S2- M2 - Shatterpoint

[William Waring]

USS Shran - Sickbay

Ruth nodded at the Counsellor knowing that she was right.  Years of training behind her, the former XO knew that where she needed to be was on the Bridge, so did Will but that wasn't her decision to make.  Glaring at him to hope that her point with the slap had got through, she left with 2 parting statements.

"You're right of course, Counsellor, I'd stay and help here but I'm afraid I'm terribly rusty and know little more than field medicine, I'm far of far better use on the Bridge, good luck and thank you!"  The thanks were as much for what the counsellor had said about getting back to work, as this had been her coping mechanism over the last few months especially, as much as for how she'd helped Ruth emotionally get over the shock of Will's revelation... that was another matter.

Turning secondly to Will, she said "Look, Will, sorry I slapped you, but I hoped that it would wake you up, gt you back to your senses."  She quickly replicated a cup of Ratkajino and waved it under his nose.  "You were once reckoned to be one of the best Ops officers in the Fleet, this ship needs you, in full capacity of your senses, on that Bridge, now.  We are both adults, we are both experts in our fields, and we are needed there.  Let's shelve this, for now, get up there and do our jobs, but... we'll come back too this later when the danger is over.  Deal?"

She pushed the cup into his hands and didn't wait for his answer, she was now in her full squared shoulders and game head on mode.  "I'll see you up there.  Once again good luck doc, counsellor." she shouted over the klaxxon blaring Red Alert.  Then, realising the doctor had already left she shrugged and said "Well... all of you medics..."

"Bridge" she ordered the turbolift.

USS Shran - Bridge

Trotting out not so much at full gallop as a sort of speed that was reminiscent of a schoolchild trying to move as quickly as possible without being reprimanded for breaking rules and running in a corridor, she threw herself into the second console at the Science station.

Turning to Garrison she said "He's alive, he'll have a sore jaw where I slapped him for a bit but hopefully he'll be back up here and 'normal'... as much as he ever is, very shortly.  Now, how can I best help and what the hell is going on, I heard 'people... dead' as part of the Counsellor's report down there, I think that's mostly why I'm not getting reprimanded for pretty much attacking a superior officer."

[Shran - Sickbay ---> Bridge]

So much information to process. He wasn't quite sure what to think about the whole situation. One minute he was thinking about the Science Chief and the next minute he gets the biggest shock of his life. It wasn't fair, it wasn't right and it certainly wasn't helping out wounds heal. As for right now, in the moment, he looked like a zombie who barely knew how to walk and judging by the looks of the passing crewmen, he didn't look all that much better.

"B-bridge" he barely managed to get out as he entered the turbolift. He wasn't sure if he wanted to even continue his talks with Ruth. It was just so painful to relive. The one thing he did know was that he would need the strongest drink in the Mess Hall when this was over. Perhaps even two of them.

[Bridge]

Will regained himself before stepping off the lift and quickly making his way to his station.

Rebel Ship Aeries - Bridge

Katcha nodded and activated the visual display as she did not want the Federation to think they had anything to hide.

This is the Rebel Cruiser Aeries calling the Federation ship Shran. We have information for you regarding the Imperial Dreadnought that you are currently engaged with.

His attention was quickly pulled towards the Communications Panel as an encrypted comm link was received

=A= This is the Shran. I am Lieutenant Commander Will Waring, Chief of Starship Operations. Any information would be much appreciated =A=

[Kachina Filitov]

[Shran - Sickbay ---> Bridge]

So much information to process. He wasn't quite sure what to think about the whole situation. One minute he was thinking about the Science Chief and the next minute he gets the biggest shock of his life. It wasn't fair, it wasn't right and it certainly wasn't helping out wounds heal. As for right now, in the moment, he looked like a zombie who barely knew how to walk and judging by the looks of the passing crewmen, he didn't look all that much better.

"B-bridge" he barely managed to get out as he entered the turbolift. He wasn't sure if he wanted to even continue his talks with Ruth. It was just so painful to relive. The one thing he did know was that he would need the strongest drink in the Mess Hall when this was over. Perhaps even two of them.

