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Re: Chapter 06: Battle of the Houses [ Day 03 | 0900 hrs. ]

Reply #25 –
 [Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Main Bridge | Deck 01 | Vector 1 | USS Theurgy ]Attn: @Griff @Auctor Lucan  @stardust @jreeves1701 @BipSpoon  
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Listening to the cacophony around her, Natalie turned her head in time to take in the view of Lt. Commander Rutherford as she forged a path out of the turbolift in time to countermand one of the dark haired Martian's orders. Briefly, a flicker of annoyance passed over her face, but she schooled it, and tried her damnedest to emulate Jien Ives, and not Carrigan Trent. Though she had to wonder if Ives ever got annoyed with outbursts like that. Rutherford was a diplomat, not a fighter, but then, Natalie was a tinkerer, not a tactician. The stones she had to throw were as invisible as if they were hidden behind a Reman cloak. Furrowing her brow, she looked between Samantha and the resident expert on the enemy, Ms. Natauna. The vector rocked from a glancing blow and Natalie was less than inclined to debate the finer points of interstellar discourse. 

"A little forewarning next time, Commander," Natalie stressed the words right back to Samantha with a bite to her voice. She was aware that Fisher was up to something, in attempting to board the flagship of Gorka's fleet of heavily armed Klingon vessels and beard the lion it is own den, as it were. The full specifics of his clandestine mission had not been fully relayed. Or perhaps she simply had missed the key points in what had been conveyed, but now wasn't the time to second guess herself. Easing her tone and nodding once, she added. "Thank you for the insight. If we have to get...chatty with our friends, I'll thank you to continue to provide further such advice alongside Ms. Natauna." Which was a much fancier way of saying  'thanks for keeping me from fucking up right there.' The illusion of command had to be maintained though, and there was no way the young woman in the center seat could be as forthright as she might otherwise have been. Rutherford was a diplomat. Nat would simply trust the blonde to read between the lines.

"At the moment, those undecided remain behind us, and those aligned before us -" another small impact, cutting her off, a glance at the damage control read-out built into the armrest of the command chair, showing nothing of great concern yet. Yet being the key word. Wetting her lips, Natalie addressed the other woman one more time, before allowing her focus to return the art of combat and not wordplay." Those enemy ships lay ahead. I'd suggest you find a seat, Miss Rutherford." God only knew how Ives could stand at times like this. Nat wasn't going to risk spilling ass of teakettle in the middle of a battle. 

God in heaven, Natalie thought, glancing back at Thea, standing impassive at her side, as the trio of vectors wove their way through the Klingon fleet. She sat ramrod straight, with a white knuckle grip on her chair, as Lt. Commander Cross and his bevy of tactical subordinates coordinated the mutli-vector attack run into the heart of the surrounding swarm, taking advantage of the gap that Ens. Henshaw had highlighted. The girl had a good eye, and Cross was vicious in his execution No, not vicious, calculated.

Why this is hell, nor am I out of it, the ancient words came to her mind as she felt bile in her gut. She knew that these same ships would love nothing more than to wreck the same havoc upon her ship, her crew, as she had ordered done now. Releasing her grip, she flexed her fingers as the trio of vectors breaked past the maelstrom to come out the far side of the attack wave. The tricky bit now lay before them. She aught to press onward, to draw the illusion that they had to get the chancellor to his destination. Tactically she should order them to swing about and have another go.

However, Gorka made the choice for her, as his forces rose as one, a wave of vengeance cresting and crashing down toward Theurgy. There was little time then for Natalie to second guess herself, or her Chief Tactical officer. She would mourn the pointless loss of life that was about to follow in the wake of the ambitions of one giant fool, seeking glory in ignorance. No. He was many things, but ignorant was not an accusation she could lay at the feet of Gorka, of the house Mo'Kai. She'd been face to face with the man before. She knew better. They had to buy time. They had to survive. 

If the cost of that survival was the lives of Gorka's supporters...she would simply have to learn to live with that. The choices you make in the center seat will define you for the rest of your life. Never forget that. 

"Weapons free Mr. Cross. Torpedoes at your discretion.  Helm," she was not going to like this next bit, not at all. "Draw out the moment of contact as long as you can. We want to make them work for this. It's going to be damned bloody here in a moment, prepare evasive. Tactical, do your best to knock as many of them out of the fight as you can. All hands, brace for multiple impacts." That last order went out across all three vectors, as the first flickering fingers of fire from the Klingon fleet lashed out across the shirking gulf between the enemy fleet and the trio of Starfleet vectors, washing almost harmlessly across assorted shields. 

From behind her, Arisaka called out at Tactical, "No damage yet. That's going to change. They seem to be concentrating fire on our aft -" His voice cut out as an explosion rocked the ship, cascading sparks along the aft portions of the bridge, and setting the overhead lighting to flickering. The acrid scent of smoke filled the air, from some electrical fire behind a console, before fire suppression systems isolated the damage in a chemical backwash. A well placed torpedo - a lucky shot from the vanguard of the assault -  had managed to close the distance, scoring a hit, flaring the cocoon of shielding around the Helmet and jarring the vector hard enough to rattle Natalie's teeth.

"Hold us steady. Mr. Cross, reply in kind," she ordered, a clipped terseness in her voice that she hoped hid the racing of her heart and the sheer terror that dwelt in the pit of her stomach. That shot had done a number on the shields, placed just right as it had been, by skill or by divine favor from gods the Klingons had supposedly long sense slaughtered.

It was not the last such impact to harry them...

Re: Chapter 06: Battle of the Houses [ Day 03 | 0900 hrs. ]

Reply #26 –
[ Ensign Cameron Henshaw | Main Bridge | Deck 01| Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Griff @Auctor Lucan @Brutus @stardust @jreeves1701 @Nolan
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The holographic table in front of Cameron shifted and blinked with each different motion that each fleet made. Her eyes bounced back and forth, and all around the different signatures. She narrowed her focus temporarily on their fighters and smirked, noticing how largely, they were being left alone by the larger vessels. “Good.” She muttered to herself before she gripped with both hands and zoomed in on part of the Klingon fleet. It came to nothing though, and quickly she zoomed back out to the full tactical view, scanning the field once more.

Each shot that cross fired off, let out an equal beam on her own holographic display. The aft section of the bridge was likely starting to look like something of a laser light show with how much Cam’s table was flickering, flashing, and changing colors. She was well used to it, but to the untrained eye it was probably a bit overwhelming, at least the way that she had it set up.

The well-trained formation of the vectors was perfectly executed and Cam watched as the Klingon formation closed just on their heels as they ripped through the Klingon line. Phaser fire flashed against Klingon shields and Cam took note of each shield array that had been struck, forwarding all information on damaged arrays to Tactical. The damaged and disabled ships continued to blip off the map, but Cam flew forward as the hard hit struck them.

“They’re converging on our aft shields, all that firepower on the one shield array…” She dipped her head to one side and zoomed closer in on the aft of the ship. No, no, no, no. She thought as she ground her teeth, trying to find some sort of weakness in the line that was quickly closing in on them. She knew it was going to be ugly. “I hate to suggest the ugly option but using their own core breaches after destru-” She didn’t even get to finish the sentence before the after of the bridge took a massive hit, and given where she was placed, the bulkhead above the holotable exploded into a shower of sparks.

The blast knocked her off her feet and back into the wall. A few of the sparks leaving hot red marks across her face, nothing that a dermal regenerator couldn’t heal but they still hurt. The blast knocking her into the wall, then flat on her face though, that hurt. She let out a groan and blinked, looking up at her console from the ground as she  crawled back up to her feet. Her lip was bleeding and her head hurt like hell but she got back up all the same. She braced against the table and looked across the battlefield. "Ow." She rubbed the back of her head and shook the fuzz away.

“There’s more of them, they’re coming for more passes.” She called out to the rest of the bridge. “There’s another small gap in the line, they’re flying sloppy but I mean...there’s a lot of them. If the three vectors can fly right on top of one another, and I mean...right on top of one another, we can punch through and get them off our ass, and maybe, do some damage.” She looked at Cross, then to Rutherford, and then finally to Stark, "It's not the most target restrictive option, I know. And when I say fly right on top of one another I mean..." She put her hands together so that they had hardly any space between them. "Flat like pancake. It's a small gap." She looked somewhat apologetic at the diplomatic officer and the helmsman both. Then focused on Cross and the Commander. He was the Tactical officer, she wasn’t sure if it would work in practice, she just had the theory part, hence the look. In the end though, it was up to the Commander, it was only an idea to cause some damage to thin the lines up. They wouldn't be getting out of it without damage either. Then she bit her lip. Quit blabbering, shut your mouth, watch the console. She was nervous.

 In the meantime, she held on tight for what she was sure would be another incoming pass, and the pass did come, this time with another volley of phaser volley to their aft shielding. "How are you guys doing out there, Razor?" She called out over the Comm, watching the fights signatures closely. One of them, Goldeneye had circled back around to help them out.

Re: Chapter 06: Battle of the Houses [ Day 03 | 0900 hrs. ]

Reply #27 –
[ Zyrao Natauna, Klingon Liaison | Main Bridge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]
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Climbing back to her feet with the support of the holo-table, Zyrao Natauna cursed and put the palm of her hand to her forehead, noticing how there as a bit of blood on it. The mumbled curses that came from her was a mix of a couple of languages she'd learned through her long life, but the irritation she felt was not restricted to the small cut and her fall, but the task of reading the PADD that Samantha Rutherford had come barging into the bridge with a little bit earlier - before Gorka had sent the entirety of the present forces to attack the Theurgy's aft shields.

Baring her teeth, she scooped up the PADD from the deck so that she could quickly read through the final paragraphs of text pertaining to the mission she hadn't been briefed about. She tried to shut out everything else, trusting that Cross and the others didn't need her immediate input on Klingon tactics. As a former Commander in the fleet of her native people, and as a strategist in the Klingon Empire before she became the liaison, she had complete understanding of the fact that information seldom turned up in good time, and especially when time for preparation was short. While she read, she heard Thea's voice.

"Aft shields failed on all three vectors for 5,678 seconds, regenerating now," she announced, followed by a warning that likely resounded through the intercom on all her hulls, "warning, intruder alert. I repeat, intruder alert. Security has been appraised of boarding parties and their movements."

Fuck, thought Zyrao and decided to raise General Chu'vok. She tapped her combadge. "Natauna to Chu'vok, we've got company aboard. Talk to Lieutenant Kingston because Security might need our help."

[I hear you. Heghlu'DI' mobbe'lu'chugh QaQpu' Hegh wanI',] said the General, but Zy wasn't sure she believed 'death was an experience best shared', even if it was a common war cry among the Klingons. She pushed it from her mind, and as the bridge scrambled to come up with a new tactic in the immediate battle, she had finished the quick reading and turned to Rutherford. She recognised some of the intel in the list to be from herself, much of which she had recommended to Stark.

"There is great merit in the mission in terms of turning the forces here away from Gorka's side," she said with a grin to the blonde human, quite enjoying the prospect of seeing that happen, "along with inbound ships of other Houses that have sided with him which he might reach out to, but the fleets undecided? The Ta'rom will likely not contact them, and we need those Houses. Come..."

The deck heaving beneath her feet by the turns of the battle, Zyrao went to the console in the back of the ship which was designated to her. She summoned the list of Houses that had sworn to stand by Martok, most of which had ships in the closest sectors. She was the coordinating voice between the Theurgy and Martok's forces, and it was time to use the collective rallying cry of all those Captains. "We're not alone. All these Houses have ties to the Houses that stand against Martok, by blood, history or debts, so it won't just be accusations from the Theurgy," she said to Rutherford with a lopsided smile, "I don't have time to go into the intricacies of House feuds and alliances right now, but if they speak our words, I know some of those undecided Houses will see reason. Better still, if the rest see Martok gaining numbers, yet more will follow them."

With her LCARS interface being in Klingon since she still struggled with Federation standard, Zyrao handed the PADD back to Rutherford and prepared a quick message to go with the list the Diplomatic Corps had compiled. "Would you send the list on that thing to this terminal? I speak for Martok, so they will make this a priority, and Gorka will learn the truth spoken by Kahless, that 'great men do not seek power; it is thrust upon them'. This targ... was never more than a greedy usurper."

Being at her terminal, ready to send, she noticed an incoming message, which made her turn to Cross, Stark and the rest of those actively defending the Theurgy. "We have forerunners from the House of Koloth inbound! Four Goralis-class incursion cruisers at maximum warp, ETA one minute. Where shall they strike?"

Those loyal to Martok would fight alongside the Theurgy, standing by the absentee Chancellor. Zy could but hope no word of Martok being off the ship would spread beyond the Theurgy...

OOC: With this, we have a few Klingon boarding parties from Gorka's forces on all three Vectors. Supplemental threads with onboard fighting is more than welcome, and i know we will have Klingons in the fighter assault bay in the Danger Zone thread, for instance. :)

Given that the aft shields were momentarily breached, a damage report is due, and I leave it to you guys. Have fun, and I will be posting with Gorka after the Theurgy makes a counter-attack to this second attack wave!

Re: Chapter 06: Battle of the Houses [ Day 03 | 0900 hrs. ]

Reply #28 –
[Lieutenant Commander Cross |  Main Bridge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan, @Brutus et al.

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With permission given to wreak havoc, Cross didn't waste any time programming the targeting sequence. It was the type of firing pattern that Starfleet training expressly discouraged, the sort of weapons employment that Federation starships were supposed to avoid. Phasers and photon torpedoes were designed to be tools of precision, not weapons of mass destruction, only to be used in strict moderation. Even the most heavily armed Starfleet ships could spend decades without using their entire arsenal at once.

However, it was what the Theurgy was built for. Thus, when Cross tapped the innocent little yellow control, space around the three disparate Theurgy vectors erupted into a blinding blaze of light. Dozens of photon torpedoes flew out into the Klingon ranks, backed up by relentless phaser fire that, no longer restricted to simply disabling, began to exact a terrible toll on the Klingons. Green explosions dotted the Klingon lines, older D-7's and B'Rels no match for such overwhelming firepower, with only the newer warships surviving more than a handful of hits.

Cross reflected in that moment that later, he'd probably hate himself for so much stupid killing. So be it. At least he and the rest of the Theurgy crew would be alive to hate themselves.

