Star Trek: Theurgy

Chapter 05: Supplemental [ Day 06 | 1000 hrs. ] A New Pack Rises

[ Lt Cmdr Thomas Ravon | Fighter Assault Bay  | Briefing room | USS Theurgy ]
@Multificionado  @Havenborn  @Triton  @Doc M. @Stegro88  @patches  @Fife  @Firefox013 @The Ostrich  @Vox

The doors slid open and Thomas Ravon was met by a rather full briefing room. Compared to the last few days at least, the new faces from the newly joined squadron were fresh and Thomas would only remind himself of having done this procedure before to the first batch of pilots that had transferred from the Orcus to his command. Most of which had been slaughtered at the hands of Klingon fire and a sour reminder of how heavy this war truly was.

Stepping up on the stage, Ravon's eyes went over the assembled crew "Good morning everyone. Just like before I'll keep this fairly short and simple. A new squadron chart has been devised and this is an informative session for all of you to get acquainted with your new positions." he said with a determined voice. Behind him on a large screen the new chart appeared. and he let it settle in with the pilots for a few minutes before he continued "There shouldn't be any massive changes to it, get yourself familiarized with your new call IDs and make sure your ships are combat ready. Rotations are starting as of now with Walton's flight at the head of our rotation. Shift changes every 8 hours, when not out there you are to remain on call in case of a red alert."

He took the glass of water from the stand to quench his thirst before he carried on "As some of you heard we are currently devising a way to stop an imminent Borg invasion in the quadrant. More info about the how and when will be handed out when we know more.If there aren't any new questions you are all dismissed. Those who can rest, rest up. To those flying out there, fly safe." he concluded before he saluted his pilots and stepped off the stand. The chart remained on display so the pilots could come closer in case it wasn't clear enough from where they were sitting.

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Squadron Chart can be found here: https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Tactical_CONN#The_Lone_Wolves_Squadron (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Tactical_CONN#The_Lone_Wolves_Squadron)

[ LT Daniel Havenborn, Callsign: Salvo | Deck 16, Fighter Assault Bay | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Nolan, @Multificionado, @Doc M., @Stegro88, @patches, @Fife, @Firefox013, @The Ostrich, @Vox, @Triton

Daniel was sitting with Knight waiting for Commander Ravon to show up, the remaining members of the squadron were gathered as were the new influx.  It was strange to think that just a few days ago he, Knight, K’ren and Meony were the new influx but now they could be considered part of the old guard just for having survived this long.  Although he wasn’t sure what K’ren status was, he hoped that she was still alive somehow and Meony was undergoing surgery currently, hopefully she’d be rejoining his flight when that time came.

As Knight was telling him a joke that he had picked up from one of the deckhands Commander Ravon walked in and got their attention.  Daniel looked over the chart and was disappointed in not seeing Meony’s name; he’d have to talk to Commander Ravon about that later.  He noticed that a Valravn, piloted by Junior Lieutenant Garcia and her RIO Petty Officer Ferris, were assigned to his Flight.  That would have to be taken into consideration for his tactical plans, as he had no love of the fighter design.  The Mark-IIIs were a far better choice for his flight and he had flown with Junior Lieutenant Lance before and she was a solid pilot, however the new influx was a NCO pilot.  He hated that Starfleet allowed TacCONN NCOs to be pilots, though he had no problem with NCO RIOs.  Maybe he could try and persuade Commander Ravon to switch out the NCO with another pilot, even any of the Valravn pilots would be a better choice than an NCO pilot.

Daniel turned to Knight and spoke after Commander Ravon had finished.  “Barring a red alert let’s plan to meet up at 1800 and work on setting up some tactical plans.  I’d also like for you to arrange a meeting for the Flight to meet as a whole at 2200.”  Daniel said soft enough for Knight to hear.  “See you in eight hours old friend.”  Daniel said as he stood up and made his way out of the briefing room.

[ Tessa May Lance, callsign:  Goldeneye (http://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Tessa_May_Lance,_callsign_%22Goldeneye%22) | Fighter Assault Bay | Briefing room | Deck 16 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Nolan,  @Multificionado @Havenborn @Triton @Stegro88 @patches @Fife @Firefox013 @The Ostrich @Griff @Vox

Tessa studied the new squadron chart that dominated the screen behind Thomas.  She was once again Wolf-07.  That was too bad a childish part of her decided; Wolf-03 had a better parking spot, right next to the doors that led to the pilot facilities like the briefing room, the gym, or the head.  It was perfect for getting to her fighter in a hurry when Tessa had lost track of time and was running late.

She noticed that her wingman was one of the newcomers, Petty Officer third class Lillee t'Jellaieu, callsign ‘Bloodwing’ to be precise.  As far as Tessa knew, Petty Officer t'Jellaieu had been Admiral Sobral’s aide before an injury had placed her cryostorage for months.  She hadn’t been aware that she was a pilot, but naturally somebody must have flown the Sobral’s shuttle so of course she was a pilot.  She only hoped she had more experience than just being a shuttle pilot otherwise she wouldn’t fare any better than Gun-shy.  The late Kanti MacTavish had been a shuttle pilot before the Lone Wolves’ casualties had placed her in the cockpit of a Valkyrie and she hadn’t lasted any time at all before going up in flames at Starbase 84.  Tessa was going to have to stop obsessing on herself and do something if she didn’t want t'Jellaieu to end up the same way.

Glancing over at Bloodwing, Tessa really couldn’t place her species.  She had the angular eyebrows and pointed ears of a Vulcan but her flowing mane of blonde hair seemed uncharacteristic of any Vulcan she had ever heard of, although the late Lieutenant T'Zantha had informed her that the genetic therapy to treat albinism on her planet had a tendency to make a normally brunette Vulcan blonde.  The cranial ridges on Bloodwing’s forehead made her resemble a Romulan.  Perhaps her ancestors were descended from the ancient Debrune, they were offshoots of the Romulans right?  No doubt Bloodwing’s ancestors hailed from different planets but at least one of her ancestors probably came from Earth.  After all, the name Lillee t'Jellaieu was probably French.

Taking the initiative, Tessa got up out of her chair and moved to sit next to Bloodwing.  “So, Lillee, it looks we’re sharing an element,” she said conversationally.  “We should schedule some time in the flight simulators so we can learn to act as a team.”

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OOC:  Tessa's impressions of Lillee is entirely based on ignorance, but she has no clue that Bloodwing is a Romulan.

Lt. JG Donna ‘Chance’ Petterson | Briefing Room | Fighter Assault Bay | Deck 16 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Fife @Nolan @Multificionado
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Donna sat in the chair, Isel at her side, annoyed at being pulled from the simulators. Being unable so far to complete her primary mission of delivering her message to Captain Ives, or whomever was now the captain of the dreadnaught, she had assigned herself the secondary mission of protecting as best she could. The fact that she was probably now a publicly declared traitor to the Federation meant that it was also the closest thing she had to a safe place to go as well.

It was strange the way life and the universe could through a curveball at you. She had awoken that morning aboard the USS Dauntless, tasked to hunt down the USS Theurgy and here she was now sitting in the Lone Wolves’ briefing room aboard the aforementioned dreadnaught having seemingly joined the crew. And it wasn’t even morning tea time yet. And everything she had done she had done with the Vulpinian that sat at her side. A woman that Donna knew but found it hard to admit that she loved.

At Lt Cmdr Ravon’s arrival, Donna silenced her mind and listened to what her SCO had to say. Once again, he was short and sweet, getting to the point of the matter quickly. She had been assigned the callsign of Wolf-03, with Isel thankfully remaining as her wingwoman as Wolf-04. But it also placed her in the same flight as Razor and his wingmate Ghost. Donna had once upon a time been Ghost’s wingmate when they had been aboard the USS Jadestone. She knew the woman could fly. So was hers and Isel’s placement merely coincidence or were they not trusted. Hard to say given the Meerkat’s entire defecting Valravn flight were still arrayed together.

“No one I’d rather have at my side,” Donna commented to Isel once Ravon had finished speaking.

[PO3 Lillee t’Jellaieu (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Lillee_t%27Jellaieu) | Briefing Room | Fighter Assault Bay | USS Theurgy] Attn: @Doc M., @Havenborn, @Triton
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It was an unusual squadron briefing, but still a briefing, just like any other that Lillee had attended during her days in the war. The SCO didn't waste time, at least, simply saying what needed to be said, and Lillee automatically skimmed the squadron chart as it flicked up. She'd already known her fighter number but not anyone else's, nor the element that she'd been assigned to.

Daniel Havenborn, element leader, Wolf 05. Flying a Mark I, so he'd have an RIO. A complete unknown. Lillee didn't even know what that person looked like. The name looked human, and male, but there were several human males present in the briefing room. Not helpful.
Alessia Garcia, Wolf 06. She, at least, Lillee knew, if only barely. A fiery-tempered human woman. Either very skilled or very lucky to have survived so long. Possibly unpredictable in the cockpit if her attitude matched her flying, something to watch out for.
Tessa May Lance, Wolf 07, Lillee's wingmate. Also flying a Mark III and also probably human, but nothing else could be discerned from the chart. She was an officer like the others in their element, but rank tended to matter less in a wartime fighter squadron. The name was familiar from a lifetime ago, when Lillee had come aboard the Theurgy to inspect the Valkyries, but she had never met the pilots.

Thus Lillee sat in her chair and contemplated her situation, surrounded by strangers and likely on the eve of their final suicidal battle. She still wore her red CONN uniform, marking her as an outsider to the squadron, and her blonde hair was long and loose. Still, even as deep in thought as she was, Lillee eventually noticed the attention of a human woman in the row behind her, then watched as the human moved to sit next to her. The introduction was unnecessary by then, the woman's identity being obvious, but it was welcome regardless. As was the amicable tone.

"I agree," she replied, offering a small friendly smile to Tessa as she politely bowed her head. The woman seemed pleasant enough, after all. "It has been a number of years since I flew as part of a squadton, so the practice would be welcome, as would the company. Assuming, of course, that we are not committed to battle before we have a chance to train. This insane starship goes to battle like a babe to their mother's teat."

[ Ltjg Jhozahosh “Blizzard” sh’Avhennes | Fighter Assault Bay | Briefing Room | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Nolan @Havenborn @Triton @Doc M. @Stegro88 @patches @Fife @Firefox013 @Vox

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It seemed like to Jhoza like she had barely left the briefing room, yet here she was, back already. She hadn’t had much time aboard the ship yet, however she had already had a thorough exploration of the security department in her quest to have her Ushaan-tor returned. She smiled grimly as she recalled the experience, perhaps she had been a bit harsh on the petty officer who had met her, but she had needed it back urgently. Her fingers lightly traced the names engraved on the elegant tool-turned-weapon. Most people didn’t understand the feelings she had for her Ushaan-tor. It was more than just a weapon or a tool. It was part of her. The three names of her bondmates were on one side “One alone cannot be whole – nor two nor three” That was the first rule. Separated by distance as they were the four were not one and not whole. She kept their names on her blade so that they could still protect her and be with her in spirit. On the reverse were the names of her children, engraved for a similar reason, so that she could protect them, and know that everything she did with her Ushaan-tor would be to protect and secure their futures.

Her musing was interrupted as Ravon began to speak, detailing new IDs and flights. Her eyes scanned the squadron chart and quickly located her name at Wolf-12. Looking across at the rest of her flight Jhoza was pleased to see that she already knew everybody there, and had flown with them all. That was good, it meant that she would not have to spend time getting to know her wingmates and the intricacies of their fighting styles. She continued to listen, and groaned internally as Ravon announced that her flight would be the first in the air. Eight hours wasn’t long, but they were usually passed in relative boredom when flying escort.

Her antennae snapped to focus on Ravon and her eyes grew wide at the news of an impending Borg invasion. Her fist tightened around her Ushaan-tor. She was glad now that she had managed to get it back. It was well known that the Borg were seemingly more vulnerable to melee and bladed weapons. If things went wrong and she was somehow captured by them, her Ushaan-tor would be her only hope of survival. And should they still get her...Jhoza kept her blade sharp, it would be relatively painless.