[Bridge]

Will regained himself before stepping off the lift and quickly making his way to his station.His attention was quickly pulled towards the Communications Panel as an encrypted comm link was received

=A= This is the Shran. I am Lieutenant Commander Will Waring, Chief of Starship Operations. Any information would be much appreciated =A=

Rebel Ship Aeries - Bridge

Katcha smiled, not recognising the name but definitely the efficiency.

It would be better for both of us if you would put the communication on your viewscreen so we can see each other and discuss this properly. Though we would prefer if the Extinction was not made aware of our presence. Katcha replied, knowing she was walking a fine line but it was all they had to play with.

[Ruth Sigurdsdottir]

[Bridge: Shran]
"Thank you!" Kinley said as the readings came pouring through from the Tactical station.  Kinley's fingers were tapping the console like crazy as she was manning the scanners, looking for a weakness, any weakness to exploit. Problem is, this ship was a beast of a ship, and most all the internal readings she was sensing had been well-thought out long before, as the power conduits all seemed to be very protected. Of course. Not much of this Mirrorverse was really well-known, but it was a very militaristic universe, that thing was for certain. She almost wondered what her twisted reflection would be like, but right now, this was no time for that sort of imagining. "Try aiming for the Nacelles! She shouted to the general bridge over the clamor. "They're slightly less armored than the rest of the hull." She said, bracing herself as the forces of the impacts pummeled them.

Bridge - USS Shran

Ruth figured that the CSO was a tad busy herself and given the level of training and experience it was perfectly reasonable, so long as she deferred to her superior ranking officer, for Ruth to assumen to doing whatever scans she thought were necessary.

"Tachyon and Metaphasic scans show there is a small cloaked vessel in the area... using the Federation vessel as shields as I suspect the cloaked vessel has few or none of their own and little weaponry.  Warp trails are too scrambled at this time to determine origin."

She was glad that Will had returned to the Bridge and gave him a small nod, very professionally and nothing more.  This was a time to take a leaf out of her friend Hrafn's book.  If she and her husband could work next to each other in the middle of a battle and still be reckoned to be some of the best Scientists around, then she could do her job with her former?? lover not 10 feet from her.

"Hmm, I wonder.  Ma'am...Lt. Cmdr Waring?" she turned to the CSO and looked at Will.  "I have an idea..."

She looked from one to the other.  "Multiphasic Scan... we use it to get through and scramble but reconfigure their weapon systems so that they can't fire.  Then they would have 3 courses of action, negotiate, retreat, or well... ram us midships at full warp... but that's suicide and they probably wouldn't..." she said hopefully.   "...thing is we'll need some really annoying music to be piped through to mask what we're doing... load, boring... anything by that former Earth "artist" Bieber would do..."

She smiled and said "Well, everyone has their uses even if it's as a torture instrument!  Now while we are in there we can check for any weaknesses, you mentioned the nacelles yes, but shooting at them means that the ship will become unstable as Ms. Filitov there will confirm, and skillful as Katcha there is, we don't want some other vessel performing 'Crazy Ivans' ... no offence to your country there Ms. Filitov, you know what I'm on about..." Ruth said in case Katcha, well known for taking in everything that was going on within the Bridge while still flying the ship in the middle of a battle, took any offence.

"I started in flight, I know this only too well.  It's an option, and a bloody good one if we get nothing else, it would destroy them...but it also has the posibility of destroying us and the little cloaked vessel.  I know it's there but I can't get much of a read on it. What do you think Mr. Waring... Mr... sorry I don't know your name yet,..." she said to the man on the Tactical station.  "... tactically sound?"

She'd rattled this off at top speed, a trait of many Scientists when they had to get a lot of info into very little space.

Turning to Kinley she whispered an apology "Sorry, years of practice.... Ma'am."

[Ruth Sigurdsdottir]

=A= This is the Shran. I am Lieutenant Commander Will Waring, Chief of Starship Operations. Any information would be much appreciated =A=

Rebel Ship Aeries - Bridge

Katcha smiled, not recognising the name but definitely the efficiency.

