Scheme (Part 2 of 3)

Posted on 30 Nov 2015 @ 12:50am by Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm & Captain Jonathan Holliday & Jynn & Commander Luke Wyatt & Ensign Jaana Voutilainen & Senior Chief Petty Officer Keval zh'Erinov & Petty Officer 2nd Class Eva Kovalev & Petty Officer 3rd Class Veri RN & EMH Mark X-C "Shirley" & https://www.stgalileo.com/index.php/personnel/character/312
Edited on on 30 Nov 2015 @ 12:54am

3,404 words; about a 17 minute read

Mission: Episode 09 - Empires
Location: USS Galileo - Various
Timeline: MD 07 - 0410 hrs

Previously, on Scheme (Part 1)...

It sounded like a good option to have, but there needed to be a plan before any action was taken. And at the moment, Lirha wasn't quite sure what that plan was, and needed to gather her resources first. "...Stay where you are...for now," she answered. "We can use your skills soon but first we need to coordinate with the rest of the crew. ...Standby for more instructions. Saalm out..."

Keval nodded, though of course the Admiral could not see him. Part of him wanted to just jump into the action, the consequences be damned, but his more rational half knew that would be a fatal mistake. He wanted to escape, not die. And besides he still wasn't fully recovered. He could use some rest. "Standing by ma'am. Just let me know. I'll be ready."

And Now, the Continuation...

[ON]

Deck 5 - Intelligence Office

Detained in his office, because anywhere else would put him with people, Tyrion sat at his desk staring at the remains of his computer. It was smashed to pieces and currently unsalvageable. At least, to the untrained person but Tyrion lived for computers, and he could make one operate even with the barest of equipment, if he had time to do so.

Watching the guard patrol outside, Tyrion pretended to be very upset about the destruction of his work space while he rummaged through the remains, connecting the odd wire to a spare communicator that had been missed in the search and ransack of his office. He caught the past piece of a transmission as he found the hidden network by accident. Leaning forward, he made it look as if he despaired, but at the same time whispered his own presence. "Authentication Faye Pi-Lambda-nine-five-zero-one. I'm under watch...but here..."

A few moments of silence passed but finally Lirha's voice responded with a soft whisper. "...Ensign Faye? Report your status..." she asked, preferring to keep her comms short and to the point for fear of detection.

"Stuck in office," Tyrion replied in a similar fashion, "patrols outside. No room for movement."

More silence ensued before Lirha's next reply. "...Understood...stay where you are, for now. Do you have access to the ship's computer? ...Are there any weapons in your office?" she inquired.

"My computer is smashed, but since I have nothing else to do I can make repairs. Hopefully. Yes, there are weapons." What kind of intelligence officer would he be if there weren't any weapons hidden in his office.

"...Good..." A phaser was a good thing to have in this situation, but the use of it needed to be carefully timed with the rest of their plan. "...Stay where you are...for now. And gather as much intelligence as you can...in an inconspicuous way," she ordered. "I will contact you again with more instructions. ...Saalm out..."

Watching the patrolling guards from the corner of his eyes, and keeping his senses open to them, Tyrion slumped back and stretched as if he was yawning. In truth, he was tired and he figured he might as well try and get some sleep. What use was he to his captain, if he couldn't keep his eyes open?

“Wouldn't want to fall asleep if I was you,” the guard spoke just as Tyrion's eyes began to close completely. “Chance you might not wake up, is all.”

"That's a chance I'll take," Tyrion muttered without opening his eyes. "I got you to keep an eye on me don't I?" He smiled thinly as he continued to listen, letting his senses work for him instead.

“Yup,” was all the guard said as he leaned against the doorway and crossed his arms. “And I don't like it any more than you.”

"I'm not keeping you," Tyrion grinned, opening one eye to look at him, "then again....for all you know...I might... because you don't know, do you? You're Human, after all..."

“What's that supposed to mean?” The guard had begun to get on edge. He straightened himself up and leered at his prisoner, his hand finding its way to the phaser on his hip. “You saying there's something I should be worried about?”

"Worried? No, not at all my dear guard, not at all." Tyrion continued to smile as his black eyes settled on the man. "Getting nervous, are you? There's no need. I'm just sat here and I'm not going anywhere. Where am I supposed to go?"

