<div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><font face="tahoma,sans-serif"><br style="text-align:left;color:rgb(34,34,34);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;font-size:13.33px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal"></font><br style="text-align:left;color:rgb(34,34,34);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;font-size:13.33px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal"><div style="text-align:left;color:rgb(34,34,34);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;font-size:13.33px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal" dir="ltr"><div><font face="tahoma,sans-serif">Mission: The flames of purity<br><br>Day: 16<br><br>Stardate: 2445:09:16</font></div><div><font face="tahoma,sans-serif"></font><br></div><div><font face="tahoma,sans-serif">(Gamma Quadrant Planet- Torak Ridge - ACTO Ensign Paul Sleeford 10:25)</font></div><div><font face="tahoma,sans-serif"></font><br></div><div><font face="tahoma,sans-serif">Sleeford stood  made his way to the front of the shuttle, banging his knee as he rose, swearing slightly he limped his way forward.</font></div><div><font face="tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><font face="tahoma,sans-serif">~When this is over i'm going to have to see the doc about gettin this sorted</font></div><div><font face="tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><font face="tahoma,sans-serif">Taking a step forward Sleeford felt his left leg buckle under him and a pain that felt like an elephant had just sat on his knee. Dropping down to the deck Sleeford made the mistake of looking at his leg, the pumping blood took a couple of seconds to register as the pain ramped up to 15 very quickly. Laying on his back he let out a scream that would curdle the blood of a corpse.</font></div><div><font face="tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><font face="tahoma,sans-serif">Laying there Sleeford felt the temperature drop slightly as a shadow fell over him. Screwing his eyes tight against the pain, Sleeford scrambled around for his rifle, he wasn;t going to lay there and let the SOB who'd shot him get away freely.</font></div><div><font face="tahoma,sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><font face="tahoma,sans-serif"><div style="text-align:left;color:rgb(34,34,34);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13.33px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal" dir="auto">"Paul, Paul I need you to look at me, focus on me ok. Do you hear me?"</div><div style="text-align:left;color:rgb(34,34,34);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13.33px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal" dir="auto"><br></div><div style="text-align:left;color:rgb(34,34,34);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13.33px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal" dir="auto">Gritting his teeth Sleeford sword and tried to sit up, snapping open his eyes he scanned the ridge for his attacker. </div><div style="text-align:left;color:rgb(34,34,34);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13.33px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal" dir="auto"><br></div><div style="text-align:left;color:rgb(34,34,34);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13.33px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal" dir="auto">"Ensign Sleeford, look at me and me only, focus on what I'm saying and doing. Do you understand?" </div><div style="text-align:left;color:rgb(34,34,34);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13.33px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal" dir="auto"><br></div><div style="text-align:left;color:rgb(34,34,34);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13.33px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal" dir="auto">Taking a deep breath as the voice of the doctor filtered through the white hot pain. Turning his head to face him Sleeford nodded as the sweat ran down his face and neck.</div><div style="text-align:left;color:rgb(34,34,34);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13.33px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal" dir="auto"><br></div><div style="text-align:left;color:rgb(34,34,34);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13.33px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal" dir="auto">"Ok, you've been hit and I need you to hold this, I need you to cover me whilst I work on you. Do you get me?" Gabe said handing the man the aide arm, he deactivated it in case Paul tried to shoot himself. </div><div style="text-align:left;color:rgb(34,34,34);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13.33px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal" dir="auto"><br></div><div style="text-align:left;color:rgb(34,34,34);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13.33px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal" dir="auto">Taking the weapon Sleeford looked at it for a couple of seconds trying to figure out what was wrong, looking at the settings,  then at the doctor he laughed.</div><div><b></b><i></i><u></u><strike></strike><br></div><div>"Worried I'd commit suicide Doc, no chance"</div><div><br></div><div>(Reply Vespers)</div><div><br></div><div>Laying there Sleeford turned to his left and fired up into the rocks, not hoping to hit anything, he just felt the need to do something, hearing the doctor call for assistance Sleeford slumped back onto the ground feeling tired and weak, the overriding need to go to sleep was crawling over his brain.</div><div><br></div><div><div style="text-align:left;color:rgb(34,34,34);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13.33px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal" dir="auto">"Ok Paul you're going to blackout, you've lost a lot of blood and I need to stop it. I don't have what I need here with me so I need to do this ok? Do you understand and do you agree?" </div><div style="text-align:left;color:rgb(34,34,34);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13.33px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal" dir="auto"><br></div><div style="text-align:left;color:rgb(34,34,34);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13.33px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal">As the voice of Vespers came from a long way off, Sleeford blinked and nodded.  Opening his mouth he spoke in a quite croak.</div><div style="text-align:left;color:rgb(34,34,34);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13.33px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal"><br></div><div style="text-align:left;color:rgb(34,34,34);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13.33px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal">"Do what you have to......"</div><div style="text-align:left;color:rgb(34,34,34);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13.33px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal"><br></div><div style="text-align:left;color:rgb(34,34,34);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13.33px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal">Laying on his back Sleeford saw the sky close to a pinprick of light as he drifted away, Smiling as the smell of pigs assaulted his nostrils. </div><div style="text-align:left;color:rgb(34,34,34);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13.33px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal"><br></div><div style="text-align:left;color:rgb(34,34,34);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13.33px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal">(Reply Vespers)</div><div style="text-align:left;color:rgb(34,34,34);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13.33px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal"><br></div><div style="text-align:left;color:rgb(34,34,34);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13.33px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal">Posted by Alistair)</div><div style="text-align:left;color:rgb(34,34,34);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13.33px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal"><br></div><b></b><i></i><u></u><strike></strike><br></div></font></div></div></div></div></div></div>