It would be better for both of us if you would put the communication on your viewscreen so we can see each other and discuss this properly. Though we would prefer if the Extinction was not made aware of our presence. Katcha replied, knowing she was walking a fine line but it was all they had to play with.

Rebel Ship Aeries - Bridge

Ruth gasped as the voice of the Lt. Cmdr came through the comms.  She didn't recognise the name, but she knew the voice.  It was the voice of the one man that she'd ever been...mushy with.  The one that had got away before she could take her revenge.  The one that had meant that it was Katcha sitting there as Colonel and not her.  Not that she resented Katcha...no, she had helped her out of that mess, the emotional head-feck up that had ensued.  She'd not been herself for a long while.

But now the Gods presented another opportunity.  Was she going to be weak again... oh no, this time she just wanted to...play.

She licked her lips lavisciously and said quietly to Katcha, slowly pacing the 5ft or so by the tactical console. Emphasising her words with a clenched fist which she'd brandish towards the as yet blank viewscreen.

"Oh I hope they do put the viewscreen on, I need to check something, but..." she smile magnaminiously to the assembled Bridge crew.  "You lot are off the hook, I got bigger fish to fry.  Once you're done with him, Colonel, that Lt. Comm Waring is mine.  I think that's the one that called himself Quentin Smythe, the one that got away before I got to ah..."

She gave Katcha 'The Look'... the one that meant "slice and dice, turn into a Jew, and perform major organ replacement".

"...play with him.  And I don't intend to let him get away twice.  So, I'll play nice for now, but when you're done with him, please keep him alive as I intend drawing this out as long as his weak little body will stand for it.  Still..."

She paused the pacing and got back behind the tactical console, poised, ready and looking as far as possible the image of innocence.

"To Business...!"

[Kachina Filitov]

Rebel Ship Aeries - Bridge

Ruth gasped as the voice of the Lt. Cmdr came through the comms.  She didn't recognise the name, but she knew the voice.  It was the voice of the one man that she'd ever been...mushy with.  The one that had got away before she could take her revenge.  The one that had meant that it was Katcha sitting there as Colonel and not her.  Not that she resented Katcha...no, she had helped her out of that mess, the emotional head-feck up that had ensued.  She'd not been herself for a long while.

But now the Gods presented another opportunity.  Was she going to be weak again... oh no, this time she just wanted to...play.

She licked her lips lavisciously and said quietly to Katcha, slowly pacing the 5ft or so by the tactical console. Emphasising her words with a clenched fist which she'd brandish towards the as yet blank viewscreen.

"Oh I hope they do put the viewscreen on, I need to check something, but..." she smile magnaminiously to the assembled Bridge crew.  "You lot are off the hook, I got bigger fish to fry.  Once you're done with him, Colonel, that Lt. Comm Waring is mine.  I think that's the one that called himself Quentin Smythe, the one that got away before I got to ah..."

She gave Katcha 'The Look'... the one that meant "slice and dice, turn into a Jew, and perform major organ replacement".

"...play with him.  And I don't intend to let him get away twice.  So, I'll play nice for now, but when you're done with him, please keep him alive as I intend drawing this out as long as his weak little body will stand for it.  Still..."

She paused the pacing and got back behind the tactical console, poised, ready and looking as far as possible the image of innocence.

"To Business...!"

Rebel Ship Aeries - Bridge

Katcha looked at Ruth as the Federation officer replied. It was clear that her friend recognised the name. She trawled back through her memory and soon remembered. This was the man that had messed with Ruth when she was younger. Causing the other woman to have issues. She went straight up to Ruth and looked at her in the eye.

"This man may have the same name as the sub-human thing that messed with you, but you need to remember he is not the same person! We need to gain these people's trust and killing one of their crew is not how we go about it. I understand that you want revenge, but get it on the right person. Not some innocent Federation type who we will in all likelihood need before this mission is over. If you can't restrain yourself, I will have to leave you behind. Do I make myself clear?" She asked, her voice low so only Ruth could hear her.

