Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Captains Quarters - Capt Sevant - 0240) Caladryll gently placed the over-jacket of his uniform on the edge of the chair, and sat slowly into its deep cushions. The Boudicca was, at least for the time being, safe... or at least as safe as they could be, on a Starship on the fringe in the middle of a civil war. They were well underway back to the River, the Boudicca was beat up and utterly unable to continue her patrol, even assuming they had taken care of the spiders home-ship. Which they hadn't. Sevant leaned his elbow against the arm of the chair and proceeded to massage the bridge of his nose. He stopped after a few moments, though he continued leaning his head against his fingers. In times past, this is where Vicki would have rubbed his shoulders, or slapped him if he was being stupid... He ripped himself from that thought before it could fully form. Mourning his family was defiantly not healthy at this point in time. He had four hours to rest before he was going to be back on duty, he needed to make the most of it. Grieving over his family was not considered restful. "Captains Personal Log," he began, with his eyes closed and head still perching on his fingers. "Stardate, 2407.06.03... no, 04." He took a breath and leaned his head back against the cushions, he kept his eyes tight-closed. He stayed silent though, he was having troubles putting all his thoughts in order. After a minute of silence, the computer beeped, [Would you like to continue?] "Yes," he said, his tone gravel. Sevant sighed and took another breath, "I could be dispassionate, and simply report what I've seen. However, anyone interested in that can find my official Ships logs after they are unsealed, assuming we aren't destroyed first. These logs... these logs are for the historians, so they can hear all the little details, all the unofficial motivations that prompted me to do what I did. And, as much as its for the historians a hundred years hence, it's for me as well, so I can make sense of what I've seen in the last couple days." Another paused, followed by; "Imp not entirely sure that I've done things right, but I've pulled us out of combat. My blood screamed battle, most of me wanted to say 'damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!' and plunge into the rage of the fight. The part of me that diverged, the part of me that won, said that it would be a useless sacrifice and that we had a higher cause to survive for..." He stood up slowly, and his face turned into a grimace. "So I've pulled us out, and in doing so I've left people in danger. I don't think I could be blamed for that, in terms of strength we are so hopelessly outmatched that we wouldn't have done much good. On the other hand, I don't know that for sure, and I'm a Starfleet Officer... pledged to give my life in defense of the Federation, etc etc." He looked at himself in a mirror. His face was gaunt, slightly flushed green from the stim he took earlier to remain fully alert until he felt they were safely out of combat range. His childhood scar ran brokenly down his face, over his eye and down his cheek. A slightly newer, slightly brighter, and smaller knife-scar ran diagonally across the old cut, the heritage of a Romulan knife on the Nimitz. His expression was null, and his eyes were haunted. It was the face of a warrior. "We are still counting casualties, the boarders were exceptionally efficient. The number of slashed dead are still piling up, the number of Zombies is also painfully high. We haven't figured out yet what they were doing, all I can say is that anyone zapped has lost everything. Their thoughts, feelings, memories, everything but automatic functions. They are alive, they breathe and have such reactions as swallowing. But, they are mindless, hardly living at all. Several have already been allowed to expire due to living wills, this certainly qualifies, the rest we have packed into the Cargo Bay triage area like cattle. I haven't seen bodies packed like that since we unloaded the Romulan cadavers off the Nimitz for safe-keeping on Geneva." He shivered slightly as he turned his gaze away from the mirror, he cold only stand to look at himself for so long. "Anyway," he continued after several more moments. "We are proceeding with all possible speed to the River, and then hence to Geneva where we can receive some repairs. We are going to be months laid up, we haven't got a choice in the matter. The ship is torn up, both inside and out, and we still have lingering problems from the rushed refit. With luck, we can be done in four months, but I would say we are going to be closer to six unless they find a lot of free resources to spend on us." Sevant sat back into the chair, his mindless wandering over. "There will be more, but I need sleep. Computer, end log." Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Main Engineering - Senior-Chief Melody Haverstaad - 0425) Melody grimaced as she brought up her phaser and loosed three quick shots in succession into the upper-segment of a spider that had moved up beside her. Someone screamed off to the side as her target blasted into pieces, and another moved to take it's place. She took another couple shots, but they were absorbed by the creature. She cursed as someone else took her place and blew it to hell. She wasn't paying any more attention then that, she already had her phaser down and was running through a different frequency patterns. "No good Chief, they're eating us up!" her squad XO bellowed as he took aim at another and blasted a couple of its legs off. Melody's face was pulled back in a grimace as her side lanced pain, she had caught the sharp edge of one of the enemies legs. Her uniform was good and wet already from the gash, but she didn't have time to stop and look at it. Besides, if she hurt, she wasn't in shock... It was all good. "No choice XO, we've gotta hold em off!" she bellowed back as she flipped the phaser up and took aim down its barrel. She took two quick shots that blew one of the spiders apart before it could get a hold of an engineer, then turned her targeting and started firing at another. Her XO was right though, they just didn't have enough manpower here to stop the flood, and they had been taken too much by surprise to get much for reinforcements right away. "Withdrawal to the core!" she bellowed into the chaos, "To the CORE!" Her squad was well trained, and the Marines were also well trained, they began covering each other as they backed into a cordon around the warp core itself. Engineers were rushing everywhere, some armed, some not. The lucky ones were those that managed to get to a weapons cache or stay near the security/marine teams. The unlucky ones were laying on the ground like bags. She cursed as she jumped to the side when one more Spider jumped at her, but it was taken apart before it could reach her. Her side pulled with sharp pains, nothing to be done about it. One more spider made moves towards her general direction, she pulled her side-arm and fired for several long seconds, dismantling it with the stream of power. "Fall back!" she once again screamed into the din. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca, Bridge, Commander Grailik, 0425) "XO," Sevant said, turning toward Grailik, "Grab a Marine and make way for the Battle Bridge double-time. If we go offline here, the ship is yours." "Understood," Grailik said, nodding and lifting his phaser. He pointed at one of the two marines still on the bridge. "Your with me Corporal." The Marine nodded, hefted his phaser rifle and moved toward the emergency ladder that led from the bridge. Grailik followed. The two started down, moving as fast as they could. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca, Deck 11, Commander Grailik, 0440) Grailik and the marine with him exited the jeffries tube into the corridor nearest the Battle Bridge. As soon as they left the tube they could hear the sound of weapons fire down the corridor. Using simple hand signals, Grailik told the marine his plan and moved toward the sound of weapons fire. ~All those years with Robert and his merry band of marines comes in handy once more.~ (NRPG: That's Admiral LoDona for those who are wondering.) They soon came upon a half squad of marines and security personnel engaged in a fierce fire fight, surrounded by more than a dozen of the spider like machines that had invaded the ship. ~Damn things are crawling on the ceiling too.~ Grailik thought opening fire along with the corporal, setting up a cross fire. Three of the spiders quickly turned and moved toward Grailik and his escort. Amazingly enough all 3 of the spiders moved directly toward the marine and seemed to ignore Grailik's presence completely, till he blew two of them away. The marine destroyed the last as it swiped at Grailik with one of it's sharp legs and not it's glowing appendage. Grailik dodged just in time to avoid getting impaled, just as the corporal blew the thing away. With the added help and fire power, the marines and security detail soon destroyed the last of the spiders leaving the corridor a mess of broken metal and charred pieces. Several crewman lay on the ground, staring unseeing at the ceiling, the rest regrouped. Grailik, the corporal hot in his heels, moved toward them "Ensign," Grailik said to security officer in charge of the group, "You and your men are with me. We're heading to the Battle Bridge. If more of them bastards show, we will be assuming control of the ship." The ensign nodded, and ordered his squad to form up around Grailik. With, a circle of marines and security surrounding him, phasers pointing in every direction, Grailik moved off once more toward the battle bridge. His own phaser still at the ready. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca, Battle Bridge, Commander Grailik, 0453) Grailik marched into the middle of the battle bridge, his escort quickly moving to make sure it was secure. After a quick, yet through, search the Ensign turned and nodded the all clear. "Computer," Grailik said, moving toward the center seat, "Recognize, Commander Grailik, First Officer USS Boudicca, Omega Charley 5695. Activate all stations, and prepare to transfer all command functions to this location." [Commander Grailik recognized. Standing by to transfer command to current location.] "Grailik to Sevant. I'm in position. Standing by, Grailik said, slapping his comm-badge (Reply Sevant) "Ensign," Grailik said, "I want you at tactical. Access internal sensors and find out where them things are at. We need to give our forces some direction and where to concentrate fire power." Grailik ordered other members of the detail to man other stations, silently thanking the fore site that Star Fleet used to and cross-trained it's personnel to handle other stations in an emergency situation. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - CSO's Office – ACSO Dr. Vegra Gretud - 0535) Vegra walked to the Science Department and did what he was told and reported to Dr Rin. Vegra reached the dr and said “ENS Jg Vegra Gretud reporting for duty.” Kyle motioned for Vegra's PADD with his current orders on it. "Welcome aboard Ensign, I’m sure you'll find the Boudicca suitful to your needs?" Kyle asked with a raised eyebrow. “If there is profit involved then I am involved. This profit is the profit of knowledge.” "Finish getting any items to your quarters, then I will need you to begin your duties by monitoring the current probe read-outs on science panel nine. Let me know of any strange activity you might come across." Kyle returned to his work and watched as the ensign took his leave towards the science department. Vegra walked around his quarters and unpacked his many numbers artifices ~I wish I had my craft my quarters are there~ Vegra walked to the bridge and begins taking readings and stopped suddenly several people who were like the Borg just beamed aboard. Vegra hide behind a corner and took some tricoder readings. Vegra then ran off to Dr Rin. “Dr some people just beamed aboard they look like the Borg here I took some tri-corder readings. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Bridge – OPS Lt. Schafio - 0942) Yalta was a bit surprise to have intruders on the bridge and when she saw those... things looking like spiders, she really didn't like them, it gave her a chill. Everything went fast around her, orders given by the Captain to destroy those creature. She picked up her phaser and manage to get one. Little did she know that another was coming near her. She gave it a kick, change the frequency and fire at it. It shook her a little to see those creature and she heard Ensign Skylynx asking."You okay?" “I am alright... I hate crawly things.” She turn her gaze to him. “I'm alright!” "Good, I wouldn't want you to get hurt before I have a chance to take you to dinner," he said, as he checked the status of the ship on the main cutaway display. “If we come out of it... my treat! Get the internal defenses system online please.” Ryko returned to his station, has she return to hers to pick up the pieces of info all around the ship figuring that it would be needed soon. "Status report." Sevant ordered, looking at his Ops officer. “We have some casualties... so far 37 people have been affected by those... Spiders. They have invaded all important decks. Medical, engineering, tactical, bridge, Mess Hall and all decks in between. Medical, engineering, tactical have reported to have push back or destroyed the invaders. But, internal sensors are detecting that they are still on board... it's not over. Captain, we need to analyze one of those things to figure out what to make of that ship who is waiting patiently for his minions work to take over us, they didn't move since they back away. Also, all the internal shields might be not delaying them... I have reports of walls being cut by those things.” Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Main Engineering - Lt jg Trevan West- 0945) Trevan listened as Melody cursed as she jumped to the side when one more Spider jumped at her, but it was taken apart before it could reach her. She pulled her side-arm and fired for several long seconds, dismantling it with the stream of power. "Fall back!" she once again screamed into the din. "Melody!, Over here" said Trevan from behind a bulkhead, "Computer activate security measure 16a," he spoke hoping to be heard over the commotion around him. A containment field sparked to life around the warp core, and the rear isolation door came down, crushing several already dead crewmen. "They can't see me behind this wall for some reason, perhaps of the heavy Tritainium and Nitainium in the walls. I am glad to see you are okay. There is an emergency ration kit back there somewhere, here let me look at you." Melody turned away from Trevan but he could see she was in pretty bad shape, "Look, I need to treat that with at least an anti-infection cream before you go running off and your guts spill on my deck." Trevan grabbed her shoulder and pulled her towards him, he applied some cream and a hypospray for the pain. "There, that should do it, but I would get my ass to sickbay. I am to terrified to move, go without me." Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Main Engineering - Senior Chief Melody Haverstaad - 0945) Melody cursed as a force-field went up around the warp-core and the Boudicca's forces started constricting around it. A heavy blast door went down, blocking off most of the invaders, which lessened the utter chaos that was going around. The few that were in the immediate area were blown to hell within moments, leaving everyone breathless for several long moments. "Re-form!" she bellowed, she couldn't take the chance that this small portion of engineering would hold... And they wouldn't be able to stay for long, lest the rest of engineering get destroyed. There were still plenty of engineers out there, and from the look of it a number of her security forces as well. She joined the Chief Engineer a few moments later. "They can't see me behind this wall for some reason, perhaps of the heavy Tritainium and Nitainium in the walls. I am glad to see you are okay. There is an emergency ration kit back there somewhere, here let me look at you." ~I don't have time for this.~ she thought as she began turning away to bellow more Battle Orders. She was interrupted however, "Look, I need to treat that with at least an anti-infection cream before you go running off and your guts spill on my deck." Melody grimaced as he grabbed his shoulder and pulled her over. Now that there wasn't the *immediate* threat of being ripped apart, she had to admit that her side didn't look good. Through the tattered remains of her tunic he applied a cream, then hit her with a painkiller. While he worked, she considered the tactical advantage his words could possibly give her, about possibly being 'blind' to certain metals. "There, that should do it, but I would get my ass to sickbay. I am to terrified to move, go without me." "Can't" she said shortly. "Not if you want the rest of your engineers in one piece." She turned to look at what was left of her defensive squad, it didn't look promising. She tapped her badge, "Haverstaad to Security, we require serious reinforcements in Engineering." (reply: TAC/SC, TAC/ASC) Melody took a deep breath, "Alright Sir, if you want to work some engineering magic to clear your area, it would be appreciated." She hefted her phaser rifle and checked the charge, then looked at the crew. "Mount up and keep near the bulkheads, behind them if possible!" She looked at the CEO, "The blast door, if you would..." Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Main Engineering - TAC/ASC Ensign Ryko Skylynx-0945) Ryko ran through the corridors, avoiding several sparking panels, and entered main engineering to find Chief Haverstaad under heavy fire. He dropped to as shuttle run and joined her. "Understand you have pest problems?" Ryko said as he prepared his phaser rifle. The chief was evidently in no mood for small talk. She hefted her phaser rifle and checked the charge, then looked at the crew. "Mount up and keep near the bulkheads, behind them if possible!" She looked at the CEO, "The blast door, if you would..." Ryko approached side by side with Haverstaad and waited for the "game" to begin. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Main Engineering - Lt jg Trevan West- 0946) She looked at the CEO, "The blast door, if you would..." Trevan nodded in her direction,"Computer raise the blast door." the computer chirped its reply and within a few moments the blast door was raised and the troops started to file out, when Trevan heard what can only be described as a plasma explosion near the blast door he dove into the Jefferies Tube protecting his head. When the smoke had cleared he noticed the blast door had come down in the exposition and he was not happy. "Computer raise blast door." No reply. "West to anyone come in, I am trapped in Jeffries Tube 15 section 5baker. There is a plasma leak in hear radiating the cabin, I can't beam out nor can I walk out. Anyone getting this transmission please respond." Trevan leaned his head back against the wall, "Why do I end up in these things all the time?" Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Main Engineering - ACEO Enaj - 0946) While crouching behind some data banks Saim heard something on her comm. =^=West to anyone come in, I am trapped in Jeffries Tube 15 section 5baker. There is a plasma leak in hear radiating the cabin, I can't beam out nor can I walk out. Anyone getting this transmission please respond.=^= "West, this is Enaj here. Give me a second and I will see what I can do." (reply Trevan iyw) Saim got up slowly and looked at the data banks, which moments before she had been hiding behind. Locating the maintenance panel she brought up Jefferies Tube 15 section 5baker. Wreckage surronded the whole of it and the situation looked grim. If the CEO did not get out soon the plasma would fill it and anyway if I stray shot went his way it would be nasty. Saim however did see a way out. Above West's position was a tube that Saim could through. There was not so much wreckage that Saim could not get through with a laser. The amount of heat it created should not be a problem. With this plan in mind Saim headed to the wall, gun in hand, keeping low, to get to the tube's entrance. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Bridge - Capt Sevant- 0947) "Status report." the Captain ordered. "We have some casualties... so far 37 people have been affected by those... Spiders. They have invaded all important decks. Medical, engineering, tactical, bridge, Mess Hall and all decks in between. Medical, engineering, tactical have reported to have push back or destroyed the invaders. But, internal sensors are detecting that they are still on board... it's not over. Captain, we need to analyze one of those things to figure out what to make of that ship who is waiting patiently for his minions work to take over us, they didn't move since they back away. Also, all the internal shields might be not delaying them... I have reports of walls being cut by those things." Sevant nodded, that fit the pattern on Backtron, why take down a forcefields when you could cut through a wall? That meant only the heaviest of the shielded areas would offer any real protection, mostly engineering and the aft Antimatter containment sections, they had the thickest bulkheads of duranium in the entire ship. He gestured to one of the things, "Work on one of these, we'll get you to a lab when we can." Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca – Bridge– TAC/ASC – Ensign Ryko Skylynx – 09:50) Ryko was relieved that Yalta was okay, and was quickly hurrying about his orders. He was about to exit the bridge when his badge chimed. =^=Bush to Skylynx, Is the bridge secure Ryko?=^= came Bush's voice over the com. Ryko looked around. The one unvapourised creature was not shoing any signs of life, captain sevant seemed to be kicking it. "Aye sir, intruders speedily repulsed. How are things on your end?" Ryko said as he continued to assess the impact of the unwanted guests. =^=Details are meeting heavy resistance, we need to come up with some other plan than the automatic weapons the aliens are in some instances carrying our people chances are we will hit them. Ryko make sure you stay on the bridge, a detail is on route to you=^= "Belay the team to the bridge, we have it covered. The Marines are under your command now, Lieutenant, hop to it!" Sevant said as he stood. "Put me on speaker." he said to Ryko. Ryko returned to his station and activated the shipwide com channel. "Bridge to Crew: Condition Black, Full Anti-Borg procedures. These are not aliens, these are machines, and they are reacting like the Borg in adaptation. Destroy them, take no chances, and avoid all physical contact. Bridge Out." Sevant jerked a head to the two Marines, then looked back over Ryko. "Get yourself to the Chief, he is under heavy attack. Move!" Ryko wasted no time. He hurried out of the turbolift. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Bridge - Capt Sevant - 0950) "XO," Sevant said, turning toward Grailik, "Grab a Marine and make way for the Battle Bridge double-time. If we go offline here, the ship is yours." "Understood," The FO said as Sevant turned his back, "Your with me Corporal." Sevant turned back to survey the situation, things were not looking up. They might be clearing the ship, bit by bit, but the ship was still out there. If their tactics were to be believed, then they would stay out of weapons range until their drones had done the dirty work, then come and clean up. "Analysis of that ship?" The Tactical officer shrugged, "We have more brute strength, their weapons drain us on different frequencies however, so the advantage is nil. And they seem to have more sublight speed then we do." "Not afraid of time-dilation issues then," Sevant said quietly before filing the information away for later use, there might be something he could do with it. He was about to order damage-control teams to the bridge when the image on the screen suddenly started moving. "Incoming!" bellowed the TAC officer. Sevant braced himself, "Fire all weapons, evasive maneuvers!" The ship shook again with weapons fire, this time it didn't take a sustained burst to open a hole in the shields for further beaming. Two more creatures were beamed onto the bridge, and were immediately shot apart by the kneeling Marine by the primary turbolift door. Sevant didn't wait to see if more came, "Concentrate all fire on their weapons systems!" "Weapons systems, Aye Sir." the Tactical officer reported. Several vollies of phasers and quantum torpedoes followed a few moments later, and the enemy ship rapidly broke off attack. "Stay back," he ordered a moment later, "We can't take em head-on without full support," He looked over again, "How many made it on board this time?" Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Bridge – OPS Lt. Schafio - 0950) Yalta look at the Captain, there was nothing new for her to say, at least nothing that he already knew. So she waited for his instruction which came quickly. "Work on one of these, we'll get you to a lab when we can." “I can start a primary analysis here.” Yalta got up took the one most complete and made her way to Science console. She put her tricorder on the console in continues scan, relaying all the data to the ship computer. Her attention was shifting between what was going on and this thing. Science was never her strong suit but this was a weapon and that was in her alley. "We can't take em head-on without full support," He looked over again, "How many made it on board this time?" She heard her replacement at OPS say. “About 40 of these things are on board.” “Captain, they have a sort of positronic brain, heavily plated. They can transmit and receive data, if we could reprogram them we could send them back to them with the same program they are using against us. It might take time, I don't have one nearly intact here. The eye thing, is a mind probe, it seem to seek a particular brain pattern. I would guess that telepaths are particular affected by this. I would need a lab and one or two of those things a bit more intact to break the program.” Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Main Engineering - Senior Chief Melody Haverstaad - 0950) "Computer raise the blast door." the CEO said. Melody licked her lips and looked at the newest TAC/ASC. "Sir, luck and honor." (reply: Skylynx, if desired) A few seconds later, the door was fully open. The security guards and Marines that were left didn't need marching orders, they had already received them. Several of them started firing cover as others darted out and took positions as near to duranium doors as possible. Melody held up her phaser and walked solidly forward, her face a battle-mask of anger at having her ship and crewmates hurt for no reason. "Kill em all!" she bellowed as she opened fire herself. She managed to jump passed the mass of psi-spiders that had gathered when the Blast Door had been shut, and found herself a panel to hide behind. She quickly lost track of the TAC/ASC, but he was the least of her worries... He could take care of himself as well as any. Melody was about to start firing again when a flash distracted her from the corner of her eye. She didn't have time to register much of anything about it before she was knocked sprawling against the far wall from a powerful explosion a half-moment later. She managed to hold onto the phaser with great difficultly as she slammed into a bulkhead. She spared half a moment for her dizziness, caused when her head had hit the bulkhead, then started pulling herself away from the wall and back to her spot. "Report, All units report!" Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca -Main Engineering-TAC/ASC Ensign Ryko Skylynx-0950) "Computer raise the blast door." the CEO said. Melody licked her lips and looked at Ryko. "Sir, luck and honor." "Luck has nothing to do with it, Chief. Let's go raze some aliens," Ryko said. He raised his rifle to his eye and stared through the crosshair at the opening door. "And so they raged into the heat of battle, the smell of blood in their nostrils..." he said, almost totally out of character. A few seconds later, the door was fully open. Ryko stood and charged forward with the first wave of Security Officers and Marines that were left. Several of them started finding cover as others darted outand took positions. Ryko fired off a few shots to confuse the invaders, then took up position as near to duranium doors as possible. Melody held up her phaser and walked solidly forward. "Kill em all!" she bellowed as she opened fire herself. Ryko smiled and began pulling the trigger on reflex more than instinct. One by one the grotesque spider-like machines fell, but more seemed to come out of nowhere. Ryko sent another two flying to the ground. Behind him he saw a detatchment of his best officers charging toward him. "Come on in, the water's fine!" he said as he continued dodging between targets. He was becoming lost in the moment, surprising himself at the level of fun he seemed to be having at destroying these invaders. Out of the corner of his eye, an explosion wracked. He turned and saw Haverstaad slammed against the wall from the resulting shock. He tried to move in and buy her some time to recover but there was no need. She was up within seconds. He stayed where he was and continued shooting. "How many you got, chief?" he yelled over the cacophony of fire. (Reply Haverstaad) "12! Keep it up, we'll drive this scum off yet!" The battle continued, starfleet firing endless bolts of phaser fire, determined not to let the aliens close enough to make physical contact. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Bridge – OPS Lt. Schafio - 0950) “Captain, they have a sort of positronic brain, heavily plated. They can transmit and receive data, if we could reprogram them we could send them back to them with the same program they are using against us. It might take time, I don't have one nearly intact here. The eye thing, is a mind probe, it seem to seek a particular brain pattern. I would guess that telepaths are particular affected by this. I would need a lab and one or two of those things a bit more intact.” "Soon, Lieutenant, soon. Pull out whatever you want to study and be ready to move quickly." he said. He looked around the bridge, bits of it were blasted to hell, it was far to open to effectively defend if more creatures were going to come. He needed to get to the battle bridge once it was operational. “I will be ready!” Yalta got up, brought all the pieces close to her, to see better what she would need. Yalta took the part of the positronic brain incast inside metal and the outside. It wasn't going to be practical to work on it here and she knew that this was the key with the eye thing. “Computer, replicate a back pack, 1 cubic foot it should contain.” Yalta put everything in just in time to hear the captain say to vacate the bridge. "Alright, everyone." Sevant said, standing up again. "Prepare to vacate the primary bridge." “I'm ready!” She took the phaser rifle and secured it. She could feel the adrenaline rushing through her veins and she loved it. She decided to stick with the Captain, there was safety in numbers. Sevant walked over to the Operations officer, "There will be more of these things closer to a science lab, are you ready?" “I am ready!” She put on the back pack and followed. Yalta didn't have any problem to follow up the group, and aware of her environment she was looking out with the others for the enemy. Yalta kept track to what the captain was saying and the orders given, in her head he wonder how she would open that casing who protected the positronic brain. It's been a while since she had that course in the academy. Yalta just followed and it seem that it was a dream when she was on the right deck and the Captain signaled her that she could come. "Clear." “Great!” Yalta came out of the jefferies tube silently. She followed the Captain crouched and hugging the wall. When they got to the labs, Captain tapped in his own security clearance to open the doors. "Quickly, Lieutenant." he said, still covering the corridor with the door open. Yalta rush inside and taking her back pack off and drop it on the table. The phaser rifle, she took it off and place it on a chair near her. The door closed behind shut behind them, Yalta gave a glance toward the captain, knowing that for now, he was her bodyguard. "You have your labs, Lieutenant, proceed with all speed." he said. “Already starting Sir!” Yalta grab all the tools near, tricorder and everything she could possibly need. She proceeded with a deep scan. Tritanium, 3 microns, she found the tool she needed for it and look for the inside while she was scanning. She didn't want to trip on anything. She knew that the power source was outside, and she might feed it with a tricorder, she continued to explore the device through the scan. ~There, the positronic brain... intact. There the hatch... need the right frequency or we are in trouble... maybe.~ She took the eye thing and proceeded to scan it. They transmitted and scan through it, it was sensitive to the brain patterns of empathic and telepaths. A quick search made her found the right frequency brain pattern. She got up and scan the only empath near her. The Captain. “The brain is in cast inside a tritanium box, 3 microns thick. That will be no problem for me to open, I found the opening, probably for repair they created it. But it seem to be with a particular frequency, considering the behavior of the device I selected a few 100 variables signals. I have eliminated 50 % of them as I am speaking.” Yalta was working on the thing while talking. “I'm cross reference with what I have found so far with are ship scan.... and now up to... 20 variables.” Yalta could sense the Captain looking at her a bit impatient. “I can't rush this... if I do, we might become in more trouble then we are right now. The balance is.... there, that is what I was searching for.” Yalta open the box and could see the circuits. “It is still active and intact.” Yalta brought it back to the table to have better light and also the tools. She didn't know how long she was working on it but reattach the eye, but left it blind. She decided to download the information. Finding the right connection, and hock in up to the tricorder, it downloaded everything quickly. “I'm downloading what ever it has taken and didn't have time to transmit. I'm through with that process.” To her surprise, it ask something of her. “What was the next program? It's asking me this... diagnostic she punch.” the result were breath taking. “Captain, 10 minutes and I will have a solution.” Yalta studied the diagnostic, and because of the damages, it gave her the information without asking. She found the circuits for the reprogramming and also how it worked. She reprogrammed the frequency and reset the set of orders.” “Captain, I have change the frequency of this one easily... I think I can make the others do the same and change their orders. It goes like this. Signal is from the ship that is just out of rang, which for them is a problem because those things can't transmit when the mother ship is far. Which gives us the advantage, they don't know what is going on here. I found there frequency, I can order then to change frequency and those bugs which are our enemies becomes are allies. If we play are cards right, simultaneously we get close to that ship and transport those bugs with the same order with one thing more... if they are ordered to change frequency one more time, they are ordered to self destruct. Unless you have another idea, but it was the only choice I had in the menu of there program. I don't think they expected us to get so deep in the program of those things.” Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Bridge – OPS Lt. Schafio - 0950) “Captain, they have a sort of positronic brain, heavily plated. They can transmit and receive data, if we could reprogram them we could send them back to them with the same program they are using against us. It might take time, I don't have one nearly intact here. The eye thing, is a mind probe, it seem to seek a particular brain pattern. I would guess that telepaths are particular affected by this. I would need a lab and one or two of those things a bit more intact.” "Soon, Lieutenant, soon. Pull out whatever you want to study and be ready to move quickly." he said. He looked around the bridge, bits of it were blasted to hell, it was far to open to effectively defend if more creatures were going to come. He needed to get to the battle bridge once it was operational. “I will be ready!” Yalta got up, brought all the pieces close to her, to see better what she would need. Yalta took the part of the positronic brain incast inside metal and the outside. It wasn't going to be practical to work on it here and she knew that this was the key with the eye thing. “Computer, replicate a back pack, 1 cubic foot it should contain.” Yalta put everything in just in time to hear the captain say to vacate the bridge. "Alright, everyone." Sevant said, standing up again. "Prepare to vacate the primary bridge." “I'm ready!” She took the phaser rifle and secured it. She could feel the adrenaline rushing through her veins and she loved it. She decided to stick with the Captain, there was safety in numbers. Sevant walked over to the Operations officer, "There will be more of these things closer to a science lab, are you ready?" “I am ready!” She put on the back pack and followed. Yalta didn't have any problem to follow up the group, and aware of her environment she was looking out with the others for the enemy. Yalta kept track to what the captain was saying and the orders given, in her head he wonder how she would open that casing who protected the positronic brain. It's been a while since she had that course in the academy. Yalta just followed and it seem that it was a dream when she was on the right deck and the Captain signaled her that she could come. "Clear." “Great!” Yalta came out of the jefferies tube silently. She followed the Captain crouched and hugging the wall. When they got to the labs, Captain tapped in his own security clearance to open the doors. "Quickly, Lieutenant." he said, still covering the corridor with the door open. Yalta rush inside and taking her back pack off and drop it on the table. The phaser rifle, she took it off and place it on a chair near her. The door closed behind shut behind them, Yalta gave a glance toward the captain, knowing that for now, he was her bodyguard. "You have your labs, Lieutenant, proceed with all speed." he said. “Already starting Sir!” Yalta grab all the tools near, tricorder and everything she could possibly need. She proceeded with a deep scan. Tritanium, 3 microns, she found the tool she needed for it and look for the inside while she was scanning. She didn't want to trip on anything. She knew that the power source was outside, and she might feed it with a tricorder, she continued to explore the device through the scan. ~There, the positronic brain... intact. There the hatch... need the right frequency or we are in trouble... maybe.~ She took the eye thing and proceeded to scan it. They transmitted and scan through it, it was sensitive to the brain patterns of empathic and telepaths. A quick search made her found the right frequency brain pattern. She got up and scan the only empath near her. The Captain. “The brain is in cast inside a tritanium box, 3 microns thick. That will be no problem for me to open, I found the opening, probably for repair they created it. But it seem to be with a particular frequency, considering the behavior of the device I selected a few 100 variables signals. I have eliminated 50 % of them as I am speaking.” Yalta was working on the thing while talking. “I'm cross reference with what I have found so far with are ship scan.... and now up to... 20 variables.” Yalta could sense the Captain looking at her a bit impatient. “I can't rush this... if I do, we might become in more trouble then we are right now. The balance is.... there, that is what I was searching for.” Yalta open the box and could see the circuits. “It is still active and intact.” Yalta brought it back to the table to have better light and also the tools. She didn't know how long she was working on it but reattach the eye, but left it blind. She decided to download the information. Finding the right connection, and hock in up to the tricorder, it downloaded everything quickly. “I'm downloading what ever it has taken and didn't have time to transmit. I'm through with that process.” To her surprise, it ask something of her. “What was the next program? It's asking me this... diagnostic she punch.” the result were breath taking. “Captain, 10 minutes and I will have a solution.” Yalta studied the diagnostic, and because of the damages, it gave her the information without asking. She found the circuits for the reprogramming and also how it worked. She reprogrammed the frequency and reset the set of orders.” “Captain, I have change the frequency of this one easily... I think I can make the others do the same and change their orders. It goes like this. Signal is from the ship that is just out of rang, which for them is a problem because those things can't transmit when the mother ship is far. Which gives us the advantage, they don't know what is going on here. I found there frequency, I can order then to change frequency and those bugs which are our enemies becomes are allies. If we play are cards right, simultaneously we get close to that ship and transport those bugs with the same order with one thing more... if they are ordered to change frequency one more time, they are ordered to self destruct. Unless you have another idea, but it was the only choice I had in the menu of there program. I don't think they expected us to get so deep in the program of those things.” Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca -Engineering Jeffries Tube- Lt jg Trevan West-0952) The plasma radiation was filling the cabin and slowly killing Trevan, he was breathing hard and sweating buckets. Around him was nothing but a sealed door on one end of the enclosed space and at the other, a deadly plasma fire. With no obvious means of escape TRevan started to panic and speak aloud, "Well, transporting is out of the question and I don't have a working tricorder or phaser, so, I guess I will die." Trevan slapped himself in the face, "C'mon Trev, get with the program! You're an engineer, a Starfleet engineer, you can get out of this. Think, what is behind that wall." Trevan thought for a moment and realized that there was an adjoining Jeffries tube right behind him that accessed most of the ship. He looked around and decided he needed something to cut through about a foot of duranium to get to it. Trevan removed the wall panel and it gave way fairly easily and revealed some optic cabling and a EPS power tap that supplied power to the lower decks. "Well, it's either use the EPS power tap and sever power to 2 decks or die sitting here." he thought out loud again. TRevan ripped off a part of his uniform and grabbed the semi-hot power tap and yanked on it until it gave way, shooting great arcs of power around him. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Bridge - CO Sevant - 0955) "Captain, they have a sort of positronic brain, heavily plated. They can transmit and receive data, if we could reprogram them we could send them back to them with the same program they are using against us. It might take time, I don't have one nearly intact here. The eye thing, is a mind probe, it seem to seek a particular brain pattern. I would guess that telepaths are particular affected by this. I would need a lab and one or two of those things a bit more intact to break the program." "Soon, Lieutenant, soon. Pull out whatever you want to study and be ready to move quickly." he said. He looked around the bridge, bits of it were blasted to hell, it was far to open to effectively defend if more creatures were going to come. He needed to get to the battle bridge once it was operational. (reply: ops, if desired.) Sevant found his seat again and folded his hands together, keeping track of the running battles as best he could. After twenty minutes, the call he had finally be waiting for finally came in, =^=Grailik to Sevant. I'm in position. Standing by.=^= "Alright, everyone." Sevant said, standing up again. "Prepare to vacate the primary bridge." (reply: any) "Computer, transfer all command protocols to the Battle Bridge." [done] "You have control, Commander." Sevant said as he pulled his phaser, "We will be working our way there shortly, Ill be escorting Lieutenant Schafio to a science lab. Send a security team in that direction to clear one out." (reply: FO, any) "Alright people," Sevant said, "Everyone to the Battle Bridge, take the Jefferies tubes when possible. Move!" (reply: anyone left on the bridge) Sevant walked over to the Operations officer, "There will be more of these things closer to a science lab, are you ready?" Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Jeffries Tube - ACEO Enaj - 0956) =^=I am going to attempt something from this end, it will take a bit but I think it's the best and safest option. Go back to engineering and hold down the fort. The Boudicca needs you now. That is an order Ensign.=^= "Understood sir." However instead of heading back to engineering Saim connected a panel she had brought to one of the cables and plugged into engineering. "Sir. If you need any intel I have it at my fingertips." Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Deck 18 - ACSO Dr. Kyle Rin - 09:58) Taking quick glances around the corner everyonce and awhile Kyle continued to hatch his plan. He would make a brake for it in the other direction hopefuly not running into any other of those spider things. Taking a seat at the wall just a few feet from the turbolift he had exited so many minutes ago something began to enter his mind. The thoughts rushed in so fast he couldn't make heads or tails of it, of course his mother was betazed but he didn't have that much of the gift. Still he tried his hardest to seperate whatever it was the thoughts began to slow down and make sense focusing with all of his mind Domini began to fiill his head. It seemed like she was in pain but Kyle coudn't quite determine that to it's fullest extent. He was sure that something was happening to her but what he couldn't quite determine that. Without any thought Kyle started to tap his com badge but stopped himself before doing so ~No, that will cause too much noise i might be detected.~ But he wanted to make sure Domini was ok but how would he do something like that without the use of his com badge. Pushing the thoughts outta of his head Kyle began to focus on his telepathic ability he recieved from his mother, indeed she was half betazed and her mother before her was full betazed. ::Kestra...:: he said slowly with all his thought focused he wasn't sure if it was working or not. ::KESTRA:: he spoke louder in his mind.. ::Is Domini ok? Are you ok? What is happening?:: Losing his concentration Kyle pounded his fist into the floor. "Damn, if only i had recieved some kind of training with this gift." he spoke to himself in a low tone. There would be no more time to waste taking to his feet and peaking around the corner one last time, yep it was still there Kyle walked out into the corridor and began in the other direction slowly, keeping his eyes fixed on the spider in front of him. His movement however was stopped turnning around slowly he had ran into another one. He failed to look down the other direction before making his way. Reacting on impulse the spider spun around and spotted Kyle running back to the turbolift section. Taking a quick look in the other direction the spider he tried so hard to avoid was coming at him full charge. Two of these spider things were rushing him looking around in a panic state he tried to spot something that could help. There however was nothing of use maybe he could get both of them to run into themselves, he would have to time this just right taking a solid stance he looked to his left then his right watching as both spiders ready there prod weapons as they charged down on him. ~Got to time this just...~ It was now or never Kyle jumped towards the turbolift landing on the floor he shielded his eyes as there was a large explosion. It worked both spiders had impaled themselves completely there was nothing left but a blackend floor and two heaps of fried metal. Taking to his feet Kyle brushed himself off and then collapsed to the floor, it seemed one of the spiders had struck him in the back. There was a heavy burnning sensation reaching for his com badge he tapped it once but to his avail it was damaged from the fall. ~Only one other way of contacting someone.~ ::KESTRA! Please come to deck 18 i need your help:: Kyle layed motionless trying his hardest to fight the pain and hang on until someone arived. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Jeffries TUbe, Lt jg Trevan West - 1015) Trevan kicked the steaming panel and it shot across the access tunnel and echoed throughout the chamber but he finally succeeded in escaping his radiated tomb. He was badly burned, bleeding from almost every limb and was feeling horrible from the radiation, somehow he needed to get off this deck but he was to weak to move any more. "West to medical team, I am trapped and need medical attention, beam me the hell out of here." Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Bridge - Sevant - 1018) =^=Grailik to Sevant. I'm in position=^= "Stand by to take over immediately," Sevant said as he looked at the bridge. Sighs of battle were showing, luckily the turbolifts had been locked down and nothing could get onto the bridge by any other area of the ship. The craft, however, was proving to be a problem. Sevant brushed a small cut on his arm before moving to stand between the Operations and Conn stations. "Tactical, status." "Shields down to 40%, and Engineering is still besieged so they aren't getting better. Structural breeches in several places, and that new batch of intruders has yet to be put down." Sevant turned his head again, "Status of the enemy ship?" The tactical officer took a few moments, then said, "As far as I can tell, Sir, they have taken a small beating themselves, but the level of damage is purely conjecture." The Vulcan turned back, "I've about had enough of this. Target all weapons," he said quietly before looking down at Conn. "And move us in, full impulse." He put a hand on the back of the Operations seat, "Emergency power to shields," (reply: any) Sevant folded his arms behind his back and waited. The enemy had moved well out of range after dropping their second load of trooper-machines. They hadn't come back for more, but that wasn't conclusive proof that they had been dealt a harsh blow. Sevant rather doubted it, in fact. The Boudicca, a nimble warship herself, sprang forward without any other warning, and within five seconds was within range. "Fire." was his only command. Several seconds later, the alien ship came to frenzied life and swung around. It took off at high-warp, its engines making a dark rainbow against the black Starscape. Sevant frowned deeply, "Report?" Tactical sounded confused, "I didn't hit em that hard!" he said, "Not unless they really were technologically inferior, or they don't deal well with surprise attacks!" He lightly put a hand on Schafio's shoulder, "Keep an eye on them, as long as they remain within sensor range. If they double-back, let me know immediately." (reply: Ops) Sevant turned again and made way for his chair. "Sevant to Security, Status report?" (reply: Security) At lastly, now that they had a few free moments, he tapped his badge once more. "Sevant to transporter room, are you still online?" =^=Yes Sir.=^= "Get the Marines back, now." Stardate:2406.07.03 (SS Backtron, Engineering Section Deck 4, MCO Major Straton, 1020) Eva stood at the front of the firing line, her scatter gun blazing. Around her and the remaining marines, pieces of the alien machines piled up while more clambered toward them relentlessly, fearlessly. They came on the floor, on the ceiling, and the walls, from every possible direction. Some had even cut through the surrounding bulk heads in an attempt to flank them The marines had almost been over run till another full squad had transported over, bolstering their fire power considerable. Eva had tested her theory three times now, and she was convinced the things were targeting her before the others, but not Spider. Therefore she could only conclude that it was because she was betizoid, a telepath, as Spider had little to no telepathic ability. So, Eva was using herself as bait, despite Spiders objections. She was broadcasting telepathically at random, drawing the things toward her where the marines had set up a very efficient firing range. To their credit though, the spiders seemed to be learning quickly and they were trying new ways to get to her at every attempt. They had already tried to break through the firing line from the rear 3 times now. In short, the marines where holding their own, for now. Eva checked her scatter gun and cursed. She was getting low on ammo as where the rest of the marines. They'd been fighting for 40 minuets now, though it seemed like hours. If they didn't get extracted soon, they would be forced to resort to hand-to-hand combat. Eva didn't like their chances of lasting very long if that happened. =/\=Standby for transport.