Commander Ash MacKenna - A Thread of Hope

[Marissa Jeffrey]

((Ops, Deck One, Central Module, Deep Space Thirty Three))

Dreams, or nightmares rather, had plagued her as if the black collar she wore had been made of the shadows, in the shadows, and baptized by the unholy waters of whatever the deepest, darkest, most twisted reality in existence. Sleep rarely came easy for her, though next to Shayne it came far more often than usual. But sleep did not matter to the waking nightmares that chased her.

Her time as an operative had put her into situations she couldn't have even imagined, and yet somehow, she had made it through. This time she was very much wondering if this would be the same. There was no sinking into the crowd of the enemy and finding safety there this time though. No, this time she was front and center and in the middle of where the limelight was. 

The enemy was coming, had been coming, and she worried that they would eventually break through.

((Twenty Minutes Later, Ops))

Stergis: I think....I've....got it!

There was a kind of sick lighting that followed, but even in that, there was promise of something. Power meant information, and information was the weapon they needed right then. At least it would tell them something. Ash looked as the woman made her way to the ops table that would tell them, hopefully, all they needed to know. 

On her own screens, bits and pieces of fragmented sensor data flashed on her screens, without permanence or length to scroll. Still, even with broken bits, she was able to piece together some things. Making some adjustments to the resources that were responsive, she attempted to get a look outside. 

Even with the missing parts, that look was grim.

Stergis:  We're on emergency life support...main fusion reactors are offline...defense grid is non-responsive...all of the sensors on the exterior of the station that were facing the shockwave are totally gone...I can't get much of a look outside with what's left.  You having any luck?

MacKenna:  Not sure what kind of luck you would call it, but all I see is bad. More Alliance ships, and no sign of our ships.

Ash raised an eyebrow but didn't look away from her screens.

Stergis:  Well, I guess bad luck counts.  Keep trying to raise the Khitomer or the Ronin.  

MacKenna:  Working on it.

And so she did. Adjustments to the instruments that were still operational should have given her the ability to communicate with the ships outside if they were still there, which led to a pit that formed within her. What if they weren't still there?

Yet, she felt him out there somewhere, and she knew that they weren't gone, at least not at that moment. Each moment that passed, however, changed the landscape and the game. A static pierced through the dimly lit control center.

Raga: =/\= Raga to Ops. We’re here. Every last person we could still reach has fallen back to the Embassy and are positioned throughout the entire deck. A hundred strong between them and you. We’ll make every shot count. =/\=

There was emotion in the voice that responded, though she was doing a fair amount to suppress it. Ash looked towards the walls where the fighters were on the other side. 

Stergis:  =/\= Understood Commander.  Internal security grid is a mess but we'll try to seal some doors and slow them down at least, create some firing lanes for you. =/\=

Mackenna: =/\= Working on the ones that are responsive. =/\=

The line closed to the sound of a firefight continuing and Ash transitioned from her attempts at looking outside to attempts at controlling resources inside. 

Stergis:  If I thought the Alliance wouldn't just pick off the escape pods I'd probably be ordering an evacuation...but I don't think we've got anywhere left to fall back to, Commander.  I'm....sorry.  I really thought I'd get you back to Captain Shayne.  

Ash closed her eyes and refused to cry. She refused to give up the hope they had of a future where there was nothing to separate them. She'd given up her life as an operative to search the stars with him, and now she refused to die for the same.

MacKenna:  We aren't done yet.

Another sound crackled through the comm speakers.

Hobart: =/\= Hobart to Ops. How are we doing? =/\=

The commander seemed to look around for a long moment before responding. 

Stergis:  =/\= We're still here Mr. Hobart. =/\= Another explosion on the far side of the bulkhead shook the whole room. =/\= Although the Alliance seems more than a little offended by that. =/\=

MacKenna: =/\= The attack has been grough to us. =/\=

Finally, the commander sat, not paying much attention to the debris in the chair.

Hobart: =/\= That bad, huh? We’ve secured the transporter room on Deck 8, and it’s operational. Where do you need us? =/\=

Another moment passed before she spoke.