[Kalro Zolarim]

Shran - Bridge

Kalro listened as the science officer who'd previously identified herself as 'Sigurdsdottir' began to make a long series of suggestions.  They were... pretty interesting.

She wanted to use a scan to disable enemy weapons, apparently.

And then she wanted to use a terran singer to create some kind of distracting or morale-inhibiting condition on the enemy ship.

She was also recommending against targeting nacelles because she was worried about an insane man named Ivan.

And apparently she was concerned about the possibility of being rammed.

It was a lot to take in.  Well, at least the drama between her and the Ops officer had apparently subsided.

"Ensign Kalro Zolarim, ma'am.  I do not understand much of what you just proposed.  However, if you have the means to disrupt the enemy ship systems, I would recommend that you do so.  Meanwhile, targeting nacelles should incapacitate their warp capability and possibly feedback dangerously into their warp core, so I also endorse that as a mode of attack.   I do not think insane Ivans are a particular concern.  Whatever we decide, we need to coordinate with our wingmates."

Meanwhile, the plot was thickening with the arrival of a cloaked ship that was trying to communicate with them.   Another faction?

"We can launch a probe and use it to triangulate the source of that cloaked vessel's communication, but I do not think their position is a priority at the moment.  They clearly are not aligned with the other vessel, or else they would be shooting at us and not merely talking."

[Ruth Sigurdsdottir]

Rebel Ship Aeries - Bridge

Katcha looked at Ruth as the Federation officer replied. It was clear that her friend recognised the name. She trawled back through her memory and soon remembered. This was the man that had messed with Ruth when she was younger. Causing the other woman to have issues. She went straight up to Ruth and looked at her in the eye.

"This man may have the same name as the sub-human thing that messed with you, but you need to remember he is not the same person! We need to gain these people's trust and killing one of their crew is not how we go about it. I understand that you want revenge, but get it on the right person. Not some innocent Federation type who we will in all likelihood need before this mission is over. If you can't restrain yourself, I will have to leave you behind. Do I make myself clear?" She asked, her voice low so only Ruth could hear her.

Rebel Ship Aeries - Bridge

"Crystal....but promise me, we find that..." Ruth sighed heavily not wanting to let a weakness out in front of the crew and no words were enough to describe that low-life.

"...that... thing when this is over and I get my 200lbs of flesh?!"  she blinked away the pricklings of tears starting.

Then chuckling evilly she said mock-innocently winking at her friend "I did say after he had been useful, I'm not going to kill him unless he's not useful... you lot know aaaaalllllll... about that don't you?!" she said to the Bridge at large setting them scurrying back to look efficient and useful, nothing that the Major could find fault with.

"He's probably a week watered down type anyhow..." she added with a sneer, getting her sass back after she'd been rocked by Waring's voice.  "Wouldn't be any fun if he cracked too early!  As you say, we need him for now, I'll be good."

[Ruth Sigurdsdottir]

Shran - Bridge

Kalro listened as the science officer who'd previously identified herself as 'Sigurdsdottir' began to make a long series of suggestions.  They were... pretty interesting.

She wanted to use a scan to disable enemy weapons, apparently.

And then she wanted to use a terran singer to create some kind of distracting or morale-inhibiting condition on the enemy ship.

She was also recommending against targeting nacelles because she was worried about an insane man named Ivan.

And apparently she was concerned about the possibility of being rammed.

It was a lot to take in.  Well, at least the drama between her and the Ops officer had apparently subsided.

"Ensign Kalro Zolarim, ma'am.  I do not understand much of what you just proposed.  However, if you have the means to disrupt the enemy ship systems, I would recommend that you do so.  Meanwhile, targeting nacelles should incapacitate their warp capability and possibly feedback dangerously into their warp core, so I also endorse that as a mode of attack.   I do not think insane Ivans are a particular concern.  Whatever we decide, we need to coordinate with our wingmates."

Meanwhile, the plot was thickening with the arrival of a cloaked ship that was trying to communicate with them.   Another faction?

"We can launch a probe and use it to triangulate the source of that cloaked vessel's communication, but I do not think their position is a priority at the moment.  They clearly are not aligned with the other vessel, or else they would be shooting at us and not merely talking."

