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CHAPTER 01: Bloody, but Unbowed [1930 hrs.]

CHAPTER 01: Bloody, but Unbowed


[ Theta Eridani IV | Acamar System | Beta Quadrant | 1930 hrs. ]

Captain's Log, Stardate 57505.17. Almost twenty-four hours have passed since the Calamity starship retreated, and we have successfully reached the fourth planet of the Acamar System. We have landed in a valley surrounded by mountains, powered down our ships to the point where we ought to be virtually invisible - hoping that the false Warp trail will lead our new enemy astray. Together with the crew of the USS Harbinger, who share our plight and fought by our side, we have begun repairs and initial discussions about exchange of crew. So many have died or been put in stasis units - like coffins with dead that are to be resurrected on a brighter day. For after all that has happened, this past day was perhaps the darkest of them all... despite the fact that we are no longer alone.
- Captain Jien Ives, Commanding Officer of the USS Theurgy

The smoke clung low to the ground, hovering in a scarlet tenuous mist. The rhythmic clangs and squeals of machinery and cranes echoed throughout the smoggy valley as the light fumes swirled about, churning with the firelight in a nebula of red and yellow. The lights on the cranes far above moved lazily while the repairs to the hulls were made. Amidst the cluttering clashes and whirs of toil -  the machines labouring in their interminable duties and the plethora of clangs and clashes continuing monochrome song - two crews intermingled and spoke. Working together to create their temporary settlement.

Acamar was a binary star system and thus had two stars at its centre, yet Theta Eridani IV lay too far out to be graced with warm nights. One of the suns had yet to set, but already the chill turned everyone's breath into mist. Bonfires were set up to keep everyone warm and rid the need of coats. Several paths were set across the valley, made with crude torches. Many carried torches of their own to light their way and to keep warm. It was needed because both the Theurgy and the Harbinger were in Grey Mode. Power was cut since the tactical situation required a discretionary removal of energy usage. Only the machines that made the repairs and their long range sensors were allowed full operational status.

It had been an undiscriminating choice from both Captains. The Warp Cores were shut down cold. Weapons systems, phasers and photon torpedo launchers, all brought off-line. Life support systems were brought to minimum levels since the M-Class planet had plenty of oxygen that could be filtered inside, yet the air was left as cold as the outside. Transporter and turbolift usage was terminated and suspended. Food replicators were powered down, and emergency rations distributed. To care for the wounded, both ships had raised all the triage centre canvas they could find into a joyless circus area - medics working hard without rest to preserve as many lives they could from being lost.

Captain Ives, in her female form, walked through the firelight - seeing a mix of subdued faces and people relived to have found others that had been falsely accused of treason. To meet another crew served to verify that the truth about their dire task was neither misinformation not misplaced belief. In that, there was gladness, despite the fact that they had lost so many.

Jien reached the middle ground, the equidistant point right between the two starships. Both crews had been summoned there, so the noises of the repairs had gradually fallen silent. By the time Jien reached the open area - finding Captain Vasser waiting there - the entire valley had fallen silent. She inclined her head to the human, their brief meetings having led to the understanding that they both needed to facilitate their alliance by a public address. They had only delayed the initiative so that the Tactical Conn pilots who created the Warp trail could return. For let there be no doubt that they stood together in their fight for the truth.

Her steps drew to a halt, and she turned to face the same direction as Vasser did - her unblinking gaze staring out across the crowd. The silence lingered before Jien raised her clear voice, making it carry across the quiescence of the valley.

"To all those who do not know me, I am Captain Jien Ives of the USS Theurgy, and beside me stands the Commanding Officer of the Harbinger, Captain Declan Vasser," she said and gestured with her gloved hand towards the man. She paused again, not quite sure how to proceed. She shook her head, taking a deep breath. "It would be trite and not wholly accurate to say that no words would be able to describe how we all feel this day. There is so much to consider. So much to remember. So many faces that we wished were here today, when we have found allies in an otherwise hostile galaxy."

She folded her arms underneath her chest and paced slowly out towards the crowd before her, head lowered. "For almost three months, we have fought to preserve something so intangible, vague, as a mere idea - however firmly we have verified it and believed in it. It has been a profound and unforgettable understanding that we face an enemy no one else have come to see, but time has worn on, and the trials make you forget. Until yesterday... when we learned that others have seen what we have. Some of you may have been in doubt, unsure as to what we learned should verily be taken as fact. Besides the victory from yesterday, that we managed to defend ourselves and drive off the unmanned starship that was sent by the enemy to destroy us both, we have won an even more important battle - the battle against our doubts. We stand here - tonight - united in understanding, shedding those doubts... even though it cost too many lives. Precious friends and faces that we will always remember."

Bathed in firelight, Jien took out a piece of paper from her pocket, forehead furrowed at the memory of seeing half her Senior Staff shot down in front of her. Nevertheless, she raised her chin again, voice still ringing true. "Before we join together in a minute of silence, I would like to read an old poem that I have always placed value in since my Academy days. I hope you will take heart in these words, like I will, and not be alarmed about how eerily they have predicted this time in our lives."

The paper in her hand danced in a slow breeze, yet she needed not truly read the words. She knew them by heart.

"Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul."

The second sun set behind rim of the valley, and it made the fires burn all the brighter.

"In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed."

For that was what they were, bloodied as hell, yet not about to yield.

"Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid."

Her voice rang firmer as each word fell, instilling fortitude and hope into the two listening crews.

"It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul."

The last word echoed across the valley, and as it did, Jien folded her hands behind her back and raised her chin - the ensuing silence filled with the shared memories of those they had lost. Thus they stood, in united quietude... before Captain Vasser spoke up - the spell lifting from the crowd. His would be a more joyful message, healing those wounds and helping to unite the crews in their common cause.

OOC: In wait for the continued speech, feel free to set the scene for your characters. Some might be in the triage tents, yet the words should still be able to reach them where they lay on their biobeds. Up to you if you wish to wait for Kurohigi to post with Captain Vasser or not. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to PM me. I will also send out a Group Report in a couple of days with more information. All my characters (or NPCs) besides Captain Ives are available for you all, should anyone wish to approach them during the speech. Thea, however, is deactivated at this time, because of the Grey Mode, and she would not (yet) be able to leave the ship anyway. Placeholder threads for the nights activities will be forthcoming too.

Re: EPISODE 03: Unconquerable Soul [Chapter 01: Bloody, but Unbowed]

Reply #1 –
[Declan Vasser - Theta Eridani IV ]

Declan had been silent, hands behind his back, while Jien spoke to the assembled crews of both their vessels.  His back was straight, his eyes forward, every bit the captain he was supposed to be.  He and Jien had agreed to jointly deliver speeches to the men and women under their command, with Ives taking on the role of speaking first, talking about the mission, the losses, and the importance of their success.  Some of it was a bitter pill to swallow, but it had to be said, to remind them all of where they had come from, and where they were going.  Like the others, he joined in the moment of silence following the poem that Jien read out.  The Captain of the Theurgy was a cultured individual, providing inspiring words in a dark, desperate time.  Vasser's wish wasn't to match that intensity, but to provide some calm, some peace to the crews, something to ease their worries and their tired bodies.

"There is no arguing that Harbinger and Theurgy have seen losses and hardship over the past while.  We've lost many people, some of them good friends, colleagues that we will have a hard time moving on without.  What matters most is to remember that they joined us in this mission, and we owe it to them to see it through, to prove that it wasn't in vain.  Standing before me, I see crewmen who have worked double shifts, long hard hours to make up for the thinning number of officers on-board.  You've been battered, but you do not bruise.  You fall, but you do not lie down.  Over and over, you have gotten back up, summoning the strength to continue this fight because you believe in something.  You believe in the United Federation of Planets, and you will not rest until you know it's way of life has been safeguarded.  That alone makes you all heroes in my eyes."

He let that much sink in, to let the men and women absorb the words and to feel some measure of pride for all they had accomplished so far.  "Harbinger, we will do our best to support the Theurgy.  She's a good ship, strong and more capable then our own.  The members of my crew will place priority on maximizing the Theurgy's repairs.  Our cargo and our equipment will serve her needs.  When she is fit for duty, only then will we worry about Harbinger.  We're fighting the future, and Theurgy is the most cutting edge tech that we have.  Harbinger is her support, though, and wherever we can, we will try to adapt her to serve that role.  This planet, though, also carries the potential to provide you all with something you more then deserve.  Work shifts will be arranged by your department heads, but in the off time, we will make camp here.  There's a Thermal Spring to soothe our aching muscles, and new faces for us all to become familiar with.  When you are off duty, consider yourself on shore leave."

