CH06 Battle Log: Discovered Identity [D03|1430]

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CH06 Battle Log: Discovered Identity [D03|1430]

February 07, 2021, 08:36:28 PM

Pierce heard the incoming communication from the bridge on Vector 1 hitting the console of Central Intelligence Suite. She had been working on some menial reports at the time but suspected there would come a point where command needed her input. That bout with Nicander earlier in the morning and her run in with the counseling office had left her quite a bit to think about after this day was done. Some for longer it seemed now having to explore her psyche more in the future. She could only imagine the torment going on in the good doctor's head now.

"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."

Her hand tapped her combadge as she sat at the console. "Aye sir. I will get on it now. Pierce out." Pierce pointed at Dantius, "Well you heard her." A glance over toward Lt. Byrne. "Would you please accompany me to the Brig? We have a particular individual who needs a wakeup call and a prodding for information stat." She flipped the crimson hair from her face over her shoulder as she stood at the console and motioned for him to follow her to the brig. It seemed as if today wasn't even close to being done.
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A short while later, the turbolift opened nearby the Brig. "Well, this is it. Let's hope we get what we came in here for this time without sending the doctor into turmoil again." The door swished open before them as they covered the distance with a slight stride. She handed the PADD with the command from Lt. Commander Stark to the security officer to let them know thery had clearance to visit Nicander once more today. Who would have thought she'd be visiting the same individual after the morning's display of events.

The forcefield in place shown clear to Pierce but covered over quickly with an opaque shield on Dr. Nicander's side of things. Byrne close behind Pierce to the point of precision was not something that she didn't take note of as they neared the doctor's cell. "Hello Doctor. I hope you've sufficiently recovered from this morning's events. I hate to do this to you but we need a name for the individual in the Empire if you have it. Time is of the essence and with the turn of events I've just witnessed, good luck is something we're in short supply of at present."

She clasped her hands behind her back and stood upright awaiting the reply she hoped would help to turn the tide in this fight.

Re: CH06: S [D03|1430 hrs] Discovered Identity

Reply #1 – February 15, 2021, 03:18:53 PM

Following Alana Pierce into the Brig, Lieutenant Byrne had armed himself with a pulse phase pistol and holstered it by his hip. The reason was two-fold, incidentally, because not only was Vector 02 shaking from sustained weapon fire from Klingon ships and boarding parties were reported on all Vectors... but they were also just about to face one of the Infested.

Pierce greeted the former Chief Medical Officer once they reached the holding cell, and Byrne decided to step close to the transphasic light cannon. Byrne wanted to be ready to use the cannon in case the Brig Officer had assumed incorrectly about the state of the Doctor's mind. It made him come to stand a little bit behind Lieutenant Pierce, leaving her to lead the hearing, and incidentally... leaving him with the view of Pierce's backside. He did not let it become too much of a distraction, though, because any unwary moment might lead to peril given the present circumstances. Averting his eyes, he looked upon the prisoner instead, who was picking himself up from the bunk bed of the cell.

"Of course you do," said the Câroon, his pale grey eyes squinting at the light. It looked like he'd been resting after coming to from the incident that morning. Byrne had heard he'd nearly broken out of his cell by attacking the emitters of the force field, as was evident by the state of his right arm. The bionic hand was splintered and destroyed from striking the metal, and it bespoke the sheer power that possessed the Doctor. This untamed, raw physical force that the parasite lent the Host, and judging by reports Byrne had read - which were really just speculation on the abilities of the Infested - it could be the phased state of the parasite allowed the host bodies to move and exert force without the physical restraints of the present existence they all shared. Byrne was no scientist, and he had no idea if that really could be the case, but he supposed it was just as good an explanation as any when it came to the Infested.

"My head hurts," said the Doctor, and raised his remaining, tattooed hand to his hair, and he grimaced when the Sword shook once more. "I want to say I am sorry too... For not being able to remain in control. I apologise if I frightened you... when it tried to break out of here. I tried... I really did, but when immersed in the dark like that, everything became a shadow, and I lost my bearings. Couldn't tell myself apart from it any more..."

Nicander didn't rise from the bunk bed, perhaps unable to, but he glanced towards the opaque wall that covered the force field. "Do... Do you have a database with current councilors?" The Câroon had removed his uniform jacket before they arrived, wearing his teal undershirt unzipped at the collar, and the weight of three pips made it rest against his clavicle. "I am afraid I am more or less a stranger to Klingon politics, but I can tell you whom I saw, and thus also rule them out from suspicion."

