Lieutenant JG Lystra - Vulcan dress down
Rameses
(( Battle Bridge, Deck 8, USS Constitution-B ))
The sensors managed to pick up an energy spike from the Theseus, they were trying to create a warp bubble. And it backfired. The attempt lit them up like an incendiary device just before the containment on their warp core failed.
There was a tremendous blinding flare that spread across the darkened viewscreen and then a subsequent rolling shockwave.
The lights on the bridge died as all power went to the hull to keep the drive together as it was pushed back. The Stardrive was tossed about, even at this distance they felt it hard. She knew that if they had been closer their part of the ship likely would have been lost.
The inertial dampeners whined, struggling to keep up and anyone not bracing would be tossed about the ship like a ragdoll. A small section of the ceiling behind her, near one of the aft consoles, was jostled free and some optical cables dropped through the opening a meter or so.
It felt like forever. It was seconds.
And then it stopped. Thank the stars. Lystra, though braced as she was, was knocked on her ass.
Foster: Is everyone alright?
The Boslic grumbled while picking herself back up to her feet, loose strands of lavender hair hanging about her face. Her gloved fingers quickly tapped at the LCARs in front of her to check for status reports from across the Stardrive.
Saveron: Affirmative.
Horne: I, uh, I think so.
Lystra: Still getting reports from across the Stardrive. ::He paused and quickly read through what she saw::
Foster: Well, the good news is, we have no new hull breaches. The bad news is… we are going nowhere fast.
Lystra: Tactical systems still offline. ::her console updated and she scowled:: More casualties, reported sir. Thirty two wounded. And there’s a plasma fire in Cybernetics lab two on deck twelve. And Shuttle bay three is reporting that one of the type eleven shuttles suffered some minor structural damage after being dislodged from her birth. ::She quickly looked up and added:: Damage control and medical teams are already on it.
Saveron: Then they will be managed. Given our condition that constitutes minimal additional damage, and is acceptable.
Horne: Hull integrity holding steady. We should be good for a bit while we attempt repairs.
Foster: Time to put out a distress call to Starfleet and lick our wounds I would say.
Lystra: Sir, I suggest we wait on the distress call for a moment.
Saveron: Your logic?
Horne: We could really use the help.
Lystra: Because, we have to ask why were the Theseus and Minotaur here in the first place. They aren’t the scientific sort.
Saveron: Then, given our knowledge of the region, there is only one other logical focus for their attention. The Dilithium mine.
Horne: You think they had something to do with the diminished outputs? Like, stealing the dilithium?
Foster: ?
Lystra: Our away team could be in danger. I advise we send as many security teams as we can spare and have shuttles for, to the mine. At best, there’s nothing wrong and they just waste a trip and give the miners a slight panic attack.
Saveron: There are only three entry points for the mine, one of which will be occupied by our earlier shuttle.
Foster: ?
Horne: Does the Syndicate have any history being involved in this type of activity?
Lystra: It would explain why the mine has become inefficient recently. But if there are pirates there, anyone we send should do so cautiously. Last thing we’d want is a massacre or hostage situation.
Though she’d only recently joined the security department, Lystra had been hard studying the department’s procedures and training programs. She still had much to get caught up on, but her own experience in covert operations gave her insight into criminal organizations and especially the Syndicate.
Saveron: Correct. We may already have a hostage situation, and not know it.
The Vulcan rose to his feet, which caught her attention and she watched him move around briefly before looking back to her display. Just to make sure there were no more surprises. The ship had taken a beating. A nacelle gone. Some moderate damage throughout the ship. Many wounded, a handful dead which was too many.
Saveron: Cade, Ensign Poe is unconscious.
And apparently some of those casualties were up here on the battle bridge. She looked over to Poe and frowned. The new Ensign was hurt on his first time out in a battle.
Horne: Let me know if I can help, Doctor.
An incoming hail from the Saucer section came in just then. Lystra looked up at the viewscreen when the transmission was put up on the viewscreen by Sarah.
Saveron: =/\= Saveron here, go ahead. =/\=
Rajel: =/\= How is the Stardrive holding up? Is anyone hurt? =/\=
Saveron: =/\= Affirmative. At current count we have thirty-two wounded and five dead. We are without impulse power or shields. Life support systems are on minimal necessary, a number of crew are unaccounted for, and one of the Type 11 shuttles is damaged. And a Cybernetics lab is on fire. =/\=
There was a momentary pause in the Vulcan’s side of the conversation.
