[Act 2] Ensign Saavei - I Should Fix That
Tara W
((I feel like some of the comm tags got a little out of order, tried to arrange them as best I could. Posting now because I have a long weekend coming up and probably won't have time to again until Sunday. I'll give my mea culpa now if I screwed it up. Please feel free to backsim any corrections needed but I'll be too far outside the 72 if I don't post tonight))
Shanaak: It appears there is a secondary rift opening. Our faux attempt at entering underspace has--
The ship jolted, sending the Grand Expert off of her feet. She flew through the air, before crouching down again to “nest”, keeping herself steady. Taelon had taken his hands off the console and thus was thrown off his feet, ARIA rushing towards him as its automated protective protocols activated.
Saavei could do little herself except hold on as best as possible while the ship was violently buffeted. One of her feet tried to slip out from beneath her but she grabbed onto the edge of her station in time to keep from being knocked over.
Ikai grabbed a console himself, holding onto the metal plating hard enough to deform it.
Wong: What the hell’s going on?!
Shanaak: The rift is growing, and that shockwave may not be the last--
This time, the ship seemed to tilt, as she grabbed on to her console to keep herself from sliding from where she was. She dug her talons in-- but sparks flew from the ceiling as the ship bounced, then jumped, before throwing her from her position, into another nearby console. The ship heaved one way, then the other - up, down, sideways. Taelon joined the Grand expert in being flung around, scrambling to find something to hold onto.
Saavei was also knocked down, sliding unceremoniously across the deck and towards the warp core. Fortunately it wasn't a far journey in the smaller ship, so by the time her hip slammed into it, she hadn't gained significant velocity with her current acceleration. Her bones and muscles protested all the same.
Wong: Everyone, hold on!
Taelon: Son of a-
The Grand Expert’s head hit the screen hard, causing her to fall into a daze, before she fell to the floor. Her feathers puffed out as she lifted her head slightly, but then lost consciousness. Her falling body hit Taelon’s, and they both ended up in a pile at the corner of the consoles. She was limp; he was bruised, stunned, but awake. He tried to sit up, only for another bump to slam him against the consoles again. ARIA flew down to him, chiming its bell-like alarms.
Saavei: Commander, are you injured? ::She attempted to regain her footing, using the panel next to her for support:: Grand Expert?
That certainly earned her a look from the crewmate who was one, however. Wong was crouched down next to Shanaak and Taelon with a tricorder.
Wong: Saavei, I think this is the very definition of injured.
Taelon: I’m - ::Fine wasn’t the word.:: I think she’s been knocked out, Doctor -
Shanaak continued to lay, unmoving, atop Taelon. The Engineering bay was full of alarms, fallen panels, and sparking consoles. The vibration of the ship continued. Saavei regained her footing in time to stumble back towards her station, where her eyes hurriedly went over the new data coming in. It reminded her of all those times she'd spent in the simulator at the Academy once again. The smell though... it was different when it was 'real' versus in the holodeck. Deuterium being scorched somewhere. Acrid and foul, but it didn't seem to be in toxic levels. She was also not a doctor.
Ikaia held his hand out.
Wong: Don’t move her yet. And in fact, you shouldn’t move either until it’s safe to do so.
Taelon: S-saavei, status?
Saavei: Life support is online. Shields are at seventy-percent. Ablative armor is intact. Propulsion is down and we lost both rear torpedo tubes. We are in Underspace.
Wong: Taelon, you should be able to move. But please be careful. I want to look you over afterwards.
The El-Aurian groaned as he wiggled free of Shaanak and shakily got to his feet. The Engineering consoles were upset, but mostly intact.
Taelon: Get - we need to get things repaired…hull breaches in sector 3, major radiation leaks in 6 and 7…
Saavei: Emergency force fields are holding. The crew will likely need further inoculations; attempting to adjust interior atmospheric pressure to vent more radiation outside the ship. Doctor, how badly injured is the Grand Expert?
Saavei didn't believe it would be taken well by the Trenvonn if, on this mission in support of Starfleet, the Grand Expert were to be seriously injured or killed. Her earlier thoughts about birds and hollow bones increased her level of concern for Shanaak.