She shook her head to clear away that thought, her braids gently swishing against each other. Now was not the time to dwell, now was the time for action. She stood and approached Meerkat, an easy smile creasing her features. ”I’m glad I’m flying with you again Meerkat. Sending us newbies out first eh? You think they’re testing our loyalty?” Jhoza’s antennae faced each other in amusement as her smile grew and mischief twinkled in her eyes. ”I’m joking, I spoke with a few of the other pilots earlier, they seem pleased to have us aboard.” She grew serious now ”Did you know of this Borg threat? I’m not sure our fighters are properly equipped to take on even their smallest scout vessels, let alone a cube. We’ll need to speak to the weapon techs before we head out.”

[CPO Eun Sae Ji | Fighter Assault Bay | Briefing Room | Deck 16 | Vector 02]
@Auctor Lucan @Nolan

A night with Liam had taken hours of tension and melted them away.  Allowing the young Korean woman to stand, in her crisp yellow jumpsuit, next to Liam right now.  They were on duty, so there were actually several inches between their two bodies where they leaned casually at the back of the room behind all the fighter pilots and the rest of the crew.  She had one leg bent, the foot resting on the wall behind her.  Arms crossed over her chest as she listened to the man on stage.  Giving out the information that was necessary to get the next leg of this journey underway.  Ji was not excited about going after a fresh enemy.  She wasn't even remotely interested in it, she longed for the quiet beach and the shimmering sand of her dreams. 

Last night had been the magic that she needed to reset her head.  She felt a lot better and Liam wasn't limping as much as he had yesterday.  It seemed that while he still needed to probably be cautious it wasn't as bad as it could have been.  She was grateful for the fact that he would be at her side for the day.  She had worried, yesterday, that he might not be able to be on deck but this morning he had put her mind to rest in multiple ways.

There were new callsigns to some of the people and new ships being assigned.  Ji knew that she needed to get the ships in the right position but first she was going to let Rav do his thing.  She enjoyed Rav they got along well and he had invited her to one of his poker games but she hadn't gotten to the point where she was actually able to go.  Life had been hectic and they seemed to be constantly running and fighting for their lives.  When that stopped she hoped that they would be able to actually make good on that, but for now, she would just have wait.

Rav finally finished his little talk up on the stage and Ji looked over at Liam.  Sten was just several feet beyond them, and her dark eyes shifted from Liam over to Sten who stood there with one of those looks on his face that was all business and nothing else.  He pointed to the stage, and gave Ji a nod.

Well thanks for the verbal discussion boss. she thought to herself and gave a nod back she knew what her job was.  Rav had just finished talking about the Borg and Ji found herself really not looking forward to all of that.  The Borg weren't just formidable, they were nigh on indestructable and despite the fact that they could possibly do well with a full and decked out ship.. they weren't any of that.  They were low on people, low on shields, low on power, low on everything.

Borg-fighting is a genius move.

She pushed off the wall and made her way around the crowd and to the stage.  Before everyone could leave.  She needed to make sure that everyone knew what they needed to do before they got themselves busy.  She took the podium, the overhead lighting made it hard to make out people in the room around her.  It highlighted the shades of brown in her short hair and her pale olive skin tone.  The yellow had never done her any justice and it was likely worse now but she wasn't here for a contest she was here for orders and as CPO it was her job to give them, at least when she was told to.

She cleared her throat loudly to get everyone's attention.

“Allllll right kids, if you want your ships fixed and ready for battle they need to be on my fighter bay ASAP.  They will be serviced in the order in which they 'arrive' so if you want to be first you better get your shit together.  Lets get ready for these Borg bastards.” she gave a nod to all of them and turned to leave the stage.  Heading over to the Badass Brigade, she gave a nod to Sten and a smile to Liam.

“Lets get the deck ready for them.  We're going to be busy as shit.”

P02 Sithick (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Sithick) Weapons Storage Bay -  Fighter Bay | USS Theurgy] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @BZ

Sithick wished he had more time. The gravity cannon was a thing of beauty, but it was one constructed in quick haste. The new power source was connected and the cannon had only a few stray wires that hung from it's side, it was as safe as he could make it in such short time. And he wished he had more time to run better tests, to perhaps give the cannon a run under peace time conditions. To do more than just rogue simulations and a trial by fire.

Whom ever got this cannon, would be getting one hell of a gun, but could just as easily end up a modern Slim Pickens. Riding the newest and most dangerous weapon into a glorious explosion. If damaged he was confident he could repair the thing after he himself had spent the last six days taking it apart, and putting it back together in it's new less bulky form.

"Now we... jussst need to find a volunteer." He spoke with his slight hiss, his true deep voice showing as he walked out onto the fligt deck using a gravity lift to bring the cannon out into the main fighter bay. Presenting his new weapon to the flight deck ready for attachment and deployment.

[ Ensign Isel “Foxfire” nix | | Briefing Room | Fighter Assault Bay | Deck 16 | Vector 02 || USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Stegro88 @Nolan
[Show/Hide]Isel had listened in silence as the Ravon, the CSO, had taken them through another quick and painless briefing. The Squadron Chart showed her new posting as Wolf-04, though thankfully she remained Donna’s wingwoman. She studied the rest of the chart as she listened to the rest of the briefing. As the Ravon wrapped things up, she heard a familiar voice in her ear from the woman in the seat next to her.

”No one I’d rather have at my side.”

”Flattery will get you everywhere, Donna.” Isel replied, giving the Human woman a wink. ”Besides, someone’s gotta watch your back!” And I get a nice view at the same time! Isel silently added, the though causing an impish grin to creep across her features.

While she was acting her usual self, on the inside she was worried. Branded a traitor. On a rogue ship. Flying with a bunch of people she didn’t know. Under the command of some faceless Captain they had yet to meet.

And they still hadn’t delivered the message.

Isel only hoped that Starfleet Intelligence didn’t take this as a sign of failure or betrayal. If they followed through on the threat, if they…

No. It wouldn’t do to think about it. Isel inhaled deeply, her nose picking up on the close proximity of Donna’s scent, then let out the breath in a long sigh. She just had to focus on staying alive, and keeping Donna alive. That was all she was able to do right now. The rest would come later.

”But don’t think sweet-talking me is going to make me forget that apology you owe me!” Isel added, glancing sideways at Donna and giving her a grin as she rose to her feet. She paused as someone else addressed them now, speaking about getting fighters fixed up and ready for action, adding that they would be prepped on a first-come, first-serve basis.
 "Think that includes us, if we're getting new rides?" Isel asked, turning back to give Donna a quizical glance.

[CWO3 Liliana "Meerkat" Walton (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Liliana_Walton,_callsign_%27%27Meerkat%27%27) | Fighter Assault Bay | Briefing Room | Deck 16 | Vector 02] @Nolan @Firefox013 @The Ostrich @Vox

Liliana Walton stretched her arms leisurely as she leaned against the wall next to the row where her RIO and the rest of her flight were seated. Normally, she would also be seated but there was something bothering her that compelled her to stay standing this time. There was either something going on that she was not aware of yet or the food she ate earlier disagreed with her. Maybe both. Haqr did pick it out.

Ravon’s entrance marked the beginning of the briefing, which was as short as the introductory speech he made after her flight’s landing. A pretty clear pattern was starting to develop here, one she liked. Walton had transferred to teach at the Academy Flight School before Ravon ever took on a significant leadership role so it was nice to see him in this context, not only for the familiar face but to get a glimpse at how the intervening years had changed him. His presence on the Theurgy was a small part of why she defected, truth be told.

A glance at the squadron chart showed that her flight remained intact, which made sense to the seasoned pilot. Her flight was all Valravns and pilots that had flown together for months during both the fighter’s trials and in combat. They would know each other best, as well as their crafts. She was starting to take a look around in preparation to call out her flight for their patrol when the Andorian walked up after the flight bay tech finished speaking.

Meerkat frowned at Jhoza’s remarks. The Borg were formidable adversaries and it was unsettling that they would likely be facing them later on that day.

“We’re first out likely because we’re more rested than their own pilots at this point. Have you seen their fighter bay? The techs are doing well to keep it as good as it is but you can tell it’s been through a lot, and there’s far too many empty fighter parking spots here empty for my comfort.” She sighed as she shook her head before continuing. “Angel can’t be the only one left out of the eight pilots that defected earlier. Maybe that’s why they’re so happy to see us. More lambs for the slaughter.”

She looked over at Haqr and the rest of the flight, then returned her gaze to meet Jhoza’s.

“I was at the Battle of Sector 001, Lieutenant, aboard the Thunderchild. Nothing we have on this ship is going to kill a Cube.” Lily reached out and patted the taller Andorian on the left arm, squeezing it slightly before pulling it back. “We’re damn well going to try, though, looks like. So yes, let’s get our fighters moved to the bay and discuss our options with the weapons techs.

“Scylla, Wraith, let’s move out,” she called out to the other two in a slightly raised voice. “Time to earn your lunch!”

She led the way out, tossing Ravon a mock salute before stepping through the door. It was a quick trip to the turbolift and then to the Upper Shuttle Bay where their fighters were currently stored. It was a good thing that she and Haqr hadn’t bothered to change out of their flight suits, Liliana mused, as they made their way to her Valravn. She had known they would need to do this move at some point. She just didn’t figure it would involve going right back out on patrol after replenishing its ammunition, but such was life in Starfleet. At least that part remained familiar on the Theurgy.

Seated in the pilot’s chair with her helmet sealed the feeling of being at home of sorts. Her fighter was an extension of herself at this point, especially as she had the rare opportunity to be a part of its development through being a test pilot. She knew every plate, every bolt of the Valravn. She was familiar with its limitations, but also that its potential outstripped all of those limitations. It was not the perfect fighter for either Starfleet or her, but at least it was a craft that she felt confident in.

“Testing. Bulkhead, you hear me?”

“Yes.”

“All green here. You?”

“Yes. Communications with flight control secured as well.”

“Good. Wolf-09 to flight control. Transferring fighter from Upper Shuttle Bay to the Fighter Assault Bay.”

With their affirmative, Meerkat slowly taxied the Valravn to where she could launch with the barest nudge from her impulse engines and thrusters. Both bays faced the rear and where on top of the ship, so her course was a slow lazy arc to the fighter assault bay’s opening before taxiing it into the slot with the big 09 on it. A soft bump signaled its rest and she shut off the engines. She popped the canopy open and stood up, looking for a weapons tech to discuss her loadout with.

We’ll need shipkillers in force. I hope they aren’t as short on torpedoes as they are on pilots.

[Lieutenant JG Evelyn Rawley, callsign “Ghost” | Fighter Assault Bay | Briefing Room | Deck 16 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy] Attn: @Nolan @BZ @Triton @Doc M. @Stegro88 @Havenborn @The Ostrich @patches @Fife @Vox
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Rawley stifled a snigger at Tom Ravon’s opening words.

“Good morning?” she said to herself. “Had a good morning already, Tom.”

But she certainly hung on to the rest of his words, as well as the squadron chart. So she was still Wolf-02. She stared at it long and hard. It didn’t mean a thing, she was like the rest of the pack, except for one thing: She’s next in line if Razor heads for the Big Hangar in the Sky…even if the last of the fight took place in the bloody cold heart of space.

She was certainly surprised to see that Donna was following her on the numerical rank, an element leader. She shrugged; Rawley was no element leader, but being Wolf-02, it meant covering Tom’s arse.

The mention about the Borg made Rawley think: This time, we’re certainly coming up against them.

Looking around, she can see more than just the pack was here. The flight crew, like ol’ Sten and Ji were milling about. Ji was especially prominent when she made her announcement. She thought of her bird, the Winterbourne, and approached Ji and Sten.

“Oi,” she said.

