Alora DeVeau

That's just it, she HAS!

Wes, channeling George Washington from Hamilton.

Corelli posted it over in Ops. I felt it deserved to be over here too. 😄

I know the entire post was put in appreciations, but this was my favourite line in the sim from Arys. And I know it was a serious post, but I still got a chuckle.

OOC: Brand new, just graduated from the academy Ensign. Well done! IC: ((Shuttle Leonid, en route to USS Aegis)) It was a strange type of day. While Julan expected his posting to happen relatively quickly, he never really gave any consideration to whether he may be posted to the very place he’s spent the majority of his Academy years. Not only was this a surprise, but he was instructed that he would be heading out immediately to an active mission. While on the one hand Julan was thankful everything had been sorted, he’d been placed and what his role would be decided, he was also sort of hoping for a small downtime window. He’d not been home for some time, mostly of his own choice. He’d of late allowed the thought, the possibility of getting home to creep in. Which had now firmly dosed him with some disappointment. Something he didn’t really need when he was intending to be impressive. Gazing out beyond the shuttle, Julan caught his reflection. The teal collar looked good on him. In fact, Julan thought he had done a good job getting his haircut cut, beard trimmed and sorted ready. He craned his head around checking the angles, giving no consideration to the fact he wasn’t sitting in the shuttle alone, he all but grunted his satisfaction. All that aside, Julan respected personal grooming and consideration for others. Looking untidy and unkempt, while not necessarily reflective of all of your habits and traits, didn’t stop everyone from assuming it. Afterall, the whole point of indelible first impressions is that they can’t be unmade. Sherlock: So, are you excited for your first posting? The young Ensign hadn’t exactly neglected the fact that the Lieutenant was piloting the shuttle whilst sharing the close space together, but rather he would have been equally as happy if they had ridden in relative silence. Glancing at the officer with the same level of commitment she demonstrated him, Julan acknowledged. Voleer: I’m not really sure I’ve had enough time to be much of anything yet. I am a little anxious about meeting everyone though. Julan understood social structures very well. While no one would likely actively make him feel welcome, he would still need to find a way to demonstrate his worth and value to the team. An unappreciated, daunting task for a fresh Ensign. As the Lieutenant motioned the availability of the replicator, Julan shook his head slightly. He’d drunk enough water before leaving that he wasn’t sure it was wise to test just how much he could hold. Sherlock: :: taking a sip of tea :: Truth be told, I'm a little excited, and a lot nervous. But I always get that way with a new post. So, are you in the medical field? Or one of the sciences? Julan had just graduated from the Academy with a Science Major, specialising in Computer Science and Sociology. Decision, largely influenced by his parents who he could hear like a parrot next to his ear “Why study something, that you’re already good at, pick something you know nothing about.” While, if you asked Julan if he was an independent strong willed young trill who did not need his parents deciding everything for him, he’d of course say yes. That it wasn’t that he wasn’t able to say no, but rather, one must pick the important battles. Truth be told, Julan had rather enjoyed the Sociology aspects of his Academy training. Over time, almost everyone will have picked up some Engineering skills or have access to a vast array of science and material to learn. But study, research and sometimes, manipulating human behaviour, now that is something you can’t just read on your PADD when you go to sleep. Working on a busy Starbase would give Julan a lot of opportunity to demonstrate his usefulness in unique and novel ways. At least he hoped so. Voleer: I’m posted as a Science Officer. We’re probably in a bit of a bind if you see me attempting to help anyone medically. Point me at the Stars however, and I’ll be able to tell you anything you want to know. Sherlock: Well, I'm sure there will be plenty of things for you to discover out here. If it's one thing I know, there's always something happening. Voleer: So, is this also a brand new assignment for you? Sherlock: Response It was one of the things about life in Starfleet. One didn’t always have much agency over one's own posting. While Julan was hoping, in some small way, to be posted to somewhere new and exciting he’d also come to call Starbase 118 home. He knew all the best places to eat on the promenade and likely the commercial sector. That is, once he convinced some officers to arrange takeaways from the areas he couldn’t get into. Voleer: Guess there isn’t much point asking for any insider advice then….. ::He let his request linger in the hope there might be something.:: Sherlock: Response In no time at all, Julan was in fact glad the Lieutenant had broken the silence with her question initially and he'd gotten to know at least one familiar face in the sea of people he was about to work with. The time had flown, they had shared some humorous stories of their academy time all the while getting to know each other all the while burning through their 2 hour journey. A mark that was signalled, by the all too familiar beeping from the panel beside him. Voleer: We’re a few minutes away from the Aegis now. Sherlock: Response tags/TBC Ensign Julan Voleer Science Officer Starbase 118 Ops O239903JV4

