Episode 4: "Fidelis Servorum"

The rumble of the exploding wall wasn't that much different from the sonic booms of the rebel craft coming to lift out the rescuees, merely swapping a choking cloud of wall dust for contrails of inverted water vapour. On the other hand the apparent prisoner who suddenly went guard on them (revealing a concealed badge as well as the blaster) and tried to take the part fleinoid volunteer medic hostage was something very different.

Not that any of that really helped the man in his ill advised escape from the escape attempt as the white haired medic promptly threw his @ss into a wall hard enough to leave both cracks and a visible fresh scarlet bloom.

He didn't get a second attempt as the chagrined marine who had given up that arc to help with the wounded brought his carbine back to bear and triple tapped the still dazed goon with enough stun to make his grandparents cross-eyed. Even so the marine 'confirmed' the stun with a rapidly applied boot to the guard's tender places, ensuring no shamming.

Only then did he offer the volunteer medic a hand up, "sorry ma'am, my bad" he admitted

A glance at the tac computer on Tybalt's wrist quickly confirmed that the shots had been effective and nearly as quickly began adding the parameters of the badge's makeup to the active scans the teams were engaged in.


Which left Tybalt finally with enough time to begin working out what exactly Haggis was talking about. Because quite frankly there was no way in all the fiery hells that there should be any heavily armed teams anywhere near here but his own.

The report made very poor reading, with Starr and Thrack's teams having apparently gone awol somewhere between the drop and here. With luck it was merely target diversion, something opportunistic having turned up in their approach scans, but it was equally possible that both elements were crocked and or pancaked.

Which in turn left the barracks and ops room covered only by Ziva's sniper teams and what air cover the flyboys had managed to maintain through their own challenges.... which in turn had apparently allowed a fully geared, badass tactical team to get into the main block and begin closing on his marines, only being halted when they ran into the just-in-case pickets.

=/\=Calling pattern seven!=/\= Tybalt declared over his scrambled com net, =/\=Fox and Hound are N/S, all non-escort elements switch to storm roles.=/\= Even before he finished making the call the marines who had been escorting the still quite lost prisoners to the evac site stepped away and returned to the interior, leaving the craft crews themselves to organise the loading, while they reformed to kick some more @ss.

On that note =/\=Hell two to High-side=/\= Tybalt called, =/\=Requesting ground strike on secondaries=/\= he announced, asking Cassius' team if they were going to be able to complete the lion's share of strike 3's role by main firepower rather than ground force. Doing so would mean that they would never get any of the hoped for intel out of the Op center and admin block, but better that than they had to hang around here and secure the buildings without the element of surprise on their side.

Meanwhile he and his team were angling in on the armed team that Haggis had identified... or rather the wall that separated them from the main effort. Clearly these people at least were slightly trained, having not simply attempted to storm into the marines' prepared position, but instead having tried to turn that on its head by setting up an ambush of their own. Unfortunately for them the training was clearly of a more 'pedestrian' manner than the Marine Recon engaged in... and they had given no real thought to the wall they were trusting to guard their flank.

Which proved to be a big mistake as three simultaneous grenades turned it into dust and shrapnel and then a fusillade of well spaced automatic shots turned their hiding positions into a 'killing' zone. A whole two got shots off, neither were even remotely accurate and Tybalt personally used one of those shots to locate the shooter before triple tapping him too.

Literal seconds after the wall came down the tac-comps were reporting all lifesigns stunned or killed and the Recon marines were moving to sweep and clear.



Tag: Cassius, Beth, M'Lynn

As the marine shot her attacker, M'Lynn turned her head and spat out the blood, then wiped her teeth on her orange jumpsuit sleave.  The smell of blood was everywhere.  She wrinkled her nose.

M'Lynn looked about, assessing the situation as the marine took care of her attacker.  She wouldn't have to worry about him again.  She used her senses of eye sight, smell, and hearing to assess the situation, which seemed to be in hand but still dangerous.  Her cat ears swiveled in different directions to listen.  They had to get out of here soon before any reinforcements arrived but the marines would know that.  She was a physician, not a tactician.

The few remaining ex-prisoners like her huddled together, staring at the carnage.

One smiled and gave her a thumbs up. "Way to go Doc."

M'Lynn smiled and nodded.  "Thanksssss."

The other ex-prisoners were quickly herded away to relative safety.

Quote Tybalt:  Only then did he offer the volunteer medic a hand up, "sorry ma'am, my bad" he admitted.

M'Lynn smiled. "No prrroblem and thank you."  She took his hand and let him help her up.  "Ensign M'Lynn Calvert, surrrgeon, late of the USSss Destiny. May I have that blassster? I'll understand if you prreferr I not."  M'Lynn asked, pointing at the blaster laying next to her attacker.  She would prefer to be armed in this situation but since the marine didn't know her from Adam, he might decide he couldn't afford to fully trust her yet.  "And I'll be glad to help with any medical problem."

   Tag Tybalt

M'Lynn looked at the patient the medic was tending with concern as she waited for the marine's answer.

  Tag All

Ensign M'Lynn Calvert
(Escaping prisoner)

Security aboard Earth Spacedock was always tight. Politicially, strategically and emotionally this enormous ‘Immense’ class Starbase was in the eyes of the majority the Jewel in the Federation’s crown. As Earth was technically under attack, Stardock’s shields were up, weapons charged and her Starfleet crew ready for action. Of course, this meant getting in would be a challenge. Especially when the Away Mission assigned to breaking this ‘supermax’ was only three people big.

Ensign Novarro was one of ‘the big three’. He had recently gained his commission after spending nearly 20 years in the rank-and-file of Starfleet’s gold shirted warriors. Even with his extensive experience, he was nervously fiddling with his fingernails.

“So we’ve just flying in there like we’re one of them,” He said, “Codes and all. Just like that?”

“You got a problem with that?” Emily asked with a raised brow, “Have any better ideas?”

Novarro took a deep breath, “No disrespect Lieutenant. I don't got a problem with the plan. I do have a problem with the person providing us the codes and stuff. How do we know we can trust this Intel spook boss? We just take the Admiral’s word for it?”

“Given the urgency of the situation….you’re damn right we just take the Admiral’s word for it,” She looked Novarro up and down, “We’re in one hell of a situation and there isn’t much time to plan things out - if you can’t think on your feet I’m going to get nervous.”

“You got nothin’ to worry about ma’am,” Novarro straightened his posture, “Just a crazy day I guess. Not every day you attack Earth.”

Emily nodded her head, “Too true.” Although she was confident in the Admiral’s reasoning and there was more than enough proof to validate their actions, Emily was nervous. It wasn’t something one would see easily but it was there. This wasn’t something they could walk away from without at least a little more than a chip on their shoulder, “But it will be something we’re remembered for.”

“Amen to that.” Said Chief James from the pilot seat, “Approaching the Starbase shield boundary now. Things might get a little choppy.”

The shuttle rocked as they passed through the outermost reaches of Stardock’s shields, allowing them all a moments respite from watching the vast structure loom over them like an ancient greek titan. Now they were past Stardock’s defenses they could get a decent fix on where the Voth were being held.

“I got ‘em,” James reported, “Well..not them them. But there’s a pretty big dampening field all around Decks 346 through 8. They’re hiding something there for sure.”


“We need to shut that field down,” Emily said pensively, “How hard could that be…” A smile crooked her lips, “Easy right?”

“Like sneaking onto the freakin’ Death Star…” Novarro grunted.

“Hopefully easier and with less - pew pew pew,” Emily grinned, “Get us in, get us down and let’s do this.”

“Lets hope their aim is as bad…” James muttered as he guided the shuttle into one of the Stardock’s many shuttlebays. He deliberately got himself cleared to land on one six decks up from their target. It was as close as he could get without raising any suspicion. After a pretty routine landing he got up out of his chair, shouldered his Phaser rifle and went to join Navarro and Star on the exit ramp.

Novarro took another deep breath. He was not looking forward to the next few minutes. His job was to make his way up to the main drydock in the upper reaches of this place, steal onto a Voth ship and get them ready to beam the Voth aboard and skedaddle.

“Okay guys,”Emily said quietly, “Nobody here knows we aren’t following orders. So let’s blend in, make it look good and try not to turn heads.”

“Sounds great to me,” Novarro replied before setting his jaw and marching off the exit ramp. Doing his best to look purposeful in a time of crisis, he started a slow professional quick march across the hangar deck into the maze of corridors and turbolifts beyond.

Leaving Star and James alone to their task.

James kept his head and eyes firmly fixed on where he was going, not wishing to look like anything other than a trusty NCO keeping pace with his Squad commander. All they really had to do was get onto their target deck and get past the inevitable guards.

Everywhere was abuzz with activity. Security squads marched around with rifles to hand ready for a full-scale uprising. Red alert lights slowly flashed on the walls. Nobody paid much heed to two more security offices walking around.

They had no issue getting into a turbolift and travelling down to Deck 346. Upon exiting the turbolift however, found them face to face with four very unfriendly black collared Marines.

“State your business here.” Their Sergeant snapped.

“Excuse me?” Emily looked them over, “You can be a little less snappy given you should know the reason we’re here already.” Her arms crossed, “Or are you saying you haven’t been informed yet?”

The Sergeant was more than happy to get in Star’s face, “Informed. Of. What?”