The Doctor looked towards his stand-alone PADD lying on a fold-out table that was fastened on the bulkhead, as if indicating the information could be sent to it somehow, unless Pierce decided to step inside the holding cell instead. Byrne supposed she could do so, at the risk of revealing her face to other Infested looking through the Doctor's eyes, but looking at this harried officer, he almost felt inclined to do so himself. It would be a great risk, and he decided against making the offer, but he felt the compulsion to do so nonetheless. Could they project images on the forcefield instead to make this process quicker?

Re: CH06: S [D03|1430 hrs] Discovered Identity

Reply #2 – February 16, 2021, 09:33:01 PM

The feeling that someone was staring at her backside didn't escape her but she had other matters to attend to at present than to worry about that. She heard the request of the Câroon before her. The fact was, she wasn't scared. Startled was more the word she was looking for. It could be this feminine body that projected it as in her old body, she wouldn't have even flinched at the breakdown that had occurred mere hours before. Alana stepped over to a console and transferred some data to a PADD for use with the former doctor of the Theurgy. When the transfer had finished to the PADD on the desk, she lifted the device and began encoding the data for a 2nd transfer.

"Doctor. It's no worry about the incident earlier this morning. I was appraised of the situation and the parameters of what might have happened...which did, unfortunately. To say I wasn't a slight shaken is understated. However, the reason I'm here is to get this important information to the command deck. Hopefully, they're faring better than the rest of the ship." She glanced as if in disbelief at their current predicament. She straightened her uniform and pulled the uniform down to get more comfortable as she felt this was going to be a bumpy ride the rest of this mission.

Fingers tapped the controls on the PADD as a data transfer began to create a shared environment with the data allowing the doctor to see the Klingons in question and to notify Pierce upon his selection of infected versus not. "You'll see from this data transfer that I've sent the particular Klingon delegates over to your PADD. Check it now and let me know what you can recall without diving back into your...gift."

Alana stood awaiting what would happen as he glanced at the details. She looked around her shoulder to see Lt. Byrne prepared for the possibility of another attack on behalf of the doctor. His gaze told her that he was unsure if the doctor was truly the doctor. Either way, they had little to go on in this moment and he was their best chance at any insight of infected council members.

She made a cutting motion under her neck to indicate to cut off her communications from his cell before approaching Byrne. "What do you think? Do you think he is being forthright or are we in over our heads here? Either way, be ready in case something happens." She walked over to the wall still holding the PADD, and armed herself with a shoulder strapped phaser rifle. Her arm carefully swung it behind her back and diagonally over her chest as she scanned the data the Câroon was perusing.

Re: CH06: S [D03|1430 hrs] Discovered Identity

Reply #3 – February 23, 2021, 01:05:38 PM

"I'll do my best," said Nicander quietly. Still cautious, Byrne watched the Doctor climb off his bunk bed and walk over to the table - the ruined bionic arm hanging at his side. Nicander picked it up with his tattooed hand and seated himself by the small table, balancing the PADD in his grip whilst awkwardly trying to access the information Pierce had sent him with his thumb. He ended up having to put the data tablet down on the tabletop in order to browse the intel on the Klingon Councilors. Then, the ship shook from more sustained enemy fire, and the PADD slid off the table and down unto the deck, forcing the weary Doctor to start over.

Meanwhile, Pierce approached Byrne, and she asked a very poignant question. "Didn't the current Chief Medical Officer have him wear some kind of device on his head? That's that the report said, at least," he said to the other Lieutenant. He glanced towards the stationed Brig Officer, wondering if the man still kept it at his station. "I'm just not sure what to think. I mean, he nearly got out. The forcefield emitters around the opening to his cell had to be repaired and reinforced while he was out, but I'm a spy, not an engineer. I have no way of telling if that will be enough."

Shifting his feet and putting a hand on the cannon mounted beside him, Byrne gave it some further thought. "Can we even trust that he'll give us the right intel? If he turned, this morning, and this thing here didn't work, then there is no way he'd give us the right Councilor. He'd lay the blame squarely at the feet of any prominent Martok supporter in the Great Hall, wouldn't he?"

Looking at the screen of Pierce's PADD, synced with Nicander's, it seemed the Doctor was browsing the faces of the Councilors, and the Klingons were either high-lighted or dismissed with a tap of his remaining fingers.

"It says here there are six vacant seats in the Klingon High Council," said the Doctor, frowning and rubbing his temple. "This, after Councilor Gothmara and Morjod staged a coup against Martok, briefly deposing him from office in 2375. Destroying the Great Hall, the two managed to kill most of the High Council members. It says that in the initial attack, Martok's wife Sirella died, as did Martok's daughters Shen and Lazhna. If this intel is up to date, then Martok has yet to restore Houses to these vacant seats, leaving eighteen Councilors..."