“Looks like your first customer’s arrived,” said Sten to Ji with gruff amusement.
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“Sod off the comment, Papa Bear,” said Rawley. She hadn’t seen him up close for a while. Some of those events included the time she fucked him in the holodeck, she never forgot it. It’s something to tell whatever kids there are: She fucked an old man.

Turning back to Ji, Rawley explained. “Aye, I’m checking in for a wee bit of maintenance. Might need yeh to check me fighter over. Dinnae be surprised if other Wolves have to ask yeh about their engines; it may be the kind of sortie to chuck some rocks before scarpering. Also, I’m going to need a word with Chief Harrold; I need me more teeth.”

Sten smiled at Rawley. Some things about the little Celt never change about her.

“Aye,” he said. “I’ll get you on the reservation list and have one of my techs on your bird, Rawley. Try to RSVP us further in advance, though.”

In light of the situation, Rawley can’t help but smile. She was sure to make a similar remark, sooner or later; a little humour helped ease some nerves.

[Lieutenant JG Evelyn Rawley, callsign “Ghost” | Fighter Assault Bay | Maintenance Bay Two | Deck 16 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Masorin @Nolan @Triage @Triton @Havenborn @Doc M. @BZ  @Fife @patches @Griff
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Rawley had been ready at a moment’s notice, suited up in her flight suit, her souvenir Klingon mek’leth at her side, for under an hour. She had it on during the briefing, ready for action. With the Klingon blade on her, she was armed to the teeth.

She wished she could say the same about her fighter, even after it had been re-loaded. Given the inevitability that she will be fighting the Borg, she wished she had something to pack a stronger punch.

She had just dropped in at the maintenance bay, as the Winterbourne was moved in. She stared at her fighter momentarily, almost anxious; she hoped it wouldn't take long. All she could do is wait for opinions from the techs. Petty Officers Phuc and Suvok were making final checks on her fighter, as ol’ Sten assigned them to. Rawley wondered how often Phuc’s name was taken the mick out of, given the likeliest pronunciation. As for Suvok, Rawley took into serious account; after having forgiven Maya, Rawley felt a greater respect for Vulcans. Plus, as avionics technician, Suvok was essential to make sure her fighter would get airborne.

After standing for a moment, tapping her foot and sucking on a stoogie from the replicator, she called out to the techs.

"Hoo soon will me fighter be ready, lads?"

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“Hold your horses, Ghost,” announced Phuc. "Flight checks take time, but so far it looks like it's in good condition. It'll still be a while before we look it over thoroughly and its ordinance gets loaded."

Rawley nodded, then turned to Suvok. She wouldn’t mind a second opinion, and the Vulcan may spot something Phuc didn’t.

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“I can concur with the Petty Officer, Lieutenant,” he said. “The propulsion system looks to be operating as efficient capacity. The craft will be ready for when you need it.”

“Thanks, Suvok,” said Rawley. “Yeh too, Phuc.”

She stared wistfully at the fighter; once again, she wished she had more teeth.

As she left the maintenance bay, she took in the sight of the fighters ready to launch...and she noticed the big ‘un, the Gorn technician Sithick, lugging along a…

“What the fFFFFFF!” Rawley was so taken in, she inadvertently stubbed her toe, not seeing where she was going. She hissed a curse at the pain. She looked up and heard the Gorn speaking.

Taking a better look, she realized it was new armament. And one that would pack a shite load of a whallop. If Sithick made it, it could only mean it could potentially be deployed on one of the fighters…

"Now we... jussst need to find a volunteer." He spoke with his slight hiss, his true deep voice showing as he walked out onto the flight deck.

“Oi!” Rawley called out, upon hearing Sithick’s words. He needed a volunteer? Well, he was about to get one. Once again, Rawley felt a rush of excitement. She hurried over to the big ‘un.

“Yeh got yourself a volunteer, me big chum,” she told him with a big enthusiastic smile. “Planning to rig a fighter with that new cannon? Me fighter’s open!”

She can’t help but bare her teeth, she was so excited. She was looking forward to kicking some arse with that thing. She hoped her fighter wasn't about to get moved out of the maintenance bay.

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OOC: If there are any changes that need to be made, please let me know through PM what I have to change, and I'll get to it as soon as possible..

[ CPO Liam Herrold (http://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Liam_Herrold) | Briefing Room | Fighter Assault Bay | Deck 16 | USS Theurgy ] @Stegro88 @Fife
[Show/Hide]Having been in the back of the briefing room together with Sten and Ji until the SCO finished, Liam had tried to school his smile when he saw Ji chiming in at the end in regard to the Valravn fighters in the wrong bay. Succinct and clear, that was her message, only with a Ji-flair to it. Since Covington has been standing right next to him, and because of all the things unsaid, Liam had simply returned Ji's smile when she returned after her announcement.

The fighter pilots were in motion now, rising from their chairs and talking, and Liam knew it was time to do his part. "I'll go speak with Chance and Foxfire," he simply said, since both Ji and Covington knew what that was about. Limping a bit - his knee still in its brace - he passed the one with the callsign Ghost when he approached the two women from the Black Wolves who had landed Gryphon fighters in the upper shuttle bay an hour ago.

When he reached them, they were in a private discussion, and he didn't like to intrude upon them. They were officers, a Junior Lieutenant and an Ensign, so he politely cleared his throat when coming to a stop. He folded his hands behind his back, standing straight in his jumpsuit, and spoke when they acknowledged him. "Forgive me, I did not mean to intrude. Junior Lieutenant Petterson, Ensign Nix? I am Chief Petty Officer Liam Herrold, Asst. CoD and Head of Weapons Maintenance & Armaments. I... have some bad news, and some good news. Would you please follow me?"

He limped out of the briefing room and entered the Fighter Bay, setting his step towards one of the openings in the transparent blast walls. "While you have been running simulations, my technicians and I went to the upper bay and assessed the condition of your Gryphon fighters, among other crafts there, and unfortunately, neither were found spaceworthy," he said, rubbing the back of his neck and glancing towards the two fighter pilots behind him. "While yours - Chance, is it? - had a bent spaceframe from a close proximity torpedo detonation, creating hairline fractures through the entire fuselage, the other fighter..." Liam looked at the white-haired pilot with the sharp teeth and a tail, "...it's damages were a bit more hidden. Your Gryphon was from the first batch of Mk II:s out of mass production, just like some that I worked with on the Resolve. I am afraid that batch had an energy distribution calibration in their Quantite cores, which over time has fused some of the relays for your impulse speed engines. While they are still operational - for now - we can no longer remove those relays for maintenance. They are... stuck, in lack of a better term, and a safety hazard. Added with the superficial damage your fighter took before it landed aboard this ship, Covington has decided that neither of those fighters can be launched again. They should be stripped for parts and used to service those fighters that we can actually save. Covington already made the call when I presented my teams' findings, so if you have any objections, you should take it with him."

At that point, they were walking through the Fighter Bay proper, the Valkyries and Angel's Valravn parked in their numbered slots. Soon. the Valravns in the upper bay would be landing, so Liam was taking the opportunity to give them the good news before they had to stand aside. Idly, he came to a stop, and he set his hands on his hips. "However, I was given to understand that you were familiarising yourselves with the Mk III:s in your simulations, and because you no longer have any RIOs, you were to - eventually - fly those instead. Well, given the findings on your Gryphons, I pushed to have two available Mk III:s prepared immediately. You may only have been in simulations for an hour, but when the SCO says you're ready... your new birds are waiting for you."

He nodded to the Valkyrie in the O3 slot. "That's yours, Junior Lieutenant," he said, and then nodded towards the Valkyrie on the other side of the bay - directly opposite of Chance's - in the 04 slot. "And there is yours, Ensign. All diagnostics have been run, and by the time you're due to fly them, they will be armed with the ordered weapon configurations. Since your squad-mates from the Dauntless will be bringing down their Valravn fighters any time now, we can't remain standing here, so I'll let you two take a closer look, while I return to my duties. Again, sorry about your Gryphons, but I figured these may.... help soothe the loss a bit."

Liam remained a short while, to see if they had any questions, before he'd clear away.

[Lt.JG Logan "Wraith" Hale (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Logan_Hale,_callsign_%22Wraith%22) | Fighter Assault Bay | Briefing Room | Deck 16 | Vector 02] @Nolan @Firefox013 @The Ostrich @patches

Sitting in the briefing room Logan looked around, glad to be finally back where he belonged, seeing some of the other members of his pack that he had flown with during the Valravn test days around him. Knowing what he did now about the parasite infiltration he did partially regret not defecting with the rest of the pack when they did but he had to go on the information he had at the time, it was a tough situation. Still that was in the past and he was just happy to be back with them all again now and with a glance over at Ezekiel beside him the big guy was equally as happy to be back home as he was, even if it was on a new ship but given their ship version of musical chairs lately he was sure adjusting to yet another new one wouldn't be an issue for the,.

Like a good officer he sat and listened to Ravon give his introduction before standing up and making his way over to look at the new squad layout, noting that he was now Wolf-11 and shrugged, 11 wasn't exactly his favourite number in the galaxy but it wasn't that big of a deal in the grand scheme of thing, and he was still an Element Leader so there was that.

Hearing his CO, CWO Walton call his handle he glanced over to her as she told him to move out and earn his lunch and nodded, slapping Zeke on the shoulder. "Come on buddy, no rest for the wicked."

Following the others out of the room and down to the turbolift, he stepped in and tilted his neck from side to side, hearing it pop as he did. First Starfleet and now the Borg, this was turning out to be one hell of a week.

It was a quick ride back up to the shuttle bay and soon he and Zeke were back in their fighter. Taking his spot up front he patted the console affectionately "Alright girl we're going up against the Borg today, hope you're up for it." he muttered as he started his pre-flight checks.

Having been one of the original test pilots for the Valravn and having had this specific one the entire time, he knew every inch, bolt, scratch, dent and trait the ship had so his checks always went pretty quickly. "How we looking back there Zeke?"

From behind him, Zeke had been running his own checks and smiled when they came up green across the board "All good back here."

Hitting a button on his console, he too lowered his fighter down into the fighter bay, watching through the window as one of the weapon techs started making their way over to him. Standing up he glanced down at him and asked for the heaviest hitting artillery he could get. Valravn's were tough little ships but their standard loadout wouldn't necessarily punch a hole in a Cube so hopefully they had something that could get the job done. Glancing across the bay he caught sight of CWO Walton and it looked like she too was having a similar conversation with her weapon tech.

Sliding back down into his seat, he put on his helmet and doubled checked to make sure it was sealed before running another check on his flight suits systems and equipment as well as his craft, just to make sure everything was in order. Happy when everything still checked out before hitting a few keys until he found what he was looking for, smiling when AC/DC's Back In Black started playing quietly through the ships internal speakers, the volume low enough that only he and Zeke would hear it while still being able to hear whatever would be said either out loud or via the comm. Now all he could do was enjoy the music and wait for them to launch.

[ Ensign Isel “Foxfire” Nix | Fighter Assault Bay | Deck 16 | Vector 02 || USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Stegro88
[Show/Hide]As CPO Herrold explained about their fighters, Isel couldn’t help but adopt a very false expression of sadness. ”Aw, really? We can’t fly our old fighters, so we get an upgrade? Damn.” The sad expression she had adopted was spoiled as the Vulpinian let out a giggle. ”I’ll miss the old girl, but sometimes you’ve gotta trade your ride for a younger model,” Isel gave Donna a cheeky glance and winked at her, ”but don’t worry Donna, there’s only so many trade-ins I’m willing to make right now!”

Once Herrold had finished speaking, saying that he would le the two of them take a closer look, Isel turned and scampered across the bay towards her new Mk III, turning her head and calling over her shoulder as she went. ”Thanks, Chief! And Donna,” Isel stopped, and turned to face her Element Leader and lover. ”try not to trash this one, yeah?” Isel stuck her tongue out at Donna, then turned away with another giggle and darted across the bay towards her new fighter.