There was but one other duty to attend to as part of Declan's speech, the final close to the matter.  "In respect for all those who have lost their lives, and for those who have been injured in the line of duty and placed in stasis, we have one more tribute to provide."  Declan looked to the one in charge of that final tribute, giving his all clear to begin.  It was a fitting way of showing their respect to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom of the Federation.

Re: EPISODE 03: Unconquerable Soul [Chapter 01: Bloody, but Unbowed]

Reply #2 –
[Rory Callahan - Theta Eridani IV]

Captain Vasser had actually come to Rory after they'd set down, after meetings with the other captain and pertinent people.  He had actually been surprised to see him and while it was mostly business, by the time Vasser left Rory felt a little better about things.  He'd worked hard getting something set up for both crews, something he would be running as he had on board.  But the biggest task truly was the memorial that Vasser asked him to perform.

He'd thought long and hard and remembered part of one of his shows.  It would be a tribute to those lost and something to help the survivors move on to the next step of their lives.  Yet the little he'd learned had left him quite melancholy yet he found the song profoundly fitting.  It was like a civil war of sorts, pitting family against family and to him all of it was foolish and only perpetuated the pain and suffering that should never have begun.

When Vasser gestured to him, Rory walked forward to stand before the two captains and bowed respectfully before turning to face all those assembled.  "I know I'm not an officer or even any part of Starfleet," he said in his Irish brogue, "but I spent some time with a few of those we've lost.  They have my absolute respect and gratitude for everything they did and even those I didn't know, I feel a loss of friends I never had the chance to make.  May they be at peace and know that they will never be forgotten."

He set down a small box and pressed a button, soothing yet somewhat eerie music beginning to play and as he lifted his voice ... holographic images of both Harbinger and Theurgy crew members lost blinked slowly along in a slide show to memorialize them.  His voice was more subdued than normal but it was clear and full of emotion, not for a performance but as a person sharing the loss, anger, and frustration of everyone assembled.

"Brothers In Arms"

These mist covered mountains
Are a home now for me
But my home is the lowlands
And always will be
Some day you'll return to
Your valleys and your farms
And you'll no longer burn
To be brothers in arms

Through these fields of destruction
Baptisms of fire
I've witnessed your sufferin'
As the battles raged higher
And though they did hurt me so bad
In the fear and alarm
You did not desert me
My brothers in arms

There's so many different worlds
So many different suns
And we have just one world
But we live in different ones

Now the sun's gone to hell
And, the moon's riding high
Let me bid you farewell
Every man has to die
But it's written in the star light
And every line on your palm
We're fools to make war
On our brothers in arms

(Originally performed by Dire Straits and then remade by Celtic Thunder, this version sung by Ryan Kelly of the group.)

When the song and portraits finished, Rory paused a moment and reached up to feel wetness on his cheeks.  He hadn't even realized the tears he shed but he wasn't ashamed of them either.  "I know we're all hurting but I've spent some time setting up a little place for everyone to come share a drink, to raise our glasses to all those who've moved on.  Please join me at the Thermal Springs Lounge," he announced and then turned to hand the one box sitting next to his feet to Captain Ives and pulled an identical one from his pocket to hand to Captain Vasser.  "It wasn't much but I hope it suited," he said with quiet humbleness and stepped back to make his way to the bar.



(OOC:  Please forgive the video for being Lord of the Rings but it was the best version of the song I could find.  I hope you enjoy!)

Re: EPISODE 03: Unconquerable Soul [Chapter 01: Bloody, but Unbowed]

Reply #3 –
Accepting the holographic recording from the singer, Jien Ives inclined her head in gratitude and respect towards a man of greater talents than herself - her own shortcomings in her current profession lying heavily on her mind. "Our thanks."

Casting her gaze out towards the masses of people, from crew men to high-ranking officers, the emotions were mixed, yet she could but hope that Vasser's and her words had gone out to them and that they had listened. She hoped that they would take heart in what was accomplished thus far, and still have faith in her and Captain Vasser during the weeks to come, for they would certainly not become easier. For they had yet to re-enter the Alpha Quadrant, where the fleets would lie in wait for them.

What more could be said after all the words spoken? After the commemoration of the lost and during the grief of the surviving? Nothing. Nothing more than she happened to say far too often lately, in the privacy of her own quarters.

"Courage is fear, when it has said its prayers." The breeze stirred the interim silence. "Dismissed."

Some had duties to attend to, others would probably seek to find the new lounge that had been built in the shadow of the Harbinger. On Jien's part, she could never rest. Nor could she keep the faces that had been superimposed against the night sky from resurfacing behind her eyelids when she blinked. Those faces were the very reason she could not rest, but had to carry on. She owed it to them and their surviving families that she would do her utmost to honour their memories.

Turning to Vasser as the crowd slowly dispersed, Jien inclined her head to the man. "Well done, Captain. Do we have anything we need to discuss right now?"

Re: EPISODE 03: Unconquerable Soul [Chapter 01: Bloody, but Unbowed]

Reply #4 –
[Amelya Duv | Triage center]

Before Captain Vasser would start his speech, things were finally reasonably calm at the triage center. Most of the critically wounded crewmembers of Harbinger and Theurgy had been stabilised. Only a few more needed intensive care before they could recover from smaller injuries. The focus of the medical staff was to save as many crewmembers as possible after the devastating blows of the Calamity on both ships. Despite the efforts of Dr. Nicander and Dr. Duv, they couldn't prevent to put some of the injured people into stasis. Among these people were quite a lot of high ranking officers of the Theurgy, which made the frustration to both doctors even worse.

Amelya had a decent if not a good working relation with Dr. Nicander. They had seemingly been on the same level since they assembled their triage center. They both had agreed that there should be no difference between both crews and the staff handling them. This wouldn't be a resort hotel where patients could chose who would treat them, this was after all a medical facility. The center had been organised to treat the lightly wounded on the outskirts of the center. People who would get cuts or lacerations during repairs could just visit the center for a quick patch up. In the second ring, more to the center of the tent was the yellow zone. People who needed bedrest were kept here and nurses would be present at all times to ensure their needs. Finally you had the inner core of the triage center, also known as the red zone. Here lay the most critical patients, Dr. Duv or Dr. Nicander would be present at this location most of the time.

As Captain Jien had started her part of the speech, Amelya was in the red zone standing next to the bed of Rennan Cooper. The man had suffered from multiple fractures spread across his body due to the heavy kinetic forces that worked in on him when he got slammed against the bulkhead. He suffered of fractures to his pelvis, spine and ribcage, his shoulder and left arm and his right leg. That with some internal bleeding made Copper a Red zone patient. With assistance of Dr. Nicander they managed to stop the internal bleeding and resolved most of the fractures. Cooper now only had a mild concussion left and most of his muscle tissue would be a bit stiff from the intense treatment. This would be the first time since the entire attack from the Calamity that Rennan would be waking up from his medically induced coma. Dr. Duv found that he should be conscious to hear what the captains had to tell the crew. Besides, Cooper would be transferred to the yellow zone if his reading would be okay after waking him up.

With a shot in the neck vein, Amelya administered a dose of medication which would awaken the weapon specialist. She held her tricorder ready to scan him as he slowly started to come by. "Welcome back to the living Mister Cooper." She greeted him as he opened his eyes, directly starting her scans "We've landed on a M-class planet and you are currently in the medical station. You've suffered quite some injuries from your duty in the shuttle bay, yet most of them are resolved now. You'll still have some headaches and you might feel  bit stiff. Keep in mind that you still have a mild concussion.. I wouldn't advise you to start running around in the following hours alone." She said with a sweet and soothing tone to him. She wasn't rushed to inform him of all this information, in fact she even took her time to do so as she completed her scans. Her green eyes switched from the tricorder to the specialist "Our Captain is about to make a speech, so lets listen to that first before you can bombard me with any question you might have." she whispered to him and gave him a wink and a warm smile before turning her attention to Captain Vasser.