“Are you aware of why this Starbase is on red alert?” Her shoulders straightened and there was no flinching as he moved closer, “I’m sure you do but it seems perhaps you need a lesson…”

None of this seemed to go down too well with the Sergeant, who bore a strong resemblance to an old Earth movie star called Vinnie Jones, “Rebel tossers,” he spat to one side, “Yeah. I get it. I’m more interested in what you think you’re gonna teach me?”

Emily looked him over and grinned, “I’m sure there’s quite a few things but…”She took a step back, “We’re on the same team here. Those rebel scum are trying everything they can to divide our forces and are desperately clinging to whatever sad hope they have of out thinking us. Of course they’re wrong but people from up top want to make sure we’re prepared. They’re already aware that four marines are worth at least three times that many security guards - so they’re not too worried about this area yet they figured you could use a little more help. I doubted it but they seemed to be a little worried.”Her arms uncrossed, “I don’t know about you but I get nervous when Starfleet gets worried.” Emily offered an extended hand, “Emily Star, here to aide you however I can. I won’t try get in your way.”

The Sergeant stepped back, his hand hovering over his sidearm as he looked Star up and down for several long, tense seconds. Murder was written across his face until it suddenly broke into a wide grin, “Ain’t that nice lads?” He said with forced pleasure, “We got ourselves some ‘elp from above! It’s our lucky day!”

The grin vanished as suddenly as it had come, “You wanna help us?” He growled, “Go check on the prisoners. I hate them lizards.”

Emily looked at James then back to the Marine, “Lizards?” She winced, “Eww..” Lightly she pushed her counterparts arm, “You’re first. Personally I’d rather get rid of them all together.”

One of the other Marines chuckled, “Have fun in there.” He snorted, “They do things - to your head. Make you feel like you're being stalked. You get real twitchy. Weirdest thing.”

“Sod ‘em,” The Sergeant grunted, “Be shootin’ the whole f***ing lot soon anyhow.”

Once again he showed Star his unpleasant side, “Well. Bye!”

Emily nodded and then moved as quickly yet as normally away from the marines, “You ok?” She asked James quietly as they walked.

“Yeah,” James shrugged before admitting, “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this. You know, working against our own side like this?”

Her response was a short nod, “Hopefully we can get in and out without having to hurt anyone.”

“Agreed.”

They stepped into a vast hall filled with row after row of holding cells stacked upon one another, accessible only by a narrow walkway connected by thin staircases. Behind each blue glowing forcefield was a tall, stocky looking creature reminiscent of a terran Hadrosaur - from which they were directly descended. It made for a dismal sight, the remnant of a once proud of advanced people reduced to naked prisoners awaiting their turn in the death chambers.

“My god…” James whispered in horror.

“It makes you re-think your fears about what we’re doing and wonder what the hell Starfleet is doing…”Emily shook her head and looked at the cells, “I don’t even know who to speak with.” She looked to her partner, “Find where the dampener is.”

James nodded vaugely and openly forced himself to focus before opening a tricorder to scan for their objective. It took him a moment, after which he ran deeper into what could only be described as a concentration camp, leaving Emily to ponder on who to talk to.

Knowing her answers could only come from the Voth themselves Emily picked a cell and simply asked, “Who here is the highest ranking of the Voth left alive?”

A chorus of voices rang out defiantly, “I am.”

“Well then, this should be easy.” Emily said quietly, “As I assume you’d all like to get back on your ship and take back whatever scraps of pride you have left in your species.”

This time only one voice spoke out, “How do we know this isn’t some sort of trick, designed to help us speed our own demise?”

“Given you’re already on your way to your own demise, are you really ready to doubt an extended hand?” She asked with a shrug to the single voice.

A different voice to the first one hissed, “The last time your kind extended a hand to us we ended up here! The word of a Federation is-”

“Silence Gellem!” The previous speaker, one more authoritative than any other, snapped, “Forgive our skepticism. We were tricked into this predicament by your people. If you are truly here to rescue us. Prove it. Get us out of here. All you need do is drop the dampening field. Our ships will do the rest.”

“I know,”She responded with a smirk, “We’ve already prepped your ships and my partner is already at work shutting down the dampening field. All I ask is, for our aide, you don’t leave us at the mercy of the guards just past us.”

Silence fell for a moment as the Voth leader considered the request. There was no time for an answer as an alarm started wailing, signalling the fall of the dampening field. The Voth in Stars immediate view started to fade out of existence with little more than a wry wave goodbye.

The voice of Sergeant Vinnie Jones and his two knuckledragger buddies cut through the alarms. They were not happy.

“Why aren’t they beaming us out???” James shrieked as he came sprinting back with two phaser blasts streaking either side of him, “Rescue time!”

“Those green bastards…” Emily growled, “Damn it!” She looked at James, “I’m truly sorry about this but desperate times...…” And with a shrug she shot him. Only to stun of course but it would create a distraction and some form of story to dampen the marines tempers...or so she hoped. Her phaser remained pointed at him as she watched the approaching marines, curious as to their reaction and praying it went as planned.

“OI! DONT YOU F****ING DARE!” The Sergeant roared. James seemed to simply evaporate like the Voth just did.

“Don’t I dare what?” She asked, as she watched James slowly disappear, “Oh…that.” A strange feeling came over her, “Sorry love, but I guess that’s my cue.”

They materialized on the command deck of the Voth flagship, which proved to be a cavernous room full of bright glowing consoles which seemed to simply hover off the deck plating. Standing at the elevated central position was the Voth who had waved at Star, now dressed in the elegant robes of a Voth commander.

“Prepare all weapons!” He roared, “We will avenge our fallen brethren and rip this accursed station apart!”

“You do that and I swear, you will only regret it.” Emily growled as she faced the robed commanded, “I will make sure that the kindness we just showed is reversed a hundred fold and you really don’t want us on your bad side as we are your only allies in this space.”

The Voth commander stepped down from his podium making some deep nasal noises. He stopped close enough to smell her humanoid breath, “You dare…” He paused for a moment, as if reconsidering on the fly, “Just what kind of effort are you going to?”

Emily looked him over, “What kind of effort?” She repeated his words, “What do you mean what kind of effort?”

The Commander gestured toward the viewscreen, “Are you some trio of conscientious objectors or are there more of your creed outside, fighting for our freedom at this very moment? This is important.”

“There are more of us, even a few more Voth involved in getting your ugly asses off of that starbase. Now…”She looked him over, “We’ve saved your tails, we’ve put our own lives on the line and we are obviously going against our own Federation - do you want to sit down over a hot drink and go over the details or can we get the hell out of here?”

Novarro cleared his throat and added, “The rules of engagement we were given were strictly no killing. Our leader wishes our opponents to learn the error of their choices.”

The Voth commander, though clearly incensed, considered their words for a moment. All eyes were on him as he muttered something about Doctrine.

“Fine.” He finally said aloud, “We will suffice to blast open the drydock doors - for now.”

Emily moved over to Novarro, “I was getting to that…”She muttered, “Although perhaps being in his face wasn’t the best way to communicate. I’ve spent far too much time with marines.”

Novarro offered her a wink, “I wont tell Tybalt if you wont.”

“Deal,”She grinned, “If he asks...I was marvelous.” A wink followed before a confused look hit her face, “Where’s James”

The Voth commander answered, “He was transported to a sister vessel. He is in good care. Now if you’ll excuse us…Target Antiproton beams on the Stardock door. Fire in sync.”

Emily looked at Novarro, “If James says I shot him...tell him he was hallucinating.” She said quietly as she watched the ships fire and burst out of the resulting open areas of the Stardock doors.

Eight Voth ships raced out to freedom, curiously to no return fire from the Stardock’s massive array of weapons. Navarro was more interested in what his commanding officer had just told him. Almost stunned he said, “You shot James? Why would you do that?”


A light shrug followed, “I was thinking on my feet.” She raised her brow, “All of this seemed far too easy though...or maybe I’m just used to extreme chaos when on a mission.”

Navarro shrugged, “Or maybe- for once- Intelligence came through.”

“In that case, I’m grateful and I’m not going to complain.” Emily tilted her head to the side to survey the Voth Commander, “Do you trust him?”

“He did just narrowly escape a holocaust,” Navarro thought aloud, “Still, he’s a hardass. I don’t think I do yet, no.”

“Good, its not just me.” Emily leaned back on something sturdy, “Keep alert...just incase.”

“Aye ma’am,” Navarro nodded, “I’ll let the Admiral know we’re out.”

Three taps of the com-badge was all it took to send an encrypted burst transmission of data to Redemption’s operations officer. In a few moments they would receive coordinates for their Rendezvous point and be on their way.




A JP with the epic Admiral

"Pitch in where you can," the marine urged in reply, "we have a lot of bodies to move to the transports" he reasserted recalling what she ahd been doing when the screw had grabbed her, "and a fair few appear to have been somewhat stabbed" he added, still not really understanding what had occurred in the blood splattered corridor and mess hall.

"I believe the plan calls for a triage to be set up at the edge of the LZ" he added more helpfully, "and with some of our team off assignment I won't be able to spare the Corpsmen" he explained, insisting he'd need the weapons for the next push, for which his people were gathering even then.