She slowed as she approached the Mk III Valkyrie-Class Warp Fighter, her eyes trailing over the lines of the vessel. It’s dimensions were the same as the Mk II, she knew, though the new model’s lines are less linear, sleeker. The cockpit was smaller without the need for the second seat, and the canopy was more open, which would allow for cleaner vision without the intrusion of the canopy posts obstructing her view. Isel slowly walked a circle around the craft, her eyes trailing over every line as she went. As she finished her movement around the fighter, she stopped at the nose, standing up on tiptoe and reaching up to stroke the nose.

”My my, you are a sexy bitch, aren’t you?” she murmured, stroking the fighter with her hand for a moment before letting herself drop to flat-footed. She gave the fighter one more glance before turning to look across the bay at Donna inspecting her own fighter. With a quick glance to make sure no fighters were entering the bay to land, she jogged across the bay to Donna’s pad, a large, satisfied grin on her features. ”Hey Donna! These things are even sexier than in the simulations! I think I’ve got a second love in my life!” She called as she drew closer, her eyes twinkling with eager anticipation. She wanted to get that bird out flying and put her through her paces as soon as she was able.

Lt. JG Donna ‘Chance’ Petterson | Briefing Room | Fighter Assault Bay | Deck 16 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Fife
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“I’d never dream of it Isel,” Donna replied softly. “I know I owe you probably several apologies, all of which I will willingly give you. And more,” she explained as an enlisted person stepped up to speak. Evidently, she either ran the deck or was a member of the senior staff that did. If her memory served though, it was an older male that was in charge but that could have changed given everything that had happened since the ship’s rogue classification.

Once the woman had finished, Isel leaned in again and asked if the woman was referring to them, given their unique situation regarding their RIOs.

“I’m not sure. I’m not even sure my fighter will get off the deck without some repairs. That landing basically took everything left in the ship,” Donna revealed. She was about to continue when someone cleared their throat. Looking up, Donna saw another enlisted crewmember, a human male, standing near them. “What can we do for you Chief Petty Officer?”

“Well I guess that answers that question,” Donna thought to herself after listening to what Liam Herrold had to say. Glancing at Isel for an instant, Donna looked back up at the chief. “Lead on Chief.”

Following after the man, Donna noted the man’s limp and noted it as a recent injury that had been treated but was not fully healed. He led them out into the hanger proper and revealed that neither of their Mark IIs was space worthy. Her own fighter wasn’t overly a surprise given how close that torpedo had detonated behind her but that Isel’s was also rated as such was unexpected as Donna hadn’t thought that she had taken any big hits.

But good news, they were actually getting a pair of sleek and sexy Mark IIIs and they were sitting on the deck right in front of them. Well hers was, Isel’s was on the other side of the bay. But damn those birds were high-powered. With the same basic design, the Mark III’s were faster, tougher and packed a much bigger punch even without the Tetryon cannon. To her, they were svelte death incarnate.

She heard the CPO ask if they had any questions, but Chance couldn’t think of a single one as she ran her hand along the hull of her new warp fighter. By the time she came back to reality, Herrold was gone and she saw Isel approaching her from where her fighter was parked.

“How long was I out?” she wondered.

"Hey Donna! These things are even sexier than in the simulations! I think I've got a second love in my life!" Isel called as she drew closer, the eager anticipation in her eyes as clear as day to Donna. She had also caught on to what Isel had said as well and a little piece of her heart dared hope that the Vulpinian was referring to her.

“I know what you mean,” Donna responded. An alarm began to sound, alerting them to the approach of the Valravn’s from the Upper Shuttle Bay. “Ah, Isel,” Donna began hesitantly. “Can we go somewhere quiet and talk?”

[ Lt. JG Alessia "Angel" Garcia (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Alessia_Garcia,_callsign_%22Angel%22) | Deck 16, Fighter Assault Bay | USS Theurgy ]
[Show/Hide]LtJG Garcia was known for being always on the move, as if ready to roll up her sleeves or slide out of her outfit to get her hands dirty. Exercise, usually a good jog, got her gears going and she had displayed her fondness for running across the ship and sliding down service ladders as preferred alternative to waiting for turbolifts. Angel had found an opportunity to confirm a rumor about who their Chief Tactical Officer was. Leon Marquez. She'd gone out of her way to have her computer notify her the moment that he would go off-duty, just to greet him and catch up. No more, no less in the time they had. Only a few minutes were enough just to say what mattered. Their minds were on the mission, not their emotional needs, for now. So after their first cup of cocoa, they swapped notes and were finishing each others' sentences within moments, as if reflexively. Even just talking shop and exchanging information and experiences was enough to sate a need for hope. 

A contrast to nodding at her fellow pilots she sat among and had greeted with smirks, grins and fist-bumps in Scylla's case. It was as good as any to swap her secret-handshake with Meerkat and a hug with Tessa, whom she sat next to during Razor's announcement. Right away, her eyes skimmed her flight list: Wolves 5-8 were a mixed lot, including the sole Valkyrie-2. If another became available, she would take one out for a flight. She approached her new wingmate, whom she knew very little about. "Salvo," she said. "Looks like we're flying together. Kind of nostalgic to be flying with a Gryphon next to me once more, but I hear your bird got some upgrades since Starbase 84?."

[Zyrao Natauna | Bliss is What You Make of It | Opportunity Knocks | Choices Made | Fuck the Fuckers of the Universe]
@Auctor Lucan

The deck was busy.

There werepeople swarming all over the ships that were being coasted moved from one deck to another. Zyrao's grey eyes watched them scurry around the deck watched as they mounted the massive fighters and began to prep them to move.  She had never quite understood the desire to understand the inner workings of the mechanical world but she was always thankful for those that took to them.  They had saved her many times over in her life when things had gone awry.  Right now though, she was glad they were all very distracted because she needed no questions to be shot in her direction at the moment.  Not everyone on board the Theurgy knew of her and few of them would probably demand to know who she was and why she was there.  Questions she didn't need at the moment.

Slate eyes shifted and she narrowed in on her target.  The Sabine.

Furthermore was the woman within the Sabine and the one that she was to rendezvous with when the time was up.  They had made  plan, both of them, in the corridors outside the Bridge.  Loose, but possible, and something that they were both working towards.  Swallowing, her eyes shifted around the deck again marking in the mental map on her mind exactly where everyone was.  She didn't know their names, and would likely never know them, but, she knew their positions and it was all that was important at the end.

Zyrao stepped out from behind the corner where she had been ducked behind getting a feel for the deck.  Shoulders back as she made her way across the Bridge.  Almost leisurely.  Dodging around the pilots, their gear, and their calls to one another as they rushed towards their fighters.  She wore the Starfleet issued pants that she had stolen from the woman that had been kind enough to allow herself to be played with for just long enough to liberate her of her clothing.  The tank top that she wore had come from the same place as well.  The jacket and the pips that she had played with earlier weren't in sight.  She was just a show of black and nothing else as she worked her way across the deck towards the Sabine.

She looks rough.  Sera is lucky that she made it out alive. she mused to herself as she looked through the various different spots where she could tell that the Sabine had come into contact with the dangers of space.  Another reason, on top of the many that were piling up for both the women.  The El-Aurian moved around towards the front of the sabine where the ramp was that would allow her access.  She rapped on it twice with the back of her knuckles and waited for the hydraulics to release with a small hiss and the grey eyes of the woman looked up to find the warm gaze of Sera.  She could see the woman in front of her relax with the fact that not only had Zyrao come but that it was her and not anyone else that had knocked on the hull of her ship.

Zy tossed the bag she had been carrying simply across the deck and it landed with a heavy thump on the deck plating as she grabbed Sera's hand before the ramp even got fully lowered and pulled herself up into the ship.  Slamming her hand on the button that would force the ramp into reverse closing them off from the noisy deck around them rather quickly.  In the silence and low lighting of the Sabine's interior the two women stood just a breath from one another.  Zyrao's hand slid up Sera's arm, skirting the soft but muscular skin there until she reached her neck and slid her arm around her neck pulling Sera close.  Hugging her tightly for a moment and letting out a long breath.

“I wished to do this earlier.  Yet, it was not the time nor place.”

She had honestly not been sure what Sera and she were, she still didn't know, but she was fine with not knowing.  She would figure it out in time and she was also fine if it was nothing but friendship that held benefits.  They would figure it out in their own time, but she had heard Sera with the other person the other night and knew that she was likely not someone that was eager for monogamy.  Zyrao had no idea what she wanted in her current life and thus she had nothing but patience for the situation.  Pulling back she looked down into Sera's eyes.

“We've fallen out of warp.  It's time.” she whispered to the Fiery woman.  “We have to make our move now.” she warned her.

Turning to the ship itself she looked over the various things that hung from the ceilings.  The repair work that had been done before the other ships became more important than the Sabine.  The things that Sera herself had likely had a hand in.  Her eyes shifted to the woman.

“Will it come up?  Can we... do this?” Zyrao asked the woman raising her dark brow, a bit of a grin on her features.  This was the right choice, it was right for the both of them.  She knew it and so did Sera.  She was only glad that Sera hadn't decided to do this on her own and instead called in assistance.  “I got what we discussed in the bag.  I think we will be just fine.  But we need to make our move now before things change.”

[CPO Eun Sae Ji | Busy is an Understatement | Deck 16 | Vector 02 | Ready for Battle]
@Auctor Lucan @Multificionado

Ji watched them move.

Everyone would be vying for the coveted first spot.  Everyone would be getting their shit to her bay as quickly as they could so that it could all get fixed and they could get on with their battle.  She was still not a fan of going after the Borg.  She wasn't getting a choice, many of them weren't, and why they had decided a suicide mission was the best course of action after all they had already endured she had no fucking clue.  Apparently, they needed someone that could realize just what was going on out there and how they needed to keep the fuck out of it.  But, apparently they person had checked out for the day and with Ives gone, they were going after the Borg.  She blew upwards and her bangs shifted out of her face as she let out some of the pent out frustration that she was harboring about the situation out.  Dark eyes taking in Liam for a moment, though she tried very hard not to let her personal feelings get in the way. 

So far, so good.

As Ji made her way through the pilots that were working their way to the doors to get to their ships, she made it back to Sten and Liam.  Her eyes shifted to Liam and he seemed to give her a bit of a nod and a bit of a quirk of those lips of his.  She couldn't fight the small smile that graced her own lips until Sten told her that she had her first customer.  Ji turned on her heel to look at the woman that was coming over. 

Her brows rose as she tried to figure out what would need to be spoken about personally but she assumed it was likely something important.  The woman called Sten, Papa Bear, and Ji rolled her eyes.  It was such a weird and creepy as shit nick name considering he fucked things that were less than half his age.  But hey, whatever floated their boats.  It didn't float Ji's anymore.  She had someone in her life that made her happy just by being around her, breathing the same air as her.  Everything was still really new, the honeymoon phase still, but she was glad that she at least had something positive to look for when she needed it.  When all this negativity and shit surrounded them it was nice to have something good. 

Liam was good.

The woman began to tell her that she needed to get her bird looked at and that the others would probably want theirs looked at as well.  Her brows rose as she was pretty sure that was what the whole 'get your shit down to the deck' meant but hey what did she know.  She was about to answer when Sten stood there and did it for her.  The look on Ji's face told the both of them that she was biting back a comment that would likely go in her file to be addressed later.  Crossing her arms over her chest she looked over at Sten and then back at the woman.

“The announcement said first come first serve.  Everyone will get their shit looked at.  If you want your fighter looked at, then she needs to be on my deck, and I'll put her in the queue.” she explained again, just incase it was necessary, because apparently it was.  She wasn't going to fall into preferential treatment shit.  Everyone else was already getting their shit on deck.  With that, she turned and headed off so that she could get to work.  They had limited time and a shit ton of fighters to get to working order, upgraded, and shit done to them. 