USS Shran - Bridge

"Thank you Mr Zolarim.  I don't think you grasped the 'Crazy Ivan" thing but no matter.  It's a nickname for a manoeuvre.  Short version it just means that movements are erratic and they have to turn sharply is what I was implying, the erratic-ness was going to be the problem.  You are totally correct about the nacelles and incapacitating their warp capability."

She paused.  "Computer, locate file #3430.4a Terran songs, Bieber J, Heartbreaker.  Rather apt I think...." she allowed herself a small smile.

Fingers flying over the console she put that over to the enemy ship hoping that it would cause enough chaos for them to get in.

"Right hopefully that will keep them occupied a few minutes until they figure how to turn it off.  Now is a good time for you to talk to that little ship and get information, and co-ordinate attacks. We're not doing anything more here than hacking into their weapon systems to disable them with the multiphasic scan."

Fingers still flying she smiled... "Check that Mr. Kalro... you should be able to recalibrate their weaponry now and shut them down, you know your weapon systems better than I do, I just know how to hack computers... something a rather good Ops officer taught me once upon a time!" she said grinning at Will.

"In other news there's a bit of an ion storm brewing about 5 hours bearing 340.7 from here, if they try running it will be away from that if their weather scans are active."

[Kachina Filitov]

Rebel Ship Aeries - Bridge

"Crystal....but promise me, we find that..." Ruth sighed heavily not wanting to let a weakness out in front of the crew and no words were enough to describe that low-life.

"...that... thing when this is over and I get my 200lbs of flesh?!"  she blinked away the pricklings of tears starting.

Then chuckling evilly she said mock-innocently winking at her friend "I did say after he had been useful, I'm not going to kill him unless he's not useful... you lot know aaaaalllllll... about that don't you?!" she said to the Bridge at large setting them scurrying back to look efficient and useful, nothing that the Major could find fault with.

"He's probably a week watered down type anyhow..." she added with a sneer, getting her sass back after she'd been rocked by Waring's voice.  "Wouldn't be any fun if he cracked too early!  As you say, we need him for now, I'll be good."

Rebel Ship Aeries - Bridge

Katcha thought for a moment before nodding.

"As long as it is either some of the Extinction's crew, then I have no problem with that at all." She paused and pulled a 9 inch Bowie knife from a sheath at the small of her back. "I might even join you!" She added with an evil smirk.

[Kinley Garrison]

The weapon's fire bombarded the Federation warship, yet it seemed like it was taking no damage. What was the meaning of this?

Alyssa turned to face the woman...Haley? Martha? Kinley. Kinley was her name. Not a very good name if you had asked Alyssa, Alyssa was a much better name for women. "Get the cannon up as quickly as you can. I want that ship gone." She didn't get to have another word in before they felt the Extinction shake. "ON SCREEN!"

Another ship appeared. It was smaller than the one they had been firing on. Its design was a bit ugly to her, looking outdated compared to the warship they had been dealing with. "Get me a readout of the damage and open a frequency to both ships."

The ops officer nodded and hit a series of buttons creating a mini melody as he did so.

"Mute your console."

"Sorry sir." he did so and a moment later he said "Hailing frequencies open, Captain."

Alyssa cleared her throat. "This is fleet Captain Alyssa Meadows of the Extinction. You have committed an act of war against the people on board my ship as well as the Empire. Power down your weapons and surrender or we will destroy you."

[ISS Extinction]
"Yes, Ma'am. Right away." Kinley said, saluting before she bolted back down to the weapons control deck. Seeing the other engineers, she pulled them to the side. "Captain wants the cannon up ASAP. Right now, the cannon is at 25 percent of its' full power, and we have orders. So MOVE! She said, eying Waring with a glance. The timetable had just been turned up for this escape plan, and there wasn't time for anything else. Giving Waring a look, she made some calculations. "Waring, I need your consultation." She said, hoping the crewman understood her meaning.

[William Waring]

Rebel Ship Aeries - Bridge

Katcha smiled, not recognising the name but definitely the efficiency.