He made no mention at all of the blaster, not really believing there would be much call for her to have it in the yard, but completely understanding why the bushy haired alien might want a weapon of any sort in hand. The quick scan of her form had shown al the markers of an inmate rather than a custo and the hidden guard's antipathy towards her had, rightly or wrongly, for the moment allayed any other suspicions.

"If you're looking for revenge right now then I'm afraid you're bang out of luck" he finished, "these are marines, not goldbellies, you appear where you're not expected and you'll get shot" he warned, his tone enough to say that he wasn't going to guarantee a stun setting either.

Tybalt wrote:    "If you're looking for revenge right now then I'm afraid you're bang out of luck" he finished, "these are marines, not goldbellies, you appear where you're not expected and you'll get shot" he warned, his tone enough to say that he wasn't going to guarantee a stun setting either.

M’Lynn’s cat ears moved back and forth, listening and trying to keep an eye out for any sudden movements.  She didn’t want to be caught off guard with an attack again.

M’Lynn was surprised that the marine didn’t care if she took the blaster.  But it pleased her.  She smiled at him, twitching her nose.  “Don’t worrry. I don’t want rrrevenge. I just want to be able to prrrotect myself and otherrsss. I hate being defenssselesss.  I’ll help with the trrriage.”

M’Lynn got the blaster and went over to the lieutenant who was tending a wounded man.  “May I be of asssissstance? I’m Doctorrr M’Lynn Calverrrt, ex USS Defiant.”


Tag Beth/Tybalt/All

Ensign M'Lynn Calvert, Surgeon
Escaping Prisoner

Jessica Hatter conducted the manoeuvre exactly per the Admirals instructions, with out a moment of deviations, burning out more the Redemptions precious warp coils in the process, cursing her self in the process. She wasn't the biggest fan of Redemption - too big for her tastes she always thought, but she could almost feel when a ship was in 'pain', and right now Redemption was in agony.
Her back was well and truly broken.
While Jess had no love for Admiral wood what so ever, she felt a little fleeting touch of admiration for the senior officer as he managed to broker an agreement with the fleet, that was beginning to turn the confrontation around from the potential of a massacre into something they may actually walk away from.

"What the hell happened there? Did we actually win this thing?" Lt. Hatter asked nobody in particular. "Admiral, any chance you can broker us about 3 weeks in dry dock. That or a new ship?" She could feel the effects of the stimms starting to wear off already. The gaps between her needing more were getting shorter all the time, and Jessica could sense the sarcasm dripping out of her, as she got more and more irritable.

Doc saw that the medic seemed to have her patient well in hand.

"Doc!" Screamed one of the prisoners.

"Call me if you need me." M'Lynn smiled at the medic and hurried over to the man screaming for her.

The man in the orange jumpsuit lay on the ground. His face revealed that he was in pain but Doc could not see any injures.

"Wherre doesss it hurrt?" Doc asked.

"My left ankle."

Doc takes her medical tricorder out of her black messenger bag and waves it over the left ankle.

"It'ss brroken." Doc said. She slipped her tricorder back into her bag and pulled out an object that looked like a large magic marker. "Hold ssstill. I'm going to apply a temporrarry sssprray casst." Doc sprayed the top of the ankle. The white foam spread over the sprayed area and began to harder. "Now grrit yourr teeth, I have to get the bottom of the ankle." Doc then gently lifted up the broken ankle.

"Uugggghhh." Cried the man in pain.

Doc quickly sprayed under and around the ankle it while holding it. A few seconds later the cast was solid.

More explosions are heard nearby.

Another escaping prisoner helped the man to his feet with Doc's help. "I'll give you a pain killerr @ss sssoon as we'rre aboarrd the esscape ssshuttle."

The injured man put an arm over Doc’s shoulder and the man helping him.

“Keep weight off the injurred ankle if you can.” Doc said.

The man was mostly carried by Doc and the other man into the shuttle.

The escaping prisoners hurried to the shuttle, some with help from others. Once on board and the man was lowered into a seat, Doc gave him a pain killer shot with her hypospray. She then helped others get situated, checking the injuries, mentally making a list of the most urgent care patients. Two were in bad shape.

Those that needed she gave a hypospray of Assinolyathin, a pain reliever and muscle relaxer. This included the man with the broken ankle. She also made a triage list so the most critical patients would be rushed to Sick Bay first.

When the shuttle took off from the prison, M’Lynn put the safety on the blaster and tucked it into her black messenger bag. She stayed by the two critical patients, monitoring them.

After a bumpy ride, the shuttle landed on the USS Redemption. Crew members rushed forward to help evacuate the wounded from the shuttle to Sick Bay. Doc ordered the two most critical patients be rushed to Sick Bay first, the rest followed in her triage order. The wounded were transferred to anti-grav lifts, then one person pushed them on the run to Sick Bay.

M’Lynn hurried along with the last of the patients, having checked out the patients during flight and giving aide where possible.

Upon entering Sick Bay M’Lynn saw two nurses and two medical technicians performing first aide. Where were the doctors? In surgery maybe?

“Wherrre is the Chief Medical Officerrr?” M’Lynn asked a nurse that seemed to be in charge as she ordered one nurse to tend to the new patients arriving.

“He’s dead. Nurse Practitioner Sally Johnson is currently in charge. She is preparing two patients to be operated on right now. As you don’t appear to be injured, please go to the mess hall and get yourself a meal and wait for a room assignment,” said the head nurseShakaar Julis, a female Bajorian.

“I’m Enssign M’Lynn Calverrrt, Ssurgeon. Can I be of sssome help?” M’Lynn asked.

There was a sudden silence.

Junior Nurse Clara Smith, a female Human, closed her eyes, “Thank God.”

“I’m Head Nurse Shakaar Julis . Our CMO resigned before we left dry dock and our other doctor was killed in the battle, so we need your help, especially in surgery,” stated the head nurse.
The ship shook from a near miss.

“Then I guesss I’m the doctorrr in charrge now. Nurrsse Julisss, I’m trrusting you to do trriage, sssending the mosst ssseriouss patientss to me and the Nurse Practitioner, while minorr injurries arre tended to by the ressst of the ssstaff.” M’Lynn answered. “When all the patientsss have been operrated on we’ll be able to help out with the lesss crritical patientss.”

“Yes, mam. There are two critical patients in the operating room right now,” stated the head nurse. “Nurse Practitioner Smith is tending to them for now.”

“Rrright.” M’Lynn went into the operating room.

“Nurrsse Prractitionerr Ssmith, I’m Enssign M’Lynn Calverrt, Sssurgeon. I’m here to help.” M’Lynn stated, checking on the first patient.

The look on the woman’s face was one of immense relief. M’Lynn was soon at work, fighting to save lives and limbs with the rest of the remaining medical staff.

Several hours later, the patients were all resting comfortably. Doc M’Lynn after finishing a dozen operations, had helped the staff with the other patients. She still wore her prison jumpsuit.

One nurse and a medical technician were watching over the patients while the other nurse, medical technician, and the Nurse Practitioner were getting some rest. M’Lynn was sitting at the CMO’s desk, the office door open, listening for patients as she ate a philly cheese steak sub, steak meat rare, and sipped on a large glass of milk.

Her medical bag lay open. The blaster sticking out of a pocket too small for it.

“Now what am I going to do with that blassterr? I guesss I ssshould hold onto it for now until I know I’m sssafe then I could turrn it over to sssecurity.”

(M'Lynn is working with the Admiral on a Joint Post to continue this)


Ensign M'Lynn Calvert
Surgeon (Prison Escapee)

Wood felt like a large chunk of him had just been ripped out and replaced by a seething mass of darkness, growing out of control with each passing second. With what was left of his voice and energy he thanked Allenbrandt one last time and closed the channel.

"What the hell happened there? Did we actually win this thing?" Lt. Hatter asked nobody in particular. "Admiral, any chance you can broker us about 3 weeks in dry dock. That or a new ship?"

The Admiral felt so numbed he barely even registered Hatter's sarcastic comments, "Lets escort our away missions out of here," He said, "And then we can find a place to patch ourselves up. Hatter, find us a nice hiding place will you?"

{Hatter}

He could see the first groups of assault shuttles break orbit, some still with a handful of fighters escorting. They looked like they'd been through hell themselves. This was no idealistic quest any more, Janice's death brought that into perspective. Things had just become very very real.

And he'd started a civil war. The worst kind of war.

{all}

oc- I'm not sure where to come in at, but here goes -

"She's coming too, Doctor." The voice was a little hazy and dim, like heard through a tunnel. The darkness that surrounded her began to lighten to a gray haze. The voices became louder. "Looks like she took a nasty hit to her head, but the injection I gave her should eleviate the swelling." Tris' eyes fluttered open. She tried to sit up, but the room, which was now coming into view was spinning. She groaned as she laid back down. "How much did I drink?" The nurse that was attending her snorted.

"Let's just say that you took a double shot of a bulkhead, but you are going to be okay", the nurse responded. Finally, Tris was able to bring her world into focus. She noticed the nurse and recognized her. "Annelle, what are you doing in my room?"

Annellle shook her head. "We are in the sick bay, hun. During the battle, you where thrown into the bulkhead on Deck 12. They brought you in and you've been out for just a bit."