Wong: The good news is that she’s very much alive and we may not have a diplomatic incident on our hands. Bad news is that she is concussed.
In terms of damage, it could have been much worse, but in terms of timing, it was about 'as bad as it got'. The Independence-B was in Underspace with its propulsion systems offline, a corridor known for being unstable and full of debris. Saavei couldn't see the full sensor readings and she now had to go into damage control mode. The Bridge would have to handle other issues as they arose or notify them of pressing needs. She knelt down, opening the hatch by her feet, and grabbing hold of a repair kit.
Saavei: We need to get propulsion back online. If we cannot navigate in Underspace, the odds of additional hull breaches from debris increase exponentially. ::To one of the Crewman, as she pointed at him:: You. Get a repair kit and meet me by junction B. The rest of you crew members attend the warp drive. Ensure we have warp available and anything else Commander Taelon or the Bridge orders.
oO The Vaadwaur could be out there somewhere. Oo There was a human phrase about 'sitting geese' or some such to imply a state of helplessness. That fit the ship at the moment, save that the phaser arrays and forward torpedo tubes still appeared to be functional. Slow to move, perhaps, but not entirely defenseless. She was already by the control panel for the plasma intakes. First things first. She opened the cover to junction B a little more quickly than looked graceful, crawled inside like a Cardassian Vole, and then Saavei was half-buried within the workings of the cables and conduits behind it, her legs and feet sticking out behind her. A plasma torch clicked on then off, light flickering from inside. A hyperspanner working. Those legs and feet now twisting around as she switched direction to look at something else. Her hand shoved out of the opening for another tool, which the aforementioned crewman handed her after a muffled demand.
Wong: =/\=Wong to Bridge - what’s going on up there? =/\=
Saavei/Taelon/Ukinix or Aitas/Shanaak(?): Response.
Wong: =/\=Things are going as swimmingly as they can down here if you don’t count the fact that propulsion is out and we have some radiation leaks on decks 6 and 7. I’m going to strongly recommend you get some hyronalin-lectrazine doses going up there.=/\=
((Can backsim if the Bridge would reach out sooner))
Wong: Alright. Taelon, it’s your turn. I won’t interfere. But I do need to look you over.
Taelon/Shanaak: Responses
Saavei emerged from her burrow of cables, sliding backwards. She regained her feet and tapped her combadge.
Saavei: =/\= Saavei to Bridge, you have maneuvering thrusters. Impulse power will be restored shortly. =/\= ::She looked to Taelon as she returned to her station and pulled up the impulse engine diagram:: Any updates, sir?
Wong: Along with Saavei’s question, I have one of my own here - how are you feeling?
Aitas: =/\= Thank you. The Vaadwaur have followed us in. Do you need any additional support? =/\=
Taelon/Shanaak: Responses
Saavei: That complicates matters. Rerouting power now. ::Her fingers played across LCARS like a classically trained pianist::
The red lines on the screen leading from the warp core to the impulse engines turned to orange and then slowly, as she used the secondary circuits, to green. Saavei locked the modifications in place then tapped her combadge again.
Saavei: =/\= Bridge, impulse power has been restored via the secondary couplings. =/\=
Ukinix: =/\= Thanks Ensign, we’ll start moving down the corridor =/\=
Wong: Just don’t move around too much. My hands may be steady but I’d prefer not to have a moving target.
Taelon/Shanaak: Responses
Saavei: Perhaps we should inspect the rear torpedo tubes. If they have fully collapsed, they will need to be repaired at the Outpost. Perhaps one or both only suffered obstructing damage which could be cleared. The hull breach on deck four may limit our access, however, or necessitate environment suits. Your thoughts, Commander?
Saavei's thoughts were recalling the mention of phase torpedoes. It was possible they could use photonic detonations to destroy incoming hostile warheads, should the Vaadwaur decide to attack, but their firing arcs were currently limited. Even getting one tube working could make a significant difference if it came to a fight.
Ikaia held up his finger.