It would be better for both of us if you would put the communication on your viewscreen so we can see each other and discuss this properly. Though we would prefer if the Extinction was not made aware of our presence. Katcha replied, knowing she was walking a fine line but it was all they had to play with.

[Bridge - Shran]

Will pushed this and that on his panel and the view changed from the Extinction to that of the new caller.

=A= Go ahead. The Extinction has been "put on hold" and muted, so it better be quick for both of our sakes =A=

Bridge - USS Shran

Ruth figured that the CSO was a tad busy herself and given the level of training and experience it was perfectly reasonable, so long as she deferred to her superior ranking officer, for Ruth to assumen to doing whatever scans she thought were necessary.

"Tachyon and Metaphasic scans show there is a small cloaked vessel in the area... using the Federation vessel as shields as I suspect the cloaked vessel has few or none of their own and little weaponry.  Warp trails are too scrambled at this time to determine origin."

She was glad that Will had returned to the Bridge and gave him a small nod, very professionally and nothing more.  This was a time to take a leaf out of her friend Hrafn's book.  If she and her husband could work next to each other in the middle of a battle and still be reckoned to be some of the best Scientists around, then she could do her job with her former?? lover not 10 feet from her.

"Hmm, I wonder.  Ma'am...Lt. Cmdr Waring?" she turned to the CSO and looked at Will.  "I have an idea..."

She looked from one to the other.  "Multiphasic Scan... we use it to get through and scramble but reconfigure their weapon systems so that they can't fire.  Then they would have 3 courses of action, negotiate, retreat, or well... ram us midships at full warp... but that's suicide and they probably wouldn't..." she said hopefully.   "...thing is we'll need some really annoying music to be piped through to mask what we're doing... load, boring... anything by that former Earth "artist" Bieber would do..."

She smiled and said "Well, everyone has their uses even if it's as a torture instrument!  Now while we are in there we can check for any weaknesses, you mentioned the nacelles yes, but shooting at them means that the ship will become unstable as Ms. Filitov there will confirm, and skillful as Katcha there is, we don't want some other vessel performing 'Crazy Ivans' ... no offence to your country there Ms. Filitov, you know what I'm on about..." Ruth said in case Katcha, well known for taking in everything that was going on within the Bridge while still flying the ship in the middle of a battle, took any offence.

"I started in flight, I know this only too well.  It's an option, and a bloody good one if we get nothing else, it would destroy them...but it also has the posibility of destroying us and the little cloaked vessel.  I know it's there but I can't get much of a read on it. What do you think Mr. Waring... Mr... sorry I don't know your name yet,..." she said to the man on the Tactical station.  "... tactically sound?"

She'd rattled this off at top speed, a trait of many Scientists when they had to get a lot of info into very little space.

Turning to Kinley she whispered an apology "Sorry, years of practice.... Ma'am."

Will ran the idea through his own calculations for a minute before giving a response. "It could work but we'd have to break into their computer. Not physically of course but they no doubt have it as shielded as the rest of the ship. Kinley, ideas?"

[William Waring]

[ISS Extinction]
"Yes, Ma'am. Right away." Kinley said, saluting before she bolted back down to the weapons control deck. Seeing the other engineers, she pulled them to the side. "Captain wants the cannon up ASAP. Right now, the cannon is at 25 percent of its' full power, and we have orders. So MOVE! She said, eying Waring with a glance. The timetable had just been turned up for this escape plan, and there wasn't time for anything else. Giving Waring a look, she made some calculations. "Waring, I need your consultation." She said, hoping the crewman understood her meaning.

[ISS Extinction - Weapons Control]

Will saw Kinley rush back down to the room and pull them aside. This certainly changed the plan but by how much he didn't know.