Unfortunately, reckless charges were exactly what the Klingons were trained for, and their casualties didn't seem to faze them in the slightest. Seeing the massive wave of disruptor and torpedo fire coming their way, Cross held onto his console with all his strength as the Helmet was brutally smacked, sparks flying from stressed conduits and the hull itself groaning loudly as shield bleedthrough stressed it. After it had passed, Cross looked around at the rest of the Bridge, seeing Henshaw nursing what was surely a monster headache among others.

"Aft shields on all vectors down to 50% or less," he reported loudly. The deck shook again, this time more mildly as the Klingon ships, disorganised in their mad charge, began to get in each other's way, many of them forced to hold fire lest they shoot an ally. Nevertheless, even those few ships at the front that could fire were enough to give the Theurgy some serious problems, the Klingons getting closer and closer all the time.

Then Cross heard Henshaw, and he glanced back at the yeoman to hear her crazy recommendation. Nevertheless, Cross considered it in his head as the ship shook again from fresh disruptor fire, the shields straining even more. He heard Zyrao report the arrival of new ships, this time friendlies, and Cross scowled at how few there were. Of course Gorka got a massive fleet while they only had three cruisers to help them. The universe had a sick sense of humour.

Nevertheless, Cross looked over at Stark, his expression cold but intense. "It's crazy, but I think our best chance," he said, holding onto his console as the deck rumbled again. "Forward shields are in better shape than aft, and if Martok's ships outflank them as we push through their lines..."

Re: Chapter 06: Battle of the Houses [ Day 03 | 0900 hrs. ]

Reply #29 –
 [Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Main Bridge | Deck 01 | Vector 1 | USS Theurgy ]Attn: @Auctor Lucan @BZ @stardust @Griff @BipSpoon  
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Coming under fire was one of the least enjoyable aspects of a career in Starfleet. Most people joined the service to explore strange new worlds, or to go and help those that were in need. Few joined looking for a fight, though many saw honor in such service. Natalie doubted in that moment anyone on the ship - not even those trained security and tactical officers - enjoyed being subjected to a targeted barrage of disruptor fire from a fleet of Klingon ships. This only intensified Natalie's uneasy countenance as she heard Thea announce that the shields had dropped long enough for likely boarding parties, and furthermore, make the call to security to repel boarders. While Nat imagined she probably should have been the one to issue that particular order, the Martian wasn't about to argue over that in the middle of a crisis. Thea knew herself better than any of them and the ship's avatar did exactly what she was designed to do - and what Natalie needed of her, even if Nat hadn't thought of it that way right off the bat. Far be it from her to question the AI. She was just thankful that the breach in the shields had not led to direct transport onto the bridge. But there was no telling how long it might take for an intrepid party of Klingon warriors to make their way here. Keeping that in mind...

"Bridge security be on the ready," Natalie ordered instead, addressing the security checkpoint stations, and noting at least one new officer slipping onto the bridge near the aft sections. Loath as she was, she checked the built in compartment on the command chair, and the retrieved the type-1 phaser secured there for the captains use in an emergency. Better to have and not need, she thought to herself. The ship shook again and she felt her scowl deepening. Something was slightly off with the sound of the impulse engines and she didn't like that. "Someone get me a damage report."

The data came in from Ops and Tactical. Aft shields at 50%. Minor hull breaches on the Stallion. Fluxuations in the EPS grid leading to - as she thought - the Helmets impulse engine housing. At least four boarding parties across three vectors, though reportst here were jumbled. Damage control teams were already on a scramble and security was moving out, deck by deck to reinforce any critical junctures against Gorka's warriors. For a moment, Natalie could picture the bald warrior himself prowling through the corridors of the Helmet, intent on coming for her. But she knew better than that. Gorka would be seated on his bridge, issuing orders and letting others die for him.

Trusting Zyaro Natauna to handle the Klingons aboard the ship, Natalie worked to compartmentalize her attention. There was a hell of a lot more to keep in mind when sitting in that center seat than over at the ops station. At least Zyaro and Rutherford could probably handle the persuading of those not currently aligned with Gorka. Again, something she would leave to the experts now that she'd got that ball rolling after nearly mucking up the plans of their currently absent Intel Chief. But having good news follow swiftly on the heels of the ill wind of boarding parties was a welcome surprise and Nat turned her chair to look back.

Koloth was a name well known to the Federation for various reasons, and hearing that members of the fallen D'har masters house had come to the aid and call of Chancellor Martok (and by extension, the Theurgy) was heartening indeed. Instead of making an order herself, she gestured to Cross. "Commander?"

He gave her his recommendations. That of Ens. Henshaw as well. Natalie could only hope she kept her worry off her face. Slow breath in, slow breath out, and a sharp not. "Make it happen Mr. Cross. Ms. Natauna, my compliments to the Honorable House of Koloth, and orders for a flanking maneuver. All hands," she addressed the crew, knowing the ship computer would pick up the call. "Brace for multiple impacts. Helm, adjust course for all vectors, bearing 127 mark 2. Ops, divert available auxiliaries to forward shields for all vectors. Thea," she glanced briefly at the AI who still stood resolute, "we'll try to keep from scratching the paint on your vectors."

There was just a hint of a smile on her face as she took the time to reassure the avatar of her intentions. Already she could feel the Helmet coming around. Swallowing she added her own initiative, "Once we are through that gap, execute MVAM Attack pattern Cooper-Delta-4." One designed to sweep the vectors apart in a dazzling display of firepower, designed by a former Tactical Chief of the Theurgy, one of the many fallen in since the events at Jupiter Station. She could taste the iron tang of blood in the back of her mouth, wondering if she'd bit open her cheek at some point during the last assault, or if it was a phantom memory of the last time she'd seen Reenan Cooper, falling over dead with blood pooling out of his ears and mouth.

 "Make it happen people."

And with those orders given, the trio of vectors that made up the Theurgy closed in on each other, their shield matrices overlapping briefly then flaring as disruptor fire  began to hammer down on them, forcing the viewscreen to automatically adjust and dim the display less the flare blind some of the less fortified retina's of some of the crew. "Steady, steady as she goes." Natalie didn't even realize she was speaking aloud as the ship jostled like a kayak barreling down a river rapids. Ahead of her she saw one of the smaller Klingon ships swatted out of the sky, like a fly smacked away by the hand of an angry god. Theurgy spat fire as it raced through the gap, shivering under the strain of the maneuver. Natalie could only hope that, as their focus was solely upon the Multivector Dreadnought's mad dash through their fleet, that Gorka's forces failed to notice the arrival, and sweeping attack, of the House of Koloth.

OOC: Happy New Years folks. Now that the holidays are past I'd love to see some progress here, throw your ideas at me people, lets make this spectacular.

Re: Chapter 06: Battle of the Houses [ Day 03 | 0900 hrs. ]

Reply #30 –
[ Lt. Cmdr. Rutherford | Main Bridge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] attn: @Brutus @BZ @Auctor Lucan mentioned: @Pierce @Swift
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The bridge floor shook, the ceiling spew a random ray of glittering stardust, steam billowed from a vent that was subsequently sealed … all in all it was safe to say that the situation was going to hell in a handbasket. Samantha instantly regretted, or at the very least second guessed, her decision to come to the command center herself, leaving the considerable safety of the former flag bridge, to stand back-row in one of the most delicious targets on any starship’s back. Clearly the Klingon’s thought so, with every new volley hitting that proverbial sweet spot. Every new punch to the hull, every shock reverberating through the aching support structures, the commander’s jaws clenched tighter as all her muscles stiffened. She didn’t like the uncertainty. She was one of those people that – despite centuries of space travel – still preferred innate notions of direction and safety. Up and down, gravity, a steady base to stand on. It was a hard habit to get rid of, dealing in such evolutionary contestants, that were only now quite literally shaken up by Gorka’s forces. Clutching the side of the console tight, skin turning white at the back of her dainty finger’s knuckles, the blonde tried to retain her outward composure. At least that was something she was trained to do.

Starks advice came at no better time, as another strong his sent ripples through the deck plating, tossing the diplomat hip first against the console. Wincing slightly at the brief shot of pain, she wasn’t actually so sure whether she wanted to stay. But the sense of care from the younger woman, currently in command, was rather appreciated. If so, non-verbally. To make matter’s even worse, right then, Natauna sounded the intruder alert, which meant that their problems had doubled. In that moment, if even only for a fragment of time, the blonde seriously contemplated that this was it. That they would either blow up or be boarded and all their efforts would be for nothing. Then again, having the Klingons aboard meant also another thing – and her strategic mindset sprung back into action. If they sent boarding parties that meant they still thought, there would be something left to board minutes from now. So their tactics could be considered merely as an attempt at weakening them, rather than outright destruction. Well, they probably still intended for their eradication. But as the Klingon culture went, if they had the chance, they rather cease their enemies at the edge of a blade, not from behind a tactical console. Potentially something they could sue to their own advantage – potentially already were.

Turning towards the console by Zyrao’s side, watching the incoming data, Samantha appraised the situation by the facts. She was only then distracted from the numbers and strategies in her mind as the liaison addressed Andrew’s mission to undermine Gorka personally and almost poetically. Acknowledging the rank-less woman’s prompt with an irked brow, the officer stumbled after her to the back of the bridge less gracefully than she wished to. Steadying herself at any beam and any shoulder she could find on the way, probably giving some officer’s a temporarily wrong idea. Or perhaps a fleeting inadvertent encouragement. Holding on to the supports of the large holo-table Sam followed Zyrao’s prompts at checking the presented Klingon wiki. She understood the woman’s logic, speaking from her own experiences and impressions. But she did not have any diplomatic or political training. Or even the tact necessary to make an informed decision that wasn’t 99% emotional. Reducing their own actions to what the Klingons would do was the obvious choice to level the playing fields, yes, but it lacked the diplomatic finesse of what would put them ahead of the Klingons. She appreciated the woman’s tactical expertise when it came to the warrior race, but she seemed way too prejudiced to make any important decisions on how to deal with them. Shaking her head somewhat perplexed as she was ordered to send the list of intelligence to a terminal, rumblings and ripples almost falling to the wayside, the diplomat furrowed her brows in almost appalled objection.

„What makes you think they will take your word for it? That they even accept you as ‘speaking for Martok’. You’re not Klingon … and unless I skipped over some redacted portion of your bio, about being some sort of national hero to them, I don’t see why snitching on Gorka in the name of Martok to the undecided houses, is any different than to the rest of them. It’s dishonorable. It will sway the majority of them towards the ‘greedy usurper’ who at least has the balls to let actions speak and doesn’t broadcast a smear campaign over Martok.” Samantha explained, growing a little weary over having to repeat herself, yet intent on not letting her words sound like she was berating the woman. “Can you contact K’Tal … the head of imperial intelligence?!” the commander added, her voice falling back to a more calm, factual tone, as she asserted her space at the console, pulling up the intelligence dossier of the high-ranking council member. “Data suggests he has every intention to stick it to the house of Mo’Kai. All this information coming from the head of intelligence, surely, will hold a great deal of sway to its veracity and weight. I don’t see any undecided ship who could stand against such facts.” she narrated, pointing at the respective paragraphs in the report, highlighting the man’s dealings with Gorka’s grandfather and more recent developments fresh off the covert ether. Surely a woman of Natauna's connections had the means to get in touch with the man directly.

Heeding the next warning of Commander Stark, the diplomat braced herself against another shockwave through the bowels of the bridge. Quicker and quicker to regain her composure after what seemed like a mere mundane string of critical hits by now. “This plan was originally conceived by Alana Pierce but disregarded in favor of infiltrating Gorka’s flagship, by Commander Fisher’s and my own judgment. But in light of recent events and your assessment, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to have a solid backup plan in motion.” Even if that would mean that it would only come to true fruition if Andrew didn’t succeed. A tormenting thought. One that had the slender woman swallow a little harder.

Re: Chapter 06: Battle of the Houses [ Day 03 | 0900 hrs. ]

Reply #31 –
[Zyrao Natauna – Klingon Liaison | Tired of Proving Myself | Believe in my Skillset | Pips Don't Make Intelligence]
@Auctor Lucan @stardust





Zyrao pinched the bridge of her nose.  Her body shifting with the turbulence of the deck underneath her feet as they took hits from here and there in the midst of the battle.  She tried to remain without the necessity to hold onto anything but it also depended on how hard the shields were being hit at the moment.  Propping one hip against the LCARs that she was using for the moment, her grey eyes zeroed in on the woman in front of her who seemed to think that her plan was ill advised.  Why would they believe in someone that wasn't Klingon. 

“It is rare, mind you, Commander.” she stated in a firm, calm, but very level voice.  “However it is known that sometimes you are Klingon from an interior prospective rather than an external.  I am of the House of Martok, I do not need further embellishment.” she stated simply looking at the blonde woman.  She was so tired of being questioned, she may not have the neck bling that brought her all the Starfleet glory but she had seen more things, done more things, experienced more hardships than the woman in front of her could even fathom.  It burned her, at times, to think about how little empathy thought thought towards others went around in the world.  As much as she tried to remain open, certain first officers not withstanding, when it came to those she met along the way.  She was even dating a half Borg man, and yet one would think she would want nothing to do with him.  One would think she would have walked in that mess hall and beat his implants into the back of his brain for what his kind had done to hers.  And yet, no, she had sat down, talked, gotten to know him, and then.. well, then.

“It would not be a smear campaign as you so elegantly put.  Honor comes in many forms, and when it is with the Klingon, you do not understand the depths they will go for that which they believe is true honor.  To each Klingon some honor is different, to some it is his family, to some Klingon, to some blood, but backstabbing one's own kind, is the largest dishonor that anyone can do especially a Klingon.”

However, she wasn't wrong in some of her thoughts, while slandering the man might not be the best way, or the most honorable way, but it would be impactful because of the fact that Gorka himself was more dishonorable.  To contact K'tal would not be a horrible idea, but the information needed to come out quickly, however they did it.  The Theurgy was a strong beautiful ship but the might of the Klingon would eat her away if given the chance and whatever moves they decided on were going to have to be something that would both allow them a chance to sway others to Martok's side as well as quash the supporters of Gorka.  Perhaps there would be merit in both plans.

“You are not incorrect in your idealisms when it comes to K'tal.  However, the faster we move on this information the quicker we can pull some of the Klingon to our side.  Many have known the House Martok for a long time and remain loyal though they do not wish to be on the wrong side of Gorka for the most obvious of reasons.  Perhaps I could send out a condensed and somewhat lighter weight message to the ships who remain unswayed and K'tal could bac up my message with one of his own.  Allowing for us to have the full strength of his own merit standing behind us.  A dual front would be much more impactful than anything singular.  I shall lend my good name to endorse his and he shall do the same to me.” she thought out loud looking over at the blonde woman in thought.