((Shrine of the Guides, Si’laan Migration Ship)) ((Time index: Before the Ion Storm)) As a young girl, I have often found myself jealous of the gift the line of the Speaker had received from the Guides. It predestined them to be leaders of our people - after all, they could connect not only to Risu around them, but to the ancestors who had long left their mortal shell behind. I, too, had received gifts, but more often they not, especially in my youth, they felt like a curse. My mother had carried the burden of the visions on her shoulders, as had her mother before her. And when those dreams of disaster and destruction were passed on to me, I accepted them with grace. My father once told me that, hundreds of turns ago, our families were one, and what set us apart from the others was, in it’s core, one and the same. But as time passed, and our journey became more and more perilous, our migration looked to the Speaker for comfort, and to me as a representation of the illnesses and losses we had suffered. And then the Speaker had died. He had returned injured from an attempt on friendship with another species, and died in his daughters arms. She, as the only Risu aboard the Si’laan who shared his gift, stepped into the role of the leader. And me? I was not a leader, I was just a messenger. The guides did not bless me with what it took to connect to our people in such a unique way as Ki’yara was able to do it. But had she consulted me, asked me about those strangers in their warship, I would have advised her not to trust them. *** He’liseka let out a long pent-up sigh and opened her eyes. The Shrine of the Guides was dimly lit, but still it took her eyes several moments to readjust. In the shadows she could make out Tu’pia’s small frame, and that of the slightly taller Ku’kari nearby. The two girls attended to He’liseka, and assisted her when her age caught up with her. He’liseka: I fear the Guides do not answer me today. She struggled onto her feet, and Tu’pia quickly came to aid the older woman, lending the support her walking stick could not offer. Tu’pia: I am certain they will, honoured He’liseka, in time. The older woman responded with a rare smile. Her own daughter had been killed turns ago, and both her bloodline and her gift would die with her. Perhaps it was for the better. Ku’kari joined them, as always eager to help. She was older than Tu’pia, and would soon be looking for a mate. Her long, silky black fur and bright blue eyes made her desirable, even if her connection to the Messenger of the Guides did not. Ku’kari: Perhaps we ought to take a walk, He’liseka. We have remained here far too long, and when the guides wish to speak, I am sure they can wait. Tu’pia: ::scoldingly:: Kari! You mustn’t speak of the Guides like that. Ku’kari answered with a slight shrug, and turned her attention to He’liseka, who nodded at Tu’pia’s words. He’liseka: Your sister is right, Ku’kari. If the Guides decide to leave me waiting, so be it - but… I suppose your suggestion is not a bad one. Ku’kari smiled triumphantly, and Tu’pia nodded with a small sigh. Together, the three woman left the darkness of the meditation chamber and stepped into the much brighter corridor, one of the pathways leading to and away from the Shrine of the Guides. The hallway was decorated with glittering tiles, sacred plants, and artwork created in devotion to those they worshipped. Tu’pia: Is it often that the Guides do not answer? He’liseka: The Guides know when it is the right time for us to receive their message. And they deliver it when-…. She was interrupted by a straining and bracing of metal, followed by a lurch forward that threw her off her feet. The two younger women quickly helped her up, only to loose their own footing as the ship began shaking violently. They had passed through storms before, sustained attacks, but this felt worse than what they had experienced so far. Ku’kari: Watch out! Instinctively He’liseka scrambled out of the way as the wall of the corridor caved in, burying Tu’pia underneath it. Around them, screams filled the air as scared and injured Risu tried to get out of the crumbling passage. He’liseka: ::to Ku’kari:: Run! Ku’kari would be faster without her, but the other Risu just looked at her, tears streaming down her cheeks as she tried to comprehend what she had just witnessed. He’liseka: Ku’kari, *listen* to me! Ku’kari snapped out of it, taking He’liseka’s paw and dragging the older Risu with her, dodging the falling debris. There was an opening not far from here, like a clearing in a forest, if only they could make it there… And then the metal strained once more, sounding almost like a long-stretched groan, which ended in the collapse of the tunnel. He’liseka clasped Ku’kari’s paw tightly, pulling her into an embrace before everything went dark. [End Scene] ***************** MSNPC He’liseka Messenger of the Guides Si’Laan Colony J239809TA4

Probably. Maybe.

Oops, my copy and paste went awry. It was supposed to include the rest. I should read what I post shouldn't I? 😄

Remind me not to get on Neeya's bad side.

Gotta place the blame somewhere.