"The battle?" wondered Tris. Then it all came back to her. Their mission. "How many did", she couldn't finish the sentence. Annelle shrugged. "It seems that it was ending premature, but the ship is in dire straights. I expect that you will have job security for a long time. We aren't in jail, or dead, so I can only assume that we won... or didn't lose."

Slowly Tris sat up with Annelle's help. "So no worker's comp, I take it." Annelle smiled. "Nope, but later on today we can meet for dinner, if you get the replicators working again." Tris smiled a bit. "the glorious life of an Operations Lt, right." Annelle smiled "Junior Grade, that is."

Tris rolled her eyes. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Ann. I'll check in later." Tris slide down to the floor and held onto the table until her legs steadied and held her weight up. "Catcha later", Tris said, leaving the sickbay. "Get rest", yelled back Annelle.

Out in the hallway, Tris tapped her combadge. "Lieutenant Dan, this is Tris, checking in."

=====Redemption Bridge=====

For the first time since the battle started, Wood allowed himself to look anywhere other than the mainscreen or his real time battlefield display. What he saw made his heart sink even lower than it already was.

A thin veil of smoke clung to the air close by deck, fed by several small fires that two burned and bleeding crew members were valiantly trying to put out. Sparks leapt out of ruined displays like vengeful snakes, landing impotently upon twisted remnants of wall panelling and shards of console screen. One of the Bridge's support struts, a hulking girder of tritanium, was jutting out of the wall nearby the turbolift after being forced out by a nearby torpedo detonation.

Wood thanked his lucky stars that torpedo hadn't detonated any closer than it did.

A casualty was being transported to sickbay by a haggard looking medic. Not a single member of his crew looked like the clean and well-uniformed Starfleet officers they'd started this mission as. Now they were dirty, bruised or bleeding wearing torn and ragged remnants of duty dress. They'd given their all for what they believed in - and achieved the impossible.

"Follow the landing parties to the rendez-vous point. Let me know when they get there." He ordered, leaving the Conn with a surprised Lieutenant.

The Admiral wanted to visit the sickbay. He wasn't injured, but he felt that was where he could do the most good right now. In a bit of a daze, he made his way down there.

{all}

"I know that you are injured, Tris, and I am thankful that you are alive, but we do need you on the bridge.  We have several consoles out and Engineering is swamped with larger items."  Tris could hear the mixture of relief, frustration, stress and sadness all in Leiutenant Dan's voice.  She felt bad that she was giving him a hard time about going back to work so quickly after leaving Sickbay.  She started to say something, but Dan went on.  "We've lost Powell, Bennett, Ackran, and Mendoza, so we are a little short staffed"

Tris didn't know what to stay.  A full operations team just gone.  "Will do sir.  I'm on my way.  I.. I am sorry for your losses."

"They are all our losses, Lieutenant.  And thank you.  Report in when you have repaired the consoles.  I'm sure I'll have more for you to do."  Tris tapped her badge and cut the signal.  She may be working double shifts for the next few months, but she didn't have to write letters to each of the families of the crewmembers that we lost today.

TRIS QUOTE:  "She's coming too, Doctor." The voice was a little hazy and dim, like heard through a tunnel. The darkness that surrounded her began to lighten to a gray haze. The voices became louder. "Looks like she took a nasty hit to her head, but the injection I gave her should eleviate the swelling."

Doc M’Lynn hurried over to look at the biobed readings.  “Yess, yourr rrright.  Good job nurrsse.  I’ll leave you to it.”  Doc returned to the CMO’s office.

  It wasn't until that moment that Wood even realised where he was. After the battle's end he had been wandering the halls of his ship in a daze, only snapping out of it long enough to offer the odd pat on the back or word of commiseration with random crew members he bumped into along the way. Truth be told, he didn't quite know what to do with himself. Going to his quarters didn't seem appropriate.

  But neither did he want to go to the bridge. He'd watched her die there. Watched helplessly in real-time holographic glory.

Maybe holo-com technology wasn't all it was cranked up to be. Really.

Looking around he could see a sick bay in organised chaos, a sight that was all too familiar to a man who'd made his career on the battlefield.

M’Lynn heard approaching foot steps. Her cat ears swiveled towards the open office door as someone approached.  M’Lynn looked up to see who was coming.  She saw a Star Fleet Officer.

“Can I help you?”  Then she saw the admiral stripes on his sleeve.

M’Lynn gasped, leaping to her feet, she snapped to attention.  “Enssign M’Lynn Calverrt, Sssurrgeon, rrreporting, sssir!”  She wished she wasn’t still wearing her now dirty orange prisoner jumpsuit and had showered before eating.

"As you were Doctor. And drop the Ensign part. Anyone who has the power to relieve even me of duty doesn't need to worry too much about formal use of rank."

He let his gaze rove about this unfamiliar doctor. The prison jumpsuit answered the question of where she'd come from, no doubt one of the ones his own ship's Marines had rescued. It spoke volumes of her character to be helping out so soon after being rescued from a traumatic experience.

"Quite the day it's been huh?" He added with a sigh while kicking himself for saying something so damn stupid. Tired and depressed or no.

"Yesss, ssssirr," M'lynn said, relaxing. "Pleasssse sssit down. You look tirred.  Would you like me to get you sssomething to eat and drrink?  I wasss just grrabbing a sssandwich myssself and ssssome milk."

For some odd reason the Admiral let his gaurd - that normally unshakable need to keep the stiff upper-lip of his native Britain and behave like a senior officer -crumble to dust. With a grateful nod he accepted the offer, "I'll have a Chai tea thanks. Always did find those relaxing."

"Hot tea? Crream? Sssugar?"  M'Lynn asked going to the replicator in the CMO's office, which was close to the door.  

M'Lynn got the feeling that the Admiral just needed to relax and talk with someone.  

Wood didn't wait for an invitation to sit, allowing himself to sit as gracefully as his fatigued body would allow in one of the seats opposite the CMO's desk.

"Hot with cream and one sugar, thanks," He said. While his tea was being replicated he glanced at the medical bay that was only a pane of transparisteel away. It was a sight he had never really become used to - despite all the training he'd been given telling him otherwise as a Cadet. There was something about seeing his people get hurt that tore at his soul.

People tend to get hurt following him. Loving him seemed to get them killed...

The Admiral halfheartedly shook off the growing black hole of depression that would follow and watched his tea make its way to him through this new surgeon.

M’Lynn sat the cup with the tea as requested on a saucer in front of the admiral.  A tea spoon for stirring on the side of the saucer.  On the desk between the Admiral and M’Lynn’s chair she sat a plate with three warm chocolate chip cookies; three warm sugar cookies; and three warm peanut butter cookies.

“Help yourrsself, sssir.  Sssorry I’m not in uniforrm.  Therre wass no time to change.”

Wood dismissed that notion with a small wave of his free hand, "You just got busted out of prison, right? It would be unreasonable of me to expect you to ignore what's going on just to get into uniform. In fact, I'd have a problem if you did."

M'Lynn let the Admiral enjoy a couple of sips before she decided to say something.  She sighed with sadness having to deliver this news to the Admiral.  Hopefully he already knew but perhaps not. “I’m afrraid I appearr to be the only doctorr left on boarrd sirr ssso I sssorrt of had to take over Sssick Bay.  I’d like to know what’ss rrreally going on if you can sssirr.  I was trranssferrred to the prrisson, then locked up when I arrrived with falsse trreasson charrgess ssso I could be held hosstage againsst my fatherr who iss the Caitain Ambasssadorr.  Would it be posssible to get worrd to my parrents that I’m sssafe? At leasst I hope I am.”

M’Lynn took a sip of her milk, watching the Admiral for not only a verbal response but any physical response.  Body language was quite helpful in determining if a person was lying or not.

Wood didn't hesitate in his response. Last request first, "Of course you can. In fact you should do that as a priority. We can talk about the goings on once your family know you are safe and sound."

He made to get up, to give this newcomer her privacy. In the back of his mind was a concern that some of these 'prisoners' might not have been put where they were because they were on his side of the argument, but this Caitian did not show anything except a genuine concern for her family here. He'd give her the benefit of the doubt.

"Oh and yes," He added, "I think you're safe for the time being."

“Pleasse don’t go.”  M’Lynn said, leaping to her feet.  “Sssit and finissh yourr tea.  I have nothing to hide but … do you want yourr identity hidden?  I mean thiss wass a prrisson esscape.  And ssshouldn’t ourr  possition be hidden?”  M’Lynn’s tail and ears twitched nervously.   She didn’t realize she had a milk mustache on her upper lip.

Wood shook his head, "Everyone and their dog knows or soon will know just who 'public enemy number one' is. I have nothing, nor any desire, to hide. Our position will be hidden soon enough. I doubt the fleet will want to come racing after us until they've got some overwhelming firepower to wield. You'll be fine."

M’Lynn makes the call. Punching in a sequence of codes on the touch pad of the terminal in the CMO’s office. The screen lit up quickly, providing an image.

Her mother, a pretty human female in her forties answered.  Her worried face lighting up with joy at seeing M’Lynn.  “M’Lynn!  Darling! It’s M’Lynn!”

Her father, a male Caitian hurried over to the vid com.  “M’Lynn, arre you alrright?”

“I’m fine and sssafe.  I can’t tell you morre but the prrisson was attacked and a lot of the prrissoners werre rrresscued.  Arre you and mom prrotected?”