“You're supposed to go to sleep,” the guard growled at Tyrion. Whether it was intentional or not didn't matter at this point, but the officer from another dimension had dug his way right under his skin in no time at all and he was ready to silence the petulant little worm. He stormed over towards Tyrion, rifle levelled right at him, and before he could have a chance to react the guard gave him a swift kiss on the forehead with the butt end of the rifle. “Now quiet down or I'm going to let the rifle do the talking!”

The Betazoid slumped in his seat as he was knocked unconscious by the TE guard. At least he would be getting some form of rest now, even if it wasn't quite as he had intended.


Deck 4 - Veri's Quarters

Veri found captivity to be not soo bad. Except some guard tossed that security chief in her room, almost an hour after the personnel had been locked in their quarters.

Up to this point, Veri had done her best to stabilize the Bajoran, but found the woman lost a lot of blood from beatings and a few stab wounds. Best the surgical nurse could do was stabilize and keep Lieutenant Benice from going into shock.

Once she was sure the poor dear was no longer critical, the Deltan started to fiddle and tinker and jury-rig with the replicator until she was able to create a communication line.

"This is Petty Officer Veri. HL-241-6472. I've wounded in my quarters."

Great, Lirha thought when she heard the call come across the comm. The specifics of the situation and the hostile takeover of the vessel had made it difficult to move around and to get help when needed, and that also included anyone who needed medical attention. Sadly, the rear admiral didn't think that going to sickbay was a good option at the moment.

"...Petty officer, who is injured? Do you have a medical kit nearby?" she asked.

"Umm..." Veri took a moment to try and remember her. "Be-neece? I don't know how you pronounce Bajoran names, actually. But she lost a lot of blood before those creepy imperial people tossed her in here. Best I can do was bandage the cuts to stop the bleeding. Should be fine, really... I think. I mean, she's senior staff, so I assume they could come back for her again if they want more information. That's how intelligence do stuff, right?"

Lirha wasn't sure how the situation would play out, but the last thing she wanted to convey to her junior crew was a sense of uncertainty. During stressful times like this, she knew a calming voice of authority was often the best remedy.

"Petty officer, I need you to activate the EMH and establish a comm link with her in your quarters. She will be able to assist you with treating the lieutenant," she instructed. There were no doctors currently on hand to navigate the starship, and so their holographic companion would have to suffice for now.

"Oh! Right! I always seem to forget we have one," Veri half-smiled as she looked up at the ceiling. "Computer, active the EMH."

"Please state the nature of the medical emergency." The hologram replied a few moments after forming. It seems that her program had not been locked down by the Empire security teams and she had been free to operate within the main computer core.

"Ah, Petty Officer. How may I be of assistance?"

"The female on my bed has deep lacerations on her abdomen that hasn't stopped bleeding, though I did bandage her with what I could," Veri explained as she pointed to a sweaty, unconscious Gyce. "Those monsters tossed her in here like this."


Deck 5 - Jeffries tube

Already working the the Jefferies Tubes, Eva had manged to avoid being seen, and if what she'd heard from a vantage point behind one of the panels was any indication, it was a good thing she'd not been. She had to find a weapon of some sort, and soon was crawling through the tubes looking for somewhere the Terran Empire wasn't.

It wasn't long though before she heard the sound of someone down one tube. She didn't want to check it out in case it was a trap but if it was an injured crewman, they needed her help.

Scurrying down the tube, Eva rounded the corner to see an officer curled up in an junction, sobbing softly. As much as she wanted to comfort the women, she needed silence if they weren't to be found out.

Hearing movement, Jaana looked up, tears in her eyes, clutching a small hand phaser. "Who are you?" she whispered, squinting at the figure in the dark junction, her hands shaking as she pointed her phaser at Eva. "I'll shoot if I have to."

Eva recognized the voice and as calmly as she could muster, seeing the shape of a phaser pointed at her, she responded. "I'm Petty Officer Kovalev. Echo Yankee Two Zero Zero Two Zero Nine Three. Jaana?"

Jaana put down the phaser. "It's me. When they boarded, I ran and hid in the Jeffries tubes... I don't know what to do. They've taken over the lab, their patrols are everywhere, and I haven't heard from my sister since they boarded."