The microphone was still off, so Nicander still couldn't hear them, which had Byrne make his recommendation. "I don't know about you, but perhaps we should ask him to wear that thing again, because I don't trust him. Perhaps I should give him the benefit of the doubt, not being paranoid and all that jazz that comes with our duties in Starfleet. But we are spies, Pierce, and we know that unless we're cautious, the enemy can get the better of us."

Doctor Nicander continued, catching the PADD as another impact against Thea's shields made the Sword shake. "I could see Councilor Cha'lak, of House Cha'lak. Councilors Ganbral, Grevaq and Kolen...." he murmured, staring intently at the faces on the small screen with his pale grey eyes. Silent, the Doctor continued removing Klingons whom he'd seen through the eyes of the other Infested, and the representatives of Houses Konjah, Kriton and Kryan were dismissed as well. That was when a loud noise was heard from outside the Brig. A... roar?

"What the hell?" said Byrne under his breath, and he saw how the Brig Officer stirred as well, rising to his feet and checking the energy level on his Type-III rifle. "What's happening?"

"We have an intruder in the Security Centre, and too few officers defending it. They are all holed up in our central surveillance hub, or out defending the ship. Jesus fucking Christ..." The Security guard swore under his breath, looking at the screens in in his Brig console. "It's a bloody Gorn. Ferocious. Huge thing, and it's tearing down doors bare-handed, looking for prey. Fuck, it just struck Simmons down... Oh, god, it's eating her... It's eating her! Fuck, this is bad."

Byrne could see that the man was nervous, and while he was feeling the adrenaline rushing through his own veins, he had to keep the man calm. "Hey, listen to me, what's your name?"

"Crewman Tucker, s-sir," came the reply, eyes flickering between the screens on the console, his rifle and the interrogation room doors, as if expecting the Gorn to tear its way inside through those, and perhaps it might...

"Tucker, take a breath, and take a firing position with your console between yourself and the doors, and tell us if it's heading inside here, okay? Do you understand me?"

"Aye, s-sir. Okay... Okay..." Hands visibly shaking, face white, Tucker did as instructed, and Byrne returned his attention to Pierce and the Doctor. By that time, Nicander had four suspected Infested left, and while he was unhearing and oblivious to the threat of the Gorn just outside the Brig, they could still hear him speak when he was finished.

"The faces unaccounted for are Councilors Daa´maq, J'mpok, Kopek and Torg," he said in his faded accent and put the PADD down on the table. "Do you have any recordings of these Klingons available? I did hear the voice of the Host body before..." Nicander gestured with his remaining hand, indicating the embarrassment of the morning.

Byrne, leaving Pierce to continue doing the talking with the Infested, drew his pulse phase pistol and held it in a two-hand grip, keeping the muzzle lowered for the time being and his finger off the trigger - facing the direction where the Gorn might tear itself inside to get another snack.

Re: CH06 Battle Log: Discovered Identity [D03|1430]

Reply #4 – March 04, 2021, 11:15:57 PM

Alana heard the protest of Crewman Tucker as he was scared shitless in regards to the Gorn running amuck in the Jeffries Tubes. She turned and saw Byrne handle the situation before turning her head once more to the good doctor behind the shielded vantage point he found himself behind. Before speaking to him, she raised her PADD and toggled the visibility of the currently opaque force field presented to Nicander. Carefully, she retained the force field but allowed him to see to whom he was speaking, hoping to leverage a level of trust between comrades both new and old.

"Doctor, as you can no doubt hear, we are crawling with enemy forces. I will do what I can to protect you but I also wanted you to trust me. Just as I am trusting you with my identity here before you." She brushed the crimson hair from her face and shook her head which moved the hair towards her backside. Slender fingers rapped the controls as she located the files from the CIS computer system of the Klingon Councilors that he'd asked for to audibly hear the men's voices speak.

She turned once more to see Byrne ready for the coming opponents with little time possibly left to inquire. Seeing him take arms with a pulse phase pistol, she patted her chest and realized that aside from slapping her breasts which hurt just a little, she still had her phaser rifle holstered on her back. She swung it around and checked its functionality as she prepared in the unlikely event she had to do battle in here. Her eyes scanned the reading and bumped up the level to Level 7 on the rifle as she replaced it on her back. She planned to leverage whatever advantage she could. Pierce looked back at the Câroon who sat once more in his cell, clearly listening to the audio files of the various individuals he'd asked for.

Her mouth dry as the adrenaline of the situation helped keep her keen at the task at hand and aware of the situation. "Any luck?"

The sound of steel could be heard tearing apart several doors over from the security cell. Getting an idea she turned back toward Byrne. "Do you think it's possible to alter the transphasic light cannon for Gorn physiology to say, tranquilize and blind the opponent?" She contemplated the idea. "Doctor, what do you think not to take you from the task at hand?"

