Ayiana "Red" Sevo - It Matters Not How We Die, but Who We Die With

[Alleran Tan]

A really emotional and well written ending to our current mission (or is it M'Rishion?).

M'Rish must be protected.

(( Observation Room - Cardassian “Prison” ))

 

Ayiana lay partially collapsed on the smoking and sparking ruin of the computer console. She had seen several logs by the Chief Researcher that detailed the meticulous and cruel social experiments they had been performing on dozens of prisoner groups over the years. They were just the latest iteration. Drop prisoners in the rear of the ship, see how they act and survive in the prison. If some break out into the middle of the ship, complex and devious scenarios and traps were ready to be played via holoemitters placed throughout; just to see how they’d react.

 

To make matters worse, their unofficial charge, M’Rish, had been an unwilling pawn in the Cardassians’ vile experiments. Every cycle, they’d sedate her, wipe her memories, reprogram her with false ones, then set her loose in the ship again to be found by any prison escapees. Just to see what they’d do to a helpless child in such a setting; not to mention how she survived on her own for weeks on end before someone came to find her. Assuming people actually broke out of the prison, which didn’t happen every iteration. 

 

When she first joined the Maquis, Ayiana merely wanted to safeguard her home and fellow colonists in the DMZ against the Cardassian Union’s aggression. Now, she hated them all for what they sanctioned here. It had been going on for years, far earlier than the genesis of the Maquis or even the Federation-Cardassian Treaty. She wanted to find those responsible and explain in exquisite detail, with many sharp objects in sensitive areas, just how she felt about it.

 

Computer: Warning! Baryon sweep approaching. All remaining personnel retreat to designated shelters for evacuation.

 

Apparently, such revenge would have to wait.

 

Sevo: Oh, Gods above! Come on! :: She exclaimed. ::

 

Stoyer: Yeah, time to go.

 

Neathler: Shuttle bay, head for the shuttlebay. ::She paused, taking another breath, explaining herself.:: There was a message before.

 

Sevo: I’ll take your word for it.

 

Stoyer: There should be a release for the door. As Red said, the Cardies never expected any of us to get this far. They would have to evacuate the area also.

 

Strip was still holding the unconscious M’Rish in his arms. The Cardassians had sedated her earlier, but there was no way to know if they had proceeded with the memory wipe yet. Ayiana suspected otherwise, as that generally involved complex equipment not seen in the room they found her in.

 

Returning to the control panel Ayiana tried earlier, Cory tapped away at it and it opened easily, much to her chagrin. The emergency evacuation must have overridden any locks in order to facilitate a faster evacuation.

 

Stoyer: Let’s get out of here.

 

Neathler: Go. :: She said as she picked up her furry friend. ::

 

Sevo: Was there a map? Do you know where to go?

 

Exiting the room, Fingers looked both ways down the corridor, slightly confused. Apparently, she didn’t know where to go. To make matters worse, a green forcefield was slowly inching its way up the corridor - the baryon sweep! Lethal to any form of life; it was vital they stay away from it. She heard it could be quite painful.

 

Neathler: The baryon sweep!

 

Sevo: That means everyone in the prison is dead. Executed. 

 

Stoyer: Response

 

Ayiana clenched her fists white. She may not have liked many of the prisoners, but cold-blooded execution by baryon sweep was not a fate she’d wish on anyone. 

 

Quickly, they ran down the corridor. Some doors were open but looking inside, they were empty. Anyone still on the ship would have evacuated or moved to safe shelters by now. She thought baryon beams moved meticulously and slowly, that they’d easily be able to run away from it. But this one seemed different; after all, it was an execution tool, not a meticulous maintenance sweep.

 

Neathler: Hurry.

 

Stoyer: Response

 

The straight hallway leading away from the deadly energy suddenly turned left. With no choice, they followed, past a set of double doors. Then, much to Ayiana’s annoyance, the corridor turned left *again*, heading towards the baryon beam. She could see it further down, inching closer. Suddenly, Fingers stopped in her tracks.

 

Neathler: Back, we have to go back, through those double doors.

 

Sevo: What?! Why...nevermind. I trust you!

 

Stoyer: Response

 

They backtracked down the corridor, to the right, and to the set of thick double doors passed earlier. There was a plaque next to it which read “Shuttlebay Two.” Ayiana tapped at the controls and opened the doors. The sight inside caused her heart to drop. It was a large bay, but empty. Not a single escape shuttle remained. They had already been taken by the escaping crew, as denoted by impulse scorch marks on the floor.
 

Sevo: Damn, damn, and damn! 

 

Neathler/Stoyer: Response

 

They moved out to the middle of the large bay in order to give them some more time. To do what, she didn’t know. Soon, the green energy wall materialized through the door and wall they passed through, crawling ever closer.

 

Slight shuffling in Cory’s arms caught Ayiana’s attention. M’Rish had woken up.

 

M’Rish: Wh...wha? :: She peered around curiously, rubbing her eyes, looking at everyone. :: Y-you’s came back for me?

 

Sevo: O-of course we did. :: Holding back a tear. ::

 

Oh no, why?! Couldn’t she have stayed asleep just a little longer? M’Rish didn’t need to know what was happening; what was about to happen. She could have stayed asleep through the end, never knowing what transpired. When she had been sedated back in that room, that could have been the simple, quiet, painless end for her; never knowing that she would die a little while later. Now, she’d die along with the rest of them, painfully awake and aware of what was happening.

 

Neathler/Stoyer: Response

 

M’Rish: Wh-what’s that?! :: Still being held in Strip’s arms, she pointed a shaky finger down the shuttlebay to the oncoming sweep. ::

 

Sevo: It...it’s nothing. Don’t look at it. :: Ayiana moved to block M’Rish’s sight of the beam. ::

 

Neathler/Stoyer: Response

 

Ayiana turned to look, feigning curiosity; but in actuality, she was hiding the tears streaming down her face. Not for herself, or for Strip, or Fingers, but for M’Rish. Such an innocent being, not deserving of the life she had been living, and certainly not deserving of the death coming. But there was nothing left to do; the shuttles were gone, and they couldn’t just jump out into space. They had tried their hardest to live, survived impossible odds stacked against them, but it was for nothing in the end. Their escape plan failed, and they’d die on this miserable ship in a few short seconds, painfully.

 

The sweep was less than a meter away. She could hear it’s humming now, like the slow ticking of death announcing itself.

 

Sevo: We did our best, everyone. :: She turned to Strip. :: Cory, I just want to say...I love you. 

 

She placed one hand on Cory’s cheek, and the other on M’Rish’s head, who was still being held in Cory’s arms.

 

Neathler/Stoyer: Response

 

Sevo: M’Rish, I’m sorry little one. I’m so sorry…

 

Ayiana closed her eyes as the first tingles of energy touched her. It wasn’t as painful as she thought it’d be. In fact, it felt familiar, almost like a transporter beam…

 

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Ayiana “Red” Sevo

Fighter

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Simmed by

 

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Lt. Commander Ayiana Sevo
Mission Specialist

U.S.S. Gorkon

Image Collective

Wiki Ops

Investigating Diversity and Inclusion Committee (IDIC)

V239109AS0

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