Zyrao turned to the LCARs now and the Klingon symbols danced before her as she quickly began to pen the message that she wanted to send to K'tal.  Leaning on the information that she and the others knew about and gathered, attaching the proof of such things where it was necessary though the man probably already knew much of where he could find proof it would just further prove their backing.  She requested that he might could stand behind them and help to sway those that could become loyal to Martok or in the very least to stand down when they had once stood behind Gorka.  With the message sent, she began to figure out exactly how to play with the information that she had on Gorka without over playing her hand.  It was a delicate balance to give some information, but not too much, she wanted K'tal to have the winning hand when he placed his hat in the ring.  So instead, she began with the more commonly known issues with Gorka, but then also added in a couple larger surprises that most Klingon may be unaware of.  Most of them could look up the things that she mentioned on their own, stories flew quickly through the Klingon race, no one loved gossip more than they.  So she knew they would find the strands of truth in her message built from stories surrounding Gorka and begin to put things together.

Hopefully this dual attack would benefit them.

Re: Chapter 06: Battle of the Houses [ Day 03 | 0900 hrs. ]

Reply #32 –
[ Ensign Cameron Henshaw | Main Bridge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 |USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @BZ @stardust @Brutus @Nolan et. al.
[Show/Hide]
Cam looked to Zyrao as she climbed back up to her feet, given they’d both been knocked down by the explosion. She didn’t focus on their injuries though, those sort of things would have to wait until they weren’t facing down an armada of pissed off Klingons. When Cam heard Thea’s voice, she grimaced. She hadn’t seen the flash of the shields herself, she’d been on the ground. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.” She muttered to herself, gripping the edge of the table hard enough to actually hurt her own hand a bit. Her nose continued to bleed, dripping some blood onto the table beneath her, but she just rose her sleeve to wipe the blood away. The crimson substance stood out, a stark contrast against the ghostly white glow of the surface of the table. "Razor reports two birds attacking the Ta'rom. They're trying to keep our ass clear too. Razor, will continue to keep appraised. Ops out." She relayed information to both Stark and to the pilot.

Cam gave a glance over the Vectors to check for any weak spots of their own, though she gave a few quick blinks, her vision still a bit hazy around her periphery. She was well aware she likely had suffered a mild concussion from the blast and the blow to her head.

A problem for another time.

Cam saw the Koloth forces on her long range sensors and quickly added them to her battlefield roster. They weren’t yet on the ‘field’ so to speak, but she looked at the big picture. Yet as she focused on the big picture, she had to take in each minor, minuscule detail of the battle as quickly and accurately as she possibly could. Stark was way ahead of her though. A flank. Cam tried to run a smaller simulation with Thea punching through the gap she’d been eyeballing. It was like some big juicy piece of meat, ripe for the plucking. If Koloth flanked, they’d be able to do some serious damage at the opening.

Each time cross tapped the fire button Cams little hologram erupted into a lightshow near the back of the bridge. As ships began to fizzle out of existence, their holograms blipped into nothingness. However, the larger piece of debris did remain on the screen for Cam to see and potentially use to their advantage. The sheer amount of firepower that was packed into a Starfleet vessel was astounding.

The intruder alert call made Cam’s hair stand on end. She nervously eyed the turbolift door, and the other doors to the bridge, half expecting a raiding party to come storming through the doors. With the luck she’d been having she knew she’d be the first to take a disruptor shot, or if she was having a truly unlucky day, maybe she’d even meet a Bat’leth. When her idea actually was taken to literally punch a hole in their line as they were, Cam actually looked a bit shocked for a moment, then pulled up the hole they were going to fly through to look a bit closer. She tried to get the best look she could at which ships were in there, and how damaged they might already be.

“The gap isn’t too heavily armed. Mostly older vessels, though there is one in there…” She tried to pull the holo in closer. “That last hit made these signatures look all scattered through. I see the ships but...” She tossed one hand up, frustrated, and again wiped some of the blood from her face. “Hold on…” She tried to make it a bit more clear with a few computer tricks she’d picked up, “It’s a Vor’cha and...It’s got some major teeth though, Commander. This ship is...” She let out a rush of air through pursed lips and shook her head. She wasn’t just any assembly line ship. She fired that first at Commander Stark, then gave a look to Cross, given that defending them would be his job. “Are we able to deploy some torpedoes on proximity charge as we complete the attack maneuver through the gap? When they move to close their line, I don’t think they’ll have enough time to get out of the way.” Cam wasn't sure they would either though. That was a question for Cross. Hence the look. “They’re too close together, even if they try, they’ll just be slamming into one another.” She forwarded all the pertinent data to his station. Her eyes were still focused on the very heavily armed Vor’cha however, as if it were a Cyclops, ready to blow into a mad rage. "Razor. Buckle in, shits about to get real hot." She forwarded their flight plan, which was likely already taking place before his very eyes as the vectors moved closer together. "We're about to punch through the following coordinates, yea I know. Small gap. Watch yourself...ops out."

She braced herself against the table, making a sort of swiping gesture with her hand to return the table to the normal view. As the ground beneath her shook, she felt her stomach turn and she narrowed her eyes, repeating the same mantra as she glared at the three vector’s holograms on the table. The faint shimmer of their shield bubbles, surrounded one another, their lining intersecting with one another as the vectors closed near each other. 

When it came to Klingon politics however, Cam was really completely lost. She didn’t understand the what, who, why, or how. She listened though. At least, to the best of her ability, as the ship took another blast during the dive towards the gap and her body gave a good shake. She checked the status of their shields as the blast came in and grimaced, “Son of a bitch.” She let Zyrao and Rutherford work out what they were going to do without comment of her own as she readied her station. Her eyes went wide as she watched something blip out on her screen. "No!" She almost yelled it, a fist slamming down onto the table. "We've lost a fighter. I lost Iron Fox." She took a deep breath though. There would be time for the ship to mourn their losses later. He wasn't the first, she knew, would he be the last. She shifted her focus, and turned that grief and anger into something she could use.

Re: Chapter 06: Battle of the Houses [ Day 03 | 0900 hrs. ]

Reply #33 –
MEANWHILE, ON QO'NOS

[ K'Tal, son of Machi, of House K'Tal | The Great Hall | The First City | Qo'noS ] Attn: All
[Show/Hide]
In the Great Hall, the Klingon High Council was observing how House Mo'Kai had engaged the Theurgy. There was no visual feed, of course, merely reports from some of the House representatives, and the moving blips of long range sensors showing minute ship movements. It was hardly entertaining to watch, any Targ pit fight more rewarding, but all present in the Great Hall knew that the outcome of the battle might portend the future leadership of the Klingon Empire.

All... except the fat glob fly, who knows more than the rest... K'Tal thought, but kept his grizzled mien neutral, of course. He was watching another part of the sector entirely, trying to spot what would appear to be a Kivra-class heavy shuttle that was making its way to Qo'noS. Specifically, the IKS veQDuj, belonging to the House of Vrag. The plan, hatched by Captain Ives, was to bring Martok to Qo'noS and leave Gorka to fight the Theurgy, and it was successful so far. To further guarantee the Chancellor's safety, however, K'Tal had been given a subspace frequency that enabled him to trade messages with an unknown ally of the Theurgy's. Someone whom operated from within Federation space, and the correspondence had been rather interesting.

K'Tal might not know what ship 'the Freedom Sentinel' was, but the most recent word was that this Federation starship was due to intercept the shuttle masquerading as the veQDuj. The one K'Tal had been speaking with had gone by the epithet 'King', and for a Starfleet spy, he seemed quite resourceful. If there was iron in his claims, the Theurgy had another ally ship out there.

As if his thoughts had prompted it, a loud curse came from one of the Councilors. "Bah! There is another Starfleet ship meddling in our affairs!" It came from someone that K'Tal couldn't see. "House Mergh reports they just lost two Jen'thar cruisers to Federation forces in that sector! Communications were just severed as well!"

Kopek, whom K'Tal was keeping his eyes on, swore loudly. "Magnify!"

Bitterly, K'Tal saw how the vague transponder readings of Marok's "veQDuj" shuttle came on display, along with a Federation starship. Worse yet, it looked like the "veQDuj" was docking with the starship, along with two unknown readings of small craft. K'Tal knew them to be warp fighters, but he said naught, hoping that...

"Where.... Where was that shuttle heading from?" asked Kopek in a deep voice, and hearing it, K'Tal knew it was only a matter of time before Martok was compromised...

...but be that as it may, this 'Freedom Sentinel' might still bring the Chancellor to Qo'noS sooner rather than later, and the plan still had a chance to work. What the discovery might mean for the Theurgy and House Mo'Kai's ambitions to destroy it, however, was in question. K'Tal suspected Gorka might leave for Qo'noS on his ship as soon as possible, but a lot of ships were still converging towards the unfolding battle.

A chirp, suddenly, from his data tablet, and K'Tal frowned, looking down at what Zyrao Natauna had sent him. A list? he thought, and he almost began to smile when she read the contents.

Oh, how the mighty might fall...

IN WHAT WOULD BE KNOWN AS THE BATTLE OF THE HOUSES

[ Captain Gorka, son of Margon, of House Mo'Kai | Bridge | IKC Ta'rom | En-Route to Qo'noS ] Attn: All
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The frenzy of battle might animate any Klingon, and so it was for Gorka, only his fury was a cold and precise focus that kept his eyes primed on the development on the viewscreen. He'd rallied the entirety of the present forces to make a consolidated attack on the three hulls of the Theurgy, and the reports were coming in. Plenty of boarding parties had made it onto the ship.

"Make another pass! This time, flank their starboard side, and focus all fire power on the saucer section! That's where our spy said Martok would likely be at. Charge!"

Still no word from Rov, son of Pekdal, but Gorka did not need that madman any more. He'd served his purpose, even though with the Theurgy present, any greater delay he'd created for the Theurgy was debatable.

"Captain! Word from Qo'noS!" said Aakan, his First Officer, and brought him the tablet with the message. "It is from Kopek. He claims the High Council has found a Klingon shuttle leaving the Theurgy hours ahead of this battle, and it has just been picked up by another Federation ship. It is heading straight for Qo'noS."

As realisation dawned on him, Gorka's eyes widened.

Would he leave his two hundred companions behind? Gorka felt his lips curl back from his teeth, and he immediately hailed all ships. "Relay to all boarding parties; Have you laid eyes on Martok? I want word of it now!"

Even as he said it, two warp fighters belonging to the Theurgy unloaded their hardpoints unto the Ta'rom, making the bridge shake and warnings being called for shield failures. With the possibility of Martok having got a head start for the First City after all, Gorka's ire flared so hot he laid it all on those attackers, insignificant as they ought to be compared to the Theurgy.

"Destroy them!" he roared, and as his blood boiled with rage, he found little satisfaction in the sight of one warp fighter being blasted to pieces. Before the Ta'rom might reach the second one, four Goralis-class incursion cruisers belonging to House of Koloth dropped out of warp, and lay the barrage of their collective disruptor banks unto the Ta'rom’s flank, forcing a more defensive flight path from their helmsman.

Grinding his teeth, Gorka listened to the first few reports from the boarding parties, hearing that there were no signs of the Chancellor being present. Did he truly need to hear more? He realised that every minute counted.

"This is Gorka to all ships of House Mo'Kai," he said, rising to his feet. "Martok is not here, so the Ta'rom leaves for Qo'noS now. Finish what you've started, and keep any Martok Loyalists from following. Aakan! Select three ships to accompany us, the rest may follow when the Theurgy is destroyed. Helm, set the course. Maximum warp."

Seething, Gorka glared at the Theurgy, before it fell out of view and the Ta'rom went to warp.

[ USS Theurgy "Thea" NX-79854 | Main Bridge | Deck 01 | Vector 1 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: All
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On the Main Bridge of the Theurgy starship, her avatar stood next to the Commanding Officer's chair - a crease of concern between her eyebrows. The damages to her three hulls were not too alarming just yet, but the boarding parties were numerous, and Security struggled to isolate them behind forcefields in the corridors before they reached crowded areas. She readily helped them too, mitigating the losses.

Indeed, her internal sensors gave her a live feed of the development, and given how she saw them on Deck 01, not far from the bridge, she unfolded her arms and turned her eyes towards the door that lead to the security checkpoint. She raised her right hand... and had her holographic pulse phase pistol materialise in her hand. The subroutine was a gift from Lin Kae, projected by her mobile emitter and having the safety protocols off. Essentially, it would act as any other phaser found in a weapon locker, only it was a part of her.

"Boarding party inbound. Six Klingon life-signs," she said, addressing the two present security guards on the bridge. Thea had her eyes along the sights of her pistol while she spoke, not giving an order, but stating what was their collective duty. "Stand by to protect the bridge crew."

That was when Ensign Henshaw said Iron Fox was dead, and Thea felt her projection's eyes widen.

Miles? Oh, no... She could hardly believe it, but the sensor feeds in her background processes confirmed it. Her jaw clenched, and her eyes blurred. The Vulpinian had found his way back to her, only to die in the very next battle. She ground her teeth in dismay... but her eyes never wavered from the doors to the security checkpoint. Captain Stark had said they'd try not to scratch the paint on her three hulls, but she truly couldn't care less at that point.

"Bearing 127 mark 2, confirmed!" shouted Derik Veradin from the helm, followed by another acknowledgement of attack pattern Cooper-Delta-4. Thea blinked away her tears just in time for when the Klingons began to cut down the security guards outside the bridge - the ruckus clearly heard through the closed door.

Even as death was literally outside the door, the word from Commander Fisher was patched through from speaker in the Mission Ops table. It seemed the Lone Wolves had given the Reman shuttle the opening it needed. What they got was likely all they would hear for some time from Fisher, since further subspace comm traffic might be detected.  [Apache to Theurgy, delivery is approaching the neighbourhood.]

As the fighting was heard outside the bridge still, Thea picked up on a message from Security, which she felt compelled to relay to Captain Stark immediately. She swallowed, not trusting her voice entirely. "Doctor Nicander has regained consciousness, and the Brig officer says he appears to remain himself. Intelligence officers Dantius and Pierce reported earlier that he can help single out the identity of the Infested is in the Klingon High Council. This based on what he saw with his abilities." Needless to say, to protect Martok, the Sabine crew had to know who the enemy was when they arrived.

