by the security personnel that were posted along the side of the corridor. A couple of yards away stood Ensign Cir'Cie, and she worked as tirelessly as any Vulcan might to restore the minds of the mutineers. Standing there, Lucan saw their Master-at-Arms step up Cir'Cie, and when she was done, the Klingon looked around as if he had awakened into a living nightmare. He might not have said anything, but Lucan saw the moment of realisation in the outline of his figure. Cir'Cie said the usual words, the Klingon walked away, and then she took care of the next mutineer in line.

As soon as Doctor Maya finished surgery, the process would be twice as quick, and the the matter would be in the hands of the Counselling Department and Hayden O'Connor. The names of the mutineers were registered by one of the rehabilitation officers for sake of the follow-up therapy sessions that would be required. Lucan watched the process as a spectator, letting the thing in side feast on the shame of the Lexorin-induced cattle. For they looked like the cattle they were, on the way to slaughter, and it amused the beast to see them all crestfallen and frail. It will be quite interesting to see how many of them will recover, and how many will end their own lives rather than look their victims in the eye.

Turning away from the funnel, Lucan returned to his domain. Sickbay was a place that had been hit quite hard during the mutiny, much because Vasser and T'Rena had decided to capture him and facilitate their plans to clone Vasser's augment genes, using genetic engineering upon the foetus offspring that would build their pure army. The Theurgy had the means to see it through, but they had lacked the doctor that would do it for them. Because of Lucan, Cir'Cie had led a group of mutineers right into the Recovery Ward, and Hylota Vojona's brother had suffered the worst of the consequences. Doctor Saugn was quite stricken as well, resting in his CMO office for the time being after some scans had certified that her being asleep after the ordeal was not harmful to her.

“Run easy, doctor.”

Without pausing his steps, Lucan turned his head and acknowledged Heather McMillan with a smile and a nod. She was reminding him about his broken ribs, even if the pain was reminding itself quite on its own. Again, the thing inside became very still and quiet in her presence, and Lucan had no answers yet as to why. He paused to look at the Radiant's retreating back while she walked down the biobeds, wondering - while she spoke with one of the patients - if she could somehow become made an asset. There was no way of knowing what and how much she could do for him when the time was right. All he knew was that Lieutenant Tovarek was likely going to try and whisk her away to the Science Department, but there was no way Lucan would let a unique specimen such as her go to waste. If push came to shove... perhaps the man would have an unfortunate accident.

Seeing a familar face, Lucan drew to a halt before one of the biobeds. On it sat a woman in a Tactical Conn Exosuit, and it was evident that she had seen her share of the battle.  "Oh, uh.. Hello Lieutenant Commander," she said, and it seemed she could not keep her eyes from wandering the front of his body while he produced a medical tricorder out of his white lab boat. It made Lucan give her a rueful smile as he began to scan her, not about to mention what had happened between them right in the middle of his Sickbay. "I was wondering doctor, if you could clear me for duty. Could I directly start assisting here in medical? I know the ranks and all might be a bit confusing for staff, yet I really just want to help the people here as fast as we can. We can discuss later how I could fit in here if that would be alright with you and your staff of course."

"You appear to be in great condition despite whatever you have been through, so medically speaking, I cannot see why you shouldn't be able to help us as soon as you get out of that EVA suit," he said, unaware that she was practically naked underneath it. "As for the ranks, I just so happen to lack an Assistant Chief Medical Officer, so I will petition that you will work along side me here in Sickbay next I speak with the Captain. I would be surprised if the Chameloid had any objections, especially since I hear you and two others entered the battle when we were truly in a pinch - saving the day. Thank you, Doctor Duv, and welcome aboard."

Having said this, pleased about the exciting opportunity to work with a Trill such as Doctor Duv on a regular basis, Lucan would soon continue his path through Sickbay, entering the surgical bay on the starboard side. Lucan first noticed the two engineers in one of the surgical suites, namely Lieutenant Lin and Rihen Neyah - the latter being quite easy on the eye. Especially since the toil of repairing the emitters in the ceiling had made the exposed skin of that flamboyant cleavage of hers beaded with sweat. He could not stare like the majority of the patients had done when the engineers had been in the ICU, of course - and he wouldn't because he was no adolescent halfwit. Also, because the Lone-Wolf by the name Carver would not leave Lin Kae's side, still carrying a phaser assault rifle. Lucan knew the three people personally since the away-mission to Nimbus III, and he took the time acknowledge the trio through the open door with a smile and a nod before he moved down the corridor. As he did, he heard the Risian Engineer speak to Lin Kae.

"Do you think Captain Ives will forgive Thea for what she did?" she asked, but Lucan awarded the question little attention as he walked on - pale grey eyes fastened on the door at the end of the corridor.

On the right hand side was Isolation Ward 02, and there was someone inside there - someone that they had found on Nimbus III and he had recruited to fill the vacancy Jovela left behind when she died during the Niga Incident. The person was now under the strictest form of quarantine, locked inside there like a prisoner for the safety of the crew. She had been found shortly after the battle, naked and sexually servicing a number of mutineers in the relative privacy of the Medical Labs. She was not herself, but perhaps more so than the mutineers, who had acted as if their souls had vacated their bodies. The explanation lay in her Deltan heritage, and how she said she had failed to medicate and dampen her abilities. There was no more medication, and she was now a danger to the entire crew. In fact, she had started to affect the Ives Loyalists that had found her as well.

As conflicted as Lucan had been about it, knowing Eve Jenkins since Starfleet Academy, he had forcibly put her into her quarantine. The beast had rejoiced in the struggle. Now, there was a security guard posted outside the door, wearing a breathing mask to protect him from the dense pheromones that was locked behind the door and the bio-filter fields behind it. The mask was a safety measure, perhaps unwarranted, but also the ship's last line of defence if the fields failed and the Head Nurse got out of isolation. Eve had not taken the news about Doctor Maya and Ensign Cir'Cie being able to restore the mutineers to their rightful minds well, since her rampage had left them with no less than six  husks - likely never to recover. If the lack of medicines had not made Eve mad enough, Lucan did not know what she had become after she was locked inside that room.

He stood there, looking at the door, remembering how she had said she loved him. Eve had been the first to make him question the convictions of his kin, but after Theta Eridani IV, it felt like they had drifted apart. Now, they were prisoner and captor, and Lucan did not know what to do about her yet. The thing inside had several ideas, none viable options. He could never do such vile things to Eve. He just couldn't. For several seconds, he was looking at that closed door from afar until the posted guard was starting to shift uncomfortably. Lucan felt an odd tightness in his chest... and he just had to leave. He could not deal with the Eve situation. Not right then.

He left the surgical bay behind with a brisk pace, passing the door where the Engineers worked on the way out, and headed to his office instead. Before he did, he briefly wondered where Hylota Vojona had vanished off to...

The sliding doors opened to the CMO Office, and as expected, he found Doctor Saugn inside. He had meant to try and get her back on her feet, but what he had not expected was the change in her condition - plain to the eye even without a medical scan. Seeing her, the bitter-sweet memories of his years with Eve Jenkins vanished completely, and his steps took him to the Teslyliac duplicate's side.

"What's the matter, Saugn?" he asked quickly, eyes travelling the marks on her pale skin - her hair now paler as well. Balled up on the chair behind his desk, it looked like she had been burned, but Lucan was quite certain no one had entered or left his office. The emergency systems had not been triggered either. From above the collar of her uniform, and likely the rest of her body, she appeared to suffer from some kind of condition he had no idea about how to treat. Not unless the scans he did gave him some kind of clue. "Speak to me!"
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: RosariaRosette on August 15, 2015, 04:50:20 AM
[ Eun Sae Ji | Fighter Assault Bay | Deck 15 | USS Theurgy ]

It felt like hours since Eun Sae had last slept she rubbed her eyes and held back a yawn as she stepped away from the propulsion output computer. Her PADD was currently linked to one of the fighters that had been involved in the battle with the Calamity running a full system diagnostic. After the battle one would think that there would be proper time to rest and to be fair there was quite a bit of time to do so. But the thought of just sitting back and relaxing just didn't bode well in her mind. She would much rather be working it would allow her to keep her mind off of what had transpired in the times not far behind them. People she knew and worked with were dead killed in a squabble for power that only led back to the very first square that they had originally begun.

She let a heavy sigh slip past her lips as she rubbed her eyes. She took a moment to sit on the floor beside the fighter resting her back against a mobile workstation she'd rolled over to the fighter. The hangar was empty for the most part leaving her as the sole occupant as far as she knew. She looked out over the wide space that had served as her home during her time upon the Theurgy. The scars of the battle that had waged there still marred every surface scorch marks and rips in the bulkheads of the hangar served as reminders to what had transpired. Eun Sae could still remember arriving and finding so many dead strewn about and forgotten. She bit her lip closing her eyes and folded her arms atop her knees resting her chin upon them. It wasn't until after the battle had ended that she'd learned of the many casualties that had been sustained on their side during the conflict. Members of her team having been among them and other people she'd had the honor of serving with even if just for a short while.

She'd hadn't been there. Those were the words that seemed to plague her mind so heavily as she sat there curled into herself. She doubted that anything she could have done while present would have changed the outcome of anything but some part of her still pointed some sort of twisted blame and guilt in her direction for being absent. She felt tears well up at the edges of her eyes before sliding down her cheeks. She heard her PADD beep signalling that it was now finished with it's diagnostic and had put together a complete readout on any errors or malfunctions in the propulsion systems. Eun Sae hastily wiped her arm over her eyes before getting to her feet and picking up the PADD. Her eyes scanned the information scrolling across the screen a few parts would have to be replaced and a few other systems and settings would need re configuring and re calibration. 
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: Absinthe on August 15, 2015, 05:28:34 AM
[ Lahkesis Saugn | Chief Medical Officer's Office | Deck 07 ] Attn: Lucan

The world spun as the brain of the young plant girl attempted to find it's bearings. The pain and guilt it felt caused it to detach from reality and only connect to small bits for moments at a time. It was like spinning far to fast and trying to make out the faces of people watching, not impossible, but all the detail was lost. She could hear someone talking, but who? And what were they saying? She could not focus on either without a great deal of difficulty. She thought she had heard her name, but sound not be certain.

She blinked and did her best to focus on the face of the person in front of her. She saw the details, but she could not put them together in her mind. She tried to speak, but couldn't manage that either. She focused with all of her might, at least all of it she could gather up. She did not want to die.

At great length she managed to say four words and hoped that the person could understand. Some distant medical part of her brain knew what she needed, but getting that information from that distant piece to the person was a great deal of effort. "No fire... sunshine... water..." And then suddenly she disconnected again and her head lulled to her shoulder.

Even a simple tricorder scan would show that her body was dehydrated and not had access to the nourishing light it needed in some time. The usually would not have been a problem, but the psychological damage and strain her body had gone though had pushed it even farther. She wouldn't need the isolation tank, but rather a simple solar lamp and soaking her feet would restore her enough to stabilize her.
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: Brutus on August 15, 2015, 08:02:40 PM
[ Lt. Cmdr.  Natalie Stark | USS Theurgy | Fighter Assault Bay | Deck 15 ]

Sweat dribbled down the back of her neck, in slow, thin rivulets, pooling under the yellow collar of her uniform shirt. The heavier jacket sat tossed over a chair, like so many others in the bay, and her collar was unzipped down her chest to allow air flow - her rank pips partially obscured. At a glance, anyone could be forgiven for assuming that the slick haired brunette was just another deck grunt, working her ass off to help repair the damage to the fighter bay and the surrounding offices. Only those who knew her by sight would recognize the Theurgy's Chief of Operations, knee deep in the muck and the mess.

Stuck out in the back of beyond as they were, Captain Ives had deemed the Fighter bay a top priority for repair. And the deck crew fell under Natalie's sphere of influence. She trusted, with absolute certainty and conviction, that Sten Convington could handle the situation. But there was no reason, it was logically argued, by Papa Bear himself, that Natalie couldn't manage all of Ops while pitching in with a more hands on attitude down in the bay.

Later, when she had time to reflect, she would realize what he'd suckered her into. But having time to reflect was precisely what the crafty Chief had wanted to make sure she didn't have. Mind numbing, back breaking work was what he asked her to do, arguing that it was the kind of thing that could be easily stopped and picked back up when Natalie would - inevitably - have to pause and give out orders. Which she did, and often.

Case in point, her combadge chirpped. The bit of tarnished metal clung to her yellow shirt, unperturbed by the stains of grime surrounding it. Dragging the wrist of her left arm across her brow, Natalie swatted at her chest with her right hand in turn. "Stark here," she didn't quite sound breahtless yet - that would come later. The voice calling out to her from the badge sounded about as tired as she felt, and a momentary pang of sympathy bubbled up. They were all working hard.

"Sanders reporting in, Ma'am," the muted tones of one of her many techs wove through the noise of the fighter bay. "We got that ODN node back up and running; powers through deck 9 should be restored fully. We're gonna go see what the mooks in engineering need help with next, unless you know of somewhere specific we should be?" She wanted to tell him in bed, given how many hours had passed but she knew that the order would be ignored.

"Engineering will work just fine, Cole," she responded after a moments consideration, "If Billy Bob - sorry, Chief O'Connell - is still on his feet he'll find something for you to help fix, I'm sure." Half of her teams were out and about helping repair minor problems that engineering might otherwise deal with - such as the holo grid that had been shorted out during the mutiny. They could only do so much with what they had on hand, and given how short Engineering was on personnel in general, it made sense to Natalie for her people to be there, pitching in where they could.

"Anything else, Cole?" Natalie asked Sanders. When his quick "No Ma'am," came over the system she dismissed him and sent him on his way, before raking her fingers through sweat slick hair. She wanted a shower, and bed. She wanted it badly...but...Looking around the office she was restoring, she knew it wasn't time to quit yet. There was exhaustion deep in her, yes, but it wasn't overwhelming, and there was so much work to be done. A long sigh, and then, "Back to it, girl."

And so she did.
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: Triage on August 16, 2015, 02:28:21 PM
[ Cameron "Cam" Elizabeth Henshaw | CO Ready Room | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Jien Ives

[Show/Hide]


Henshaw could not lie to herself that she didn't feel a rush of excitement and appreciation when Captain Ives shifted into his male form. It was still Ives, irregardless of which gender he chose to be, but Henshaw definitely preferred this form, and there was a subtle tremor in her body when his hand enveloped her own. She took in a steadying breath, and maintained her stance, but she watched him for every sign, every indication of what he wanted at that moment. This was her job, and all that she wished to be at this point.

She saw the desire in his eyes, and predictably, he looked away. It still bothered her a little, that he felt the need to be so awkward, or uncomfortable in her presence. It wasn't like she was refusing him, or uninterested. Perhaps that was the problem? Maybe she was too keen? Should she pull back? No, maybe they needed to clearly establish where both stood. That may serve them better in the end. Paying attention to what he said, she nodded at him, even though he wasn't looking at her. She tensed her wrist, which was still in his hold, so he'd know, she was responding to whatever he said.

His words told her what went through him, after all that she had said, and she smiled again, believing she reached the proper decision that would help both of them in the best way possible.

She wanted to tell him that he could stay strong, yes, and that the crew would be there for him to bolster him on. But she had already said that, so instead of repeating herself, she opted for something else, because his mind was so wound up, right now, she could tell based on the way his jaw was working, the tenseness of his neck muscles, and the look in his eyes. Her heart went out to him once more, and she lowered her head for a moment.

"Jien Ives," she said in a soft, gentle voice, her eyes slowly raising her head so she could look up at him, and with her free hand she lightly rested her fingers on the side of his chin, to try and turn his head and have him look at her once more, "I don't need to be a Betazoid to know what is going on in your head at this moment. But working yourself into a tense state right now is not going to help anyone, least of all yourself."

She brought her free hand down, and boldly rested the palm against his chest, feeling for a heartbeat, and she kept her eyes aimed for his, "If I might offer some more advise...try letting go, just for a while, and just be Jien Ives, even for a few minutes...or more...every day. Not captain of the Theurgy, not a warrior, not a diplomat...nothing, just a person named Jien Ives. You'll be surprised how much that can do for one's mind and soul."

That was her open invitation, and to put it more pointedly, she allowed herself to sway forward a little, her lips inviting, as were her eyes, and she waited, and hoped, that he would accept her willing offering.
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: Doc M. on August 17, 2015, 12:39:03 AM
[ Tessa May Lance (https://fc00.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2014/219/0/d/tessa_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6mx6.png) | Deck 15 | Fighter Assault Bay | USS Theurgy ]]

Tessa May Lance was the first one back after the battle with the Calamity.  She even beat Fasha into the fighter bay.  That was Lieutenant (junior grade) Lance these days, the last one out and the first one back in.  She tried to tell herself it was a damaged stabilizer but the truth of the matter was that she was spent, physically and mentally. 