That wouldn't be a good first impression, would it? 😄

Someone is up to something... IC: ((Coranum District, Starbase 118)) Ferri had ended up staying the night in Doctor Dekor’s practise, and feeling miserable and cursing Zorkal for putting her through such an ordeal just because he himself did not want to show vulnerability. While the younger woman could, of course, relate, she still found it deeply unfair. After all, even if someone were to come and try to exploit that vulnerability, he had Ferri to protect him. Ferri didn’t have anyone. That, according to the Doctor, the symptoms would have subsided after a few hours - had Ferri stayed in bed and not spent hours walking from her own quarters to Lukin’s quarters, to sickbay, and then back to Coranum, didn’t make her think any more fondly of Zorkal right now. Eventually however, she was ‘dismissed’ and free to do as she pleased. Well, not really. As much as she disliked the Ambassador, his cruelty didn’t change her assignment. It just made it a whole lot less pleasant, and a lot more difficult. She was here to protect him, even if he didn’t want to be protected, and even if it looked a lot more like she was the one in need of protection - from him. Ferri sighed as she made her way towards the Embassy, equipped with everything she would need to be able to determine the source of the toxin. As it was to be expected, the building did not show the slightest trace of anything out of the ordinary. Nothing hinted on the fact that the Ambassador had been poisoned here only hours ago. She made it to the appropriate floor, crossed the lobby and was about to open the door to Zorkal’s office, when…. Ringot: Ah, good morning Miss Emlott. Do you have an appointment with the Ambassador I am unaware of? The young woman turned and her gaze settled on Ringot, Zorkal’s aide. Of course he was here. She didn’t dislike him - as a matter of fact he was a both pleasant to look at, and pleasant to speak to - but she still wasn’t feeling *great*. Emlott: ::frowning:: Is the Ambassador in his office? Ringot: ::nodding:: Of course. But he is very busy, and he won’t be able to meet you today. I can reschedule your appointment? Ferri stared at him, and for a moment she actually believed that Zorkal was stupid enough to return to his office before she was able to make sure he did not get poisoned again. Ringot himself looked trustworthy and his statement was believable, but… Emlott: He isn’t here, is he. It was more of a statement than a question. Ringot: I don’t know what you mean. Emlott: ::with a sigh:: I know. Before she had to elaborate what exactly it was thats she knew, she attempted to open the door. Ferri had expected it to be locked, and her heart momentarily skipped a beat as it opened. Was Zorkal here after all? She peered into the room, vaguely noticing Ringot stepping to her side and doing the same. Emlott: He forgot to lock the door. Ringot: He… he never forgets that. Emlott: Well, there’s a first time for everything. Ferri ignored Rigot and his protest as she made her way into the office, and looked around. The Ambassador’s office wasn’t sparse as such, but it was in impersonal. As it was typical for Cardassian architecture, even here on the highest floor of the building, Zorkal’s desk and chair sat at platform a few inch higher than the rest of the room, allowing him to look down upon those who came to him with a request. Large windows allowed a view on the park and the lake, and the rest of the district in the distance. Ferri wondered if there were times Lukin just stood here, enjoying the scenery. She certainly would. Emlott: I have some work to do. Which, really, was her way of telling Ringot to leave, but the other Cardassian didn’t seem eager on leaving at all. Ringot: What kind of work? Uh… good question. Ferri sighed and offered him a shrug, then placed her bag of equipment on Zorkal’s desk and began unpacking. Emlott: That’s classified. Ringot eyes widened a little. Ferri wasn’t sure how much he knew about her, and what Zorkal had told him about his current condition. Right now it didn’t matter either - Ferri would even say it was helpful that Ringot decided it was best to let her do her thing, and backed off. TBC ***************** Ferri Emlott Cardassian Visitor Starbase 118 Ops J239809TA4

We all live in a yellow vesta class, a yellow vesta class, a yellow vesta class...