“Yes, darling,” mom smiled.  “We have some of the bet security around.  I don’t dare go to work anymore.  Your father is attending council meetings by hologram and we may just go home soon.”

“Good.”  M’Lynn was pleased with this news.

The Admiral stood and watched the conversation with great interest. In some ways what was happening right now made him grateful his own parents had long since passed on, sparing them from the ten kinds of hell the Carpathia Government would have rained down upon them. His only living relative - a younger brother - was serving on the Government side somewhere in the Typhon Sector. The day his opponent realised that and pitted them against one another was one Wood did not look forward to.

With that still rolling about in the back of his mind the Admiral had little to say, instead contenting himself to listen to M'Lynn converse.

“Yourr brrotherrss arre sssafe back on Caitian kitten.”  Her father said.  That’s when both her parents spotted the Admiral. They smiled at him.

“Thank you for rescuing her Admiral Wood,” M’Lynn’s mother smiled. “M’Lynn, your accounts are still available if you or the Admiral need anything.” She winked

“Of courrsse motherr,” M’Lynn smiled.

"It was my pleasure," Wood responded, "And thank you. Our fleet took a serious beating pulling off the rescue mission. Any help we can get will be deeply appreciated."

“I’ll be sssending coded messsagess back home to alerrt Caitianss to aide you if they can,” her father stated. “We owe you a debt of honorr.”

"Thank you," Wood offered a respectful bow of his head, "We owe it to everything the Federation was built upon to stand against what this current Government is doing. But please, I implore you sir, be careful."

“We will. Thank you.” Her father smiled.

“Fatherr.  Motherr.  Be well.” M’Lynn said, then rattled off a bunch of strange words in Caitian that even if translated wouldn’t make any sense to anyone but her family.

Her parents gasped then looked angry.  They responded back a few times, then both her parents blew her a kiss.  She blew one back.  Then all three said good-bye.  The connection was cut off.

 Wood looked at M'lynn curiously, "Do I even want to know what that was about?"

“I wasss telling them how I and otherrss werre trreated and otherr thingss.  Admirral, my family hass ssseveral contactss and sssecrret codess that could help you with sssupplies but we have to be carreful.  Ssome of thosse contactss would betrray uss once a bounty iss put on ourr headss.”
 
 "Which will be very soon, if it hasn't happened already." Wood mused, "We could make best use of it by running it through a friend of mine in the Klingon High Council, launder it a bit to make it harder to track down. For now the best thing we could get is a good place to make a base."

“Sssoundss like a good idea. You need a basse huh? I know the location of an abandoned late 23rrd Centurry Ssstarrbasse.  It was called Ssstarrbase 109.”  


Joint Post with Admiral Wood & Ensign (Doc) M'Lynn Calvert

The “Demise” of Marine Captain Thrack (aka “Whatever happened to that spoon headed creepy dude?”)

As the assault shuttles shot past the Home Fleet, Thrack couldn’t help but think that this was the same scene, many years ago that the Breen experienced when they attacked the Earth during the Dominion War. Still, he hoped that everything they planned went as well as they planned.

But that usually didn’t happen.

Their shuttle was bound for the main prison and there was more than one reason why Thrack wanted to be a part of the mission. First, he had a duty to protect those as he had sworn on his oath to the Federation when he entered their service. Second, and one that only he had known… there were Cardassian prisoners being held on Earth. It had taken him years to track down the traces of those Cardassians, but they had all been gathered up and brought to Earth to either divulge their information to Carpathia and then die… or to just die. Many were high ranking officials or Obsidian Order agents with knowledge of pockets of resources and information that were highly classified.

And lowly Marine Captain Thrack was going to bust them out. It was his ticket back to the Cardassian Union and the reason why he had been placed into “exile” all those years ago. Now, his patience would pay off.

After landing on the ground, they came under an intensive amount of fire and several of their team members got separated from the main group. Thrack took the opportunity to break apart from the main group and head toward the communication center. It was his job to shut down communications out of the prison that would alert Carpathia and he did his job admirably with the explosives he was caring. But before setting them off, he took the device that had been given to him by his contact on the Harkem and inserted it into their mainframe. It wormed its way into the protective systems, downloading a virus into communication systems and uploading it. The virus would only piggyback on certain signals and at random times, downloading information it had stored up to a tricorder that Thrack carried. He stayed away from military secrets… that wasn’t his aim. His was aimed at Carpathia and the high politicial body of Starfleet. With it, Thrack, and his handlers, hope to position Cardassia to benefit from any dealings before Starfleet’s slow Senate could vote on it.

And then there were the prisoners.

As the communications building blew, Thrack joined the squad for the main thrust into the prison cells. He once again got lost, intent on finding the Cardassians. As he found them, he spoke the code word that they would all know and tagged them for transport.

What neither side realized was that the CUS Harkem was cloaked in orbit just outside the battlezone. As Cardassians were tagged, they were beamed up to the waiting ship. Once he had collected all 20 agents, he rejoined his team to cement his “demise”.

On the way back out, Thrack made sure that he was intercepted by prison guards. They took him and threw him to the ground. Then one of the guards picked up his weapon and fired at him, point blank. In front of his squad mates, Thrack disappeared, disintegrated by his own weapon. Those guards were killed shortly later by the detonation of the last explosive that Thrack carried on him.

On board the CUS Harkem

Thrack materialized on the bridge of the CUS Harkem. “Helm take us out of here, away from the battle, if you don’t mind.

“Gul Thrack reporting in sir.”

Gul Mordred smile as Thrack. “Welcome aboard sir. It is good to have you back after all these years.” Thrack snorted derisively. “I hope it was worth it, those Starfleeters sure are soft. I was afraid that I might even start to cry and hug you.”

“Did you get it?”

“Right here. Enough information to give the Cardassian Union a start and a line to their high commands political maneuvering to help get us back to the Empire we once were.”

“Very good. I’m sure after all is said and done, that you will be richly rewarded.”

Thrack nodded. “I only wish that I could see Admiral Wood’s face years from now when he realizes what he just helped us do.”

[fade to black]

"Follow the landing parties to the rendez-vous point. Let me know when they get there." He ordered, leaving the Conn with a surprised Lieutenant.

"Yes sir." Answered a bewildered Lt. Hatter, and she began to lay in a course for Jacobs nebular, before making her way towards the command chair. Jess settled down, and felt the comfortable chair wrap around her battered body. "Let's do this by the numbers guys, and get those teams back on board ASAP. I'm not convinced how long we've got here, and I'm sure as hell not prepared to push our luck.
=^=Engineering, see what you can do about getting us impulse power back, but I want you to prioritise the warp drive. I don't wanna be hanging around here too much if we can help it.=^=

The blazing fire of the towers and the ruined Coms building lit the smoke roiling through the admin yard with a macabre, devilish hue, the sounds of those self same fires remained barely audible over the roar of engines as the evacuation shuttles lifted off the wide eyed ex-inmates. All of that was obliterated again as Cassius' air detachment swooped over low again and added explosions to the conflagration by finally neutralising the barracks building.

Across that snow littered yard, through the drizzle, smoke and ash however there was still movement, hulking figures dressed in indistinct grey whose shrouded visages were lit by another set of lights; these ones shining from the very strange weapons in their hands. With precision, if not grace, they fanned out, shoving their bulky forms into cover, projecting the points of their grim tools of death towards the arcs they had been given. As a group they hunkered down and waited, strangely reddened eyes peering through the artificial gloom.

They didn't have to wait long; following a signal the greys couldn't have heard the gen-pop exits to the yard suddenly went from empty to full, from forgotten to accommodating a rush of camouflaged figures. The marines they had been set to wait for had arrived.

They did not however arrive alone, had the figures in grey been a little more experieced then perhaps they might have expected such. Were it not for the ash and smoke they might have even been able to see the precursors. As it was instead the first sudden rush took all their attention and the greys were too busy tensing finally for the fight to realise it was already lost.

The first precursors were lumps, smooth silver cyliders fired from on high by Ziva's overwatching team. The second were shots, matter-less pulses that flew just shy of the speed of light. The third were the abruptly curtailed groans, rattles and screams as the leadership of the crouching defenders received the first and the second... and knew no more.

By the time the crouching greys realised that the people assigned to start the fight weren't going to it was already too late and the well timed rush had become unstoppable, the fire they aimed back too little and too late.

Moments after the first marine rolled out of the Gen-pop rear guardhouse window the ambush that 'should' have caught them all was already anhilliated, the sole remaining defender disarmed and on his @ss as a blue skinned veteran applied a muscle-backed boot to his neck.

"Augments, big ones" Tybalt declared

"Tank-farmed" the marine doc corrected from her position kneeling on the spine of one she had stunned, "recently decanted" she asserted, not having missed the angry red 'nipple' on the back of her victim's neck "Very recently" she corrected as her eyes picked up the tiniest little filament of something translucent actually trailing from the 'nipple'

"How-" the Top sergeant began

"I'd say minutes" Beth replied, "Probably as we came in" she said, now actually taking the time to use her rather unique wrist mounted combat computer to add its scans to her visual ones. "probably mental programming in situ" she added, explaining the by the book skills the group had not-so ably demonstrated.