And yet she felt a sense of elation.  She made it back to the Theurgy alive and in one piece!  Vasser's mutiny had failed and for the time being, they were safe.  It was strange when Petty Officers Eun Sae Ji and Adara Hussein towed the wounded fighter to Wolf-10's parking space.  Tessa had forgotten; she had been flying Nightmare's fighter; her own had been damaged in the gun battle since it was parked in spot seven, right in front of the doors to the locker room. 

"Which fighter did Ensign Slaverton use?" she asked the deck hands.

"Ma'am, Ensign Slaverton didn't take any of them out," Petty Officer Adara Hussein clarified.  "She was killed in the mutiny.  I heard they found her body on deck eight."

That was right!  Suddenly the memory of Hannah shooting Soo Young Seung in the chest flashed before Tessa's topaz yellow eyes.  "Uh," she grunted as she staggered backward.  "Soo Young Seung... Oracle?  Any word on her?"

"When they took her away they put a sheet over her," the short and dark Hussein admitted with a trace of the first actual emotion the little deck hand had shown all day.  "I'm sorry Ma'am, I think she's dead."

The phaser hadn't been set for stun!  Hannah had really killed Soo!  Before being killed herself!  The nightmare of the munity came back to Goldeneye, but neither Nightmare nor Soo would never fly with the Lone Wolves again. 

"If it helps, the mutineers were hypnotized," Hussein offered as Fasha's fighter entered the bay.  "They're getting medication to clear their heads right now until the Vulcan doctor can undo the mind control more permanently.  It's over."

"It sure is for Hannah and Soo," Tessa whispered as before she staggered into the locker room.  She took a long shower, curled up in a fetal ball as the sonic pulses danced over her naked skin.  Khorin, Soo, Hannah, and finally Axius and Ravon, unless they just had bad transponders, died thanks to the Calamity and Captain Vasser and his mutineers.  As if it wasn't bad enough having all of Starfleet after them!  How many more were they going to lose before it was really over?



[ William Robert "Billy Bob" O'Connell (https://fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/156/7/9/o_connell_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7l44xt.png) | USS Theurgy | Main Engineering | Deck 09 and 10 ] 

Before his promotion to chief engineer, Master Chief Petty Officer William O'Connell had a pretty full schedule.  Now Billy Bob wasn't only in charge of deciding what internal repairs needed to be done he was in charge of making the calls for repairing the whole gorram ship.  And dealing with all the people under his command which was no longer the just the maintenance and repair division, but was now the whole ruttin' department.  In laymen's terms that meant making sure that everybody was doing what they had been assigned to do, and make sure they were capable of doing it right in the first place.

Of course, thanks to the friggin' mutiny one couldn't depend on either really.

"Okay fellas, my way o' thinkin' says that we kin git our plasma levels back up to eighty percent before we..."  The burly engineer's voice trailed off as he looked at the empty chair near the plasma regulator console.  "Where the hell is Crewman Fok?"

"I don't know, Master Chief," Petty Officer Zil Arex of Bolarus IX replied. 

"You'll never make chief givin' th' boss answers like that Arex," Billy Bob grunted as he marched down the steps to the lower engineering deck.  "I thought they put that stuff into air handling to weaken the effects of the mind melds was supposed to do something.  What's that stuff called again?  Lexorin?  That was over an hour ago.  So where the hell is Fok?"

"Master Chief, have you checked your office?" Chief Petty Officer Lavar Manfredi asked him.  In Billy's mind, the short, coffee colored engineer looked mighty ashy right now.  "I think you'll find him there," he said quietly.  Chief Manfredi had an answer.  Of course he did.  He was a chief wasn't he?

"Much obliged Chief," Billy grunted as he marched towards the chief engineer's office.  "It's time to rip that smeg for brains a new one.  His brain cavity wouldn't make a drinkin' cup for a canary!"

When he entered the chief engineer's office he wasn't ready for what he saw.  Crewman Fok was sitting on the deck curled up into a ball, rocking back and forth with his hands on his head.  Tears were in his eyes and once Billy stood still he could hear a quiet kind of moan.

"Fok?" Billy's face was a mask of concern.  "You okay son?"

"It's all my fault, isn't it Master Chief?" Crewman Fok rasped in a hoarse voice.  "Lieutenant Marlowe, Crewman Poe, it's my fault they were hurt so bad.  I was just supposed to vent some plasma not blow the damn ship up..."

It was that moment when Billy Bob realized he was looking not a treacherous mutineer but a twenty year old boy who'd been brainwashed and only now realized what he had done.  The kid was young enough to be his son for Christ's sake!  It wasn't the crewman's fault a delusional telepath put the whammy on him.  If Billy hadn't escaped from the bridge with Carrigan Trent the same thing would have happened to him, and there was no denying it.

The selfish part of Billy Bob realized that it was going to be a long time before Counselor O'Connor could schedule another session with him.  Guys like Fok went to the head of the line. 

In the meantime Crewman Fok was in no shape to help out in engineering but he could get in the way.  Right now he wasn't fit to shoot at when you want to depower your phaser.  But if he was left alone the poor devil might just work up the will to kill himself. 

"It ain't yore fault son," Billy assured him in a fatherly tone.  "There ain't a man amongst us who'd be able t' resist when that woman plays God wit' cher mind.  But don't you worry none, Crewman.  You don't gotta do whut she says anymore.  I shot her dead m'self son.  You don't gotta think about her anymore," he assured him, blissfully unaware that it was Cir'Cie and not T'Rena who had mentally compromised Fok.  "She's as dead as a can o' corned beef."

"I can still hear her voice Master Chief," Fok whispered in a frightened tone.  "Telling me to obey.  Telling me that the only sensible plan to save ourselves and the Federation is to follow Vasser wherever he takes us.  I know now that it's a lie, but I can still hear it!"

A shiver went down Billy's spine.  The mere thought made his skin crawl.  "Er, um ah, don't you worry 'bout that son," he stammered.  "Doctor Maya will git t' you when she's able an' git that woman outta yer head toot sweet.  You won't hafta listen to them voices no more.  Now come on, let's get you t' sickbay," he said as he helped the boy to his feet.  "No sense you waitin' 'round here.  Right now you must feel 'bout as welcome as a rattlesnake at a square dance, don't yuh?"

Until Maya or Cir'Cie silenced the command to obey, the poor Fok was a danger to himself and others.  The Theurgy had lost too many people already to risk that.  Hopefully Doctor Nicander had some people assigned to keep an eye on the line and make sure that nobody waiting to be deprogrammed hurt themselves.

"Ah'm gonna head down t' sickbay," Billy Bob announced as he led the shattered crewman back into main engineering.  "Fok and me had quite a tussle in here earlier.  You're in charge Manfredi.  I'll be back in two shakes of a lamb's tail."

The coffee colored propulsion chief grimly nodded. 



 [ Maya (https://fc02.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2014/219/e/7/maya_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6n3n.png) | Main Sickbay | Surgical Suite | Deck 07 ] 

"Can you get this green-blooded-sorceress out of my head? Selena asked as Maya was finishing up.  "I believe the strain of my resisting her control has caused most of the cerebral damage that you are seeing."

It was a considerable advantage to have a patient capable of diagnosing herself.  It was also a reminder that after she was finished with surgery Doctor Maya would have to start deprogramming the officers and crew that T'Rena had compromised.  It was unrealistic to expect Cir'Cie, who had been affected herself, to be able to cope with the workload alone. 

In the meantime it was time to get started.  "Of course Miss Ravenholm," the little Vulcan murmured as she removed her surgical glove and placed the tips of her long spidery fingers on Selena's cheek.  "I am honored to oblige.  Close your eyes and relax.  You don't have to listen to T'Rena's voice alone; I will be with you.  My mind to your mind," she murmured softly.  "My thoughts, to your thoughts..."
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: Auctor Lucan on August 17, 2015, 12:49:54 PM
[ Dr. Nicander | Sickbay | Deck 07 ] Attn: Lahkesis Saugn

The data on the small display of the medical tricorder revealed enough for Dr. Nicander to get a hunch about what may be happening to the Teslyliac duplicate - his foreknowledge of her species required of him because of her unique physiology since she came aboard.  Massive dehydration, cause unknown, but he had heard the hearsay about what she had been through in Sickbay. If there was a psychological link to her body's well-being, then she would need water and sunlight - just like the flora of most planets out there. The troublesome bit was just how quickly she seemed to need it.

"Computer, seal the doors please," he said, and a chirp acknowledged him. He was acting by instinct, without corrupted influence. No back-thought to the medical emergency he faced. As much as the Theurgy had been through, the emergencies had been many, and he acted on this one as if he was in the ICU. The patient deserved that her modesty was preserved, so he made sure the rest of Sickbay did not see him undressing the alien in his office chair. He used the advantage of her being in the chair to support her while he disentangled her from uniform jacket, trousers and undershirt. While he worked, he remembered what the Teslyliac had been treated with in Isolation, and issued further commands to Thea as her burn-marks were revealed.

"I need a solar lamp, some tripod version, and it should be aimed at this patient. Energise." At his command, the hologrid created what he had asked for with only a slight delay. At that point, Lucan had shed Lahkesis from her uniform so that the light may touch as much of her as possible, and he had propped her up so that she was sitting properly in the office chair. Of course the darkness that dwelt inside whispered that he should make use of the opportunity, but he did not listen. He preferred to have the creature thankful to him for saving her life than satisfying the insatiable hunger of his kin. How was he supposed to explain that he could not save her in time, much less the marks of abuse that the beast would bestow upon her body? There it was again, the conflict of interest that he just kept accepting as a part of his new life. Was he mad?

Lab coat flaring out as he turned to the new device in his office, he activated the light and changed it setting to be ideal for Lahkesis' recovery. The radiation lit her pale and voluptuous body where she sat - her head leaning back over the top of the chair and her red hair fallen away from her tranquil expression. Next, he looked around for a hypospray. Plants - in general - maintained tissue hydration by means of an outer waterproof layer. Usually with a waxy cuticle over the outer epidermis, or with waterproofing chemicals present in a secondary cell wall. Yet he knew from his required studies that like plants, Teslyliac duplicates also possessed an internal vascular system that distributed fluid throughout the body. So when he introduced chemical compounds to support her re-hydration with a sharp hiss, they would not just help locally.

"Thea, another request. I need to wet the patients entire feet, her roots, so I need a bowl, but I am afraid holographic water won't do if she is to absorb it. Just the bowl, please."

[Yes, Doctor.] came the reply, and while the bowl was materialising, Lucan was already on his way to a locker, making sure the water supply in his office had not been compromised during the battle. With his arms full of plastic water containers, he returned to the bowl and kicked it over to Lahkesis feet. As soon as he got her feet into the bowl, he started to empty the containers into it - not stopping until the water level was well above her ankles. He had plenty of water to spare, so he got back on his feet - only to slip on the wet floor and jar his broken ribs. Cursing in native language, teeth bared by the pain, he was soon back on his feet and started to pour water over her body - hoping that some of it may be absorbed into the damaged areas.

After he had emptied three of the containers over her, her short hair was hanging like a waterfall from the back of the chair, and there was water everywhere around them on the floor - his leather chair probably ruined forever. Finished, he put a hand over his hurting ribs and before he scanned her with his tricorder again, he waited to see if there was any change to Lahkesis condition - pale eyes wandering her wet skin.
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: Auctor Lucan on August 18, 2015, 12:36:13 PM
[ Captain Ives | CO Ready Room | Deck 01 ] Attn: Triage

Letting Cam turn his head towards her, Jien ended up staring down into those brown eyes of hers, and he heard her say that it was okay. To stop being the Commanding Officer of a doomed ship in the middle of nowhere, persecuted by the very fleet they had once belonged to - staying true to the Federation's ideals even if it might be the death of them. To just be the singular duality that he had become amidst the humans - embracing both their subsets of biologies - and live as both the man and the woman he was entitled to be, instead of always carrying the yoke of command. The weight that was slowly becoming the death of him.

Yet could he truly afford to cast it off? Cam's lips and intimate presence beckoned for him, and even if he might wonder if it was even possible to do so, the cries he always heard in the silence bled from his mind when he lay his lips to hers. Her warm breath filled his mouth, and he could not help the sound that escaped his throat - the sense of fulfilment that overcame him and made him lay his hands upon her hips.

The invitation to kiss her gave Jien an unspoken reassurance, a realisation that what had happened in the Brig had not damaged anything between them. She was still going to look after him, tend to his and the crew's needs as best as she saw fit, and while they had not put words to what she was doing for him - and he had done for her after Lisa Hawthorne died - they might not need any labels. It was forbidden, and not to be spoken of, so why lay ruin and risk upon comfort and desire when meant to to last? Jien suspected that Cam saw it as a great benefit for everyone, herself included, as long as the knowledge remained between them and did not cast a shadow upon his authority. As for his own part...

...Jien found himself insatiable once he began to kiss her - calloused hands running up her sides. He did not wish to stop once she had invited him, and yet he would if she pulled away. Famished for her taste, and letting himself go, he pulled her to himself - his desire plainly there between them since she had evoked it.
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: DocReno on August 18, 2015, 10:49:58 PM
[ LT. Lin Kae | Main Sickbay | Surgical Section | Deck 07 ] Attention: Dr. Nicander, Amelya Duv, Rihen Neyah, and Lahkesis Saugn


Kae was trying not to allow himself a moment to admire the impressive nature of Rihen's cleavage as she helped him adjust one of the more heavily damaged emitters in Surgical Suit. He was standing on the empty bio-bed in order to reach into the emitter in question and he privately enjoyed the ability to glance down the front of the Risan's outfit as he worked, stopping only long enough to nod respectfully to Nicander's own nod of acknowledgement.

"Do you think Captain Ives will forgive Thea for what she did?" Kae heard Rihen ask from one side as he was making minute changes to Thea's emitter near Surgical-Three and raised one of his eyebrows at the question.

"To be honest I think s/he might take into consideration that Thea was effectively trying to help Cala in the only way that she thought that she could..like any mother would try to do for thier own child." Kae said as he thought back to the immense gamble that Thea had undertaken with the theft of the Reaver from the Theurgy's Tactical Hanger and the situation that in the end lead to Rihen asking the question that she'd just asked.

Kae thought back to his own childhood and closed his eyes tightly for a second to block how certain feelings that tried to come up with those memories and pushed them down as the thought process helped him to complete a cycle of questions that had been in his mind for the past while.

But then again there was a fair question as Thea had been unusually quiet on the subject herself to him and he had been working hard to bring her back up to full strength across the ship that composed her physical form...so why wouldn't she had said something to him about it by now?

Kae looked down into Rihen's heterochromatic eyes and then gave a light gallic shrug. "But between you and me, Rihen, I think that Thea might be blaming herself and in turn she may think that the captain may punish her for her actions but , but still..your question does bring up many possibilities." he said with a hint of registration in his tone.

As he reinserted the circuit that he'd been working on and watched with a quiet satisfaction as glowed with a light lime green of a healthy connection instead of the harsh red that he'd been seeing, he pulled the next one out to examine it. "We can only wait and see what happens next. By the way, do you know anyone else that didn't make it, Rihen?" he asked
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: Triage on August 19, 2015, 09:20:07 AM
[ Cameron "Cam" Elizabeth Henshaw | CO The Ready Room | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Jien Ives

[Show/Hide]


Just be Jien Ives Henshaw thought, sort of glad that Chameloids weren't telepaths, as far as she knew, otherwise she might have been yelling into his head all kinds of things she really didn't need to be shouting internally. Just take this, and let it all go. For a while. And let me have this too...

She knew to whom her heart already belonged to. Would she be doing this otherwise? As his lips finally met hers, the sound of pleasure emitting from his throat made her match him with one of her own. She yielded willingly to him, showing him her absolute surrender. When he placed his hands on her hips, she gripped his wrists first, then she wrapped her arms around the back of his neck, deepening the kiss, taking quick breaths through her nose. Why did her desire not feel like it was being sated despite wanting this the whole time? If anything, she wanted more and more, more than she dared ask for, because she felt oddly greedy and harsh, but at the same time, somewhere in the back of her mind, she was certain Ives felt the same way, if at least at the moment. Maybe they were compatible, maybe she was just reading too much into it, but she cast aside all thoughts and focused on trying to feel every inch of his body, while she willingly allowed him to do the same to her.

There was no need for words, no need for explanations or permissions to be asked. They were equals in this, and rank had no standing here. She had told herself as long as it made him happy and calmed him, even for a while, it was good enough, it was all...but it made her happy too, made her feel better, and more like a person. She only hoped she wasn't presuming that her feeling better meant the same for him. That he wasn't doing this for her, or that she was doing it for him, but that they were for each other. She wouldn't fault him if he chose to have someone else for a companion, because, if he loved another, would she not want him to have that? That was what love was, wasn't it? She loved him, no denial. And so, oh, who gave a shit? He was hers, and that was all that should matter right now.