Re: EPISODE 03: Unconquerable Soul [Chapter 01: Bloody, but Unbowed]

Reply #5 –
As a resounding, melodic, dull sound began to ensconce him, it sounded as if he were inside of a bass drum. With every dull thud, he could feel his head trying to render itself twain. The pain was nothing he was unused to, with all of the mornings he'd woken up with the consequences of the night before. 'You pay for it twice, you know. The alcohol? Once before you drink it, and again then next day.' he remembered one of his friends telling him once. However, he had no recollection of drinking the night before, or of what had happened. He wondered if maybe a bit of Wai Fah had been slipped into his drink. He'd experimented with the drug in his younger days, but never had liked the way it had made him feel. Suddenly, he realized that it wasn't a hard night of partying that had done this to him. This was long after anything like that would have taken place. Oh God, he was in the midst of a battle. The Calamity! How could he have passed out at his station? He had to get to the control panel to launch the shuttle.

As light began to flood his eyes, his senses coming back to him, he saw only white, and varying shades thereof, fading into shapes, brightly illuminated. The first shape that became perfectly clear to him was an angelic face above him. "By God, I've bought the farm, haven't I?" he asked, gazing up, trying to take stock of the situation. As the woman began to speak to him, it all became to make sense. Before he was about to speak, she told him to listen to the captain, shooting him a wink and a smile.

Picking up in the middle of Ives' speech, the first thing Cooper heard made his eyes begin to shimmer, trying to form tears against his will. His body taut as a cable, his head still pounding, he began to mouth the words of Invictus with Captain Ives. After Ives was finished, there wasn't much thatp would be able to impress Cooper. He listened to his own captain, rather dismissively at best. A good speech, he thought, but following Invictus is like following Beethoven or Grieg.o

As Rory began to sing, Cooper smiled, trying to devote some of the words to memory. He had to make a point to ask the man about his song later. As the ceremony came to a close, he looked up to Amelya. "First off," he said with a wry grin "there's been a mistake." He continued, looking her over thoroughly. "I don't know if anybody told you, but I was meant for hell. By the looks of you, whoever was doing the post-mortem collecting made some horrible mistake." his grin retreated into something of a toothy smile. "But I'm a man who's had quite a shock, what with waking up to an angel at my bedside and all. It's all incredibly taxing, you know. Making me feel old enough as it is. So please, call me Rennan."

Re: EPISODE 03: Unconquerable Soul [Chapter 01: Bloody, but Unbowed]

Reply #6 –
[ Theta Eridani IV | Acamar System | Miles Renard]

Miles listened in silent reverence as the captains gave their speeches.  It was a dark time but there was no time to relax for him.  Near half of his squad was down with partially damaged fighters or injured pilots.  He knew he had lost two ships for sure, and was less than confident that the rest of his fighters would be in any form of fighting shape for quite a while.

One of the few pieces of good news was the word that not only had the specialist who had concocted the plan with the shuttle survived his injuries, but he was an old friend from the R&D project that built the Mark 3 Valks as well.

He had already given his requests to the medical department regarding all of his pilots.  Now was not the time to sideline a player for a minor injury.  If the pilot was not in stasis and was capable of doing work, his request was that they be put on a minimum of a half shift of duty. 

As for himself he had used his limited amounts of pull to place himself on an engineering detail repairing the Valkyries and had placed every engineering qualified pilot he could in that detail as well.  His fellow wolves knew their birds best after all.  As for overseeing the engineering team in the fighter bay, he had an idea.  He just hoped the man would be in good enough health to take the job.

[ Theta Eridani IV | Acamar System | Siti Aisha]
The Cardassian woman listened in painful reverence as the Celtic voice sang.  She closed her eyes as she remembered those she knew that had been lost.  It was a hard pill to swallow but medicine that was necessary in these times.  Hearing the words about a lounge and relaxation she couldn't help but feel tempted, not so much by the lounge itself, more by the thermal springs it was located in.  

Re: EPISODE 03: Unconquerable Soul [Chapter 01: Bloody, but Unbowed]

Reply #7 –
[Eve Jenkins - Triage Center]

It had been non-stop since she'd barreled through the shuttle bay doors to this point in time.  So many dead, so many put in stasis in the hopes of being able to correct and revive later ... it was a heavy burden to bear but they had to keep going.  Eve would pause every now and then, wiping sweat from her brow and pushing her hair back with her hand and catch a glimpse of Lucan but still hadn't had a chance to talk to him.  She knew they all looked pretty ragged about now but something about him nagged at her and she wished she could take a moment just to check on him.

At the moment she was standing over Rihen, shaking her head with the irony of her situation.  Holding the hypospray to her neck, she injected the medication that would rouse her from her induced sleep.  With a gentle hand on her shoulder, she looked at the woman as her eyes started to flutter open.  "Rihen, you made it aboard ship and were injured," she said gently.  "You were shot in the back by an intruder but we've operated and things look good."  She could hear Captain Ives reciting a poem and then the other captain gave a short speech.  Now there was the soothing voice of someone singing, something rather poignant.  "Seems like you're following me so I guess my medical care suits," she said softly but with a teasing smile.

[Skye Carver - With Assembled]

It had taken a while to catch back up with the ship and in those hours it had reminded Skye of her time alone trying to track back to the Theurgy.  She'd felt herself shaking and that sensation of being alone closing in on her but all she had to do was look out and see the other ships to remind her she wasn't alone, knew that even though they were all battered and bruised that they were together and were not hallucinations.  Toward the end she'd suffered that too and it was one of the things Andrus had tried to help her prepare for with little mental exercises.

Once they landed, they had all started immediately working on the ships.  It didn't take long though until she couldn't stand the silence and not knowing the condition of Hardtop and Ranger was gnawing at her.  Slipping off to the triage area, she bided her time in the shadows until she could catch Lt. Jenkins alone.  What she found out was enough to make her know she needed to go back to her ship and work on repairs, anything to not remember the faces in the stasis chambers.  Hardtop was likely gone and the way the nurse had said so seemed to hint that she'd known the half-Klingon at least a little.  As she walked back she the scene replayed in her mind ...

Skye nodded and thanked the lovely nurse she'd met on Nimbus III, slowly turning to go back to work.  It was then she saw a profile in another chamber, one with ridges on the brow that were all too familiar.  Stumbling, her hands landed on that machine which barely held her up as she stared into the face of Scosche.  "Oh no ... please tell me he isn't ..."  she heard herself say and felt like all the air had been taken from her lungs.  He looked so peaceful, just like he had every time she'd wake up next to him and simply watched him sleep.  Never again would he open those kind eyes to her and reach up to place his hand on her cheek.  "What happened to him?"

She'd returned to Kestrel, pale and shaking but started to work on her.  It wasn't true, it was her mind playing tricks on her.  Yet Eve's words continued to race through her mind and there was no way she could get that image out of her mind of him laying in basically a casket.  More and more she felt herself drawing inward, shutting off her feelings.  Just when she was starting to get control of herself, they called for assembly and she found a spot off to the side.  She wasn't good company right now, had the sense to stay away, and as her captain recited a poem she tried the mental exercises Andrus taught her.  The other captain spoke a little, his words tuned out as the tone didn't do anything to catch her attention.

It was the music and voice that recaptured her attention, pulling her eyes up to where the tall blonde man stood singing.  She knew of him through the group he sang with and had always enjoyed them and wondered how the hell he had ended up here.  Surely he hadn't been like ... no, she couldn't think of the man who had been locked away and left in such squalid conditions who now lay in a chamber.  Rory's tribute was quite lovely and fitting she thought, knowing the song from old earth music she listened to all the time.  She looked up and her heart skipped a beat as she saw Grayson's face.  She'd only shared a torrid moment with him but he was gone just as Hardtop who's face slipped by next.

A few more of people she didn't know and then ... her heart truly did stop.  There was that shy smile, a light in deep brown eyes.  Skye choked then, trying not to cry and yet the pain filling her chest making it impossible.  Her eyes scanned out ahead, desperately trying to control herself when she saw the last person she needed to in that moment.  Stark white hair and blue antennae ... ThanIda 'Smurfette' zh'Wann.

As Skye's eyes narrowed in disgust and hatred, tears escaped and streamed down her cheeks.  A murderous rage welled within her and she couldn't stand there anymore.  Turning on her heel long before they were dismissed, she stalked back to Kestrel to hide within her sanctuary so no one would see her cry or hear the muffled sobs as she slammed her fists over and over into the cushion of the pilot's seat.  "It's her fault ... all her fucking damn fault," she seethed as she vented her anguish until she fell forward and buried her face in her arms.