That last part was what hurt Jaana the most. She hadn't talked to Tuula in a few days. The last time she talked to her, it was in sickbay, after she had passed out. She was ashamed of her habit, and now, because of that, she might have wasted the last few days of both of their lives giving her sister the silent treatment.

Eva moved closer to Jaana. "We're in the same boat. I haven't heard from Naois and I can only hope he's with Tuula, and safe." She put an emphasis on the last part, hoping it would boost the women's feelings. Lord knew she didn't feel how she was talking, she was fearful that her husband was undergoing unspeakable tortures by these people, that she'd never see him alive again, but for now she had a job to do.

"For now though we need to link up with others. Figure out some sort of plan to retake the ship." ~Or destroy it if it came to that.~ She noted mentally.

"Retake the ship..." Jaana looked down at her phaser for a moment. It was a long time since she used one, and she knew that even one on one, her little hand phaser would be no match for a Terran security officer with a compression rifle. "There's so many of them... is that even possible?"

"It's only impossible if we don't try Jaana." Eva responded, placing her hand on the other women's shoulder. "First things first, we need to find others who escaped. I'm hoping the comm system wasn't compromised but the nearest access panel is a ways away."

"Okay." Jaana wiped her tears away with her sleeve and holstered her phaser. "Lets go."


Deck 7 - Callisto Bar

"Doyle, Barman...no code. But I know all your drinks orders and secrets," the barman began, tucked into a crawl space behind the bar, not much bigger than himself, but giving access to some systems that allowed him to pick up on the communications.

And fortunately for Doyle the two guards who may or may not have actually been stationed to it were now completely shitfaced after a shot-for-shot battle had gone on way longer than it should have. They were now mumbling their lives' stories to each other as they lay underneath one of the bar tables.


Deck 4 - Geology Lab

It also didn't take much for the young pilot to look defeated, because in may ways he did feel defeated. He led her towards the geology lab, keeping his head bowed a little because blood was still pouring from his nose and he didn't want to swallow any more. "Almost there," he murmured, "two more corners, on the last corner I want your weapon."

Abbey frowned she really didn't want to hand over her weapon but he was also right, how would the other react when they rounded the corner and into where ever it was they were going one thing is for certain they would certainly hate if not worst try and kill her. "Fine, but promise me that you will give me asylum aboard your ship and under you direct custodian"

"I don't know if cadets can do that, but I'll try," he promised as they rounded the final corner and he held out his hand. When she gave the rifle to him, he knocked on the door and identified himself.

Wincing from the pain on her side as a speckle of blood beginning to appear she knew she had ripped her stitching from the mirror self's attack. "Thank you" She said handing him the rifle as the door slid open, she knew she was in for a rocky couple of minutes and she hoped to god that her father wasn't here because she knew she'd be dead for sure. Quickly remembering "One thing Wintrow, please don't tell the others... not yet" She asked.

"Don't thank me yet," Wintrow mumbled anxiously. "And tell others what? One scan and they know, especially with this weapon..."

She nodded folding her arms and wondering what was taking whoever was inside so long to answer "Maybe we're the first people here? We should check it out just in case" She prompted nodding her head towards the doors control panel.

The teenager nodded and approached the control panel. it took some work and several attempts -including one that jolted and singed his fingers- but he got the door open in the end. "Stay behind me," he told the young woman, then gripped the rifle tightly and stepped inside. "Anyone in here?" he called out, "it's Cadet Paragon and Miss Wyatt..."

Abbey couldn't help but smile at the younger teen he in all essence protecting her despite the fact she had already killed two people already one being her counter part, he was sweet. "Ok" She said falling in step just behind him and holding her breath.

Wilde stood up motioning to the door, several other crewman had managed to hear and make there way to the Geolab after the admirals rally call she caught Lukes eyes as he heard the mention of his daughters name and he was up before anyone could say no. "SIR!"

Luke pounced the door opening and then recoiling as he saw the two crewman standing in front of him though one was wearing a very different uniform the only explanation was that she managed to take down a guard and escape disguised as one of the Empires goonies but then it struck him... She had been shot. "STOP!" He said raising his phaser "Who... What are you!" He pointed his phaser to Abbey.