=/\= Eva heard over her comm-set. She grinned as the marines, with out a word, formed up into a circle still firing at the targets around them. "Energize," Eva said, into the comm-channel. Feeling the familiar effects of the transporter a few seconds latter. Stardate:2406.07.03 (Boudicca – Counsellor's Office – COUNS Dr. Domini Alizara & TAC/SC William Bush - 1021) Stroking Domini's hair William smiled. "Counsellor, what happened," Domini seemed confused, her thoughts not working right. "I don't know. Everything is so raw." She said, hugging herself and crying. "I can't keep them out." "Its ok everything will be ok soon, the Captain is ordering the Marines in everything will be sorted soon," Domini shook her head. "You don't understand. It can't be ok" She screamed as another psychic wail ripped through her head, tearing a piece of her away with it. She looked up and saw one of the spider things glaring at her, then realized that the place she was seeing wasn't this office, but was really one of the corridors, and she was trapped in a psi sensitive's mind as the spider lowered the cattle prod to her and touched her arm.... She felt something touch her, and realized it was the security chief. He looked so worried about her. "I'm a Mind-Healer." She said, trying to explain. "And everytime a person dies...a part of me dies too, and I can't take it." She said, tears pouring down her face. William hugged the Counsellor, and brushed her blond curls back away from her face. "Domini we can hurt quite badley but time is a beautiful healer. I will be honest im not up on mind effects but i hope you will be fine. Is there anything i can do?" "I... I don't know." She said, feeling warm and safe for the first time today. "I can't deal with them right now, and I am only a hinderance. I should be on the bridge, helping the Captain...I should..." She shook her head, pulling away from him. "I am a lousy officer." "You are not a lousy officer, you have been through a massive ordeal and no doubt if any one else had suffered your ordel they would be in a worst state. most of my security forces are disabled through engagements, you are a very brave," Domini listened and nodded. "You should get back and go defend us. I... I should stay locked here." She said, knowing it was for the best. She could barely take the screams at a distance. "Is there a way to keep them out?" "Well this will proberly help," William stated placing a phaser rifle into the arms of Domini. "Also im going to security lock out your door and seal it. With the marines hopping around it is proberly best to seal you in, they are over zelous as a rule," Domini looked up at him, scared. "Eva seems very nice and controlled. And I don't look anything like one of those spiders...do i ?" "Of course not dearest, you look the picture of beauty," William stated winking. Domini looked up at him, and her Betazoid instinct took over. She pressed against him and kissed him passionately. Betazoids tended to be very physical and loving and with so much death around her and through her, and so much sadness, all she could do was think about kissing the man who had come to rescue her. William paused after being kissed, his English side kicked in with his full bright red cheeks glowing. Smiling William gave her a hug, " My dear this we will have to go into this another time and thank you. That has cheered me up considerably," William stated grinning as a child. Domini pulled back, looking horrified at what she had done. "I...I'm sorry." She said, getting up and going into her bathroom. "Take me to the bridge, please. I ..." She had an idea and went over to the replicator. She summoned up a headache medicine, and slipped the hypo into her pocket. It was one of the ones that had the side effect of dulling the psychic senses as well. . "I should be on the bridge, with the Captain." "Very good Ma'am," William stated unholstering his personal phaser. "Ready when you are Doctor," She blinked at him, then walked over, picking up the phaser rifle. It felt bulky in her hands, and made her feel like she was even more awkward than usual. "Can I trade you?" She asked, quietly. Will grinned and passed over his personal phaser, checking the power settings William activated the spear battery. "I want to call via sickbay, some of my men are there and i want to check on them. Plus the second officer should be on the bridge," "The second Officer?" Domini asked, confused. "Kestra. How is Kestra handling it ?" "I believe the doctor is a little swamped, however we have the issue that sickbay is still not quite defensible therefore i have to atleast offer the doctor a alternative. The Captain has turned down a bridge detalil so im going to switch it to Medical," William stated. Domini blinked as she was led down the hall. "Did you really mean I was beautiful?" She asked quietly. William did not cease his walking and continued to point his face and phaser rifle forward. Coughing he attempted not to become embarrassed. "You are increadibly beautiful counsellor," William never felt comfortable discussing such matters, he had been a career solider as most of his family had been before him. It was always a uncomfortable thing to talk about feelings. Domini followed him, her phaser pointed forward also. "I never thought I was. My sister was always the pretty one in the family. They always said she got all the creative talent, and beauty, and I got all the telepathic ability. My sister is a performer on Earth, and not very psychic at all, for a Betazoid. And we were both disappointments to our family." "Well dear my family was career military, so if you joined the service every one was happy. However i will never understand how any one as attractive as you could be a disappointment," Domini shook her head. "You are lucky." She said. "Neighter of us ever did what our parents wanted of us..so we were all disappointments to them. My parents were not exactly what I would ever call..normal." She said, as they rounded a corner to see four of the spiders. William cocked the rifle then looked at Domini, "We wont be able to deal with four of them. However they will run us down if we try to run. Therefore you run into sickbay, ill hold them!" Domini looked at him, scared. Then she saw the shimmering thing. "Is that a force field?" She asked. "Yep however it wont last long, now GO!" William stated kneeling on his right knee. Taking aim the creatures sped up their attack on the forcefield. Domini nodded and ran into sickbay. She saw a few of the security people there. "The security chief is under attack, outside. 4 of the spiders." She said in a rush. As the Forcefield began to collapse William aimed down the rifle, as it finally flickard and then disapated. William fired his rifle, the first creature fell down and then stood back up. As the next one began to move towards him he fired again. As shot after shot flew out of his rifle they still kept coming. As they were with in a meter Will shot to his feet and smashed the rifle into the creatures skull. As that one fell down he felt the most excrusiating pain as it moved up his body William looked over to the sickbay. His security was coming, smiling William fell to the ground the pain did'nt feel as bad any more. Domini screeched in pain, a high keening sound that had attracted the attention of most of the sickbay. "He's gone.." She cried, hitting a psychic high from it all. "He's dead. And they are still coming." She shook with the force of his death, which had hit her harder than any of the others on the ship. She felt a pounding go through the door next to her, and she scrambled away from the door, hiding behind the biobeds. "They keep coming.." She whispered. "They are attracted to me...." She thought, thinking of the ones that were following the telepaths around the ship. She had no shields any longer and would burn herself out if she kept going like this. She looked around with more than her physical eyes and didn't see the sickbay, she saw pods of the spiders being destroyed, and more moving towards sickbay. She looked over at Kestra. "How many telepaths are aboard this ship, Kestra!" Domini demanded. "And where are they stationed. I think the spiders are attracted to telepaths...there is an entire pod of them moving this way!" She didn't realize that she was shouting, that she was projecting this loudly enough that Eva might hear it on the Backtron. She was just existing in the moment, and barely at that. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca, Marine Transporter, MCO, Major Straton, 1025) Eva stepped off the transporter resting her scatter gun on her shoulder. She nodded at Sergeant Major Rodriguez, the company's head NCO, a grizzled old war veteran of 40 years. He handed her and Spider a fresh satchel of clips for their scatter guns then fell into step behind them as Eva headed directly for Marine CNC. "Report," Eva said, changing the clip in her weapon, before looking at the tactical display on the situations table. "Not good," Rodriguez said, moving around to the other side of the table, allowing Spider and Eva a clear view. "The damn things are on all decks. We've even had a few fire fight here in the main staging area. We've secured this deck for the time being and I've deployed firing teams here, here, and here incase the bastards decide to come back." Rodriguez pointed out several locations on the ship schematics. "Engineering and sickbay are currently under the heaviest attack. We've recently had reports that the TAC\SC is dead. The ATAC\SC is in main engineering. There are fire fights all over the ship Major. We are doing our best to hold them off but, to be honest it's not going well. The damn things are every where, and they are not acting like normal boarders. They are moving right past crucial ship areas and attacking the crew. We've initiated Borg protocols, but they damn things are fast and they don't give up." Eva nodded as the Sergeant continued his tactical brief, her eyes remained on the display the whole time, a plan forming in her mind. She also noticed the a large number of the spiders where converging on or around main sickbay. ~Kestra and Domini would be there. Good.~ "Alright," Eva said, her mind made up, "I need an 8 man heavy weapons team, that will come with me. Spider, you take the Dealers, Angels and any security or marines squads you find between here and Sickbay and take up position at these locations." She pointed out several different locations around sickbay. I'm gonna draw as many of the things as I can to here." She indicated a corridor junction right in the middle of the 4 points she had told Spider to deploy his men at. Right outside of Sickbay. "When they are all within your radius, and not before, you and your men move to cut them off and we eradicate them. I'm gonna ring the dinner bell big time with 3 of the tastiest little morsels them things have seen in ages. Get the troops reloaded and ready to roll Sergeant." Eva waited till Rodriguez had left before turning to Drizzt. "We have to end this one quickly, Spider. What ever happens, me and my team are expendable. Save this ship and her crew." She paused briefly. "That's an order, Major." Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Marine Transporter - MXO Spider Drizzt - 1025) Spider popped open his helmet the second they were off the Backtron, and took a deep breath of the ships air. IT was all he got, his antenna twitched as sounds of battle echoed through the ship. He frowned as he shut the suit back down and took a pack of energy clips for his weapons. "Report," The MCO said. "Not good," one of the NCO's said as he stood aside and let them look at a Master Situation console. "The damn things are on all decks. We've even had a few fire fight here in the main staging area. We've secured this deck for the time being and I've deployed firing teams here, here, and here incase the bastards decide to come back." Rodriguez pointed out several locations on the ship schematics. Engineering and sickbay are currently under the heaviest attack. We've recently had reports that the TAC\SC is dead. The ATAC\SC is in main engineering. There are fire fights all over the ship Major. We are doing our best to hold them off but, to be honest it's not going well. The damn things are every where, and they are not acting like normal boarders. They are moving right past crucial ship areas and attacking the crew. We've initiated Borg protocols, but they damn things are fast and they don't give up." Spider looked on impassively, he was well acquainted with their tactics. "Alright," the MCO said, "I need an 8 man heavy weapons team, that will come with me. Spider, you take the Dealers, Angels and any security or marines squads you find between here and Sickbay and take up position at these locations." Spider looked over, and nodded. "I'm gonna draw as many of the things as I can to here." She indicated a corridor junction right in the middle of the 4 points she had told Spider to deploy his men at. Right outside of Sickbay. "When they are all within your radius, and not before, you and your men move to cut them off and we eradicate them. I'm gonna ring the dinner bell big time with 3 of the tastiest little morsels them things have seen in ages. Get the troops reloaded and ready to roll Sergeant." The Sergeant nodded and headed off, bellowing orders. Spider shifted his grip on the scatter-gun and looked at her. "We have to end this one quickly, Spider. What ever happens, me and my team are expendable. Save this ship and her crew." She paused briefly. "That's an order, Major." The CCE nodded briefly, there was little else for him to say. That was what the Marines were there for, to bleed. He came to attention briefly, then turned on his heel. "Dealers and Angels, on me." he said into his mic, "And keep alert, the Boudicca crawls." Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudica- Main bridage- ACSO Ens Vegra Gretud-1025) "Alright people," Sevant said, "Everyone to the Battle Bridge, take the Jefferies tubes when possible. Move!" Vegra looked around were was the chief. Every science officer was looking at him. The rest of the crew left. He was left in charge of them. ~Great what do I do. The bridage must have jeffries tubes~ "You two" Said vegra pointing at to unassming crewmembers. "Open the floor jeffries tubes. In the floor" The Crewmembers looked puzzled. "God I thought u went though basic training." Vegra walked over to the floor and ripped up the carpet to reveale a smalll hatch. "Phasors out everyone who knows what down there. On three I will open the door. 1,2.....3" Vegra looked down into a empty void with a ladder. "Everyone down. Except you crewmember. I need zou help locking down the bridage. Hold the bottom 1st junction you come to. Go now.” The one remaing crewmember looked at Vegra look down the rest of the doors and seal them with you phasor.” Within five mintures the job was done and they jumped down the ladder to find the rest of the team holding the postion. “Right everyone we need to find the battle bridage. So lets go.” As soon as they walked into the next tube they saw three of the enemy. ~ they are cyberntic monsters.~ “FIRE.” There was a whirl of red lights. And the three monsters fell. “ Right everyone ok.” There was slience and vegra looked round to see a wounded crewmember. Vegra picked him up and ran the down to the same level as the battle bridge. He walked out and saw about 25 of the cybernetic monsters. Vegra handed the crewmember over to another one and ordered them to the battle bridge. Vegra ran at all of them and began firing. One of them knocked the phasor out of his hand and Vegra carried on fighting hand to hand. Then one of them touched him on the back it was a sense of coldness nothing he had felt before. Then he felt the grip loosen and he looked up to see a Kligon crewmember had a Ba’tok out and had chopped the things head off. “I have never been so pleased to see a crewmember disobeying orders.” “Well I was feeling aggressive.” They both looked up and saw another twenty of them advancing on them they both fought hard then all he saw was blackness and a sharp pain something had hit him from behind. The next thing he knew the captain was staring him in the eyes and slapping him slowly bring him back to reality Vegra looked round and saw the Kligon crewmember on the floor pale as grass obviously dead. Stardate:2406.07.03 (Boudicca - Sick Bay - CMO Lt. Commander Kestra Troi - 1030) Kestra had been caring for the wounded that had come to them. It had not been many as it seemed that the creatures did not leave any alive once they touched someone. The casualties that had come were injured in various other ways, fallen debris, stray shots from friendly fire, etc. She had hoped that more would have survived from the battle but it seemed that if the cochrane won, it would be at great cost in lives. Kestra felt more than heard the force field beginning to collapse and turned around to see Lt. Bush and the counselor near the door as it opened. She saw the counselor finally lunging throw the doorway and the Lt. starting to fire at the creatures outside. There were too many of them for him and Kestra wonder where was his back up, had they already been taken out. She watched and felt the Lt. as he fought bravely and vigorously taking out a good number of them before they could reach him. Then in what seemed like slow motion she saw them overtake him and him falling. All she could do was send him some comfort in his last seconds knowing that it would bring the creatures to her. As she did, she also thought of the force field, "Computer level twelve shield around sickbay now!" she shouted and there was a sudden blue lite appear at the door as it activated. She knew also that there would be time to mourn the dead around the ship, but, this was not the time to do so. "Troi to Sevant we are being over run very soon. We need help here! Also sir Lt. Bush is dead." She said as she tapped her com. (Reply Sevant, any) "Aye sir I will try" she sighed in reply to his command to hold on as it would take a while to get help to her. She hoped the force field would last that long, if not, they were done. She then turned her attention to the raving counselor, grabbing a hypo with sedation, she went to her. "He's gone.. " Domini screeched as if she was in pain which Kestra could feel she was. Kestra knew that the counselor was on the edge of a mental break down. "He's dead. And they are still coming." She then shook like she was shaking the Lt. death off her. They all started to hear the creatures pounding on the walls and door as it had closed. The counselor scrambled away from the door and hid behind the bio beds. Kestra watched as the counselor reacted and knew it would be better to put her out before any damage was done to her. "They keep coming.." She whispered. "They are attracted to me...." "Why are they attacked to you?" Kestra knelt down beside the counselor. Kestra reached into the counselors mind and saw that all her shields were gone. Soon the counselor looked up at her with a question on her face. "How many telepaths are aboard this ship, Kestra!" the counselor demanded. "And where are they stationed. I think the spiders are attracted to telepaths...there is an entire pod of them moving this way!" Kestra knew that the counselor did not know she was shouting her question but what she said had brought one to her. "Counselor, what have you seen that would give you that conclusion? I need facts counselor before I send that to the captain. Tell me!" Kestra was unnerved by what the counselor had said, but, before she told the captain she had to know how the counselor knew that. Stardate:2406.07.03 (Boudicca - Sick Bay - COUNS Dr. Domini Alizara - 1034) "Why are they attracted to you?" Kestra asked. Domini tried to focus on her. "They are following me." She felt Kestra in her mind, and Domini latched onto that, showing her the death of the young Ensign in Engineering, the mind of a psi-sensitive human that she had been trapped in. She showed how they seemed to concentrate on him first, then on the others, though there was so much confusion that it was hard to tell. The entire section was being over-run, but Domini had 'known' that the kid thought they were after him only. "Counselor, what have you seen that would give you that conclusion? I need facts Counselor before I send that to the captain. Tell me!" Kestra demanded of Domini. Domini tried harder to focus on Kestra, and found it more difficult as the spiders were banging at the door of sickbay, demanding to be let in, which no one had any intention of doing. "They came here because I was here. They came to my office because I was there. They surrounded Bush and me because I was there. It's all my fault, Kestra." Domini cried, breaking into hysterical tears. She looked up and caught the gleam of the hypo coming for her. "No, don't." She ordered, slapping the hypo out of Kestra's hands. "If I'm asleep they will still come from me, and how will I defend myself?" She said sounding almost coherent for the first time in since Bush had died. She knew that she was getting lost in the pain of the people around her, but she would rather die than end up like the ones in the quarantine area. "Please, Kestra." Domini pleaded. "Please don't let them get me." She shrank further back into her corner. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Corridor adjacent to Main Sickbay - Major Drizzt - 1036) Spider cursed as he fired two high-power shots right into small mass of the spider-creatures. It had taken two injured squads nearly fifteen minutes to battle their way to Sickbay, and now they were doing little more then consolidate their positions for the bigger show that was to be coming. He looked inward briefly at his HUD, and looked at the locations of his two primary squads, and the four other squads he had picked up en-route. The three security squads he had put further back behind the Marine lines, as fire support, the Marines were armored against the physical portion of the Spider-beasties attack, though nothing appeared to stop a prod-attack. "All Sickbay squads, report status!" he said into the mic. Several voices spoke up, Spider hunched half in a physically destroyed door and consulted the HUD again. Everyone was dealing with stragglers, and every position had enemy attacks and probes to deal with. Spider took aim with his scatter-gun and took a shot at the only Spider within reach, then hefted it back and waited. =/=You in position, Spider?=\= The Andorian turned his head to look down the blasted corridor before answering. "Aye, Major, all men are in position and dealing with small nuisances." There was silence on the other end, then, a most profound silence. According to the plan, she would be telepathically broadcasting, not something he could hear. Within 45 seconds, however, he knew her plan had been put into action. One of the Angels gave a groan and fell over for no reason, a betazoid female, someone he knew to be telepathic. And not many seconds after that, a sudden swarm of spider-beasties started flowing down the corridors. Spider had been told to wait, and wait he would... But he wasn't going to get *himself* slaughtered while the trap closed. He turned his attention down one of the corridors and blasted one of the spiders that was about ready to turn its attention to his troopers rather then the bait. Within a minute, the place was absolutely crawling with the enemy... Enough so that the possibility of being over-whelmed loomed large in Spiders mind. "Major, opening up now." (reply: Stration, if desired) "Open Fire!" Spider bellowed into the mic. The corridors suddenly opened up with bits of orange energy, dozens of phaser beams lanced out with no apparent rhyme or reason. Assuming they could stem the tide of enemy, this plan would work. After that, he didn't have the time for much rational thought. As they had for the last hour, the Marines and Security forces began systematically destroying the invaders. Some of them failed to dodge the prods and fell down mindless, others were sliced to pieces when the Spiders abandoned what appeared to be their primary task and used there metal forelegs to deadly effect. After non to long, the doors to Medical opened and a slew of Doctors emerged. The MXO cursed, looked at the HUD, and barked into his mic, "Rogers, MxLack, get those doctors out of the line of fire!" =/=Sir!=\= The Andorian pulled back into the doorway for a few moments, dropped the current power-pack on his scatter-gun and replaced it with another. He had burned more phaser energy in the last hour and a half in anger then he had in nearly a year, this was turning out to be some mission! He slapped the pack in place and heard the tell-tail whine of the compressor powering up for firing. He clicked his tongue, then leaned forward again to engage the enemy. It wasn't a pretty sight, the Major's team was fully surrounded, his own squads just didn't seem to be able to take out the enemy fast enough, not with them pouring in from all over the ship. "This would be a good time to stop broadcasting, Major." he said with infinite patience into his mic, as he started pegging spiders again. Stardate:2406.07.03 (Boudicca - Sick Bay - CMO Lt. Commander Kestra Troi - 1040) Kestra closed her eyes as she was seeing the death of a young Ensign that Domini was sending to her. The Ensign was in engineering and now she basically knew how Domini knew that the creatures were attacking telepaths first then going after the rest. She now knew why they kept coming to sick bay, she was there and now Domini was there. Kestra felt for Domini as she was feeling the pains of the death throws that a lot of the crew was going through. She had no shielding left to block it out and Kestra could. "They came here because I was here. They came to my office because I was there. They surrounded Bush and me because I was there. It's all my fault, Kestra." Domini cried, breaking into hysterical tears. Kestra wanted to help Domini handle the pain, so, she started to bring the hypo around to inject the sedative. Just as she was about to press it to her neck, Domini looked up and caught the gleam of the hypo coming for her. "No, don't." She ordered, slapping the hypo out of Kestra's hands. "If I'm asleep they will still come from me, and how will I defend myself?" Domini replied sounding almost coherent for the first time in since she came in. "Please, Kestra." Domini pleaded. "Please don't let them get me." She shrank further back into her corner. Kestra looked at her for a few minutes ignoring the pounding by the creatures. She knew that the force field would hold at least for a little while longer. She sat down beside Domini and pulled her into her embrace, "I wont let them get you my Friend." Kestra said to comfort her. She also slowly started to build a shield around Domini's mind, slowly so as not to cause her to fight it, making it feel natural. She wanted to lend some of her strength to Domini until she could get a hold of herself. Kestra watched also as the others of her staff went about their work as she sat there with Domini. Then she heard a different sound, the sound of someone coming through the walls. Kestra then was really scared. "Troi to Sevant, they are coming through the walls, we need help now!" Kestra said a bit too loud into her combadge. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Deck 18 - ACSO Dr. Kyle Rin - 10:40) Hundreds if not millions of thoughts scattered there way though Kyle's head as he continued to lay motionless. A few meters away twisted metal along with blackend walls & floors continued to envelope the corridor. As each wave of pain continued through Kyle's back the further he felt from being found or rescued. He would have to carry himself to sickbay by traveling the shortest distance too long a journey and his strengh would be depleted. Kyle began his journey crawling around the twisted mess of metal that had once been after him. As he entered the corridor he took to his feet and began walking ever-so slowly. ~I've gotta find another turbolift... sickbay...~ Kyle continued down the corridor his eyes scanning back and forth wondering if there would be more spiders along the way. He didn't care if more were to jump out or not he'd fight to the death. At least thats what continued to cycle thru his mind ~I'll kill all of you...~ he was becoming delirious and he knew it. If he didn't arive at sickbay soon there wouldn't be much left for the doctor to treat. Stardate:2406.07.03 (Boudicca - Deck 6, Jefferies Tube - Capt Sevant - 1040) =^=Troi to Sevant, they are coming through the walls, we need help now!=^= Sevant cursed and stopped for a moment, there was nothing he could do, all the help he had in that area was already converging after her first call. "Help is on the way, Doctor, stay calm." He turned to look back at the Ops officer, "We must hurry." he said, unnecessarily. (reply: CMO, Ops, any if desired) Sevant suddenly winced as a mind-call of unbelievable strength filtered through his mind. ::WHOOOYAA!!!! DINNER TIME YA LITTLE BASTARDS!!!! COME AND EAT UP!!!! GOT A SCATTERGUN WITH YOUR NAME ON IT!! WOOOOOYAAAAAAA!!!:: He shook his head, and then winced again as several more strong mind calls started filtering through. He put a steadying hand against the bulkhead and shook his head for a third useless time before slamming his mental shields shut. He had heard the MCO and the CMO at least. ~What are they doing, TRYING to draw the things?