Re: EPISODE 03: Unconquerable Soul [Chapter 01: Bloody, but Unbowed]

Reply #8 –
[Amelya Duv | Triage center]

As Rennan's first words came to Amelya's ears she frown a bit and rechecked her scans on the tricorder. She wondered if he was starting to get a delirium syndrome after the impact on his head yet her scans showed no such thing "Bought the farm?" she repeated after him and frowned now, not really familiar with the expression. As they listened to the speeches of both captains, she now and then looked back at Cooper to see if he was still doing okay seeing that he had been in induced sleep for a while. She noticed his tears well up yet she didn't make any remarks or notion to ask him about it until the speech would be over.

As the ceremony ended she listened now as the specialist began to talk. "A mistake?" she repeated after him and then smiled as he brought up the notion of hell. She nodded and carried on listening to what else he had to say. A slight flush of her cheeks were notable when he mentioned the angelic face and her as an angel. She shook her head and placed her tri corder away now as she looked down at him "Mister Co-.. Rennan." She corrected herself with a smile and he looked him in the eye "I can assure you that I'm not an angel. In fact I think I might have seen you in Sickbay a couple of times for scratches and bruises. Though I can't recollect of personally taking care of your injuries." She said softly and smiled "So, now that you're in apparent heaven, how are you feeling? Any pain or complaints that I should take note off?" She moved with her hand over his cheek, placing her index and middle finger in his neck. It was an old if not primitive way to check the pulse of a patient, yet she liked to resort to older methods now and then. They weren't wrong, in fact despite the medical advancement of all their material, getting back to basics was often a good thing. She could feel the pulse of Rennan pounding steadily and it was pretty strong considered his condition.

[Thomas Ravon | Acamar System]

Thomas hadn't flown along with the rest of the wolves as they produced a warp trail to lead their aggressor off track. His bird had taken too much damage from the previous engagement and with no comms it would've been a hell to actually know what the plan was or what he was supposed to do. While on Theta Eridani, Thomas wondered if he'd be called to his SCO after he returned from the warp trailing. He had the feeling he had let down his fellow wolves by getting this much damage and seeing their rather loose state before the engagement, Thomas quite vividly remembered the warning Fox gave them.

He returned to the hangar to go back to repairs yet he couldn't focus. He decided to sneak off to the Triage tent after his shift ended. In fact he left a bit early since he didn't do anything productive anyway. He went looking to some of the people he knew that had been injured. He avoided the stasis complex, not wanting to be remembered of the losses they took. Rawley was in the red zone and one of the nurses stopped him from going in. He was told to return later when one of the doctors was available. He nodded and mumbled something about coming back in an hour or two. He made his way back to the exit as he saw Carver march away. She seemed pretty upset and he tried to see where she came from. He noticed the stasis room and  after going in there, he realised why Skye was so upset. There were a lot of people of the Theurgy in stasis, Scosche the one where he kept looking at. Just before the attack he had tried to get to know him better, he hated it when things like this happened. People he tried to get closer to seemingly just got hurt.

As the assembly was about to take place, he gathered now with the rest of the joined crew to listen to the speech of both captains. To be fair, Thomas was never the sentimental type. He listened to the entire speech and the song, yet it didn't provide him with anything he needed. Perhaps a morale boost at best, yet he figured he might as well get back to fixing his bird rather to stand here and waste his time. It was rather obvious that Thomas hadn't been the same after the engagement with the Calamity. He seemed more angry and upset than before, he didn't even know why himself... Perhaps it had to do with Rawley being back in the triage center after her incredible yet suicidal flight.

With a sigh he looked as the people started to disperse. He noticed Skye to be even more infuriated or upset somehow and he decided to go check on her. He didn't know what to say to her, but he figured that I couldn't be healthy to work on her bird if you were overcome by grief and anger. Going through the hangar bay he stopped at Kestrell and he knocked on the plating "Skye, you here?" He asked, not too loud, but just loud enough to be heard in the bird. "I uh... I noticed you... At the..." He squeezed his eyes together now as he didn't want to sound like a crazed stalker "I saw you head out the med tent.. You looked pretty shaken so I figured I might as well come and see if you're alright." He blurted out in a fast rate and he looked at the bird.

Re: EPISODE 03: Unconquerable Soul [Chapter 01: Bloody, but Unbowed]

Reply #9 –
[ Triage Centre | Yellow Zone ]

Rihen Neyah woke up slowly, feeling hung-over, breathless, and aching in places she'd never knew existed. She was naked, but that wasn't uncommon. She had a nasty habit of getting wasted in Paradise City and then getting it on with the guy or girl nearest to her, so she wasn't that put off. Yet as she recognised the voice, she realized things were not so ordinary.

"Eve?" she said and frowned. Someone finished reading a poem outside... the tent? She rolled onto her side, the motion barely preserving her modesty underneath the thin medical blanket over her body, and she looked up into the familiar face from Nimbus III. Her characterstic smile soon returned. "What are you doing here? I thought you were with the merchants that I was looking for. Oh! Are they here too...? Tularee!"

Her exclamation turned heads, the word meaning 'exceptional' and 'very good' at the same time. She chuckled and sat up cross-legged on the biobed, the blanket only stopped from falling dangerously low because she folded her hands in her lap. Her back and bottom did make two engineers leer behind her, though, but she was unaware - focused on the woman from the clinic. "So Starfleet caught you all? Why did you leave with them? Did they fool you somehow too? Oh, they didn't do anything bad besides tampering with the industrial replicator before they left me?"

The barrage of questions kept coming, and she gestured with her hands as she spoke... which was not advisable in her barely clothed state. It was ike she was making up for the day of silence with her steady stream of quick words. "Anyway, I really, really, just have to get them back to Paradise City and fix the replicator again otherwise we cannot rebuild the city. Are they here? Are they close? Are they in the brig? Can I talk to them? I think I can convince them. They did not seem too bad. Not as bad as some people in the city. I mean they were bad in tricking me, but I thought they were genuinely good people but they simply didn't understand that the replicator was the city's only chance. You look great by the way. You always do. What'd that uniform though? You don't need that. You are not Starfleet, right? Ugh... its pretty warm in here."

She looked around, frowning as she smiled. "Where is 'here', by the way? And who is singing? Good riddance that I wasn't hurt too bad by that horrible woman that hid on my shuttle. How did she do that anyway? And where is my shuttle?"

One of the other nurses chuckled at the scene, a Federation-raised Klingon male with short hair by the name Maal. He exchanged a look with his superior and shook his head - handing Eve the padd with Rihen Neyah's brand new journal.


[ Triage Centre | Red Zone ]

Having been anchored to life by the whirr and beep of machines, Evelyn Rawley opened her eyes - licking lips dry as paper.

Above her petite yet scarred body, nurses paced, tapping on padds. She was yet oblivious. Her mind drifted in freefall, stuck in an hurting skull. There was a person lost somewhere in that body of hers. She was finding her way back to consciousness through the sounds of voices. She didn't understand the words, everything muffled and heavy and bright. Her mind was slow and drunken; a caterpillar in the cotton wool cocoon of this post-vegetative state. Recollection was coming back in blurry impressions of bright phaser fire and the protests of her fighter - lights and sounds that slid away. "Scotch..."

No one heard her. She could not tell what was worse. The hurt in her body or the hurt of loosing her Valkyrie. She picked between those two just so that she would not have to pick the death of her second wingmate in the Lone-Wolf squadron. Khorin Douglas.

She struck her fist against the biobed. Fuck the pain."Scotch!"

"I am a doctor, not a bartender," said Dr. Nicander, stepping into her field of vision and frowning idly as he looked at the readings on the panel next to her bed. "Oh, in case you forgot - which I find rather unlikely - your previous multiple injuries were caused by the direct blast overpressure of an enclosed-space explosion. A bleeding TM rupture. Lung injuries. Should I continue, or do you remember what you underwent rehabilitation for?"

Medication made her speech slow and syllabic. Mania made her words tumble together in a desperate race to escape her face. "Fuck did you do to my head? I can't think straight. I need that drink direly, white-coat. Agghh!" She sucked in a breath and lay the heel of her hand against her temple. Vertigo. She shuffled herself sideways out of instinct and promptly retched across the edge of her bed.