Shut the hell up, brain. Go away.

When his hands went along her sides, he found some ticklish spots that had her jerking and moving right up against his body, while her lips, still locked upon his, creased up in a smile and her breath caught in her throat. She looked at him, and her hands began to move lower, running her own hands gently, clearly aiming without the need to see. Soon enough, her handling got more aggressive, and confident.

Clothes were soon anywhere but on people, and when both were finally sated, Henshaw was briefly marvelling at how creative she and Ives could be with the decor. How did my panties get up there?

WHY is my rank pin sticking on the ceiling? What the f-?

She looked away from the slight mess, and turned to run her hand along Ives' chest, appreciating the feel of his muscles and structure. That was right about the time when...



[ Edena Rez | Outside CO Ready Room | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Jien Ives & Cameron Henshaw

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...Edena touched the chime to announce her presence. She adjusted her uniform uncomfortably, suddenly feeling stifled by it. As odd as it sounded, she wanted to just shuck the uniform and never wear it again. She didn't know why she felt this way so suddenly. Was it because she was holding her command rank pins in her cold hand rather than wearing it? Was it because of what Jona had nearly made her, Kiya and Illya do? That caused her to actually have a literal fight with herself for the first time since being Joined? But shouldn't she be feeling proud and more confident in herself instead? After all, she stood up to Jona Rez! If he were alive, she more likely would have wet herself or been killed already. But she faced him, alone, without the support of Kiya or Illya. That should have done wonders for her self-confidence, right? So why did she feel more afraid?

"Captain?" She said, "It's me, Edena. Just Edena. And I'm unarmed."

That was probably a weird statement. But she wasn't sure if Wenn would have told Ives about what she had done in the Hangar, when she handed her concealable phaser to Wenn, and asked him to ensure she was never armed, especially in the presence of Captain Ives. If he did though, then Edena's declaration of being unarmed would make sense. Otherwise, she had some explaining to do. She was prepared either way for anything. This was a difficult choice, but one that she felt was the best, for everybody. She had since decided that she had no business being in Starfleet. Jona always said that she was not suited to military life. Well, maybe he was right, this once. Kiya was a doctor, and Illya was an actress and a con-artist. Jona was the only one remotely affiliated with Starfleet, and Edena had done her best to achieve success, but she was always struggling just to maintain average. That should have been a telling message. Which she accepted now.

She thought she heard something inside, and turned her head to one side, almost pressing an ear to the doors, trying to hear. Frowning, she wondered if she should open the door. Was Ives in trouble?



[ Cameron "Cam" Elizabeth Henshaw | CO The Ready Room | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Jien Ives

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"Oh fu..." If Ives ever was curious with just how fast Henshaw could move when sufficiently motivated, he was about to find out now. The young woman was blitzing around the room at warp speed, recovering her clothing and trying to dress in record time, except for her rank pin in the ceiling - she still had no idea how that happened - when fell over herself trying to get her pants on. Bloody Edena Rez and her incredible sense of timing! She stared wide-eyed at Ives. Everything else appeared to be in place. Things that might have gotten knocked aside earlier were carefully but quickly placed back where they belonged. Henshaw was another story entirely. Her clothes suddenly decided they didn't want to be worn by her, and were doing their level best to tangle every limb of her until she was near to cussing, save for the fact doing so would likely attract bloody Edena's attention, and the last thing Henshaw needed was the ship's first officer coming right in to see what was the matter and finding Henshaw rolling on the floor barely dressed in even her underwear in front of Captain Ives. Oh, wouldn't that be the story of a lifetime? Yeah, that wouldn't work at all.

She looked at Ives wonderingly for a moment, pausing in her struggle to get dressed. They couldn't exactly leave Edena waiting forever. She might call for backup. Yeah, that's just what Ives needed: the entire command crew forcing open the door to see what's wrong. Oh there was plenty wrong with that thought. Making a face, with her hand stuck in one pant leg, and the leg with it, Henshaw nodded at her captain, and tried to hop over to get behind her desk in the antechamber where her office was. And she collapsed, thankfully, making minimal noise. With the privacy under her desk, Henshaw did her best to dress as quietly as possible. She had grabbed her things, including her PADD and it was with her, on silent mode. She did not need it going off or making a noise to alert people to her presence, and as long as Edena didn't look up, everything ought to be fine. Since her rank insignia was the only thing she didn't have time to collect from the ceiling, she hoped there won't be anything that might get Ives into trouble. This was what she wanted to avoid for Ives: unnecessary stress. Well, she supposed her timing was a bit bad. Couldn't Edena have just waited another hour? No, probably not.
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: Auctor Lucan on August 19, 2015, 02:37:00 PM
[ Rihen Neyah | Sickbay | Surgical Section | Deck 07 ] Attn: DocReno

Working alongside Kae, Rihen listened to what he was thinking about Thea's actions and what the Starfleeter shape-shifter might do about it. Personally, she had no idea, but those Starfleeters went on and on about the import of obeying orders and all that, so there was no telling what might happen. Perhaps nothing. Perhaps... Well, how were they supposed to say 'naughty, naughty girl' to the digital spirit whom they all relied upon in order to breathe the very air around them? It seemed the sweet Bajoran did not know either.

"Hmm?" she look up at him and realised that he had asked her a question. Skye Carver remained silent, looking contemplative in a corner, so it had to be him asking. "Oh, well, I have picked up some gossip now that we have been in Sickbay for a while. Heard some nurses taking in one of the restrooms. Evidently, there was a lot of shooting down in the Fighter Assault Bay when that other Captain took over. Two of those Valkyries opened fire while inside the hangar. Many dead. So awful. I really admire those pilots and the technicians working there. Such a tragedy."

Rihen noticed that Skye Carver was not looking so contemplative anymore, and that was when she realised that she was one of those fighter pilots and not just a shuttle pilot. Blood draining from her face, Rihen felt compelled to say more now that she had begun, otherwise she did not know what the blonde human would do to her.

"Three pilots dead, one in the battle with the Calamity-ship. A fourth one - Thomas Ravon, or Razor - is still missing after the fighting. I am sorry. The dead were called... Nightmare, Quake and... Yeah, the last one was called Oracle."

In two seconds, Skye Carver was gone from the room - undoubtedly heading out there to find the bodies, or to go down to the hangar. Rihen called after her. "I'm sorry, I didn't know... I..." She sighed, looking up at Kae, distraught at telling the woman that her friends had died in such a crude fashion.

Then she saw the look on his face.



[ Captain Ives | CO Ready Room | Deck 01 ] Attn: Triage

Having enjoyed the afterglow, Jien had not been prepared to hear the chirp of the door and the voice of Edena Rez. Mind entirely elsewhere, still as entangled with Cameron as their bodies were, Jien still managed to get back on his feet rather quickly. His Yeoman was, perhaps, even quicker in catching up with what was at stake and collecting her uniform from the Ready Room.

Precious seconds of forced silence went by, where he restored his desktop to a semblance of order after having been doing all but office-work upon it, and Cameron somehow had her wits about her and vanished into the antechamber - barely wearing anything of the uniform he had removed from her. Any other time, perhaps later, the ordeal might have been jocular, but presently, Jien took a few steadying breaths, and changed...

...into her female form, no longer naked but wearing her mimicked uniform. Clearing her throat, she raked her fingers through her hair and picked up a random PADD from the restored desk. "Enter," she said, realising that the datapad was upside down and turning it over before the sliding doors admitted the Trill. Fortunately, she was not entering via the antechamber since she was - officially - still her First Officer and did not have to pass the Yeoman to gain admittance.

Breathing forced into normal rhythm, she raised her oaken eyes to Edena. Wenn Cinn had not only informed Jien about Edena being a security risk and her being denied further access to phasers, but also verified Jona's betrayal - having heard every word of it from inside the Captain's Yacht. Therefore, there was some gravity to this meeting, and it served to return Jien to the present quite fast - even if she saw Cameron writhing in pleasure whenever she blinked.

"So, I take it you have made a decision?" she said, hoping the thickness to her voice was easily mistaken for hidden feelings about the resignation. It would only illustrate the truth of it. Jien did not want this, even if she saw the reasoning behind it.
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: Auctor Lucan on August 19, 2015, 03:46:50 PM
[ Evelyn Rawley | Fighter Assault Bay | Deck 15 ]

Personal boundaries. Rawley understood those all too well. They were the reason she had paused before entering Iron-Fox's office. She had seen him through the shattered window, still in his exosuit. He was reacting as well as could be expected, Rawley thought, if one had lost four pilots. Five, counting Khorin Douglas. A part of her said 'fuck it', and that she still should go in there and say something. She wanted to know what had happened in the battle since she had been out cold for a while, but she decided against it - turning from the door and walking thoughtfully through the debris of the Flight Hangar.

She had landed not long ago with her three remaining companions from the ice planetoid, heard what was to be heard, and seen Maverick report Thomas Ravon's MIA status. He was most likely dead, but somehow, it felt better to cling to hope. Seeing the activity around her was oddly enough encouraging on its own. For while the present devastation made her stomach turn in ire, the fact that people were doing something about it so soon was remarkable. She would assist them, of course, but she had a mind to showering off the battle first and take stock of her injuries.

In the locker room, she peeled off Fasha's exosuit piece by piece and put it in a container marked for maintenance. And as she shed her protection, Rawley could see the aftermath of the avalanche. The medics would be shaking their heads like they usually were, saying that it was a miracle she was still on her feet. Truthfully, she felt like shit, and looked the part too. Dark bruising all over her already scarred body. The mirror showed caked blood underneath her nose and lips, and her eyes looked like she was still hung-over from the Festival of the Moon. Strange to think that had only been yesterday night, when so much had happened in-between. She still hadn't talked to Papa Bear about it, but given what had happened since then, what was there to say, really?

She heard that one of the three sonic showers were on, and she saw Goldeneyes' gear by her locker. The two of them were polar opposites in terms of personality, but it was still nice to know that one of her sister wolves were still alive. As she walked into the shower next to Lance's, she set her hands against the wall and activated the shower with a voice command. As the vapour rose from her beaten and bloodied body, she remembered her on-and-off again relationship with Oracle. Axius had swung both ways so he could share her taste. She remembered partying with Slaverton, playing cards and drinking games long into the nights in Below Decks. The shit they talked about. Men. Women. Sex. Fights of old. She remembered a stupid joke that Hannah had told, but instead of quiet chuckle, she felt tears forming in her eyes. Ravon...

Angrily, she shoved the memories away and straightened where she stood in the shower. She brushed her forearm against her eyes and bared her teeth, virtually hissing the sentimentality out through her teeth. Fuck it. They were better off. They would drink together in the afterlife, since that was the only bloody place left for them to escape to at that point. Some measure of damn respite.

No rest for those yet alive, however. She ended her shower before the cycle was finished because no matter what Nicander and his fucking medics might say, she meant to go out and help clear the deck of the hangar. If it helped take her mind off her fallen comrades, then she would polish that bitch until you could see your fanny in it.
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: Absinthe on August 20, 2015, 11:58:59 PM
[ Lahkesis Saugn | Chief Medical Officer's Office | Deck 07 ] Attn: Lucan

From deep inside her mind Lahkesis was vaguely aware of being stripped and tended to a piece at a time by someone. Her limp body easily moved as her uniform was removed and she was shifted to a seated position. She heard speaking, though the words were lost on her, her mind completely unable to focus on them long enough to understand them. She felt the warm rays of the solar lamp followed moments later the the coolness of water on her feet. And yet her detached mind could not really process any of it. She was torn between memories of the long past and vague connections to the world around her.

As her body soaked up the light from the solar lamp and absorbed the water around her feet her nightmarish visions of the past began to subside, leaving her breathing easier and more peacefully. Her expression become less pained and more relaxed. Though her mind as still very much detached from the reality of the situation she was in, she was at the very least no longer showing signs of pain. And though the apparent burn marks and color in her skin and hair did not seem to react to much at all, it was still far to early to tell.
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: Triage on August 21, 2015, 07:55:10 PM
[ Edena Rez | CO Ready Room | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Jien Ives & Sneaky Dressing Ninja (Cameron Henshaw)

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The seconds weren't all that long, and maybe Ives was just busy preparing the headman's axe for her. She could almost hear Kiya gently chiding her to not be such a suicidal pessimist. But really, would it be far-fetched in light of recent events? She begged to believe otherwise, contrary to Kiya's advice. Not that Kiya was around at all. No, she'd be away for a little while longer, Edena suspected. Along with Illya and Jona. Long enough for her talk with Ives, in total private. Just her, Edena, and her captain. She fidgeted a while, taking the opportunity to compose herself, and straighten up. When she finally heard the feminine voice of Jien Ives beckon her to enter. She took the opportunity, probably for the last time, as a first officer to skip the whole whole passing through Yeoman Henshaw first. Edena felt her nerve wouldn't stand up to seeing even one other soul before she spoke with the captain. The Yeoman was very straight-to-the-point from what she had seen so far, though she wondered what she was like with the captain.

When she entered the room, nothing looked out of place, and yet, something felt amiss. She couldn't help giving the room a quick once-over. Unlike Jona, Edena lacked subtlety or the swagger and air of absolute confidence, so her examination was as obvious as the shining rays of the sun. She had noticed something shiny and familiar looking in the ceiling, but she avoided pausing or dwelling on why a rank insignia was stuck to the ceiling. Maybe the captain was bored and started shooting sharp objects to see what would stick...she told herself.

The voice of Ives was thick, and emotional, which was a little heartening to Edena, but she was all-the-more resolved to go through with her decision. It was unfortunate, but very necessary. A part of Edena that was Kiya felt a strong and deep attraction towards the male form of Ives, and in a ways, that feeling extended into Edena herself, who developed a desire to safeguard the captain. And the best tactical way she could achieve this goal would be to distance herself from Ives as much as possible. So when the question was asked, the young Trill woman nodded her head, "Yes ma'am, I have.".

She gave her captain a tight smile, practiced, by the looks of it, because that smile never reached her tired and sad eyes. Her hands clasped behind her back, she stood at semi parade rest, almost remindful of Jona, except her shoulders were slumped, and she was not trying to be assertive, just trying to get a point across.

"I'm sure you've had the reports about what happened before you reached the Hangar. But so that I'm not assuming anything...Jonatriedtosellusoutbutwestoppedhimbecausehe'sajerk."

Her eyes widened at her own frantic explanation, took a breath, and tried again, "He tried to throw in his lot with Vasser." She spat the name out like a bad-tasting food. "I never thought he'd do such a thing. We never thought he would. But if he could do it once, there's not telling or guarantee he won't try again."



[ Cameron "Cam" Elizabeth Henshaw | CO Ready Room | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Jien Ives & Captain Oblivious (Edena Rez)

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Henshaw finally had some headway with her uniform when Edena finally entered. It made the young woman move even more quietly and breath more lightly than before. When did the Ready Room become so mind-numbingly quiet? It was like you could hear a pin dropping.

A pin dropped.

A hairpin to be precise, and while it was probably just her panicky mind on overdrive, Henshaw thought it sounded like a quantum torpedo going off in the room. Grabbing the offending pin and shoving it back in place, she tried to finish the rest of her dressing. Since when was getting dressed this challenging? Rolling her eyes to herself, she struggled in silence, and also caught the conversation between Ives and Rez. It made the woman pause in her actions. So...this Jona Rez actually tried something like that? That made him very dangerous indeed. He seemed treacherous and deadly. While she liked Edena herself well enough, the woman warranted a closer watch.

Oddly enough, it seemed Edena thought the same thing.
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: RosariaRosette on August 22, 2015, 07:37:46 AM
[ Fasha | Fighter Assault Bay | Deck 15 ]

Fasha didn't know what to do or say when she'd returned to the hangar. Tessa had shown up first and appeared to be questioning members of the crew about the casualties. Fasha didn't need to ask she didn't want to at the end of the day they would collect their fallen and the losses would be made clear. At least for a little while she could pretend that they didn't exist for what little time she could. Fasha shut her eyes turning her face up to the ceiling her helmet loosely hanging from her fingers as she took a breath.

For a few moments she remained still and unmoving it appeared strange to some around her. To others perhaps they were familiar with it by now expecting it from the Catachan pilot. As she continued to take deep breaths her lips slowly moved reciting a prayer to her maker for her survival and another prayer for rest to those lost. Once she'd finished she brought herself back to the present moving through the bustling activity going on about the deck. Her eyes scanned the deck briefly looking for her own fighter. She sighed her shoulders sagging as she took in it's less than pristine condition. She supposed it was a foolish wish to hope that it would be in the same condition she'd left it in before this entire crisis.