As Ji entered the deck, her deck she looked around.  Jack was running up to her, he was basically her right hand man.  She came to a stop and handed her a PADD she took it and began to thumb through the various ships that were on her bay and in need of maintenance.  She began to work on assigning her men and women to the various ships.  Calling out names, barking orders, getting her men on the ships.  She planned to take the worst case on herself because she needed everyone that needed to be up and running. 

“Tell me who has the worst engine problems right now?  I don't want fucking upgrades either, I want people with actual issues.  Time for upgrades is at the end or when we finish this fucking death march.” she grumbled looking over at Jack. 

“Bay two, then.”

She gave a nod and quickly finished assigning people.  PADDs in pockets across the deck were pinging with her orders and mechanics began to move in.  She began making her way to the second bay because she wanted to make sure that she was on hand.  “Jack!  Let me know if there is anything that comes up and I'm needed!  Just scream my name I doubt it'll be missed.” she called over to him.  The hulking man nodded and took off to head off to his own assignment.  The crew were already in the throws of putting everything and everyone back together.  Getting the ships ready for what was to come.  The battle with the Borg.

I don't think I can make these good enough for the Borg but they have to be.. they have to be...

[ Ltjg Jhozahosh “Blizzard” sh’Avhennes | Fighter Assault Bay | Briefing Room | USS Theurgy ]

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Jhozahosh had not been aware that Meerkat had been a participant of that particular battle. Jhoza had still been in the Imperial Guard at that point, on high alert and ready to rush to Earth had the Borg broken through. Her antennae twitched at the thought, it was not a pleasant one. Her antennae followed Meerkat’s hand as she gently placed it upon Jhoza’s arm and suggested that they move their fighters to the main fighter bay. Nodding her confirmation Jhoza moved out of the briefing room.

At some point along the journey to the shuttle bay she bumped into Trixie, her RIO. ”You might want this.” The Irish woman handed Jhoza her helmet, an easy grin on her face. ”Ya left it on the floor of the shuttle bay and I thought to myself, well, we can’t leave that there can we? Jhoza will need it later.” Trixie laughed and skipped ahead of Jhoza, leading the taller Andorian toward the shuttle bay.

Jhoza fastened her helmet as she slipped into her seat and began powering up the fighter. She could hear Trixie behind her, running a few pre flight checks. ”We ready to go Trixie?” Jhoza closed the canopy over them as she asked the question. The reply was quick coming through direct comms.

”Always ready Blizzard, you know me.”

Jhoza saw the bay doors start to open and nodded to herself. ”Trixie, request clearance to transfer to the fighter bay.” There was silence for several seconds before Trixie signaled that clearance had been granted. Jhoza grinned and lifted the fighter off the deck. It was always an exhilarating feeling, sitting behind the controls of the powerful fighter. The machine feeling like an extension of her own body. Jhoza followed her wingmates out of the shuttle bay and quickly into the fighter bay. It was a short and simple flight, and her craft was snared by tractor beams as she entered the fighter bay. They guided her to the bay designated 12, her bay.

As the shuttle touched down Jhoza opened the canopy and removed her helm, placing it on the joystick. She popped her head out of the cockpit and scanned the bay as she climbed out of her fighter ”Weapons Tech!” She called loudly, trying to catch the attention of the appropriate deck officer ”I need the heaviest ordinance you’ve got. Capital Ship killers and high explosives, we’re hunting Borg.“

[ Sera vers Aldnoah (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Sera_vers_Aldnoah) | Upper Shuttle Bay | Deck 11 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] 
[Show/Hide]When she'd returned to the Sabine, Sera had known there wasn't much time.

Her ship had been a flaming mess, some belongings having been spaced along with the Orion that had tried to take her ship. There was a gaping hole in the deckhead, just above the work station, and she had a lot of superficial hull damage. Her shield emitters might have made it well enough, but she had no idea how the rest of the guts of her ship had faired against the Black Wolves. The woman on the bridge with the big tits had said the Sabine was slated for repairs, but there was no sight of any repairmen just yet.

Therefore, as soon as she'd gotten out of her red exosuit, she'd tried to run every kind of diagnostic she could figure out on the computer. She'd muted the blasted voice, though, preferring text when communing with the systems. She'd taken a quick sonic shower when the biggest system check was being made, not only shedding the exosuit sweat but also rinsing herself from the Reman she'd bedded the night before. Feeling like a newborn woman, the headache from the Reman whiskey having lifted a bit, she was surprised to hear the knock, and see that Zy had appeared. Had it already been an hour?

She helped the El-Aurian up, dressed in a tank top and baggy cargo trousers from some pre-warp world she'd visited once. She found herself grinning at the woman, knowing what mischief they were up to, before Zy suddenly hugged her. That was unexpected, but she certainly wasn't complaining, returning the embrace readily and with a smile that creased the corners of her yellow eyes. The comment, about having wanted to hug her earlier... it made Sera realise that Zy was actually worried for her.

"Oh, next time, don't let some kind of Staefleet idea of propriety stop you. I do enjoy your flaming company - even in public," she said with a grin to the old, young-looking woman in her arms, but what she said next - that they were already out of warp - made Sera's eyes widen. "What? Already? Blood and bloody ashes!"

Pushing the cables that hung from the deckhead aside so that she might reach the cockpit, Sera answered Zy's question over her shoulder. "I have no idea, I let the computer run some kind of diagnostic. Blasted mess, I thought we'd have more time. Good thinking to collect the stuff we'll need right way. You're saying we need to bail now?"

Indeed. They were of the same mind. Sera's ship had been damaged twice, she'd saved them all by giving them access to dilithium crystals, risked her life on the Coreless Moon, only to almost have her ship stolen in some tactical ploy. But no, she'd been a good girl, and flied the Sabine for them, even bringing back six blasted warp fighters and loyal pilots to fly them. And what did she get for her troubles? Not a flaming shard of latinum. This was no way to make a living, blasted parasites and pending intergalactic war irrelevant. She already knew Zy wasn't impressed either, so they made a deal.

Now, it seemed that deal of their har become a very urgent matter.

"Shit, the computer says we can fly this thing, but the power consumption for the structural integrity field to keep that hull breach patched will cut down on both speed and other systems. It might be a long flight, but we might make it..."

Sera raised her eyes, and through the viewport of the cockpit, she could see the Valravn fighters leaving the shuttle bay and flying down to the bay below. But that didn't keep her eye for long, because out there - beyond the hull of the ship - she saw it...

"The Coreless Moon," she said, realising that Zy and her were back to the place where they first met! She turned around, looking at her new friend. "We're back... Are you ready, though? You sure you want to come with me? I really want your company, but if you have better things to do with the Starfleeters... I'll not hold it against you. I'll understand. I am a free spirit, and my kind of life is not for everyone."

[ Ensign Isel “Foxfire” Nix | Fighter Assault Bay | Deck 16 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Stegro88
[Show/Hide]Isel heard the alarm warning of a fighter coming in to land, and could barely hear Donna’s hesitant question.

”Ah, Isel, can we go somewhere quiet and talk?”

Isel felt as though her heart had skipped a beat. While she’d been teasing Donna about an apology all day, the talk that was to come was sure to be an uncomfortable one. A great many things had come to light before their defection, but they hadn’t spoken since that night. Donna’s involvement in Starfleet Intelligence. Isel’s past with the Orion Syndicate. The whole mess they had just gone through together.

Oh yes, they had much to discuss.

”Yeah…” Isel replied, speaking just as hesitantly as Donna had when asking the question, ”I guess we’ve got a lot to talk about. Why don’t we see about getting assigned quarters, then we can talk there?” Isel paused, looking up at Donna with a slightly worried expression. ”I don’t think we’ll be talking about anything we want people to overhear…”

Isel glanced over as the Valravn entered the fighter assault bay and maneuvered to set down in it’s assigned spot, then turned her attention back to Donna and gave the taller woman a grin. ”Besides, I think it’s better if we get out of here. You’d make an adorable smear on the landing deck, but I’d rather keep you in one piece!” Isel gave Donna a wink before heading towards the exit, taking care not to move out in front of one of the landing fighters. Despite the cheeky joke, Isel was nervous. She could feel the battle of emotions which warred inside her, and knew that the feeling would only get worse in the leadup to the conversation she was to have with Donna.

[ Lt.JG Sephiria “Scylla” Arn| Fighter Assault Bay | Briefing Room | Saucer Section Shuttle bay | USS Theurgy ]


Sephiria had listened to the briefing and spoken with a few people, seeing Angel alive and here was both good and bad, alive, good, stuck in this shitty situation, definitely bad. She reached down to a table, grabbing her helmet as she now understood she'd be on alert to launch very soon and her fighter needed some new weapons if they were going after those god damn collective minded machine freaks, the Borg. Whiteouts helmet was next to her own so she grabbed it too and handed it to him.


“We should probably book it to the secondary bay and move our girl huh?” He stated in a matter of fact tone to which the Trill woman nodded. “Yeah, definitely, besides we aren’t needed here, we’re heeded there!” She stated, blue hair flowing behind her as she walked towards the doors, exiting through them with a soft swish of the doors opening for her, Whiteout hot on her heels.


The trip in the turbolift was short and in silence, neither needing to speak as they both knew what had to happen. As soon as the lifts doors opened to the Shuttle bay where their Valravn class Space Superiority Warp Fighter was, they both calmly walked towards their bird, seeing the others had done the same and were also moving theirs, both confidently did a rapid but thorough check of the crafts exterior before they climbed into their cockpit and strapped into their seats.


“All right, beginning checks.” Stated Whiteout. “Main Power?” Sephirias hands checked and activated main power. “Check!” Whiteout Nodded. “Backup Power?” Sephiria did the same as before with it. “Check!” Her Rio continued calmly and precisely following the Checklist on his Flight Armor’s HUD while she rapidly moved her hands, the two of them flying through the Valravn’s powerups and checks, working down the list in a very rapid way.

Scylla heard the others requesting permission to change hangars and keyed her comms once they were done. “ Wolf 10 to control, requesting permission to depart saucer section Shuttle Bay and transfer Fighter to main Fighter Bay.” The response from the on-duty controller was rapid, giving them clearance to proceed. Sephirias hands gently grasped her controls, slowly augmenting the Fighters repulsors, hovering the Valravn about three feet from the Deck as its landing gear gently folded in, the fighters thruster exhaust getting more intense as she gently pushes the throttles and the advanced Fighter gracefully soared out of the Bay while Sephiria acknowledged clearance and they were on their way.

Outside, They looked around, alert for anything unusual or suspicious just in case. It was a short and uneventful flight, Sephiria lining the bird up. “Control, this is Wolf 10, lined up for the Fighter bay, requesting clearance to land.” She could see the others were already inside and she felt good about that, they were safer in there than out where she and her RIO were right now.


The controllers voice came back over the air, giving them a green light for the ball. “Wolf 10 has the ball!” She declared calmly as the Valravn’s landing gear re-deployed and they got the roger on the ball, moments later, with a soft deceleration, engines dimming, the sleek craft went back to repulsors and made an elegant glide to an indicated spot with the number 10 on it that was flashing on their HUDs. The Valravn gently settled on its landing gear with a soft humming sound dying down as the fighter powered down, its cockpit opening.


Whiteout and Scylla both gently climbed down from their Valravn, helmets being removed once on the deck. Sephiria overheard Blizzard calling out to the Weapons Tech’s and smirked, Whiteout chuckling, ‘leave it to that one to get peoples attention fast when needed’ was the jist of their collective thought on that. Sephiria cupped a hand around her mouth calling out. “And would you mind giving my girl a look too, gonna need some of that ordnance here too, just set her up with a good mix of Cap-Buster weaponry please!” She called out then began waiting, hoping to get a response as she looked around to see if she could help anyone or should just go back to the Briefing Room while they waited on standby or something.

Lt. JG Donna ‘Chance’ Petterson | Hanger | Fighter Assault Bay | Deck 16 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Fife
[Show/Hide]
“I’ve come to like being in one piece as well,” Donna responded, a smile creeping onto her face. It stayed there a moment as she looked around the bay, her eyes coming back to rest on Isel. The smile began to fade, however, as Donna remembered what it was that they needed to talk about. Everything that had happened in the last three days and everything that had happened before they had met. It seemed that they had both led very different lives before their worlds had collide that day on the lawn at Starfleet Academy.