"That would be the major concussion you suffered after you transported yourself here. Where was I? Ah, yes. Acute gas embolism," continued the doctor idly where he stood next to her, "a form of pulmonary barotrauma, you see. It requires excruciating special attention. Air emboli occluding blood in the brain and the spinal cord. This, resulting in neurologic symptoms that had to be differentiated from the direct trauma of the explosion you suffered before the Niga Incident."

Every med bay, infirmary or clinic were all the same. An echo of another ward. A parody of itself. Only this was a planetside infirmary, not Sickbay as she knew it. "Your point?" She knew it already. It was just better that Lucan spoke instead of her. Demanded too much of her. Mind still hazy. She lay back and tried to control her stomach.

"Just the obvious. What made you think you were ready for duty without my clearance, Evelyn? Nurse, move her to the Yellow Zone. Her condition is stable now."

Evelyn? Oh, that was right. They had been on a first-name-basis before the first time she got injured. He had cleaned her pipes a few times. He was quite good at it too. Only she rarely put much thought into who did it as long as they knew how to use their cock. Or fingers, as far as women went. Life was too short to be picky. Fun to be had was fun to be taken. That was all there was to it."Would it look better on my journal if I sucked your cock, good doctor? I know you like it. You might have to step closer though. I feel like I've been keelhauled around Thea after loosing twelve fistfights in a row."

Lucan sighed and shook his head. He looked dishevelled. Unkempt. "I basically had to re-do everything. You almost bled to death from the inside." The exotic man paused, looking at her. She glared back, not liking that penetrating stare. He knew nothing about her. He could not read her the least. He couldn't. Despite the warning in her eyes, he spoke in a somewhat smoother voice. "My first thought is that you wanted to die, but then you would not have pushed that ETS button. No, you did it because you wanted to do good, only not caring about the consequences and the hurt it would cause you. Why do you allow yourself to endure so much pain?"

Baring her teeth at him, Rawley turned her head away - staring at the white canvas next to her biobed. Eventually, she heard him turn to leave. Should she talk? Fuck it. Let him know. "Because it is beautiful," she rasped, spit some vomit from her teeth. "Beautiful in the way that blackened flowers are beautiful. Faded photographs and ancient ruins. They are more beautiful for being fucked up. For being incomplete. And so am I. At some point, I will be dead too, but not without the scars to show I lived a little."

She heard that he lingered, listening. She swallowed with her parched throat and spoke anew. "I suppose it's a fucking defence mechanism humanity has developed, to see the beauty of tragedy and pain. The same way dark humour is a defence mechanism, and I'm certainly no stranger to that either. I thrive on irony. I'd likely go mad without it." She turned her head to nail her eyes into the Câroon doctor. "I am a beautiful tragedy, yet not in the shallow sense, for it's no fucking beauty in the scars that litter my body. Only in the pain that they've caused me. My marred existence."

Eventually, she turned her head away again. "Can I have my bloody scotch now?"

At first, the doctor said nothing. When he did, there was something odd to his voice. Another layer to him. "Not just humanity. I knew there was cruelty in the world, but I still believed that, given the chance, most people would do the right thing, would do what they could to help. The woman I was supposed to live and die with in Envon was broken too. I sought a way to cure her. Thought my people would care for her while I applied myself to the task. I was wrong. They thought her condition hopeless, so they put her down. Like she was an animal."

Rawley snorted. "Such situations are deeply ironic, and yet beautiful too. What is the difference?"

"The day I left on my long journey to seek a cure for her," said Lucan, his voice low, "I pushed her wheelchair along the mountain paths, wanted to take her to the cliff her parents had taken her when she was young. They no longer could, because they died at the same time she was broken. I tried to do it for her... or for them, I don't know. Yet the mountainside was too steep. Gravel made us slide down all the time, forced me to start over. I was determined. She could not speak any more, but I knew she would be telling me to give up. That I would hurt myself. Hurt her even more. It was not until nightfall that I gave up. I could not see the cliff face anymore. Had it been in a holonovel, it would have been one of those award-winning, tragic scenes. Yet I cannot bring myself to see it as beautiful. Some things are too painful... even for tragic beauty."

And then he left, leaving Rawley where she lay under her thin blanket. One of the Nurses pushed the biobed in motion, heading for the Yellow Zone. Fuck him. I still need my scotch.

Re: EPISODE 03: Unconquerable Soul [Chapter 01: Bloody, but Unbowed]

Reply #10 –
[Skye Carver - Inside Kestrel]

Somewhere in the soft sobs a knocking sound broke through Skye's pain and then she heard the voice before Razor stepped into view.  Shooting up from the floor and quickly wiping at her face, Skye cleared her throat and tried to act like she hadn't just melted down.  "Hey Razor," she said and wiped her wet hands on her backside then rubbed her nose and cleared her throat again due to the gravelly response.

"The med tent ... yeah, ummm ... saw Hardtop," she stammered a little and shook her head to clear everything roiling around in her mind.  "Heard Rawley just about did herself in again.  Hopefully she'll stay down long enough to heal this time."  Her cheeks were flushed and eyes red rimmed but she couldn't quite look Razor in the eye.  She was embarrassed being caught acting like ... a woman.

"Dammit all it must be PMS," she grumbled and finally looked up into his eyes.  "I'm a pilot and can't afford these shitty emotions but this whole situation bites!"  She paced a little, the few steps she could take and not bump into Razor.  "Why bother to care?  Why get close to anyone when they're just gonna die ... when we're gonna die?!" she fumed in a progressively louder tone until she shouted.

"We're animals, fleeing and fighting and fleeing again.  Nothing matters except getting from one point to the next alive and as intact as possible.  We have to eat, sleep, and breathe ... just basic primal needs," she seethed with her hands balled into fists.  "We're supposed to be better than that, enlightened and all that jazz.  It's bullshit!" she said and barely stopped her fists from impacting his chest.

Re: EPISODE 03: Unconquerable Soul [Chapter 01: Bloody, but Unbowed]

Reply #11 –
[Thomas Ravon -Inside Kestrel]

Thomas laid down his eyes on Skye as she rapidly seemed to wipe her tears and man up. Her response to him gave away that she had been emotional moments ago, yet he didn't mention it. She started to explain what she had seen in the triage center and Thomas decided to just listen for now. When she talked about Rawley he shook his head and whispered "I doubt she will... Knowing her she'll be up and about before she's even authorised to do so.." He shrugged it off him and he wondered how long they would still keep her in the red zone. He was unaware of what had happened in the triage center moments ago though.

What happened next was not something Razor had expected from tough big mouthed Skye. He heard her out now and noticed the increase of anger in her voice. When she stopped pacing in front of him he looked at her balled fists "Funny you bring that up... The getting close to people part that is..." He shook his head again and looked her in the eyes now, he ignored the red rimmed eyes "Situations like this, were we show emotion... I think that is what differentiates us from animals..." He said it to her soft, as if he didn't want the rest of the hangar to find out what he just spilled. "So don't you dare to blame this on PMS..." He smirked and kept his eyes locked on her "Else I don't really have a real reason why I'm feeling this hollow... Angry..."

He moved his hand over her cheek now, his thumb wiping just under her red rim "Though you have to admit... Our life would be boring as fuck if it wasn't for the fighting..." he whispered and he couldn't hide the grin that formed on his lips. Supposedly this was his defence mechanism kicking in, preventing him to meltdown like Carver did. Essentially it was what Carver had said, he was an animal, living to fight, sleep and eat, perhaps run occasionally.

Re: EPISODE 03: Unconquerable Soul [Chapter 01: Bloody, but Unbowed]

Reply #12 –
[Skye Carver - Inside Kestrel]

Skye snorted, wanting to stay angry but his refusing to accept PMS since he couldn't use it as an excuse amused her and cooled the boiling within her to a point.  Maybe it was also the hand on her cheek, a gesture so few had ever done to her but one in particular had and that was most of the reason she was fighting everything right now.  "Yeah, think I'd go even more crazy without the fights," she admitted.

"Do you really think animals don't show emotions?" she asked him, regulating her breathing and working on controlling her temper as she placed her hand over his.  "I've seen a dog bury her pup and lay over its grave, whining and shedding actual tears; a mare running a fence line whinnying frantically because her stillborn foal was taken away.  They love and grieve and yet are seen as lesser beings."