That was not all, however, since another message came from the Flag Bridge. A message that made Thea look towards Samantha Rutherford. "Commander! The link via Starbase 113 has just activated... the encrypted signal is coming from the Starfleet Archives." Looking back at the door she was aiming at, Thea added, "I... would advise taking the turbolift given the present circumstances..."

That was the point when the unexpected happened, and the IKC Ta'rom turned away from the battle along with a few other ships, and went to warp - leaving the battle behind to everyone’s astonishment.

With the Apache still aboard House Mo'Kai's flagship.

OOC: Attention all bridge crew character writers! There is a lot to cover here, lol. Please have the Klingon boarders breach the Main Bridge via the door from the security checkpoint in the next round of posts, and feel free to have Thea begin shooting if you guys want, along with the nameless two NPC guards on the bridge. Thea's phaser is set to stun. Six Klingons to deal with! @BZ , feel free to have more Martok Loyalist arrive to the battle.

This is also a prompt for two new starters, one being for another scene with Nicander, as per discussed with @GroundPetrel and @Pierce , but they need orders from Stark, @Brutus . @stardust , as discussed, I believe Samantha has a phonecall to take one deck below.... Looking forward to the starter for that call too, so just PM me when it is up! As for the battle in general, development is entirely free to illustrate as long as you try to strive for fun and tense storytelling, so have at it!

All of you, please PM me if you need something clarified or if you have questions! :)

Re: Chapter 06: Battle of the Houses [ Day 03 | 0900 hrs. ]

Reply #34 –
[ Lt. Cmdr. Rutherford | Main Bridge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] attn: @Brutus @BZ @Auctor Lucan @Griff @GroundPetrel @BipSpoon mentioned: @Swift
[Show/Hide]


Samantha had to admit to herself that she was moderately intrigued by the debate stirred up between Natauna and her. She’d honestly never taken the brusque woman for one to understand the intricacies of a healthy argument. Precisely: One that wasn’t dissolved with bloodshed. Yet here she was, coaxing forth a concession from the pretty, but icy mug. The blonde got the fact that Zyrao was, apparently, of the house of Martok. But she also understood that it was making the opposite point of what the liaison thought it did. Being of the very house she thought to defend, by broadcasting an enemy’s dishonorable transgressions, only gave her even less credibility. Diplomacy and politics were all but straightforward and circled more around what something meant to the opponent, as it did to yourself. Yet, somehow, the two women seemed to have come to a potential agreement, via the device of concession. And even if coaxing forth such submission hadn’t been her own doing - delusion was a big part of the game too.

Of course, there was still the question of how much weight her ‘good name’ really held. Compared to chancellors, heads of intelligence and patriarchs of other houses. Especially since her association with Theurgy, by now, surely wasn’t a secret. Ja’rod seemed to have known a good deal about them already, and he was only a mindless goul. Now more so than before, admittedly. Then again: Concessions.

“Sure, two voices cry louder than one … let’s hope that pitch is what’ll get us their ears.” she nodded calmly, though with a definite edge to it. Stifling a breath short in her chest, as another volley made the deck-plating tremble, dainty fingers temporarily clasped more tightly around the console guardrail. All while the Yeoman belted out some tactical appraisals and ideas, that didn’t quite make sense to the commander. But they also didn’t have to. Battle was what happened when diplomacy failed, after all. Or when diplomacy wasn’t even considered in the first place. When Henshaw however proclaimed that they lost a fighter, the notion alone felt a little more real, since the blonde had met one of their pilots a few days before. It hadn’t been an encounter for the history books, but still, it drew the entire sentiment a little closer to home. Though if memory served her well, his call sign had not been Iron Fox, which once more cast the comforting gloss of anonymity over the whole situation and allowed for considerate emotional detachment. They wouldn’t be the last casualty, that much was a dire fact. So she’d reserve her sympathy for a blanket tribute at the end of it all.

It was then that the call came that enemy intruders were on their way to the bridge … figures. Samantha knew she should’ve returned to the diplomatic council right before all of this got so fucked up. But of course, there was also the call of duty, the sole reason she was still sitting ducks in this giant shooting-gallery. Letting her blue eyes slide back to the data stream on the console, as Zyrao prepared the transmission, the diplomat took rigorous note of all the items compiled and sent. Feeling a good bit of relief and satisfaction as the computer confirmed: message sent. But that sort of success was short-lived and the battle was far from being over.

Then Andrew was patched through from the little side mission both their departments had cooked up. And even though his voice was somewhat distorted, it sent a chill down the blonde’s spine. Pushing off the danger of the whole thing and the rather puny success chances was so much easier for the time being when he didn’t constantly invade her conscience. Especially from the outside of her daydreams like this. The sheer audacity made her long lashes frame slotted eyes, despite the comforting quality of hearing his baritone husk - live and in stereo.

Subsequently, Thea reminded her of something that she’d thought would take more time. That she HOPED – in this situation – would take more time. “Great …” she muttered to herself, icy ponds transfixed on the computer avatar. Undoubtedly the machine was able to hear her just fine. Subduing her displeasure was not only an entirely human notion, but also a rather subconscious one. But since it was a call from earth, obviously there was no time to waste. Potentially her grandparents had managed to get a hold of her uplink, they knew her credentials after all. Turning to move towards the exit of the anteroom the commander was swiftly called back by the ship’s computer, which displayed an inordinate desire to mimic human hesitance in her words.

“Right …” she exhaled, turning on the heels of her duty boots, making a beeline for the turbolift, just as the screen focused on three major ships turning away from the battle. Manicured brows knitting together over a ruffled nose, the blonde took one more step closer to the precipice of the backwards portion of the bridge, getting a clearer view. Immediately after, the ships' nacelles flared up with energy discharge and they warped away. The Ta’rom had left the battle.

“NO!” she yelled against the void displayed on the large view screen, desperation ringing from the reverberations of her vocal chords. But it wasn’t only the revelation that Gorka must’ve seen through their ploy, or that the battle had now become infinitely more complicated, with every house surely more inclined to fight for their own interests. No, it was mainly – and hardest to admit – the uncertainty whether the Apache crew had been taken with them. Either by accident, in the warp bubbles of the larger ships, or by the intelligence chief’s blind intent. Suffice to say, both were equally bad.

“Do we still have a lock on the Apache?!” she demanded, moving up to the tactical console hastily, claiming her space at Cross’s side to see for herself, even though her rank only held moderate weight on the bridge. Letting the data sink in, as well as any potential reassurances, the woman’s slender shoulders sank unnoticeably. Not only the reality of the situation establishing itself, but also the urgency of her duty. Just a few seconds more. A few seconds of staring at the empty scanner window, a marker hastily jumping across a sea of stars, but not finding anything. How poetic.

Finally turning away from the console, the first step was the toughest. “I’ll be in the diplomatic council.” she nodded curtly at Stark, before making her way to the turbolift quickly. Quickly becoming hyper-aware of how her outburst may have been perceived. And that coming from a woman whose job it was to remain calm and collected. Her Vulcan side clearly could not overrule her three-quarters human pedigree.

Stepping into the solitary alcove, the doors slid shut with some minute sense of comfort.

“Deck 02 … Lieutenant Dantius, meet me in the diplomatic council.”

Re: Chapter 06: Battle of the Houses [ Day 03 | 0900 hrs. ]

Reply #35 –
 [Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Main Bridge | Deck 01 | Vector 1 | USS Theurgy ]Attn: @Auctor Lucan @BZ @Fife @BipSpoon @GroundPetrel @Pierce @stardust  
[Show/Hide]

At the end of the day, Natalie Stark had far more important things to worry about than ruffled feathers and mild bickering between two strong willed women. Hoping that they would 'kiss and make up,' (and trusting that the two competent professionals would find a path forward despite their differing cultural backgrounds), Nat turned her attention to anything and everything else. And really, not a moment too soon.

Coordinating an attack run such as this took the might of all three tactical officers currently manning the bank of weapons stations around Lt. Commander Cross. And Natalie knew she was no tactician. She gave the order for the spearhead assault, the vectors closing in on each other. The gap that Hensahw had identified, and added a sharp command to make sure that Vor'cha class heavy cruiser took the brunt of the assault. And then she trusted the people that knew how to fight, to reach out with all of Theurgy's power and smite the forces arrayed in front of her with the first on an angry god, to do their job. It was one of the most nerve wracking moments of her life. 

"Damn," she hissed softly when she heard the news about Renard going dark. She hoped he had managed to eject. "Mark his last known location. Prep Search and Rescue teams." Odds were that the Vulpine Lt. Commander was nothing more than the stuff of stars at this point, but she had to at least maintain the facade that he might have survived. "Ops, redirect power to shields. It's getting bumpy here!"

Natalie's fears manifested all the same despite the order for more power. The ship buckled mightily under the renewed onslaught as she made her maneuvers. The shields around the saucer section began to buckle, and explosions ripped at the vector. But what was more troubling was Thea's announcement of intruders on deck 1. Feat gripped at Natalie, and she swallowed it down. Again, she reached for the type-1 phaser, concealed within the small compartment of the captain's chair, palming it into her hand.

Snapping her gaze to Thea, Natalie felt her eyes go wide, then narrow. Nicander. Swallowing, she nodded, once, sharply. "Lt. Commander Rutherford. Go. ," she ordered, moving her hand to her combadge and smacking the chevron there. "Stark to Pierce and Dantius. Listen sharply. Lt. Dantius, make yourself available to Lt. Commander Rutherford and coordinate with her. Lt. Pierce, you are hereby ordered to work with - our asset -" she would not say Dr. Nicanders name on an open comm line where someone might hear, "-to pinpoint the infested agent within the Klingon High Council with all due haste. This is your most important task.  Do whatever it takes. Keep them safe and find the parasite. Stark out."

Barely had she sat back in her seat, than Natalie watched their main target turn and warp out of the system. An oath spilled from her lips, a ragged, whispered thing, that was drowned out by Rutherford's outburst. Despite herself, Natalie turned in her chair to see the blonde battling her way over to Tactical. Yes, knowing where the Apache was, if they had gotten off the ship, was important. But it was markedly not Sam's job.

"Commander!" Nat barked the word. It surprised her how much force she could put behind it, snapping it out. She'd have to apologize later, assuming they made it out of this alive. "Go, Commander." Softer words, a gentler tone. But demanding all the same. Barely had the officer left the bridge after acknowledging her orders, than across the way, the boarders breached the command center...

[K'reg, son of Brok'var] | peghHomwIjDaq joH | USS Theurgy]

Fire sang in K'reg's blood, boiling beneath the surface of his skin as he pulled the curved blade of his grandfathers cherished Mek'leth from the corpse of the Starfleet security officer who now stared up into nothingness at K'reg's feet. The Klingon Sogh - Lieutenant, as the Starfleeter's would recon - wiped the blade against the fallen warriors shirt, as his boarding party streamed past him. He raised his disruptor into the air, encouraging them onward, bellowing high into the air. The security officer had fought bravely. Perhaps, just perhaps, the warriors of Sto-vo-kor would welcome this man into their halls. If any had earned it among the crew of Federation targ...

He watched as the doors were breached ahead, and saw one of his men take a blast almost immediately. They had expected such, and the blow was only glancing. The second man through the door threw the body of another Starfleet guard forward, using it as a shield. Perhaps not the most honorable tactic that K'reg had ever witnessed, but he had seen worse in his service to the Empire. Fight honorably yes, but fight smart. Roaring, the boarders breached the bridge, with K'reg on their heels. He ducked around a stray phaser beam, watching as his team spread out to deal with the Federation petaQ that manned this ship of fools. With quick deliberation, he reached out, aiming at a female officer in yellow near the front of the bridge in the command chair.

But at the same time, one of the sister ships of the Glorious fleet that had assembled at the behest of Gorka in his righteous challenge to save the Empire from the QI'yaH Chancellor's machinations found an opening, and fire from the heavens themselves seemed to reign down on the ghe'naQ throwing off K'reg's aim. Instead of striking the woman in yellow, he caught a Trill officer, searing through the back of his torso and splashing gore and nearly spent energy into the console before him. Sparks flew, and the man had enough time to stare down at the smoking hole in his chest, before he slid to the side. 

Cursing his poor aim, K'reg stumbled into one of the support arches and shrugged it off. Apparently fate had decided that it was the Trill's day to die first. Such was life, and death. Grinning, K'reg broke out into a deep, baritone, his voice carrying through the din of combat.

"Qoy qeylIs puqloD.
Qoy puqbe'pu'.
yoHbogh matlhbogh je SuvwI'
Say'moHchu' -"

Abruptly, his words cut off, as a vibrant yellow beam caught him in the chest, his arms raised up to bring his Mek'leth down on some hapless officer, as he was slammed back into a far bulkhead. By the time his body crumpled to the ground, all that K'reg saw as darkness.

Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Bridge | USS Theurgy]

Not again. The words, the feeling of them, bone deep in Natalie as her stomach dropped out from under her. For a moment she was seeing Cale Winterborne lying dead. She was seeing Aisha S'iti, catching a stray phaser bolt to the back of the head. But Cale and Aisha were long dead (relatively speaking). This new death, joining their ranks, nearly lost her the meal she'd eaten a few hours prior. It was incredulous to think that this was too early in the day for such death, but really, what time was good for it? She'd watched in horror as a vicious bolt of yellow-green energy blew past so close that she could feel the heat of it on her cheek, and slam through the back of Derik Veridan. Watched, in horror, leaping to her feet, as the man turned in his seat, before falling to the deck. 

Turned, in anger, as a voice began to sing on her bridge, in hateful joy. Saw the smoking gun in one hand, the blade in another, as the warrior turned to slash at those manning the far stations, who rose up from their consoles in an effort to repel boarders. Only after the shot had connected with the man and slammed him back into the far wall did Natalie even realize she had that cricket phaser in hand. Like a training program she had sighted center mass and fired, without consciously thinking of it.

Distantly she heard someone calling for medical relief to the bridge, and ordering helm control routed to a secondary station. The voice was calm, collected and in control. Snapping the command for all hands to focus fire on the intruders, and ordering evasive maneuvers, to be executed by one of the other stations. Engineering. Ops. Tactical. She didn't know who had control of the ship now. Thea, possibly. She barely recognized her own voice, snapping those orders out, as if she dealt with this every day, and wasn't desperately trying to keep from vomiting all over the command chair.


OOC: Left it vague as to who the boarders were attacking. Have fun with these, folks. And someone please acknowledge they've taken over helm controls ;) 


Translations:
peghHomwIjDaq joH - In the halls of mine enemy
QI'yaH - daft
ghe'naQ - Federation Hellship

The lyrics of the song are taken from The Warriors Anthem.