Nervous, Donna didn’t say anything for a moment. She wasn’t sure what they future would hold for her. She no longer had a course or a map. She only had one assigned mission and once that was done, she didn’t know what she would do. Would she stay? Would she go? She was probably an officially declared traitor by now, her faced on wanted notices the length and breadth of the Alpha Quadrant. If Starfleet wouldn’t have her, why stay?

Once again, her eyes fell upon Isel and a single realisation dawned on Donna. No matter what happened, where she went or what she did or had to do; she was going to be with Isel. She wasn’t going to lose her again. Isel was now the number one priority in her life and once the message was delivered, the Vulpinian would have her complete focus. What came after that, well, she’d figure it out then.

“Quarters sound good Isel,” Donna acknowledged. “What we have to talk about should be kept between us,” Donna agreed. Before she began to walk away, Donna reached over and grasped the Vulpinian’s hand. “Despite everything that has happened. I’m glad you’re here. I... I don’t know what I would have done otherwise.”

P02 Sithick (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Sithick) Weapons Storage Bay -  Fighter Bay | USS Theurgy] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @BZ @Nolan @Multificionado

Dragging the weapon out of the storage he had built it in was one thing, he now had an exparemental gravity cannon that he needed to find a ship to affix it to. and two bosses with which to report it too. He found Ji quickly enough barking orders around, and he dragged the weapon to them. Ignoring ghosts call as a volunteer he would still need to check with the flight leader for how they wanted to use this equipment.

"I hass, the cannon." He said towards Ji, walking up to present the final version of his prototype, It was going to be fickle, but it was advanced, and the gravity weapon was something that the Borg would have trouble adapting too. though there were still problems with it, he handed the PAD with the device's specs to Ji. "I think thisss will help in ze battle." The giant Lizards signature hiss through his deep reptilian voice.

"It will need Your approval."

He looked for Ravon as well, flagging the flight leader over to him when he was free. "Thisssh iz a gravity weapon, I built from remainsh of the Ashurian'sh zhip. It'z fragile, new, but powerful. Will cut ships to pieces... but it muzt be mounted on one of your fighterz."

[Zyrao Natuana | Never Take the Easy Road | Cutting a New Path | Girls Just Want to have Fun]
@Auctor Lucan

Sera was surprised, by the hug.

Zyrao thought she must have mistepped and endeavored not to do so again.  She was not the type to form heavy commitments so easily it was only that they had spent a long night enjoying each other's company and bonding.  She thought Sera a friend, at the very least, and she had been worried knowing that her one and only companion on this Shit-ship had been out there fighting.  The El-Aurian could feel the woman relax in her arms for a moment and knew that while surprising it was not unwelcome.  Still, she would have to hold her physical affections at bay.  Only glad the woman was alive, she would allow herself this one platitude to hold onto her for the moment before stepping back.

They had to move. 

As she mentioned that she had wished to do so earlier and refrained, Sera told her not to let Starfleet propriety get in the way of such things.  A slight smirk on the El-Aurian's features and a single nod of the head.  “I will not.” she gave him a bit of a smirk as they stepped fully inside the ship and Zyrao closed the hatch so that no one would be able to hear what they were up to or their plans. 

Telling Sera they were already out of warp caused the reaction that she had imagined she would get.  Sera was shocked and not ready, neither of them were, but if they were going to make their move they needed to do it now.  Now was their window, their opportunity, it had to be now or they would be stuck.  Neither of them would do well being stuck and suffocating on the life that would be offered them.  No, they had a very different plan in mind and no one on this ship was going to like it.  Neither woman cared. 

Sera worked her way to the front of the ship and Zyrao followed dodging the overhead wires and guts that had been exposed in Sera's precious ship as they made their way to the front.  The woman in front of her explained that she had run a diagnostic and it was in rough shape before asking if they needed to make their move now.  Zyrao leaned against the copilot seat and looked at the young woman that was so full of life and vigor.  She truly hoped that she would find herself a good place to land one day.  Someone that would appreciate all that Sera had to offer.  She was young, but in many ways she was better than many of the Starfleet people that she had come into contact with.  There were times that age matter, and times that it didn't.  Though what really pissed Zyrao off was rank.  Starfleet prided on rank and rank alone, making sure people were called by rank and not name, and it bothered her to no end because there were so many people out there without a rank.. without this  Starfleet Academy that would have so much to offer but, like her, were over looked merely because she lacked a Starfleet Rank.

She could throw other ranks at them.  El-Aurian, KDF, her vast experiences with various races.  But no, they knew none of that.  Not a single person had asked her past, and that was fine, she wasn't a free book.  This was no library.  Only some would ever know the truth behind Zyrao.

“If we don't go now, we won't get to go.  Fire her up.  We have to at least try.” she said to the young woman as she collapsed herself down into the seat next to where Sera would place herself.  Sera chimed in with the computer's read out of the situation and Zyrao let out a long low whistle.  “It doesn't have to be fast, qul tIq , it just has to be capable.” she admitted giving Sera a spur of the moment nickname while she was thinking about it.  She brushed her thumb across the bottom of her lip, calling Sera 'fire heart' was something that just came to her, but it fit well and she figured she would probably use it from time to time. 

Sera saw the moon, and Zy's eyes shifted and narrowed on the place where she and Sera had met.  More so than that, was where her people had died.  Swallowing, she clenched her fists, still unsure that she hadn't made a mistake.  Saving the Fleeters had given her nothing but grief.  If she had stayed with the Klingon she would have been responsible for all their deaths but she would still have her place of prestige among her ship.  Words from beside her and Zyrao looked over at the young woman and gave her a bit of a shake of the head.

“No, I'm definitely sure.  These fuckers used and abused the both of us.  Get us off this fucking ship and good riddance.  Our skills will be missed but it is their loss.” she said to the young woman.  Gripping Sera's shoulder she gave it a warm squeeze.  “Lets do this.  Together.  Lets go.”

Sitting in the seat, she began to buckle herself in while Sera began to get the shuttle ready.  She was definitely not going to miss this fucking place.  She hoped that it did well, there were probably good people here.  She hadn't met any, but there probably were.  Well.. there was Dewitt, she hadn't been bad.  And Marquez had been all right the brief conversation they had.  But the rest, could rot.

“Take us off, Qul Tlq.”

[ Lt. Cmdr Thomas Ravon | Hanger | Fighter Assault Bay | Deck 16 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @BZ @Masorin

The big Gorn was hard to miss as he flagged Ravon to come over, by the looks of things he was carrying something big and new. He walked over to Sithick and Ji as she was there to outfit the fighters and get any last minute adjustment to any birds. It was good to see Ji, the last time he had seen her in the weapons storage area she had been in pain and didn't look to be in a happy place, until the drugs kicked in. He wasn't aware that she had already been fit to leave sickbay, otherwise he would've checked in on her. Time however was short and against him to catch up.

Once he arrived at the Gorn he smiled at him as he presented the weapon prototype. He had heard Rawley call out something to volunteer and he could already imagine the woman wanting to retrofit her fighter with it. He looked at the weapon and squatted as he inspected it "Gravity cannon huh..." he murmured as he let his fingers trace over it "Can you run the specs to me? I'll see which fighter I'll assign to have it mounted on." he said to the Gorn with a nod before he turned his attention to Ji.

"Glad to see you back on your feet. You had me worried there for a moment." he smiled with a wink at Ji before he looked back at the Gorn "I'll let you guys know ASAP when I made a decision about the new weapon. I have someone I need to talk to first."

[ Tessa May Lance, callsign:  Goldeneye (http://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Tessa_May_Lance,_callsign_%22Goldeneye%22) | Fighter Assault Bay | Briefing room | Deck 16 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Nolan,  @Multificionado @Havenborn @Triton @Stegro88 @patches @Fife @Firefox013 @The Ostrich @Griff, @Vox

“So, Lillee, it looks we’re sharing an element.  We should schedule some time in the flight simulators so we can learn to act as a team.”

"I agree.  It has been a number of years since I flew as part of a squadron, so the practice would be welcome, as would the company. Assuming, of course, that we are not committed to battle before we have a chance to train. This insane starship goes to battle like a babe to their mother's teat."

Tessa noticed the formal bow.  Apparently Petty Officer t'Jellaieu was raised in the same conservative region on Vulcan that Doctor Maya was.  The chances of Lillee bonding with Tessa over a simulation of the children’s holo series ‘Pretty Pretty Pegasus’ seemed painfully low.  But perhaps there was another way they could cut through the culture barrier and think as a unit. 

“Yeah, it sure does seem like everybody out there is trying to kill us,” Tessa agreed.  “Scuttlebutt has it that we’ve picked up some survivors from the Dauntless and the Bellerophon.  We might as well just put them in cryosleep right now.  There’s no way they’re going to join us if we blew up their starships!”

She coughed politely as she collected her thoughts.  “Say, I’m going to go over to the food replicator and get myself a strawberry daiquiri.  Do you want anything?” 

When push to came to shove alcohol was a good way to lower the barriers.  Of course, Sh’muk, the Vulcan helmsman Tessa had served with aboard the James Kirk had claimed that his people “had been spared from having to suffer the burden of alcohol.”  Did that mean that there was no booze where Lillee had grown up?  But she wasn’t a hundred percent Vulcan was she?  (If she was even part Vulcan at all.)  Besides, Tessa had heard that the Romulans were the master brewers of the galaxy up there with the Tellarites and the Saurians when it came beer so any species related to the Vulcans must be able to appreciate a good drink now and then (unless Lillee was very religious).

[ Sera vers Aldnoah (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Sera_vers_Aldnoah) | Upper Shuttle Bay | Deck 11 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] 
[Show/Hide]The touch on her shoulder, and those strange Klingon sounds she used for her, it was something she'd have to linger on later. The embrace she'd gotten from the El-Aurian had got ideas into her head, but time was simply too short. There weren't even time to tell her how glad she was to hear she hadn't changed her mind, and really wanted to escape together with her. Into the unknown tomorrow.

"Burn you I could kiss you right now," she just murmured and started to power up the Sabine's systems as deftly as she could, her hand darting over the updated LCARS displays. She much preferred the old computer system, that she'd had before Starbase 84 happened, but the interface was similar enough. "Okay, we have thrusters online, and I am activating the antigrav units underneath the ship."

Said and done, the Sabine lifted off the shuttle bay's deck... but they were not the only ones moving. They could see the Coreless Moon moving outside there as well, and it seemed the Theuergy was turning - no longer in it's position. She could hear voices from outside the cockpit, coming from the deck crew out there. They were waving for them to land. Quite frantically, to add.

"Blast it!" she said, yellow eyes darting over the sensors. "The Theurgy is powering up as well. They are about to go to warp. I just might..."

With a hard press with her finger on the controls, she activated the twin thrusters on top of the Sabine, and it lurched forward. It resulted in more shouts from outside, and Sera activated the external PA speaker on her ship. "Drop the SI field out there, now! Or I'll...!"

She got no further, since the Coreless Moon elongated before their eyes, stretching out along with the stars inside the nebula. "No!" she called out, no longer on the speaker, but the ire plainly there in her tone. "Scorch me bloody and haul my blasted ashes!"

The Theurgy was at warp. The Structural Integrity field remained in their way, and Sera had to abort the Sabine's momentum towards the bay doors. Eyes ablaze, she pulled back, and without any other option, she ground her teeth together and keyed in the landing sequence. She had been prepared to threaten the Starfleeters to use her phasers, just to get out of the bay, but it had already been too late. With an air of defeat in the cockpit, she reached for the controls and powered down the Sabine.

There were no words to describe the abysmal feeling of hopelessness for Sera, who knew that the next time the ship dropped out of warp, they were likely going to be in the middle of a battle. With the blasted Borg, no less.