~ He put that concern aside for the time being, it would take concentration to field such a strong call, he wasn't going to interrupt it just yet. He was buried in his own work at the moment. It hadn't been an easy climb so far, they were always on the look-out for more of the psi-ders, and they ewer both carrying psi-der parts for scanning in a lab. This was the closest Sevant had come to what he had done as a Security officer in a long time, it almost felt good to be doing it again. He crawled a few dozen more feet, "From here, it's corridor crawling." he said. HE took a breath, then popped the hatch to the main corridor. With phaser forward he looked around, but saw no immediate evidence of any spiders crawling around. He popped a foot out, and pulled himself out with his phaser at the ready. After several seconds he waved the Schafio out, "Clear." (reply: Ops) Sevant's grip tighten on his phaser as she pulled herself out of the Jefferies tube. He had taken them out of the crawl-tubes a few hundred feet from the Secure labs, he didn't want any of these Spiders taking exception to their mechanical brethren being opened, and the security features of the secure labs were just short of fanatical. One or two people could defend them from a horde if need-be, which is what he had intended. Without a word he started moving forward, slightly crouched and near the wall. NRPG: About this time, the psi-ders are being fought down near sickbay. So, the way here is clear. RPG: When the got to the labs, Sevant tapped in his own security clearance to open the doors. "Quickly, Lieutenant." he said, still covering the corridor with the door open. (reply: Schafio, if desired) Once she had gotten inside, he stepped inside the clean-room of the secure labs and shut the outer door. He tapped his security codes into the second door, which would actually let them into the labs, and let the Lieutenant through once it had been opened. He stepped inside behind her and sealed that door as well. "Computer, keep track of internal sensors outside the Secured labs and inform me immediately if any of the boarders are trying to get in." The computer beeped, and that was all he needed. By design, these secure labs were designed to be paranoid, it would take anything a while to burn their way through, and nothing short of a God-like figure would be able to physically break in. "You have your labs, Lieutenant, proceed with all speed." he said. (reply: Schafio) He tapped his badge a moment later, "Sevant to Battle-Bridge, Myself and Lieutenant Schafio have made it to the labs, we ran into no invaders. Status?" (reply: Grailik, any) Sevant took a breath and checked his phaser. At least for the time being, he was going to play security body-guard. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca, Corridor right outside Sickbay, MCO, Major Straton, 1042) Eva and her team, fighting almost all the way, where finally in position. She deployed her team to cover all angels, with her in the middle adding fire support where it was needed most. "You in position, Spider?" Eva asked over the command frequency. (Reply Spider) She knew he had managed to pick up a few more marines and some security personnel. She just hoped he had gotten enough. Receiving the confirmations from Spider that he and his men where in position, Eva put her plan in motion. ::WHOOOYAA!!!! DINNER TIME YA LITTLE BASTARDS!!!! COME AND EAT UP!!!! GOT A SCATTERGUN WITH YOUR NAME ON IT!! WOOOOOYAAAAAAA!!!:: Eva broadcast as powerfully as she could, in as large an area as she could. She knew she give every other tellepath on the ship a splitting headache but it would also draw the attention of the mind sucking spiders. She kept broadcasting as loud as she could, as from every corridor she saw spiders heading in her direction rapidly. Her men opened fire, and so did she still broadcasting. ::KESTRA, DOMINI! BOTH OF YOU BROADCAST AS LOUD AND AS BROAD AS YOU CAN!! I NEED ALL THEM BASTARDS HERE!!:: Outside Sickbay the fire fight intensified, as Eva and her team fired non-stop into the oncoming swarm of spider machines. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca, Sick bay, CMO Lt Commander Kestra Troi, 1050) Kestra had a bit of hope as she closed the channel with Sevant. Help was outside in the corridor trying their best to get to them. "Domini we have help coming, just try to hold on a little longer." She said to Domini over the pounding at the walls. (Reply Domini) Kestra was about to answer her when there was a very loud voice in her head. She heard what was said but it was so loud that her shield for Domini collapsed as she tried to strengthen hers up to no avail. Her head started to hurt to the point that she very nearly started to faint from the pain. She recognized the voice a the MCO and wondered how in the universe she could be so loud even if she was right next to her. ::WHOOOYAA!!!! DINNER TIME YA LITTLE BASTARDS!!!! COME AND EAT UP!!!! GOT A SCATTERGUN WITH YOUR NAME ON IT!! WOOOOOYAAAAAAA!!!:: She looked down at Domini to see if she was still with her, which, to her amazement she was. Then the second broadcast hit her just as hard but she and Domini was ready somewhat for it, but, still could not guard against the strength of it. ::KESTRA, DOMINI! BOTH OF YOU BROADCAST AS LOUD AND AS BROAD AS YOU CAN!! I NEED ALL THEM BASTARDS HERE!!:: Kestra could hear that the pounding at her door and walls had lightened up a bit from the broadcast as if they had something better to go to. And knew that her and Domini had to do what Eva said. Eva had a plan, Kestra thought or else she would not have told them to do that. "Domini, I know it might hurt but we got to broadcast with everything we have, now!" Kestra said hurriedly to her. Then turned inward to her abilities to gain what she could, even she knew that hers would not even come close to Eva's, but, she had to give it all she had. ::WHOOYAA!!!! DINNER TIME!!! COME ONE COME ALL!!! COME GET ME IF YOU THINK YOU CAN!! YAHOOOOOOO!!!!:: She sent as loud as she could and using some of Eva's wording even though it was hurting her head to do so. (Reply Domini) "Oh Shit!" Kestra screamed as she started pulling on Domini, "they have broken through!" She was trying to pull Domini to a stand so she could run and fire at the creatures. Kestra continued to run through everything she could think of to broadcast as she started firing her phaser on the creatures which seemed not to be very effective. It seemed to her that the creatures were rounding them toward the door to sick bay and were leaving the others of her staff alone while stalking her and Domini. Kestra was happy to oblige them as she knew that Eva and her teams should be almost at the door, hopefully. Finally, they reached the door and Kestra hit the keypad to open the doors. Kestra heard the firing that was going on past the doors as it opened and as she quickly glanced past the door, she saw more of the creatures turning toward them. The ones from sick bay started pushing them more so they had no choice but to head out. Kestra saw the Marines that were trying to make their way toward them now. "Domini, follow me and keep firing. We need to connect up with the marines and look there is the MCO with them." Kestra started yelling at her. She was still calling out from her mind but she was getting very very tired trying to keep it up and her headache was threatening to close her down all together. Kestra could see that the marines were utilizing scatter guns which seem to be having a better effect on them. Suddenly Kestra felt two hugh marines in full BDU armour and heavy weapons saddle up next to them. "Follow with us now" one of them said as one started heading back to the may group of marines and the other fell in behind them. The main force was trying their best to help blaze a path for them to follow. As they finally arrived where the group was, she noticed the MCO as she was firing. "Major Straton, thanks for the rescue, I think" she said as she looked around at all the creatures that have them surrounded. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Secured Labs - Capt Sevant - 1050) "The brain is in cast inside a tritanium box, 3 microns thick. That will be no problem for me to open, I found the opening, probably for repair they created it. But it seem to be with a particular frequency, considering the behavior of the device I selected a few 100 variables signals. I have eliminated 50 % of them as I am speaking." Yalta was working on the thing while talking. "I'm cross reference with what I have found so far with are ship scan.... and now up to... 20 variables." Sevant took a breath and crossed his arms as he shifted his eyes from her to the machine. He was a Security Officer by heart, and he had his ire raised. He wanted them destroyed quickly, understanding could come later. She seemed to notice his general attitude. "I can't rush this... if I do, we might become in more trouble then we are right now. The balance is.... there, that is what I was searching for." She fiddled with it for a few moments and said, "It is still active and intact." "I'm downloading what ever it has taken and didn't have time to transmit. I'm through with that process." To her surprise, it ask something of her. "What was the next program? It's asking me this... diagnostic she punch." the result were breath taking. "Captain, 10 minutes and I will have a solution." Time passed, and she said. "Captain, I have change the frequency of this one easily... I think I can make the others do the same and change their orders. It goes like this. Signal is from the ship that is just out of rang, which for them is a problem because those things can't transmit when the mother ship is far. Which gives us the advantage, they don't know what is going on here. I found there frequency, I can order then to change frequency and those bugs which are our enemies becomes are allies. If we play are cards right, simultaneously we get close to that ship and transport those bugs with the same order with one thing more... if they are ordered to change frequency one more time, they are ordered to self destruct. Unless you have another idea, but it was the only choice I had in the menu of there program. I don't think they expected us to get so deep in the program of those things." Sevant grinned evilly. "Get one of these bugs working, Lieutenant, and get ready to upload commands to their ship... Come up with as many possibilities as possible, I don't know yet what we will be able to do once the invasion is over." (reply: Ops) Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca, Sick bay, COUNS Dr. Domini Alizara, 1051) ::WHOOOYAA!!!! DINNER TIME YA LITTLE BASTARDS!!!! COME AND EAT UP!!!! GOT A SCATTERGUN WITH YOUR NAME ON IT!! WOOOOOYAAAAAAA!!!:: "Eva." Domini whispered, drawing strength from Eva's words. ::KESTRA, DOMINI! BOTH OF YOU BROADCAST AS LOUD AND AS BROAD AS YOU CAN!! I NEED ALL THEM BASTARDS HERE!!:: Kestra said something and Domini tried to focus on it, but couldn't understand them. She did however, understand Kestra's shouting. ::WHOOYAA!!!! DINNER TIME!!! COME ONE COME ALL!!! COME GET ME IF YOU THINK YOU CAN!! YAHOOOOOOO!!!!:: Domini lost the physical words as she concentrated as hard as she could on being appetizing. She projected long and hard just a general bunch of yummy emotions, and felt herself being grabbed by Kestra as they ran out of sickbay. There was weapons fire going on all around her, and the spiders were coming at her. She screamed telepathically, freezing, almost in a 'deer in the headlights' look. Then there was a marine between them and the spiders. She collapsed against the bulkhead next to Eva, feeling very comforted that Eva was there. Then her telepathic abilities burnt out and the world went very dark around her. She was still conscious but couldn't sense anything. "Kestra, I can't sense anything." Domini said, the headache making little lights dance in front of her eyes. It was a well-deserved headache, but it was going to be very incapacitating, very soon. She looked up at Eva's very sparkling form and asked, as the other marines were killing spiders all around them, "What happens next?" Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca, Outside Sick bay, CMO Lt. Commander Kestra Troi, 1055) "This would be a good time to stop broadcasting, Major." Kestra vaguely heard someone say and she agreed with that assessment. She was just barely broadcasting, which, probably was not even reaching the MCO or Domini as they were right beside her as she swayed on her feet. "Kestra, I can't sense anything." Domini said, "What happens next?" Domini finished as Kestra watched her look up at the MCO. Kestra could see that Domini was saying something, but, did not hear what it was. All she could do was to look quizzically at her for a few minutes. Kestra's head was pounding and it seemed to be in the rhythm of weapons fire that the marines maintained. She saw the darkness coming in her mind and was starting to welcome the feeling, but, she knew that if she was to pass out at this point, she would be a burden to the marines. Most likely, though, she might become a dinner snack for the creatures along with others that would try to save her and that she could not handle. To stop the feeling, she shut down her abilities which started clearing her mind a bit at a time. Kestra's head still felt as if it were splitting down the middle, but, she was able to keep herself from passing out. She could see that there were friendly fire coming from all directions now as if the marines had planned this as some sort of crossfire situation. It seemed to be working, but, there were so many creatures. "Major, are we going to survive?" Kestra thought she said as she slid down the bulkhead to sit beside Domini, "We need to, so, we can help those that have survived." She finished not sure if what she said made sense to anyone. Why she had said that she could not fathom, then, as the knowledge of what the creatures were doing hit her, she could not stop the tears rolling down her face. She knew that many of her crew members were already as the so called survivors from the Backton. At this point, she could no longer think on what she should do, just watch what was happening around her. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca – Science Lab 1 – OPS Lt. Schafio - 1100) “Captain, I have change the frequency of this one easily... I think I can make the others do the same and change their orders. It goes like this. Signal is from the ship that is just out of rang, which for them is a problem because those things can't transmit when the mother ship is far. Which gives us the advantage, they don't know what is going on here. I found there frequency, I can order then to change frequency and those bugs which are our enemies becomes are allies. If we play are cards right, simultaneously we get close to that ship and transport those bugs with the same order with one thing more... if they are ordered to change frequency one more time, they are ordered to self destruct. Unless you have another idea, but it was the only choice I had in the menu of there program. I don't think they expected us to get so deep in the program of those things.” Yalta return to study the remains of the spider. There was a lot of this spider system that she didn't know about. Then, she didn't know how long, the Captain came quietly and said. "The ship is mostly cleared, I'm going to leave you now. Report immediately if you have a problem." “Understood!” Was the more or less mechanical answer that she gave the captain. Yalta sat more comfortably once the Captain was gone and felt like she could breath but just barely. She try to figure the mind scanning system but eventually she drop that to concentrate on the program system. She did make some head way there. She started to make a few test but obviously something wasn't going right. She kept going, returning it, working it, going back from the diagram she had of those things. She hock up one of those legs and try it again, ordering it to move and this time it worked. Then there was a message from Captain Sevant =/\=All senior Officers able, report to the Bridge Observation Lounge in twenty minutes with status reports.=/\= “I'm on my way... Schafio out!” (USS Boudicca – Bridge observation lounge – 1230) Yalta arrive on the bridge with part of the spider and everything that she use to control it. She hope that she could hock it up to the ship system and hopefully gain control of the spiders inside the ship, but it wasn't sure. She settled everything on a chair and walk up to the Captain. “Lt Schafio here!” (Reply from Sevant) “I manage to gain control mechanically of them but not how that brain scan system work. I know the basic, but after that... the technology is too advance. If we had spiders on board, I'm not even sure if I could control them. They might work on different frequencies.” Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca, Outside Sick bay, MCO, Major Straton, 1110) Eva lowered her scatter gun as the last of the spiders in the immediate area was destroyed. Half her team was dead. Eva her self had several of the sharp metal spider legs lodged in various places on her BDU armor. The things had nearly over whelmed them, by shear numbers, but the marines had prevailed in the end. Eva turned, looking down at Kestra and Domini, who were still sitting on the floor leaning heavily against the wall, seeing that they were still both alive, their minds intact, before turning toward Drizzt. "Spider," she said, kicking herself a path through the heap of blasted spider pieces that surrounded her and what was left of her team, "There is still some fighting in Main Engineering. Send two squads down there to help mop up the last of them things. The rest of the marines are to sweep the ship from top to bottom, if there any of them things hiding on board, find them and destroy them." (Reply Drizzt) Eva slung her scatter gun over her back and went back to help Kestra and Domini to their feet. She helped/carried them back into Sickbay, which had taken heavy damage in the fire fight, found two biobeds that weren't covered in debris and set them each down on one. The four marines remaining in her team spread out, canvassing the room for lurking spiders. With a flick of her eyes, Eva opened a comm-channel "Major Straton to Captain Sevant. Majority of the invaders have been destroyed. Sending mop up teams to Main Engineering and through out the ship looking for any lurkers. Sickbay has taken heavy damage. Commander Troi and Lt. Alizara are both in pretty bad shape. Could use a doctor down here." (Reply Sevant) "You two stay put," Eva said, looking from Kestra to Domini, "You've earned a rest. " Eva unslung her scatter gun and took up a position not far away. Directing the final stages of the battle to secure the ship from the invaders. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Outside Sick bay - Major 'Spider' Drizzt - 1110) "Spider, There is still some fighting in Main Engineering. Send two squads down there to help mop up the last of them things. The rest of the marines are to sweep the ship from top to bottom, if there any of them things hiding on board, find them and destroy them." "Sir," he said by way of reply as he turned. He took half a moment before saying anything, surveying the damnage briefly before surveying what was left of the Marines and Security forces. They had, of coures, taken casualties... There was no such thing as a perfect ambush when dealing in open corridors of a ship. Not that they had a choice, this was their duty, their holy missino to Starfleet. "One-Time-Deal and Angels to Engineering, there is still a concentration of the enemy there. Lieutenant Johab!" =/=Sir?=\= "Organize the remaining Marine and Security forces for a deck-by-deck scrub of the ship, nothing with metal legs is to be left intact." =/=Sir!=\= The Lieutenant, a senior 1st Lieutenant in charge of a Heavy Assault squad, started barking orders for Marines and Security in the immediate area to organize. Spider hefted his scatter-gun and checked its charge, still at 3/4's power. He took a breath and once more looked at the damage around Sickbay, burning it into his memory. This wasn't the worst battle he had been in, but it had been one of the most fierce... Never before had he fought an enemy where it would be death just to be touched by certain parts of its metal body. "Angels and 'Deal, Mount up and to Engineering double time!" Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Main Engineering - Senior Chief Melody Haverstaad - 1114) Melody rested against the panel as someone took her place. She was lightheaded from bloodloss, but there just weren't enough armed security personnel left in Engineering to stop fighting and get help, even after the siege had lightened. Most of the Spider-beasties were gone, but there were enough left coming through the shattered doors of Engineering that they had to constantly be on alert. She looked down at her leg, which had been sliced open by one of the spiders not long after the plasma explosion. A lot of the enemy had been destroyed, but so had a lot of her own forces. The TAC/ASC was still alive and fighting, thankfully, but a lot of other good men and women were laying in unnatural positions with burn-marks. Even more, though, had been pierced by metal, or were laying alive but mindless from that mental-prod the things carried. With a snarl she ripped a piece off a fallen security-officers uniform, and wrapped it around her leg. The pain was excruciating, she just didn't have the time to deal with it. It didn't help that the plasma fire was still burning, though Engineers were working on it now. Main Engineering was incredibly hot, nothing the life-support systems could do could make it cool again... The heat was making her irritable, along with her wounds. She picked up her phaser again and rolled to the side, to avoid putting weight on her leg she was fighting from the ground. She was down to her last power-pack, but it still had nearly a full charge, she was good for now. "There seem to be less of em, Sir." she said over the din of battle, to the Assistant Chief. (reply Skylynx.) Melody briefly wondered how long it had been since they started all this, it felt like they had been fighting for a day. She was about to bellow orders to move forward when every security personnel's badge in engineering rang out, =^=Major Drizzt to Security forces in Engineering, who's highest ranking?=^= Haverstaad let a breath out slowly, then looked over at the TAC/ASC. "Showtime, Sir." (reply: Skylynx) After Skylynx had answered the Marine, a name she recognized as the Marine Exec, only Skylynx's badge beeped. She was close enough, however, to hear what was said. =^=Chief, I've got two squads inbound to help clear you out. What's your status, and how do you want us?" Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Main Engineering - TAC/ASC Ensign R Skylynx -1114) Ryko smiled as yet another spider fell. He winced as a shower of sparks from one of the engineering consoles singed his face and he ducked as an explosion wracked the room. ~Damn plasma fires, it's too hot in here.~ he thought to himself as he wiped his brow while catching his breath behind one of the consoles. He looked at Haverstaad, she was injured. Her leg was profoundly bleeding. He hoisted his rifle, shot a glance over his shoulder and blasted round after round into thin air, hoping it would hit the cold metal of the invaders. He managed to crawl beside Melody as she too fired her weapon at the decreasing sea of spider creatures. "Report," Ryko said as he dropped his rifle again. "There seems to be less of em, Sir," she said over the din of battle. "Good news, chief. Within a week, things'll be back to normal, Ryko joked as he shot another two spider creatures. He looked around. There were carcasses everywhere, like some grotesque sea. He didn't have time to dwell on this thought as his badge chimed. =^=Major Drizzt to Security forces in Engineering, who's highest ranking?=^= Haverstaad let a breath out slowly, then looked over at Ryko. "Showtime, Sir." "Ensign Ryko Skylynx here, what can I do for you, Major?" Ryko asked, breathing quite heavily from his exertions. The Major talked to Haverstaad first. =^=Chief, I've got two squads inbound to help clear you out. What's your status, and how do you want us?" "There's at least fifty..." Ryko started, then shot another alien, "...make that 49 left, major. We need some heavy firepower. Divide your teams into mini-squads, come in in waves. That will give us time to get as many of our remaining people out, withtthe added benefit of taking them off-guard. I would suggest using ballistic settings on your weapons." (Reply Drizzt) "Acknowledged. We'll try and hold out until you arrive," Ryko said. He wiped his brow with his sleeve and looked at Haverstaad. "Let's go make this shit hot," Ryko smiled at the Chief. (Reply Melody, if desired) Ryko stood, set his weapon to rapid-fire and began to fire at the remaining aliens, waiting for the relief to arrive. ~I just hope they get here soon,~ he thought as he continued to rain hell on the invaders. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Jefferies Tube - ACEO Enaj-1114) Having started the gun emplacements shooting at the spiders Saim thought she should probably report in. "Who is in charge in engineering?" (reply Ryko) "This is ACEO Enaj. Could I do anything for you?" Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Secure Science Lab 1 - Capt Sevant - 1115) =^=Major Straton to Captain Sevant. Majority of the invaders have been destroyed. Sending mop up teams to Main Engineering and through out the ship looking for any lurkers. Sickbay has taken heavy damage. Commander Troi and Lt. Alizara are both in pretty bad shape. Could use a doctor down here.=^= ~That explains the mind-call.~ "Round a doctor or two up, Major, most of them would be in your area still." He looked at the Operations Chief, still engaged in testing. "Ill be down shortly for a report." (reply: if desired) Sevant walked over, to the Lieutenant, but stayed far enough away that he wouldn't be a sudden distraction. "The ship is mostly cleared, I'm going to leave you now. Report immediately if you have a problem." (reply: Ops) With that, the Captain exited the double-sealed doors of the secured lab and looked around. So many things became clear now that he knew the Boudicca's forces had been fighting a major action near sickbay. Still, there was cleanup to do, and it wouldn't do to fall into a trap between here and sickbay, even if it was only a deck away. He careful traced his path back to the Jefferies tubes and made his way through them down to sickbay. He wanted answers, and he wanted them bad. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Engineering- TAC/ASC Ensign Skylynx-1116) Ryko glanced over his shoulder and shot another three of the spider invaders. ~Where the hell are these things coming from?~ he thought as he continued firing. His phaser rifle battery went dead just as he was about to fire another shot. "DAMN!" he yelled, throwing the spent weapon to the floor. He ducked behind the console again, and looked around. There was a scatter gun lying in front of him. He grabbed it and set it to maximum. Turning around, he rolled sharply to his left and fired into nowhere. Two mechanical screams told him the manoeuvre had worked. He crouched behind a stansion beam. His badge bleeped. =^=Who is in charge in engineering?=^= came Enaj's voice. "Ensign Skylynx here, and this isn't a good time for small talk," Ryko said, casting a glance around the bend. He spotted a large plasma conduit near the remaining aliens. It was a clear shot. =^=This is ACEO Enaj. Could I do anything for you?