Re: Chapter 06: Battle of the Houses [ Day 03 | 0900 hrs. ]

Reply #36 –
[ Lt. Cmdr. Cross | Main Bridge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Brutus @BZ @BipSpoon @Pierce
[Show/Hide]
Cross heard Thea speaking to the Security personnel on the bridge and warning of a Klingon boarding party, the Vulcan’s lips curling back in an unconscious snarl even as he kept his eyes fixed on the tactical readouts. ”Ensign,” Cross said, angling his head towards the junior tactical officer to his right while keeping his eyes on his console. ”Phasers might become very useful, very quickly…” The Ensign nodded his acknowledgement before he headed off to distribute the weapons among the tactical staff. A moment later Kern had returned, the junior officer proffering the sidearms for Cross and the other tactical officer. Cross quickly secured the holster of the sidearm to his uniform, then turned his attention back to the happenings outside the ship.

The former hybrid’s eyes narrowed as he watched the IKC Ta’rom remove itself form battle with several other Klingon ships in tow, then go to warp and disappear altogether, presumably taking the Apache with it. ”Haja…” Cross cursed in a low growl, though he had other matters to worry about at that moment besides the fate of the Apache. Someone was asking if they still had a lock on the Apache, and Cross was surprised to look up and find Rutherford standing next to him. Cross spared a moment from what he was doing to pull up the data that she was after before wordlessly turning back to the battle, leaving Rutherford to stare at the message -Sensor Lock Lost- which flashed on the screen. A barked order from Commander Stark sent Rutherford heading for the turbolift, and brought the faintest hint of an amused smile to Cross’ features, though it quickly vanished as Cross’ attention was drawn back to the battle.

His focus was again pulled away from his console a few moments later as the doors to the bridge opened, allowing the half-dozen waiting Klingons to burst forth, voices raised in triumphant bellows as disruptor fire streaked across the bridge. Cross saw Thea and Stark returning fire and unholstered his own phaser to do the same. One of the Klingons was singing, of all things, though the guttural grating was cut thankfully short as Stark’s shot found it’s target. Cross fired, though the bastard Klingon he had targeted was using the body of a slain security officer as a shield, and Cross’ first shot struck the dead man rather than the Klingon.

Klingon honour my ass… Cross thought bitterly as he took aim to fire a second time. Cross’s second shot went wide, however, striking a glancing blow on a different Klingon that he had intended as Cross was distracted by another of the intruding warriors, this one charging him with Mek’leth raised and already dripping blood. The Vulcan tried to sidestep the blow, the blade of the Mek’leth catching his right shoulder and coming away with a small amount of green blood mixed with the crimson. Cross dropped his phaser and grabbed the warrior’s wrist, ignoring the searing pain in his right arm as the Klingon tried to turn the blade towards Cross, who felt the tip of the blade cut into his cheek. The Klingon’s weight and momentum forced Cross back against the tactical console, though that worked to Cross’ advantage as the console behind him provided stability as he wrenched the Klingon’s wrist to angle the Mek’leth away from him.

”Hajari kuevdasi!” Cross snarled as he slowly twisted the Klingon’s wrist, forcing the blade further from him. ”Adeŧa sumir'vadektiŧ izař!” He lashed out, catching the Klingon with a headbutt which was accompanied by a satisfying crunch from the Klingon’s nose. Cross followed the headbutt up by driving his elbow into the Klingon’s face, his other hand still firmly grasping the Klingon’s wrist. Cross brought his knee up to connect with the warrior’s elbow, at the same time bearing his weight down on the Klingon’s arm. He could feel the sensation of the Klingon’s elbow snapping backwards and dislocating, and the Mek’leth dropped from the Klingon’s hand as the warrior roared in pain. The roar was cut short as the Klingon was struck by a yellow beam, then another, and the warrior dropped motionless to the deck. Cross glanced over and gave Thea a nod of thanks as he stooped to retrieve his phaser, making a mental note to buy the A.I. a drink once this was all over.

Cross wiped at his cheek, the back of his hand coming away green and slick with blood, and glanced at Natalie standing by the command chair. Stark was issuing orders, her voice calm and authoritative amid the chaos on the bridge as she ordered them to concentrate fire on the intruders as well as calling for evasive maneuvers. Cross wasn't in a position to take control of the helm, instead quickly providing a burst of suppressing fire against a Klingon sheltering behind one of the support arches before quickly turning back to his station and punching in several more fire commands, not wanting to provide the Klingons outside the ship with a moment's reprieve while they were dealing with those inside.

Kardasi Translation:
Haja – Fuck
Hajari kuevdasi – Fucking shitscale
Adeŧa sumir'vadektiŧ izař – I liked it better when you weren’t here yet

Re: Chapter 06: Battle of the Houses [ Day 03 | 0900 hrs. ]

Reply #37 –
[ Lt. Tyreke Okafor| Main Bridge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan

The inital salvos of Vector one seared into Tyreke's eyes as the viewscreen displayed them leaping from the phaser array out into the void. The bridge was full of commands and orders as the various crewmen scrambled to keep the ships systems going as the shields were pounded by the enemy vessels. Tyreke stayed at the station, working on various shield harmonics, keeping the shields at maximum efficiency while employing scans to identify weakpoints in the enemy vessels.

"There's a small opened in the lead ship's shield array. Target zone 3, axis +40," he said as he monitored the tactical teams firing the phaser arrays. As the weapons slammed into the Theurgy Vector One, the shield arrays became a delicate dance of balancing all the needs of the different ship zones with the energy weapons slamming into the hull.

"Reserve power, route to the forward shield array. Shields down to 60 percent on the starboard front. Backup systems holding. We could use more power from the auxillary systems." He said out to the room. Indeed, Theurgy Vector One was a powerful vessel, and it was holding its own but there were so many ships, the shields simply couldn't keep up. Tyreke realized he needed to spend more time on the defense and not the offense, supporting the tactical teams.

The battle was going well enough. This was hardly the first one he'd been in. He continued at his station.

Re: Chapter 06: Battle of the Houses [ Day 03 | 0900 hrs. ]

Reply #38 –
[Zyrao Natauna – Klingon Liaison | The Power of the Disruptor | Don't Fuck With My Ship | Klingon Not Welcome]





Zyrao brushed a frustrated hand through her hair as she tried to decide what she was going to do for her next step.  There were ships everywhere, she was going to have to figure out the best course of action and she was doing her best to assist the people on the bridge as they were going to need it.  She was still trying to decide what the next step was.  While Rutherford might now believe that her alliance with two large beings was a good thing, it didn't really matter.  Zyrao was tired of being judged for who the fuck she was, she tried so hard to be a good and helpful member of the Theurgy crew but she felt cock blocked in all sorts of spots with the people here and there on the ship.  She found that most desired not to trust her even though she felt that she had truly not given them any reason not to.

Thankfully, Rutherford left the bridge.  For a moment, the El-Aurian let her head hang between her shoulders as she took a deep breath and tried to refocus.  She hated having to prove herself, as much as she hated having to rescue her own ass from situations that weren't of her choosing.  Remember what you have. she reminded herself.

Suddenly, there was an alert.  Klingon were just outside the Bridge and headed their way.  Zyrao stood up right, her eyes filling with the movement of battle.  Knowing what was coming as the blood lust that had followed her around most of her life began to pound through her veins.  This was the stuff that she lived for, and there was nothing more satisfying than taking down a Klingon, second only to taking down a Borg.  Just not one specific Borg, or rather half-Borg he didn't count.

Pulling the disruptor from her side she waited for them to enter the bridge.  As the door opened to let them in, Zyrao wasted no time lasering a shot towards the door.  She needed to protect the Bridge and she did not want to let them have even a minute chance that they would be able to actually get control of the Bridge.  That was an impossibility, they would have to kill her first before she allowed them to put their nasty hides in the center seat. 

Cross was already going hand to hand with one, and she couldn't very well let the man have all the fun.  Jumping into the foray she caught one of the Klingon who's attention was on the center seat and socked him right in the ear.  He roared and lashed out at her with a massive bellow, she ducked down and allowed his arm to sail easily over her head to which she twisted and took his knees out from under him.  The massive man slammed down on the deck plating as she stepped on his neck and looked down at him as he tried to lift her foot off his throat gagging for air and trying to fight the whole time.

“Dishonorable fucker.” she said as she lowered her disruptor and aimed it right at him. 

=================
Sorry for the short post!  Didn't want to leave people hanging!

Re: Chapter 06: Battle of the Houses [ Day 03 | 0900 hrs. ]

Reply #39 –
[ Counselor J'mpok, son of Q'thoq, of House J'mpok | Bridge | IKS Sturka (IKC-12008) | En-Route to Qo'noS ] Attn: All

Aboard the Qang-Class heavy cruiser, Sturka, Counselor J'mpok watched the battle unfold with delight. Today would b the day that the usurper Martok, illegitimate ruler of the Klingon Empire would finally be removed from power and a legitimate Chancellor elevated to power, one not afraid to fight the enemies of the Empire.

"Sir, the House of Chang fleet is withdrawing from battle!" the bekk at tactical exclaimed.

"What!" The House of Chang was an affluent and powerful House. They were not known for cowardice. It had been their namesake, General Chang who had trained the warriors of many of the Houses present. If not them personally, their fathers, uncles, and grandfathers. The tactics of General Chang were studied by all who attended the Klingon Warrior Academy on Qo'noS, second only to those of General Korrd. Where the House of Chang went others would faithfully follow.

"Incoming message from Qo'noS."

"On viewer."

The image of the battered Federation craft being pecked at by an armada of Klingon vessels was replaced by that of an imposing Klingon female attired in the opulent leathers of a House of extreme wealth, a long-lived House. "J'mpok we have been betrayed. The Chancellor is not aboard the Federation craft as Gorka promised. Martok is en route to the First City as we speak. If you cherish the holdings of your house and your position on the Council, it would be in your best interest to be present here before he arrives."

She disconnected the feed before J'mpok could reply, the Klingon female's image replaced with the continuing battle outside. The head of the House of J'mpok sat there mouth agape prepared to speak but unable to produce words. He had just been spoken to, given orders, and silenced by the one and only Orme, Daughter of Chang, Head of the House of Chang.

"What are we going to do now?" questioned a nervous Torg standing beside J'mpok.

"Orders sir?" questioned the bekk at tactical.

Snapping his jaw shut creating an audible snap as his teeth connected, J'mpok made his decision. It wasn't a retreat because the battle had changed venues. "Move us outside of sensor range, then divert all power to engines, and make best speed to Qo'noS." Today was a good day to die, but not here, not now, not on a battlefield created by a lie. J'mpok would deal with Gorka as well as Martok on the political battlefront.
CPO Sithick [Show/Hide]
CWO1 Larrant [Show/Hide]
BG Natauna
 [Show/Hide]

Re: Chapter 06: Battle of the Houses [ Day 03 | 0900 hrs. ]

Reply #40 –
[ USS Theurgy "Thea" NX-79854 | Main Bridge | Deck 01 | Vector 1 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: All
[Show/Hide]
Brushing her hair back from her eyes, Thea returned the nod to Commander Cross before she restarted her combat sub-routine and targeted other Klingons on the bridge - holding her pulse phase pistol in both hands as she walked towards them.

With her teeth bared, Miles' face at the forefront of her memory banks, and with phaser light flashing in her eyes, she addressed the present danger to the bridge crew. She ran background scripts to keep herself appraised about her internal sensor readings, and barely used her projection's optics to verify target locations around the bridge. So, without looking, she turned around to fire against a Klingon behind Tyreke Okafor's back. She hit the target in the head, and a bat'leth clattered across the deck. Her calculations and her subsequent tactics were not hampered in the least by listening to Stark and maintaining an analysis on the battle progressing outside her separated three hulls.

"Tactical alert, incoming ships with multiple bearings," she announced while whipping her phaser around - firing past Ensign Henshaw upon a newly emerged Klingon. "Klingon warp signatures. Affiliations unknown."

She strode off again - her calculus running anew - and Thea found herself having drawn the attention of a Klingon behind her, whom was charging her with a loud war cry. She deactivated the lattice work of her projection's force-fields, and the overhead strike passed right through her - rendering the bat'leth stuck in the deck of her bridge. When it was her turn, she aimed for the perplexed Klingon's temple, pivoting her projection with the elbow strike. At the end of the movement, she set her aim on the two remaining Klingons, and stunned them both in close succession.

"Deck 01 clear," she announced, stunning the groaning Klingon at her feet as she stepped over him. "Incoming hails, multiple sources. None of them are scanning us, nor are they targeting us with their weapon systems. They are just about to drop out of warp. Shall I patch them through?"

Once assent was given, Thea turned her eyes to the viewscreen. On it, multiple windows showing Klingons on different ships appeared. While she observed, Thea helped a junior CONN Officer gently ease Derik Veradin's body out of his seat, and respectfully set him down on the deck. Thea brushed her fingers over his opened eyes, and she was thankful for being able to deactivate her emotional chip. She didn't, but knew she might when the battle was over. That was, if she wasn't destroyed by then.

[Starship Theurgy,] said one of the Klingons, [we are of Houses Cha'Lak and Gambral, and we have learned about Gorka's actions against House Daa'maq. Long have we fought by Daa'maq's side, and we spit on his sister Eriska for siding with an usurper. We will protect the Chancellor, and end this rebellion. Cha'lak and Gambral both give their regards from Qo'noS, where they will await the victor. tugh qoH nachDaj je chevlu'ta'!]

Houses Cha'Lak and Gambral, twelve ships strong, descended upon House Mo'Kai's forces from on high, true to their word. Even though Gorka had left, however, House Mo'Kai was getting reinforcements as well. Thea could barely discern emblems on those ships with her optical sensors, but it could be Houses K'lek and Konjah who leapt to Mo'Kai's defence.

[This is Captain Do'ne of House Grevaq,] said one of the other Klingons on the screen, the bridge she was on already shaking from sustained weapons fire, [and we have Houses Merik and Qolka's support as well. We have learned about Captain Sotung of the Daqchov, and this dishonour upon what Klingons are will not stand. Martok has our support, and the Councilors of our Houses will stand with him in the Great Hall. Death to House Mo'Kai and it's filthy Targ of a leader!]

However, just as the battle seemed to turn, more ships dropped out of warp in support of House Mo'Kai, and Thea believed they were of Houses Kryan and Marab. Turn by turn, moment by moment, the battle between the Houses remained even, yet there were three more faces remaining on the viewscreen. Those ships had yet to reach the battle, but had still sought word with the Theurgy for some reason. It soon became clear that they remained doubful.

