[G] Lt. JG. Alora DeVeau - "Exit, Stage Left" (Away Team, Calvary)

[Amanda Nordstrom]

*((Gateway Chamber, Nygel II))*


*DeVeau: *One...two...three... something's gone.

*Rahman: *What do see missing?

*DeVeau: *Oh. There it is. You'd better do it. I'm liable to make this
thing explode.

::Which would solve their Orion problem but then they'd have a death
problem to deal with - and that wasn't so easily defeated. It took a
split second for Alora to realise that Rahman wasn't taking the vial
thingy. In fact, she wasn't even paying attention. The engineer's eyes
were shut tight and she shook in rhythm to the grunts that were voiced
behind them.

*DeVeau: *Ma'am?

*Rahman:* ...I'm sorry... I...

::Something was wrong, though Alora couldn't imagine what. They'd
fallen into a deep cavern, she'd suffered from who knew what kind of
injuries she'd sustained while Rahman had her arm broken and a couple of
fingers torn off. It wasn't as if they hadn't already come to terms
with that, right? So what was it? Alora squinted at the fuzzy form
closest to her while the sound of a body making intimate contact with
the stony floor spurred Alora to turn slightly.::

*Pasht-Nos: *Typical Starfleet arrogance. You think your technology and
resources make you superior, but in the end, you're just a pathetic
weakling hiding in a fancy uniform.

*Ross: *RESPONSE

::It wasn't good - the fight wasn't going well. Actually, it was going
well, but for the wrong team.::

*Pasht-Nos: *Don't worry. I won't kill you yet, commander. I'm going to
make you watch as I kill the rest of your team first. I'll make you
watch and see how you've /failed /them.

*Ross: *RESPONSE

::Rahman was trembling and she wasn't the only one. Her vision was
blurred, but Alora could see well enough to ascertain what was
happening. The tremors had improved after Rahman had treated her, but
they hadn't fully subsided. Now, they returned in full force.
Adrenaline? Or Adrenaline running out? Fear? Everything?::

*DeVeau: *What...what...

::She clutched the little capsule tightly, her eyes glued to the scene
presented to her.::

*Rahman: *Lieutenant, just do it already! That's an order!

::At the sound of Rahman's voice, Alora jerked. It was enough to spur
her into action and she turned back to the Gateway. Her fingers
trembled as she stretched out to ease the capsule into place. It took
two tries, both in quick succession, and it snapped into place. She
twisted her head to gaze over at the Orion who turned toward them, his
rifle raised and then...

She was on the ground again, swords slicing through her skin. She
twitched one way, then another, eyes searching for her companions,
finding their prone bodies, one near, one further away.

*DeVeau: *Rahman...Ross.

::She blinked, but her eyes refused to open for a moment. When they
finally peeled back, Saveron hovered over her.::

*DeVeau: *Oh thank God.
*SAVERON:* I will provide treatment where possible, however it would be
preferable to... ::he paused to cough, green speckling the back of the
hand he covered his mouth with:: ... to return us all to the Mercuryas
rapidly as possible.

::Alora blinked several times. Her energy was waning quickly, perhaps
partly because of relief which allowed her a measure of room to relax.
She couldn't help but stare at the green that smeared across his hand
until it was washed way by some sort of disinfectant.::

*DeVeau:* You're hurt...

::Gloves hid his hands from view and then he proceeded to inspect one
eye, then another. The strange, dancing spots took up residence on
Saveron's face.::

*Saveron: *The ship has proven uncontactable. Permit me to splint your arm.

*DeVeau: *What about Rahman?

::She twisted around as best she could, a motion accompanied by more
pain, but that was pretty much whenever she moved at all anyway. Rahman,
however, had other concerns.::

*Rahman: *What about the Gateway, commander?

*Ross: *RESPONSE

::Rahman stared off in the direction of where the men had previous been
fighting, but before she could turn, an unfortunately familiar voice
spoke up.::

*Pasht-Nos: *Yes, what about the Gateway?

*DeVeau: *No, no, no, no, no...

::Despite her reluctance, Alora shifted so she could also gaze at her
captor. Honestly, she felt like bursting into tears. Why wouldn't he
just /die/ already?::

*Ross: *RESPONSE

*Pasht-Nos: *I changed my mind, commander, about killing your team. ::A
sadistic smile crept across his face as he aimed the weapon squarely at
Ross.:: I'll start with you.

::The rifle shifted to aim directly at Ross.::

*De**Veau: *No!

::She about broke down right then and there and most likely would have
fallen into a fit of tears if not a miracle hadn't happened - the gun
didn't fire. The tears were held at bay and the breath that she had
taken in and held suddenly shook out in relief. ::

*Anyone: *RESPONSE

::Of course, their troubles weren't over. While the Orion didn't have
his rifle, he was in much better shape than anyone in the party. They
were going to have to do something and the Orion was already starting to
look as if he were considering his options. He was interrupted by a
snarl that shook the walls and added to the tremors that already ran
rampant through her body. Aliens hovered above them, balanced upon the
arches. The two forms leaped from their position to plummet right into
their enemy. Another fight ensued, but this time none of the
crewmembers were involved - yet. With the way they tumbled about, they
drew closer to the group. Alora's body refused to react though her mind
screamed at her as the blur aimed straight toward her.

::Someone jerked her out of the way and the pain was enough to trigger a
cry of pain, a sob mixed within - a sound she repeated as the energy
wave thrust them all back to the ground. The earth quaked, the walls
groaned, drowning out any sound the officer might make.::

*Rahman: *Oh, dear...

::That was putting it mildly. Alora closed her eyes and wished she
could clap both her hands over her ears. She didn't want to hear the
toll of her death knell.::
*
Anyone: *RESPONSE

*Kells:* =/\= Kells to Ross and away team. =/\=

::But that was a sound she didn't mind hearing so much.::

*Ross:* =/\= RESPONSE =/\=

*Kells:* =/\= We've just arrived on the planet's surface in the Walter
Schirra. How can we assist? =/\=

*Rahman:* =/\= Captain, we need an emergency beam out now to the
surface! =/\=

*Ross et al.:* =/\= RESPONSE =/\=

*Kells/Sahriv/Shryker:* =/\= RESPONSE =/\=

*Rahman: *Lieutenant, grab onto someone!

::Grab on to someone? Her response time was pitiful for her brain was
taking twice as long to process anything that might require a reaction.
Arms took hold of her and she finally grabbed at something with her one
good hand, fingers clutching at fabric, while her other arm was sliced
in pain at the movement and tried her best to hold back her cries.
Warmth enveloped her, a heat throbbed as her eyes shut tight against the
chaos, she did not open them until the trill of the transporter was all
that resounded. She wasn't dead. Unfortunately, she wasn't unconscious
either. At least she was alive. ::

*DeVeau: *My hero. ::She muttered, though to whom exactly was open to
interpretation.:: Can I go to sleep now?

RESPONSE?

*TAG! TBC...*
*
*
*Lt. JG. Alora DeVeau
*
*Science Officer
USS Mercury*