Though the fact that it was back in somewhat one piece though was as good as she was going to get so there was no use wishing for more now. As she entered the locker room she began to strip off pieces of her exo-suit dumping the pieces into one of the containers set about the room. As she peeled off the bodysuit of the suit she winced looking down at the bruise slowly forming in the center of her chest from when her chest restraints had crushed against her chest. She stripped out of the last article of clothing before claiming the last remaining sonic shower speaking the voice command and once more closing her eyes as she allowed her head to rest against the cool surface of the wall.

As she heard one of the showers stalls open she turned her head to see Rawley's head move past the top of her stall door. She mulled over any words that could be said at that moment in light of their situation but in the end decided to go with something simple. "It's good to see you in one piece Evelyn..." Fasha said.
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: DocReno on August 22, 2015, 09:18:29 PM
[ Lin Kae | Sickbay | Surgical Section | Deck 07 ] Attn: Rihen Neyah


"Three pilots dead, one in the battle with the Calamity-ship. A fourth one - Thomas Ravon, or Razor - is still missing after the fighting. I am sorry. The dead were called... Nightmare, Quake and... Yeah, the last one was called Oracle."

Lin Kae's mind and body as one suddenly stopped and he looked down at a woman that he was particuarlly fond of with a look that was possibly new to his youthful looking face.

Despair.

Soo young had been the second Tacical CONN officer that he'd slept with, Skye being the first, but she was the more interesting of the two and he recalled the morning after the festival, waking up next to her naked and not recalling the events of the night before.

But then everything started to click and oh how did they start to click. They had gone from a little bit more than slightly awkward introductions to his first time sharing a shower with someone, he remembered everything about her from the feel of her skin, the taste of her lips, the feeling of how tight she was around him..everything.

But most importantly he remembered how he felt just being there with her. Yes it was his first time with a telepath but there was something else he felt and he hoped that he could find out more about that.

And now she was gone.

He didn't see Skye suddenly leaving the room at a dead run and he scantly remembered hearing Rihen saying "I'm sorry, I didn't know... I..."

Without closing up the emitter, Kae climbed down from where he was and without getting any of his tools together, he honestly couldn't think as he just stood there, his face was blank with despair as he felt nothing.
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: Auctor Lucan on August 23, 2015, 11:40:11 AM
[ Dr. Nicander | Sickbay | Deck 07 ] Attn: Lahkesis Saugn

As he checked the readings on the tricorder, Lucan found that the measures taken were sufficient to sustain Lahkesis health. She would have to be put under observation and her strange burn marks tended to by other means, but she would make it.

That was when the slithering malevolence inside demanded him to seize this rare yet graciously presented opportunity. It cared not about the state of her skin. If anything, it excited the beast. It wanted him to sample this rare specimen, simply because it could. The wet body glistened underneath the stark, artificial light in the office, and Lucan found that the parasite's excitement was making him hard.

Before he knew it, he was hovering over the bare Medical Officer - tattooed hands gripping the armrests of the chair until his knuckles cracked. He scented her proffered neck. He wanted to lick the water from it. Sink his teeth into it. Suddenly, thought became action. He found that had the base of his rigid erection in his hand, pushing it between her spread legs. The sensation was only made sweeter by the taste of her unique blood in his mouth. He was biting her, sucking the blood as it gushed against him. By the winds, he was gnawing his way into her neck! Her sudden trashing made her move against him, and...

No, it was not real.

Lucan was still standing before her with the tricorder, blinking away the vision before his eyes. The fact of his arousal was the evidence of the parasite's involvement... but it had not been real. The sudden panic he had felt washed out of him, relief competing with revulsion as he staggered away. Fingers numb, he dropped the tricorder on the floor. He reached the waste bin in time, retching into it as his legs gave away. He hugged the bin for support while it lasted, and it became not just a necessity for what he did, but an anchor for him - keeping him in the present.

How can I accept this life? he asked himself with red-rimmed eyes as he wiped his mouth, momentary clarity coming to him. How can this benefit me? Living in a waking nightmare, gradually loosing myself into it... How will I honour Kisane's memory if I am no longer myself?

Yet as fleeting as his thoughts were, his new nature asserted itself as it always did. "What choice do I have?" he murmured, curling his upper lip as he climbed back on his feet. He wiped the cold sweat from his brow and went to find something to rinse his mouth with. "Thea, see if there are any biobeds available in the Recovery Ward. Dr. Saugn will be moved there for further treatment and observation. Hopefully, she will be able to advise us about the cause for her condition and prevent it from happening again."


OOC: We can end the scene here since we have the Interregnum avaialble for further scenes if that is ok with you.


[ Evelyn Rawley | Locker Room | Fighter Assault Bay | Deck 15 ] Attn: Fasha & Tessa May Lance

Hearing Morrigan speak to her, Rawley paused her step and glanced towards her sister wolf - her rolled-up towel held across the back of her neck in both her hands. "Likewise," she said and turned towards the closed stall. "Last I saw you, Hannah had..."

She got no further than that, the memory of Nightmare - how she had floored Fasha with the butt of her phaser rifle - returned to her. Now they had been informed that she had been under that Vulcan bitch T'Rena's influence, some kind of Lexorin dispersed across the ship to alleviate the condition enough to let the Vulcan medics in Sickbay treat them all, but Hannah... She had ended up dead before that. They did not know who had done her in, but given the state of things aboard, it could have been anyone. Knowing that Morrigan was likely as troubled by what had happened to their squadron, Rawley tried to move past the subject of Hannah and what she had done before she ended up dead.

"Sorry for taking your exosuit and your Valkyrie. I had little choice in the matter. No time to get my own. Those Harbinger bastards were trying to dock and everything... Had to try and stop them," she said instead. Rawley did not know anything about what had happened since she launched during the hostile takeover, but likely Fasha had seen things better left unspoken, just like she had no desire to speak of Thomas, the aliens dwelling in the ice, and having to leave him behind. "I may have nicked your bird a bit... but that's not something Papa Bear and his team can't fix. It should be top notch in no time."

It felt like she was skirting around the fat cow in the middle of the room, and she hated the fucking pretence that everything was okay. Shit were pretty far from okay. "This one hit close to home, didn't it?" she said quietly, and she glanced towards Tessa's stall, wondering if she was listening too. Holding her towel by her thigh, she ran a hand over her shaved head - eyes distant. "We have lost people before, but not so many in such a short time. Miles seemed pretty upset about it... and I fucking sympathise. It's so bloody fucked up."



[ Rihen Neyah | Sickbay | Surgical Section | Deck 07 ] Attn: Lin Kae

Biting her lower lip, Rihen saw Lin Kae climb down, and she wanted to keep apologising for her mistake. She had not known - but she should have known - just how close the crew of the Theurgy had become after the hardships they had been through. The young engineer had climbed down, and the look in his eyes spoke volumes. She tried to recall if she had heard some rumours about Kae and the Lone Wolves, but she fell short. She had no idea about which name, or names, had been the trigger for his despair.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered and stepped up to him, embracing him and holding him tightly, "I did not mean to let you know like this. It just slipped out. I'm sure someone better than me would have told you eventually, but as far as I came to know them during the week on Theta Eridani IV and during Lohlunat , they were fine people. All of them. Was..."

She paused, swallowing and blinking away compassionate tears of her own, and she stroked his short hair with her fingers while she held him. "Was any one of them particularly close to you?" she ended up asking quietly, offering all the warmth and comfort she could give him in the embrace. They might only have come to know each other on Nimbus III before the mutiny brought them together again, but she was nonetheless generous towards him. He might have altered the industrial replicator when she left her, fooled her, but she realised that did not mean anything to her now. While she still dreamed of rebuilding Paradise City and making it worthy of its name, she now knew that she had come to accept the fact that unless the Theurgy's mission was successful, it would not matter what she did back home.

And in that acceptance, she had come to forget the sadness she had harboured about being tricked by Kae and the other Starfleeters. This crew needed her. She felt an obligation to make them laugh and rejoice in the smaller things... Which made her mistake all that much worse to her.



[ Jien Ives | CO Ready Room | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Edena Rez & Cameron Henshaw

Getting a modicum of control on her voice, Jien nodded when asked if she had heard about Jona. She had heard it from Vasser himself in his acerbic commentary, and later from Wenn Cinn and Dyan Cardamone in full detail.

"Agreed," she said and folded her arms underneath her chest, looking towards the deck plating below their feet in thought. "He showed his true colours when we confronted the Ishtar Entity, and when he detailed the nature of your original mission as an SI operative aboard this ship. His rationale at those times were great examples for why I left Starfleet Intelligence behind, but this... this was something entirely different."

In the back of her head, Jien hoped that Cam was not feeling too bad about hiding in the antechamber. As it were, she ought to be able to come out of hiding since she was barely in their line of sight. It would require getting dressed, of course, but hopefully she had not forgotten something in her office.

"Jona being what he is, and because of what he has done, I can sympathise with your desire to resign," she said quietly, rubbing her brow. "Not to mention the... other reasons you mentioned in the Brig. Had I known what my male form might remind you of on a daily basis, I am surprised you have stayed by my side for so long. And Kiya... Well, you hold the memories, and the circumstances..."

Jien trailed off, not sure what she might say. There was a lot to address, so she did not know where to begin.
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: Zenozine on August 23, 2015, 10:34:29 PM
[ Hylota Vojona | Sickbay | USS Theurgy | Deck 07 ]



Hylota looked back to the ship's counselor and lock eyes. "I am sorry but we are going to have to get things worked out later, I will just wait for you to contact me when you have time to just...whatever." She put a hand on the side of her head and sighed. "Things are already beginning to get busy around here it seems, I will be getting to my duty as well, and I will take care of transporting the body on to the morgue." Hylota rubbed her eye before she walked out of the intensive care wing and made her way to her the body of her brother's rapist was being stored.

Hylota walked over to thee body and looked down at it coldly as she clenched her one good fist. In hr isolation Hylota took this time to speak to the body in  cold angered tone. "You are lucky you died from the wounds you received you waste of matter, if I had found you alive I could not guarantee you would ever fully recover without constant suffering in your life, but now as you are I can still ensure that you are never able to get a respectful end." Hylota did not far talking, it was not like the systems in the room were all working, audio recording was still out in most of the Sickbay.

Hylota went though the usual procedure of preparing the body for transfer, getting it into a body bag an onto a gurney before walking to a storage space to get an embalming fluid to administer, but Hylota rubbed the side of her head and then intentionally grabbed a chemical that would accelerate decomposition and she administered it before heading off to the morgue with her delivery. As she walked she recited her explanation of her actions in hr ha. "Oh No...I...No, I am so sorry, I must have gotten confused as I-" No that was too foolish sounding... "I apologize, in all the stress I must have grabbed the wrong chemical as I was preparing the body, embalming is not a practice I have spent much time-" No she had to keep it simple... "I apologize, I had no idea I made such an error. I admit I should not have been working, if I had made such a mistake with a patient I could have done irreparable damage. I accept any punishment for my mistake." Yes that was what she would say, simply take charge of the situation and mark it as a failure on her part to administer the proper chemical, make it seem like stress, it would be believable.

As Hylota arrived at the morgue she placed the body among he others and filled out the information, intentionally making tiny mistakes to add to her case, and with that she turned and left, the body behind her and her duty before her, taking a deep breath Hylota walked back to the Sickbay, there was a lot of work to be done and little time to waste. But at least she knew for sure that the people who had harmed her brother were dead and ruined for their deeds, no one would ever look upon their bodies with fond memories ever again, no the body she had just left would be looked upon with sickening disgust, and  in all honestly it all did help to make it all bearable for Hylota in the end as she took on her duty as nurse without any complaint and got to work.
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: DocReno on August 24, 2015, 03:24:19 AM
[Ensign Chris "Husker" Slayton| USS Theurgy| Deck 15| Fighter Assault Bay] Attention: IronFerrox, Lone Wolves, RosariaRosette


Chris hauled the last bit of major debris from the section that he was helping with before brushing the sweat from his forehead with his left forearm before looking around and seeing one of the deckhands moving equipment around. "Excuse me, Mister??" he asked.

"Phuc, sir. What can I help you with?" the Petty Officer asked.

"Well Mister Phuc, I'm curious who do I goto to find out what else I can do with helping around here on the deck?" chris asked with a faint grin.

This slightly confused Phuc because he didn't know the man in front of him, let alone an officer in the Tactical CONN division. "Um that would be Petty Officer First Ji, sir. I think she's over in the maintenance area." he offered up while pointing in the area of the bay in question.

Chris smiled and nodded. "Thank you." he said before going over to where his uniform jacket was and grabbed it before nodding respectfully to the junior officer and heading over to the maintenance area.

As he walked he took a look around and noticed that a few of the engineering staff was taking stock of the damage done during the mutiny and Chris found himself feeling slightly depressed as he stopped for a moment to watch an engineering team lift up a wing section of a damaged Valk to help move it into a separate bay. *How did the Survivors come to this?* he thought to himself as he reached up and gently touched the small vial that he kept on a length of chord around his throat before shaking his head and continuing on his way.

Once he reached the maintenance bay that Phuc indicated, he stepped in and asked "Excuse me, I'm looking for Petty Officer Ji, is he or she abouts?" in a respectful tone.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


[Lin Kae| Sickbay| Surgical Section| Deck 07] Attn: Rihen Neyah


Kae didn't say anything at first for some strange reason before he finally nodded. "Yes..her name was Soo Young Seung.." was the only thing that he could think to say as he blinked something out of his eyes which made him reach up and he found that he'd been tearing up.

It wasn't usual for him to be at such a loss but there was a strange feeling that just wasn't there and it was really confusing him. "Rihen, I'm at a loss for how to describe how I'm feeling..I just feel..empty."

Kae didn't know what else to do but he simply buried his face in Rihen's shoulder and let himself just collapse for a little bit quietly in her presence, not really caring at all who saw him as every bit of stress of the past few hours suddenly hit him all at once and with the impact of a starship crashing into a planet.
/////////////////////////////////////

OOC: Sorry about using the male pronouns with Phuc, I didn't know if the deckhand was a male or female.
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: Triage on August 24, 2015, 04:57:58 PM
[ Edena Rez | CO Ready Room | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Jien Ives & Cameron Henshaw

[Show/Hide]


Edena folded her arms and sighed softly, "Yeah."

It was why Edena was willing to die at that point. She wouldn't let Jona betray them all, for his own goals. She had no idea how treacherous and dangerous he was until then. Well, she knew, but she just couldn't fathom that he'd cross that line. Up until then, she still thought he had some measure of principles, a sense of honour, like Ives. But she was wrong. Once again, her naive optimism was her undoing. She imitated Ives' action of looking at the deck plating. It was a bittersweet thing. Edena worked her entire life thus far to be able to become a Joiner, and to be able to contribute to Starfleet to the best of her ability. She became Joined all right, but only because circumstances left everyone with no choice, and look what that did. Edena was in a perpetual state of constant "hallucinations", and one of them was turning out to be an asshole.

All this time, after the struggle, the young Trill had to come to terms with the fact, that Starfleet was not her path. At least, it wasn't the best. Was it supposed to always be a vertical uphill struggle? She somehow doubted it. And it shouldn't be a job where one was always second-guessing ones' self. Especially now, when she knew there was someone who might try to do things just to get at Ives, and probably her too. Ives knew it too, based on all she was saying, plus all that they talked about earlier in the brig. She smiled wanly at the captain, "It wasn't...your fault."

Of course, the memory of the experience would forever be etched in her mind. She still gave involuntary shudders when she thought about it, and whenever she saw Ives in her male form. But she had to keep telling herself it wasn't him/her in control. It was that...thing. "Captain, none of the ghosts are present, especially Jona. Right now. It's just me, and you. I just want you to know, I am, and always will be grateful to you, for all you've done for me, and for giving me a second chance when I didn't deserve any."

She ran a cold palm over the side of her neck, the other clutching her command pins and rank insignia. "Unfortunately, Jona's unpredictability and his willingness to sell us out...it...it's just foolish for me to stay, and for you to let me. He cannot be allowed access to weapons and anything else where he might do harm to the crew."

She stepped closer to the captain, and held out her palm with her pin and insignia, "Captain Jien Ives. It is with deep regret and after a long time of serious contemplation, that I hereby resign my position as Commander and First Officer of the Theurgy, and from Starfleet, effective immediately. Please accept my command pins."

Biting her lip, she fought to keep a tear from getting out. "It's for the best. I need to find my own way in life, and it isn't going to be in Starfleet. Granted, I don't exactly have a vast array of options right now, but I'll figure something out."

"Also," she added with a wave of her index finger, "Don't let what happened on Niga affect your actions with me. It wasn't within your ability to control." She quirked her lips, "Plus, Kiya and I kind of like him." She meant the male form of Jien Ives.