Her expression was still harsh though not as much.  "Animals respect each other and while they don't always get along, they avoid each other and don't actively seek others ... especially their own kind ... out to murder en mass.  What does that say about our kind?  Where has the dignity and nobility gone?  Why are we left so hollow and angry?  I don't want to feel this way, to let go of dreams that have kept me going."

Re: EPISODE 03: Unconquerable Soul [Chapter 01: Bloody, but Unbowed]

Reply #13 –
He thought about er words as she brought up some fine arguments about animals grieving. "Well, I guess animals do show emotion than..." He agreed with her as he couldn't find any counter arguments to her "Yet... Without the fighting we participate in... I don't know Skye..." He answered her and shook his head desperately as words failed to form inside his head. He felt her warm hand on his and he took in a deep dose of air.

He shrugged his shoulders as she continued about the human race being the kind of race that actively murders and kills their own kind "I guess that makes our kind pretty self destructive... Though, if we look at the other species we encountered..." Thomas thought about the series of conflicts that had taken place throughout the history between the Federation and other races. "I guess that's what truly makes us human, the hollow and angry feeling we get after moments like these. Or maybe it's just something that reminds us that we weren't really made for all this shit. You know... Being surrounded by death and..."

He looked back into her eyes now and he smiled faintly "Who said you had to give up on your dreams?" He bit his lower lip for a second "What are your dreams anyway Carver?" He asked more curious now.

Re: EPISODE 03: Unconquerable Soul [Chapter 01: Bloody, but Unbowed]

Reply #14 –
[Rennan Cooper - Red Zone]

Smiling at Amelya's blush, he rolled his neck gently. "There's the most awful dull ache in my head, trying to render it in twain." he said, smirking. "Other than that, I'm fine. Oh, yes, my pulse is fine." he said as she felt of his throat. "I've got a strong heart, doctor. It's going to take a little more than a flying glorified file cabinet to do me in." he said, finally able to recollect what had happened. "I must have really been bad off. You've got me in the red zone." he said, raising an eyebrow. "Either you're a hell of a doctor, or I'm just too stubborn to die." he said, smiling.

"As for 'bought the farm'." he said, remembering her earlier confusion. "It's a Terran saying the predates the second world war. When a soldier enlisted for combat, he was issued military insurance, which included life insurance. If he were to die in combat, his family would receive an insurance settlement, usually sufficient to pay off the family mortgage. If you died in combat, you had, in essence, bought the farm."

Running his hand through his hair, he felt a slightly concave area, that must have been his concussion. "So, the normal. My head is splitting. I'm in need of pain inhibitors. Once Rory pours me a few drinks, I'll be right as rain." he said, forcing himself to sit up, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. "If you're done poking and prodding me, I'm sure that engineering is going to need some help with repairs after that battle. After all, I did destroy the shuttle bay. However, if you'd like, after our shifts are over, we can find somewhere to get some drinks, and then.. Ah.. I've got another body part you might be interested in examining." he said with a coy grin. He had even surprised himself at being so forward. He usually restrained himself better than to make a comment like that. Chalk it up to the head injury, he supposed.

Re: EPISODE 03: Unconquerable Soul [Chapter 01: Bloody, but Unbowed]

Reply #15 –
[Amelya Duv - Triage center]

"An awful dull ache... Can't really be surprised about that Rennan, you did take quite a blow." She smiled at him and he let her fingers go of his neck. "You were unconscious when I found you. If it wasn't for us I think the filing cabinet might've been the thing that put you in though..." She seemed to ponder about the situation but shook her head slowly "It doesn't matter though, we've patched you up and you should be your old self in a couple of days." He answered him and finished up her examinations. She didn't play along with him as he had mentioned that she was either a hell of a doctor or if he was too stubborn himself.

"Hmm... I haven't been to Earth yet, so I'm not really sure if I should ask if there still are a lot of farms there..." She said softly, half speaking to herself, yet also seeming half dreamy about it. "It's a nice saying though!" She snapped out of it and put on that gorgeous smile again.

She quickly held him by the shoulders as Rennan started to sit up swinging his legs over the edge "Easy there specialist..." She warned him and her face turned from a relaxed state to a more serious and concerned state. She heard him out and she noticed the coy grin "First of all, you need more bedrest. At least a few hours before the entire narcotic agents have worked out." She started and kept holding him. Her hands, softly squeezing his joints "Secondly, you're not to have any alcoholic beverages in the following hours, preferably not in the next few days. As for engineering, I'm putting you on non active duty for at least a week before you are allowed anywhere near an engineering platform. Can't take the risk of you passing out if those head aches turn out to be more troublesome than I had expected. You'd only cause more injury to yourself and perhaps other crewmembers." She said seriously now and looked him in the eye. 

"So if you could be a darling for me and just remain in the yellow zone for at least two or three hours, you'd be doing me a great favor. My shifts should end by that time so I can check you up one last time before we can go explore our new habitat, perhaps see Rory for a non alcoholic drink. Can you live with that Rennan?" She asked and let go of his shoulders now, just to see if he could maintain his balance on his own. While she waited for his response, he could see a spark of misschief twinkle in her eyes "As for examining another body part... I've done the medical examinations on that when you were out cold..." she said on a soft yet teasing tone.

Re: EPISODE 03: Unconquerable Soul [Chapter 01: Bloody, but Unbowed]

Reply #16 –
[Miles Renard --- Triage center; Red Zone | Near Patient Bed: Rennan Cooper ]

Miles had been walking through the triage center as he looked over the PADD listing a few names and a a series of numbers.  All but one of the names were Tac Conn officers from either his squad or the Harbinger's.  The numbers he gazed at were tent listings and bed numbers telling him where to find them as well as a general idea of their conditions.  He had already checked off the ones in stasis knowing trying to visit them would be futile.  Instead he decided to start with the red zone patient list.  Where he was though, the nearest person in was the one name on the list that did not wear white.

As he approached the tent where the weapons specialist was recovering, he couldn't help but issue a chuckle at the comment Cooper had made, not to mention the female doctor's own coy response to it.  "Looks like he found a doctor a bit more receptive to that line," he said with a soft chuckle.  "Last time I heard of him saying something like that he ended up a double hypo's worth of kayolane."  he said having made up the story on the spot. From what he remembered about Cooper and how his body handled meds, it didn't seem far off from the truth though. 

He then looked over to the doctor attending to His old friend from R&D. His voice was suddenly serious.  "So no engineering platforms you say? What about feet on the ground of a fighter bay.  I had a job lined out that could use his particular expertise."  he asked.  He was prepared to disclose his proposal to her in further detail if she wanted.  He knew after all that if she really wanted to press the matter his job proposal for the weapons specialist could be altered in a way that both the Medical staff and Tac-Conn would be able to reach a fair compromise.

Re: EPISODE 03: Unconquerable Soul [Chapter 01: Bloody, but Unbowed]

Reply #17 –
"Hah. Done in by a file cabinet. My father fell off of the top of an inactive warp core, hit his head on every support beam on the way down, hit his head on the control panel at the floor, and still woke up well enough to work out the quantum-physical equations required to get it back online." He said, bragging almost. "It'll take more than a flying glorified file cabinet." Alright, the story was a bit of an exaggeration. He'd really only hit his head once, but his father made it out to be more than that, and Rennan naturally embellished further.

Chuckling at the doctor, he smiled. "There are, in fact, still farms on Earth. You should visit sometime. Beautiful farmland. Some extremely vintage farmhouses and barns have been preserved. I love the archaic artifacts of Earth. I have a small collection if you'd like to see sometime. Nothing sexier than a man with antiques, right?"

"Hang bedrest, doctor. I got plenty of practice working all drugged up while I was in the academy. No alcohol? This is just getting worse." he said, smirking. Soaking in all of the information, he smirked and started mumbling something about a week being too long, something about voodoo, something about the excrement of large bovine. However, when she made him an offer, his ears perked up. "Only a few more hours? Well if it means a date with you afterwards, By all means. And obviously, what you saw impressed you, then." he smiled, winking.

As he heard the voice, his smile grew into a grin that spread across his entire face. "No fucking way." he said, trying to stand up, his head beginning to swim as he did. "I know that voice." he said, steadying himself on the doctor's shoulder. "And actually, it was a triple hypo's worth, plus a reflex hammer to the jaw." he said, loving the story that Miles had come up with. "What kind of a job? I need to get back in the game soon." looking to the doctor. He smiled "Come on. Give me some form of artificial conveyance so that I can work without my legs. You can't deny me a chance to work with this son of a bitch again." he said, gesturing to Renard.