Re: CH06: S [D03|1430 hrs] Discovered Identity

Reply #5 – March 07, 2021, 09:41:17 PM

Incredulous, Byrne's eyes widened when he looked to the side at what Pierce was doing - phaser still at the ready and still turned towards where the Gorn might break into the brig.

She revealed both their faces to the Infested. For what? She said she wished to earn his trust. Why? Now that Pierce had activated audio reception in the holding cell, and he could see Byrne's stance and the fact that Pierce was armed, the Doctor stood up from his table - realising that the battle wasn't just restricted to outside of the hull. The former Chief Medical Officer's pale grey eyes darted to the edge of the forcefield, unable to see around it, but instead of saying anything, he gave a quick nod before returning his attention to the PADD and the new audio files from the selected councilors.

Byrne ground his teeth, browridge lowered, and looked back towards Tucker when Pierce was about to turn back in his direction. In his peripheral vision, he saw how she readied her rifle, and while he was confounded about Pierce tactic to give away both his and hers identities to the enemy, this was not the time and place to question her. When she threw a question back to the Doctor, he answered while Klingon voices were heard inside the cell.

"Three more to listen to," he said, quietly, seated again and completely focused on the Klingon tonalities coming from the PADD. To his credit, Byrne thought the Câroon making his task a priority in spite of facing adversity. Clearly, he saw the import of learning whom the Infested were in the Klingon High Council, and knew it was up to him to deliver a name. Perhaps Pierce was right in that he hadn't turned that morning. Then again... this was a man who had kept his own crew ignorant of his true nature for years.

As focused as Byrne and Tucker were on the noises coming from beyond the bulkhead, Pierce came over to Byrne and distracted him. Not just with her appearence and proximity, but with an idea concerning the transphasic cannon. Byrne frowned, looking at it. "If we change its settings, it won't work on Nicander. We better not touch it because, quite frankly, I have no idea how to recalibrate it again."

Nicander got the question as well, to Byrne's great surprise, and narrowed his eyes at the Infested. If he suggested changing the settings on the cannon, then surely that would suggest he was no longer himself...

"Deliberately, I have been kept outside the manufacturing process of that thing," said Nicander, barely looking up from the PADD, but he got to his feet and paced his cell - Klingon shouting heard from the tablet in his hand. He looked up briefly, attacking the present threat with his wits, it seemed. "Did you say Gorn? Gorn eyes don't like normal lighting, but they commonly wear silver compound lenses that protect their eyes in conditions like these. They are, however... Thea, are you listening?"

[Yes, Doctor, but you have no security cle-]

"By the winds, I know, but there are lives at stake here. Environmental controls. How quickly and how cold can you make it in here? Gorn are ectothermic. They are cold-blooded... They might survive even when frozen solid, but they will be slower the colder they are. So how cold, and how fast?"

[With proper authorisation, I can lower effective air temperature by 1 degree Celcius per second.]

"In that case, you may have to take cover behind one of these forcefields, Lieutenant, because it sounds like the Gorn is fairly worked up and it will take some time for the cold to get past his scales..." concluded the Doctor, eyes returning to the PADD. "I'd still make it cold, but better safe than sorry, in case you fail to hit it with those weapons of yours..."

A loud crash was heard, and Tucker began to shout. "It's in one of the interrogation rooms now, on the way in here! Dammit, battle damage... I can't activate the forcefields between him and us, but I have access to the cells!"

Re: CH06 Battle Log: Discovered Identity [D03|1430]

Reply #6 – March 15, 2021, 10:43:56 PM

Pierce could sense the apprehension at her decision to reveal their identities to the good doctor. Despite the fact that he'd fooled the crew from the maiden voyage on to the time of his incarceration, she felt a kindred spirit in him. Something about his recent persona and events spoke to her and made her believe that he was actually himself and not some infested toady of the parasites. But she could appreciate his lack of trust as well. One could never be too careful with the infested, nor with the recent events of Starfleet Command. She had a hunch however that Nicander was too on their side in this situation.

Her green eyes darted at the doctor's as she watched what he was scanning with his own. She mentally noted his response to the increased security in their direct premises. Noting the return to the PADD and scanning the Klingons, and listening to their vocal patterns to discern the enemy they sought. As she'd mentioned her idea for the cannon to Byrne, it clearly wasn't lost on the Câroon. Alana turned her head, crimson hair flailing in front slightly as she adjusted her tunic and listened to Byrne.

"Alright. That works for me. Any other ideas?" She stood in bewilderment as she placed a dainty hand at her temple, lightly brushing her brow which was now showing slight frustration but also deep thought.