((Bridge – USS THOR – Okaea Sea)) In Jack’s mind he was rocking in ever so gently in a summers mid-day breeze. Laying in a hammock tethered between two trees on the South end of the Academy’s large open park. In the other end of the hammock was Michele, another cadet he had become very close to. Her smile was as calming as the sunny day itself and her eyes were intoxicating. Class would be starting soon, and he’d have to leave her to enjoy the rest of the afternoon on her own and he really did not want to do that. Something then caught Jack’s eye, a tricorder was in his right hand. What was that doing here he thought slowly to himself and then looked back at Michele. She opened her mouth to say something what he heard was more like the sounds of metal contorting as it twisted slightly. Jack slammed his eyes shut and gripped the tricorder harder trying to hear her voice more clearly. As he gripped the tricorder pain shoot up through his right rib cage and he opened his eyes to see what Michele was doing to him. The sunny day on campus was no longer there, instead his world was, well upside down, partially. Jack lay on his back looking up at what appeared to be the deck of the bridge was up on its side. His legs and feet bent upward in a sitting position. As he glanced at his legs, he realized that he was seated on the port side wall of the Thor’s bridge, his back was on the bridge floor and the ship was rocking. His ribs did hurt and then he noticed slight pain in his right hand. Glancing down he saw the tricorder in his hand, a death grip on it and he immediately loosened his grip. Then everything came rushing back at him all at once, the battle, the order to abandon ship and then the impact with the planet’s surface. His last thought just before impact was to grab the tricorder he had linked to the ships computer. He must have grabbed it without really realizing he was doing so. Slowly he felt his toes wiggle in his boots and then he tried to move his legs just enough to search for pain. He slowly did this body check until a voice cut through the air and grabbed his attention. Greaves: (Strained voice) Who else is hurt? Brodie: ::Laughing wearily:: I’m going to go with everyone… Jack’s head rolled to his right and noticed Brodie moving and so was Greaves. Jack started to roll to his right and then turned back to his left as the pain of his broken rib or ribs shoot through him. He had sat up when Brodie made his way over and offered a lending hand. Brodie: Here, let me help… Kessler: ::looking up at Brodie with a slight smile on his face:: Thank’s doc, just a broken rib is all. Corelli: I’m fine, I think…. Maybe not. Ulasso: Responses For the moment the ship lay on her side threatening to capsize completely. In that orientation the wall had become the floor and the small team began picking themselves up. It was a strange feeling to be looking up at the chairs and consoles of the bridge. The waves had taken the vessel under tow and the floor rocked slightly beneath their feet with the subtle motion of the waves. Greaves: I'm sure we're not the only ones hurt. We need... (grimace) We need to right the ship. Ulasso, can you reach the conn? Maybe we've still got a thruster or two operational. Between his strength and lizard-like movement, Jack watched as Ulasso was able to navigate the listed bridge and grabbed onto the Conn. Ulasso: One thruster operational sir. I'll start to work on righting us, but it will take me a bit using only one thruster to right the entire ship (or what's left of it) while facing resistance from the water. It's a tall order but I think I can manage it. Brodie: We’ve got to get the bulkheads closed…otherwise we’ll get dragged down by the water weight. Kessler: On it Commander. Jack made his way over to one of the consoles closest to him and started working the commands from a very awkward ankle, almost like working upside down on a bobbing cork. Greaves: Even so, we're going to need to keep the ship from sinking too deep otherwise it'll all be moot. The pressure eventually will pop the hull like a can. Brodie: If we stay on the surface…we’ll be a sitting duck…they’ll have seen where we crashed. Corelli: We could fire a thruster manually, but it’s a 97 meter climb, that direction. And the starboard side exploded, so we can only hope we make it to one that’s operational. Kessler: Looks like we have enough power to secure emergency bulkheads but not all are responding to the command. I have at least 11 showing no power at all to them. Ulasso: Without knowing what creatures reside within Okaea's biosphere, we may be vulnerable from below as well. I assume an ocean planet gives room for some rather large fish to grow, and our crash may have sent ripples out that they will detect. As the others provided feedback to Greaves and Brodie Jack saw a med kit laying on the wall next to him. Luck was on his side today, the kit must have broken free from a storage locker on the bridge. He grabbed the kit and opening it pulled a hypospray and loaded it with a pain killer and then gave himself an injection and then slung the kit over his head and shoulders. Brodie: Do we have anything in the way of heating, power – this water is going to be cold. Ulasso: The ship is running at about 10% power. Kessler: ::stepping over to Brodie:: I found this :: holding up the med kit:: Hopefully it will help. Corelli: Sure, we can use hand phasers, or I can make you a heater with portable power supply. Not very efficient, but it will get hot and heat the water in a small area. Perhaps… ::he stumbled a step, tried to recover:: lets each take a task, and regroup at a suitable location? Corelli: I’ll go fire that thruster, see if I can ::he motioned with his hand:: flip it. Short range comms? Check your badge. Jack felt as if he must of hit his head harder than he thought. Corelli and Ulasso were contradicting each other. To Jack it sounded like Ulasso was firing the thrusters and trying to right the ship while Corelli was going off on a trek through the ship to fire the thruster. Where they talking about different thrusters or the same one. Jack just needed to focus on the bulkheads and getting them closed. Kessler: Major ::beat:: two of the bulkhead doors I do not have power to have just been sealed manually. Looks like we have survivors down there working with us. Greaves/Ulasso/Brodie: Responses Brodie: We’ve no comms either – there wasn’t enough evacuation capacity for everyone, we’ll have people trapped down there. Ulasso: Trying to right this ship with one thruster is taking my full attention, I won't be able to focus on communications at the moment. Corelli: Ugh…. Guess I’ll build one of those too. Be ready, there won’t be any way for me to warn you when I fire these thrusters! Oh, somebody’ll have to get portable power supplies from storage lockers near Engineering, which is probably flooded. Ulasso: Something is coming at the ship from below. Counselor Brodie, do you have any recommendations on how to bury an enormous fear deep within me? Something coming towards the ship. That was enough o draw anyone’s attention to the forward view screen/port and there was in the depths headed towards them. Jack turned back to his console, and pulled up the shield network he had built using the Valkyrie fighters. oO Damn though little ships Oo he thought to himself as each one still showed connected to one another and still generating power to the make shift shields. At least they were helping keep the Thor from sinking too quickly. Kessler: I still have the shields up from the fighters Major but their power is down to 55%. I estimate they will fail in about 1 hour under these conditions. Greaves/Brodie/Ulasso/Corelli: Responses Corelli waved a hand at the responses and traveled off to the door. Jack still did not understand where Corelli was off to but that was not a concern at the moment. The Thor seemed to be moving and from what he could tell these creatures where somehow carrying the Thor along. Something had to be done for the crew and now this aquatic threat was presented. Kessler: ::standing up right and turning to Greaves:: Major, If we can get an emergency transponder on the hull we should be able to send a single hi burst SOS to the research station. If my calculations are correct we are less than 100 kilometers from them. The Ra could provide assistance. ::beat:: or I can try sending a signal from one of the probes that are circling and see if we can send the SOS that way. Greaves/Brodie/Ulasso/: Responses TAGS / TBC Ensign Jack Kessler Tactical Officer USS Thor T239901JK1

Welcome to the madness!