Re: EPISODE 03: Unconquerable Soul [Chapter 01: Bloody, but Unbowed]

Reply #18 –
[Amelya Duv - Triage center: Red Zone]

Amelya looked a bit excited at the notion of "vintage farms" still being preserved on earth and she chuckled "Well, I guess we'll have to make some time to stop by on Earth once we're done." She answered him and asked "What do you collect than Rennan?" As for the story of his father, she simply looked at him, her eyebrow raising a bit in unbelief as she knew a trauma like that would be the end of any normal human being. She simply nodded and waved it away without going further into it. 

Amelya noticed the struggle from Rennan as he really didn't want the bedrest nor the nonalcoholic consumption rule. She smirked a bit as he seemed to be satisfied with a few hours of bedrest for a date. Yet when she heard another voice, she looked up and her eyes observed Miles. As she saw the grin on Rennan's face she knew these two men had met before. "Oh did he now?" she asked curiously with a smirk and looked back at Rennan.

As the two men seemed to get along fine and already started to discuss work environments again, Amelya shook her head disagreeing and she looked at Renard "Hold your horses gentlemen. Lieutenant Commander...?" She paused for a second so that Miles could give her his full name "I just told Renn-... Mister Cooper here that he simply cannot work in his condition." She said to Miles, she than turned her attention to Cooper "I'm sure you'll be able to work in the coming days, but I don't want you to overstress your fragile state as it is already." She said, sounding rather severe. Yet her curiosity had been sparked "What kind of work did you have in mind?" She asked Miles again now.

Re: EPISODE 03: Unconquerable Soul [Chapter 01: Bloody, but Unbowed]

Reply #19 –
[Skye Carver - Inside Kestrel]

As a fellow Wolf, Razor was safe and wouldn't laugh about her moment of weakness so Skye had just been ranting, needing to let out some of her anger and frustration.  She was always hell on wings but lately things were just so topsy-turvy that she was off-balance and needing something stable.  The only thing halfway stable for her was fighting and then it was mostly mindless, simply going on reflexes and instinct.  It had always been good enough for her before but only because there was freedom.

Now they were branded criminals and their freedom was threatened.  It was true it takes something being ripped from you to make you realize just how precious it was and how you hadn't appreciated it enough.  She felt like a caged animal, desperate to be out and free but they wouldn't as long as Starfleet was under control of whatever it was that had them by the short hairs.  Again she thought of her father and wondered what had happened to him.

When Razor asked what her dreams were, she blushed furiously and realized she had slipped.  She had never mentioned her dreams to anyone and so far there were only three who were close enough that she would tell easily.  One was who knows where, the rogue Betazoid Andrus.  The other was her best friend, Lin Kae, who she didn't even know his whereabouts at the moment which brought yet another pang but at least knew he wasn't in triage.  And then there was Scosche, lying in a stasis chamber.

"It's silly really, something that would never come true anyway," she tried to brush off that part of her that was still a little girl who believed in happily ever after.  "If the holodeck were available, I'd beat the shit out of something but everything's basically shut down or minimal so no go."  A flash of memory struck ... her body grinding against his, that hardness still created a visceral reaction.  He was a very tempting distraction to her pain but should she?  Before she already would have but now she found herself second guessing.

Re: EPISODE 03: Unconquerable Soul [Chapter 01: Bloody, but Unbowed]

Reply #20 –
[Eve Jenkins - Triage Center]

Rihen was certainly resilient and as she shot upright on the bed, she instinctively reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder to steady her and keep her from standing too soon.  A lack of clothing didn't bother Eve but she saw the two engineers and gave them a little frown.  "Easy Rihen, and let's just cover up a bit so I don't have to perform more surgeries on those who can't keep their eyes in their sockets," she said with a rueful half-smile as she worked to pull the sheet around her backside at least.

"First things first," she said raising a hand in an attempt to stop the barrage of questions and took the PADD from the nurse.  "Thank you," she said to him with a warm smile.  "You are a very lucky woman and while we've patched everything up, I'd really rather you just try to not move around too much and definitely not too quickly.  The phaser fire from the intruder just barely missed your spinal cord.  Just a few centimeters more and you would be in one of the stasis chambers," she said hoping to settle her down with the severity of things.

"To answer one of your questions, yes I am Starfleet ... or was and was reinstated if you can call it that considering the situation.  Thank you also for the compliment though I know I'd look better with a good long bath and some decent clothes," she added with a light chuckle.  "There's so much going on here that it's hard to know where to start but you are in good hands."  In her peripheral vision, she saw Lucan and felt that tension in her chest.  "In fact, you already know the chief medical officer ... Lieutenant Commander Lucan Nicander," she said and waved the poor bedraggled man over.

"Sir, I was just telling Rihen that she's very lucky and patched up from the injuries.  I performed it myself and the report is in here," she said handing him the PADD.  "I believe she's good enough to go to the next zone down but I wanted to run that by you first," she said.  As she looked into his eyes, he could see she was just as tired but she would continue to push herself as needed.  "She also has many questions regarding the situation and what happened back on Nimbus III."  Oh if only we could take some time and soak ourselves, to just relax a little.  You need it more than I do though it seems.

Re: EPISODE 03: Unconquerable Soul [Chapter 01: Bloody, but Unbowed]

Reply #21 –
[Miles Renard --- Triage center; Red Zone]
Miles nodded hearing her pause "Miles Renard, Doctor.  He said with a soft non adressing her simply by her title as he was not aware of her name either. "I'm the Wolve's "Alpha" you could say."  He paused letting her continue.  He smiled though when he heard her interest in knowing what kind of work he had in mind. "Don't worry, I have no intention of asking him to preform any form of physical labor.  I just want him to lend a hand in the same field I worked with him in before.  I was one of the test pilots on the Mark Threes back when he was in starfighter r and d.  I was wondering if he could be spared as a research and development consultant and also serve in an oversight and managerial role in the repairs and possible upgrades to the two ships' fighters."

He paused for a moment understanding how she may object to any job that could create stress. He then continued looking over as seriously as he could to Cooper then back to the doctor.  "If necessary I can have his work environment modified to suit whatever medical requirements are deemed appropriate.  As it stood before i knew of his medical condition the job by would require walking around the fighter bay as 75 percent of the time on the job,  The physical activity of the work aside from walking and occasionally having to use the muscles of his vocal chords to yell at yellowshirt noncoms.  The other 25 percent would be done from behind a desk. Given his current condition, I would advise that at minimum he be provided a wheelchair for the non desk job portions of the work.  Personally, I would be happy with his schedule being 25 percent in the bay and 75 percent behind a desk.  If absolutely necessary, I could remove the part of the work that requires mobility around the fighter-bay, and make it solely into a desk-job.  If the work needs further modifications for his medical requirements I would be willing to make whatever compromises are necessary.  I have absolutely no need for another repairman or engineer.  I need an brain, not another body."  he said looking over to the doctor then smirking at Cooper.

"Besides, regarding his rest, as of now the repair schedule don't start till tomorrow morning at 0600.  With the three hours rest in the yellow zone and whatever time is between then and you two's date I suppose that he should get at least 10 hours rest." Pausing for a second he added, "And, if it's less rest than that, I would have to imply that you must have approved him for at least some forms of serious physical exertion.  That would at least imply a green if not blue on the triage scale correct?" he said in a sort of deadpan way.

His own unique kind of snarky humor was showing at its fullest.  It was a sense of humor and observation that had won him many arguments in R&D after all.  He did have a way of not arguing with an engineer's logic.  He just had a way of turning that logic back on a person when they least wanted to be reminded of their previous decisions or in this case a decision that she might be faced with later that evening. 

Re: EPISODE 03: Unconquerable Soul [Chapter 01: Bloody, but Unbowed]

Reply #22 –
[ Triage Centre | Yellow Zone ]

Images flashed ceaselessly before Lucan's eyes. Recollections. Premonitions. A madness mix of horror.

Since he let the beast take the reins and it gutted Garen Nelis, Dr Nicander had come realise just how bent on bloodlust it was. At the same time, there was doubt, for it was still so fleeting... this notion of actually separating the actions made in the surgery suite from that of his own free will. The beast was under his skin, so very intimately inseparable from his own body. His own mind, thoughts and ambitions mirrored that of the beast... yet could it be a darkened mirror? In his own case, contrary to the other Starfleet officers, he believed the difference between him and the beast was a smaller. For he was quite sure his long term goals in life would not be the prettiest when cast into light. Yet the ambitions and needs of the beast? Oh, but that was something entirely different.