It was when this occurred that she turned at the voice of Dr. Nicander who piped up about his being outside the development of the cannon but supplied another worthy although unfortunate alternative. The word Gorn piqued his interest however over the task of selecting their infected individual. Slightly putting the thought of his in-authenticity at stake over their situation. The same being said, if they all died, it mattered little.

Her thoughts rumbled as Nicander signaled Thea aboard the internal comms. At hearing his suggestion for hiding behind a force field and lowering the internal temperature of the Security room itself to freeze the Gorn in its tracks, it did make sense. However, there was also the matter of being trapped behind a forcefield too.

Pierce noted how the doctor continued his thoughts and returned to the PADD as he informed her of his medical knowledge on Gorn physiology. She looked at Byrne who was also in the ready stance for the fight but not particularly wanting to die either. Thoughts racing as she stood working it out before making a quick decision after hearing Crewman Tucker yelling the Gorn breached the office now.

She tapped her combadge. "Thea, as the doctor suggested, I'm giving you the authorization to lower the internal air temperature of this section of the ship 1 degree Celcius per second. Give us a 30-second head start before beginning in this particular room. Begin immediately where the Gorn is located." Alana turned to Byrne and Tucker. "Care to be locked up in the Brig?" A playful smirk struck her full, pink lips as she attempted to lighten the mood as much as one could in a life or death situation.

Once again tapping her combadge. "Thea. Discreetly send this message to the bridge and to Rutherford, this is Pierce, we've been breached in the security detention center. A wild Gorn on the loose. Send in security reinforcements as soon as possible. We've got a plan to freeze them out but may need to be...relocated to somewhere more secure soon. End Message." She paused and quickly thought of a workaround for the security detention cells. "Thea, I need to be sure I can deactivate the cell from inside by voice command. Is that possible?" She stated before a mumbled phrase came out. "Not that we have much choice at present."

She motioned for them to join her in the cell opposite of Nicander's. "Doctor, please work on those names. That information is vital!"

The Gorn appeared in the doorway as she swung her phaser rifle off her back and around the front. She fired a few shots off on the Gorn as the air temperature had followed it from the other room. The feeling of goosebumps made her skin crawl as she walked inside the brig cell of her own as she activated it in front of her. Now she hoped the others made it in time to survive this angry Gorn who was just now slowing down from the consistent cold slapping its scales.

Re: CH06: S [D03|1430 hrs] Discovered Identity

Reply #7 – March 19, 2021, 10:10:56 AM

[Acknowledged. Lowering temperature,] Thea said in answer to Lieutenant Pierce, and Byrne glanced towards the cells lining the hallway of the Brig. [Yes, I will override security protocols and free you at your request.]

"Never thought I'd want to end up in one of these," he said under his breath, stepping sideways, but no more had he uttered the words before the sliding doors directly behind the Brig Officer's station buckled and split open with a loud crash. Crewman Tucker had stepped out of cover, prompted by plan to take cover in a cell, but that left him in the open and in the Gorn's line of sight. Byrne saw the creature duck its head down so that it might pass through the door, bloodied teeth catching the artificial light. Once inside, it stretched into its full height, and Byrne had never seen such a large reptilian before. "By the Custodian..."

Tucker was shooting at it, but as terrified as he was, the Gorn merely took a glancing hit across its upper arm, making it roar prepare to leap forward. Clawed hands spread.

"Run!" Byrne called to Tucker, but perhaps it would have been better if he'd kept firing with his rifle, because the crewman was too slow. The Gorn leapt right over the duty station and landed an overhand strike into Tucker's unprotected back. The combination of claws, momentum and strength allowed the Gorn to wrap its fingers around Tucker's spine. The crewman's scream ended abruptly when half his spine was torn clear from his torso... and his dying body hit the cold floor. The Gorn wasn't finished, however, as it wrapped its claws around the head of the young officer, and with the pressure of its sharp digits alone, squeezed the skull clear from his face and skalp, as if peeling the skin off a ripe pear.

"My god," Byrne whispered, firing at it alongside Pierce, and he caught it in the leg, searing through its thick scales and crippling its gate. It screeched, more so when Pierce hit it in the arm, but it made the Gorn leap towards them - closing the distance. Perhaps it was the cold that saved them, or the hits it sustained, but either way, Byrne leapt clear from harm's way, landing on his side in the same cell that Pierce picked - the one opposite from Nicander.

In the nick of time, the forcefield was raised in place, and the Gorn's clawed strike hit it with such force that the entire opening to the cell turned white and crackled with energy. The barrier saved their lives, and to accompany the mayhem, the sound of Klingon voices from the other cell created a strange contrast to the present.