[I'm Captain Garel or House S'Kopa, and we stand by with Houses Tovoj and Woldan. We... do not see a future with the House of Martok. His bloodline ended with the death of his son Drex, and the Empire needs a future. Still, we despise Gorka for the things you claim he and House Mo'Kai did.] The Klingon sneered, as if tasting something foul that he wouldn't stomach. [There is... confusion about why Martok would defend and hide the Theurgy, when accounts claim your crew killed his son. Our Councilors send word from Qo'noS, asking why they would support an Empire and a House without future.]

Hearing this, Thea looked towards Stark, for she believed the Acting Captain knew something worth sharing, because with the support of those three Houses...

...Martok might just have a majority of loyalty, in the battle as well as the Great Hall.

OOC: I believe @Brutus is up next, with Stark dishing out orders. There is also a question about where to take the development with the battle, since neither Martok nor Gorka are present any more, even though the Klingon Houses are amassing in conflict over which House should provide the High Chancellor of the Klingon Empire. There are some Houses that aren't present, one or two actually knowing that Martok has "left the building", but it's not common knowledge on any front in this conflict. If the Return to Sender mission is successful, then perhaps Gorka might loose more support amongst those Houses loyal to him, but that has yet to be seen.

Before Thea took care of the last couple of Klingons, there could have been more of them to deal with, so feel free to write additional on-bridge combat set before then if you feel like it in your upcoming posts!

Re: Chapter 06: Battle of the Houses [ Day 03 | 0900 hrs. ]

Reply #41 –
 [Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Main Bridge | Deck 01 | Vector 1 | USS Theurgy ]Attn: @BZ @BipSpoon @jreeves1701 @Fife @Elaurianpaladin @Auctor Lucan  
[Show/Hide]

It was a well accepted cliche about how time slowed down, and how short fights really were. The battle for the bridge of Vector 01 was over in under five minutes. Barely had it begun before it had stopped again. Natalie felt flushed, her heart pounding in her chest as she spared a short nod toward Thea, acknowledging her help in settling the matter. Sweeping her gaze around the bridge, she took short note of who remained standing - and who did not. Seeing Veriden there...well. Thea was helping remove his body and Natalie had more important things to do than grieve right then. Time for that after you survive this. 

Derek was dead. Others would be as well. Her job now was to minimize any further casualties. At conflict with that was the fleet of Klingon ships, shifting by the minute. She heard a request for auxiliary power to be re-routed and could already see Lt. Conway acting to do just that, as the other woman tried her best (as Natalie was) to not think about the body that was just removed from the station next to her. A passing blow glanced off the shields and made the vector rock, but Nat kept her feet, bracing her hand against the back of the chair.

"Give me a status of the enemy fleets. Gorka has field the field. I need a count of ships leaving." Natalie forced herself to sit back into the command chair. The deck was clear, for now they didn't need to worry about new boarders. Adding to the rest of her orders, as she crossed one leg tightly over the other, she snapped,"Someone get those Klingon's off my bridge." Behind her she could hear the tell-tale sound of a site to site transporter kicking off to beam them to secure holding elsewhere on the vector. The last thing she needed was any of their survivors to wake up and cause trouble. 

"They aren't targeting us?" Natalie noted with a raised eyebrow. Something of a surprise all things considered. All the forces were regrouping, pairing off and slamming into each other again. A churning battle was bogging down into a quagmire around them. Pursing her lips, Natalie gave tight nod to Thea. "If they want to talk, I'll talk. Patch them through."

What followed was a series of declarations of allegiances. It was always nice to get new friends in a battle, even if Natalie now questioned the purpose of the fight unfolding. So many ships were clashing, crashing, and yet, the primary agitators were gone. Neither Martok, nor Gorka were on the field. And lurking in the darkness...Squaring her shoulders, Natalie forced her voice to remain calm. "I am Natalie Stark, currently in command. The Theurgy and valiant warriors in service to Chancellor Martok welcome the arrival of the Honorable Houses of Cha'Lak and Gambral." 

It took an effort of will not to glance back over at Zyrao Natauna to see if she'd gotten that right. Wouldn't do at all to show a lack of confidence right now. She managed a fierce smile toward Captain Do'ne. "You do your Houses honor. The Chancellor will welcome your support in the Great Hall." The Vector shook again briefly, but Natalie set that aside. Quietly, she tapped a few commands onto the arm rest console that was built into the center seat. She boarded the broadcast of her answer past just the ships that had hailed her. Then she took a long breath and prayed she didn't screw things up worse than they already were.

"Captain Garel," she began, "You ask a critical question. You speak of the future of the Klingon Empire and the house of Martok. However, key information has not been made public to the Great Houses. The assumption that the house of Martok has no future is false." Turning to Zyaro now, she gave a terse nod. "Ms. Natauna, I believe now is the time to transmit our findings. The Chancellor will have to accept that his people need to know."

Standing, Natalie clasped her hands behind her back and did her best to impersonate Captain Ives. Squaring off her shoulders she pressed on and did not mince words."Drex, son of Martok sired a son, M'vren, with Jo'reh, Daughter of the House of Trog." The news, she saw, went off like a proton bomb across the faces of the warriors still on screen. The rivalry between the two houses was well-known.

"An incredulous claim, I know. We are forwarding the relevant genetic information and statements taken from Jo'reh herself. The Chancellor was made aware of this fact only recently, that he has a Grandson, and viable heir to the Honorable House of Martok. It is understandable why Drex would have kept this information to himself, but as he is no longer alive , and as matters of succession are being called into question, this knowledge can no longer remain buried. 

"The House of Martok has a future. The Klingon Empire has a future. Our officers risked their lives to protect M'Vren and Jo'reh from the machinations of Ja'rod, working in conjunction with Gorka, who attempted to kill Drex's son and prevent this knowledge from getting back to Martok and the Klingon High Council. If you need any further reason to call into question the machinations of Gorka, there you go." Despite her best efforts, Natalie could not keep the snarl out of her voice when she spoke the name of the head of the house of Mo'Kai. 

"Gorka has left the field of battle, pressing on now to Qo'nos. It is there, in the halls of the Great Council that the future must be decided. " She was taking a hell of a risk right now. Swallowing back the taste of bile, still present, she added, knowing this was now on an open channel. "There is great grievances among the houses that have been brought to light in this moment, and brave warriors on all sides are answering the calls of their loyalties, whether or not all parties invovled deserve that loyalty.  Loyalty is honorable. House to House. Captain to Captain. But so too is loyalty to your Empire. And even as Chancellor Martok, who led a mighty fleet into battle against the Borg barely a month prior, battles for his claim to lead the Empire, for the future of your Empire, a darker threat lurks on your borders. 

"Martok knows the threats that your Empire faces. Ask yourselves, all of you, allies of Martok and Gorka alike - who benefits most when the Klingon Empire is in turmoil? Captain Garel, you wish to understand why Martok has aligned himself with the Theurgy? Hear him in his own words, in the Great Hall. All of you, let honor be served there."

Re: Chapter 06: Battle of the Houses [ Day 03 | 0900 hrs. ]

Reply #42 –
[ Ensign Cameron Henshaw | Main Bridge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Brutus @BZ  @Fife et. al.
[Show/Hide]
“Got it.” Cam gave her a nod. She’d already marked the location of the lost fighter on her holotable with a small purple beacon, that appeared as if it were breathing. It faded in and out, a constant reminder that perhaps, there was a lost pilot floating among the stars, helplessly watching the battle. Or perhaps he was scattered across the battlefield. A thought that Cam tried to shove deeper down into her mind for the time being.

She watched with abject horror as the Ta’rom left, with the Apache aboard still she assumed. She said nothing though, her face speaking for her. She felt sick, dread gnawing at her belly. For more reasons than one, what had just happened, was the realization that everything could come undone. She shook her head and prepared to do something at her station, when she heard it.

Boarding party.

Those words sent a chill down her spine that made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. She grabbed a hand phaser from under a container under her console and set it down on the table. “Not. Fucking. Today.” She ground her teeth and checked the layout of the battle again when she heard them. They were...singing? That very fact filled her with anger. They were here to kill them all, seize the bridge, and her ship and they were singing about it. She entered a quick command to lock the console. It lit up like a Christmas tree, a singular block of light appearing on the table, obscuring the view of the battle and all the tactical markers she had placed. She wasn’t taking any chances that they were wearing any sort of surveillance equipment or that one of them might escape.

The instant she looked up, a disruptor blast rang past her head and time seemed to freeze, if only for a moment. She bared her teeth and looked up at the Klingon who had fired at her, watching Thea very quickly dispatch some of his allies. The world around her was all but silent, though in actuality it was anything but. The alert klaxon was sounding, there were shouts and orders being called across the bridge, energy weapon fire, and finally everything snapped into place when she watched the helmsman fall.

She raised her weapon and fired. The first shot missed, naturally, her hand shaking. Half a second later however she steadied it with a second hand and fired again, this time striking true. The beam hit her target square in his armored belly, the heat and energy from the blast enough to render him unconscious. She kept the phaser raised for a moment, hair an absolute mess from the earlier blast, soot staining her face from the debris. She stared forward and finally she lowered it, her breathing hard, as she tried to calm herself. On some level, she was relieved that the Klingons hadn’t gotten in reach of her. If they had, she knew that she’d be in trouble.

She didn’t chance another shot at any of the others being taken down by the more skilled combatants, instead she reactivated her station and quickly tried to get caught up again. Thea fired again, this time right past her and Cam straightened up like a board, freezing again for a moment, before rolling her neck, and again repeating the mantra.

“Thanks.” She gave the AI woman a nod. She checked the warp signatures for herself and added them to the grid. Cam stopped for a moment as she watched Derik be removed from his station. Her hands remained hovering within the mass of floating ships and dots in her station and she let out a sigh. She just shook her head then turned her attention back to the battle. Cam did actually smile though, watching the fire erupt from their new allies.

The ship rocked again, and she gripped her console, dodging the hanging pylon that had come loose earlier on. After a moment, she remembered and opened the control console of her station to complete the task the Klingons had, in her opinion, so rudely interrupted. She entered a few commands, and opened a communications channel, not wasting another second on anything else. They had to know. “Sabine this is Henshaw. Gorka knows, he’s heading your way. Please acknowledge receipt and understanding of message.” She waited, then looked up to the battlefield and studied it, sending the commander an exact rundown.

Cam listened to all the news and data, but said nothing more. This was all in the court of the commander and those more inclined to Klingon politics. Cam had to admit to herself, Stark gave one hell of a speech. She looked impressed.

Re: Chapter 06: Battle of the Houses [ Day 03 | 0900 hrs. ]

Reply #43 –
[ Lt. Cmdr. Cross | Main Bridge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Brutus @BipSpoon @BZ @jreeves1701 @Elaurianpaladin
[Show/Hide]
Cross heard Stark calling for a status report from the center chair, looking for the count of how many ships had left the engagement with Gorka. Not bothering to look up, Cross set to work glancing over the readouts to get the most up to date numbers, his fingers leaving feint, green bloody prints on the smooth surface of the console as his hands danced across it. A faint smile passed over Cross’ features as Stark, once more seated in the chair, ordered someone to “get those Klingons off my bridge”.

”Three ships followed the Ta’rom when it disengaged and went to warp, the B’Tok, the Nib'at, and the K’tor.” Cross reported, his pale eyes darting back and forth as he tried to keep track of the battle as well as the withdrawing forces. ”I’m also showing the Sturka moving to break engagement, as well as vessels belonging to House Chang.” Cross called out the information as he read it, half his mind still on the Klingon ships which were persisting with the fight.

Cross fell silent and began to turn his attention back to his primary task of defending the ship, keeping an eye on the incoming reinforcements on his sensors and an ear open as they spoke to Natalie. Houses Cha’lak and Gambral brought with them twelve ships, House Grevaq, Merik and Qolka bringing yet more. Then the swing-votes weighed in, Houses S’Kopa, Tovoj Woldan, claiming not to see a future with House Martok at the head of the Empire. Stark ordered Zyrao to transmit to transmit some information which could apparently change their mind, though Cross paid that little mind as he concentrated on Thea’s weapon systems, thankful that the incoming reinforcements were providing their enemies with a more target rich environment, and in doing so were reducing the flow of incoming fire the Theurgy was taking. Cross silently thanked them for that, as did Thea’s shields.

Captain Garel was silent for a moment as he looked over the data packet Zyrao had transmitted, his ridged brow furrowing as his eyes moved back and forth over the information.

[ I will discuss this… development… with Houses Tovoj and Woldan, Commander. ] Garel growled, his face looking unconvinced. [ Your words tell me you believe what you say, but as the future of the Empire is at stake this is far too important a decision to take your claims at face value. ] Garel's face disappeared from the screen once he had growled the last words, the Klingon having suspended the transmission to confer with the other Houses.

Cross had seen none of the Klingon's expressions, only hearing his words as he poured over data readouts and continued to fire on those Klingon vessels loyal to Gorka. The bridge rocked as the Theurgy took another blow, though shields were yet holding. Cross input another series of commands which sent phasers lancing forth, followed by a pair of photon torpedoes. The target B'Rel, already heavily damaged yet persisting in making another reckless attack run, erupted in a plume of fiery destruction which was quickly snuffed out by the void. The Vulcan silently moving his attention to another incoming ship without thought for the deaths he had just caused, Theurgy's survival being his predominant concern.

[ I have discussed this news with the other Houses, Commander, and we are not convinced. You ask us to take a great deal on faith. A miraculous heir to the House of Martok, just when it’s bloodline has come to an end. ] Cross didn’t have to look up to know that Garel was scowling, he could hear it in the Klingon’s words. [ We do not even hear this news from Martok himself, but from Starfleet! You ask us to put a great deal of trust in you, Commander... ]

Cross glanced up at the screen as the Klingon spoke, a thought occurring to him as Garel continued. Tapping keys on his console, Cross opened a channel to General Chu'vok. "Bridge to General Chu’vok, this is Lieutenant Commander Cross. Commander Stark is presently in talks with Houses S’Kopa, Tovoj and Woldan in the hopes of bringing them to Martok's side, but the Houses are not convinced of the authenticity of our report that Drex sired a child with Jo’reh of House Torg before his death. Perhaps hearing confirmation from you would be enough to convince them." At the General's agreement, Cross patched through the comm line and looked at the Klingon on the viewscreen. "Captain Garel, if you would permit me, General Chu'vok is aboard the Theurgy and can corroborate everything that Commander Stark has just told you. Perhaps hearing the news from one of your own Generals might convince you, if you would allow it?" Cross glanced at Stark and gave a slight shrug, partly to apologize for stepping in on her discussion with Garel, partly to convey that he thought this was worth a shot.