The shuttle bay doors closed before them, shutting out the blue light of the nebula, leaving the interior of the Sabine darker. Sera took a deep breath and looked towards Zy. She just didn't know what to say.

"It was a great plan," she said quietly. "You and me, riding into the unknown. I'm sorry, Zy."

[Zyrao Natauna | Flight to Freedom | Shoot for the Moon | Land Among Stars | Two Badass Babes, More Than One Ship Can Handle]
@Auctor Lucan

The woman was nothing, if not effective.  She quickly began to work her hands over the buttons and knobs, and the display that was something similar to what Zyrao had noticed the Fleet used on all it's consoles.  She supposed there was likely even a way to change the language to something that she could read and understand but this was for Sera and it was Sera's ship.  That would be foolish and there was no need to.  The woman to her left knew full well what to do and she would get them off this damn ship where they would be free to go finally.  When Sera mentioned that she could kiss Zyrao the El-Aurian grinned darkly as she looked over at the beautiful woman at her side.

“Plenty of time for that, qul tlq.” she grinned.  “Freedom awaits.”

She could feel that gut sinking feeling as the gravity that held them to the floor of the bay disconnected and the Sabine was free floating.  There were people running for them.  “Don't let them stop us, Sera, they will keep us prisoner.” she whispered softly, and the last thing she wanted right now was to be a slave to the Federation.  After what she had seen here she was not thrilled and regretted every choice she had made including the one where she had contacted Ives.  She should have let the fucking ship explode for all the thanks she got having worked her ass off to save so many.

Zyrao heard the words that she could not believe.  That the Theurgy was already prepping for warp.  Her eyes shifted over to Sera, and gave her a nod.  “We have to do it.  It's worth every ounce of threat.”  she confessed to the younger woman who seemed to feel all the same.  Neither of them said much of anything as Sera looked at the Moon which was moving away from them, and neither of them wanted to stay.  The impulse engines fired and they rushed towards the beautiful freedom that was in front of them.  The bay doors were open but they needed the shield to come down.

Sera slammed down on the communications button about to threaten every fucker on this deck to open that shit so they could pass or else.  But, then, … everything went to shit.  Zyrao's heart sunk in her chest heavily as she watched the moon elongate right before they entered warp.  She sat back with a hard sharp sigh into the seat behind her as Sera quickly set the ship back down on the deck and everything was quiet for a long moment.  Zyrao didn't know what she wanted to do.  Scream, beat something in until it was no longer the shape it had been, her own form of Mutiny, or just fucking give up.  For a moment Zyrao's head hung her neck stretched out that the tattoo on the back of it could be seen in its full for a long moment.

The Borg.

The fucking Borg.

She could have lived the rest of her interminably long life and never run into them and she would have been just fine.  She had barely survived them the first time.  She had survived the Kzin, she had survived the Cardassians, the Breen, and the mother fucking Klingon.  But, this.. this might be more than she could bear.  The Borg that had come in and taken all that was for her.  All that meant something to her.  The one man she had first loved, the family she had loved, the people she had fought beside.  They had destroyed her entire race.  She swallowed heavily.  Hoping that if she came face to face with one of them it was not a face she would remember.

Taking a shuddering breath, she heard Sera speaking.  About how the opportunity was gone.  The plan was good.  And an apology after.  For a long moment the El-Aurian sat there, slumped as she tried to find that inner piece of anger that had always spurred her along.  The fact that she was a survivor and refused to die.  She refused to go down without a really good fucking fight though if the borg were coming there would be no fight. 

It would be a reaping.

Swallowing, her throat worked for a moment, as she tossed her head back against the head rest on the seat and grey eyes looked up at the ceiling of the Sabine.  Still hanging with exposed wires.  Pulling one foot up in the seat, the tread of her boot biting into the leather of the seat, and then her arm resting on the now bent knee. 

“We don't stand a chance.” she whispered softly.  She knew Sera felt bad, but it wasn't Sera's fault. It was Zyrao's luck.  She had never had any.  That or she had used it all up when she escaped the Borg the first time.  Swallowing again, she didn't look at the young woman beside her as she spoke.  Her voice heavy with emotion. 

“They wiped out my race, qul tlq.  A handful of … escaped.  I have survived so much, been through so much.  I was to protect my people, my planet, my race.  I fought.  I fought so hard but we were no match for the Borg.  I had trained my whole life up til that point to defend those around me.  I failed.  I failed and they died.” she said with a heavy voice.  “I can't protect these assholes any more than I could have my own people.”

The tattoos on her arms stood out as she clenched her hand into a fist and rested her forehead on it now.  The tattoos were in all manner of languages.  Some in her native el-Aurian, most in Kzin, some in Breen, and several in Cardassian.  There were pictures as well, there was a lot of ink on her skin.  Her grey eyes were pensive and hard as she stared forward into nothingness.

Problem was, she wanted to protect.  At least, she wanted to protect the beauty that was next to her.  What if she couldn't protect Sera, she seemed like a beautiful warrior but she was soft and untested against the Borg.  A true and heavy weight settled on the soldier's shoulders.

[Lieutenant JG Evelyn Rawley, callsign "Ghost" | Fighter Assault Bay | Deck 16 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Nolan @Doc M. @Masorin @BZ @Firefox013 @Stegro88 @Fife @Vox @Havenborn @Griff @The Ostrich @patches
[Show/Hide]

As Rawley studied the Gorn’s new toy, something began to occur to her: How much power did this bloody thing consume?

If something like this packs a whallop, then odds were, it needed a better power source than a Valkyrie or a Valvarn. Than any class of fighter, to be exact. She was no engineer, but she could tell that toy would need a small ship at least for it to actually work. 

“On second thought, never mind about my request,” she said to Sithick. “If that thing packs a bloody whallop, it could short out one of our fighters easy. And it could be the worst thing that could happen in a battle. You best find yourself another sucker to attach your toy to.”

Stoogie in her mouth, she then returned to watching Phuc and Suvok working on her fighter.

It seemed to her, as she thought about it, that life on the Theurgy was full of surprises. That toy was the latest in a long list of surprises that she had witnessed over the past months…was it a year that had passed since they all had gone on the run? She lost track of time, nor did she ever give days a thought.

On the run or not, she figured a normal life wouldn’t be bloody likely, not as a fighter pilot, not as a Lone Wolf. Not that it mattered; if she wanted a boring life, she wouldn’t have joined the Academy in the first place. And a normal life was boring, if not monotonous, in this day and age, if you didn’t stretch your wings and experience the thrill of interstellar travel.

[PO3 Lillee t’Jellaieu (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Lillee_t%27Jellaieu) | Briefing Room | Fighter Assault Bay | USS Theurgy] Attn: @Doc M.

[Show/Hide]
"Oh, Elements yes, a strawberry daiquiri sounds fantastic right now!" Lillee said with an eager grin as she stood up to walk with her new wingmate, intensely grateful for the woman's open friendliness (and especially the offer of a drink). "It may be syntheholic, but right now, I don't care. Any drink would be wonderful today. With Starfleet, the Klingons, the Borg and who knows what else out there, I haven't been sleeping properly all week."

Taking the initiative, she walked ahead of Tessa to the back of the briefing room, where a small replicator was inset into the bulkhead. "I do adore that about you Terrans. My people may be famous for our ale and meat, but Terran food and drink is just so varied. I keep meaning to give my children proper Rihannsu food, but we all love spicy Bangledeshi and Indian food so much that I can rarely bring myself to it." The off-the-cuff mention of her children stopped Lillee short, her smile briefly vanishing before returning anew as she looked at the replicator. "Two strawberry daiquiris, syntheholic."

After the two glasses fizzled into existence, Lillee took one out and handed it to her new wingmate, still smiling, although her smile was now softer, more sedate. "You fly a Mark III as well, yes?"

[ Tessa May Lance, callsign:  Goldeneye (http://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Tessa_May_Lance,_callsign_%22Goldeneye%22) | Fighter Assault Bay | Briefing room | Deck 16 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Griff

Tessa noticed Lillee’s smile faltered when she mentioned her children and winced.  Family was a sensitive subject for everyone aboard.  There was no way for the officers and crew of the Theurgy to contact their families without putting their loved ones and/or their shipmates in danger.  Heck for all Tessa knew, every one of her close relatives had met with a fatal accident.  There was always the chance that the big scary conspiracy of parasitic aliens from beyond space would keep their families alive, unhurt, and unaware until someone tried to contact them so they could use them against the Theurgy, so everyone aboard kept their distance.

"You fly a Mark III as well, yes?" Lillee asked as she held out one of the strawberry daiquiris for Tessa to take. 

Tessa started as if woken up from a deep sleep.  “What?  Oh yes, yes,” she stammered as she took the offered beverage.  “The Mark III Valkyrie has better armor and shielding than the Mark II and the Type B Bio-Neural Geldisk FTL Computer Core fulfills all of the functions…” she recited before stopping and blushing, “that you already know about since you’re flying a Mark III Valkyrie too, and I know that because I looked at the new squadron organization chart,” she stammered. 

Despite the incredible difference in rank between the two women Tessa didn’t think she was going to be pulling rank on Petty Officer t'Jellaieu any time soon.  She wasn’t really presenting herself as an expert or a voice of authority.  Maybe Tessa would take charge when they both flew their birds into the black, but she doubted it.

“Well here’s to that ‘death or glory’ spirit, partner!” she toasted in order to cover her gaff before taking a swallow of her daiquiri.

[ Sera vers Aldnoah (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Sera_vers_Aldnoah) | Upper Shuttle Bay | Deck 11 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] 
[Show/Hide]Listening to Zy, it was clear that she'd had a nasty run-in with the tech-zombies before. Real nasty. Like, blasted from her home world nasty. Sera had no means to empathise with what that might have been like. Feeling inadequate after such a thorough defeat, and that all training and preparations had been for naught, it might be easy to relate to in small terms, but not when loosing the planet and identity of her people. To have one's shortcomings be the direct cause?

Only though it was't. Even Sera knew this, and she could sense that the El-Aurian was being far too hard on herself. As crestfallen as she felt herself, Sera's way to cope with loss and defeat might be unorthodox... but quite effective. So she gave the El-Aurian a sidelong glance, and grinned quietly.

"Burn me, right now, you're thinking it's all up to you," she said ruefully and rose to her feet. She decided that she was going to try and cheer up this Listener, and perhaps herself in the process. So she leaned down to her where she sat, and draped an arm around the back of Zy's chair, so that she had her face right next to the woman. "You're taking a whole lot more responsibility than you should upon your pretty self. Not like you started the storm, right? You didn't set the fire that burned your people. You told them how to raise shelters and survive, how to quench the flames. Who are you, to say it's your fine ass on the line when they didn't listen, or the storm was simply too strong? Surely it is the storm that bear the blame, yes?"

The scent of the woman was quite intoxicating, when so close, but she didn't make a move. She only bit her lower lip a little, and added. "You know what? You still brought the loot, didn't you?" she said, in a bit of a conspirator's voice, "What do you say about celebrating being alive, as if we were some pre-warp queens of old? Surely we have earned it?"

Having said this, Sera stood up again, and gave the closed bay doors a final look, sighing. Though regretting losses wasn't the way to live. She always tried to look at the moment, and future prospects. There was no way they could escape aboard the Sabine before the Theurgy entered the battle with the Borg. That meant they had so much time to enjoy themselves.

And who knew, perhaps they might escape yet?

"So," she said, the smile returning, and put a tattooed hand on Zy's shoulder, giving it an encouraging squeeze. "Care to show me what you found?"

[Zyrao Natauna | Good Distractions | No Time to Mourn the Lost | Moving On | Those to Protect]
@Auctor Lucan

Zyrao did not know what to say.  Right now the world fell heavily against her shoulders and she wished that she had the ability to push it all to the side.  She wished that they had made it off the ship and they could dodge the debris field surrounding the coreless moon.  However, they weren't.  They were stuck and it was something that not only pissed her off but scared her. Little scared the El-Aurian warrior.  She had been through far too much to allow much of anything in the world to get her down.  Yet, she found herself feeling the weight of the Borg invasion as though they were specifically coming for her.  Coming for the one that had gotten away.  She swallowed heavily noticing only in the back of her mind that Sera had put her body into motion. 