"It's either Daa'maq or Kopek, I can't tell for certain," shouted Nicander from the other side of the hallway, making the roaring Gorn turn his way instead. The Doctor continued, however, while the temperature in the brig was lowering. "I heard the voice as if it was my own, the timbre different, and this recording have them both shouting. I merely overheard conversation. Do you know of these Councilors are supposed to be on Qo'noS? By the winds... you are not a pretty sight..."

The Gorn screeched at the Doctor, attacking that forcefield as well, as if offended by the words. Then...

...it saw the mounted cannon outside the cell.

"No! Don't touch that!"

Yet the Gorn went for the transphasic light cannon, and if it was damaged, Byrne knew that the Doctor wouldn't have the means to retain his sanity again. That was unless he already lost it that morning... Byrne couldn't know, but they couldn't afford to loose the cannon either.

"Thea," he said, about to tell the AI to lower the cell's forcefield, but he looked at Pierce first, because while every second counted, he wasn't about to lower the forcefield without her consent. Their own lives might be lost if they tried to stop the Gorn themselves - the temperature dropping far too slowly to help them.

Re: CH06 Battle Log: Discovered Identity [D03|1430]

Reply #8 – March 23, 2021, 07:13:46 AM

Alana Pierce laughed a little under her breath as she heard Byrne's remark about never thinking he'd end up in the brig. Under normal circumstances, it might be a little more fun, but with the life or death situation mounted before them, it wasn't really a laughing matter. The moment quickly passed as she witnessed something she wasn't quite prepared for. Tucker wasn't a match for a fully capable Gorn brute, and unfortunately, it proved as much. The sight and sounds of his mutilated spine and flesh hitting the deck plates not only left her in disgust but made her slightly queasy. Another casualty of a feminine body she noted.

The Gorn however being hit by shots from both Byrne and Pierce left it a little worse for wear. Nevertheless, the brute was pissed and it charged them as the forcefield shimmered from the claws that moments before would have shredded them as it did poor Tucker. Her heartbeat was erratic at this point and one benefit of her female form was that her mind was capable of higher levels of multitasking. Her thoughts already sharp, she looked for an advantage in their current situation. One presented itself but not before she noticed the creature's slowed movements towards Nicander's savior in that of the transphasic light cannon.

She heard the doctor mention that it might either be Daa'maq or Kopek, but he wasn't fully sure of that. She tapped her com badge, "Thea, present Nicander's findings to Commander Rutherford." Her tone softened as she looked at Byrne who was clearly not liking the direction this was going with the Gorn. She knew the look and nodded. "Thea, lower the forcefield and accelerate the room chilling by five degrees per second."

Her head turned as she smirked at Byrne. "As the Klingons are proud to say, "Perhaps today is a good day to die!" Let's get this bastard! Computer deactivate forcefield." The shimmering glow disappeared and was replaced by a blast of cold air that made the hair on her arms stand on end. She felt the chill down to her bones as the moisture in the air made it harder to move but not nearly as much as it was having an effect on their cold-blooded intruder.

Pierce reached for the phaser rifle and kicked it up to full power. Typically it was frowned upon to use that level on a starship let alone in Starfleet, but this day had seen enough friends fall. She took a running barrel roll towards the other side of the deck. Her legs slid a little from the slickness of the deck plates. Clearly, it had an effect on the gorn as it slid too. Letting off a fresh blast of phaser fire, she landed a direct hit on the Gorn's hand which was already in the air to smack the transphasic light cannon. While he was still present, his hand no longer was as it was vaporized. What wasn't vaporized were a scorched chunk of flesh, missing claws, and anything viable as a weapon.

The howl of the creature filled the air as its head shot up uttering something in an ear-deafening guttural yell. Slowly it turned as it headed towards them. The air was becoming increasingly hard to breathe in and Pierce motioned for Byrne to head back to the cell and reactivate the forcefield so they could survive the oncoming foe with a lust for death in its eyes. Cold air caused her muscles to begin to seize but at this point, she could still move faster than the gorn could. But it was still gaining on her.

"Byrne, get to safety! I have no clue if this will work or not."

With few options left, she began tapping controls on her phaser rifle, setting the overload sequence. Hopefully, it didn't take out the cannon but at this point, if the gorn took out the security grid, they'd lose the doctor instead. Decidedly she went with the calculated risk that if the gorn followed her as intended, she could take him out of commission and head to safety. Alana watched as it came ever closer as she finished the overload command in her rifle. As it was almost on top of her, it swung its arm overhead and as it began to come back down, she dove into the cell, threw the phaser at the chest of the gorn.