At Garel’s growled agreement, Cross spoke to Chu’vok. ”Go ahead, General, you’re patched through.”

OOC: Had to make a slight edit, as some of my post had been cut out due to the brackets being next to the letter i lol

Re: Chapter 06: Battle of the Houses [ Day 03 | 0900 hrs. ]

Reply #44 –
[ USS Theurgy "Thea" NX-79854 | Main Bridge | Deck 01 | Vector 1 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: All
[Show/Hide]
Accessing her transporter systems at Stark's command, Thea locked on to the lifeless bodies scattered around the bridge - Derik Veradin included - and beamed them all to the Security Centre and the Morgue respectively. Once they were all gone, she terminated her phaser sub-routine, making the pistol vanish from her hand.

By that time, Stark was speaking to whomever of the present Klingon ships that deigned listen to her call. She didn't just implore Captain Garel to see the merit in supporting the current Chancellor, but it was too early to tell whether anyone would heed her. As it were, Thea heard how Garel would confer with Houses Tovoj and Woldan, and she noticed how the new officer at the helm aptly flew the Helmet in a way that allowed Commander Cross and his two subordinate Tactical Officers the firing angles they needed. Thea's subspace synchronisation link kept all three of her Vectors attuned to the battle development. The Sword and the Stallion were sent defensive and offensive patterns in a steady stream along with the firing solutions, the MVAM protocol sustained without the two auxiliary bridges being manned in the current battle.

After Ensign Henshaw sent a warning to the Sabine from the Mission Ops console, Captain Gerel refuted Stark's words, thinking them conjecture. Commander Cross, however, managed to raise General Chu'vok, whom transmitted from Vector 03 - standing by a control panel in a corridor. His gnarly face was flustered from combat, hair on end and blood splattered across his cheek when he gave his loud answer.

[Open your eyes, Klingons!] he bellowed, and stepped aside so that he might point at a figure behind him. [What do you see?]

Out of the flickering light of the damaged corridor stepped a child as fierce as winter, with eyes and presence that belied his years. Garbed in leather rags bloodied by fallen enemies, he held a mek'leth in each hand. General Chu'vok continued while the child remained silent. [There stands the future, the heir of House Martok, M'Ven, son of Drex! You need no bio readings to see his grandfather in his face. His strength in his stare! I ask, what more do you need, warriors of the Empire? Unite, against the usurper that threaten the cohesion of our defences, all in deluded belief that the Chancellor would betray you.]

Thea looked towards Captain Gerel, whom heard the General emphasise the truth in Stark's earlier words. [We hear. We see.] A sour mien found resolution, and soon enough, the answer was given. [We will stand with the Chancellor. Moving in to defend the Theurgy, and the heir of the Empire. qoH vuvbe' SuS...]

Still, even as the three undecided Houses moved in to defend Thea, she saw how the battle continued, because the truth of the present situation was splintered in too many facets for any clear direction or development. "Captain..." she said, turning to Stark with her hands balled into fists at her sides. "The Martok Loyalists now have superiority in the battle, and unless something unforeseen happens on Qo'noS, Martok might have majority in the Great Hall. Yet now, House Mo'Kai and all the Houses in its fold do not know the truth, much less their likely defeat. It seems they do not know Martok is no longer here, much less why Gorka have left the battle behind." She turned to look at the viewscreen and the doom that the battle spelled for the Empire to defend itself in the future. Those loyal to Martok defended her against Gorka's forces, gradually letting her shields regenerate enough to sustain her. "Perhaps they believe the head of House Mo'Kai move for Qo'noS while Martok is forced to continue fighting here. The Chancellor has yet to reach the Great Hall, the Council yet to make its call, and before then, a lot of Klingon lives can be lost..."

While what Stark has said might begin to undermine the fighting, eventually... was there anything that could be done to halt the fighting entirely? How could such a splintered image of the present situation become whole?

OOC: At this time in the battle, those loyal to Martok and those loyal to Gorka fight with neither of their leaders present, only a future heir of the Empire left behind. Highest priority is now to somehow end the fighting! Stark's speech, verified by Chu'vok, might eventually lead to results, but what can be done to get the message through? :) Have at it, everyone!

Re: Chapter 06: Battle of the Houses [ Day 03 | 0900 hrs. ]

Reply #45 –
[Zyrao Natauna | The Final Stab | Truth Hammer | Get Fucked | Come to the Better Side]
@Auctor Lucan @Brutus




Zyrao did not really like senseless death, but, when someone came down on her ship in a threatening way they swayed her opinion on if it was senseless or not.  She couldn't stand there while the people that she worked with were put to danger, and it wasn't in her blood.  At least they weren't the Borg, she wouldn't be able to stop herself if it was them.

Stop, that wasn't true, and she knew it.

She couldn't judge any Borg, though... Foval was different, he was kind and changed and much more the Vulcan that he had been before.  There were special things about him, things that she couldn't just lump into any one category.  He wasn't Vulcan, nor was he Borg, but the product of the situations that he grew up in.  That had changed him over the course of time.  So she knew that he was also altering her in the way that she could no longer just judge a person by their race, though she had always tried to be open minded in many things around life; except the Borg.

Zyrao watched as Stark began to speak to the Klingon on the screen, hoping that she could get through to them and get them on the side of the Theurgy.  They needed all the Klingon they could get, it was important that they had all the backings that they could get so that they were able to move forward and defeat Gorka.  They didn't have to do anything but take away his power.  That was the thing he was banking on, if they could take down enough of those that backed him, he would have no power, more would leave, and gravitate to who did, Martok.

As Stark worked her way around the name, Zyrao gave her a nod, she had done as well as she could for someone that had never really spoke Klingon before in any way.  The names were sometimes like a harsh nasty cough and other times more complex and tongue tying.  Zyrao had perfected her ways over years and years of immersion but she was just glad that it was close enough the Klingon would not be offended.  She had done well for a Federation officer, Zyrao had to admit.

She began to detail things that were in their favor and why the Klingon really needed to change the sides that they had chosen.  Giving her the go ahead to make sure that she sent the information over to the ship.  Zyrao gave another nod, and stepped forward to the console that had been made hers for the time being.  She needed to send the information over to the ship everything that she knew and Rutherford had compiled together so that they could hopefully make a good impact on the Klingon that could be actually swayed. 

“Information sent.” she reported as she moved back towards the Interim Captain, she didn't stand in the view shot because that wasn't her purpose, this was Stark's show but she wanted to be in position should she need to step into view and take over.  If she needed to use the knowledge of Klingon language or something to make things a bit more clear. She just wanted to be at hand should she be necessary.

Re: Chapter 06: Battle of the Houses [ Day 03 | 0900 hrs. ]

Reply #46 –
 [Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Main Bridge | Deck 01 | Vector 1 | USS Theurgy ]Attn: @Auctor Lucan @BipSpoon @BZ @jreeves1701 @Elaurianpaladin @Fife   
[Show/Hide]

Not for the first time, Natalie found herself wondering if she aught to be scolding someone under her command for overstepping their bounds, or if she should praise them for taking imitative. As the ship rocked from a glancing blow, the woman in the center seat decided that this was hardly the time to take someone to task. Not in front of the Klingons. And not when they had clearly helped the situation. The previous call that had been sent by Natalie had gone not just to the trio of Captains who had been in discussion with the Theurgy, but had been broadcast on an open channel to all in range. All the belligerents would know that Chancellor Martok had a child, a scion of  two houses at odds.

The Shakespearean nature of it all had to be the kind of thing that Klingon's would appreciate... She thought idly. But when Garel spoke of needing a moment, Natalie dutifully gave him that - cutting the open broadcast entirely and leaving the communications between just the three Houses and Theurgy. Thus when Chu'vok paraded M'ven in front of the communications pick up for the other Klingon's to see, only those three houses and their ships would see the child's visage, and the undeniable relationship he had to both his father, and more importantly, Grandfather. A glare more befitting that of Chancellor Martok shown on his grandsons face.

It would not do well for her ships sake to have it known to both fleets that the scion of House Martok was aboard the Theurgy. She needed allies, and needed to have the upper hand, but more than anything else, Natalie knew that they needed this battle over. Broadcasting to the forces currently aligned with Gorka and his attempts at usurping the Chancellorship that a key component of the argument in favor of Martok was right within arms grasp....well some of the Houses might attempt to finish that which Ja'rod had started.

In any event, Cross' quick thinking, the data transferred over by Zyrao Natauna, bold words from General Chu'vok, and the mere presence of Martok's heir apparent seemed to sway Gerel and the rest of those that had arrived in time with him. Reports flew in of the ships shifting their position, sweeping into an attack formation. Hoping she managed not to sound as desperately relieved as she felt, Natalie offered her gratitude to the trio of houses. "You do us all honor, Captains. Stand fast with Chancellor Martok. But not only here. It cannot only be here."

It was time to take a gamble. One that made Natalie's stomach churn as she forced herself up. Turning her head to one side she spoke softly to Zyaro. "Make sure they all hear this." She held the other woman's gaze for a sharp moment, then shifted her eyes to glance at Thea. She resisted the urge to make a full circuit of the ship. If only Commander Fisher had got his broadcast off before Gorka left, she thought to herself, trusting that the ships CIO and his team would still accomplish their mission, albeit while en route to Qo'nos, instead of on the field of battler here and now. 

Once she had confirmation that she was again broadcasting to the whole fleet, she tugged her uniform jacket down and stood a bit straighter. "To the fierce warriors aligned with both the House of Martok and the House of Gorka, hear me. You fight for matters of honor, for the future of your empire. Each of you has chosen a side, to best defend and shape the course of your peoples future. You question 'why support Martok?' When he has led your fleets to victory against the Dominion? When he never gave up, not when the Dominion took his eye, not when they swarmed out of their vast holds to assault the Alpha Quadrant and attempt to put all of us under their heel.

"You say 'Yes, that was then, but this is now? What has Martok done for the empire now?' Very well," she glared as hard as she could, and plowed forth. "He has led valiant warriors in direct confrontation with The Borg, the greatest threat to the Klingon Empire or the Federation in decades, and won a glorious victory. This was naught but a month ago. You all know someone who was in that fleet. You know it cannot be a lie. So you ask, 'What future does Martok have? His son is dead,' And we prove unto you he has a future. He as a grandson. One to take up the mantle of his house, while forging a bond with a house long his enemy. Is there nothing more Honorable, more noble, more poetic?"

She wanted to vomit. She could feel bile rising in her stomach, fearing that the words were just that - pretty words that would not matter. That would lead to more death, not less. Natalie clenched her fist and smacked it against her hip, in lieu of trembling outright. Let them think her angry with them, and not scared beyond belief.

"Your Chancellor brought you glory in the past, and in the present. He keeps you strong against threats at all doors, from without - and within. His noble house has a future, and still you question him? For what? The honor of a Usurper? Who has already left the field of battle even as his forces become out numbered. Is it perhaps because he has realized that in addition to Honor and Nobility, Martok almost embodies a warriors shrewd mine, and Guile? Gorka left, because soon Martok will arrive at Qo'nos, well ahead of what Gorak expected. For all that he likes to fancy himself the smartest man on the battlefield, Martok's cunning was as sharp as his Bat'leth. 

"I said before what I say now - this battle will not be decided here. It will be ended in the Council chambers of your Great Hall. I implore you - for all your grievances, for all your righteous anger, hold to your honor and tradition. Let the battle be won between two Warriors, and spill no more loyal blood of the Empire. Not now, when machinations on the Romulan front threaten to spill the whole quadrant into a war. Who benefits when the Houses of the Empire at each other's throats? Who benefits? Does the Federation? Certainly not. Does the Empire? How about your enemies? Do they benefit?"

Again, she had made her pitch. Now all she could do - all any of them could do - would be to wait, see, and weather the storm that was to come.

Re: Chapter 06: Battle of the Houses [ Day 03 | 0900 hrs. ]

Reply #47 –
[ USS Theurgy "Thea" NX-79854 | Main Bridge | Deck 01 | Vector 1 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: All
[Show/Hide]
At the end of Stark's words, in which she besought the Klingon Houses present in the battle to listen to reason, Thea had too little data to judge the odds of whether or not the Acting Captain successfully reached them - much less if they would stand down.

In the wake of the declaration, which was transmitted to any and all recipients in the battlefield, a silence fell over Thea's Main Bridge, in which the outcome was uncertain. Like a dampening field, a momentary stillness fell over the scene, and it could be thought the words had stalled the disruptor banks of their enemies, but it was in actuality the presence of new Klingon ships that had drawn the fire instead. Allies to Martok that had come to their aid at last, in this battle between Houses of the Empire. While boarding parties still raided her corridors, and Thea did her utmost to contain them with force fields and communication to security officers, her three hulls and their shields were given respite. The battle still raged out there, however, beyond the viewscreen. A conflict begotten by doubts and pride between fierce warriors - be they manipulated or not.

Like a sickness setting in, with an incubation time before the symptoms showed...

...Klingon ships began to fall back from the battlefield.

Gradually, on both sides, ships vacated the proverbial boiling point of fire and debris. Thea dared begin to smile, watching the development with her projection's eyes and her sensors both, until she was confident to give words to what she saw. "The word is spreading," she said, almost under her breath, with her eyes darting between the Klingon ships that ceased fire and retreated. Those who remained found themselves more and more without support, stragglers learning belatedly what had caused them to stand alone. All it had taken was for a majority to be convinced about what was more honourable; to die in needless battle at the cost of the Empire or to remain true to their word. Promises made on false grounds, or merely uninformed.

In the end, four ships alone continued to fight to the very end, dead set on answering slights or losses keenly felt. With a somber expression replacing her smile, Thea watched the four ships destroy each other, knowing that they would not listen. Hundreds of Klingons dying because of the stubborn nature of their Commanding Officers. It was sorrowful to witness it, unable to do ought about it. It was, perhaps, a yardstick on which the limit of Stark's words could be measured, but compared to the number of ships that had retreated from the frontlines, one ought to take into account the success rather than the margin of failure. Thea looked towards Stark, wondering what the organic might consider more than the other; The lives lost, or the lives saved? Knowing what humans be like, Thea could merely hope that those hundreds of Klingons mightn't balance the scale in a way disproportionate to the actual fallout.