Saveron: =/\= However all situations are being managed. What is the status of the Saucer section? =/\=
Rajel: =/\= From the looks we are okay, shaken but unhurt. At least on the bridge. We have a bunch of reports from all over the section, but are working on it. =/\=
Saveron: =/\= Then neither half is in condition for further confrontation, though one would hazard that the saucer has fared the better of the two, which is preferable given the number of personnel. Were we in a position to do so, I would recommend primary personnel stand down and rest. =/\=
Rajel: =/\= I'll take you up on that later, but now I think we have to get our people back. Do we see it correctly that your shields are down? =/\=
Saveron: =/\= Affirmative. =/\=
Jalana looked at someone else on the bridge, Sirn.
Rajel: =/\= Sirn, Jacob, is it possible to expand our shields to cover the starboard section as well so we can move through the nebula to the mine and after that to the station? =/\=
Horne: =/\= Theoretically yes it's possible to expand the diameter of the shields but in our current state I'm not sure if we'd be able to do it. =/\=
Sirn: =/\= response =/\=
Any: =/\= response =/\=
Saveron: =/\= Engineering is working on restoring our shields and engines, but it will take time. If we were to re-join the Stardrive and Saucer sections, we could utilise the Saucer’s shields and impulse engines. =/\=
Rajel: =/\= I don't think the computer is able to do an automatic joining right now and manual takes time, we have people in a mine packed with pirates. I'd rather not have to wait. =/\=
Lystra: =/\= I think Cade mentioned we aren’t able to move. We might need a tow. =/\=
Saveron: =/\= I concur. Additionally, given that the nebula blocks sensors and communications, the mine’s powerful communications relay is our best option for contacting Starfleet regarding our situation. =/\=
Rajel: =/\= Response =/\=
Any: =/\= response =/\=
Saveron: =/\= Understood. I will initiate preparations here and we will meet you at the mine. =/\=
Rajel: =/\= Response =/\=
Any: =/\= response =/\=
Saveron: Commander Mason is down as well.
Hearing that Lystra’s head whipped to her left to see Saveron looking over the woman she loved. Seeing her lying there unconscious caused a tension in Lystra’s gut. Despite the fact that she likely ruined their relationship with her proposal, she loved Sarah more than anything in the universe. Seeing her like that was not pleasant, but at least she wasn’t worse.
Lystra: Sarah. ::She murmured:: Doc, please help her. Help them both.
Foster: ?
Horne: Ship is damaged and we're down personnel but we are not giving up. What's the next step?
Saveron: Our next target is clear; the Dilithium Mine.
Horne: Right! Do you think the away team is ok?
Lystra: We didn’t detect any transmissions from the pirate ships at all during the battle, so, it’s likely their friends on the mine don’t know what’s happened.
Foster: ?
Saveron: Cade, how are Poe and Mason?
Foster: ?
Saveron: Once they are stabilised, please acquire a field medical kit. You will be our medic.
Foster: ?
Saveron: Jacob, confer with the Chief Engineer to organise repairs, and order the shuttles prepped for departure. We will use the shuttles to reach the mine; auxiliary crew can bring the Stardrive when her impulse engines are repaired. And obtain a field engineer’s kit.
Jacob nodded as the direction.
Horne: Yes sir. I'll head down to engineering and work with the Chief to start organizing repair teams based on most urgent needs.
Saveron: The Chief can manage the repairs. We may have need of your expertise inside the mine.
Horne: Oh. Right.
Jacob seemed a little less than enthused by the clarification.
Saveron: Lystra, I require parties of Security Personnel to prepare to transfer to the mine and meet us in Shuttle Bay 2. Leave sufficient to defend the Stardrive if necessary, but we need as many as possible.
Lystra: Understood sir, I’ll make sure they’re ready post haste.
Saveron: Once you have done so, accompany me to the armory.
Lystra: Yes, sir. ::she nodded then turned back to her station and hit the internal comms:: =/\= Battle bridge to Security. All Alpha and Beta shift personnel, gear up in the armory and report to the shuttlebays for immediate departure. Potential hostage situation with some of our crew at the mine. All Gamma shift personnel gear up, but remain at your posts. Battle bridge out. =/\=
Saveron: Cade, Jacob, I will meet you in the shuttle bay.
Horne: Yes sir.
She keyed her station for a replacement tactical officer to cover her console and she turned to join the others by the back of the battle bridge.
Lystra: Security teams are mobilized.
Foster: ?