She screamed loudly, "Thea, activate forcefield!" Her arms reached and covered up her head and neck as she closed her eyes. The next thing she saw was a bright splattering of crimson, and the forcefield shimmering bright gold. But was it dead and did the cannon survive with only gorn blood on it? That, she didn't yet know.

Re: CH06: S [D03|1430 hrs] Discovered Identity

Reply #9 – April 01, 2021, 01:31:55 AM

[Unable to comply,] Thea had said in answer to Lieutenant Pierce, the timing of which lending to the dramatic development in the brig.

Yet the A.I. had merely answered Pierce's request to decrease the temperature faster, and she was already decreasing it at the fastest rate she was able. The forcefield had lowered, however, and a chirp had acknowledged the request to send Nicander's finding onwards, due to reach the Sabine eventually. Byrne was a little preoccupied to think about that, however, with the Gorn to be dealt with.

Fortunately enough, the transphasic light cannon remained on its pod, untouched, after Pierce had uttered the Klingon sentiment about dying, words which were more than just common to Byrne after having spent so many years at Aldea and under the protection of the KDF. It was a boorish tedium of a saying for Byrne, but he rather preferred to hear it from the full lips of the fellow Intelligence officer than any of the brutish Klingons, because he could appreciate her humour. Odd, given the deadly stakes of the situation, and just having witnessed the brutal death of the poor crewman.

The Gorn, whom seemed genetically engineered and more resilient than most Byrne had ever encountered. It lost it's hand and yet came for them still. Pierce had a plan, however, while Byrne had merely tried to stay alive and get a shot at it. The cold was getting worse by the second, literally, and the forcefields weren't able to insulate the cells completely, so when Byrne had told him to get into hiding, he'd returned to the cell they just shared ever so briefly. Nicander's voice could be heard through the chill air. "No! You'll destroy it too!"

The detonation in the hallway of the bridge was substantial, and that was when Byrne realised that the Infested had been worried about the cannon, for the shockwave did knock it over where its stood, toppling over on the deck. Gorn blood spattered the bulkheads and the ceiling, but the smoke from the clash of heat and cold shrouded everything directly after that. Panting, clutching his weapon with both hands still, Byrne swallowed and decided that the Gorn couldn't be a bother any more. "Thea, raise temperature and open my forcefield..."

When the chirp was heard, acknowledging him, Byrne got back on his feet and raised his weapon before himself. He stepped out, eyes along the sights, and saw how there were merely bloodied chunks left from the Gorn. "Clear!" he called to Pierce, before walking over to the cannon, picking it up and mounting it on its stand again. "I'm sure it's fine, Doctor..."

"I certainly hope so, but are you all right? Lieutenant Pierce, how fared you?" asked the former CMO, warming his remaining hand in his opposite armpit while peering out into the smoke. Looking at him, thinking about how he'd been so concerned about the weapon, Bryne supposed that would suggest something about his current state-of-mind. If he was no longer himself, he wouldn't have cared at all about the cannon. Rather, he'd want it sabotaged. The same sentiment applied in regard to recalibrating it earlier, he supposed...

"I'm fine. And my apologies, Doctor Nicander," he said eventually, a frown on his brow. "I think I may have let my precautious nature get the best of me, doubting you as I have."

"By the winds, that would hardly be a first," said the prisoner and chuckled, shaking his head. "Yet thank you, nonetheless."

That was when Pierce joined them.

Re: CH06 Battle Log: Discovered Identity [D03|1430]

Reply #10 – April 08, 2021, 07:01:52 PM

Pierce looked up after the detonation. She heard Byrne issue the command to begin the normalization of the temperature in the vicinity. His visage paced by her as he headed in the direction of the cannon. Her vision partially obstructed by the crimson hair that now flowed in her face. Alana brushed it aside, and at first, she knelt on the ground, knees placed in front with her arm holding her up. She finally pushed herself off the floor and stood up. Her hand pushed the remnant hairs behind her again as she straightened her duty uniform. Thankfully, that plan had worked she'd thought to herself. It was an unusual tactic but also an unusual situation.

She tapped the controls to deactivate her forcefield and peered outside her cell to see Byrne and Nicander exchanging pleasantries. Also of note was the intact transphasic light cannon. Relief finally hit her as she realized that the internal battle was over, but the mission was very much still active.

Alana's footsteps clinked and made a squishing sound on the now filthy deck plates, but there wasn't any active gorn attacker either. "Well, that was fun." She said exhaling loudly and showing a corner of the mouth smirk. Her green eyes lit up, showing her mood and tenseness was no longer in the 100% serious department. She approached the other two men as she called to the ship's AI. "Thea. Did the bridge receive the message along with Commander Rutherford with all the details of our compromised individual on Qo'nos?"