=^= Ryko thought. Bush would have hated him for doing what he was about to do if he had been there to see. ~Got to minimize our casualties, but take out as many of those things as humanly possible,~ he thought. Blasting the conduit was out of the question. Then it hit him. There were anti-heat systems directly above the aliens. One shot at the venting gas would vapourise them all, but leave the starfleet officers mostly unharmed. But someone would have to stay on the other side of the safety doors to trigger the blast. Him. "Actually, there is," Ryko said as he swallowed a lump in his throat. "In about...three minutes, I want you to close the blast doors in engineering," Ryko instructed the CEO. (Reply Saim) "No questions, ensign, just do it!" he yelled, as he began bellowing retreat orders to the battered remains of the marines and security officers. Immediately the starfleet personnel began moving to the protection of the ACEO's office. Ryko spotted one person who hadn't retreated. Haverstaad was still leaning against the nearby wall. He approached her. "Can you walk?" Ryko said as he knelt beside her. (Reply Haverstaad) "Good. Take the marines, get behind that blast door," Ryko said as he ducked a shower of sparks. (Reply Haverstaad) "Tell Drizzt to hold position behind the blast door, in case this idea fails. Have a medical team waiting, I'll be coming out with severe plasma burns. nder no circumstances should you come inside, and that is an order, chief," Ryko said as he looked at her. (Reply Haverstaad). "I said, GO!" Ryko said. Haverstaad began to claw her way to cover, as Ryko took hold of the scatter gun again. He fired at the grotesque machines. He thought of his son and all the flights he had taken, wishing that he was in a dogfight instead of inside a ship. ~I had hoped I'd never have to do this,~ he thought as he stared at the remaining horde. He tapped his badge. NRPG: Someone in the marines, either haverstaad or someone else would do well to be monitoring me. It'll help. RPG: "Close the doors, ensign Enaj," Ryko said in one monotone. He looked at the safe crewmembers as the doors closed. He was alone with the invaders. He sighed, looked at the far roof, and took aim. With one squeeze of the trigger, a bolt of energy shot out of his weapon, severing the gas pipe, engulfing all the spiders in the deadly freezing gas. He shot at the head of the pack, and instantly the spiders burst into flames. The air became thick with smoke and fumes. Ryko's vision blurred and he stumbled through main engineering towards the blast door, choking, and collapsed against the hard metal of the foot-thick door. His last blurred sight was the blue luminescence of a transporter beam, taking him to god-knew where. Ryko blinked and scoffed smoke from his lungs, and passed out as sickbay loomed into black. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Jefferies Tube -ACEO Enaj -1116) =^=Who is in charge in engineering?=^= came Enaj's voice. "Ensign Skylynx here, and this isn't a good time for small talk," Ryko said. =^=This is ACEO Enaj. Could I do anything for you?=^= "Actually, there is," Ryko said . "In about...three minutes, I want you to close the blast doors in engineering," Ryko instructed the CEO. "I can do that sir but what are you planning?" "No questions, ensign, just do it!" Ryko yelled. Saim tapped into the controls for the blast doors, an action of moments. "Close the doors, ensign Enaj," Ryko said in one monotone. "Aye," Saim said as she initiated the command. A few minutes later, up in the tubes Saim felt a blast of heat. Looking quickly down at her jacked in monitor to see what was up Saim saw that a roiling ball of heat was only seperated from her be the debris in the tubes. When the heat died down, leaving Saim unhurt she breathed a deep sigh of relief. "Time to get out of here I think," said Saim outloud. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Engineering - Tactical Senior Chief Melody Haverstaad -1116) =^=Chief, I've got two squads inbound to help clear you out. What's your status, and how do you want us?" "There's at least fifty..." Ryko started, then shot another alien, "...make that 49 left, major. We need some heavy firepower. Divide your teams into mini-squads, come in in waves. That will give us time to get as many of our remaining people out, with the added benefit of taking them off-guard. I would suggest using ballistic settings on your weapons." =^=Got it, Ill be moving the bulk of them through the Jefferies Tubes, all main access points into Engineering are heavily damaged. Five minutes, no more.=^= "Acknowledged. We'll try and hold out until you arrive," "Let's go make this shit hot," Melody pulled herself to her feet with a grimace of pain, and nodded. "Help's enroute," she bellowed, "Make it hot, lets blow em a path!" After that, she ignored everything but the mechanical aiming and firing of her weapon. The pain in her leg and side were fierce, and she had lost enough blood to make her dizzy. Whatever else could be said about these mechanical monsters, they certainly had a rough touch. The TAC/ASC bellowed various orders to engineers and security. After a few more minutes someone stepped up beside her, the glint of metal caught her eye and she very nearly wheeled to fire, before she caught sight of the Federation BattleDress Uniform. She blew a breath as the figure knelt and took aim with a scattergun. "Chief," a dry voice said from hidden speakers in the armor, "Two squads are moving into position." "Good," she said. "Cover me for a few." she continued as she turned and put herself against the panel again, out of the direct line of fire. There weren't many of the beasts left, but what ones WERE around were learning and staying out of the open for easy shots, the occasional scream of a crewman filled engineering. She took a breath and looked down at herself, blood soaked through her uniform in three places, though the blood on her side was fairly old after being patched up by the CEO. She wondered, briefly, if the CEO was still alive back behind her somewhere. Melody took a breath and slid down, the Marine was busy taking shots with a scatter-gun at the remaining spiders. She noticed, with heavy irony, that the stencil mark on his arm said 'Spider Drizzt'. That would be the MXO, a spider fighting a psi-der. "Can you walk?" Melody turned her head and looked at the TAC/ASC, who had knelt beside her. She looked down at herself again, "As long as I don't have to walk the entire ship," she said truthfully, "I can make it for a ways though." "Good. Take the marines, get behind that blast door," She frowned and looked over, the door was open again and had been for a while, but what would be the use in sealing themselves even deeper into engineering? She put her rifle-butt down and began to stand up again. "Sir, yes sir." "Tell Drizzt to hold position behind the blast door, in case this idea fails. Have a medical team waiting, I'll be coming out with severe plasma burns. under no circumstances should you come inside, and that is an order, chief," The Marine who was sitting next to them turned slightly, "Drizzt heard you just fine, Chief." was the dry reply. "MXO to all Tactical Forces, withdrawal by squad!" The Andorian's phaser kept firing, giving the retreating Marines and Security forces a measure of cover as they pulled back. "I said, GO!" Melody frowned, then pulled herself fully to her feet with the help of the MXO, who was backing up slowly with one arm slinging the scatter-gun. She launched herself off the Marine and hobbled into the deepest bowls of Main Engineering with others following closely behind. She put herself against a Warpcore monitoring console once they were inside, and barely heard the command for the Blast Door to be closed. "Watch him!" she hissed, to no one in particularly. "The muscle bound oaf is likely to get himself killed!" The Marine pushed a couple security officers away from one of the consoles and typed a few commands into it. She watched him for a few moments, he certainly knew his way around engineering! Then, the memory that he was a Combat Engineer filtered into her brain. ~Of course he would know his way around a console, he *is* an engineer.~ "The idiot," Drizzt hissed himself a few moments later. The Combat Engineer spun on his heel and hit a few buttons, "Computer, initiate emergency shutdown on all coolant systems except the warp-core, reroute emergency coolant into affected areas." [Done] "CE's, on the bounce, get ready for this!" he said loudly as he looked at he monitor. "Any engineers in here that AREN'T about ready to die, ready yourselves for some emergency repairs, our esteemed Assistant Chief just popped a hole in various engineering subsystems." The Marine paused, "Drizzt to Transporter Room, emergency transport on Ensign Skylynx's badge!" Melody looked at the screen while he was barking orders at the Combat Engineers and the Engineers to hustle, she didn't notice anything on the screen. Drizzt yelled "Is there an Engineering Chief around here anywhere?" (reply: Enaj, any) The Security Chief didn't follow much more then that, despite all her willpower, the sheer loss of blood from her leg finally got to her and she slid down the console for the last time, and gently closed her eyes and fell into unconsciousness. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Engineering - ACEO Enaj - 1118) Saim had just crawled out of the jefferies tube into a hive of people. While looking around and brushing the dust off her Saim heard someone yell, "Is there an Engineering Chief around here anywhere?" "What do you need sir?" Saim instantly chirped out. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca, Sick bay, COUNS, Dr. Domini Alizara, 1120) Domini vaguely remembered Eva supporting her into sickbay. She vaguely remembered being placed on the table, and people bustling around her. The ship had taken such heavy damage, and the people.... would there be a Boudicca after all this was over? Would she be transferred somewhere else? She felt a hypo placed against her neck. One of the nurses said something about it being a suppressant, that she had overextended her telepathic abilities and that they needed to heal. She took the nurses hand, and felt nothing. It was strange, she looked around the room and it seemed oddly two dimensional to her, there was none of the richness of life that she was so used to seeing. Domini hopped down off the biobed, and went over to Kestra, to holdher hand. Domini smoothed back the tangles of curls from Kestra's head, and leaned down to whisper in her ear "You didn't tell me that your hair curled when it got wet." She tried to chuckle, but it came out sounding somewhat hoarse. Domini glanced over to see Rin on a table. It wasn't surprising.... he was partially empathic...she guessed that anyone who was mildly empathic or psychic was going to end up here. Domini squeezed Kestra's hand, and moved over to Rin. "Hi, hun." She said, taking his hand and looking down at him with her impossibly dark eyes. "How are you feeling ?" She looked up at the medical chart, displaying his vitals. "How did you break a rib ?" She wondered aloud. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Engineering - Major 'Spider' Drizzt - 1121) "Is there an Engineering Chief around here anywhere?" "What do you need sir?" someone said. Spider turned his gaze, "Get'ur butt down here!" he said, not caring if he was only a peon in Engineering hierarchy, this was an emergency and he was a trained Combat Engineer. "We've got problems!" (reply: Enaj) Spider waited as the Engineer climbed down, keeping his eye on the monitors. He had already cut off all the affected subsystems and had turned up life-support to clear the room, the Marines would be the first through since their BDU's would protect them from anything residual in the area. He didn't look over at the Engineering Chief when he heard the Enaj come up behind him. "Alright, Chief." he said with his eyes still on the monitor, "This is your show, get ready to start directing." he waited a few seconds, "All hands, clear the blast door!" After exact five seconds he slapped the monitor, engaging the door so people could slip through. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Engineering - ACEO Enaj - 1121) "Is there an Engineering Chief around here anywhere?" "What do you need sir?" Saim piped up. A fellow in BDU turned towards Saim, "Get'ur butt down here!" he said, "We've got problems!" "Yes Sir. Is the fight over now?" (reply Spider) "Alright, Chief." the major said with his eyes on a monitor, "This is your show, get ready to start directing." he waited a few seconds, "All hands, clear the blast door!" Saim turned towards the engineering staff. With the CEO nowhere in sight Saim started marchelling the troops. "Alright people," Saim barked out, "If engineering is anything to go by this ship is a great deal of a mess than when we pulled out of dock, which is some feat. I want everyone working on this. One crew should go to every section. The rest can stay here and patch engineering up. First order of the day is to patch up any plasma leaks. Go to it!" Having given the orders Saim felt she should find the CEO to report and consolidate. (reply CEO (sorry I've forgotten your name :-))) After reporting to the CEO Saim got to work herself, making her engineering working again. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Outside Sickbay - Kyle Rin - 11:25) Fighting around a near-by corner Kyle finaly came to a turbolift and charged at it with all his might. The doors slid open and Kyle hunched himself against the wall "Sickbay..". The lift began it's journey towards the planned destination, after a few minutes the doors slid open. Kyle removed his com badge and threw it to the floor as he walked out of the turbolift it would be of no use now since it was damaged from the fall besides the fact he made it to his destination. Rounding the corner towards sickbay he saw a squad of marines cleaning up what seemed like thousands of spiders. The MCO & MXO stood by over-seeing the clean up as fire continued off in the distance, Kestra as well as Domini stood or sat he couldn't tell the diference near-by as well. About this time Kyle felt his weakest but he did make it to sickbay his back continued to burn and his mind was completely if not entirely gone. With his last breath he gazed toward the MCO, MXO, CMO, & the Counselor collapsed onto the floor and said.. "Kyle Rin.... Reporting for treatment....." Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca, Outside Sick bay,CO Captain Sevant & MCO Major Straton, 1125) Eva and her team had taken up position outside Sickbay, giving the remaining medical staff room to work. Wounded and dead where being tended to by the medical staff. Eva and her team had set up a defensive perimeter around sickbay in case more of the spi-ders decided to show up for an easy snack. Eva was sweeping the corridor, looking for enemy targets, her scattergun at the ready, when her tac-corder detected a new contact approaching through one of the jeffries tubes. It was white, meaning friendly, but Eva wasn't taking any chances. These things had shown a knack for adaptation. It was possible, even if remotely, that they had managed to find a way to hack the fried and foe recognition subroutine. The target appeared to be carrying a ship com-badge. Eva motioned for two of her team to take up flanking positions on either side of where the target would exit the tube near Sickbay. She too lifter her scattergun. The target would exit into a very deadly crossfire from 3 different directions. As the target approached the exit point, Eva reached out with her mental senses and brushed the targets mind. She suddenly knew who was behind the panel. She lifted her scattergun and ordered her marines to stand down. She approached the exit point and offered Sevant her hand. "Sir," She said simply. Sevant looked out at the MCO, took her hand and crawled out. "Major," he said quietly as he looked around. The place was a mess, bodies were still laying out in the positions they had fallen, and piles of broken mechanical bodies were everywhere. It was a slaughter, worse for them since the enemy were nothing but Machines. Machines could be rebuilt, lives could not. "Report," he said in an even tone. Eva, rested her scattergun on her shoulder as she motioned her men back to their previous positions. "We've secured this area and have set up a defensive perimeter around sickbay. I've dispatched Major Drizzt with two squads to Main engineering to help clear it of enemies. The remainder of the marine contingent and security forces are scouring the ship looking for any remaining psi-ders. We've taken heavy losses. Preliminary numbers are 43 marines dead. Don't have a number on regular crew yet. The medical department is working on it. Ensign Rin showed up just before you did with some severe injuries. Medical is working on him now." Sevant put his hands behind his back and looked around. "And the story on this scene?" The spiders, psi-ders as she called them, were thicker here then anywhere else he had seen. "And is this," he gestured, "The reason for your earlier mindcall?" "Yes," She said, simply. "I discovered on the Backtron that they were drawn to tellepaths. Upon our return to the Boudicca, I saw that our forces were drawn too thin. We had to re-enforce our lines. Sickbay was already being over run. So, I laid an ambush for the things. Using myself as the main bait, along with the CMO and Counselor. The Counselor had been broadcasting uncontrollably for some time." The Captain considered that for several moments, he wasn't sure he liked having such a major action planned without even his knowledge. He took a breath, "Very well, clear the ship and liaise with Security to prepare the ship for another invasion, if necessary." He looked over, "And, good work." "Yes sir," She said, "We will be going after them, right?" "If my ship can handle it," he temporized. Eva nodded, moving back toward the main entrance to sickbay. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Engineering - Captain Sevant - 1132) Sevant grabbed hold of a lip on the door and swung his legs through the access panel into another section of the Jefferies Tubes. He was but a single man, and though all communications seemed to point to all the invaders being destroyed, he was taking no chances. The crawl through the Jefferies tubes was slow, but it was steady, and he had made his way past several obstructions into the upper Main Engineering section. NRPG: Sadly, Kerry's post is an hour hence, so he will have to be crawling in pain for another hour before anyone can get to him. RPG: He finally swung into the main Engineering section, and popped his head out to a phaser pointed in his direction. "Belay that," he said in an even tone. The phaser immediately disappeared, "Sorry Sir." Sevant waved the man off and stood to his full height. Engineering was a mess, there were biological and metal bodies lying everywhere, in some cases stacked several high at the sites of the most resistance. Sevant took a few moments to look around, watching various members of Engineering running around madly, fixing various systems in a chaotic dance. "Where is Ensign Enaj and Lieutenant West?" A Marine turned, "Enaj is over there, Sir." he said through the dry metallic voice of the BDU as he pointed to the side. "We have lost track of Lieutenant West, we have internal sensors down over various parts of the ship and haven't been able to pick up his comm badge." The Captain frowned slightly, then nodded that he understood. He slowly made his way around the broken bodies of crew and invader, trying hard not to get in any of the Engineers way. Finally, he came up to the ACEO, "Ensign Enaj." he said. "Status?" NRPG: I'm assuming we are pretty broken up here, the last stand of the TAC/ASC saw to that. Ill let you think up some techno babble to say as much ;o) (reply: Enaj, any) The situation was not good, he couldn't go back into battle until this damage was repaired, and with so many people killed it would take days to get back together again. That was going to lead to serious problems, he would have to think it over for a while. "Very well Ensign, keep me informed." (reply: Enaj, any) Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca, Sick bay, COUNS, Dr. Domini Alizara & ACSO Kyle Rin, 1145) "Hi, hun." She said, taking his hand and looking down at him with her impossibly dark eyes. "How are you feeling ?" She looked up at the medical chart, displaying his vitals. "How did you break a rib ?" She wondered aloud. Turnning his head slightly towards the direction of a voice he knew all too well and looking upward. Kyle saw Domini looking down at him with a smile on her face. "Rib?..i broke a rib?" he said as he tried to sit upwards but to his avail sure enough his rib was broken. He must have done more to himself then his injured back. "Are you ok?.. what has been happening?" Domini frowned down at him, then looked up at the nurse, who nodded in indication that she had shot him full of suppressant. "Well, the nurse says that you have been pumped full of telepathic suppressant. Apparently, you, like everyone else, psychic, tended to becoming meals for these spiders. All of the psychic screaming, tended to jump start our abilities, and burn them out." She finished, holding his hand. "Is that why I wasn't able to contact either of you?" Kyle said slowly with a frown on his face. He reached for Domini's hand and continued. "Maybe i'm not ready yet.. I guess your right even if i wanted to use my telepath there would be no way since it was burned out." Letting go of Domini's hand Kyle sighed and took a glance around the room his eyes focused on Kestra across the room. "Is Kestra ok?" He asked looking back deep into Domini's eyes. Domini smiled and took Rin's hand back. "Yes, she's just exhausted, from all the shouting. And we had to help the MCO attract some of the spiders... " She finished, frowning slightly. "Do you hurt ?" She asked, looking at the spikes in the vital readings that indicated pain. "The nurse only told me of the burn I have across my back. At first I thought maybe one of those prod things touched me. I didn't know about my rib." Kyle's eyes began to water deeply as he closed his eyes to cover his emotions. "I do hurt physicaly Domini, but my emotions for Kestra are a pain i've never had before. Please don't tell her what i've told you just now." Kyle opened his eyes and tears rolled down his face. Domini backed up two steps. "You and Kestra?" She said, somewhat horrified. "Yes.. she was there for me when I first arived aboard the Boudicca. I've been afraid to tell her my feelings or open up to anyone since my parents death. Maybe my telepathy is opening that door I wouldn't know for sure I never was able to control it." Kyle wiped his eyes and continued. "But my feelings for her I'm sure of I know that much is true." Domini shook her head in disbelief. "Well, then, I suggest you tell her, Ensign." She said, rather formally. "I'm sure that she will be receptive." Kyle focused his attention back on Kestra and returned his gaze to Domini. "I'll try my best Counselor.. that much i'm sure of. If you wouldn't mind could I see you in private later i've been meaning to ask you for help with my parents death. Until then please stay with Kestra i'll be fine for now." Kyle motioned Domini in close for a small hug as he whispered into her ear. "Thank you." Letting go he waited for any reply she might have before he went back to resting. Domini blinked suddenly. SHe hadn't realized that she had nay feelings for Mr. Rin until he had mentioned that he loved another. And Kestra..... Domini didn't know how Kestra was going to take that one...she had been through so much already. "Kestra is resting, and I guess I should be too." She said with a small grin. "I wanted to make sure I wasn't needed before I did." "Unless you want to comfort me Counselor.. I'd suggest you get some rest too." Kyle said with a smile on his face. Closing his eyes he went back to resting knowing he was safe for now. Domini backed away, a look of hurt on her face. She took herself into the CMO's office and sat down at the desk there, holding her head in her hands. She looked up as one of the nurses entered, almost ordering her to go and rest. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca, Sick bay, CMO, Lt. Commander Kestra Troi, 1150) From some distant corner of her being, Kestra could feel that the battle had turned, at least for now. The pain from using her over use of her ability caused her vision to be swimming inside her head just behind the eyes. She could not focus on any one thing that did not make her head ache even more. Concentration was all but impossible at the present time. On the edges of her nerves, kestra could feel someone helping her up. She held onto her thin consciousness as if it meant her life. She indeed thought that if she lost consciousness, it would be her death. Her mind was switching between her time against the alternate Vanyssa and the current against the creatures. Kestra did not know when she finally started to succumb to the pain in her head, but, she thought she heard someone say something just before she passed out on what she knew was something other than the floor. "You two stay put," was all that Kestra made out before she passed out. Kestra slowly awoke from her pain induced slumber, feeling that someone had squeezed her hand, which, had started her back on the road to consciousness. Her mind slowly began to clear until she found that she could hear no one even ones that were close to her. Suddenly, she could not decide whether or not she was glad that she could not use her ability until she understood that it was only her tightest shield that had closed down. Her shield had closed before and had since opened back up, which, she knew would happen this time, once again. Staring up at the ceiling, she started to recognize that it was Sick bay that she was in and sighed in relief that she was still alive. She raised herself onto one elbow so she could survey what sick bay looked like and how many people where being cared for. She noticed with a sick feeling that there were not that many of the crew there, which meant that more survived than she thought or more were dead. She did see that Ensign Kyle Rin was in a bed not far from hers and she was happy that he had survived so far. It did look as though he had been in a one on one fight with a few of the creatures and at least was still alive. He looked as though it had been a really rough battle, which, she had hoped he had won. She looked around for Domini to see how she faired, but, she did not see her and started to became worried that she might have come to a tragic end. She did notice that Major Straton had taken up a position to make sure that sick bay was safe for the moment. Kestra was happy that the Major had survived and was still functioning in her capacity. She and Kestra had not gotten off on the right footing, but, the Major had not let that stop her from doing her duty. Kestra was glad that the Major had come to their rescue when she did. Feeling better, she stopped a nurse that had wondered by, "Where is the Counselor?" She asked a bit worried at what she might be told. "The counselor awoke a bit ago and walked around talking to various people and the last I saw she walked into your office after talking to the Ensign over there." The nurse said as she indicated Ensign Kyle Rin. "Thank you, you may continue your duties." Kestra said as she dismissed her. Kestra was relieved to hear that Domini was fit enough to leave her bed, which, was probably against the doctors wishes. Kestra slowly started to sit up in bed as she was going to attempt to get out of bed also. After sitting up, she swung her feet over the edge and sat there for a few minutes trying to catch her breath as it had taken a bit of exertion to get that far. It felt that her whole body had been run over by a starship and then wrung out to dry. She could feel every muscle in her body scream as she tried to move. A nurse must have seen her trying to move and came over to give her a shot of stimulant which made her feel a bit better. After a couple more minutes, she felt a bit less stiff and could move a little better. In feeling so, she got up on her feet and made her way over to Ensign Rin's bed to check on him. She looked at his vital signs, which, showed he was good overall, but, he had a burn on his back and a broken rib. She knew that he would recover from those injuries with no problem. Looking up she saw that Kyle was looking at her, "Well Ensign, it looks like your battle with the creatures was successful and you will survive your encounter. How are you feeling otherwise?" She asked smiling down at him. (Reply Rin) "Me? I will be ok, I am a little sore from my encounter with them and my abilities have shut down, which, has done that before. Other than a really bad sense of two dimension, I will survive. But, enough of me. I am here to see to my patients, now tell me if there is anything I can do for you before I head to the others." She answered him and still wanted to know if there was something he needed. Actually, he was the closest thing she had as a friend on the ship other than Sevant. She also wanted to appear strong for her patients to give them all hope. She and Rin talked for a few minutes then she excused herself to go check in on Domini. She walked over to where Domini was laying in bed and looked at her vital signs. All seemed normal to her, but, she also knew that Domini's abilities had to have suffered as hers did. Kestra sat down on the edge of Domini's bed looking at her when she opened her eyes. "Well well Counselor, looks like we have survived so far." Kestra said as she smiled. Her smile dropped as she saw something in Domini's look that was not good, but, she could not tell what it was. She then thought that maybe it was because of all the crew that must be dead. "I know my dear, I know, there are a lot of crew that are probably dead." Kestra said with regrett. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca, Sick bay, ACSO Kyle Rin & CMO, Lt. Commander Kestra Troi, 1150) Looking up she saw that Kyle was looking at her, "Well Ensign, it looks like your battle with the creatures was successful and you will survive your encounter. How are you feeling otherwise?" She asked smiling down at him. "Doctor..." Kyle began with a faint voice as his eyes were still watery from previous tears that he held back. "I'm glad to see that your up and about. Are you going to be ok? You didn't suffer any major injury did you?" He asked sitting up and gazing into Kestra's eyes as he held his chest from the injured rib. "Me? I will be ok, I am a little sore from my encounter with them and my abilities have shut down, which, has done that before. Other than a really bad sense of two dimension, I will survive. But, enough of me. I am here to see to my patients, now tell me if there is anything I can do for you before I head to the others." She answered him and still wanted to know if there was something he needed. Actually, he was the closest thing she had as a friend on the ship other than Sevant. She also wanted to appear strong for her patients to give them all hope. "Anything you can do...." Kyle paused for a second and continued. "Maybe.. maybe i could do something i should have a long time..." Catching himself midsentance and laying back down he shook his head slightly. "Nevermind... if the pain should get any worse i'll let you know." ~I'm sorry Domini I can't do it.. at least not yet.~ He thought to himself as he dried his eyes from tears he continued to fight back. Looking up into her eyes once more he smiled and waited for anything the doctor might have to say. Kestra could see that there was something that was bothering him and without her abilities she could not tell what. Without him telling her what he was talking about, there was nothing much she could do for him. “Ok Ensign, make sure you do. Is there anything else you need from me before I head to the other patients?” Kestra asked thinking that talking to Domini might shed some light on what was bothering Kyle. "No ma'am i'll be fine.." His voice fading as he said it, giving her one last smile and watching her smile back at him he closed his eyes as she turned to go check on the other patients. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Battle Bridge - Captain Sevant - 1202) Sevant walked through the heavily guarded doors of the battle bridge and looked around for a moment. A Marine came to attention, "Captain's on the Bridge." Sevant nodded and walked down the cramped causeway to the command chair, where Commander Grailik still sat. "We have issues, Commander, the Boudicca is bleeding badly." Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca, Battle Bridge, FO, Commander Grailik, 1203) Sevant nodded and walked down the cramped causeway to the command chair, where Commander Grailik still sat. "We have issues, Commander, the Boudicca is bleeding badly." "Yes," Grailik said, standing, he nodded toward the main viewer. A tactical display appeared. "I've moved us away from the Backtron and reengaged the cloak, though I doubt it will be much help against this enemy. We are currently inside a very dense asteroid field that was not too far away from the Backtron. This should force our adversary to slow down before coming into weapons range. Giving us time to react." Grailik typed in a command the viewer switched to from a tactical read out to a technical one. "Warp drive is off line. We still have full impulse and the cloak, though I'm sure there is leakage through the cloak at this point. Weapons and shields are both at 76%. With the last of the boarders destroyed, now we can start to fully asses the damage to the ships sub-systems. Looking like we are gonna need some more time at space dock to patch up after this one, sir." (Reply Sevant) "With the fighting over, and if you don't need me for anything else, I'd like your permission to go help out in sickbay. After the fire fight in engineering there are bound to be many wounded that need medical assistance. I'm sure Commander Troi could use all the help she can get." Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Battle Bridge - Capt Sevant 1203) "We have issues, Commander, the Boudicca is bleeding badly." "Yes," Grailik said, standing, Sevant took his seat as the Main Viewer came into operation. "I've moved us away from the Backtron and reengaged the cloak, though I doubt it will be much help against this enemy. We are currently inside a very dense asteroid field that was not too far away from the Backtron. This should force our adversary to slow down before coming into weapons range. Giving us time to react." Grailik typed in a command the viewer switched to from a tactical read out to a technical one. "Warp drive is off line. We still have full impulse and the cloak, though I'm sure there is leakage through the cloak at this point. Weapons and shields are both at 76%. With the last of the boarders destroyed, now we can start to fully asses the damage to the ships sub-systems. Looking like we are gonna need some more time at space dock to patch up after this one, sir." "Certainly," Sevant said in a mildly angry tone, which told loads about just how angry he really was. "Lt Schafio thinks she can upload remote commands to the ship and whatever is on it, I have her perusing the option. One way or another, we can end this soon." he said, his face a mask. (reply: if desired) "With the fighting over, and if you don't need me for anything else, I'd like your permission to go help out in sickbay. After the fire fight in engineering there are bound to be many wounded that need medical assistance. I'm sure Commander Troi could use all the help she can get." Sevant nodded briefly, "With all due speed, take a security guard with you, just in case there are elements we missed in the cleanup." (reply: Grailik) Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca, Sick bay, COUNS, Dr. Domini Alizara, 1210) "Well well Counselor, looks like we have survived so far." Kestra said as she smiled. Her smile dropped as she saw something in Domini's look that was not good, but, she could not tell what it was. She then thought that maybe it was because of all the crew that must be dead. "I know my dear, I know, there are a lot of crew that are probably dead." Kestra said with regrett. Domini sighed. "Too many that will need my mind-healing abilities in the weeks and months to come." She shook her head. "So many of them dead, and some of them dead because of me," She said, thinking about the security officer and his sacrifice to save her. "And not a good first tour of the newly refitted Boudicca." Domini looked over at Rin. "What's going on between the two of you ?" She asked, not being very subtle. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca, Sick bay, CMO Lt. Commander Kestra Troi, 1215) "Too many that will need my mind-healing abilities in the weeks and months to come." Domini returned sighing as she shook her head. "So many of them dead, and some of them dead because of me," Kestra listened to her with shared feelings as Domini continued, "And not a good first tour of the newly refitted Boudicca." Even though Kestra could not use her abilities, she could feel the intensity of what Domini said. Kestra reached over to Domini and pushed the hair that had fallen into her face. "Of course it is not your fault." Kestra was not far from feeling the same as Domini, but, she knew that she could not fall for that. Too many people needed their help, they could not fall into self-recriminations. "Dom, I can fix their bodies, but, you can do something I can not, you can heal the mind." Kestra said as she looked intently into Domini's eyes. "We have to work together to get through this and we can pull on each others strength." Kestra could see that Domini was thinking of what she had said. Then she looked over at Rin and straightforwardly asked, "What's going on between the two of you ?" Kestra was stunned at what Domini had said. At first Kestra could not think of what to say and just sat there staring at Domini. She had never thought about what went between her and Kyle since they met on Starbase Geneva. Now she had to reflect back at what went down between them and really could not see anything out of the ordinary. "Dom, I really don't know what you mean, why do you ask a question like that?" Kestra honestly asked wanting to know what caused her to ask such a thing. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Sick bay - ACSO Kyle Rin - 1215) The dreams were so real as if by touch or thought. Kyle took to his feet and started to look around everything was wasteland sand and mountains as far as he could see. He brushed himself off a few times and noticed he wasn't in sickbay anymore. "Hello... Kestra?...Domini?..." His voice echoed back towards him letting him hear only what was said. "Where am i?" Kyle felt someone grab his arm he flung whoever his attacker was away and spun around only to see his mother face to face with him. "Mom?.. is it really?..." The image focused it's attention onto Kyle and began to speak. "NO!" Jumping from the ground onto a near-by rockface the image spoke again. "You, must seek her out and ask for help. I can not help you anymore then i have boy." Finaly the image pulled out what seemed like a knife and leaped for Kyle with it held towards his chest. Springing up from the bio-bed Kyle rose to his feet and yelled at the top of his lungs. "MOTHER!!!!!" Kyle collapsed onto the floor and began to fall into a deep coma-type state as nurses ran over to him. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca, Sick bay, COUNS Dr. Domini Alizara, 1218) "Of course it is not your fault." Kestra spoke. Domini looked at her friend, somewhat angry. Of course it was her fault, hadn't the marine commander said that her projection was what brought the things here ? "Dom, I can fix their bodies, but, you can do something I can not, you can heal the mind." Kestra said as she looked intently into Domini's eyes. "We have to work together to get through this and we can pull on each others strength." "No, Kestra, you are wrong. It is my fault. Eva said so. My projection brought the things to me. Some mind-healer I am, if I can't maintain control of my abilities in an emergency situation. I've been tested on Betazed, in the mad-houses... and I could there. We have an empath there that is so sensitive that we train with, that any kind of projection, any leaking outside our shields is enough to send that poor person into a mask of whatever the emotion is. Then we are put with that person, under stress.... directed stress, not this mindless stress...and I passed it...passed it all with flying colors. But here ? Here I failed in the first few minutes of the attacks." (reply) "What's going on between the two of you ?" Domini watched the play of emotions so transparently cross Kestra's face, settling on denial. "Dom, I really don't know what you mean, why do you ask a question like that?" Kestra honestly asked wanting to know what caused her to ask such a thing. Domini shook her head. "My friends on Earth called me Dee." She said simply. "Dom sounds...i don't know..strange." She settled for strange being a good enough word to describe how she felt. Then Domini settled into the question. "Let us just say that I have it on good faith that the boy is interested in you. The question, however, remains, what are you going to do about it ?" And then Domini grinned for the first time in a while. It was amusing to her that they were in the middle of crises situation, and she felt comfortable enough with this person to ask such a question. ~Testament to the insanity of Betazoids~ She concluded, mostly to herself. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca, Sick bay, CMO Lt.Kestra Troi, 1220) "No, Kestra, you are wrong. It is my fault. Eva said so. My projection brought the things to me. Some mind-healer I am, if I can't maintain control of my abilities in an emergency situation. I've been tested on Betazed, in the mad-houses... and I could there. We have an empath there that is so sensitive that we train with, that any kind of projection, any leaking outside our shields is enough to send that poor person into a mask of whatever the emotion is. Then we are put with that person, under stress.... directed stress, not this mindless stress...and I passed it...passed it all with flying colors. But here ? Here I failed in the first few minutes of the attacks." "For one thing.... Don't worry about what the Major said in the heat of battle. She could have meant that in a variety of ways and not necessarily in a negative connotation." She knew that from her time on the Nimitz that being a counselor or even a betazoid in a controlled situation and a full fledged starship is totally different. "Also, there is a big difference between that controlled situation and being on a warship in the midst of a battle. Believe me I know, I have been on the Nimitz during many battles. I was also an acting Captain during one where we lost a lot of lives and I had to make a decision as to whether or not to withdraw. Nothing can really prepare you for the uncertainty of battle or the horrors of it. You did, we all did what we had to do when it was needed." (Repy Dee, any) "My friends on Earth called me Dee." She said simply shaking her head. "Dom sounds...i don't know..strange." Dee paused as if pondering over the word strange. Then she seemed to put it aside to return to what Kestra had asked her. Kestra was not so sure she really wanted to hear why Dee had asked what she did. "Let us just say that I have it on good faith that the boy is interested in you. The question, however, remains, what are you going to do about it ?" After Dee had said that she grinned as if catching Kestra off guard was funny. Kestra sat there in total silence trying to figure out why she had not caught on how he had felt about her. Maybe it had been that she wanted to keep from reading anyone since her time on the Nimitz, but, then after her talk with Commander Grailik, she opened up or she thought she had. Even after that, she had not totally opened herself up unless she had to. "I don't know, what should I do about it?" Kestra asked Dee as she was at a total loss at the moment. She had not been looking for a relationship since the death of Sky and what happened because of that. Then she started to get close to Sash, but, that had happened as she was leaving the nimitz. Now this! She was just not prepared to answer what she was going to do about it. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca, Sick bay, COUNS Dr. Domini Alizara, 1220) "For one thing.... Don't worry about what the Major said in the heat of battle. She could have meant that in a variety of ways and not necessarily in a negative connotation. Also, there is a big difference between that controlled situation and being on a warship in the midst of a battle. Believe me I know, I have been on the Nimitz during many battles. I was also an acting Captain during one where we lost a lot of lives and I had to make a decision as to whether or not to withdraw. Nothing can really prepare you for the uncertainty of battle or the horrors of it. You did, we all did what we had to do when it was needed." Domini sighed. "Running away to hide was the right thing to do ? Nearly losing my mind ?" Domini realized that she was severely depressed. Things just didn't feel right. The conversation continued. "I don't know, what should I do about it?" Kestra asked Domini. "Maybe talk to him ?" She asked, holding her head in her hands. The brief bout of hilarity had passed, and now she was running on empty. The adrenaline was gone, the stimulants had worn off, and she realized she was hungry. No, not just hungry. Starving, in fact. (reply Kestra?) A few minutes later, Domini got up, picking her way across the sickbay to the food replicator. "Computer, I want something sharp, like cheese. But in soup form. With some of those little green trees that they make on Earth." =^= Please restate your selection =^= "Computer, one order of brocolli and cheddar cheese soup." A voice behind her said. Domini turned around to see a human standing there, a blood soaked, make-shift bandage on his arm. He was wearing a yellow uniform, and that meant multiple departments. "Thank you." She said as the food appeared. Domini picked up the tray of soup, made her way back across sickbay and perched on one of the bio beds, sipping the soup. It was very very good, and did little to counteract the fact that she was starving, but it did begin to warm parts of her that were very very cold inside. After she finished the soup, she began to help in the sickbay. It gave her some purpose other than sitting around moping. She ended up right back at the person who had helped her order the soup. "I'm sorry." She said with a grin. "I don't know who you are, but that was wonderful soup." Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca, Floor of Deck 15, Lt jg Trevan West, 1225) Trevan had managed to make it this far but was unable to make it any further. With a trail of blood on the walls and floors, he was sure someone should have found him by now. Perhaps they are all dead, he thought to himself. "Now there is something grim to think about. If I am the only one left alive, I can pass the time by talking to myself and stepping over dead bodies until we get back to dock in a few decades." Trevan tried his comm badge one more time in a last ditch effort to get help, "West to any personnel. I am in need of major assistance, I am somewhere on deck 15 I believe and I am about to pass out. Please, help." With that Trevan slumped to the floor against the wall, bleeding to death. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Battle Bridge - Captain Sevant - 1226) =^=West to any personnel. I am in need of major assistance, I am somewhere on deck 15 I believe and I am about to pass out. Please, help.=^= Sevant's head shot over to his bridge monitor, deck 15 was dark, it's sensors had been cut somewhere in the battle for Engineering. He tapped a button on his chair, "Bridge to Transporter room, lock onto Lieutenant West's badge signal and beam him directly to sickbay." (reply: any, if desired) He sighed as confirmation was sent and slumped back into the chair. It had been not quite an hour, but no new enemies had been sighted on the ship, and the enemy vessel hadn't come back into range. "Maintain Red Alert, battle stations." he intoned, "All senior Officers able, report to the Bridge Observation Lounge in twenty minutes with status reports." Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Bridge observation lounge - 1228) Sevant sat in a seat and looked at the status report. He had left command on the battle-bridge, there was damage to consoles on the primary which required repair before it could be fully used again. After a couple minutes the door opened. "Lt Schafio here!" Sevant looked up at the Operations officer, and nodded sharply. "I manage to gain control mechanically of them but not how that brain scan system work. I know the basic, but after that... the technology is too advance. If we had spiders on board, I'm not even sure if I could control them. They might work on different frequencies." "Can you implant commands into their network?" he asked, "Can we destroy them en-masse?" Stardate:2406.07.03 (Boudicca - Battle Bridge - Sevant - 1228) =^=Kyle to Sevant... Sir I know this goes against Starfleet regulations and I'm probably braking millions of rules and laws. But you can take your meeting and shove it down your throat. I'm going to take a much needed rest in holodeck 1 if you want my station report meet me there. Rin Out=^= Sevant's jaw worked, though his first response was not the one he used. Rather, he tapped his badge and calmly said., "Sevant to Security, pick up Doctor Kyle and place him in the brig for insubordination. Ill find him there later." (reply: Security, or anyone wanting to play the guard that takes Rin to the brig) Stardate:2406.07.03 (Boudicca - Sickbay - TAC/ASC Ensign Ryko Skylynx - 1228) Ryko groaned as he regained consciousness, he knew he was in sickbay, but it may as well have been a hole in the ground for all he cared, his head was still spinning. He felt a hand push him back to the biobed, and lay there until his eyes focused. A medical orderly swam into view. "How are you feeling, ensign?" the orderly inquired. Ryko rubbed his forehead. The burning feeling was gone, thanks to a dermal regenerator. "Like I've been shot," Ryko said, smiling, but still keeping his eyes closed. He looked at the orderly, who injected him with a hypospray. "This should clear up the pain," the orderly said as Ryko sat up. He did feel markedly better. He looked around sickbay and noticed someone in a security uniform coming towards him. He tidied his hair back into its familiar lock as the man approached. "Ensign Skylynx, I am ensign (jg) Frederickson, recently assigned to the Boudicca." He handed Ryko a padd. "How can I help?" Ryko still wasn't fully alert and near missed this question. "I see we share a few passions," Ryko said as he read Frederickson' s profile. "Weapons, and flying," Ryko said. He looked at the ensign. "Out of curiosity, ensign, what is your Starfleet marksmanship rating?" (Reply Fredrickson) "I see," Ryko said, "It appears we've got the same skills," Ryko said as he stood up. "We'll have to have a game of Velocity at some point," he said as he dusted himself off. The medical staff had been kind enough to replicate a fresh uniform. "Well, as to helping out, you may know we're fighting some sort of alien idiots," Ryko said, restraining his use of language. "Mop up is the basic outlook now, but since you now a thing or two about weapons, you can accompany me to the armory, we need to reprogram our phasers so they'll be more effective." (Reply Fredrickson) Ryko headed towards the door, when his badge chimed. "Sevant to security, please escort Dr. Rin to the brig for insubordination. I will meet him there." Ryko smiled amusedly at this prospect, considering he was standing right behind the doctor as he left sickbay. He looked at Fredrickson. "You heard the captain," he said, and the two promptly arrested Dr Rin. Ryko tapped his badge. "Skylynx to Sevant, Dr Rin is in custody," he said. He had a firm hold of the doctor's arm, as did John. (Reply Sevant) "Just fine, sir. I will be there in a few moments, once myself and ensign Fredrickson have detained the doctor." (Reply Sevant) "Acknowledged," Ryko said. He turned to his new co-worker. "Let's take the good doctor on a relaxing little walk, shall we?" Ryko said, evidently amused by the situation Rin had gotten himself into. He saw John smile. He was obviously enjoying his new post. Ryko failed to stifle a small laugh as the party headed to the brig. Stardate:2406.07.03 (Boudicca - Sickbay - TAC/ASC Ensign John Fredericks - 1228) "Ensign Skylynx, I am ensign (jg) Frederickson, recently assigned to the Boudicca." He handed Ryko a padd. "How can I help?" Ryko still wasn't fully alert and near missed this question. "I see we share a few passions," Ryko said as he read Frederickson' s profile. "Weapons, and flying," Ryko said. He looked at the ensign. "Out of curiosity, ensign, what is your Starfleet marksmanship rating?" “I have a sharpshooters rating in both rifle and pistle with averages in the upper 90%” said John “I would rather be on the range than anywhere else other the flying” While talking to Skylynx, John was checking him out with a professional curiosity. He looked like death warmed over but was still going . "I see," Ryko said, "It appears we've got the same skills," Ryko said as he stood up. "We'll have to have a game of Velocity at some point," he said as he dusted himself off. The medical staff had been kind enough to replicate a fresh uniform. "Well, as to helping out, you may know we're fighting some sort of alien idiots," Ryko said, restraining his use of language. "Mop up is the basic outlook now, but since you now a thing or two about weapons, you can accompany me to the armory, we need to reprogram our phasers so they'll be more effective." “Velocity sounds like fun” replied John. “I haven’t played in a while”. What can you tell me about the alien borders, I have seen the results but have not been briefed on them as of yet. Maybe you can fill me in on the way to the armory. (reply Skylynx) Ryko headed towards the door, when his badge chimed. "Sevant to security, please escort Dr. Rin to the brig for insubordination. I will meet him there." Ryko smiled amusedly at this prospect, considering he was standing right behind the doctor as he left sickbay. He looked at Fredrickson. "You heard the captain," he said, and the two promptly arrested Dr Rin. Ryko tapped his badge. "Skylynx to Sevant, Dr Rin is in custody," he said. He had a firm hold of the doctor's arm, as did John. I will be there in a few moments, once myself and ensign Fredrickson have detained the doctor." He turned to his new co-worker. "Let's take the good doctor on a relaxing little walk, shall we?" Ryko said, evidently amused by the situation Rin had gotten himself into. He saw John smile. He was obviously enjoying his new post. Ryko failed to stifle a small laugh as the party headed to the brig. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Bridge observation lounge - COUNS Dr. Domini Alizara - 1229) Domini managed to slink into the meeting after Yalta and the others, taking a place in the back of the room. She folded her hands in front of her, looking down at them. She felt rather guilty over the Security Chief's death, it had been to protect her. Domini knew, at least part of her knew, that this man had wanted to die. It was the only reason that he had taken them on. But still, it hurt her, a lot, to know that she had been the cause of his death. She had lost control over her abilities, and that meant that people had gotten hurt and killed. Not only had she lost control over abilities, completely, but she had been worse than useless, caught in the pain of others, and reprojecting it out. She knew, now, intimately how these things destroyed those it ate. She didn't know if she could heal any of them. She would certainly try, and keep trying. ~It won't do any good, though~ She thought to herself, giving in to the black depression that had been haunting her all day. She hadn't slept in days, and even though she had eaten recently, the food just left a sour spot in her stomach. ~There are times that I hate my life.