"facility on site?" Tybalt asked, even as the elements they were a part of bounded on through to the next fire point

"Probably" Beth declared, squinting against the smoke to look for any tell tales, and instantly finding some that led to the destroyed 'coms' building and pointing them out a moment later.

For his part Tybalt breathed a sigh of relief, wierdos on site probably meant that this lot were the sum total that were going to be sent. Which was a whole lot better than being part of the cardassian transport signal that they had detected, which could in turn have meant a whole lot more seven foot wierdies dropping in any moment.

That one of them had been in very much the vicinity of their apparently disintegrated spoonhead 'boss' was something that he was more than content to kick upstairs when the debrief happened.

"Stay on target" He finished over the squad band, making the call not to divert or pull back despite the unexpected visitors.

With that the marines loped on, dodging from cover to cover and eating up the distance between them and the final target of the Op, the admin building. In all honesty it was a target of opportunity rather than a necessary one, gilding for the laurel so to speak, but with highside so efficiently locked down and the battle above apparently going well there seemed no reason not to take it.

Which is why the terrified little lady behind the admin block's front desk got to experience first hand what a photonic grenade in near vicinity going off felt like. Before that is she was unconscious with the guards. In all though the unconscious part was probably a good thing because her little corner was some of the best cover in the room so she was soon being used as a cushion by a progression of bootnecks bounding through the lobby to sweep and clear further in.

The guv'nor, being the paranoid git he was had installed more than a few safeguards in the event of a revolt, including heavy metal doors to seal off any access to his office. These however proved to be a little less than preventative as a spray of 'the good stuff' from one of the breaching cans that the recon marines carried, cut through them like the proverbial heated knife and bovine product

It was however a little late for the man in question. Had he been alone in his office at this point it is fairly likely that he would have been bricking it and preparing his final stand, melting his records and trying his best to cover some of his wrongdoings. Instead unfortunately for him he had been in the middle of a meeting; a conflab with some of the folks that had come out on top during the uprising that had preceded the attack.

All in all that little meeting could have gone better for him, as shown by the fact that his hand picked close protection detail were staring glassy eyed at the ceiling with substantial amounts of their vital fluid on the walls, and he was drumming his heels against the floor while foaming at the mouth and bleeding from just about every orifice he had.

Had he been lucky the marines would have seen this and made the common call to stand the heck back and let him expire. Instead one of the marines that came through wasn't simply a medic qualified to say.. 'ooh nasty' but an actual bona fide doctor, trained and practiced in xeno-biology, field surgery and a whole host of other things. In other words more than capable enough to use her cutter to open a hole directly into the guv'nor's throat and save his sorry @ss.

So he and the files he failed to destroy got to be picked up after all... headed for that big fa fate of interstellar disclosure, trial and sentencing.

"What's the agent?" Tybalt asked as Beth saved the fat man's life

"not a clue, no record of it" Beth replied, perhaps a little awed at the complexity of whatever it was, "But from the ties on his chair I'm thinking it was meant to kill slow" she asserted, nodding towards the almost thronelike seating that the agonised authority figure had apparently broken his own wrists to thrash out of.

"No sign of who did this?"

"Nope" the pointman who had led the way in declared, "but his badge is gone" he added, having known to look for that if only for the multi-key it was supposedly coded as.

"More zhen-freezing mysteries!" Tybalt cursed, before shrugging and getting back on the coms to call the final evac.

Their own dropship met them on the roof and, with only a slight pause to drop some big @ss, bunker busting, boomers onto the blazing coms building, the last of the rescue team was off back to the stars.

On the Redemption Bridge -

Tris arrived on the bridge to find it in utter chaos. Well, utter chaos to her. The others on the bridge were working on removing the wounded and the dead, along with fixing the consoles. They seemed somber and quiet, but intent on doing their job. I bet they have seen alot, thought Tris as she set about on one of the nearest consoles. She set down a tool kit and pulled out a thin metal sliver that came down to a flat sharp edge. With it, she pried off the console's broken top and tossed it aside. The inside was a mess of wires and the smell was burned out. Isolinear chips were melted in a huge mass of plastics and chrystals. All in all, it was pretty much shot.

Tris pulled up her Pad and typed on it, sending a message to repair teams that the science console on the bridge would need to be replaced and that she was heading over to the auxilliary security station. Sighing, she moved on to the next station. This was was in better shape, physically, but it was flickering. Pulling open the lid, she saw that several of the isolinear chips were cracked. She set about to replace them and run a diagnostic.

END

== FLASH BACK ==
== EARTH SPACE ==

The Home Fleet loomed ahead of the USS Valour and all Captain Zaarin could think was that every shot they fired was going to injure or kill fellow Starfleet officers and their spouses, kids, and innocents. He realized that they would be reviled and hunted down, but to stand by and not do anything to stop Carpathia was a sin of epic proportion.

“When the order is given, target to disable, not destroy. Transporters, stand by. As we pass dock 269, grab our passengers as we cycle the shields. You will have to work with our tactical officers to make it work. Conn, launch all fighters, again, concentrate fire to disable weapons and shields, not destroy those ships.”

Captain Zaarin listened as his bridge crew voiced their affirmatives and set to work. Even with the fleet of ships that Admiral Wood had assembled… even with the prestigious names and ships that were with them, this battle could end very badly for them. It was very possible for all of them to be annihilated.

Up ahead, the station based defenses activated, targeting their own ships and then the Redemption surged ahead.

“Helm, take us in. Bring us up to the port flank of the Redemption, target the escorts coming in at 245 by 40 by 22 and disable.”

The Valour began to shake as shots began to hammer its shields.

== REAL TIME ==
== ENROUTE TO RENDEZVOUS POINT ==

Zaarin sat back in his chair, rubbing his eyes with his left hand as he held his PADD in the right. On it were all the damage and losses that were suffered by the Valour during their brief battle with the Home Defense. It was a battle that Zaarin hadn’t expected to survive. Only the timely cease fire by commanding officer of the Home Defense fleet had spared their lives. Even with that, the Valour was severe damaged and had lost several people. One of the bright spots was that the Valour was able to use the interlude between the Redemption and the Home Fleet to beam aboard all their family members. It was important to the crew that if they were to oppose Carpathia, that their families would need to be saved. Now, even as damaged as they were, the crew of the Valour were in high hopes as civilians crammed their hallways.

=^= Conn, get met Admiral Wood aboard the Redemption on a secure line. =^=

=^= Aye sir. =^=

-Later that day -

Tris' eyes burned from fatigue and she swore that she had spots on her eyes from all the popping broken consoles that she had been working on. She had worked her way across the bridge, fixing what she could, sending messages to Engineering when it was beyond her skills or needed to be replaced. She didn't feel like she was a bit help until she looked back and saw that the first console she had called in was actually up and running, being used by a Security Officer that was running a diagnostic on it.

It was way past her shift's end time, but it seemed that no one was really leaving. After finishing on the bridge, she had been directed to the forward lounge to help with the replicators. Right now she was elbows deep in wiring, listening to one of the techs go over repairs that she needed to do. She would have voice her displeasure at the situation, but the tech had both hands and part of his face bandaged from burns he recieved when his console had exploded. Tris kept her mouth shut.

Still, she was feeling the wear and tear of her job. Her fingers were bloody and cut, she had burn marks on her uniform and sweat matted her hair to her forehead.

Growling, she was able to connect the bypass relay to the power coupling and then stepped back. The replicator flickered to life.

"Not bad", said the tech. "You might try your hand at Engineering." Tris snorted and shook her head. "No plans for career changes just yet. Computer, coffee, black."

The replicator created the drink, but then the cup disintegrated, allowing the cold liquid to slash all over Tris' face and jacket. In spite of their situation, both the tech and Tris laughed. "Well, I should be glad that it wasn't hot." She sighed. "Back to work."

END

 Although the Admiral felt his heart leap he didn't want to be disappointed if this sudden ray of hope turned out to be little more than a rumour, "I won't say no to taking a look."

M’Lynn licked her lips then plunged on, “Um, I took this blasster off a fake prrissonerr that attacked me. Can I keep it orr ssshould I hand it over to sssecurity?  I’ve ssscanned the blaster and all the prisoners and found nothing.”

 Security. That was going to be a major headache in the coming days - of that he was sure. No doubt there was going to be a lot of accusations of Carpathia spies circulating, with the real ones being a major threat to his fleet's continued survival.

 "Let Lieutenant Commander Star know about it," Wood ordered, "She's going to need to keep a sharp eye out for saboteurs who hitched a ride into our fleet with the escapees."

"Yess, sssir.  Could you authorrize me to at leasst be acting Chief Medical Officerr ssso I can accesss necesssarry crrew medical rrrecorrds and use the CMO'ss quarrterrss?"  M'Lynn asked.  "I think the location and name of the Ssstarrbase ssshould be only known by a ssselect few for sssecurrity rrreassonss.  Do you want me to give the coorrdinatess jusst to yourr Chief Navigatorr or I could enterr it into yourr datapad and you can passs it on or would you prreferr a sssenior ssstaff meeting about it?"  

M'Lynn nibbled on some of her sandwich so she could quickly swallow in order to talk.

  "Oh you got that authorization. I need a CMO and you're it until further notice. Put the co-ordinates on my PADD. For now the less people who hear where we're going, the better." For the first time since this impromptu meeting began the Admiral took a sip of his tea, "So tell me a bit about this starbase?"