Saveron gave them the ta’al solemnly, then activated the emergency release on the Battle Bridge doors and shoved them open with apparently minimal effort. It was easy to forget that Vulcans possessed superhuman strength. While not mega strength, like Soong-type androids, or some sentient species, such as Al-Leyans, they were no laughing matter. She followed Saveron into the turbolift shaft.
((Security Complex, Deck 28))
20 decks of Jefferies ladders was the last thing on anyone’s list of things they were looking forward to experiencing on any day of the week. And yet, despite her calves feeling as if they were made of liquid thermite, they had arrived at the Security Complex with Saveron striding in like it was his own personal dominion.
Saveron: We will require appropriate equipment for the four of us.
She gave him a nod and moved to the door to the armory.
Lystra: Yes, sir. Leave it to me.
Seeing him looking at her expectantly she gave him a nod, keyed in her code for the door and the moment it opened she stepped in and quickly went about gathering up what they’d need. She grabbed a pair of Type 33 CQC phaser rifles. And several hand phasers. She held out a hand phaser and one of the rifles to Saveron. Letting the counselor take his preference. Both were versatile and as the Vulcan was from a medical profession, she suspected he’d prefer the phaser, rather than the rifle. But, Saveron had shown he was more than capable of being ferocious and intimidating as the need arose. Hence the option.
Jalana had already shown these pirates she had claws and fangs you’d never want to mess with. Why couldn’t Saveron? The only difference between them aside from the obvious was his claws could just knock you unconscious with a little pinch.
Saveron: The shuttles are preparing. Complete your activities and prepare to depart. ::He directed them.::
The Boslic of course, as usual, armed herself slightly excessively. With not only one of the rifles she’d grabbed already, but a pair of the Aquila variant hand phasers and holstered them on each hip. The rifle slung snugly across her chest.
Lystra: Since we’re going into a mine, we might need some shaped breaching charges. They’re bound to have heavy blast doors. ::She called out to the stragglers before they left::
She picked a few of the affectionately named ‘Dolphin’ phasers in holsters that she attached to her waist to give to Cade and Jacob when they met up. Since they were a physician and engineer respectively she suspected they might not be keen on using anything other than the typical hand weapon.
Any: ?
A few moments later the two of them were alone. The Vulcan cast the Boslic Sec/Tac Officer a keen look. It was one she caught and instantly tensed up a bit. Clearly he had something he wanted to speak with her about.
Saveron: I wished to discuss recent and upcoming events, in light of your history with the Orion Syndicate. ::He said bluntly.::
Lystra: ::She tugged at her gloves slightly:: Sir?
Saveron: I am appreciative of your understanding of the Syndicate culture and psych; we have five evacuees who might otherwise have chosen to stand on their pride, had you not spoken when you did.
Saveron had followed her lead and in doing so, Jalana had as well which may have saved five lives. Still, she suspected there was a sizable posterior coming next.
Lystra: It was a calculated gamble. In the end, only five of them took the bait.
The Vulcan nodded gravely.
Saveron: By the same token, it has become obvious that not everything about the Syndicate is perceived moderately by yourself. Your early termination of our participation in communications with the Theseus was entirely inappropriate.
There was no real accusation in his voice, and certainly no anger. Not even disappointment. Which, if she was being honest, she wasn’t sure if that made this better or worse.
Lystra: Yes, sir. I apologize for that, but after all they’ve done to me it’s hard to be objectionable.
Saveron: I am aware that you suffered significant trauma during your time with the Syndicate. That is extremely regrettable, and I would never penalise someone for what they had to endure, but I need to know that our crew will not take rash action. Can I trust you to exert self control, whilst at a bridge console? Or do I need to restrict your access to the main consoles, for the safety of the crew?
It was perhaps the most calm dressing down anyone had likely received, that she knew of, and yet she tensed a bit. Saveron knew fully what she’d gone through before joining Starfleet. One of a scant few. She doubted she would ever be able to be completely free of the animosity and derision she felt for the Syndicate, but she also didn’t want to risk her career.
Lystra: No, sir. I won’t let this happen again. I would prefer to not be restricted.
Saveron: ?
Lystra: ::She gave a slight nod:: I honestly hadn’t thought we’d have to run into the Syndicate since I joined the Constitution.
It was rarely an easy thing, facing one’s trauma and their fears head on unexpectedly.
Saveron: ?
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Lieutenant JG Lystra
Tactical Officer
USS Constitution-B NCC-9012-B
SB118 Podcast Team
Writer ID: A239410TR0
https://wiki.starbase118.net/wiki/index.php?title=Lystra