It was as if the act of letting go of one's control made the thoughts of the beast become more... real. It was like it had torn down some of the fortifications around Lucan's own 'self' - if there was such a thing - and had become a more discernible figure in the darkness of his heart. The instincts were surfacing constantly. The notions to kill and maim constantly behind his eyelids. Each blink made him glimpse what he could do to everyone he came face-to-face with. As of yet, he noticed no change as the hours wore on. So many lethal instruments and too many opportune moments to use them, only for sake of short-term enjoyment. The beast cared less for secrecy, so for the first time since the day when he had evolved, Lucan thought the beast a true liability.

"Starfleet?" asked a female voice, incredulous, and it was Rihen Neyah who reacted to Eve's answers. By the time he reached the two women, Lucan smiled a bit - the humour in the situation not entirely lost to him. It was just so distracting to suppress the sudden images of himself cutting new orifices into them with an exoscalpel and raping the virgin openings. It made his stomach turn, since there was just so much blood and gore he could ignore unaffected. It did not matter how he had lived with the beast for years now. He focused on listening to Eve so that he could distract his mind - his smile remaining good-naturedly.

"Thank you, Jenkins," he said and raked back his hair from his pale eyes before taking the PADD from her - his exotic features soon turning to face the woman he had found in the bar on Nimbus III. Her blanket now adjusted by Eve, the Starfleet Engineers had turned away, while the civilian one before him was looking at him as if he had grown a horn in the middle of his forehead - her having thought him to be a merchant instead of a doctor and hunted him until that point. He pretended not to notice while he browsed through the PADD with his index finger. Eventually, he spoke - rasing his eyes and smiling to the Risian. "I can imagine that this is quite confusing, so let me enlighten you..."

It took Lucan perhaps five minutes to tell Rihen about events so far, the details left for her to learn when talking to others of the crew.

The Risian seemed flabbergast, unsure that to do with her situation, in the end resorting to laugh. "So that sweet Lin Kae is also Starfleet? And your code - this prime directive - about inhabited planets forbade you to allow the replicator to work?" Rihen gave this some thought, her frown making her look cute rather than troubled, "Seems rather harsh to me... since I am fighting for Paradise City's redemption in the aspects of trade and commerce. Without outside help, the city is such a place that will never evolve. Without Starfleet's assistance, the people who have come to hold all the unofficial power will never be interested in rebuilding or tera-forming the area - always resorting to protect their own assets and not investing into something new."

Nodding, Lucan finally gave the PADD back to Eve. "Unfortunately, as you might understand now, we are in a crisis where we have to make the spreading of truth about Starfleet Command a priority. We cannot afford returning to Nimbus III. I am sorry."

"No, no, no..." said Eve and looked distraught, hugging the blanket to her generous bust, eyes going big and watery. "I must get some kind of help. You have to help me. You promised to fix the replicator and you didn't. Eve, you understand, right? You have lived there. You must see why I have come so far and chased the tracks through the Neutrual Zone for days. The city so direly need Starfleet's help to get on its feet."

Lucan made no comment, folding his tattooed hands behind his back. He could do naught more for this patient, and yet he remained as silent support to Eve when facing such bared emotions as Rihen displayed, tears forming in her heterochromatic eyes.

"You owe me a replicator," she said in a broken voice, "you owe the people of Paradise City the help you promised me. I spent years trying to repair that thing, and once it was functioning, you sabotaged it for the people that needed it. Eve, please, you must convince them to turn around..."

Re: EPISODE 03: Unconquerable Soul [Chapter 01: Bloody, but Unbowed]

Reply #23 –
[ Alexander Rosek | Theta Eridani IV ]

The sombre atmosphere and sense of togetherness that permeated the air,  the speeches and songs performed in ode to fallen comrades and the stifling emotion exuded by grieving survivors only worked in turning a depressing situation into a hopeless one. Faces both familiar and unfamiliar kept their rapt attention fixated on both Captains during the address and eventually the singing apparition as they celebrated the heroic efforts of the fellow officers they had lost during the battle. It was an obvious attempt by the unified crew to comfort one another and pay their respects at the same time in a way that would motivate them not to share the same fate.

For Alexander, the situation was hopeless simply due to the lack of focus shown by his fellow crewmates towards repairing the ship and limping back towards the Alpha Quadrant where they could seek out allies and mount a defensive force against the Starfleet intruders. Standing around mourning those that had died in the line of duty was a waste of time in his eyes and setting down on the planet they now occupied only spat in the face of their sacrifice. He barely interacted with them when they were alive, he hardly even knew those that stood before him now and to anyone who might notice him, it was possible they would think he was unfazed by the tragedy. In all honesty, he didn't particularly feel any sympathy for those who were now gone - had he been in the same situation, he'd be dead too. It was a part of the job, an expectation of serving in Starfleet. Of course, that didn't mean he didn't appreciate the stand the dead officers had taken and he wanted their loss to mean something just as much as the next person.

As soon as the Captain dismissed the crew, a number of bodies trickled from the gathering as they returned to their relevant duties whilst others remained - Alexander included. He'd barely had time to have a sonic shower and change his uniform before the ceremony had started and when he'd finally arrived, the clearing had been so full that he'd kept to himself on the outskirts of the crowd. He wasn't accustomed to socialising and often preferred his own company - except for those moments on duty when he had to interact with his fellow engineers or report to his superior officers. It was a surprise to himself that he'd even turned up to the ceremony itself, but he wasn't heartless and had taken the suggestion of his one or two friends to make an appearance and show face.

Re: EPISODE 03: Unconquerable Soul [Chapter 01: Bloody, but Unbowed]

Reply #24 –
[Thomas Ravon | Inside Kestrel]

Thomas had seen similar incidents on board the Theurgy. Not exactly how Skye had just ranted and went completely through the red, yet now and then there were people who just snapped under the pressure of being branded a traitor by Starfleet. Though he didn't have the figures, he assumed that at least a handful of people had a meltdown at some point. Be it ranting and raving on their stations or in their quarters to more extreme actions as attempted suicide.

Being the only person around Skye now, made him feel responsible for her in a way. He wasn't sure if it was just her letting of some steam or if she was actually close to a mental breakdown scenario. He hadn't known her well enough to read her mind. When he had asked his question about her dreams he noticed her flush of redness on her cheeks. A small smile curled on his lips and he placed both his hands on her lower back for comfort.

"Silly? Like unicorn silly?" He asked her, trying to draw her out of her tent. He looked at her now as she mentioned the holodeck and he shrugged "Well, it's been a while since I've done some sparring... But if you like we could get physical." He answered her, making the pun intentionally as his own mind reminded him of the lapdance she had given him not so long ago. A bit of an awkward silence fell between them now, Razor kept his grasp on her and he bowed his head a bit forward "What do you think Carver?" he whispered soft, yet with a slight tone of daring her.

[Amelya Duv | Triage center Red zone]

Now that Miles had introduced himself, she listened to the job description that he had in mind for Rennan Cooper. Only while he elaborated about this matter she realised that she had neglected to give her own name to him. A slight flush formed on her cheeks because of it and once Miles was done she nodded and smiled "That sounds like something I could live with... I'm Amelya Duv by the way, nice to meet the Alpha leader of the pack." She chuckled a bit and looked Miles straight in the eyes.

Before she could start her preach about additional stress, even in a managing role, Miles carried on. Amelya realised this flight leader had it all figured out. She could live with the suggestions he made and was happy to see that he clearly kept Rennan in mind as a patient still. "Alright commander, you've made your point. You can have Mister Cooper's brain for your R&D project. I'm holding you responsible though if I get more injuries from yellow shirts that snapped under the pressure of specialist Cooper's shouting command." She answered him with a smirk "I think he'll be rested enough though by 0600. I thought you wanted to commandeer him effective immediately."

She couldn't hide a grin from the excellent remark Miles made about physical exertion. "About that physical exertion..." she said softly and bit her lower lip "It would be inappropriate for me to exhaust the specialist here if he has to attend active duty in the early morning... So I think it might be restricted to the "date" later today." She thought out loud, looking to Miles to check his reaction and then facing Cooper.
 
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