~ She thought, looking out the observation lounge's window. "Can you implant commands into their network?" he asked, "Can we destroy them en-masse?" The Captain asked the Ops officer. Domini shook her head, this wasn't the borg, it was more sophisticated than that. And it would be back, very soon, to finish it's meal. With the amount of damage, both externally, internally and in personel that the Boudicca had suffered.... the pessimistic side that was inhabiting Domini didn't really give them much of a chance. She continued listening to the meeting, wondering when Eva would speak up. She was a brilliant tactician, and with the lack of a Security Chief at the moment, she was all they got. Stardate:2406.07.03 (Boudicca - Battle Bridge - Sevant - 1229) "Sevant to Security, pick up Doctor Kyle and place him in the brig for insubordination. Ill find him there later." Several seconds passed, then, =^=Skylynx to Sevant, Dr Rin is in custody,=^= The Captain paused for a few moments, "Very well." he thought for a few more seconds, "Are you healed enough to attend the meeting?" =^=Just fine, sir. I will be there in a few moments, once myself and ensign Fredrickson have detained the doctor.=^= "Very well, keep me informed." =^=Acknowledged,=^= Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca – Bridge observation lounge – OPS Lt. Schafio - 1230) "I manage to gain control mechanically of them but not how that brain scan system work. I know the basic, but after that... the technology is too advance. If we had spiders on board, I'm not even sure if I could control them. They might work on different frequencies." "Can you implant commands into their network?" he asked, "Can we destroy them en-masse?" “I don't know, they are heavily shielded in that tritanium casing. I can make an adaptive program, to change frequencies quickly if the one I have doesn't work. It's not a 100% plan... let just say fifty, fifty. I put a simple plan to have them freeze up, we will quickly know if it works. Considering that they are attracted by empaths, was there any weird reaction from them in certain members of the crew? I was thinking of Ferengies... no telepaths can read them. How did they react to them.” Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Bridge observation lounge - Capt Sevant - 1232) "Can you implant commands into their network?" he asked, "Can we destroy them en-masse?" "I don't know, they are heavily shielded in that tritanium casing. I can make an adaptive program, to change frequencies quickly if the one I have doesn't work. It's not a 100% plan... let just say fifty, fifty. I put a simple plan to have them freeze up, we will quickly know if it works. Considering that they are attracted by empaths, was there any weird reaction from them in certain members of the crew? I was thinking of Ferengies... no telepaths can read them. How did they react to them." Sevant frowned, "They responded well enough to non-telepaths as well, they seemed to like draining anyone they could... Like food." He mused for a few seconds, "We will have to study that, but get to work on implanting commands." (reply: Ops) NRPG: Anyone who wants to go before the Doc can do so here. RPG: After several minutes, the CMO finally spoke up. "Sir, I have set up my staff into two crews, one in sickbay and one as a mobile team. Sick bay and triage center are over full, but my staff are hand ling it the best they can. My mobile team has had to set up an alternate sick bay in the cargo bay two, deck twenty and they are almost where they may have to flow over to cargo bay three on deck twenty one." She paused as she was about to give the grime facts and she wished it was someone else not her. "Sir, right now we have seventy five crew dead and nearly fifty wounded. These numbers are continuing to rise as we speak, but, they are slowing down. What disturbs me the most are the numbers that have accompanied the backtron members in cargo bay one on deck 20 that are mindless. These are the ones that had any connection to telepathic abilities which the creatures had zeroed in on. There are only a few crew left that are telepathically able and that includes the Betaziods onboard." She looked around the room as she finished and saw what she felt in every face that looked back at her. "Sir, I would guess that we are hurting in crew members just as bad as the ship itself is hurt." Immediately, the CEO said, "And the ship is in a very bad state. I have teams all over the ship. The worst hit seems to be engineering. There is a lot of damage in sickbay but that is mostly structural and a luxury for later. I have my people round the clock but I will need some time to get this ship back together. Also I have wondered whether there is any information about CEO West. He seems to have disappeared." Sevant, his face now set habitually in a frown, leaned forward. "West is in Sickbay, you can seek him there later." He looked over at the CMO, "What you both are telling me, in short" he said as he turned his gaze to the ACEO, "Is that I would be foolish to send the ship into combat again?" (reply: any) Sevant didn't like that, it meant they only had two choices as he saw things. He held up a hand and closed his eyes in thought, "Alright, get to work on Engineering and do whatever you can to our battle systems, I want to know where we stand in two hours and if anything has changed." He looked at Ops, "You have those two hours to work, working through their network would mean we don't have to go into combat again regardless." He looked over at the CMO, "Let me know when you have the injured crew stabilized, I'm afraid our priority will be those that still have their minds with them, those that became zombies are on the back burner for now. Ill have you work with Science and Ops and these robots once we've gotten over the worst of this, to see if there is a way to revive them, or if they are lost forever." (reply: CMO) Sevant took a breath as he looked around, "Anyone else?" (reply: any) Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca – Battle Bridge – OPS Lt. Schafio - 1233) “I don't know, they are heavily shielded in that tritanium casing. I can make an adaptive program, to change frequencies quickly if the one I have doesn't work. It's not a 100% plan... let just say fifty, fifty. I put a simple plan to have them freeze up, we will quickly know if it works. Considering that they are attracted by empaths, was there any weird reaction from them in certain members of the crew? I was thinking of Ferengies... no telepaths can read them. How did they react to them.” Sevant frowned, "They responded well enough to non-telepaths as well, they seemed to like draining anyone they could... Like food." He mused for a few seconds, "We will have to study that, but get to work on implanting commands." “I will continue to tweak at it... I got lucky on some part but this might take months to figure out... I will do my best.” has she return to her seat and unloaded her equipment and the spiders parts. Yalta was working quietly, she pull out the panel underneath her console to work on the systems. She didn't want to turn it upside down inside out but she might have to do that, and wasn't sure of the end result, Yalta could only test it on the spider that she partly put together. She didn't watch time, just work, then the captain came with a bit of news. "You have those two hours to work, working through their network would mean we don't have to go into combat again regardless." He kept going talking to the CMO. When the Captain gave the possibility to talk or add something Yalta said. “Great Sir!” ~How about 2 yrs... I'm not sure that I'm moving forward. “I made a few connection through out the ship but there are parts of the ship I can't get through from here. Engineering, medical and marine... they must have cut a few systems has they work their way through. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca, Sick bay, CMO Lt. Commander Kestra Troi, 1235) "Maybe talk to him ?" Domini had asked, as she held her head in her hands. The conversation had come to a point where Kestra could see several things that need to be done. The most important one was that Domini needed more rest, there were injured that needed tending and wounded that needed help getting to sick bay, then there was the problem with Ensign Rin that needed to be tended. "I guess I should before it gets too far, but, I need to take care of a few things first." Kestra replied sighing. "Anyways you need to lie back and rest a bit more to gain your strength, thanks." Kestra then moved over to where she saw Lieutenant Butan, as all of her staff from each shift had arrived. "Ensign Aldrin, you take your crew and part of Lt. Butan's and go out over the ship helping the injured. Take care of what you can and send the rest to us. Also, stop by Major Straton to get a couple of her marines to accompany you." Kestra instructed the capable Ensign. "Aye Sir" was Ensign Aldrin's only response as he immediately gathered the personnel he needed to accomplish his task. The mobile team consisted of Ensign Aldrin MO, Ensigns Rayles, Eren, crewman Chell, nurses, Ensign Dltor, MT, Ensigns Baeril, McCoy, and Arlin, Orderlies. Kestra then started making her rounds to the patients that she had already making sure they were being tended. The staff that stayed to help her included, Lt. Butan, MO, Lt. Fala, Ensigns DeSoto and Rix,nurses, Ensigns Luvana and Mcdonald, MTs, and Ensigns Wu, Belar, Dra, Orderlies. Kestra also noticed that Domini had gotten up and was doing what she could to help a crewmember that she thought was Ensign Skylynx, the TAC/ASC. Kestra could not fathom how Domini was managing it in her state, but, she was. She made a mental note to mention that when it was time to report to the captain. As more crewmembers where arriving, her staff made initial assessments then placed them in the area most needed to be seen. She watched as her team was the epitome of efficiency and she decided that she had a few moments to devote to another matter. "Ensign Rin, I have been talking to the Counselor and she said something that I think we need to talk about." Kestra said as she approached him. "Is there something you want to tell me?" (reply Kyle, any) NRPG: More could be added iyw. RPG: Kestra had talked to Ensign Rin for a few moments when it seemed that the CEO Lt. West was beamed to Sick Bay. Some of her team that could, went to him to stop the bleeding that seemed to come from everywhere. "Sorry, Ensign, but, I must cut our conversation short as I am needed elsewhere. I do want to continue this discussion at a later time please." she said as she moved over to West to see what she could do. Kestra found that West was bleeding from just about every limb and he had some very bad burns that was going to take some time in mending. The bio scanner also showed that he was suffering form intense radiation poisoning. She started by removing all of his clothing that was contaminated and threw it in the contamination ben. She injected him with anti radiation medicine and started to clean his body of all fluids in addition to the blood that was caked on and leaking. Her assistants were also tending to his many cuts and abrasions. "Make sure he gets to our decontamination area and keep an eye on him." Kestra said just as the comm channel chirped. =/\=All senior Officers able, report to the Bridge Observation Lounge in twenty minutes with status reports.=/\= Kestra knew it was Sevant and she sighed as she really did not have the time to attend a meeting. She looked around and the arrival of wounded had trickled down to a slow train and the staff could handle it she thought. She walked over to Domini, "Are you able to join me in the meeting?" She asked (reply Domini, any) Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Bridge observation lounge - Capt Sevant - 1238) "What you both are telling me, in short" he said as he turned his gaze to the ACEO, "Is that I would be foolish to send the ship into combat again?" The CMO spoke first, slowly, as if she didn't want to say what she was going to say. "Sir, if we have lost this many crew members on just the first of what could be many battles, then yes I believe it would be futile at this time." Siam responded with, "Well sir, I would strongly advise against for the near future." Sevant didn't like that, it meant they only had two choices as he saw things. He held up a hand and closed his eyes in thought, "Alright, get to work on Engineering and do whatever you can to our battle systems, I want to know where we stand in two hours and if anything has changed." He looked at Ops, "You have those two hours to work, working through their network would mean we don't have to go into combat again regardless." He looked over at the CMO, "Let me know when you have the injured crew stabilized, I'm afraid our priority will be those that still have their minds with them, those that became zombies are on the back burner for now. Ill have you work with Science and Ops and these robots once we've gotten over the worst of this, to see if there is a way to revive them, or if they are lost forever." "Yes, Sir. I will keep you informed and we shall see if we can help the others." the Doctor replied. Sevant took a breath as he looked around, "Anyone else?" The Operations officer spoke up, "Great Sir! I made a few connection through out the ship but there are parts of the ship I can't get through from here. Engineering, medical and marine... they must have cut a few systems has they work their way through." Sevant nodded, "Very well." He looked around, waiting for anyone else. NRPG: Lets wrap this up. One way or another, I will be bringing this to an end within the next 5 days. I warn everyone now, we will be doing a multi-month jump. We will be moving to 10.07.10 or so, so the ship will be fully repaired and upgraded. I will also be doing the promotions and such then. RPG: (reply: any) Sevant nodded again and stood, "Alright, go to work." Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Bridge observation lounge - TAC/ASC Ensign Ryko Skylynx - 1238) Ryko dusted his lapels off, they looked a little bobbled, and stepped onto the bridge. He glanced over at the Tactical Station, and noticed there was an officer standing in. He seemed happy, so Ryko left him be. He headed straight to the observation lounge. As he entered, he didn't bother introducing himself. There were various nods and curious gestures, but no one dared interrupt the captain mid-sentence. Sevant took a breath as he looked around, "Anyone else?" Yalta spoke up."Great Sir! I made a few connection through out the ship but there are parts of the ship I can't get through from here. Engineering, medical and marine... they must have cut a few systems has they work their way through." Sevant nodded, "Very well." He looked around, waiting for anyone else. "Yes, actually." Ryko said as the others became quiet. "If I could make a suggestion." (reply: Sevant) "Sir, I've seen hell in space, but nothing I've ever seen is as bad as this. Not from a damage point of view, but from morale. I've looked around and seen the crew beat. I have no idea whether this incident is a one-off or if other ships have suffered this fate. But one thing goes without saying. As soon as we get to Geneva, the rest of the squadron must be warned. The crew need downtime too." Ryko paused, feeling distinctly like a counselor instead of a tactical officer. "In the meantime, I would like to return to my station, unless I am needed elsewhere." (Reply Any) Sevant nodded again and stood, "Alright, go to work." Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Bridge observation lounge - Capt Sevant - 1238) "Yes, actually." Ryko said as the others became quiet. "If I could make a suggestion." Sevant nodded. "Sir, I've seen hell in space, but nothing I've ever seen is as bad as this. Not from a damage point of view, but from morale. I've looked around and seen the crew beat. I have no idea whether this incident is a one-off or if other ships have suffered this fate. But one thing goes without saying. As soon as we get to Geneva, the rest of the squadron must be warned. The crew need downtime too." He paused, then said, "In the meantime, I would like to return to my station, unless I am needed elsewhere." Sevant leaned back in his chair, "We are going to have plenty of downtime, Ensign." he finally said. "More then we want." Sevant nodded again and stood, "Alright, go to work." Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Sickbay - ACSO Kyle Rin - 12:40) Having been injected with a few more hyposprays Kyle gave Kestra a few smiles. "Thanks, i'm sure i'll feel better soon." (reply Kestra) =/\=All senior Officers able, report to the Bridge Observation Lounge in twenty minutes with status reports. =/\= Kyle watched as Kestra took leave for the observation meeting. Kyle took to his feet and tapped his com badge he had recieved when he arived at sickbay. "Kyle to Sevant... Sir I know this goes against starfleet regulations and i'm probbly braking millions of rules and laws. But you can take your meeting and shove it down your throat. I'm going to take a much needed rest in holodeck 1 if you want my station report meet me there. Rin Out" (reply Sevant) NRPG: Yeah, i know this is really mean but i couldn't stop laughing everytime i thought about it. RPG: Closing the com channel Kyle left sickbay and headed towards the nearest turbolift. As he entered, the doors slid shut behind him pausing for a moment as he thought about Kestra. ~I should have never signed on for starfleet in the first place. To be honest with myself it was really the only thing i have left.~ "Deck 10." The lift accepted the command and began it's decent. All the while Kyle began to forget about everything that had happen in the last twelve hours. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca, Observation Lounge, Lt. Commander Kestra Troi, 1246) As tired as she was, Kestra managed to make her way to the Observation Lounge. As she entered she noticed several people already there and she walked over to her normal seat to sit down heavily. She tried to complete the report she had already started on her padd before the meeting started. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca, Observation Lounge, 2O/CMO Lt. Commander Kestra Troi, 1248) Kestra was in dire need of rest and she knew it. Her mind tended to wonder to things that were not needed at the meeting and back. She still had a headache and her ability to scan minds had still been shut down. She knew that she probably was not the example of a Starfleet Officer in her wrinkled uniform and unkept hair. ~Well, at least most are the same way after what we have been through.~ Kestra thought to herself as she scanned the room. Their faces were just as ragged as hers and all looked like that were ready for some rest. Kestra listened to what was being said in the meeting as she sat in her place. She had set the PADD in her hands to accept updates as her team sent new information to her. Occasionally she looked at it and she the numbers of wounded and dead continually rising. It hurt her to see so many and so many of the numbers that were telepaths or had telepath abilities counted as comatose. She looked over at Domini's face and could see that she was still having problems. She could see that the counselor still was having problems with what she felt was her failure in the face of the enemy. Kestra felt for her and had tried to tell her that she had nothing to feel ashamed about, but, Domini had basically ignored her. Kestra sighed and knew that Domini would have to work it out by herself and with a little sleep she would. Sevant had asked for reports from all the departments and she listened to the ones that had survived to come. Then it came to be her turn to report the grime stats that she was carrying. Looking at Sevant and sighed she started. "Sir, I have set up my staff into two crews, one in sickbay and one as a mobile team. Sick bay and triage center are over full, but my staff are hand ling it the best they can. My mobile team has had to set up an alternate sick bay in the cargo bay two, deck twenty and they are almost where they may have to flow over to cargo bay three on deck twenty one." She paused as she was about to give the grime facts and she wished it was someone else not her. "Sir, right now we have seventy five crew dead and nearly fifty wounded. These numbers are continuing to rise as we speak, but, they are slowing down. What disturbs me the most are the numbers that have accompanied the Blackton members in cargo bay one on deck 20 that are mindless. These are the ones that had any connection to telepathic abilities which the creatures had zeroed in on. There are only a few crew left that are telepathically able and that includes the Betaziods onboard." She looked around the room as she finished and saw what she felt in every face that looked back at her. "Sir, I would guess that we are hurting in crew members just as bad as the ship itself is hurt." She finished and leaned back. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Observation Lounge - ACEO Enaj - 1248) "Sir, I would guess that we are hurting in crew members just as bad as the ship itself is hurt." Saim hearing this piped up, "And the ship is in a very bad state. I have teams all over the ship. The worst hit seems to be engineering. There is a lot of damage in sickbay but that is mostly structural and a luxury for later. I have my people round the clock but I will need some time to get this ship back together. Also I have wondered whether there is any information about CEO West. He seems to have disappeared. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca, Brig- TAC/ASC Ryko Skylynx- 1248) Ryko escorted a struggling doctor Rin into a holding cell as Fredrickson emplaced the forcefield. Ryko stepped back and looked at Rin, who was protesting at his incarceration. (Reply Rin, IFW) "I'd save your reasons for the Captain, doctor," Ryko said. "They won't work on me." He turned and looked at the Ferengi prisoner, still imprisoned in a cell of his own. He sighed. "We have got to offload him sometime," Ryko said. His mind drifted back to when he had caught the stowaway, with Lt Bush's assistance. Now Bush was gone, and in all possibility Ryko would have to fill his boots. "Are you okay to wait here for the captain?" Ryko asked John as he looked back at the doctor. (Reply Fredrickson) "Good. I'll see you at, I dunno, maybe...1800 hours, on the holodeck. I'm gonna kick your ass at Velocity," Ryko said, smiling. (Reply Fredrickson) "Great. See you then." Ryko said, as he left his new co-worker in charge of the doctor. He headed to the bridge. ~Maybe he's not as green as I originally thought,~ Ryko thought as he stepped into the turbolift. He gave the command and was on his way to the meeting. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca, Brig- TAC/ASC John Fredericks- 1248) Ryko escorted a struggling doctor Rin into a holding cell as Fredrickson emplaced the forcefield. Ryko stepped back and looked at Rin, who was protesting at his incarceration. "I'd save your reasons for the Captain, doctor," Ryko said. "They won't work on me." He turned and looked at the Ferengi prisoner, still imprisoned in a cell of his own. He sighed. ~A Ferengi!~ John thought to himself. ~I haven’t seen one of them in a while~. "We have got to offload him sometime," "Are you okay to wait here for the captain?" Ryko asked John as he looked back at the doctor. “No problem” replied John hefting the rifle and assuming a position of attention "Good. I'll see you at, I dunno, maybe...1800 hours, on the holodeck. I'm gonna kick your ass at Velocity," Ryko said, smiling. “It’s been kicked before, but not very often” John replied aloud ~not very often at all~ he laughed to himself. ~I hope those burns aren’t as bad as they look~, Thought John ~If I take him I wouldn’t want it to be because of them, although he doesn’t seem to be letting them bother him too much~. "Great. See you then." Ryko said, as he left his new co-worker in charge of the doctor and headed to the bridge. ~I can’t wait to meet whats left of the crew~ said John to himself ~If what I have seen so far is any indication this is one hell of a ship~. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Bridge observation lounge - 2O/CMO Lt. Commander Kestra Troi - 1255) "West is in Sickbay, you can seek him there later." Sevant replied, his face now set habitually in a frown as he leaned forward. He then looked over at the Kestra, "What you both are telling me, in short" he said as he turned his gaze to the ACEO, "Is that I would be foolish to send the ship into combat again?" Kestra thought for a moment on what she should say then looked at him, "Sir, if we have lost this many crew members on just the first of what could be many battles, then yes I believe it would be futile at this time." she answered him knowing that he would not like what she said. Sevant did not like to leave loose ends like this that could come back to haunt him later. Sevant held up a hand and closed his eyes in thought, "Alright, get to work on Engineering and do whatever you can to our battle systems, I want to know where we stand in two hours and if anything has changed." He looked at Ops, "You have those two hours to work, working through their network would mean we don't have to go into combat again regardless." He looked over back at Kestra, "Let me know when you have the injured crew stabilized, I'm afraid our priority will be those that still have their minds with them, those that became zombies are on the back burner for now. I 'll have you work with Science and Ops and these robots once we've gotten over the worst of this, to see if there is a way to revive them, or if they are lost forever." Kestra never liked to arbitrarily give up hope on anyone, but, she was almost positive that there would be no way to revive them. She did have a slim hope that if they could get one of the robots working for them, they might be able to find out what happened to their minds. "Yes, Sir. I will keep you informed and we shall see if we can help the others." She replied to Sevant. Kestra once again leaned back into her chair to let others talk if they wanted. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Cargo bay 2 - 2O/CMO Lt. commander Kestra Troi - 1300) Kestra could understand the frustration that Sevant had in having to back away from a fight. That means the enemy would be there getting ready for them once again and next time things might not turn out the same way as it did today. But, then again, if she knew Sevant and she thought she did to some extent, he would be better prepare the next time he met them. She shuddered to think what the causalties would be when next the Boudicca meets up with this new enemy. Sevant would undoubtedly inform the fleet of them and what type of tactics they use at least this time. She walked into cargo bay 2, she saw row after row of beds that had injured of every kind laying on them. She saw her mobile team moving amongst them tending to them or making them more comfortable. She saw a line of injured over at what looked like a triage area where they figured out what the injury was classifying them in the order of need. Walking over she saw Ensign Aldrin working steadily trying to get control of the injured as fast as he could. She set her jaw and waded in to help him. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Bodicca, Battle bridge, Ensign (jg) John fredericks 1330) John picked up the pip from the desk and held it in his hand for a second before remembering to salute and to thank the Admiral. “Thank you sir”, said John “I will do my best to live up to yours and LT CO Sharam’s expectations. After being giving the new assignment John again saluted, Turned and left the room. Barely containing himself John walked to the nearest men’s room and pinned the pip to his uniform. Then strutted to his room to begin packing. This being a common thing, no one paid any attention, John didn’t care though he was on his way to his first Starship. And the Boudicca, a ship already ripe with history. John entered his quarters and started packing tacking only enough time to send off a couple of quick messages to his friends at the academy and one to his parents telling them he had graduated and where he had been assigned to. Just as He was getting ready to contact the Star base and find out which shuttle he would need to catch to get there as fast as possible when the door chimed. “Enter”, called John. The Door opened revealing a cadet with a small box. “Sir, complements of the Academy”. “Thanks cadet”, said John accepting the translucent box noticing that there was a comm. unit inside. The cadet turned and left. John sat down and opened the box and pinned it to his chest. This even above the pip made him feel like he had finely made it. Then he remembered he had to catch a shuttle and made the call to the star base. Finding the shuttle time was easy, making it to the platform would not be. John left the academy the same way he had come into it bags in had and racing for the door. He caught a hover cab and headed to the shuttle port only to find that the shuttle had left early. ~Damn~ Thought John, ~this day was going so well too~ . John jogged over to the shuttle dispatch and explained the problem and was reassigned to the next shuttle. John had time to grab a few things from the gift shops and the book store before the shuttle left although he planned on being the first in line this time, As he checked out the gift shop John found little that really interested him but found a few odds and ends that his little brother would like. At the book store John found some that “now” did interest him. All through his scholastic history John had had a disinterest in languages. When coming to the academy though he had had to pick a language for study and had chosen Klingon (although later he would wonder at what time he had apparently become a masochist). Although John did pass he did not do well enough to suite either his instructors or himself and vowed to continue the lessons until he could at least understand some of the things that were being said in conversations. John now found himself picking up intermediate and advanced Klingon lesson discs and books. ~About time~ Thought John as he heard the first call for the shuttle to station run. John hurried over two the loading door and waited while the line started to form, he decided to pass the time by reading one of his new books. When the door slid open to allow passengers to board John hurried in and sat in the back row to allow others the window seats and went back to reading his book. John had just cleared the chapter on Klingon greetings (there were not many) when there was a slap against his shoulder and the words “Move Human” came to him. John looked up and saw three large Klingons. “Did you not hear me Human? I said move”. Said the first Klingon loudly, “we wish to sit”. John first looked to the other side of him and noticed three empty seats. Quickly trying to decide the best option John remembered something in the book and stood up and looked the first Klingon in the eyes and said “Why should I move for you, what are you to me that I should give way?” This produced a few gasp from the surrounding passengers but only a few laughs from the two Klingons behind the first. The first Klingon looked at John with a challenging look for a few minutes making John think maybe he had misunderstood the book. The First Klingon finally stopped Starring at John and said “when did Federation cubs start showing backbone”? “I will tell you who I am and then you will tell me who you are, then we shall see if there is a reason to continue this in a more personal way”. “I am Klataw son of Kordock weapons officer enroot to the Klingon currier ship D’orch. And who are you”? “I am John, son of John, assistant Tactical, ensign of the Boudicca, enroot”. Klataw studied John for a moment and then said,” A fresh from school ensign if I read you correctly. One, who is a Star Ship weapons specialist, studies Klingon and even though outnumbered stands up to Klingons. I do not consider my honor tainted and ask you to join us”. John feeling somewhat lost at this point decided to continue the front. “I am honored to join you” he then stepped aside allowing the Klingons a chance to take the seats down the row. John and the Klingons spoke quite a bit on the trip to the station, they seamed impressed that a human would know anything about a Bat'leth let alone own one and train with it. They also corrected him on some pronunciation problems he was having. After the shuttle arrived John found that he was indeed honored to have met the Klingons. John checked in at the station and arranged to catch a warp shuttle to the Geneva Station. It looked like it had been a good thing to have picked up the language disks because he was in for a long ride. He still had time to catch a meal before his shuttle took off and he was thinking about trying a traditional Klingon meal but after thinking about it again he decided that hungry as he was he really didn’t want to have to chase his food down when it tried to crawl off his plate. Raw food was one thing live food was something else entirely. John hit one of the eating establishments that promised food just like home, evidently they had meant their home since mom had never cooked anything like that before, not that it wasn’t good and he was sure he could have skin grafted back on the roof of his mouth later. =/\=BORDING CALL FOR GENEVA SHUTTLE=/\= ~This was it thought~ John. The last leg of his trip to his ship. He checked to be sure his meager luggage was on board and hopped into his seat and waited for the rest of the passengers to board. He noticed that there weren’t too many on this trip. There were a couple of officers towards the front and a few civilians. He noticed a few from the Academy but they were from different classes and seemed to be wrapped up in their own conversation. He did notice a young blond woman sitting a few seats behind the officers and had there not been any other Star Fleet members present he thought he might have tried getting to know her but decided against it just now. The trip was supposed to be about six hours and John thought he would kill off the fist few with sack time, it had already been a long day and he wanted to be in top form when he presented himself to the Capt on the Boudicca. After waking up, John decided that it was time to go through the disk he had bought and spent the rest of the trip immersed in Klingon. After reaching the Geneva base John discovered that things had changed and that he wouldn’t be boarding the ship as planned. But would be running out with a line ship to take the Boudicca a new runabout. Fortunatly John had trained on every ship that the academy had access to and was at least familure with the runabout in question. John presented himself to the cargo master of the line ship and was told he didn’t need to see anyone senior sense he was himself “cargo” this trip. Asked for and received permission to re-familurize himself with the runabouts controls. The trip was pretty uneventful and John soon found himself readying the Runabout for its trip to the Boudicca. =/\= Ensign JC Fredericks requesting permission to debark.=/\= =/\= permission granted, safe trip=/\= ~It’s a milk run~, Thought John, ~what could go wrong~? After a couple of hours John was in the area the Boudicca was supposed to be in and he ran a sensor sweep with the vessels somewhat limited sensors. ~There she is, Guess I should give a shout~ John said to himself. =/\= This is Ensign John C Fredericks in the Runabout “Chaser” requesting permission to dock=/\= Only static replied to his call. John repeated his request. Still only static. John checked the sensors again and noticed that the shields were down and that he did detect life forms although there were fewer than he expected. John took the Chaser to the rear of the ship and tapped his comm. badge again. =/\= Chaser to Boudicca, requesting docking permission, please respond, Chaser to anyone on the Boudicca please respond. After a while a faint response came through with a lot of static and said to dock in bay one then cut out. John eased the Chaser into the docking bay and waited for the readings to show that the force field was back up and the atmosphere was back up. ~Some things not right~ Thought John and ran through a Betazoid empathic search in the area around him fir the first time wishing his reach was further or that he had trained this facet of himself further. Pain, fear, anger, despair and elation were the emotions that John was “reading” from the surrounding area. =/\=Chaser, this is the communications on the battle bridge; we are limited to intra ship communications right now. I know these sounds odd but pull a weapon from the runabout and get up to the battle bridge quick; we’ll try to send someone to you but try to make it on your own. These sounds odd too I know but if you see something that looks like a big spider, shoot it. Bridge out=/\= John went back to the armory of the small ship and pulled a phaser from the rack. Feeling his adrenalin level start to raise John headed for the door and stopped as it slid open. Pieces of what looked like the afore mentioned spiders along with several bodies were scattered across the deck. John looked down at the small hand weapon and went back to Chaser and pulled a phaser rifle from the rack but holstered the type II as well. ~The feelings are starting to make sense now~ thought John. He began making what turned out to be a nightmarish trip to the battle bridge, fortunately the small interfaces in the corridors were intact since he never met the hoped for escort. The feelings he was able to read from around him had starting to become too intense so he stopped for moment and formed the empathic shield that was so necessary to empaths. As John continued couldn’t help but notice a few burn marks here and there on the walls and decks and areas where it was obvious that sections had been replaced. ~Damn, what has been going on here~? Thought John he also noticed that there were indeed fewer people around than he thought he would find. What ever had befallen this ship it had been through hell? When he got to the doors to the bridge he stopped and ran through a few calming exercises he had learned when studying on Betazed and stepped out to the bridge when the doors opened. As he stepped out looking somewhat lost an ensign looked up and caught his eye and gestured to an officer at a consol. John walked up and cleared his throat. As the officer turned and revealed that she was indeed the Capt. John saluted and said “Ensign (jg) John C Fredericks reporting to the Capt as instructed. SIR”. Stardate:2406.07.03 (Boudicca - Brig - Capt Sevant - 1330) Sevant nodded to the single guard at the brig and walked in. There were many cells here, but only one of them showed the blue glow of a force-field. Sevant put his hands behind his back and walked slowly to the cell. Inside was the ACSO Rin, looking none-to-happy about cooling his heels in one of the most uncomfortable parts of the ship. "Ensign," he said after several long moments. "We have to have a talk." Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Battle-Bridge - Capt Sevant - 1400) "Ensign (jg) John C Fredericks reporting to the Capt as instructed. SIR". Sevant looked up from his chair, and noted the new officer. "I don't know how you got aboard, but you have nothing if not a good sense of timing." He took the PADD from the Ensign and checked its marks, ~Security, good.~ "Our Security Chief was killed this morning, Ensign," Sevant said in harsh tones as he looked back up. "As you can see, we are in something of a situation. Niceties aside, report immediately to Ensign Skylynx, who was in Medical last time I checked." He handed the PADD with orders back. "Questions?" (reply: if desired) Sevant nodded, "Dismissed." Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca – battle bridge Ensign (jg) John C Fredericks 1400) “Yes Sir” Said John as he took the PADD back from the Captain, turned and headed for the bridge’s door. Once outside the bridge John accessed the ships computer for directions to the sickbay. He loved being on board but the lost feeling he had when trying to find someplace. John headed for the turbo lift and gave the instructions for deck 7. While dropping the 4 decks to get there he worked on his empathic shield. He had not had to practice it much since leaving Betazed but it looked like he was going to need it for a while here. As the lift stopped John hoisted the Phaser rifle and followed the directions given to him by the computer eventually arriving at the sickbay. As he walked into the sickbay John noticed far more people there than it was originally designed to hold and that the med personnel looked to be stretched a little thin. John stopped a somewhat healthy looking person that seemed not to be a medic in passing. “Excuse me, I am looking for Ensign Skylynx”. The Yeoman pointed towards a tall dark haired man and walked off. ~Looks like she wasn’t quite as well off as I thought~ Thought John as he walked over to the Ensign. “Ensign Skylynx, I am John C Fredericks, Ensign (jg) newly assigned to the Boudicca. I was told to report to you. How can I help?” Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - cargo bays 1 and 2 - 2O/CMO Lt. commander Kestra Troi - 1400) Kestra had visited Cargo bay 3 also to see the crew that had been sent there as Sick bay was full and they had to put them somewhere to keep an eye on them for the time being. These had already been treated and were not the most extreme injured. She then walked over to Cargo bay 1 to check up on the zombies. She could not hold back the tears as she walked through the mindless crew of the Backtron and the increasing number of Boudicca crew. She hoped that they could find a way to use the reprogramed creatures to return the minds of the crew, but, for some reason she did not think that would be possible. She also knew that however much Domini wanted to, she could not help them even if she was a mind healer. The creatures had taken the minds of the crew members as if they had just sat down to dinner. But Kestra wondered if that was the right way to think of what they did, what if it was just the creatures way of sustaining there lives. She wondered if it ever would be possible to have a dialog with them to see if there is a possible way to help them find another source or if there was a cure. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Battle Bridge - Capt Sevant - 1428) Sevant tapped his fingers against the arm of the command chair as he looked at a PADD with a preliminary report on the Engineering section. They were blasted to hell, and a day or two of emergency repairs weren't going to do a thing for them, not if he took them right into combat again. Him and his crew would end up as footnotes in some history text at the Academy, as casualties of War in a rebellion. It was not, he decided coldly, how he wanted to be remembered. "I did everything that I could, manage to find a link to sickbay but nothing else, nothing more. I can't promise that it will work in real action, even if it works in test." Sevant nodded, "Very well, resume your station." he said quietly. He drummed his fingers for a moment, then tapped a button on his chair. "Commander Grailik to the Battle-bridge ready room." Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca – Battle Bridge – OPS Lt. Schafio - 1430) Yalta was getting tired, one circuit was starting to look like any other. She was running out of ideas on what else to do. It was too advance for her to keep going. She got up and walk up to Captain Sevant. “I did everything that I could, manage to find a link to sickbay but nothing else, nothing more. I can't promise that it will work in real action, even if it works in test.” Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Battle Bridge, Ready Room - Capt Sevant & Commander Grailik - 1436) Sevant gestured to the chair when the First Officer came in, his face grave. He didn't mince words, and immediately began with "We can't go into combat again, not for several days at least, and then we would not be near top-shape. Lieutenant Yalta is also highly unsure as if planting any commands with work, this is beyond her abilities. We have a problem." Grailik sipped his fresh cup of coffee, thankful that at least the replicators where still working. He nodded in agreement. "A tactical withdrawal is in order," He said, between sips. "Indeed." Sevant said, "Much as I dislike it, we haven't a choice." He folded his fingers together, "Usually this wouldn't be a problem, but the 52nd has all but pulled out here. Meaning, we are left with Starfleet to cover this area. I especially hate this, but there are still civilians in the area. We might have to send a general distress call to Starfleet and all ships in the area detailing our problem." "We can give the sector and a concise report of what we encountered. We need not give away anything that would jeopardize the safety of the 52nd. This enemy reminds me too much of the Borg. They will be back. Best we be ready for them. It may indeed come to pass that we have to put aside our ideological differences to combat this new enemy united." Sevant nodded briefly, then put a hand to the bridge of his nose and massaged it with his eyes closed. "We can include a scan and full tech specs, so that anyone coming into the area will do so prepared. I'm not going to give our movements, two hundred ships leaving into the river was enough of a clue to follow." He paused rubbing, just holding the bridge of his nose as he thought. "In the mean time we can continue to study them, should then find their way to our new location." He opened his eyes again and looked over, "We don't have much in the way of choices. We will be dead the first time we get into combat, with no assurances we could even hurt them, much less end their threat." "Also it would be foolish to think that the one craft we encountered is the only one. There are most likely more. It would be foolish not to. We should also recommend that all civilian crafts leave the area as soon as possible for their own safety. If the Boudicca was hard pressed to fight off just that one ship, a civilian craft is helpless." Sevant nodded his head, "I can't think of anything else to do, besides high-tailing for the river and heading to Geneva for essential repairs once our message is out. We have enough sensor data and bodies to study these things forevermore." Grailik nodded. "Don't be surprised if our MCO dislikes the idea of turning tail and running. She dislikes running from any fight, but I think even she will agree that it is the prudent thing to do in this instance." Grailik allowed himself a small smile. "She'll prolly start drilling the marines for a rematch." "Good, we might need that training." Sevant said in a distracted manner as he sat back in the chair. "Alright XO, prepare the ship for departure." He folded his hands together, "We leave immediately for the river." Grailik nodded and rose, taking his coffee with him. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Battle Bridge, Ready Room - Capt Sevant - 1455) Sevant leaned back in the chair again, his hand absently around a mug of tea as he looked at the monitor and all the information he had assembled. This would not usually be a problem, had he been this out-gunned a year ago, he simply would have called in support without a second thought. Times were different, now. He tapped a button on the console, "Computer, send this information to all Starfleet ships within ten parsecs, and aim a copy straight at Starfleet Command, Science Section. And record a message to all ships, Starfleet and Civilian, within fifty light-years." [Ready] "This is Captain Sevant of the Boudicca to all ships within distance of my message. This is a general distress call and warning to all craft. If you find yourself within distance of the maps I have attached to this message, I suggest you stand clear. We've encountered an enemy of machines that has horrible destructive potential. I recommend Starfleet approaches with extreme caution, no less then three combat ships. This force has already caused the destruction of at least one Civilian ship, and has nearly destroyed my own as well. They have strong Tactical capabilities, but it seems they prefer boarding parties of mechanical spider-like creatures. I repeat, they are extremely dangerous and I recommend extreme caution. This message ends." He paused, then took a breath. "Send it all." [Sent] Sevant stood slowly and walked out of the ready room. He paused just outside the door and looked around. "Is the ship ready for departure, XO?" (reply: Grailik) Sevant nodded and walked to the command seat. "Captain to all ships personnel. We are pulling out, but we are remaining at Yellow Alert until we clear the immediate area and the threat of force has passed. All defensive forces will remain standing at alert." He paused, his face a mask. "We've been beaten for now, but the score will be evened at a later time, we will be better prepared. Sevant out." He sat down in the chair, "Set a course for the river, best speed." Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Sick Bay - 2O/CMO Lt. commander Kestra Troi - 1500) Kestra finally entered sick bay to find that there also the place had been over run with injured. The influx of new injured did seem to have come to an stop, however and for that she was grateful. She nodded to Lt. Butan then headed to her office. Stardate:2406.07.03 (Boudicca- John’s quarters-deck 9- TAC/ASC Ensign (jg) John Fredericks – 1500) After having been relieved of guard duty in the brig John located his cabin on deck 9 and moved his few possessions in. It had been an interesting first day John thought. First arriving to a ship that had been under attack, completely unaware of what had been going on. Seeing the carnage still in the passageways, briefly meeting his new Captain and then fellow Tactical officer, Skylynx. (who it seemed was going to be quite a character). Then off to Guard duty on the CSO. ~I still haven’t found out why “he” was in the brig~ John thought to himself, ~Or why there is a ferrengi there~. John took a few minutes to access the ships computer to see what kind of information he could get. “Computer, please list charges filed if any on the prisoners in the Brig on Deck 12. Specifically DR. Rin and the Ferrengi. Also list all information obtained on the “Psiders” that had boarded the USS Boudicca” John figured that he would probably see these things again and wanted to learn all he could. ~I should probably check back in with Skylynx as well~ he thought since our meeting had been interrupted with the meeting and guard detail. ~I guess I can work out the fine points in assignments and other things after our Holo deck excursion~. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Sickbay - Tactical Senior Chief Melody Haverstaad - 1502) Melody opened her eyes slowly, a small smile on her face. "Ahhh, blessed morni..." She suddenly went wide-eyed, it wasn't morning, and she wasn't feeling good because she had a full night's sleep. She jerked up suddenly, her hand already flailing for the phaser-rifle she knew she had dropped. She nearly overbalanced and tumbled though, only jerking herself back again kept her from falling out of the bed. This time, she became aware of her surroundings. She lifted her head again and looked around, and noticed she was in sickbay. Her body felt drugged, looking down she realized why. Her uniform, what hadn't been removed anyway, was in tatters. She ran a very careful hand over her side, noted that it was tender but that the large gash there had been healed. With the slow moves of someone testing if they are going to die, she moved her hand down her leg to where that gash had been, and noted it too was tender but healed. ~Healed, in sickbay, and drugged still. Must have been in a rush when they drugged me up, prob'ly from engineering, and left me here to sleep it off.~ The ship had been degraded to yellow alert, she noticed that too. Meaning they were not in the midst of an invasion. Still, she had work to do. She was just starting to spin her legs around when she saw a hand reach around from the other side and hold them in place. She turned her head and was met by the quirked-eyebrowed face of a rather ragged looking orderly. "You aren't going anywhere, Chief." he said in a no-nonsense tone. "If you try again, Ill break your legs and re-rip these holes in you." "Great," she said, "I needed a vacation, might want to get to it." She started working up energy again to turn. The orderly, however, was having none of it. He pushed a small button on the bed, and the bio-sensors immediately shot themselves over her. Half a second after that he hit another button, and a small stasis field formed over her, keeping her absolutely immobile (as if for surgery.) She turned her eyeballs (her neck was included in the field) and glared at him. His expression, again, didn't brook any arguments. He leaned on the bio-bed for a moment, just looking at her. "If I have to, Ill keep you in this chief. We've lost a lot of people and I can't afford to sit here arguing with you. And I assure you, you are staying put for at least a few hours while we make the thread and nails we used on you are going to hold with no issues." He stood up again, "So, your choice. Are you going to behave, or do I leave you in the iso-field?" Melody cursed, for long moments, to the unflinching aide. Finally, she blinked and said "Fine, Ill stay put." "Good." was his only reply as he hit another button. The field disappeared and the bio-sensor package retracted itself into the bed. Without further ado he walked over to the next bed, doing his job and recording lifesigns. She sighed as she looked over, then frowned when she noticed who she was looking at. "Chief," she finally said to Lieutenant West. "We Held." Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - Sickbay - Lt jg Trevan West-1503) Trevan wasn't feeling all that great, but at least used to being in a sickbay. He even thought of joining the medical ranks once since he spent all of his free time there from being injured from something or another. Trevan was lying on his back, staring up at the sensor dome above the bed when he heard a great sigh and the voice spoke to him. "Chief," she finally said to Lieutenant West. "We Held." It was Melody, wow. Did she ever get banged up. In all of the firefights he thought she was a goner. Trevan turned his head and flinched at the burning pain shooting down is back and spoke almost in a whisper, "Mel....Melody, you're....alive. You sure did hold it. I can't....talk yet." he said, "I'm...(cough)....proud." and with that, Trevan rolled his head back and flagged down the nurse. "Is....anything......my.....voice?" Is all that he managed to get out. The nurse gave him a hypospray and within moments he was feeling sleepy, "Melody....I owe you a drink." Then Trevans eyes fluttered a few times and then he fell back asleep. Stardate:2406.07.03 (USS Boudicca - CMO Office - 2O/CMO Lt. commander Kestra Troi - 1510) Kestra had entered the office and sat down behind the computer console to look at the stead stream of injuries trying to see if there was a pattern to them. There did not seem to be any amongst the walking injured. It just seemed that they were injured in the battle amongst the creatures and the fact that they had tried not to get touched by them. Next she turned to the mindless injured to see if there were anything she could find there. She tried to have the computer to analyze the information that they had been able to collect to see if there was anything that could possibly show something that would help. But, the computer kept telling her that there was not enough data and that frustrated her. She had strecthed all of what she knew to ask or do, so, the only thing she could think of is to send her info to the science department and see what they can make of it. "Computer send copy of all information on the zombies to the science department." Kestra then walked back out into the main area to help take care of patients.