"The ssstation iss an Immensse type ssstation."  M'Lynn stated.  "It needss a lot of rrrepairr.  My family did encode sssome sssecurrity codess in the ssstation'ss sssysstem for futurre prrotectionss."

  Wood almost choked on his tea. He'd imagined this abandoned base to be something small - like a Regula Type or something like that. Small but still a good safe place. This was something else entirely. A true diamond in the rough. Immense types were a product of the growing tension between the Federation and Klingon Empire in the 2270/80's, designed to be able to support entire fleets very close to the expected front lines - and protect themselves effectively too.

   "Im surprised they just abandoned something like that," The Admiral mused aloud, "But heck. I'm not going to turn down a winning lottery ticket. Repairs we can do so long as it's not too extensive. The drydock facilities would come in real handy."

Doc nodded yes in reply.

"I hope they rrrepairr the Emerrgency Medical Officerr soon.  We could use the extrra help."  M'Lynn smiled, taking another sip of milk.

 Wood returned the smile, "Play our cards right and we could repair everything in a place like that."

M'Lynn took the Admiral's data padd and entered the coordinates to the station.  "I planned as a child to rebuild it and make it a galactic hosspital and trrading center.  The prroblem will be getting the coorrdinatess to your otherr ssshipss.  Known codess, esspecially Federration codess, will be decoded.  I hope you planned to meet up with your ssshipss sssomewhere and the information can be trranssported phyissically aboarrd each ssship rrratherr than trransmitted.  We need to get a lisst of needed sssuppliess from each ssship as well so I sssend coded messsages in my familiess codess to ourr contacts and guarantee payments."

“My family had varriouss contactss rrresearrch the ssstation’s hisstory ssso it couldn’t be trraced back to uss.  For political rrreassonss the basse wass initially built to be a forrward operrationss basse in an expected warr with the Klingonss.  To appeasse the Klingonss at Kithomerr, Ssstar Fleet agrreed to abandon the ssstation. Interresstingly, thiss happened when an AIME, an experrimental arrtificial intelligence, had jusst been insstalled.  Rrrecordss ssshow that attemptss to delete orr errasse it failed.  When time rran out they jusst abandoned the ssstation.  Yearrss later the ssstation was checked on but it was no longerr at the location it ssshould have been ssso it was wrritten off.  The location I jusst gave you iss way differrent frrom the location in Ssstar Fleet rrrecordss.”  Doc smiled, “ Funny, when I wass on the ssstation @ss a child I crreated an imaginarry frriend.  I named herr Glorria forr the ssstation wass glorriouss.”

  That made the Admiral chuckle. It was moments like this that his interest in history really proved to be useful more than boring.

 Although there had been a couple of attempts at working on AI's during the 23rd century - like the infamous M-5 computer - none of them had been anything short of a disaster. Although this was not one of the more well-known attempts, considering he'd never heard of or read about an AIME, Wood had no reason to think it would have turned out any better. That being said, it couldn't be too bad if it made friends with a child. Could it?

 "This is starting to sound better and better. If it's written off and not where it's supposed to be then we may earn ourselves some time being there."

"Sssorry if my mind is going a mile a sssecond.  I'm a bit on edge rrright now." M'Lynn took another bite of her sandwich, closing her mouth and chewing it.  Then she swallowed and sipped more milk.  "We'll need to sssecretly get lisstss of needed sssupplies for each ssship and perrhapss a list of posssible sssupplies for sstation rrepairrss.  I can code then them in my family codess and sssend them off.  My family has ssseverral levelss of codess.  I'd be willing to teach sssome people the codes we use for the trraderrss. Mmmm.  You'll have to pick a place or placess for sssuppliess to be delivered.  Varriouss locationss arre besst and have ssshipss loyal to you deliverr to the ssstation."

 Wood nodded, "I don't blame you. So is mine." He paused, "We will also need weapons and new shield systems for this station. I doubt the ones there-  even if they are still installed - would stand up to anything in use today. I have a few contacts in the Klingon Empire who might help with that."

“Ah, I forrgot to give you sssome accounting codess and passswordss.”  Doc tapped the Admiral’s padd again, giving him about two dozen accounting codes and passwords.  “My coussin will have a fit that I didn’t get a payback guarrantee at all, let alone interresst but it’ss only money.  Bessidess, when this is all overr, my family hass even morre of a legimate claim to the ssstation.”

 Wood smiled, "When this is all over I'll be happy to endorse their claim. Thank you."

“Thank you Admiral,” Doc smiled, sipping more milk then licking her lips, erasing the milk mustache she didn’t know she had.

Joint Post - Admiral and Ensign (Doc) M'Lynn Calvert

-Back at Tris' Quarters-

Tris unzipped her uniform jacket and shrugged it off. She let it fall on the floor and then turned and fell backwards into the couch. She let an achey sigh and reached for the cup of coffee that her roommate was handing her. Because of her rank, she shared quarters with another officer; Annelle, the nurse from Sickbay.

"Rough day?", Annelle asked, sitting on the opposite end of the couch. "You can say that again. Between fixing the consoles and the replicators, I smell like all sorts of burned food." Tris looked over at Annelle. "It was probably nothing like what you saw, though. How are you doing?"

Annelle's smile was sad. "We helped a lot of people and saved some lives, to be sure. But there were also the ones that we couldn't save. There was one little boy" Annelle's voice waivered and trailed offed and she looked away from Tris. Tris reached over and put her hand on Annelle's shoulder, squeezing it several times. It was a few minutes before Annelle could speak again. "Anyway, it was a rough day", she said, wiping the tears away from her eyes. Tris opened her mouth, shut it, opened it again and shut it again. She hadn't the foggiest idea of what to say. Finally, she managed. "I'm so sorry. If only..."

"If only" hung there between the two of them for a moment.

After a while, Annelle stood up. "I better get to bed. You too. We both have long days ahead of us tomorrow." Tris nodded. Critical systems were stabilized today, but the ship was still pretty much a wreck.

"Yeah, see ya tomorrow."

Annelle went to her quarters and Tris could hear her crying as the door shut. Tris could not cry right now. There was no more emotion let in her exhausted body. She didn't remember getting up and going to bed, but she found her way there anyway.

Head Nurse Shakaar Julis, female Bajorian, (NPC) sounded the CMO's office door.

"Who iss it?" Doc asked.

"Head Nurse Shakaar Julis Doctor."

"Enterr," Says Doc M'Lynn.

The woman entered and saw the Admiral. "Oh! Sorry sir.  I didn't realize you were here. Doctor, here is the old CMO's comm badge.  The Medical Tech had it reprogrammed to recognize you as it's new owner."  She sat the comm badge on the desk.  

"Why thank you Ssshakaar.  I needed that."  M'Lynn smiled at her, her long, bushy white tail swished happily.

Skakaar smiled, holding in a chuckle. "Your welcome doctor. Please excuse me."  And she left the office.

Doc picked up the comm badge and put it on.  "Well, that'ss taken carre of."  She smiled at the Admiral.  "I have half the ssstaff getting a meal and rrressting rrright now but we'll call them back if we need too.  I've had plenty of rrresst before the rrresscue, just lacked good food.  Perrhapss all the deparrtment headss ssshould make a list of needed sssupplies."  

M'Lynn tapped more information on the Admiral's padd.  "Herre arre sssome of my family'ss sssupply sssourrcess.  The morre sstarss by theirr name, the morre trrusst worrthy they arre.  If you need sssomething ssspecial, let me know and I'll sssend a coded inquiry to my family forr posssible sssourrces.  And frrom what you sssaid I take it we'rre not the only ssship rrrebelling againsst that tyrrant."

M'Lynn took another bite, deciding to eat and try to do less talking for a while.  She slowly chewed with her mouth shop.

  Wood took the padd and smiled, "Thank you. These supplies will help." He stood up, "I should go and check in on our Engineer's efforts. We'll talk later."

"Yess, sssir.  Thank you sssirr."  M'Lynn smiled, her tail wiggling happily as she stood up.  "I'll check with my medical ssstaff and add medical sssupplies to the lisst sssoon."

M'Lynn watched the admiral leave then sat down. She quickly ate the rest of her sandwich and a couple of cookies and finished her milk. Then she tapped her comm badge.  "Sssick Bay to Sssecurrity."

"Security here. Whose this?"

"The new Chief Medical Officerr M'Lynn Calverrt.  Is Lieutenant Commander Star on duty right now?"

"I'll check. Stand by."

"Thank you." M'Lynn smiled.

     [Tag Lieutenant Commander Star.]

Meanwhile, M'Lynn cleaned up then went to check on the patients, going to the most serious first.  Five hours later the shift changed.


Doc (CMO) Ensign M'Lynn Calvert

"Thank you." M'Lynn smiled.

“I’m sorry but Lt. Commander Star isn’t available.  May I help you?” Asked the security officer.

“Well, the Admirral wanted me to rrreport that I had a phasserr I took frrom the prrisson battle.  I didn’t know if I was allowed to keep it or ssshould turn it in.”  M’Lynn stated.

“I’ll send a security officer up to Sick Bay to pick it up and I’ll alert Lt. Commander Star of the situation.”

“Thank you. That would fine.” M’Lynn stated.