Wong: Hold on a sec. If you’re planning to head up to deck four, I’m going to remind you that at least one of you has a concussion, one of you has been knocked silly and we don’t have a Trenvonn sized EV suit.
Ukinix: =/\= What is your status, are you all healthy? Ikaia? =/\=
Taelon/Wong/Shanaak: Response
Ukinix: =/\= Let’s get everyone and everything patched up, the Vaadwaur have followed us into underspace. We’ll remain at red alert. Ukinix out. =/\=
Taelon/Shanaak: =/\= Response =/\=
Ukinix: =/\= Bridge to Engineering. What’s our warp status? =/\=
Ikaia paused. He looked at Saavei and Taelon. He nodded to her and mouthed the words “answer him.”
Saavei: ::With a quick look towards the crewmen working by the core:: =/\= Warp power is available, sir. I would not recommend exceeding warp five without checking the calibration for the modifications we performed on the main navigational deflector =/\=
If anything became out of variance, they'd have to adjust it. Going too fast at warp too soon could simply tear the ship apart if the forces were improperly distributed. No sooner had she said it though then the ship shook again. This time it felt different; not from Underspace. She looked to her panel and saw the power change and signature in their shields.
Saavei: We are being fired upon.
Taelon: Response
Wong: Okay. So thoughts on those torpedo tubes - is there an alternate route where we can bypass the hull breach without needing EV suits?
Saavei: It may be possible.
Taelon/Shanaak: Response
Ikaia put his equipment back into his medkit and walked over to the nearest console to pull up a map.
Wong: Let’s see if we can find another solution here.
Saavei moved over next to him to review it as well. This was her first trip aboard the Independence-B. While she'd studied the Defiant-class schematics, there remained a difference between that and being aboard one in person.
Saavei: Our shields are down to fifty percent ::As she looked back to her station:: Now forty percent.
Taelon/Shanaak: Response
He looked over the map and studied it. He pointed to a series of jefferies tubes.
Wong: What about heading up this way? There’s going to be some climbing involved. But it’s doable.
Saavei: The way you propose is possible, provided we do not sustain additional structural damage.
This was also her first time being under live fire. It wasn't a pleasant experience. The Vaadwaur frigate's weapons must be powerful if they were draining the ship's shields so quickly. It was not helping that their shields were also working to repel the hazardous nature of Underspace. Saavei bit back the edge of fear in her mind which arose, funneling it back into the void of logic. The crew in Engineering could keep repairing the shield grid. At a practical speed limit of warp five, they were unlikely to escape via flight. The inertial dampeners must have kicked in stronger for a moment because Saavei felt a slight tug as the ship had changed its direction of travel. Evasive maneuvers, likely as not.
Taelon/Shanaak: Response
Saavei: Commander Taelon, we can access the rear tubes via the route Doctor Wong points out. Even restoring one of them would increase our odds of survival. The rear tubes are two decks directly below us.
Odds which weren't very high, at the moment. Saavei had learned, however, that many in Starfleet were adept at defying those odds and she'd participated in that a time or two herself already. If they were going to do so, they should do so now. If the Independence-B took additional damage to the rear of the ship, additional breaches could render that was impassable as well. Or trap them within a tube. oO Or intermingle them into a mixture of torn and melted durasteel Oo Of course, the route would take them directly past the antimatter pods as well, and if one of those were to be breached then they'd be atomized before their minds could realize it. She wondered if her grandfather had contemplated any of these thoughts on his own, during the war. Cardassians then... and Vaadwaur right now.
Taelon/Wong/Shanaak: Response
Saavei: Sickbay is only a short distance forward of Main Engineering, if you would prefer to get the Grand Expert there first, Doctor.
She didn't know the extent of their guests' injuries and would prefer to avoid a major diplomatic incident where possible. The ship rocked again, either another hit or a very near miss.
Taelon/Wong/Shanaak: Response
Saavei packed up her repair kit quickly and hefted it in one hand. She could update the bridge if requested; absent further directives from Commander Ukinix, she assumed he 'had his hands occupied'.
Saavei: Let us get to work then.
Taelon/Wong/Shanaak: Response
Tags/TBC