She took an inhaled breath, slightly sharp, as arms came around her from behind.  Sera's cheek softly pressed against her own.  The young woman was soft but hard in a good way.  Her body was sheer perfection and she knew exactly what to do with it.  But inside, she was soft, gentle, and Zyrao hoped that she would forever remain as such.  Though, Zyrao could not remember a time that she had ever been so warm and open though she assumed there had to have been a time.

Sera was right.  In all her words, she was right.  Zyrao felt as though, while she didn't know or particularly like the ship, she felt that it was in her very being to save them.  To fight the Borg, take them down, and save as many of them as possible.  Most of them had no idea of the threat that was coming, the heaviness that was settling on this ship.  The fact that the silhouette of doom was coming down upon them at a stout warp.  Sera wasn't wrong though, she hadn't brought the Borg on her home planet, she had fought against the storm and failed but she had not brought them there.  Kind and wise words from a woman that had only known her a few days.

“Are you certain you do not have stone at your center, qul tlq?” she asked curiously as Sera stood up and mentioned something about the rations and supplies that Zyrao had stolen here and there from around the ship. 

She looked over her shoulder at the woman that stood there half way to the bag that Zyrao had brought to the ship and herself.  Finally, the woman squeezed her shoulder and told her that she deserved to have some of fun.  She sighed gently, and brushed her short hair out of her face and she rose smoothly.  Her lips quirked slightly and gave a nod.

“Lets have a fucking party, then.” 

She snapped up the bag from the deck plating and pulled it over.  She didn't bother to open the ramp or anything this was a private party.  She began to pull booze, snacks, food, rations, clothes, and some desserts out of the bag stacking it all around him.  “Keep in mind this was to last us a week or so with rationing but .. I'm going to eat it all.  We may not be alive tomorrow!” she said with a smirk at the young woman beside her.

[PO3 Lillee t’Jellaieu (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Lillee_t%27Jellaieu) | Briefing Room | Fighter Assault Bay | USS Theurgy] Attn: @Doc M.

[Show/Hide]
Tessa's nervous amicability couldn't help but make Lillee smile, even if that nervousness was mirrored in Lillee herself. It was truly surreal to be part of a combat squadron again, to have an actual wingmate, to have her very own fighter once more. The human girl babbled about their craft's advanced technology, and it was so adorably endearing that Lillee chuckled, realised that she was developing a liking towards the human woman instantly.

"To death and glory," she repeated with a grin, taking a swallow of her own drink and relishing the sweet taste, sharpened by the tinge (though illusory) of alcohol. "But more of the latter than the former. What's the use of glory if you're too dead to enjoy it?"

A moment of awkward silence passed, Lillee not knowing what else to say to her new wingmate. What in the Fires did one say to their new wingmate, only hours before they might be thrown against the Borg? They were strangers, yet they also had to trust each other completely, to place their lives in each other's hands without question or hesitation. All in the space of what, a morning? How?

"You were part of the original squadron, correct?" Lillee finally said conversationally, flicking a lock of blonde hair behind her pointed ear, still smiling softly. "I remember your name and callsign from when I came onboard. You have survived all this time, all these battles, all this insanity?"

[ Tessa May Lance, callsign:  Goldeneye (http://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Tessa_May_Lance,_callsign_%22Goldeneye%22) | Fighter Assault Bay | Briefing room | Deck 16 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Griff

“Oh yes, that’s right, I’m one of the originals,” Tessa nodded,  “and who told you about the insanity?” she asked guiltily, fearing that Lillee had heard about how the pollen from the planet Niga had transformed everyone into rapists and sex maniacs, how the Ishtar entity had affected their emotions, how T’Rena’s brainwashing had turned almost a third of the Theurgy’s officers and crew into mutineers and how the misguided Devoted of Morali had killed a number of her shipmates and put many in sickbay. 

Quickly changing the subject, Tessa cleared her throat and tugged on a lock of her hair that was at the back of her neck.  “There used to be sixteen of us when we went on the run and now there’s only twelve of us left.  No wait,” she frowned.  “We lost Iron-Fox, Morrigan, Outrider, Game, Hurl, and Hat Trick at Starbase 84,” she corrected herself.  “Gun-Shy doesn’t count.  She was a shuttle pilot and only flew with the squadron once.” She gulped as the color drained from her face.  “I mean out of sixteen there’s only six original Lone Wolves left,” she corrected herself.  “No that’s not right,” she frowned.  “No one’s seen Honey Badger since that she, Salvo, and I escorted the Sabine to the Ithacae System.  Okay, that leaves five, five original plank owners of the Lone Wolves left.  No wait, Hardtop and Icarus disappeared during our encounter with the Savi.  We think they were abducted.  So that just leaves… three?” she finished helplessly. 

Her face flushed as she struggled to hold back the tears.  “That’s it?  Out of sixteen, only three original members of the Lone Wolves are left?  Th-that’s all?  Only three of us?”

[ LT Daniel Havenborn, Callsign: Salvo | Deck 16, Fighter Assault Bay | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Nolan, @Multificionado, @Doc M., @Stegro88, @patches, @Fife, @Auctor Lucan, @Griff, @Kinvarus

As Daniel was leaving the briefing room he was stopped by one of his new wingmates.  “Lieutenant Garcia; indeed it does.”  He said responding to her, he wasn't fond of her using his callsign outside of a sortie but she was new so he'd let it go for now.  “Yes, my Gryphon did receive an upgrade.  The engines and computer systems were upgraded, so it’s more on par with the Mark-IIIs than a standard Gryphon is.” Daniel replied as he nodded to Knight as he passed by.  So far he hadn’t had any issue with the upgrades and it had performed well in battle against the Klingons, he hoped that it would fare just as well against the Borg whenever that battle happened.

“You were one of the influx from the White Wolves that defected weren’t you?”  Daniel said.  Of course he already knew the answer but the pilot seemed to want to speak to him so he figured this was a good way for them to bond as they were now wingmates.  Daniel wasn’t that much for socializing unless it was someone he wanted to socialize with but he also understood unit cohesion; ‘A squadron that played well together, worked well together.’  He remembered one of his TacCONN instructors would always say that to him, although he never really understood what the instructor had meant until after he had been promoted to SCO of the Resolve’s Fighter Squadron.

[Lt.JG Alessia Garcia – Callsign: “Angel” (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Alessia_Garcia,_callsign_%22Angel%22) | Deck 16, Fighter Assault Bay | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Havenborn  @Nolan , @Doc M. @Stegro88 @patches @Fife @Auctor Lucan @Griff @Vox

Alessia listened to Havenborn and nodded with approval as he described the upgrades his Gryphon had received. "Those are some good upgrades, and they'll help you keep up with the Mark-IIIs which will always be handy in a fight, although I've got to admit I'm a little curious to see how much better one of those handles in comparison to the standard Gryphon, pilots curiousity." she replied with a grin.

Although what he said about her was started as a question, Alessia knew he already knew that she was but there wasn't many other ways to start a conversation so she opted to answer in kind. "Yes sir I did, along with several others of the pack immediately after the battle at Starbase 84." She answered "After hearing about the parasites I couldn't just ignore that and not do anything about it, although I will admit I hate having to fight against our own. especially when they don't even know what's happening." she added and it was true. Having to fire on fellow Starfleet ships and officers wasn't something she wanted to do, especially when a lot of them had no idea about the invasion and were simply doing their jobs, but they swore to defend the Federation and that's what everybody on this ship was doing, even though nobody else in the galaxy knew it yet.

[ LT Daniel Havenborn, Callsign: Salvo | Deck 16, Fighter Assault Bay | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Nolan, @Multificionado, @Doc M., @Stegro88, @patches, @Fife, @Auctor Lucan, @Griff, @Kinvarus

 Daniel nodded as she made her comments.  “The upgrades have long been needed, especially since most of the parts had been cannibalized from other Gryphons and were in need of replacing.”  Daniel said, the Resolve’s trip home hadn’t been kind to his beloved fighter.  “I’ve seen the Mark-IIIs in action and honestly I am still biased towards the Gryphon, it’s a far superior craft in my opinion.”  He said, and as much as he hated the design of the Valravn, he would admit that it probably would serve as a better replacement for the Gryphon than the Mark-III.  As far as Daniel was concerned whoever thought that removing the RIO for a computer was an idiot.

Daniel nodded as she spoke although at the mention of the parasites he let out a soft sigh.  He still had a hard time believing that people actually thought that propaganda was genuine, it reminded him of the stories that he had heard as boy about ancient Earthlings who had believed that the Earth was flat.  He decided that he would keep his opinion to himself however as he didn’t really wish to start an argument.  “Just keep in mind that they will still consider you an enemy all the same.”  Daniel said.  He also didn’t want to fight their comrades but Starfleet saw them as traitors and so he had decided that he’d do whatever he could to protect his new home.

[Lt.JG Alessia Garcia – Callsign: “Angel” (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Alessia_Garcia,_callsign_%22Angel%22) | Deck 16, Fighter Assault Bay | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Havenborn  @Nolan , @Doc M. @Stegro88 @patches @Fife @Auctor Lucan @Griff @Vox

Alessia found herself nodding in understanding at Daniel's comments "Well I can't argue with that, besides each to their own as they say, besides the Gryphon's are still great fighter's in their own right, as long as they can still do the job I don't see the need to replace them, that's just a waste of a good asset." She replied and smiled "Plus there's always something to be said for pilot preference of course. I've seen many great pilots who just couldn't adjust to something newer for one reason or another, yet put them back in what they knew and they could fly rings around the newer ships."

Moving on to talking about their fellow Starfleet officers not in the loop she again nodded at his comment. He was right of course but still. "I know, you're right and don't get me wrong in a fight if comes down to them or me it's always going to be them but still they're just doing their job and if the knew maybe they'd be on our side." She said and sighed "It's just hard not to think about the fact that that's a potential ally lost if it ends up in a fight to the death you know? I just...I can't believe how many of them buy into this propaganda, or see what Starfleet and the Federation are doing and not questioning it, surely we can't be the only ones? I mean you look at all the species in the Federation they can't all be that naive and gullible can they?"

With another sigh she shook her head. "I know it won't happen but it would be nice if we all woke up tomorrow and the galaxy had seen sense, but it's nice to think about that hopefully one day they will, or am I being too optimistic?"

[ LT Daniel Havenborn, Callsign: Salvo | Deck 16, Fighter Assault Bay | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Nolan, @Doc M., @Stegro88, @Fife, @Auctor Lucan, @Griff, @Kinvarus

“Indeed.  Once we get some sort of downtime or free time, I intend to get rated on the Mark-III, even if I never fly one it’s always good to keep up with the latest hardware.”  Daniel said, as much as he didn’t like the Mark-III he’d at least get rated on it should he ever have to fly one, which he hoped would never happen as he enjoyed flying his Gryphon far more than any craft he’d ever flown before.  He knew that pilots could be a talkative bunch and with the right subject he could be pretty talkative himself but right now all he wanted to do was get some rest before the upcoming battle.

“In my experience an individual being is smart, but beings as a collective whole are not.  Those people that aren’t naïve or gullible are likely a minority and their voices are drowned out by the majority.”  Daniel stated.  He nodded along as she asked another question.  “Yes it would be nice and yes you are too optimistic.”  Daniel said, he was a realist and understood that very little would ever make sense, sure it’d be nice if what she said happened but he knew it wouldn’t, there would always be conflict.  What form the conflict would take would change over time but there would always be conflict and he understood that and was trained to deal with a form of it.

“If there is nothing else Lieutenant Garcia I would like to get some rest before the next sortie.”  Daniel said.

- FIN