Cpt. Karrod Niac - The Spirit is Willing But The Flesh is Spongy And Bruised

[Karrod Niac]

((Bridge, Deck 3, U.S.S. Ronin, Approximately Twenty Minutes After the Explosion))

Karrod sagged against the sparking console and coughed again, his hand coming from his mouth covered in darkest crimson.  Doctor Beck had done all he could for him and the remaining personnel on the bridge before carrying their still unconscious helmsman to the miraculously functioning turbolift and, hopefully, down to sickbay.  The ship herself wasn't in much better condition even after Chief Tucker and his damage control teams had worked frantically to get anything back online.  Karrod could list on one hand the systems they had available...life support on most but not all decks, half-impulse from fusion reactors that were barely remaining stable, minimal shields, two functioning lateral phaser banks whose emitters weren't destroyed by the shockwave and a single operative torpedo launcher.  Warp drive would take days to restore but that hardly mattered as they had totally burnt out the deflector dish in their desperate gambit to stop the Alliances super-weapon.  They'd been successful...after a fashion...but couldn't raise either Deep Space Thirty Three or the Khitomer, which they could see was struggling off their starboard and venting atmosphere.  

And the Alliance was still circling, a swarm of skittish jackals who'd been unexpectedly wounded by their quarry.  It had given them a few precious minutes to recover but Karrod feared it simply wouldn't make a difference in the end.  There were still two functional Leviathan class vessels out there, all badly damaged but inexorably regaining the capacity to dispense more than enough firepower to sweep them aside.  Karrod had watched the hateful things on the crackling, static filled viewscreen and cursed them silently.  They'd done more in defense of the station than Karrod would've thought possible.  The Ronin & Khitomer had pulverized a fleet that outclassed them in every technical respect but the surviving elements would have their vengeance soon enough.  As Doctor Beck had warned him, Karrod's limp that was getting progressively worse...but he didn't have the hours needed to spend in sickbay to mend all the bones he'd broken.  He dragged himself to the tactical station where Lt. Cmdr. Carpenter still struggled in vain to get any of their tactical systems back online.  He leaned heavily against the console and tried to put whatever warmth he had left in his voice.  His people deserved it.  And so much more.  

Niac:  How does it look, Kirsty?  We down to hurling strongly worded letters at the Alliance?  

Carpenter:  Response

Karrod chuckled and nearly doubled over in pain but controlled himself just enough to avoid falling over.  

Niac:  I'm starting to think you missed your calling as a diplomat, Commander.  If I'd put you on the comm with the Alliance ages ago maybe we could've avoided all...this...

Karrod gestured towards the battered bridge and its equally battered skeleton crew.  

Carpenter:  Response

Karrod nodded and propped himself up as best he could.  

Niac:  Very well.  Keep trying to raise anyone you can.  Khitomer or the station.  We survived...whatever that was.  Odds are they did too.  Our people are out there, Kirsty...I believe that.  This wasn't all for nothing.  

Carpenter:  Response

Trying to straighten up and doing his best to ignore the twinge in his lower back, Karrod made his way to the rear of the bridge where Chief Tucker's feet were protruding from a maintenance hatch below one of the few consoles that was only offline and not completely destroyed.  

Niac:  So what do you think, Chief?  This damage going to buff out?  

Tucker:  Response

Karrod snorted carefully and leaned down to gingerly help the man up.  

Niac:  I was worried you'd say something like that.  Any chance at all of getting the core back online?  

Tucker:  Response

Gesturing towards the viewscreen and the menacing hulks hanging just out of range Karrod fought to repress a scowl.  

Niac:  I feel like the old girl has just a little bit of fight left in her, Chief...and I'm not giving those bastards the satisfaction of just sitting here while they roll over what's left of the station.  ::He glanced towards the vacant helm station and considered one final option.::  How about the impulse drive?  Can you give me enough for one sustained maximum velocity burst?  It...wouldn't need to last long.  

Tucker:  Response

The turbolift doors parted and a young man Karrod had only seen in passing walked onto the bridge, gold shouldered uniform coated with the grime of hard duty.  The engineering toolkit in his hands looked like it had been in a warzone and Karrod realized that, sadly, it had been.

Sims:  Response

Nodding towards the man with a sad smile, Karrod gestured around the bridge just as a loose panel detached from the wall and fell to the deck with a muffled whump.  

Niac:  Good of you to join us, Ensign Sims.  I regret your first visit to the bridge is...less than auspicious.  I'm sure Chief Tucker is waiting for your damage report.  He's the Lieutenant over there who looks like his uniform might be smoldering.  And that slightly overcooked tactical officer is Lt. Cmdr. Carpenter but you may want to give her some space, she's angry enough to climb onto the hull with a hand phaser at this point.  Not that I blame her.  What's the situation below?  

Tucker/Carpenter/Sims:  Response

[Tags/TBC!]

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Captain Karrod Niac
Commanding Officer
USS Ronin - NCC-34523
V239509GT0