Yes.

*gasp* The *HORROR*.

Can we paint it yellow?

They are awesome! Thank you both for sharing your creativity and beauty with us!

Or a typo. LOL

Just like Ulasso, Kessler is newer to our group and doing a great job. Same scene, different perspective. IC: ((Bridge, Deck One, USS Thor)) Another explosion rocked the deck plating beneath his feet and fresh flames and sparks jettisoned from the back wall as another EPS conduit overloaded in a tremendous fashion. The lights overhead flickered as power flow was interrupted and as the Thor’s engines began to fail so did many other systems. The ship seemed to list and more explosions could be heard through the deck plating. It was in that moment Jack realized that this was not going to end well, fear started to grasp at him as the truth came out, the Thor was doomed. Jack’s breathing became shallower and quickened in pace, adrenaline pulsed and all in combination he realized they were most likely about to die. Greaves: Kessler, start returning fire. I don't care if it's a random damn direction. We're not going down without swinging back! Kessler: ::Looking to the Major:: firing phasers, random spread. ::beat:: no hits. Jack continued randomly firing and even targeted the object off their starboard quarter, but if it was hit there were no signs that they could tell was damage. Greaves: Ensign Ulasso, how long can we remain aloft with our engines in this shape? Ulasso: We are losing power fast and the planet's gravity is starting to take hold, however I believe I can buy us some time by using impulse power to glide through the atmosphere. We are unable to maintain this position and cannot ascend any higher however. This would take us away from the anti-matter pods as well. Kessler: Major, we’ve lost the phasers. Engineering is not responding either. Brodie: If we’ve lost the antimatter pods…we may have lost a significant part of the engineering section when they were severed… Greaves: Ulasso, bring us into a spiraling dive and see if you can point us toward wherever those shots came from. (Turning) Kessler, I don't care if we have to fight with probes. Find me a way to strike back. His voice was harsh and unforgiving. His commands that of a battlefield officer, deep guttural tones cutting through the din of chaos. They carried with them a fighting spirit unblemished by the dire state of the ship. Ulasso: Lt. Greaves, we are being hailed. It's not a call signal I recognize, but it must be close as it is able to get through the atmospheric isotope interference. Shall I patch them through sir? Pain shot up through the side of Jack’s head for the first time and he reached up to cup the backright side of his head. It was wet, Jack pulled his hand down quick and his hand was covered in a glossy crimson liquid. oOWell add one more thing to the listOo he thought reaching back up and making sure his scalp was at least still intact. Kessler: Major, can we use the Valkyries to our advantage? ::beat:: If we can launch them they can provide cover for us or even be remotely used as guided torpedoes at the hostile. Before Major Greaves could respond there the sound of clattering metal resounded across the room as a maintenance access hatch clambered to the ground and the figure of their chief engineer crawled out from a Jefferies Tube. The man was wounded, a smear of blood working its way down his forehead. Unfortunately, the look fit in fine with the hellscape that was the Thor's bridge. Jack could not understand why the Chief Engineer had not headed for engineering but instead choose to head for the bridge. It took a few moments for Jack to realize the only reason Corelli would have done this was because, there was no engineering to head to. The dire realization put a nauseating knot is Jack’s stomach, this fight was over. Corelli: I’m real tired of forcing doors today. Everybody ok? Brodie: ::Turning to Corelli:: We are, but a lot of people aren’t. see if you can get any kind of internal sensors online – we can’t see the extent of the damage if we can’t measure the structural integrity field. Alex turned to look between Wes and Jack. Brodie: Would they even be flight-worthy after that impact…would we want to send out maidens out there? Greaves: The shuttlebays are probably a wreck but it's not a bad idea. The Valkyries would have gone on alert 5 when we went to red alert. Kessler, get a hold of flight operations and see if we can launch. Ulasso, put the hail on screen. The view screen tried to come to life as the static field view brought an unknown species into their gaze. Jack felt anger shoot through him as the arrogant Captain began to address Major Greaves. Pirate Captain Shok: =/\= Starfleet vessel. We are conducting a salvage operation. We have lost property on this planet. If you or your crew make any continued attempts, consider this your final warning. Greaves: =/\= (Shouting) You have engaged a Starfleet vessel. Stand down immediately or face the consequences of your actions. =/\= Pirate Captain Shok: =/\= Any perceived threat will be considered an act of aggression, and you will be destroyed. =/\= Slowly, Greaves stood and the Marine took several steps forward toward the viewer. Visibly shaking in fury, his voice was calm. Almost quiet, yet the hatred in his message shone brighter than the antimatter just detonated. Greaves: =/\= Whoever you are, I swear to you, I will find you, and make you pay for the lives you've taken from me. =/\= With a flourish, Wes reached forward and smashed his fist onto Ulasso's console, ending the transmission. In a flash, the viewscreen returned to the image of the Thor's aft camera looking out directly between the nacelles. Viscous black smoke poured from the engineering hull and the comforting blue glow from the nacelles was disturbingly absent. Ulasso let out a slight yelp as Major Greaves suddenly smashed the end transmission button on his console with the blunt of his first. He gave a quick embarrassed glance around to see if anyone had noticed, but all attention was on the commanding officer. Greaves: Kessler, weapons, now. Weapons? What weapons? The torpedo launchers were completely offline and the phasers, well the phasers if they even had power had no way of locking onto the hostile vessel with all the sensor platforms down. Ulasso: I still can't get a read on their position to optimize defensive maneuvers, sir. As we continue to descend we are once again blind. Blind again. There was that phrase Jack was becoming all too familiar with and really starting to hate. The Thor was slowly losing altitude and the enemy had the upper hand. Grabbing a tricorder from underneath the Tactical console Jack linked the unit to the main computer and began immediately downloading every piece of information their limited sensors had grabbed about the attack that seemed to be causing the death of the Thor. As he started the download an indicator lit up on Jack’s console. As the Thor was falling into the atmosphere, they were nearing some of the remaining probes that had been launched earlier. They were set on a pre-programed flight path and were in a circling pattern. They were not torpedoes nor did they contain any warheads of any kind, but they could be useful. Jack leaned on his console, smoke still lingering in the air, his nostrils hurt a little but he hardly noticed it. The probes were on his mind, first there were nine signals, then eleven, moments passed by and then of the 72 probes there were a total of 27 still talking to the Thor. Corelli: You’ve probably got power for a torpedo, phasers are useless. Brodie: I don’t think we’re going to get any quarter here…and another hit like that and it’ll be academic anyway. Ulasso: I dread to see the foul academy that creature would have been trained in. Corelli: Engineering’s a crater. Whatever you do, make it fast. Greaves: (Shouting) Someone, give me options. All ideas are on the table at this point! Brodie: ::Quietly:: Wes…we need to consider the crew. Brodie had said something in a low enough voice Jack could not make it out but the Major looked as if he were somewhere else for a brief couple of moments that felt like they lasted an eternity. Greaves: (Quietly) ... the crew... “The crew”, Brodie was recommending Greaves remember the crew. Jack’s mind went racing backwards, he had been so focused on the attack that he had not thought about the crew in that context. The crew would have been doing their jobs, manning their stations and ensuring the best for the survival of the Thor as any Starfleet crew would. Now Jack’s thoughts turned to individual crew, V’Len for one. The medical officer and Jack had spent shore leave together and he had learned a lot about fungi and V’Len’s crazy theory about how these mushrooms could talk to one another. The two had also spent time in the holodeck playing detectives and Jack wished that at this moment this was just a really bad holodeck program. V’Len was no doubt is Sickbay in this chaos, probably holding it together better than Jack was. Then there was Nesre Salo, one of the ships councilors. The beauty of the Orion woman had captured Jack off guard during shore leave and the time she spent with her on Bajor was a cherished memory. Where was she is all this chaos and was she ok. Jack realized that he had friends in danger and this was something more new to him than he was ready for. Brodie: You know what I’m suggesting. Kel: =/\= Kel to bridge. What's going on up there? I've got casualties down here. What's our status? =/\= Greaves: =/\= Major Greaves here. Ship's in rough shape Lieutenant, and we're getting sucked deeper into the atmosphere. =/\= Kel: =/\= Has Lt. Corelli reached you? He was injured but left without treatment. =/\= Corelli: =/\= You