[ Cameron "Cam" Elizabeth Henshaw | CO Ready Room | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Jien Ives & Edena Rez

[Show/Hide]


Henshaw finally managed to finish dressing, and none-too-soon. She settled herself into the chair, and tried to look like she'd been there the whole time. Not much to be done about her hair. If anyone asked, she'd just say she was going for the wild haired look. Her eyes widened when she heard Edena Rez announce her resignation from Starfleet. Was this really the best time for officers to be quitting??? But then she weighed the woman's problems with one of her ghosts, and realized, it was probably for the best. Yeah, it was. But she did her best not to judge. They'd all been forced to do questionable things. She stifled the urge to laugh when Edena admitted that she and one of her ghosts liked the male form of Jien Ives. Truthfully, she ought to be feeling jealous. But she wasn't. Ives looked darn good as a man. Who wouldn't like him? Plus, it was a good thing that he add an attraction besides his/her charisma and capacity as a captain.
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: The Counselor on August 25, 2015, 01:59:09 AM
[Doctor Hayden O'Connor | Main Sickbay]

Hayden was more relieved than she would ever let on to see Doctor Nicander in one piece, not because she didn't believe in her ability to manage sickbay in a crisis, but because it was where he belonged. So much had been turned upside down in just the last few minutes alone that she was grateful for any return to what could closely approximate normalcy since she'd arrived.

Her mind still partially on the bomb she'd dropped on Hylota, she was pulled from her reverie when the CMO addressed her personally.  "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." "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."

Despite how tired she was and how much work she knew she still had to do, she felt herself smiling warmly at the compliment.  She in turn was grateful for the small real moment to feel connected to another sentient being. So much of their time and energy had been devoted to mere survival and watching helplessly as they tore each other down in violence, Hayden had begun to wonder if in their quest for survival they had sacrificed who they truly were and what they ultimately stood for. "And I am grateful you are alive and well, Doctor." Of course, on the latter point, she was presuming a great deal. If he was severely hurt, however, Nicander was doing a superb job of pretending it was merely superficial. "I know I can never take your place, but I am willing and able to assist in sickbay however and whenever I can."

O'Connor handed him a PADD, one of two she carried with her. "My notes should be specific and up-to-date, but if you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me. I should probably catch up with the team to tend to those just coming to terms with what they have done under T'Rena's mind control, but I will return here as soon as I can."

The counselor had to admit she was grateful when the CMO took his leave a few moments later in, pulled away of course by the wave of injured that had begun pouring in. Still feeling Hylota's eyes on her, Hayden wanted to tend to the very shocked and clearly overwhelmed being just a few feet from her. Turning, however, the nurse was working hard to move on and focus on what needed to be done.  "I am sorry but we are going to have to get things worked out later, I will just wait for you to contact me when you have time to just..whatever." She put a hand on the side of her head and sighed. "Things are already beginning to get busy around here it seems, I will be getting to my duty as well, and I will take care of transporting the body on to the morgue."

O'Connor wanted nothing more in the moment but to wrap her arms around Hylota. She could only imagine what the Ovri was going through, dealing with her brother and now this. At this point, Hayden had absolutely no idea whether the nurses pregnancy was the result of consensual or nonconsensual sex, but given what Hayden knew already, she knew the odds of the pregnancy being the result of consensual welcome intimacy were slim. She offered a soft but clear, "I will come to you soon and it will be all right," to Hylota's retreating back before her attention was pulled to the other PADD in her possession that was alerting her to urgent information that needed her attention.


[Outside Zaraq's Quarters]  Attn: Auctor Lucan

Hayden stood outside Zaraq's quarters and rang the chime for the second time, her anxiety level increasing. According to Thea, the Klingon Master-at-Arms was in his quarters but was simply not answering. Her mind told her not to jump to the worst conclusions even as her gut told her not to ignore them. For all she knew, the Klingon was simply in the refresher unit, too preoccupied to respond to her chime. Gods' knew, recent events were enough to mess with anyone's stomach.

Still, she felt something was wrong. Zaraq had been a victim of mind control and according to her text alert, he'd been recently healed by Cir'Cie. Like the others, he had been instructed to return to his quarters and await her arrival. As much as she wished she could only mini all emotional risk, she couldn't attend to everyone at once, which meant everyone would have to sit and process the weight of what had been done to them and what they had done to others, at least for a certain amount of time, alone.

Trusting her gut, and unable to withstand the anxiety any longer, Hayden decided she had no choice but to override his door using her security code. To her relief, the doors promptly hissed open without incident, and the counselor stepped inside the eerily silent room. "Lieutenant? Are you here? It's Counselor O'Connor."
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: CanadianVet on August 25, 2015, 03:57:48 AM
[ CWO1 Sten Covington | Deck 15 | Fighter Assault Bay ]

Work was proceeding well on the Flight Deck.  Between the repairs to the fighters and the mess in the hanger, the entirety of the Bear Cubs and the remaining pilots were busy.  And even Sten himself was getting his hands dirty.  As a rule, the Chief of the Deck was not a primary maintainer or worker; he directed the work and lent his assistance where his superior expertise was required.  However, given the number of casualties and the extent of the damage, he had to get in there. 

And in this case, he was busy pulling a burnt out pulse phaser coil from one of the Valkyries when some random ensign saw it fit to be wandering about his flight deck.  Granted, they were not at flight ops but the hangar deck was still a restricted area and the last thing he needed was some lookie-loo wandering around there, getting in the way.  And what galled him even more was that considering he had absolutely no business on the flight deck since the Chief of the Deck had not been made aware an outsider was coming in, an ensign ought to have his hands full dealing with any of the thousands of details that would need looking after in the wake of the mutiny and the battle.  Setting down the coil, the imposing Chief Warrant Officer started wiping his hands on a rag as he closed the distance, just in time to hear the newcomer calling for Eun Sae. 

Covington came to a stop less than a foot in front of the ensign and cleared his throat.  "I'm the Chief of the Deck, and this is a restricted area.  Who the fuck are you, what the fuck are you doing on my deck, and what the fuck do you want with Petty Officer Ji.  Ensign."
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: DocReno on August 25, 2015, 09:14:08 AM
[Ensign Chris "Husker" Slayton| USS Theurgy| Deck 15| Fighter Assault Bay] Attention: CanadianVet


Chris blinked as he turned around to see that while the Chief of the Deck was a man of the same height as himself, he had a rather uncanny way of...well LOOMING over Chris which had the pilot actually finding himself impressed with the chief. "Ensign Christoper Slayton of TacCONN but presently unassigned, offering to help around on the deck and I'm still learning my way around, Chief." he answered respectfully. "I've been trying to help with cleaning up the mess down here."

Chris kept his face respectfully neutral as he talked to the Chief of the Deck, this was Covington's territory and he had every right to question his presence..even though Chris dreaded what was possibly going to be one of the questions soon to follow.
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: RosariaRosette on August 25, 2015, 11:04:53 AM
[ Eun Sae Ji | Fighter Assault Bay | Deck 15 ] Attn: CanadianVet , DocReno

Eun Sae scowled as once again the engines on one of the fighters overheated engaging the propulsion computer's automatic safety cut off. "Gaesekiya!!" She growled as her theory was confirmed throwing her PADD onto a nearby work bench and stepping away. If the propulsion drive's output regulation system was out of commission that meant that any attempt to start the engines would result in the engines using more thrust and energy than needed resulting in the automated safety cut off activating shutting off the entire engine to prevent catastrophic failure. The few members of her team working around the bay turned to look at her having grown accustomed to their bosses' small outbursts of Korean from time to time.

Eun Sae bit her lip and crossed her arms staring at the propulsion drive she was working on. She'd been hoping to avoid it but at this point it looked like she'd have to tear out the entire drive and dig into it's guts to find the issue. And knowing the luck they'd had so far with most of the maintenance around the hangar so far it wouldn't be something as simple as one of the wires or conduits coming loose somewhere in the system. Before she could express her irritation with more curses uttered in Korean however a member of her team jogged up. Word had spread across the deck through various sources and it didn't take long for word of the Ensign looking for her to reach Eun Sae herself. "Ji there's some guy looking for you out on the deck." He said.

Eun Sae nodded sparing one last glance back at the fighter before turning away scooping up her pad and dropping it into one of the large pockets on her uniform. By the time she'd made it out onto the floor she could already see Papa Bear towering over the ensign like his call sign described like a very angry bear wanting to know what this ensign wanted with one of his cubs. From the looks of it Sten was not happy to have the Ensign on the deck and she already knew why people who didn't know what they were doing on the deck were dangerous they get in the way and one dumb move could trigger way bigger issues when done by the wrong person. But taking pity on the Ensign she approached the two hopefully her arrival would draw a bit of heat away from the Ensign at least for a little bit.

"Did someone call for me Chief?" Eun Sae asked looking toward Sten first before turning her eyes to take in the Ensign that had apparently been asking around about her.

[Translation]
Gaesekiya!! = Son of a Bitch!!
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: RosariaRosette on August 25, 2015, 11:32:42 AM
[ Fasha | Fighter Assault Bay | Deck 15 ] Attn: Auctor Lucan


Fasha's lips curled down into a scowl as she brought a hand up to touch the still tender bruise left from the butt of Hannah's rifle. The rifle that no doubt still sat somewhere out on the deck after she'd abandoned it during the rush to get the Squadron out into the Black. Her other hand curled into a fist as the words she'd heard Hannah spoke still rang clearly in her mind, Perhaps she was just a victim to all of the insanity that had overtaken the crew because of the Vulcan witch Vasser had at his beck and call. But some part of her told her that it didn't matter she'd killed a member of their family in cold blood.

Her fist loosened as Evelyn changed the subject likely for the better considering the conflicted thoughts that Hannah had brought up in Fasha's mind. Fasha's gave Evelyn a small smile barely noticeable to most but the other woman would be close enough to notice the small upward twitch of the Catachan's lips. "It's fine just remind me next time we pass by an asteroid field to climb into your bird  and go on a joy ride, We'll call it even then." Fasha said. She sighed as she thought back to the condition she'd seen her bird in hell her exo-suit seemed like it had seen better days too but there was no use being bitter about it especially when Rawley was right she didn't have much of a choice at that point in time. If their positions had been reversed Fasha had no doubt in her mind she'd likely have done the same thing.

The atmosphere in the room however went cold however as Evelyn spoke on a new subject the losses they'd taken. The hit's they'd sustained. Fasha's head turned to stare at the floor of the stall. Her hands fell to her sides clenching into fists she'd wanted to forget about the losses for a bit but it was pointless to try in the end they'd still be there no matter how much she didn't want them to be. "We'll get them back for this...Whoever the hell forced us down this path..." Fasha muttered. "We'll throw them head first into hell and watch them burn..." She hissed. It was so much easier to be angry it felt better in Fasha's opinion. Sadness left you cold and tired, Anger though it was hot, warm it could drive people forward to do so much and in the end that was what Fasha preferred.
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: CanadianVet on August 26, 2015, 03:15:16 AM
[ CWO1 Sten Covington | Deck 15 | Fighter Assault Bay ] Attn: Doc Reno, RosariaRosette

Covington did not budge by an inch.  He maintained his position close to the newcomer, this Ensign Slayton, while he explained who he was.  He was a pilot and there to help?  Considering there was no pilot named Slayton on Theurgy's roster, that could only mean one thing.  He had been from Harbinger.  And that was plenty to make the Chief of the Deck less than welcoming.  And at this moment, he was quite ready to call Security and have him taken to the Brig, let the officers sort it out.  However, before he could speak, the little Korean tech arrived, asking if indeed someone had called for her. 

"PO, this guy says he's from TacCONN, but he's definitely not one of mine.  So if he's a pilot, he's from Harbinger."  Sten did not even look at Eun Sae.  Instead, he kept his gaze locked on Slayton.  He had been one of that psychopath Killinvos' men.  And from what he'd observed, not a one of them was fit to be trusted, let alone spend any time breathing the air of his bay.  "So, do you know this guy?  And even if you do, do I call for Security to haul his ass to the Brig for questioning?"
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: Iron Ferrox on August 26, 2015, 04:19:19 AM
[ Miles "Iron-Fox" Renard | Deck 15 | Fighter Assault Bay ] Attn: Doc Reno, RosariaRosette, CanadianVet

Miles was walking through the bay and noticed a white collar near the familiar jumpsuit of his Deck Chief.  the face was far from familiar, he didn't think there were any ember of Phantom's squad that survived but then he remembered looking over the most basic debriefing info on the battle and remembered seeing something about one of the harbingers Tac-conn boys having been involved in piloting the Harbinger on its crash into the Calamity.  Deciding he needed to defuse the situation he jogged over. 

"Hey...I've been meaning to catch up with you.  Don't worry bout helping out..." He paused barely a moment glancing at the mans neck checking the rank before adding his rank having no idea how else to address then pilot who he knew absolutely nothing about aside from his presence was about to make Papa bear blow a fuse.  "Ensign. You've done enough work today and I think you've earned the rest of the evening off.  Now, get some rest, I need to see you In my office at 0500 tomorrow,"  he said before glancing back to the pilot from the Harbinger making sure he understood that it wasn't a request by adding.  "That's an order." he added a bit forcefully knowing the best option was to end the confrontation here and now not allowing either side to do something that could cause an incident.

Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: Auctor Lucan on August 28, 2015, 03:03:45 AM
[ Captain Ives | CO Ready Room | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Edena Rez & Cameron Henshaw

Benumbed, Jien accepted the rank insignias from Edena. It was not often in her career that she had experienced such a complete resignation, much less when she was the Commanding Officer. There were protests on her mind, motivations to be said for her to stay in service, but in the end, Jien knew that Edena was right. A precaution as much as it was something she wanted in her heart. She had been granted a rare opportunity as First Officer, and it was even more strange to Jien that she would end up a civilian aboard. Removed from all duties, when they sorely needed women like her on the active duty roster.

Yet Jona was right there with her, waiting to strike out whenever he saw the chance, it seemed, so her being removed did serve the integrity of the mission and eliminated risks otherwise hard to avoid. When Edena came aboard, her mission from Starfleet Intelligence was to preserve the integrity of the prototype tech aboard the Theurgy, and Jona had been prepared to do so by any means necessary. His belief in the mission parameters had been that the entire crew complement aboard was expendable if the tech might fall into the hands of enemies to the Federation. Even in a civilian position, and with the knowledge that Jona possessed about the Theurgy specifically, he still constituted a very potent risk to the crew even if he was restricted to civilian security access.

Jona was even a great risk to Jien's own person, since he knew the nature of Jien's abilities as a Chameloid. Edena was trapped, unable to serve and unable to completely trust herself, yet she faced this truth so bravely. She even made a joke after handing over her rank insignia, waggling her finger at Jien and reassuring her that her male form might have attempted to do something vile because of the Niga virus, but that she and Kiya still liked it that version of her. It made Jien rub her own temple and chuckle - slowly shaking her head as she looked down at the deck plates.

"You have a bigger heart than most of us," she said and looked up, folding her arms underneath her chest. There was no way to... comfortably address the compliment that she had made upon her male form, but perhaps she could reciprocate. In fact, she knew she could - the words unlocked and coming freely. "For what it's worth, I regret how I doubted you when you first told me and the Senior Staff your real name. When you let us know your true affiliation and mission parameters - objectives surely set and to be enforced by Jona Rez before he died. I should not have let Wenn Cinn throw you into the Brig. I should have listened to you more readily. But at the time... we were still at Starfleet's mercy, still not having escaped the range of the fleet's collective sensors. I felt that I could not afford the risk of a spy roaming freely aboard, but I know now that I should have trusted you."

Catching the implications of her own words just as she said them, she chuckled ruefully. "Then again, I suppose I have just been proven right. Perhaps I was right not trusting you after all."

It was all in good nature, the bitter-sweet joke, but it was still difficult to imagine that Edena would not be at her side any more, having done so much for her and the crew after she lost Commander Nerina during the Niga Incident. Images, glimpses of what had befallen the former First Officer of hers, they still came to her at night, along with the actions of others during that nightmarish time. Savagely, Jien suppressed the memories.

"Any idea what you will do to pass the time?" she asked with a faint smile, wondering if Edena's ruminations had come so far as to suggest an off-duty way of aiding their cause. "Where will I most likely find you?"

Too late, Jien realised that the question might imply something more, and she became painfully aware that Cam was listening and likely wondering what she had meant too. Worst of it was that she didn't know herself.



[ Rihen Neyah| Sickbay| Surgical Section | Deck 07 ] Attn: Lin Kae

Hearing Lin Kae say the name of the pilot made Rihen understand how much it had affected him, and the pain was so obvious it made her heart ache for him. His pain was hers because she had caused it, even if she knew he'd learn about Soo Young Seung's death in some other way, eventually. Then again, she was just the messenger, while the true cause for his pain was this merciless enemy that had sent the Calamity to hunt them.