"Y-yes ma'am" he said as he dropped in behind her "W-what's going on?" he whispered once he was close enough "T-this wasn't part of the plan"

[Calandra Trilarck]

[USS Shran - Sickbay]

Calandra breathed a sigh of relief as she watched Lt. Sigurdsdottir collect her emotions that the counselor had witnessed shatter into a thousand pieces and leave the Sickbay. The annoyance that she felt coursing through her veins settled into a more manageable throb as she could hear hearts thump loud in her ears. The Haliian believed that the red haired science officer was probably in no shape to perform out her duties but with the ship being in Red Alert, there was not much choice but to work. As she saw the turbo lift doors close, Calandra knew it would only be a few more moments until the entire Sickbay staff came rushing through those  the turbolift doors and got to work. If not them, then the injured would begin to transport if that system was in tact. Time was beginning to tumble forward at a rapid rate and the Sickbay doors slid open as the stamping of officer's boots rumbled against the floor.

"Couldn't risk it if transportation went offline!" A security officer called out as he was helping to carry a bloodied Engineering officer to one of the biobeds. Before the body could make it to the bed, the Sickbay began shaking furiously, due to the enemy's attack. Calandra shielded her eyes with her hands as one of the nearby nursing stations blew up in a shower of electrical sparks. The force of the attack caused her crumble at the intensity of the hit and her whole side flew into a set of extra monitors that had been stored in a corner. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the security officer assisting the collapsed engineering officer and helping him up to the bed. Others had started appearing through the doors, some also succumbing to the powerful shock that had caused Sickbay to rock back and forth in the underbelly of the ship. She pressed her hands into ground and pushed herself back onto her feet, dusting off her knees as while lifting up her head to survey the scene.

The doctor was being instructed to report to the bridge, no doubt to treat some injury sustained by a vital crew member. It must have been been important if the CMO had to be yanked from a full Sickbay in order to assist the rest the team on the bridge

The turbolift's doors slid open at a snail's pace, small clouds of smoke spilling out from the inside, probably caused by some overload after the attack. Despite the blow, the turbolift appeared to remain somewhat operational and medics began rushing through to attend to the wounded. A small cacophony of voices and commands began building up as crewmates cried in anguish while they were being poked and prodded with tricorders, lasers, dermal regenerators. Calandra began to stand upright, her hands out at her sides, as she attempted to regain her sense of balance. After her blurred double vision began to right itself, she noticed something that caused her great alarm. The biobed where the lieutenant commander had been ordered to remain in was completely empty. In the distraction of the chaos that had quickly erupted in Sickbay, he had managed to slip past and go off to who knows where.

Calandra placed her hands on her hips, ignoring the strands of hair that had started sticking to her face, caught in the small beads of sweat lining her forehead. Making her way towards the center of the room, a medic rushed past her and made his way over to a biobed where a mangled Vulcan was lying. She lifted her head up and called out, "Sam. Are you still online?" The chiming of Sam's program indicated to her that the AI was still currently running, obviously coordinating and monitoring the vitals of the patients. "Locate the officer that just left Sickbay and Lieutenant Sigurdsdottir." Sam reported that apparently Lieutenant Commander Will Waring and the source of his volatile outburst were both serving on the bridge. Her eyes narrowed in annoyance and she spotted the perfect person to take it out on, a nurse who was busy in assisting applying a cast on an Ensign's foot. While technology existed that made the repairing of broken limbs significantly easier, protocol dictated that all non-critical wounds be attended in a manner as quickly as possible while surgery could be scheduled.

Calandra stormed over to the biobed as the nurse was completing the application of the cast. Her voice was shrill with anger lacing every word that left her mouth, "You were supposed to be watching Commander Waring! He's unfit for duty and had been placed under hold.  Your incompetence could have put this whole ship in jeopardy!" Her chest began rising and falling quickly as she the anger began boiling over. "What were you thinking?!" The ensign's pathetic look on his face begged the counselor to spare him from any follow-ups with her. The nurse raised her eyebrow and shook her head in a defensive manner.

"I was thinking that my Sickbay is full of patients who need my help and I don't have time to babysit a crybaby." The nurse replied as she turned her back on the counselor and made her way over to the next bed, where a critically injured Bajoran female science officer was shallowly breathing. Unsatisfied with the nurse's answer, Calandra followed her around the biobed as her eyes fell upon the ailing Bajoran. The nurse's tricorder was lit as it began to analyze the alien's vital signs. "Her heart was punctured by piece of cracked rib. If her left ventricle ruptures, she's got no chance of her survival." Although her anger had yet to subside, Calandra remained silent as the nurse began finishing up her scans and prepping the young girl for surgery.