think a little explosion induced critical head trama could stop me? Engineers don’t leave their posts! =/\= Greaves: =/\= He's in good company up here doc. There's a lot of hurt people everywhere. (pause) If you had to, can you move all of the patients you've got in sickbay? =/\= Kel: =/\= Response Greaves: =/\= Understood. Stand by for follow-on guidance. Bridge out. =/\= V’Len was in sickbay and doing his job, Jack felt a light bit of relief knowing his friend was alive. Kessler: Major ::beat:: as we have fallen into the atmosphere I have re-established contact with 27 of our original 72 probes. Jack’s comment was cut off by shuttering in the deck plating at the Thor continued to fall into the planets atmosphere. Greaves: Belay the Valkyrie launch. All power to maneuvering thrusters and structural integrity fields. Ensign Ulasso, how is that gliding going? Ulasso: We are entering the lower atmosphere sir, the planet's gravity is taking over making it hard to keep a lower angle of descent. Soon we will be pulled into a dive, and I don't have enough power to fight it. Kessler: Aye sir, routing all power to the integrity fields. Corelli: It’ll hold together, don’t worry! Greaves moved back from his command chair to Ulasso’s station. Jack noticed a hand reach up from Greaves and land on Ulasso’s shoulder which immediately got Jack to glance up and see what was happening. Greaves: Ensign, you stand relieved. Give me the conn. Greaves, taking the conn. Jack’s breath halted and he glanced to Brodie and then back to Ulasso who started moving from his chair so that Greaves could take over the station. Ulasso: Yes sir, let me prepare to transfer conn control. Greaves: The best we can do now is to buy time for the crew to evacuate, and that's something I can do from here... alone. The rest of you, get to an escape pod. Brodie: Response Greaves: The state the ship is in, the computer isn't going to be able to make the decisions that need to be made. I'll glide us the rest of the way in. The Thor was not going to make it out of this fight and Greaves seemed to know that. Jack was sure that the Marine was not giving up but taking the last possible options now to protect his crew and save as many as he could. Greaves reached down and keyed in a command on the console. A piercing boatswain's whistle filled the entire vessel. Every compartment that had power and audio heard the same sound at the same moment as the ship-wide channel opened. Greaves: =/\= All hands, this is Major Greaves. (Pause) Abandon ship. I say again, abandon ship. (Pause) If you're trapped and can't get to an escape pod, brace for impact. I'm staying aboard and I'll try and put us down as softly as possible. After the crash I'll come find you... For everyone else, it's been a pleasure. (Long pause) Good luck. Greaves out. =/\= Ulasso: Godspeed and thank you sir. Corelli: I’ll hold it together until the last 8 seconds, then dump all remaining power into the RCS. At that point, we won’t need life support anyway! If you prefer to oversee the evacuation, I’ve got it from here. Its not hard to fly a crashing ship. Brodie: Response Corelli: I wish these things had seat restraints. Jack stood at his station starring at Greaves, his thoughts now trailing back to his parents. During all of time on starships and stations Jack had never heard the actual order to abandon ship. It was a gut-wrenching order to listen to and one that he had not thought he would have heard this early in his career. However, that was not what his thoughts focused on, Loyalty. The one thing his father had instilled in Jack’s upbringing was loyalty above all else. Jack was loyal to his family and to his oaths. He was loyal to his dogs and those he called friend. At this moment, a frozen moment in time loyalty was what he owed Greaves, Kel, Salo and the all the others onboard the Thor. Jack was going nowhere and if his life meant those he now called friend got a chance to live then he would live up to his loyalty to them. Kessler: Sorry Major ::beat: I cannot my station until our crew is safe. ::beat:: Plus you’re going to need some help getting this beast down softly. Jack had a plan growing in his head, last minute chaos or just a surge of whatever you want to call it, he had an idea. Greaves: Response Kessler: Sir, I am rerouting the Valkyries shields and inter-linking them all to one another. Much like they would do in combat flying. I am going to use there shields to envelope the engineering section and try to seal off the major hull breaches. It might now last long but it should provide enough time to get the crew off the ship and prevent a quick sinking. Jack did not wait for a response, he was already trying the Valkyrie shields into one another and prepping his action for deployment. Greaves/Brodie/Corelli: Response TAGS Ensign Jack Kessler Tactical Officer USS Thor T239901JK1