Stergis: =/\= What's your status?  How many people do you have with you? =/\=

Matthews: =/\= Four officers standing by, one being patched up.=/\=

MacKenna: =/\= Four officers? =/\=

Her own first officer elaborated.

Hobart: =/\= Two officers, one marine, and a doctor. =/\=

A reasonable attack party. They would be helpful in the last stand.

Stergis:  =/\= In that case you should fall in with the rest of the surviving defense team.  We've pulled the defense perimeter up here.  Commander Raga and his people are ringing the exterior of Ops right now and the remaining Alliance forces are pushing hard.  I think they've realized that if they don't take the station they're going to die right along with us.  =/\=

Matthews: =/\= That makes me want to not fall in with the rest. Are we pushing to blow the station and take out the enemy? If so, shouldn’t we be working on evacuation and extraction? =/\=

Too many questions and not enough time. Ash didn't answer, but the first officer did.

Hobart: =/\= I sent Lieutenant Zenno and a marine to complete the scuttling prep. We lost contact with them some time ago, but I’m confident he got the job done. He always does. We’ll be there soon. Hobart out. =/\=

The line closed and plunged them into relative silence again. Around her, anyone who was able was back to a station though it might not have been their own. A few bodies littered the ground anyways. They sure could use that doctor. Again, the speaker flared to life.

Raga: =/\= Raga to Ops, a group of Alliance troops just beamed in near the starboard airlock. I think they're going to try and decompress the entire deck! Can you block them? =/\=

A new shot of adrenaline hit her at the words and she turned to her console.

Stergis: =/\= Response =/\=

MacKenna: =/\= Trying to reinforce the lockouts and initiate forcefields. =/\=

Raga: =/\= Copy, we’ll see if we can deal with them in the meantime. Raga out. =/\= 

The line dropped again, and Ash looked over at the station's weary commander.

MacKenna: If they do that they will take out themselves too. Is that what this has come down to?

And if so, why didn't they just take out the station? Were the Alliance races so hateful of other races that they wanted to see them exterminated one by one even at the cost of their own? That baffled her.

Stergis: Response?

Another crackle, but the voice this time was soft and difficult to hear.

Hobart: =/\= ::whispered:: Hobart to Ops, can you hear me? We’re on Deck 1, behind the enemy. =/\=

Stergis : =/\= Response =/\=

MacKenna: =/\= That could be in a number of places. Any other details? =/\=

Hobart: =/\= We’re in a storeroom in Section 5. Any chance you can get someone to us? =/\=

Stergis : =/\= Response =/\=

Ash poked at the console trying to get information on the level. She wasn't all that familiar with it, but there was something there, she just knew it. Finally, a kind of half map appeared and she measured the distance between the objective and the team.

MacKenna: =/\= You seem to be on the other side of the airlock from Raga's team. And closer. =/\=

Her eyes moved towards those of the station commander, who was the one who issued the orders.

Stergis: =/\= Response? =/\=

There didn't seem to be much acknowledgement, but as the firefight seemed to grow more intense outside of the command center, Ash could only assume the smaller team was about to make a move. As they did, another flicker of data appeared on her screen. Her eyes narrowed. 

MacKenna: More ships are dropping out of warp.

Stergis: Response?

More Alliance ships would be the end of Starfleet's presence in the Isles. It wasn't until the ship was out of warp, however, that Ash realized their fortune.

MacKenna; It's the Excalibur!

Stergis: Response?

The speakers crackled to life once more - this time seemingly more strongly.

Nicholotti: =/\= To all Lattice Alliance ships and forces; you have picked the wrong day and the wrong people to bring this fight to. You have ten minutes to withdraw, or I will take care of that for you. Your time starts now. =/\=

The intel officer's emerald eyes lit up. Hope was a thread that was always there as long as you didn't let go, and Ash was glad she did not let go.

TAG/TBC

--

Commander Ash MacKenna

Chief Intelligence Officer

USS Khitomer

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