The Bajoran officer avoided the nurse's touch by shifting a bit, fear filling up her eyes, as tears began forming in them. "N-no, I-I never got to tell my father that I forgive him for leaving our f-f-family." Her words were choppy, incoherent but Calandra quickly made sense of them. Upon death, it was a Bajoran custom to reconcile with their past before they passed. "If-if, I don't, my soul won't-can't be at peace. I'm scared."

"I know," was all the Counselor could muster in reply. She stepped back as surgeons made their way to the bed, various instruments in hand. Her eyes became glued to the monitor as she watched the vital signs become erratic. Death was inevitable in every humanoid species, it was certain, it was looming. If any species were looking for a common ground, the fear of death was shared among almost all. Unless you were a Q, from the moment you were born, the clock was ticking, counting down to one's demise. It was infuriating, after all these years, all this advancement in technology, there was no stopper to death. Calandra was yanked from her thoughts when she heard that the lower ventricle had been punctured, leaving the Bajoran to bleed out.

"I... I can see the Prophets..." the Bajoran girl called out, her voice barely a whisper. The erratic line on the monitor began to shift into a single line as a monotone ringing began echoing out. She had flatlined. In an instant, the Bajoran's eyes went lifeless, staring ahead at the ceiling, completely devoid of emotion. The only thing moving was a tear that had already made its way halfway down the Bajoran's cheek. The shock of it all of caused Calandra to lose touch with her balance again and she tripped back, her hands gripping the biobed behind her as she tried to collect her. She had been familiar with death many times over, her birth even began with one. The counselor had never even been given the opportunity to meet her mother or know what it was like to have someone who showed maternal warmth. Death had ripped her lover from her hands, leaving her a hollow shell of a woman. It had snatched the young Bajoran.

And once again, she had been greeted by Death's soft kiss.

[Kachina Filitov]

[Bridge - Shran]

Will pushed this and that on his panel and the view changed from the Extinction to that of the new caller.

=A= Go ahead. The Extinction has been "put on hold" and muted, so it better be quick for both of our sakes =A=Will ran the idea through his own calculations for a minute before giving a response. "It could work but we'd have to break into their computer. Not physically of course but they no doubt have it as shielded as the rest of the ship. Kinley, ideas?"

Rebel Ship Aeries - Bridge

Katcha nodded and activated the viewscreen herself. To say she was shocked was an understatement.

James! She gasped.

She saw James standing, wearing a Federation uniform, in the centre by the command chair. Her eyes travelled to Will Wearing, also wearing a uniform and looking far more confident than his equivalent in their universe. She then looked to the front of the screen and saw herself, again wearing the uniform. she took  deep breath before continuing.

I am Colonel Kachina Filitov of the Terran Rebellion and Commanding Officer of the Rebel cruiser Aeries. I have technical information regarding the ship you are engaged with and I am willing to pass it on. However I must stress than we cannot do it here. Without measures in place, which you will need time to innate, you cannot hope to defeat her. Should you wish to take me up on this offer, please provide co-ordinates of a system where we will be able to do this safely and we will meet you there. It would then be best for a small delegation of us to come aboard your vessel to discuss this in person.

[Kalro Zolarim]

Shran - Bridge

When the figure on the screen managed to deliver her message through the intermittent communications interruptions, Kalro's brows lifted in bemusement.  The Shran had been ambushed and was currently engaged in an ongoing battle.  Now this apparent mirror-universe person was suggesting they have a quiet meeting in some far-off system to enjoy a pleasant in-person chat over some Toast and Damlin Sauce?

"Sir, if we hope to have time for the kind of remote collaboration this person is suggesting, we must cripple the enemy ship's mobility first.  But if we could so readily cripple the enemy ship's mobility, we would not have need their assistance with destroying the vessel to begin with.  There is a piece of information missing from this puzzle."