As a mere civilian engineer, Rihen did not know if the threat had put the two crews at each others' throats, or if the actions of Vasser and T'Rena had led to the same result even if the Calamity had never arrived in their time and killed so many of the Starfleeters. Was there any difference, though, when the dead were still dead and the ones living still had to face another day at the run? These poor souls all around her deserved some respite, and to restore their faiths in their common cause before they went off on the crazy attempt to board a Starbase filled with people who thought them all traitors.

One thing could be said about the Starfleeters, and that was that they certainly did not lack in courage.

"It is all right to feel empty," she said to Kae and stroked his hair while their embraced. "You have just lost someone you cared for, and that loss is felt as a void inside you - a wound that will heal over time. You just need to find the time to grieve, and to remember her not because of what happened to her, but because of what you and her shared."

Little did she know exactly what had happened between Lin Kae and the pilot that very morning.



[ Evelyn Rawley | Locker Room | Fighter Assault Bay | Deck 15 ] Attn: Fasha & Tessa May Lance

Fasha was a wolf who shared Rawley's sentiment about the enemy, and certainly so in the wake of what had just happened. Grinning, Rawley dropped her hand from her shaven head and idly started to dry her bare and bruised body with the towel in her hand. The sonic vibrations still left damp residues, and while she might air-dry, there was no time for it if she was to help out clearing debris on the deck as according to Papa Bear's orders. Perhaps there was time to talk about the night before, and see if the chief wanted to sing a few more songs.

Fuck new they needed to rest and just go back to basics after something like this.

"How about we go drink to their memories later?" she suggested as she stepped closer to Fasha's stall - unable resist the vapour-shrouded sight of Morrigan over the edge of the door. Being so short, she had to stand on her tip-toes for it too. She was certainly not about to go to Sickbay for a check-up unless she could avoid it. Miles was likely going to send her off there anyway after reading her report. Assault and with an avalanche as frosting on top of it did seem like reason enough for a medical check-up, but she had spent most of the past month with doctors and nurses, and like hell she was going back there willingly.

"I am sure they would all like for us to visit Below Decks and drink in their honour, right?" she added and she turned her head to call to Tessa, "Am I right, Goldie? Would you tag along?"

Little did she know about Miles' intention for them to have an early start on the morrow.


OOC: 3 am here so I will write the Zaraq post after I get some sleep. I will correct typos here then too. G'night!
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: Auctor Lucan on August 29, 2015, 01:25:29 AM
[ Zaraq | Junior Officers Quarters | Deck 07 ] Attn: Hayden O'Connor

Breathing heavily through his nostrils, Zaraq sat in an armchair - facing the door with the collar of his uniform undone. He had not asked the Ship A.I. to turn the lights on, so the only luminescence came from a couple of glowing control panels and the computer console sitting on the table next to him. He might have heard the chirping of the door, but he had chosen to ignore it. Too heavy were the thoughts that weighed down on him, the recollection of his actions making it hard to breathe, so he focused on that. Breathing, alternating by trying to shy away from the images that came to him as he sat there, and to absorb them all in their sharp details.

Breathing, he was too aware of the gleaming piece of metal in his coarse fingers. The hand phaser was a small thing, but enough to serve its purpose. At it's highest kill-setting, the end would come swiftly, and without margin for error. The only issue that remained... was his bravery, for he did not know if he was ready despite how he deserved to die a coward's death.

Sto-Vo-Kor, it was where in his people's mythology the grand afterlife awaited, yet only for the honoured dead. All their true warriors went there after they died. They fought an eternal battle against great enemies, proving themselves the champions alongside their ancestors. Yet in light of what atrocities Zaraq had done, he knew himself to be dishonored, and instead to be ferried on the Barge of the Dead to Gre'thor. Fek'lhr, the monstrous being of ancient stories awaited him at the gates of Gre'thor, and he would fight it like all the dishonoured had done before him. For he did not deserve Sto'Vo-Kor. No he would be at Fek'lhr mercy, made to weep in defeat until he lost track of the millennia.

Hence the hesitation. Trapped between the death he deserved and accepted, the impossible redemption and promise of Sto-Vo-Kor, and the chirping of the damnable door. To make it stop, he needed just push the button of the Starfleet weapon. A meek press of the thumb, and he would have done right by his victims, and made to suffer for what he had done. An exiled Klingon, name put to shame for crimes he did not commit, would give merit to his people's slander, and die for his ignominy. Yes, it was only right.

The cirping of the door had ended. It was time.

He raised the measly weapon to the side of his shaved head... and bared his teeth in bitterness.

Yet the door opened before his thumb ground down upon the button, and momentarily, he thought the sharp light from the corridor was the phaser going off and that he died, yet he saw the dark silhouette in the doorway, and knew that it was no Klingon to man the barge. It was a human, and he was yet alive. Eyes narrowed against the light, he defied the will to throw the weapon aside in shame for the cowardly act he was about to commit. No, for it was only right, and he bared his teeth at her, nostrils flaring, because she was about to dishonour his victims by making him stay his hand.

"Get out, female," he rasped - voice reverberating in his chest and in the air of his dark quarters. His silence broken, he dared her step inside. "I care not for words. I merely need respite. So whoever you are, leave... and do not look back."

The rough surface of his thumb teased the button of his phaser - end swift to come.


Transl. sto-vo-kor = heaven & gre'thor = hell
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: Doc M. on August 29, 2015, 02:51:58 AM
[ Tessa May Lance (https://fc00.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2014/219/0/d/tessa_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6mx6.png) | Locker Room | Fighter Assault Bay | Deck 15 ] Attention:  Evelyn and Fasha

Tessa was in a still in a fetal position when she heard voices and movement. 

"It's good to see you in one piece Evelyn..." Fasha's voice greeted hesitantly.

Likewise," Evelyn's voice replied.  "Last I saw you, Hannah had..."  An awkward pause.  

Hannah was a sore spot for all sorts of reasons and Tessa wasn't up to talking about her right now, but she did have to admire Evelyn for making the attempt. 
 
"Sorry for taking your exosuit and your Valkyrie," Evelyn continued, as she prudently changed the subject.  "I had little choice in the matter. No time to get my own. Those Harbinger bastards were trying to dock and everything... Had to try and stop them."  Another pause.  "I may have nicked your bird a bit... but that's not something Papa Bear and his team can't fix. It should be top notch in no time."

"It's fine just remind me next time we pass by an asteroid field to climb into your bird and go on a joy ride, We'll call it even then," Fasha sighed as she tried and failed to make light of things.

"This one hit close to home, didn't it?" Evelyn admitted softly.  "We have lost people before, but not so many in such a short time. Miles seemed pretty upset about it... and I fucking sympathize. It's so bloody fucked up."

"We'll get them back for this...Whoever the hell forced us down this path..." Fasha muttered.  "We'll throw them head first into hell and watch them burn..." she hissed hatefully.

"How about we go drink to their memories later?" Evelyn suggested bravely.  "I am sure they would all like for us to visit Below Decks and drink in their honour, right?" she added before her voice increased in volume.  "Am I right, Goldie?" she called. "Would you tag along?"

"Hm?  What?" Tessa muttered.  "Oh yeah, right!" she called back as she uncurled her body and rose to stand on unsteady legs.  "Sure.  Count me in," she announced as she shut off the sonic shower.  "Just try not to stare if I start weeping and shouting hysterically all right?" she smiled weakly as she staggered out of the stall to face her sister Wolves.

She had tried to make it sound like a joke, but she had a feeling that she was being dead serious.



[ William Robert O'Connell (https://fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/156/7/9/o_connell_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7l44xt.png) | USS Theurgy | Ship's Corridor outside the main entrance to Main Sickbay | Deck 7 | USS Theurgy  ]  

When Master Chief Petty Officer William Robert "Billy Bob" O'Connell arrived with Crewman Dom Fok in tow, the line outside sickbay wasn't hard to find.  A line of defeated, frightened, and glassy eyed people watched closely by a team of security personnel trailed out into the corridor.

"Don't wander off," the master chief grunted as Crewman Fok tried to lag behind.  The entire trip to sickbay Billy had kept the crewman's wrist in a vicelike grip.  If he didn't keep a weather eye on the lad Fok just might try to kill himself just to stop the voices in his head.   "This the line for the hypnotized people?" he asked Senior Chief Petty Officer Calvin 'Animal Mother' Reagar of the security division. 

"It ain't the line for the mess hall," the burly one point nine three meter security specialist quipped back.  Like O'Connell, Cal Reagar was a veteran of the Dominion War and had seen action both in space and planet side.  "I'm not surprised that you're not in this line Master Chief.  What's the matter, too paranoid to let your guard down?"

"I guess even a stopped chronometer is right once a day," O'Connell nodded as Crewman Fok took his place in line.  Who would have guessed that Starfleet's reigning conspiracy theorist's paranoia would keep him out of trouble?  "Well I gotta git back t' work," he admitted with a rueful sigh.  "No rest for the wicked."

"Makes you wonder how the Vulcans who are gettin' everyone back to normal are handling it," Cal Reagar mused thoughtfully.  "Contacting that many messed up minds.  Can't be good for 'em."

"You got that right," O'Connell nodded.  "I guess no matter how bad your job is somebody's got one that's worse."



[ Maya (https://fc02.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2014/219/e/7/maya_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6n3n.png) | Main Sickbay | Counselor's Office | Deck 07 ]  Attention: Cir'Cie .

After finishing up in surgery, Doctor Maya washed up and changed out of her surgical scrubs before making her way to the corridor.  She waited until Cir'Cie was finished deprogramming yet another compromised crewman before speaking.  "I apologize for the delay, but I've been in surgery," Maya said with a formal nod.  "I am available to relieve you if you need to rest.  Your ordeal must have been quite grueling."

Maya had been delayed for quite some time.  Even though the combat with the Calamity hadn't resulted in any serious casualties, the Vasser's mutiny had kept the greenblooded physician in surgery longer than she had expected.  Doctor Saugn had made herself scarce and Doctor Nicander had only recently returned to sickbay.  Maya hadn't been spared a moment to look for either of them and had been forced by her duty to use her Vulcan discipline to suppress her concern.

Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: Triage on August 29, 2015, 11:23:39 AM
[ Edena Rez | CO Ready Room | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Jien Ives & Cameron Henshaw

[Show/Hide]


When the pins fell from her cold hands into Ives', Edena felt the weight of something leave her shoulders. She knew she shouldn't be feeling so lightened when the captain still had such a great burden. But she/he had a damn fine crew, a crew that she too cared deeply for, as her friends, as people she would die for, something Jona would never understand. It was because of that thought, Edena allowed herself to feel better, for herself, and for Ives. This was how she would protect the captain and crew. By keeping herself from the opportunity to harm them, to keep Jona at bay. She watched Ives' face, to figure out what the Chameloid was thinking, when she chuckled, and then looked down.

"You have a bigger heart than most of us."

"Heh..." Edena smiled and gazed at the deck plates, she wondered if it would make the floor a more interesting place to look at if they were allowed to do some murals and artworks. Great, now she was thinking like Illya or Ida. She couldn't be sure how much of the Andorian was getting to her. She considered Ives' words, and smiled sweetly, "I didn't exactly make it easy for you lot."

She shrugged her slender shoulders, "You can trust me, Kiya and even Illya...but Jona? And who's to say he might not one day masquerade as me? Or the other two?" She looked down again, "What a contradiction. You can trust me with your life, and yet, you can't, or you'd die."

She grinned as she looked up at Ives, "I hope they don't make a holovid about us. This scene would give everyone a headache." And she laughed at her own joke. It was so absurd, how could she not laugh?

One eyebrow arched, and she felt her own heart racing just a little, with the way that question was asked. Edena was glad that despite her resignation, she still would like to see her. It was something the young woman cherished deeply. "For now, you can always ask Thea. Unfortunately, I haven't quite figured out where I could go..." her mind blanked for a second, and then she suddenly thought about Below Decks, what she'd seen of it when she beamed over with Henshaw and the captain prior to her abduction by Vasser. "You know...maybe I'll be at Below Decks. I think there's something there that Illya and I could do to help out, and keep myself busy for as long as it will take us to get home safely."

She said it more as a when than an if. Such was her faith in Ives.



[ Cameron "Cam" Elizabeth Henshaw | CO Ready Room | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: Jien Ives & Edena Rez

[Show/Hide]


Henshaw had busied herself with her PADD, thumbing through data and also keeping an ear on the conversation with Edena and her captain. It wasn't like she had much choice; the distance wasn't enough to put her out of earshot. And she quirked a lip upwards when she heard Ives' last question to Edena. It seemed like she had a little healthy competition with Edena for Ives' attention. Or maybe not. After all, Denobulans were quite unusual in their extended family ideals, where they all had three spouses, both the men and the women, which basically could interconnect the entire planet through marriage. It was hilarious, and an interesting culture.

Now, Henshaw wasn't that open to sharing love. But on the other hand, she didn't feel it was her place to begrudge the captain if he/she chose to have more than one close companion. But she'd most likely pull back if that were the case, focus her skills and talents in other ways. And that perhaps, made her realize she wouldn't like that. She wanted Ives' whole attention. It was a bit of a headache, so like she would do these days, she pushed the thought aside to process at a later time. Right now would not be the best time. Edena was already making plans for civilian life aboard the Theurgy. Seemed like the woman had it all together, for someone with a case akin to multiple personality disorder, that was rather impressive.
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: Auctor Lucan on August 29, 2015, 11:06:02 PM
[ Captain Ives | CO Ready Room | Deck 01 ] Attn: Edena Rez & Cameron Henshaw

Hearing Edena suggest that she might be helping out in Below Decks brought mixed feelings. On one hand, Jien's immediate thought was that Edena's talents and experience would go to waste there - a place that she had come to associate with the kind of seedy Greek bar that William Regal had turned it into before his passing. He'd even had a hologram that would flip its skirt at his command, at least at intervals between the times when Jien had ordered Security to purge that holographic matrix from the place. Since Regal's death, it had been a desolate place run by more nondescript holograms, few people going there.

Then again, the place had earned itself a new reputation since Theta Eridani IV, when the Irish celebrity had begun to turn the place into something far more respectable. Rory Callahan seemed to run the place in a way far more befitting a starship. And knowing how Edena had served in the capacity of Asst. Chief Counselor before she revealed her true name, perhaps she could make a difference to crew morale if she was there, lending an ear and a word whenever it was needed. It was only speculation at that point.

"I will make sure to come down and see how you are settling in, and to hear what your plans are. I wou-"

There was a chirp from the antechamber, heralding the first of many appointments with different officers. At the moment, Jien regretted that she had asked for reports from all departments by the hour, but it was the only way for him to ensure that the crew and ship operations would get up and running again. It meant, however, that this meeting would have to come to an end, even if there was so much more to be said.

"My apologies," she said, taking a deep breath, "We'll speak again before the morrow, about when this is to be made official. There is the matter of your successor to settle on, and countless other things to solve before I may earn some rest tonight. Thank you, Edena, for now."

- FIN
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: Auctor Lucan on August 31, 2015, 03:53:37 PM
[ Evelyn Rawley | Locker Room | Fighter Assault Bay | Deck 15 ] Attn: Fasha & Tessa May Lance

When Tessa May Lance emerged from the sonic shower, vapour trailing in her wake, Rawley could appreciate the sight despite everything they'd been through. For while Tessa's attitude was on the softer side compared to her own, that body of hers sure wasn't any more soft around the edges than her own.

"I can't make any promises I won't be staring at you, Goldie." Evelyn emphasised the remark with a once-over scan where she stood only with a towel behind her neck. The rueful smile she gave the hazel-eyed beauty shed any lingering doubt about what she was talking about and she turned her head to give Fasha a wink over the door of the shower stall. It might have been crude, but it was the only way Rawley knew she could cope: To joke as if they were sharing the locker room like any other day. For fighter pilots such as them, it was an instinct of survival. To carry on no matter what.

Something that was about to be put to trial. This, in form of Maverick stepping into the locker room. The beared, half-Vulcan man would usually have given Rawley and Lance a wolf-whistle or a comment, despite the fact that they had shared the locker room since the third iteration of the Valkyrie-program started up, but Nathaniel Isley seemed to bring ill news.

"Evelyn," he said gravelly, and he hesitated, which made Rawley frown. She could not remember the last time Mav addressed her by her first name, if he ever had. He was still dressed in his Exosuit, helmet underneath his arm.

"What is it?" she asked, turning to fact him with her twisted towel still looped behind the back of her neck, its ends held in both her hands. "Any sights of Razor out there?"

"No I... I had to ask after the battle," he said, and he frowned, perhaps realising that there was no point of return. "I knew something was off. I just had no idea what it meant."

"Ask what?" Rawley stepped a bit closer to the man, having to crane her neck to look at Nathan.