Acting before thinking about the concequences in one of the rare instances in his life, Wintrow shoved Abbey behind him and got into the line of fire. "Hey now...." he started bravely, "This is Abbey Wyatt, and she rescued me from what would've been sure execution."

Not believing his eyes he moved his phaser between the two "Move aside Cadet that's an order" Luke's heart raced quicker than any federation ship could travel the noise of which seemed to echo of the walls. "I dont want to have to subdue you too" He warned, confused and hurt. Who was this imposter... this, Abbey.

Scared out of his wits, and trembling, Wintrow made himself stand his ground. "Respectfully sir...no. I can't obey that order, she saved my life."

Abbey watched Wintrow who was this new person? She had just met him but already he was willing to stand in the way of what was about to be a very sad and angry Father. Her cheeks flushed and her stomach produced butterflies which was something she had only ever felt before her first ever fire fight. "Its ok Wintrow" She said leaning and putting her hand on his and lowering the phaser. "Luke?" She started as if saying his name was foreign to her. "In truth he saved my life but I didn't come her by accident I... deserted" She paused biting her lip. "I done something I shouldn't have and knew I had to get of the Starbase and onto your ship and that I also had to tell you something... Your Abbey she's"

Luke's face and blood boiled "DON'T YOU DARE SAY IT!" He shouted and had now dropped his phaser "Cadet she is your responsibility and after this is done I expect her to report to the brig" Turning he walked to the other corner of the room kicking over a chair and swearing under his breath. She couldn't be dead not his abbey, replaced by... by whatever that was standing in the doorway.

Recoiling from Wintrow's hand that she had put her on top of, her face red with dread and sadness, this was the first time she had seen her dad in years and the first thing he does was point a rifle in her face, great. "Sorry for touching you, I know you don't like it but" She hugged him quickly the very nature of which was awkward and new to her there wasn't much hugging on the ISS Galileo. "Thankyou, you didn't have to do that for me and sorry for touching you again" She apologised her heart still very much in her mouth.

Wintrow stood frozen, and feeling very faint all of a sudden. Had he really just disobeyed a direct order? "It's okay," he murmured, though feeling far from. "Just stay close to me, and don't wander off on your own, okay?"

Rolling her eyes "Oh please, I don't think I'll be wandering of anywhere soon it's not like you have much of a fighting force here so a proper retake of the ship cant be possible" She said a bit to loudly as several crewman eyed her. "What do we do now then?" She asked curiously as she leaned against the wall.

"We wait," the boy replied quietly, watching the older Wyatt from the corner of his eyes. "Nothing much else we can do," he added as he approached a console and marveled at readings of stellar winds. "Seems there's a storm brewing..." he murmured, more to himself than anyone else.

...Meanwhile, though all the hustle and bustle, through the many crewmen entering and the situation within the geology lab escalating rapidly, the completely inept Terran security guard stationed near it was completely oblivious to the situation within. Just how could he be so clueless to what was happening? Either he was suffering severe sensory deprivation by way of powerful narcotics or perhaps he was actually sympathetic to the Starfleet personnel's plight...

To Be Continued...

[OFF]

--

RADM Lirha Saalm
Mission Advisor
USS Galileo

CAPT Jonathan Holliday
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo

Lieutenant JG Luke Wyatt
Asst. Chief of Security
USS Galileo

Ensign Tyrion Faye
Chief Intelligence Officer
USS Galileo

Lieutenant j.g. Naois Mercy
Counsellor
USS Galileo
[PNPC Tyrion]

Cadet SO Wintrow Paragon
Support Craft Pilot
USS Galileo
[PNPC Tyrion]

PO2 Rheneas Malachy
Engineer/Archaeologist
USS Galileo
[PNPC Tyrion]

Ensign Jaana Voutilainen
Stellar Cartographer
USS Galileo
[PNPC Tuula]

Lieutenant JG Jynn
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Galileo

CPO Keval Grayson
Operations Officer
USS Galileo
[PNPC Nicholas]

PO3 Veri RN
Nurse
USS Galileo
[PNPC Gyce]

EMH Mark X-B
Medical Officer
USS Galileo
[PNPC Holliday]

PO2 Eva Mercy
Propulsion Specialist
USS Galileo
[PNPC Zhao]

Doyle McAdams
Mixologist
USS Galileo
[PNPC Henderson]

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