She turned her head at Nicander, giving him a slight nod. "Doctor. We appreciate the help here. As well as the suggestion for the temperature controls to slow the gorn onslaught. I'll note this in my log how integral you were on more than one occasion today." Her head turned to Byrne. "So, what's next? Did you want to wrap things up here?"

Re: CH06: S [D03|1430 hrs] Discovered Identity

Reply #11 – April 20, 2021, 03:48:39 PM

When Piece had asked Thea whether or not the newly gained intel reached the recipients specified, the answer came promptly. [Unable to comply due to damages to communication systems on Vector 01. Lieutenant Commander Rutherford is there too.]

"Damn it," said Byrne, frowning, since it wasn't like they could jump between Thea's separated hulls either. "We'll have to make sure those two names reach the bridge as soon as possible."

The unsaid was plain, in how the battle had to end before then, and that wasn't anything they could do something about. The officers on the bridge had to pull through, and hopefully, Thea would reintegrate at that time. To make up for time lost, they could ask for a site-to-site transport to Vector 01 at that time, but as it were, they wouldn't be very welcome barging in on the bridge mid-battle and distracting the people there. It might cost more than the intel they had gathered was worth...

Pierce was talking to Nicander, and Byrne holstered his pulse phase pistol at his hip. He crossed his arms and thought of what it would be like being as distrusted as the Doctor was, how while continually offering no cause for suspicion in his actions, still not being recognised as a victim of an alien entity. Byrne knew he had been one of those suspicious before the present situation, in which the Doctor had actively done whatever he could to aid the mission despite the circumstances. It made Byrne wonder how much Pierce's actions had mattered, in how she'd opted to show her face to the man. There was no way of knowing, of course, but if he'd been the one inside that cell? Oh, he knew he'd certainly be less inclined to say no to a woman like Pierce.

Byrne almost missed that she'd turned towards him and asked him something, looking at her as he had.

"Sure," he said, clearing his throat, and let Pierce have the Doctor to herself. "I will head out to the Security Centre, pull some officers from the corridor and mount a defensive perimeter against any more enemy forces trying to get in here. Until the repairs are completed, this area is vulnerable..."

So Byrne drew his pistol again and headed out, while hearing Nicander answering Pierce behind him.

"My gratitude," he said, sounding tired, and as he sat down, the sound of his destroyed hand scraping the deck plating indicated he was too tired to hold it up as he did so. "I do try, don't I? Thank you in kind for treating me as something more than another asset. By the winds, I never expected an Intelligence Officer to place faith in someone considered a threat."

Re: CH06 Battle Log: Discovered Identity [D03|1430]

Reply #12 – April 22, 2021, 11:38:22 PM

Pierce frowned at the unfortunate events that had transpired. Her furrowed brow made her seem puzzled and still without attempting it, beautiful in a different sort of way. She brushed her fingertips to her temple and sighed before deciding to just move on the best they could at this point in time. The inability to transfer the data to Rutherford was among the many issues that had bothered her. But what could be done?

Some small comfort hit her soul as she took note of Nicander seemingly grateful for her endeavors to make him seem part of the crew despite their predicaments and his possibility of being a risk. Especially with him having seen her face now. However, her past was still a mystery to all but the most trusted of her inner circles...and well Foster now too...but that was beside the point. It gave her some feeling of pride knowing she'd made a difference for him specifically.

Seeing the startled look on Byrne as he realized she'd just said something to him almost made her crack a smile but she against it to not embarrass her co-worker here in front of the doctor no less. "Thank you Byrne. Update me on the situation in the vicinity as it progresses."

Pierce nodded toward him and decided it was time to take her leave of the good doctor. Before she did, however, she took note of his kind words. The sleeplessness and inability to truly rest sat in his eyes. Alana smiled at him as the revelation an intelligence officer had a heart.

That tired smile greeted her pink lips as they locked eyes albeit briefly, letting him know, she could feel the trust between them for her kind olive branch display earlier. "I'm just glad to know that we can all change and be better than we once were. Every day I strive to become better than I was before. I know you do too doctor. Fate has tested us in different ways, but how we react is our own choice." Before she broke contact, she left him with some final thoughts. "It won't be an easy road to obtaining trust, but I think everything you've done here has shown you still bleed Starfleet and most of all, the blood of a doctor. Give them time." She nodded to security and Nicander knowing full well that the security field had to be shrouded when she left the room.

As she approached the damaged entryway of the security office, she let out a deep breath before she whispered beneath her breath. "Now to get these names to the bridge. Somehow...." Lt. Pierce marched her way back towards the Central Intelligence Suite for a way to perhaps transmit the data necessary for this nightmare to resolve itself...for now.

- FIN