"The base ship. We have protected her regularly the past months. We fly in perfect sync with the CONN Officer at the helm of the Theurgy. It has been key to our survival, and to the protection of the crew. Today, something was off, so I had to ask. It... It was not your brother at the helm."

Honestly, Rawley had thought as much herself. Cale Winterbourne, her half-brother to be precise - had always been the unnamed wolf that stayed behind in the den. Merely an Ensign, he piloted the starship like a Veteran thrice his age. "Who was it then, and where is..."

"He is dead, Ranger." Nathan looked towards the deck beneath their feet. "Zaraq, that new Klingon, he shot Cale dead on the bridge at the onset of the mutiny. T'Rena's order. He was made an example of to prevent others from resisting the change of command. I'm sorry. I don't know what to say."

At first, Rawley was not sure she had heard Mav right. Then she thought he was kidding her, playing some morbid joke on her. She was about to give him a derisive snark when she realised he was dead serious. Then, any kind of humour drained from her face, and in its wake, she could not stop the building anger from washing through her - riding the tidal wave of her despair.

"What the fuck did you say?" Her eyes were slits of rage, and she sucked a breath through her teeth. She clawed a grip around one of the lockers and flipped it out on the floor. "Is Cale dead because of that Vulcan bitch? And Zaraq just shot him without question? How the hell did that happen? He could just have... No one flies this base ship like he does! How the fuck did they think they'd fight the battles to come without him? Where the hell is that Zaraq? I will kill that fucking ridge-skull! No, I will blast off his legs with my phasers, and I will.... Fuck it, where is he... Where is he..."

At some point during her tirade, she sunk down on her knees, and when her words ceased to come, her tears followed in their wake. Bent over the overturned locker, she found herself bawling, she was no longer asking for Zaraq, but of her brother - remembering Cale from their home in Britain.  Summers and winters of childhood lost, and now just hers alone to keep. Her body may have been bruised and scarred, yet this wound went to her soul - bleeding through her eyes as she mewled her baby brother's name.
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: DocReno on August 31, 2015, 11:47:28 PM
[Ensign Chris "Husker" Slayton| USS Theurgy| Deck 15| Fighter Assault Bay] Attention: CanadianVet, RosariaRosette, IronFerrox

Chris looked over at the newcomer and realized that it was the Theurgy's TacCONN chief. "Understood sir, I was just wanting to stay honest and the chief doesn't know me so understand his concerns with everything that's happened."

Chris then turned to regard Covington and gave a very Andorian nod towards the Deck Chief. "I meant no disrespect, Chief." he said before turning to look back at both of the men equally.

"Permission to leave, Chief and Commander?" he asked.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

OOC: with that last part, it's a common courtesy and not any form of being snarky.
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: The Counselor on September 01, 2015, 03:42:22 AM
[Doctor Hayden O'Connor | Zaraq's Junior Officer's Quarters | USS Theurgy] Attn: Zaraq

After entering Zaraq's quarters, announcing herself, and receiving no answer, she might have stopped in her tracks and simply listened for a moment. After all, as she'd already considered, there were probably a million reasons the Klingon wasn't answering the door and at least half of them were benign. Even the darkness wasn't enough to initiate maximum panic, as she reasoned after receiving the healing mind meld that would restore his mind to some semblance of normalcy following the attempted mutiny, the Master-at-Arms was likely exhausted. She didn't know the man personally, but given what she knew of Klingon culture, it wouldn't have surprised her if he elected to take a nap rather than wait for her to arrive so that he might talk about his feelings about the brainwashing he'd received. Starfleet regs aside, Klingons and other races like them, not to mention particularly stubborn humans, didn't exactly make a secret of their disdain for counseling. To some, expressing even the barest hint of an uncomfortable feeling was the equivalent of advertising personal weakness. Of course, these were the people Hayden wanted to approach the soonest, because in her experience, these were some of the folks who had the hardest time coping with trauma.

She would later remember what came next seemed to hit her in slow motion, her eyes taking an agonizingly long time to adjust to the darkness. When they finally did and the light illuminated the full horror-filled reality, her brain didn't immediately process it at first. It was only when  Zaraq ordered her to leave and it felt as though his voice actually rumbled the deck plates beneath her that she knew she wasn't sleeping and she wouldn't wake with relief from this nightmare. Indeed, there was no denying this was a counselor's worst nightmare, a circumstance one fought like hell to avoid, a circumstance one didn't even talk about aloud for fear it might become a reality. This was her warp core breach, her cardiac arrest, her mutiny.
 
As she'd been required to do so many times before in just the past few hours, Hayden forced herself to take a slow, centering breath. She'd worked with plenty of suicidal people before, but never had she come upon anyone on the verge of taking his life. Still, O'Connor knew she didn't have a lot of time to turn things around, especially as she noted Zaraq didn't even bother to lower the phaser when he saw her. Either it was just part of the image he wanted to project so she would leave him alone, or he was truly determined to take his own life, and he didn't give a damn who knew it. Saying a silent prayer for strength, Hayden replied calmly, "I'm Counselor O'Connor and I won't dishonor myself by turning and walking away from you in this moment. Would you truly ask a colleague, a fellow warrior," Hayden emphasized, "to dishonor her name?"
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: Auctor Lucan on September 01, 2015, 10:45:47 AM
[ Ensign Cir'Cie | Sickbay | Deck 07 ] Attn: Doctor Maya

The line of mutineers had been long, but the progression swift enough. Less than half the estimated number had been treated - minds restored to the inevitable guilt.

When Doctor Maya came to relieve her, Cir'Cie had experienced her fair share of T'Rena's taint. A stain of madness not keenly felt until enough minds reflected it over and over again. She stepped into a hall of mirrors each time she applied her hand to the faces of the mutineers, and T'Rena was there - an elusive spectre of malign intent that cast its image across the minds of her victims. The only boon to the repetition was that Cir'Cie became more skilled at finding the source of the reflections - the scar of her touch upon innocent minds.

Lowering her hand, Cir'Cie turned her head to look at Doctor Maya. At first, she was not satisfied with the answer she wanted to give the older Vulcan - her throat locking when she meant to say that the ordeal was manageable. Then she realised that it would be a lie. Only then, the fact that she would not have to chase through another deceased mind settled in her own, and she raised a hand to fold it around Doctor Maya's wrist. Slowly, she raised Maya's hand towards her own face.

"If you would cleanse m-me, I can do the same for you... after you have taken care of the rest." Her halcyon voice had almost held throughout the sentence, but it was frayed at the edges from what she had absorbed. All the violations, the sensations and the sights, the killings and the decisions that sprung from the Acolytes will. It was too much to hold on to. It needed to be gone.
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: RosariaRosette on September 01, 2015, 10:51:06 AM
[ Eun Sae Ji | Fighter Assault Bay | Deck 15 | USS Theurgy ]

Eun Sae felt a small tinge of guilt for the Ensign as Sten didn't even turn away from him even for a second granting him a moment's reprieve from the Chief's intimidating gaze. Though she had to grant the man credit he was handling being under Sten's scrutiny far better than she'd witnessed other officers do. She didn't know if Sten knew it but she part of her was quite sure he did but the man had a stare that could make an actual damn bear back down if it ever came to it. Part of her wanted to step between the Chief and Ensign Slayton just to form a bit of distance between the two before anything hasty was done by either man.

In her short service upon the Harbinger she'd only seen Ensign Slayton a few times but it only took one for her to realize that he was different from the rest of the members of the Harbinger's pilots. The man was respectful the few times she'd spoken to him and unlike most of the other men in the squadron he didn't eye her like a piece of meat. And then there was the time that cemented her thoughts on the man. It seemed Eun Sae had poor misfortune of being about whenever the crew of the ship liked to regal one another about their sickening activities. One pilot who went by the callsign Riptor if she wasn't mistaken had been going about the deck all day telling his own story of how he'd raped a woman upon the Theurgy before strangling her.

It made her sick she wanted to find the nearest toilet and throw up but she forced herself to keep working even as he went into each sickening detail of his retelling of the tale. But then the deck erupted into a scuffle as one man broke the character she'd learned to expect from most members of the Harbinger's crew and assaulted Riptor. But before he could really give the man what she felt he deserved the security officers posted to the hangar hauled the man away.

Now the question remained did she trust Slayton? The answer was simple, No she didn't but this was due to the simple fact that she didn't even know the man all that well. "I know him Chief he's okay." Eun Sae said before she could stop the words from leaving her lips. Why had she said that? She didn't know but she didn't regret it one bit as far as she was concerned Slayton was thousands of times better than anyone else she'd met aboard the Harbinger and if one little lie could help him fit in just a bit better on the Theurgy that was a price she was willing to pay.


[ Fasha "Morrigan" | FAB Locker Rooms | Deck 15 ]

Fasha felt a small smile pull at the corner of her lips as Evelyn stepped closer to her stall. It was easy to see that Evelyn hadn't been changed too much by the incident. Which was comforting to Fasha it made everything seem just a bit more normal something that she felt was needed right now. As Evelyn mentioned having a few drinks to commemorate the fallen Fasha nodded "I could use a good drink." She said cutting off the cycle on the sonic shower. As she stepped out of the stall she shook her hair letting a few droplets of water fly loose from her slightly damp hair. As she took in the sight of Tessa her smile faded a bit out of them all it seemed Tessa was taking the losses worst.

And Fasha couldn't blame her one bit loss was never easy but there were always people who took it better than others. Fortunately Fasha was one of those people having seen so many of her people die during the Dominion war was enough to steel her to death but leave her with enough humanity to still recognize the tragedy that came with every death. "I don't think anyone will blame you for that Tessa." Fasha said as she grabbed the towel she'd hung up by the stall and began to dry her hair.

As a new voice was heard however Fasha looked up to see one of the remaining survivors from the squadron standing there still dressed in full gear his helmet tucked in the crook of his arm. The look on his face made Fasha's stomach dip she knew the look it wasn't hard to decipher. Someone was dead and considering he was here it was someone close to one of the three women standing in the room. She watched Evelyn's progression starting at anger and slowly descending into a downward spiral of grief. Fasha remained quiet as she listened to Evelyn utter the name of her lost loved one. Fasha's hand slowly curled into a fist wondering how many others this conflict planned ot take from her sister wolf before this all ended.

Fasha knelt down slowly reaching out to place a hand on Evelyn's back she didn't know what to say. She'd never known it was better to let Evelyn know she was here than to try and find any words to try to ease the pain or try to say that she knew what it felt like.
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: DocReno on September 02, 2015, 01:05:59 AM
[Ensign Chris "Husker" Slayton| USS Theurgy| Deck 15| Fighter Assault Bay] Attention: CanadianVet, RosariaRosette, IronFerrox


Chris' eyes widened at the voice of the Harbinger's tech before he turned to regard the woman. "Wow..please forgive me Miss Ji. When I heard it was a Petty Officer Ji, I failed to put two and two together, it's been a hectic time. So please forgive my lack of memory." he said with a respectable bowing of his head towards the junior officer.

While he was embarrassed that his mind had been on so many other things that he didn't put two and two together on Eun's presence on the Theurgy but he was glad to see the young tech still helping to keep the fighter's flying and during their mutal time on the Harbinger, he tried to treat her with the respect due to her talents with a wrench, he would occasionally make the request that she'd be the one to work on his late Valkyrie.

During the chaos aboard the Harbinger, he hoped that she was one of the lucky ones to make it off of that cursed ship alive. "How are you?" he asked respectfully to the young woman.
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: Auctor Lucan on September 02, 2015, 08:06:19 AM
[ Zaraq | Junior Officer's Quarters | Deck 07 ] Attn: Hayden O'Connor

When the female spoke, Zaraq curled his upper lip at her for defying his wishes. She tried to speak like a Klingon, disrespecting his people by turning his reasons into her own. But Zaraq knew humans, and it was not dishonour to walk away for them. No, they would blame themselves for not being able to prevent death, even death chosen.

"You are no warrior," he snarled at her, his gaze defying the sharp light and his thick neck thrumming with the sound of his voice, "you are a counsellor. You talk. You are not walking away because you care for those you treat, but because of your own self-perseverance. For you humans cannot stomach loss, even the loss of a stranger, and especially not when you think you can prevent it. You owe nothing to me, so leave me be."

Images flashed before his eyes, where Cale Winterbourne dropped dead to the deck of the bridge, and he felt nothing. He had been made to feel nothing. He barely knew the human, but the order to shoot him was flawed. It had no anchor in reason beyond the whims of his old leaders on the Harbinger. The young human had been intimate with him, and he did not even blink before firing his phaser. Madness... All of it...

"I will not listen to orders again..." He remember T'Rena standing over his bunk, the human woman named Slaverton beside him. The Vulcan was playing tricks on his mind. When she was finished, he did as she had told him in her thoughts. He struck Hannah and mated with her, holding her down. Just so that the Winter Queen might place her filthy hand on Hannah as well. She turned compliant immediately.

"I was undone," he growled, denying the wetness in his eyes - face still twisted in rage. "Not myself, but I was weak, and I deserve nothing more than the barge and to suffer for that weakness."

Why was his hand shaking? The muzzle was still pressed to his temple, so he shifted it so that he had it underneath his jaw. "They betrayed us, you and I. The Captain and the Queen... I was blind, and I failed to defy them. People died for it, people of the Ives' crew. I will never be forgiven, and I cannot leave this ship. I have nowhere to go but beyond the veil of this damned life in exile. We might die on the morrow anyway, and all this suffering would have been for naught."
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: Doc M. on September 03, 2015, 06:29:48 AM
[ Maya (https://fc02.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2014/219/e/7/maya_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6n3n.png) | Main Sickbay | Counselor's Office | Deck 07 ]  Attention: Cir'Cie .

"If you would cleanse m-me, I can do the same for you... after you have taken care of the rest." 

This was the reason Maya had left surgery as soon as she heard that Doctor Nicander had returned.  Asking someone who had been compromised to deprogram the others was a tall order.  For Cir'Cie to be mentally contacting others was medically unadvisable to say the least, for both the greenblooded scientist and her patients.

Cir'Cie's offer to cleanse Maya's thoughts was unexpected, but understandable.  After purging multiple minds of T'Rena's influence, it was prudent to have one's psyche cleansed of accumulated contamination in order to prevent any long term influences.  After the final patient was deprogrammed, Maya was planning to sequester herself for at least eighteen hours so she could meditate and purge her thoughts of both T'Rena's contamination and what Kilinvoss had done to her.  She had purified her mind multiple times as a surrogate back on Vulcan, the discipline of self-purification was essential for being a surrogate.  The thought of Cir'Cie, who Maya perceived as a patient herself, to offer to assist Maya in purging T'Rena's contamination from her mind was disconcerting. 

"That shouldn't be necessary, Cir'Cie," Maya replied in what she thought was a comforting maternal tone.  It would have sounded a bit cool to a human's ears but Cir'Cie would no doubt sense the feeling behind it.  "One doesn't serve as a surrogate on Vulcan without learning how to purge oneself of unwanted influences."

It was quite a confession.  No one on Vulcan drew attention to being a surrogate back in Maya's day.  It was something one never talked about.  In the modern era medication and training had almost rendered the ponn farr surrogate obsolete.  But after all Cir'Cie had been through Maya wasn't concerned about being judged by her sister Vulcan.  After Cir'Cie had made contact with so many troubled minds, Maya had no doubt the younger woman would understand perfectly.

First things first.  It was essential to administer to the patient.  "Clear your thoughts," Maya murmured as her fingertips touched the left side of Cir'Cie's face.  "Let down your barriers.  My mind to your mind.  My thoughts, to your thoughts," she whispered as she isolated T'Rena's message and the anguish it caused.  "Forget."



[ Tessa May Lance (https://fc00.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2014/219/0/d/tessa_row_01_by_auctor_lucan-d7u6mx6.png) | Locker Room | Fighter Assault Bay | Deck 15 ] Attention:  Evelyn, Fasha, & Isley

When Isley broke the bad news to Rawley Tessa fought back a gagging reflex.  Tessa had completely forgotten that Winterbourne was Rawley's brother!  That made that particular casualty so personal that Tessa couldn't process it.  It brought the whole thing back with a vengenance.  Tessa hoped that T'Rena's death had been painful.  This was a lot to process after everything that happened. 

Tessa's towel dropped out of her hands as she put a hand out to keep herself from falling to the deck.  She leaned against the wall and blinked back the tears as she summoned her training to get her breathing under control.  Tears?  Why were there tears?  Winterbourne wasn't her brother!  That was a lie.  He was the brother to every pilot and every officer serving aboard the Theurgy, and he was gone.  So much for putting on a brave face.

Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: The Counselor on September 07, 2015, 04:30:14 AM
[Doctor Hayden O'Connor | Zaraq's Junior Officer's Quarters | USS Theurgy]

O'Connor was pleased her challenge to the Klingon Master-at-Arms had the desired effect. At least if Zaraq was angry with her, he was focused on something other than ending his life. Although she was entirely focused on keeping him alive at that moment, she was vaguely aware of the stinging impact of his words against her psychological skin like so many arrows. Hayden might not have contributed to Starfleet by engaging in hand-to-hand combat or firing a phaser, but anyone who had a remote understanding of what she did every day would certainly say she battled just as fiercely as if she had. No doubt people like Zaraq were in the battle to protect people's lives, but she was in the battle to protect their sanity, some might even say their souls. Hayden was in no way thinking of this as a competition, and in fact, she accepted hers would be a thankless job, but she would be damned if he would imply her contributions were less important.

Whether it was merely the strain of the moment or some brilliant clinical strategy, Hayden was prepared to fire back a retort, not caring if it sounded defensive or even fatigued as long as it bought her some time, but then Zaraq's demeanor shifted and she knew he was in the midst of flashbacks only he could possibly understand. She watched as he fought his emotions, his hand literally shaking with the effort, and a single tear the only evidence that he was physically feeling anything at all. Her heart sunk as he realized what was happening and gained better control of the phaser. Hayden felt her breath quicken. She had to do something, and fast. "They betrayed us," O'Connor echoed. "You don't have to. If you leave us now, we have one less person to help us in this fight and you will have allowed their betrayal to stand as the last word. They will have won. A warrior isn't someone who leaves the battlefield at the first sign of trouble. A warrior is a warrior because he withstands true adversity and fights his way back."

Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: Auctor Lucan on September 09, 2015, 02:43:16 PM
[ Zaraq | Junior Officer's Quarters | Deck 07 ] Attn: Hayden O'Connor

The counsellor's words stilled Zaraq's fingertip on the button of the phaser.

It was not because he searched for an excuse to not commit to his chosen fate, and that her words might be a ledge to hold on to before the fall. No, what she said about victory stilled his finger; that his act might grant merit to the Vulcan harlot that had twisted and warped his mind. That his former Captain would have defeated him even from beyond the veil of death. He had considered himself defeated and dishonoured, yet if his adversity still lasted, did that mean he was still in battle with them?

"This is not a battlefield I know," he growled, eyes lined by the conflict he fought inside, "I know neither how to make a tactical retreat nor how to prevail if I can't see the ground or the enemies I fight. All I know is that my help is not wanted any more. I have raped, murdered and humiliated the very people I swore to protect, and they will remember keenly what I have done - almost as clearly as I will."

He understood, then, that he spoke as if he would still be alive to suffer their blame; that he had already made the decision. By a small margin, he had decided to not surrender his fight against the two people that had reduced him to a monster without honour. The adversity he would know would lie in the eyes of the crew, and to maintain some kind of professional pride despite it all. With the leverage of her words alone, the human in the doorway had subjected him to this fate of shame... and he hated her for it. One day, time might have stopped the bleeding, and he might be grateful, but now... hate bled into his words despite his better knowing.

"You will have me suffer, alive, instead of suffering beyond the barge I am destined upon," he said, curling his upper lip at her. "Fine. I will suffer, and soon, I will serve - even if I am to be shunned by everyone aboard. Just grant me a day or two off duty, and I might see some way to fight for them all." The lack of hope and conviction he felt about it permeated his burly tone, but he powered down his phaser and lowered it...

...and slid it across the deck towards O'Connor. It ended up at her feet.

"If you can, would you please leave me be?" he asked her quietly after he surrendered the weapon. "So that I might think..."
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: The Counselor on September 20, 2015, 10:58:56 PM
[Doctor Hayden O'Connor | Zaraq's Junior Officer's Quarters | USS Theurgy] Attn: Zaraq

It took what felt like sheer eternity for Zaraq to respond to her words whatsoever. In fact, for the longest time, Hayden wasn't sure if she'd said anything after all, as the two of them seemed forever suspended in this most horrific of moments. When Zaraq finally spoke, there was no time for O'Connor to celebrate, or for a moment, even process his specific words beyond the realization she had managed to keep him alive.

When she steadied herself enough to think through what the Klingon Master-at-Arms was actually saying, it only drove home neither of them were out of the woods. Although the counselor understood on an intellectual level what she was hearing was the depression and trauma underlying his words, on an emotional level, she also understood a frustrated warrior facing a battle he didn't believe he could win might still perceive suicide as the more honorable option. Despite the diversity within the universe, research had upheld the idea depressed people from all species and walks of life tended to see their universe in black-and-white terms. Consequently, treating a depressed person meant helping them identify their faulty thinking and learning how to challenge such thoughts before they could burrow themselves into the being's heart as absolute truth.

How could she convince him his help was wanted? How could she convince him he was not at fault for the mind control he suffered and that he could be forgiven, that there was joy to be experienced? Could she convince him there was more to his life left in sheer exile? If she tried, which she ultimately lose even the smidgen of credibility and ground she had gained?

Once more, she found herself speaking, not entirely sure where the words were coming from, only that they came. "The battlefield you speak of is one I know well. It's not one that is conquered by physical strength, but psychological resolve.  With respect to all of your physical feats, I submit the battlefield of the mind is one of the most challenging any warrior will ever face, and if you let me help you, I believe we can conquer it together. You've spoken as if all you face is misery, whether you live or die, but I would respectfully encourage you to remember that nothing is certain in battle, and good fortune is often just a breath away."

O'Connor fought every instinct she had not to exhale visibly as Zaraq slowly slid the phaser in her direction. To express that kind of vulnerability at a time when she wanted to exhibit strength could only increase his misery and indecision. She didn't want to present herself as the blind leading the blind any more than she wanted to give him reason to hate her and turn away from her at the same time. Instead, she casually picked up the phaser as nonchalantly as she dared and put it in her pocket.

When Zaraq asked if he could be left alone, her gut and her response was clear. "Leaving you alone with your thoughts at such a critical time would seem to be the equivalent of leaving a warrior on the battlefield of the mind without armor," Hayden answered honestly. "Might we talk a little longer and come up with a joint battle plan?" She asked with a wry smile. Hayden knew it was important to convey her respect for him as an individual and a warrior. He'd taken a leap of faith by turning the phaser over to her, and she wasn't about to undermine that by implying or stating out right she couldn't entirely trust him. That aside, she knew they weren't completely out of the woods and to leave him alone with his thoughts without a phaser wouldn't do anything more to secure the safety she was fighting for.
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: Auctor Lucan on October 09, 2015, 01:38:49 PM
[ Zaraq | Junior Officer's Quarters | Deck 07 ] Attn: Hayden O'Connor

It was strangely comforting to hear the Counsellor speak of his situation in terms he knew, so Zaraq did not offer counter-argument when Lieutenant O'Connor asked to stay with him and help him form his battle plan. Correction, she had called it a joint battle plan, because she would fight it too - meaning to be by his side.

He had surrendered his weapon to her, for he did not need it. He needed to reinforce his battlements, and strap on thick ceramic plating, for he knew he would be besieged by not only his memories, but the blame placed upon him, and the shame that he would have to live with for the rest of his life. He was already a Klingon without a House, exiled to Starfleet and with no other recourse. He had nowhere to go. There was, however, still an illusive enemy out there to fight, so he would not just fight his personal battle. He would wage war upon the rot that had corrupted the fleet he served. If he didn't, Hayden O'Connor had shown him that it was equivalent to dishonourable defeat.

"I reckon that the first battle ahead of me... is to step out that door, and face my comrades in Security. I think that the only way to... show them that I acknowledge their blame, is to tender my resignation as Master-at-Arms. I would serve as an officer alongside the rest of them, and let someone else - someone that they can trust readily - take my place. I would not do it for myself either, not primarily, but for Wenn, for Ives, and the mission. I will not undermine the good conduct of my fellow officers by sowing spite and distrust in their sense of duty and their performance as a team."

Short as his tenure aboard the Theurgy had been, but still having learned to his department, Zaraq had a fairly good idea who would be the ideal choice as his successor. As long as she and Wenn did not let their differing Bajoran beliefs get in the way.

- Fin


OOC: Sorry for the wait! I am ending this scene here. One more post to come with Ives and Nicander.
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: Auctor Lucan on October 09, 2015, 02:46:47 PM
[ Captain Ives | Corridor > Cargo Bay 02 | Deck 02 ] Attn: All

Later - the same day as the battle had been fought - Jien had one last thing of import to do, and she - being in her female form - would not be doing it alone. As she walked down the corridor, she had Lieutenant Commander Wenn Cinn with her, along with a number of security guards trailing in their wake.

In retrospect, the fact that T'Rena had been the cause for her crew to turn against her had become an odd kind of relief. Having been mentally programmed to do the Vulcan's and Vasser's bidding, it removed the guilt upon the affected crew. It was still a difficult matter, since a lot of them remembered what they had done, and the blame would be hard to wash away, but the understanding that they were not themselves when they turned against their own would - in the end - prevail. It would not be easy, nor pretty, but the truth of the matter would win out against the hurt and heartache. In that, Jien had faith. She had to.

Yet at the onset of the mutiny, Vasser had made an announcement on the intercom. She had heard it in the turbolift on the way down from Deck 01 to the Brig.

[This is Captain Declan Vasser.  I am assuming command of this ship and the mission to liberate Starfleet from it's incursion.  Captain Jien Ives is ill equipped to accomplish this task, too willing to play by rules that our enemies, with superior numbers ships, will be willing to ignore in pursuit of us.  Our first mission is going to be the...

Jien remembered standing there in the turbolift next to Edena, thinking that Sjaandin Fedd had willingly sided with Vasser, along with how many else? The lasting announcement had put insult to injury.

[...Those who are willing to join this mission, and with it, become the last hope that our galaxy has, should disarm and assemble in cargo bay two.  Those who insist upon resisting will be detained until they can be made to see reason.  Vasser out.]

Volunteers. People who hadn't yet been compromised by T'Rena. People who saw folly in going to Starbase 84, and who rather wanted to retreat and mobilise outside the far rim of the Galaxy. To forsake protocol and the regulations of Starfleet in order to do what had to be done. They had gathered behind the door that Jien stopped in front of. It had been sealed by an Ovri nurse, with Nicander, Tovarek and a... Radiant by the name Heather McMillan sedating the defectors that had amassed inside the cargo bay. This, by lugging canisters of xenon from Waste Management and dispersing it inside the bay. It had been the Ovri's idea, and only now, internal sensors showed that the people inside had come awake.

"Open it," she said quietly, and it took two security officers and their phasers to cut the door apart. While they worked, Jien considered that the people behind that door represented something she had always known to be brewing aboard. The sum of her mistakes as a Commanding Officer leading this impossible mission they were on. The threat of mutiny, and the lack of will to fight - the weary ones who had not been able to handle the loss of lives on the Starfleet ships they had been forced to destroy in order to preserve the truth. It was something that haunted Jien every day, every night, and the people behind that door validated all the guilt she felt.

With a loud noise, the door fell apart, and it was time.

Before Wenn stopped her, Jien entered first, chin raised as she stepped over the smoking debris. Her eyes fell upon the dishevelled people inside, twelve individuals of different departments and species, and she regarded them all... one at the time. She memorised their faces and how they faced her, equivalent to how they faced up to their decision to defect to Vasser. Many did not want to hold her eye, looking away in shame. Others began to cry, perhaps in fear for their own lives. A few refused to show any emotions at all, merely standing there. One or two were angry, finally able to vent their feelings - wanting to lash out verbally with all their hurt and their blame. Yet they were silent, and the quietude in the cargo bay after all of the security team had entered was thick enough to cut with a blade - emphasised by sobbing noises.

"You may report to your superior officers now, and help out with the repairs."

As she said this, two of the silent ones crumpled to their knees, others were trembling in relief, and she realised that they must have thought she would vent them out the nearest air-lock, or that they were facing a firing squad. Such was their faith in her. Such was how they saw her. It almost made her falter. Almost."Your presence here, and your objection towards my command has been duly noted. I will make sure to speak with all of you personally, and let you have your say. However, I will make you this promise. If you cause dissent, undermine the senior staff's authority, or attempt to rally this crew, you will return to this cargo bay... and remain here for the rest of our mission."

There was a long pause, before one of them - a shuttle pilot - spoke up. "You better tell that to the others... Captain."

Jien turned her oaken eyes towards the crewman. "Who?"

"There were more of us here, at first. Many more," said the blonde human, looking stoic and angry at the same time, "but I won't cast blame on them when they are not present. They left when Lieutenant Commander Carrigan Trent announced that Vasser and T'Rena had killed people, claiming that they had enforced command through telepathic powers. Personally, I have a hard time believing that they would need to do that. We need no Vulcan to tell us where we are heading... and that is straight to hell."

Jien did not so much as clench her jaw - eyes unblinking. "So you would rather retreat than continue fighting?"

"We would rather live!" The vitriol in the pilot's tone hissed in the air. "This is a futile war, and we all know it. All those crews dead because of us, and you throw our lives away in vain? You do not have the right! We are all prisoners on this ship, and we have no claim to our own fate. It's instead decided for us, and we have no choice but to suffer the whims of your folly, and the guilt you feed our souls. Personally, I've had enough." Having said this, the man removed the rank insignia in his collar and threw it at Ives' feet. Only he did it, though, sacrificing himself so that their collective minds could be given voice.

Raising her eyes from the rank insignia, Jien faced the man squarely before she bit off her command.

"Get out," she said, and she included the rest of them by raising her voice.

She remained standing there as they filed out into the corridor, and all of them had to walk past her in order to leave the cargo bay. She was not so much angry as she was disappointed in herself. Twelve people passed her shoulder, and she was left thinking the obvious.

How many more were there?
Title: Re: EPILOGUE: Precepts By Which We Survive
Post by: Auctor Lucan on October 09, 2015, 04:19:33 PM
[ Doctor Lucan cin Nicander | Sickbay | Deck 07 ] Attn: All

In the end, the decision had been inevitable.

Her condition had become worse by the hour, and by 1800 hrs, Eve Jenkins had become too much of a threat to the crew. Having been on her rare medication for so long, Eve had no natural resistance towards her Deltan powers once they resurfaced. Powers that had grown out of control, and swept her sanity with it. She had become unable to retain her empathy towards the fate of her potential victims, and what she had first used to subdue mutineers during the hostile takeover had become her only priority. Six mutineers had been declared brain dead before Lucan had ordered Eve to be put into quarantine in an isolation ward. There was no way to save them. T'Rena might have warped their minds, but the touch of Eve had essentially killed them.

The deciding factor had been when Eve stopped showing remorse for her actions, and when knowing what had happened to them, she had still tried to break out of isolation and find new victims. It was only through luck that she hadn't succeeded. There had been phasers on hand in Sickbay after the mutiny, and a security guard had stunned her before she managed to seduce him. After explaining the situation to Captain Ives, and how there was no way of safely treating her with some new medication, the decision had, indeed, been inevitable.

Standing over the stasis unit, Lucan could not put words to what he felt.

They had shared years on the Academy together, and he had found her - of all people - on Nimbus III during that away-mission. She had agreed to join the Theurgy's mission, thinking that her father had been replaced by one of the enemies, and she had served diligently through all that the crew had been through since then. But aside from her duties, Eve had been Lucan's anchor - his light house in the dark storm inside him. A reference to the past, before he was joined with the parasite. In her presence, things had become clearer - his own self reasserting itself though her affection towards the man he had been.

Now, he had no way of knowing what was him, and what was the dark surge that he could not fight. Were his thoughts begotten by the taint to his new self, or the man she had known? For what would he have done, if he lost her the way he had now? As he stood there, over her silent face, he could not tell if the grief he felt was made lesser by her closed eyes, or if it had already been diminished - a mere shadow of the man she had said she loved. He felt more numb than he had thought, and he did not know the reason.

Why had he not said he loved her as well? Was it because he still loved Kisane... or had the thing inside made him reject Eve's feelings? All he knew for certain, was that he had needed her for him to remain sane, and now she was gone...

Again, he was going to seal away a monster. The first time, he had sealed away Amikris' child, hidden it from the eyes of the crew while it grew, and it still did. It was a creature born from Ash'reem and Niga DNA, and the intention for it was certain. His kin needed it, else none of what had come to pass would have happened. This time, however, he was sealing away a monster of an altogether different kind.

A monster that had he needed, as opposed to the atrocity the thing inside had wanted him to keep.

"I..." he said, not knowing what he had wanted to say to begin with. He rephrased. "All... I have done."

All I have done.

"I have done for love."

I have done for Kisane.

Standing there, he did not know what was true. He did not even know who he was. Not any more.

(https://orig06.deviantart.net/c21b/f/2015/278/3/b/episode_03_04_jekins_by_auctor_lucan-d9c26bx.png)

- THE END -
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