<html><head></head><body><div class="yahoo-style-wrap" style="font-family:Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><div><span id="ydpf3fd9f3edocs-internal-guid-707b278a-7fff-e4b5-8e35-159a5a4897da"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mission: The Flames of Purity</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Day: 16 </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stardate: 2445.09.16</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(USS Exeter - Bridge – CSO Lt JG Erin Cortez – 0820)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"We're going as fast as we can Lieutenant, and there is at least one other ship out there that wants us dead. In the meantime, you've got homework. I want you analyzing that energy build up and figure out what the hell it is."</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Taking a breath, Erin nodded and replied, simply, “Yes, Sir.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">~Homework? Really?~ she thought to herself as she turned back to her console and began to try to figure out what the hell was going on where Ailynn was.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(USS Exeter - Bridge - CSO Lt JG Erin Cortez - 0848)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Erin knew that people around her were talking and orders were being issued but she didn’t hear the first set. Her mind and focus were trying to figure out what the energy build up was, what it meant and what was going on.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">~Come on, girl. You can figure this out. Take a deep breath and remember what Professor Bournville said back at the Academy. Every problem has a solution, it might take a while to figure it out but there is always a pathway.~</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tapping her fingers on the console, Erin rubbed her forehead with her free hand as Trip’s voice broke through her concentration,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"We'll probably need some tech support on the ground, especially with whatever they're plotting. Merek put together a team with Cortez, Vosi, Zot, and whoever else you think you might need."</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Looking over at Merek, Erin nodded that she had understood, stood from her console and tapped her combadge, </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Cortez to Wetherby”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">=/\= Wetherby here =/\=</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Report to the Bridge, you’re on point duty.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">=/\= Understood, Ma’am. =/\=</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Walking to the turbolift, Erin nodded to Ravok and Merek as they stepped inside. Standing to one side, Erin closed her eyes for a brief second as Ravok stopped the turbolift and spoke,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I say this in the most serious way possible. I don't want either of you worrying about me. Worry about your teams and yourselves, complete the mission and come home in one piece" </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Smiling softly, Erin looked at her dear friend, “Lieutenant, the same could be said for yourself. Don’t worry, i’ll bring her home safe for you.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(Reply Ravok, Merek, any)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt; padding: 10pt 0pt 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(Posted by Jackie)</span></p><div><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br></span></div></span></div>NRPG: Wetherby is Mark's SPC but i have full permission to use the character for a couple of posts.</div></div></body></html>