M’Lynn checked on each patient.  If they were conscious she talked with them, asked how they were feeling and if she could get them anything.  

A security officer arrived and she handed him the phaser.  He eyed her orange jumpsuit then quickly left.

At the shift change M’Lynn briefed the rested staff on the situation of the wrose patients.

“Now I’m officially the CMO perr the Admirral.  I’m going to be acrrosss the hall in my quarrterrss.  If you need me don’t hesstitate to wake me up. I’m going to take a sssonic ssshower, eat anotherr meal and rrreplicate sssome decent clothess beforre going to bed.” M’Lynn sighed. "My comm badge iss alsso sssetup ssso if I'm not in my quarrterrss in the morrning, you can rrreach me thrrough that."

“No problem Doc,” smiled a nurse.  “It was our lucky day that we rescued you from that prison.”

“Thankss. Hopefully thingss will sssettle down in a couple of dayss and we can have a ssstaff meeting to
disscusss how yourr ussed to having thingss rrrun and any sssuggesstionss you might have.”  M’Lynn smiled.  

“In the meantime, get me a lisst of needed medical sssuppliess and equipment so I can passs it onto the Admirral.  But remember the patientss come firrsst.”

“Yes, sir.” The staff chorused.  Those now off duty hurried off to get a meal and some much needed sleep.

Doc took her medical bag.  One of the few things she had left that were hers was the medical bag with her personal medical tools, her underwear and her boots.  

Doc saw that the old CMO’s belongings were still in the suite.  Of course. No one had had the time to box them up.  She replicated a box and carefully put the old CMO’s uniforms in it and all his personal items from the bedroom and bathroom so she could put up her things.

Doc replicated for herself underwear, socks, five SF medical uniforms, an ensign pip, brush, comb, hand mirror that enlarged the image, five white lab coats with pockets on the inside and outside, some basic female makeup, tooth brush, soap, shampoo, conditioner, tooth paste, deodorant, hair pins, hair elastic bands in white, five nightshirts, a pair of slippers, and a spare pair of regulation boots.  Then she showered, etc., and then dressed for bed.  She put the clothes she had been wearing in the cleaner.  She’d keep them to remind her of her ordeal.

She got some chicken noodle soup with crackers and more milk.  Ate that and went to bed.

“Computerr, thiss iss the CMO.  Wake me an hourr beforre the next ssshift.”

“Acknowledged,” stated the ship’s computer.

Doc slept.  The soft bed and pillows were a luxury she had missed since her arrival at the prison.

The computer awoke her an hour before the next shift. She took another sonic shower and dressed in her new SF medical uniform.  She pinned her ensign pip on and her communicator pin. She put on one of her new white lab coats and picked up her medical bag (a messenger sized bag with a shoulder strap).  She brushed her mane and tail, put on some light lip gloss, some black eye liner and blue eye shadow and faint blush on her cheeks.

She ate a good breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, and sausages and milk again.  She cleaned up and took the box of belonging of the old CMO into her living room.  She packed the personal items that were there up in the box.  She only left out four plants.  She loved plants herself and didn’t want to kill them.  She’d have to check to see if the last CMO had left a will and what the procedures were for when a crew member died.  With this civil war going on, personal items of a dead person might be needed by the living.

Doc had twenty minutes left til her shift.  The crew needed to see her.  She walked down the corridor and took the lift to the main level.  She smiled and greeted the people she passed.  They stopped to star at her.

“Um, excuse me Ensign. Um … what race are you?” Asked a cadet.

“I’m half Caitian and half human.  I’m the new Chief Medical Officerr M’Lynn Calverrt. “  She smiled.

People smiled and introduced themselves.

“Pleasse forrgive me if I forrget yourr namess.  I’m not good at namess.” M’Lynn purred.

M’Lynn finally made it to the main lift.

“Bridge.”  She hoped she was allowed on the bridge.  She was just going to put in a quick appearance.  It was important for people on the ship to know who she was and that she was friendly and approachable.
The lift took her to the bridge.  She stepped out and out of the way of the lift and looked around.

  {Tag anyone on the bridge}

   Doc (CMO) Ensign M'Lynn Calvert

The bridge duty officer looked at Doc as she exited the lift.

“Can I help you sir?” He asked.  He had seen her ensign pip but curved the urge to order the strange ensign off the bridge when he saw she wore a medical uniform.

People looked up at M’Lynn and did a double take.  Several quickly got back to work but sneaked some glances periodically while she was there.

“I jusst wanted to let sssome of the crrew know about me.  I’m the new Chief Medical Officerr, M’Lynn Calverrt, sssurgeon.  Mosst people jusst call me Doc but Calverrt is fine as well.”

People smiled and nodded.

“Um, well, thank you … Doc.”

“Sssorrrry forr the interrrruption. I have to hurrrry to Sssick Bay as I’m almosst due for my ssshift.”  Doc smiled and exited, her thick, white tail swishing behind her.

She heard some chuckles as the lift doors shut.  She smiled. That should help with spreading some good morale.  Word should spread through the ship about the new CMO.  The half Caitain female.  

Doc smiled and nodded at crew members as she made her way to Sick Bay. She got stares.  Doc had long since learned to live with the stares.  Even among the Caitian, she was stared at.  There weren’t many half Caitian, half humans like her.  Many humans had an affection for pets such as cats and dogs and this tended to get them at ease with her.

The medical staff and the patients smiled as she arrived at Sick Bay.

“Welcome back Doc,” Chief Nurse Sally Johnson stated.  She handed Doc a datapadd.  “Here’s the current status of our patients.  Their in order from the wrose to the best condition.”

Doc smiled.  “Thankss Sssally.  May I call you Sssally?”  

“Certainly Doc,” Sally smiled.

Doc was soon checking on each patient while the others for the shift change arrived.

[Tag anyone coming to Sick Bay for help or to check on a family member or friend.]

OOC:  Approved NPC Medical Staff:

Doctor Ken Stickles – male Human, Killed
Nurse Practitioner Sally Johnson, female Human
Head Nurse Shakaar Julis, female Bajorian
Junior Nurse Clara Smith, female Human
Medical Tech 1: T’pong, female Vulcan
Medical Tech 2: Susan Combs, female Human


Doc M'Lynn Calvert
CMO
USS Redemption

Emily's Quarters

Everything was a mess. Emily had made it off the Voth ship back onto her own just to find that she was missing crewmembers and the place was a disaster. She sat on her bed, her own things thrown about after her temper had gotten the worst of her. Logic had told her that people were going to die, it was an inevitable consequence of their actions and yet, even with that knowledge, Emily found her at the bottom of a bottle trying to come to grips with it.

She picked up her PADD and stared at the names. Their families would need to be notified. Emily picked up her glass but fumbled and it shattered on the floor, “Damn it.” She yelled, leaping off the bed to clean it. Perhaps that was not the best move as she misjudged the amount she’d imbibed. Now, apart from a broken and bloodied ship, Emily had a broken glass and a bloody food.

Tapping her badge she whimpered, =/\= Star to Medical, if anyone could come to my quarters I am in need of some...assistance. =/\=

Laying down on the floor she stared at the ceiling, an ugly sight compared to others. Emily suddenly laughed as she thought, ‘There are areas of the ship that don’t have ceilings a much better view with the stars to look at.’

<Tag anyone in Medical>

====Main Engineering, USS Redemption======

The journey down to Main Engineering took much longer than it would normally. Beyond Deck 15 the Turbolift shafts were heavily damaged and unsafe to use, a fact explained to him by a crewman whose body was so covered in grime that it was impossible to tell anything about him other than he was alive. When he stepped through what was left of the main entrance doors, he walked into what looked like the jaws of hell.

Blackened crewmen raced around the warp core, dodging violent bursts of superheated gas and flame from busting conduits. There seemed to be a small group of Engineers glued to the warp core itself, fighting to maintain containment and keep the ship moving away from the Sol Sector. Shouting came from all directions, with no clear leader standing out amid the chaos.

Wood grabbed a man who moved away from a wrecked console with three tools deftly held between his fingers, "Where's the Chief?" He asked.

"Dead Sir!" The Engineer replied, "There's no officers alive here any more!"

"Who's the next senior crewman?"

The engineer looked at him blankly, "Uh.." He paused, "I dunno sir. We all been trying to keep warp and vital systems going. That's all."

"What's your name, son?"

Engineer shook his head, "Riley, sir. Petty Officer Riley."

"Know much about keeping a ship afloat Riley?" He asked with a nervous glance at the Warp Core.

"I think so sir." Though the tone of his voice didn't exactly engender much confidence.

"Then you're my new Chief MISTER Riley. Get us safely to the Rendez-Vous point and I'll bring you your Pips myself."

Riley nodded, momentarily dumbfounded, "Yes sir!" He said after a second's silence, turning to start organising his work crews.

With some measure of control starting to assert itself in Engineering, if he could call it that, Wood turned his own attention to the next item on his post-combat to-do list: What happens after they reach the RV point. With a sigh he started the long trip back up to the Bridge.

By the time he finally arrived, the Admiral was beginning to look as blackened and battered as the Engineers he'd just visited.

"Ops." He said as he walked back to the Captain's chair, "I need you to give me an idea of how many of our ships got clear of Earth. Once we know that I have a location for us all to get to - somewhere safe we can lick our wounds."

{Tag all on Bridge}