With a quiet chirp, a hail came to the bridge. Audio only. With a glance of confirmation, Thea played it. It came from one of the ships loyal to House Mo'Kai.

[To all three Theurgy vessels,] came the gruff voice that didn't introduce the speaker. His tone sounded anything but happy. [Lower your shields, and we will beam back our boarding parties, them willing or not. The Klingon High Council will decide the outcome of this battle, for Romulus should not find our Empire's border unprotected.]

The transmission was terminated after that, with no time for an answer.

OOC: A last round of posts from everyone here is in order, for sake of closure, before I turn the hands of time forward to the next scene for the Theurgy! Lower shields, have the boarders beamed back to their respective ships, call back the Lone Wolves, illustrate Thea's recoupling sequence so that she is no longer in MVAM (there is a transcript on the wiki's Command Division page for how that is done), determine the extent of damage, begin repairs, set a course, deal other orders, check in on the status of the Allegiant and the Erudite, not to mention the Sabine. Confirm losses, mention names (see below), some perhaps being very important to the bridge crew's officers because of previous affiliations in the story. All in all, nameless NPCs accounted for, I'd say the Theurgy lost ca 70 souls in the battle. Here is the list of characters on the Theurgy that died (so characters from the Spearhead Lounge bomb is not listed): [Show/Hide]
Here is a list of characters that are reported dead from the Allegiant mission, with the fate of Jennifer Dewitt unclear as of the time of the report received by Mission Ops: [Show/Hide]
And lastly, Lone Wolf Alessia "Angel" Garcia died protecting the Sabine. So! Please take a good look at these lists, try to recall how any of them are affiliated with your characters, and have them react appropriately? For example, Vael Kaeris was the Chief Science Officer of the ship, so that ought to turn some heads?

With this post, I open up for Supplemental Threads belonging to Chapter 06, set in the hours following the battle, in which any kind of post-battle shenanigans/repairs can take place. Let's say this battle comes to an end with this post at 1430 hrs. on Day 03, and we open a window for Supplemental Threads leading up to 1700 hrs, after which the Oneida has reached and fought its way into transporter range to Qo'noS, deploying personnel into the First City. That means 2,5 hours of relative "downtime", during which the effects of the Battle Log named "Return to Sender" will be determined, with the chance to affect the opinion of Gorka Loyalists in the whole Klingon Empire, not just those in the battle in this thread. The fallout of Discovered Identity and Gorillas in the Mist has yet to be determined as well, which could have some big influence on the outcome at Qo'noS. The naming convention for the upcoming Supplemental Threads is CH03: S [D03]YYYY] Insert Title (with YYYY marking the time).

Re: Chapter 06: Battle of the Houses [ Day 03 | 0900 hrs. ]

Reply #48 –
[ Ensign Cameron Henshaw | Below Decks Lounge | Deck 28 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Brutus @BZ  @jreeves1701 @Elaurianpaladin @Fife et. al.
[Show/Hide]
Cameron looked deep into the console, right into the heart of the Theurgy as their vector took another hit, the shield flashing bright on the display. Not a moment later as Cross fired off a volley of phaser bursts, the rear of the bridge erupted once more into a dazzling display of light that would have put a fancy show on Luna to shame. Her attention only lasted for so long though, and was interrupted by the dispiriting sight of watching her crewmembers vanish. Watching them fall had been one thing on its own,  but watching them vanish before her eyes was something else entirely. It brought a sort of finality to their lives.

A finality that she couldn’t allow herself to face in that moment.

Her gaze turned up to peer upon the battle-hardened Chu’vok, shouting at his fellows. She had to give Klingons one thing, they certainly had a flair for the dramatic. Bloodied child, warblade in hand - that certainly sent a strong message. At least it would on Earth. It would send a ripple through a culture that would fill a population with stories of glory and horror in equal measure. She tapped a few controls on her console while he made the rest of his speech and a feeling of bewilderment washed over her.

It had worked. She saw a little purple light pop up on her console, “Commander!” She worked her way through the transmission she’d received, pressing her finger to her earpiece and skimming through the textual piece of the message at the same time, “The Sabine has been attacked.” She shook her head but, after a second longer her eyes went wide and a moment after that, she grinned, almost ear to ear and she even laughed. “They’re alright uh- they have an ally. It’s Starfleet. They have a Starfleet ship with them, codename Freedom Sentinel. They’re en route to Qo’noS.”

She watched on her console as several of the remaining ships broke off their assault and instead, moved into a defensive posture around the three vectors. The shield display on the three vectors’ holograms each flickered as they regained their strength and Cam even allowed herself a moment to breathe, a tiny, slightly smile growing on her face, but it didn’t last for more than a moment before she again regained all solemnity. Her jaw tightened up and she braced herself up against the console, eyes narrowing upon the field of battle.

As Stark began her speech in earnest, Cam froze. The hair on the back of her neck stood up, as if someone had dumped a bucket of cold water over her and time had stood still around her. She didn’t know what they would think or how they would react and she could only imagine how Stark herself must be thinking, or for that matter, the rest of the bridge crew. She swallowed once and let out a deep breath before looking back down at her console, seeing a few flickers going off on it as the speech went on. Her eyes narrowed and she dipped her head to the right, mouth going slightly agape as she processed the information before her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak as the speech came to a close, waiting for only a moment. As she started however, another momentous event began to unfold before her eyes.

Ships began to fall away.

“Commander-” Cam  spoke aloud. The Klingon vessels laid out on the holographic table. By no means was it all of them, there was still fighting occurring, and she could see the flashes of fire going off on the display but bit by bit she could see ships backing off from the scene. “Some of them are- they’re leaving.” She looked up towards Stark, a look of awe on her face. The stragglers were taking more and more fire as their allies melted away into the void.  As Cam watched the last four fighting vessels flash out one by one, she just shook her head.

Senseless. It was senseless. All this death could have been avoided.

The chirp came as a shock and she gave a sharp inhale, and felt as though she was about to leap out of her boots before she heard the voice. Lowering shields? That sounded like a risky move but, what else were they going to do, brig them all? Execute them?

The comm light on her console went off one more time. Once again, she pressed her finger to her earpiece. “Erudite is back in Breen space and is with the Allegiant.” This time however, instead of joy, her face had fallen into anguish. “Multiple losses, some still receiving treatment. Both bombing attempts stopped., and they’ve found-” Again however, her eyes did go wide, and her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She tapped a button to clear up the message but she repeated the word anyway. “They’ve defused a Genesis Device.” She didn’t really know what that was, but it didn’t sound good. Whatever the hell it was.

She swapped the mission ops console to an internal view of the helmet, trying to view an accurate reading of how many remaining Klingons were aboard. The main issue was, she wasn’t certain how many of them were friendly or not. Now that she’d sent her information on, her mind refocused on the shields issue.


Re: Chapter 06: Battle of the Houses [ Day 03 | 0900 hrs. ]

Reply #49 –
[Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Main Bridge | Deck 01 | Vector 1 | USS Theurgy ]Attn: @Fife @BZ @Nolan @BipSpoon @jreeves1701 @Auctor Lucan @Elaurianpaladin 
[Show/Hide]

In her years in Starfleet, there had been moments that seemed to hang in the air before her. The lead up to the final battle her ship had fought at the tail end of the Dominion war, as the small wing they'd been assigned to broke off to dive at a flight of Jem'Hadar attack craft. The silence that had settled onto the crew of the Lexington as they'd borne witness to the birth of a cosmozoan, in a cramped asteroid belt. The sheer shock of the crew when they first encountered a Borg Cube.

The silence that filled the bridge after her statement - her impassioned pleading, really - to the assembled fleets flying in defense of the Houses of Martok and Mo'kai. Beams of energy lashed out on the viewscreen striking one ship after another, in silent majesty. None came for Theurgy but this did little to ease the fear buried inside of Natalie, and it still took an effort of will to maintain that calm façade, to resist the urge to flinch. It some how seemed so much more intense, sitting in this chair, without the distraction of the Operations console in front of her to focus on.

But soon, they began to peel away, and Natalie felt some of the tension that held in her shoulders bleed off. At last, only a scant handful, hell bent on avenging slights and grievances, drove each other to oblivion, their ships exploding in violent sparks of plasma fire, the flames dying off as the oxygen that fueled them dissipated into the space around them. Soon, the battlefield hung silent once again, as ships split off to their separate sides, some already leaving the system entirely.

A chirp split the air, and Natalie shared a look with Thea, each measuring the other before the Ops Chief - Acting Captain - nodded her assent. A guttural voice spilled over the bridge, making its meaning clear, then sputtering out. Sighing heavily, Natalie swept a hand over her head, smoothing her hair back. It had come undone at some point and now spilled down around her shoulders. She wondered when that had happened, but set the idle thoughts aside.

"That's it, then," she muttered, before addressing Cross. "Keep weapons hot, but drop the shields. Let them collect their warriors. I want them gone from this place." An edge of anger still lingered in her voice, but she wondered if she sounded as tired to everyone else as she now felt. Everything replayed in her mind, and she realized that, in the heat of the moment, she had not addressed Cameron Henshaw. She didn't have the time to, before the young woman relayed even more news - this time about the Allegiant.

"They what? Show me," she blurted out, pushing up and out of her seat and rounding on the young woman, heading toward the holo-table. Her eyes seemed to spark with some inner turmoil, some barely contained emotion. "All of the reports, casualties, those messages, all of it. Right here." She tapped the table knowing Cross and likely, Zayro Natuna would be circling as well.

There was a part of Natalie that would feel guilty later. After all of this was over, and she had a moment to sit down with her own thoughts, and reflect on her actions.  But in that moment, as she poured over the casualty reports from the Allegiant and her mission aboard the Savi ship Erudite, it wasn't a pang of loss over the death of one of her Operations Officers that Nat felt most keenly, though Ens. Hailliwell would be sorely missed in a department that kept taking hits. She wasn't gratified to know that Frank Arnold, whom had made one of the most positive impressions a new officer to the ship had made on Nat in quite some time, was alive, though she should have felt that too.

No, it was the deep, abiding relief that had washed away the taste of bile and panic from the pack of her throat, the palpable shudder that briefly trickled down her spine when she saw that Vanya was alive, and not among the deceased on that small ship. That was nothing more than pure, unabashed selfishness. Again, it felt like a weight that had been crushing down on her chest had eased, and she breathed in slowly. Once. Twice. Calming herself. She looked at the rest of the report and knew she was going to need more information.

From the report, her eyes moved to the display of the battle. The flashing indicators of enemy and allied vessels, and the smaller dots noting the remaining fighters. There was a lot to process. Some of it she needed to tell everyone. She could feel the fear and confusion, the sense of utter exhaustion that came from a battle.

"Ensign Henshaw," she quietly addressed the girl, even as she watched the captains yeomen pouring over the read outs, as one by one, Klingon signatures vanished from within the trio of vectors. "Issue recall orders for the Lone Wolves. And if you can, please send my compliments to both Lt.'s Arnold and zh'Wann, aboard the Allegiant, and to the commanding officer of the ah, Freedom Sentinel. I'm honestly not sure if either ship can receive our transmissions, but nevertheless, please appraise them that the battle here has ended. Captain Ives will want to know."

She could see confusion in more than once face on the bridge, particularly that of Lt. Conway, her backup at Ops. Smiling softly, Nat stood up and tugged on her jacket sleeves a bit as she addressed the rest of the bridge.

"There's a lot to do people. I need damage repairs crews and search and rescue operations to get underway, stat. Thea, let's bring the vectors back together once the Lone Wolves are aboard." She paused, coming to stand next to Lt. Commander Cross, her back to the holo-table now.

"I'm not going to pretend that we didn't pay a price just now. We've lost members of our crew - our family - here in this battle, and elsewhere. Lt. Commander Fisher and his party are presumed to be embedded aboard Gorka's flagship, which is a precarious placement to say the least. The Allegiant is far from home, and facing some significant losses on its own." Here again she paused, marshaling herself.

"But here and now, we stopped a battle from becoming a true bloodbath. If not for us, the Klingon Empire might very well have divested itself of the majority of its warriors in one battle. I'm not saying this is over, but as many as died here today, we saved the lives of a magnitude more. More importantly, we bought Captain Ives and Chancellor Martok time. With a little luck, they will arrive at Q'onos ahead of Gorka, who was too busy fighting us here to be fighting his own battle on the Klingon Homeworld."

That there was no guarantee that Gorka would not be able to catch up or lay waste to the capital city afterward was not something Natalie was going to mention. He was a conniving bastard, and the flicker of a savage - utterly un-Natalie like - smile flashed over her face, at having bested him and thwarted his efforts in the battle. There and gone again, she pressed onward.

"We have word that an ally has come to our aid. I do not know the true name of the vessel, but the Freedom Sentinel is a Starfleet vessel that Admiral Anderson trusts enough to have read them in on the stakes at play. With their aide, Martok and the Captain will be able to plead their case to the High Council of the Klingon Empire and stabilize our allies in the face of the infested's attempt to plunge the alpha and beta quadrants back into war. A plan that we have seriously just thwarted people. Andor. Breen. Either of these could have turned into the flames that lit the Federation's funeral pyre. We stopped them."

Letting those words settle in. Natalie took a moment to look around the battered bridge, meeting the eyes of every single officer under her command that still stood. She saw medics tending to the wounded, junior officers filling many of the bridge stations. A damage repair crew had paused in their efforts to shift a shattered bulkhead pannel aside, to listen to her words. It was a bitter sweet smile she offered them - she would save the breakdown, the crying for lost friends, for later, the privacy of her own quarters, and the exhausted sleep that would follow - but she needed to drive home that point.

"We won this round. And it was a hell of a round. Please remember that. Bundle that feeling, use it to fuel you in the coming hours, because there is a lot of work left to do. Now. Quit starring at me and get to it, people."

Nodding once, curtly, to Thea, she then tilted her head slightly to the side, and spoke much softer, but in a firm, tense voice. "Lieutenant Commander," she addressed Cross, without quite looking at him, still watching the crew around the bridge as they began to process her orders. "As soon as the ship is re-integrated and we can hand off all of this to someone else, I need a word with you in the ready room."

For all her rousing words, Natalie still felt a creeping dread in the pit of her stomach. The Genesis Incident she thought, even a century later, was shrouded in mystery. She knew just enough to be afraid. But if someone had unleashed one of those devices that had nearly ended the career of the likes of no less than the then Admiral James T. Kirk, Starfleet Legend, then she needed to know more...
 
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