Some great exposition here. ((Bridge, Deck One, USS Thor)) It takes a lot to make a Saurian nervous. Add academy training on how to compartmentalize your emotions on top of that and it made Ulasso a hard nut to crack when things got rough. That being said, potential imminent death at only the age of 13 (even being a full adult for a Saurian), on his first mission when his career had just begun made it so Ulasso was doing everything he could to keep it together. This was not the way he had thought this would go, fully confident in his training and skills and that he would have been able to make a great impression to his new CO and crew. Now he had piloted them right into a vulnerable position where they were left crippled. Nothing to do but try and keep it together and stick to his training. He leaned in to listen to what the terrifying creature on the viewscreen had to say, taking a gulp as he realized one of the trophies around the creature's neck was decidedly reptilian. Pirate Captain Shok: =/\= Starfleet vessel. We are conducting a salvage operation. We have lost property on this planet. If you or your crew make any continued attempts, consider this your final warning. Greaves: =/\= (Shouting) You have engaged a Starfleet vessel. Stand down immediately or face the consequences of your actions. =/\= Pirate Captain Shok: =/\= Any perceived threat will be considered an act of aggression, and you will be destroyed. =/\= Greaves: =/\= Whoever you are, I swear to you, I will find you, and make you pay for the lives you've taken from me. =/\= Ulasso let out a slight yelp as Major Greaves suddenly smashed the end transmission button on his console. He gave a quick embarrassed glance around to see if anyone had noticed, but all attention was on the commanding officer. Greaves: Kessler, weapons, now. Ulasso: I still can't get a read on their position to optimize defensive maneuvers, sir. As we continue to descend we are once again blind. Corelli/Kessler: Responses Brodie: I don’t think we’re going to get any quarter here…and another hit like that and it’ll be academic anyway. Ulasso: I dread to see the foul academy that creature would have been trained in. Corelli/Kessler: Responses Greaves: (Shouting) Someone, give me options. All ideas are on the table at this point! Brodie: ::Quietly:: Wes…we need to consider the crew. Ulasso looked to the Major and noticed his eyes go distant, as if he were somewhere else for a brief couple of moments that felt like they lasted an eternity. The Major then seemed to snap back to reality with a haunting look of clarity on his face (or so Ulasso thought, these humans had so much non-verbal communication through their facial features it made it hard to distinguish sometimes. He thought back to the academy where his friend Kel who was experienced with humans had helped him navigate the intricacies of conversation with them. Greaves: (Quietly) ... the crew... Brodie: You know what I’m suggesting. Kel: =/\= Kel to bridge. What's going on up there? I've got casualties down here. What's our status? =/\= Greaves: =/\= Major Greaves here. Ship's in rough shape Lieutenant, and we're getting sucked deeper into the atmosphere. =/\= Kel: =/\= Has Lt. Corelli reached you? He was injured but left without treatment. =/\= Corelli: =/\= Response =/\= Greaves: =/\= He's in good company up here doc. There's a lot of hurt people everywhere. (pause) If you had to, can you move all of the patients you've got in sickbay? =/\= Kel: =/\= Response Greaves: =/\= Understood. Stand by for follow-on guidance. Bridge out. =/\= Ulasso kept his focus on monitoring the Thor's descent. Communications had once again been silenced by the isotopes in the atmosphere, and operations were limited due to the damage they had taken. All he could do was hope they weren't fired on again and maybe he could guide the ship down to a landing in the ocean. Hopefully they wouldn't be swallowed by whatever lived in that vast ocean. Corelli/Kessler: Responses Greaves: Belay the Valkyrie launch. All power to maneuvering thrusters and structural integrity fields. Ensign Ulasso, how is that gliding going? Ulasso: We are entering the lower atmosphere sir, the planet's gravity is taking over making it hard to keep a lower angle of descent. Soon we will be pulled into a dive, and I don't have enough power to fight it. Corelli/Brodie/Kessler: Response Ulasso smelled the commander approaching his console once again. The first time he had approached and cut the transmission to the Pirate ship Ulasso had taken in his scent. For a Saurian, someone's scent was more important than their appearance. Major Greave's was that of a clean cut Marine, lacking the extra non-necessary oddities such as perfumes, lotions and colognes that some creatures adorned themselves with. It was also a clean scent, that of someone who followed a strict, unflinching hygiene regiment. Ulasso assumed the Major even cleaned out his toothpaste cap. He felt the Major's hand fall on his shoulder. Greaves: Ensign, you stand relieved. Give me the conn. Even in this dire circumstance, Ulasso felt a sense of loss at having to step away from flying his new best friend, the Thor. Through all of this he had connected with the ship in a way he found it hard to do with other sentient beings. He was an Ensign on his first mission however, and in these dire circumstances he needed to put his love and pride aside and defer to his commander. It was the best chance of getting out of this alive. Ulasso: Yes sir, let me prepare to transfer conn control. Greaves: The best we can do now is to buy time for the crew to evacuate, and that's something I can do from here... alone. The rest of you, get to an escape pod. Brodie: Response Greaves: The state the ship is in, the computer isn't going to be able to make the decisions that need to be made. I'll glide us the rest of the way in. Corelli/Kessler: Response Ulasso watched as Greaves reached down and keyed in a command on the console. A piercing boatswain's whistle filled the entire vessel. Every compartment that had power and audio heard the same sound at the same moment as the ship-wide channel opened. Greaves: =/\= All hands, this is Major Greaves. (Pause) Abandon ship. I say again, abandon ship. (Pause) If you're trapped and can't get to an escape pod, brace for impact. I'm staying aboard and I'll try and put us down as softly as possible. After the crash I'll come find you... For everyone else, it's been a pleasure. (Long pause) Good luck. Greaves out. =/\= Ulasso had finished his work and stepped away from the conn. He watched as the Major took his seat and was engulfed by the chair. The Major stood over a foot shorter than Ulasso, and Ulasso had noticed they had brought quite a large chair for him to sit in at the Conn, he assumed in anticipation of his large size. He couldn't help but admire the Commander's potential sacrifice and put it in his memory as something he would call upon if he ever received a command position in his distant future. Ulasso: Godspeed and thank you sir. Corelli/Brodie/Kessler: Response [Begin Act II] ((Corridors, USS Thor)) Ulasso stumbled through the corridors along with his ship mates. Flashing lights leading him the way to his escape pod as he tagged behind his more experienced colleagues who he assumed had drilled this countless times. Ulasso: will there be enough room for us all in the same Pod? Corelli/Brodie/Kessler: Response They reached an escape pod and all crammed in. Ulasso had to duck his head entering the pod. The door closed shut with a "whoose". Ulasso took in the escape pod flight controls and recognized them from his academy training. He knew through chain of command he would now answer to Lt. Commander Brodie. Ulasso: Lt. Commander Brodie, I can try and pilot this pod down to a general location on the surface. Once we clear the isotopes in the atmosphere we might be able to get a better view. What are your orders? Brodie: response Ulasso: I will do my best sir. Corelli/Brodie/Kessler: Response Ensign Ulasso, (HCO) Officer USS Thor T239902U11

I'm blue, daboo dee, daboo dai, daboo dee daboo dai...