round 13 MAJ Pavlova: Not yet Printzyessa

[+ Irina Pavlova]

((Facility- Morgue level, Heralokk, Industrial District on Mercadia III))

::It was safe to say that things were not going well. Armed men in the room outside, the power and the lights out, and their teenaged guest starting to get restless.::

Pavlova: They’re approaching the door, whatever you do, do it fast.

Walker: I can get us out. But we'll have to take Kai'la with us.

Leaving her here would be... oO a death sentence Oo bad..

Vahl: Obviously. Besides we've already agreed that Kai'la was an asset

to this mission.

Pavlova: Do it.

Walker: Let's get some lights in here.. because it's gonna get dark.

:: She waited a second.. then sent the command that shut down the warp

core.. plunging the room into darkness. ::

Kai'la: Can I go home now?

::Irina could hear the fear in the girl’s voice and immediately thought back to that fateful day, 223-years-ago when she had to putter own daughter into stasis on the badly damaged USS Columbia, not knowing if Katya would ever wake up, and if she did, if Irina would be there to see her.::

((Flashback, Bridge USS Columbia NX-03, March 9, 2172)

::Smoke clung to the ceilings everywhere on the ship, while sparks erupted seemingly at random just about everywhere she looked. The bridge wasn’t even the hardest hit part of the ship, and with the main computer down there was no damage control readout other than for engineering, shields and weapons, which were mostly ruined.::

Moretti: Commander Lennon, Captain Treng, get as many crewmen as possible down to the surface. Transporters are offline, and with that ionic soup of an atmosphere I wouldn’t trust them even if they weren’t. ::The commodore looked around the bridge, making eye contact with Irina briefly:: : Take Irina and bring the backup weapons, you don’t know what that atmosphere will do to the modern stuff. We have oxygen for only three more hours, so I’m putting the rest of the crew into stasis. Wake me last when you’ve ferried everyone else to the surface.

Lennon: Yes commodore. ::the XO turned to Irina:: : You heard him lieutenant, gear up and meet me in the shuttle bay loaded for bear.

Pavlova: My daughter, I…

Lennon: Go, check on her. Shuttle leaves in 20 minutes, so long as you are armed and seated in 18 minutes I don’t care how you use the other sixteen.

Pavlova: Thank you sir.

::With that Irina didn’t bother summoning the broken lift and with her uninjured right arm forced open the Jeffries tube hatch and practically slid down the ladder until she reached her deck. In barely three minutes she was at the sickbay with her two-year-old daughter held tightly in her injured left arm.::

((Sickbay USS Columbia NX-03))

Pavlova: Grace, take her. I’ve been ordered to the surface.

Solis: Hear, give her to me.

::The toddler clasped her arms around her mother’s neck tightly and started to cry, but Irina pushed her away and into the chief medical officer’s arms.::

Pavlova: The commodore’s ordered everyone into stasis.

Solis: I know. There should be enough tubes, but lets put your Printzyessa here in first.

::Both women held the screaming toddler and carried her over to the nearest cryotube, but the girl screamed louder the closer she got until Irina finally took her back into her arms and held her tightly.::

Pavlova: Can you do something?

::Lieutenant Commander Grace Solis took the hint, and seconds later returned with a small hypo and injected it into the girl’s neck. Within seconds the screaming stopped and the child grew very groggy.::

Pavlova::Softly:: : Its just a short nap Printzyessa, mommy will be here when you wake up.

Katya: I’m scared.

Pavlova: Me too, but I won’t let anything happen to you. I love you.

Katya: I love you too.

::The last word was barely a whisper as Katya drifted to unconsciousness and Irina just stood there holding her, crying.::

Solis: We’re out of time Irina, put her in the tube.

::Irina just stood there, almost paralyzed as the tears streamed down her cheeks and into Katya’s dress. Finally she felt the gentle push of her friend and doctor’s hand and followed her lead, approaching the tube and gently setting Katya inside, then kissing her lovingly on her forehead.::

Pavlova: Watch out for her Grace, if I don’t come back, watch out for her.

Solis: I won’t leave her side until you come for her, and if you don’t, I’ll raise her as my own.

::Irina wrapped her arms around the decade older Mexican woman and held her tightly.::

Pavlova::Whispering:: : Thank you.

Solis: Now go protect the away team, and then come back for us.

((End Flashback))

Pavlova: Not yet Printzyessa.

::Irina watched as Kai’la sank a bit lower with a look of fear and sadness that she knew all too well. She approached, apprehensive because it was clear that the girl found her threatening, but her maternal instincts took over and she couldn’t help herself.::

Kai'la: So how are we getting out of here?

Pavlova::In as soothing a voice as she could muster:: : Luna has some very modern machines that can move us. I wish I could tell you how they work, but honestly I don’t really understand it too well myself. I trust her though, she will get us out.

Kai'la: What can I do to help?

Pavlova: For now, just stay behind me and I’ll protect us long enough for Luna to do her thing. I won’t let any harm come to you, I promise.

Kai’la: Response?

Pavlova: Those men outside? No, I didn’t hurt them. Its a special gun that just knocks people unconscious for an hour or so. I promise, they’ll all wake perfectly fine, if a bit confused about what happened.

Kai’la: Response?

Pavlova: in a louder voice :: : How about that exit plan Luna?

Walker: Response?

TBC

Major Irina Pavlova

Chief of Marines

USS Excalibur-A