Lt. Cmdr. Kirsty Carpenter - Adeptus Alphaeus
Justin Partridge
Carpenter: Now or never, sir. If we don't push them back now...we won't at all.
Kirsty was ashamed and almost angered at how much that prospect appealed to her. You could even say it was a mortal sort of embarrassment. A feeling that might even become explicitly true if the next hour didn't swing a certain way.
Even from a young age, Kirsty was all-too-willing to fight. Starting with schoolyard scraps to earning her place in the SAR, it was something she never had any problem leaning into. However, even with her justifications, there was always something there under the surface, lurking darkly and not-so-gently pushing her to take it just a step further. Just to see how she could handle it. If she could overcome. More than Kirsty was willing to admit, that dark thing's voice had won out. The shame and the custom concern for her own soul (that particular knife twisting further thanks to Ma's fire n' brimstone about the sin of Wraith and how "even Samson fell") always coming on like a thunderhead almost directly afterward.
After Phobos, that dark thing had gained further purchase in her heart and soul. It HAD to. She wouldn't have been able to survive, to do the things she NEEDED to do to survive without it. Then the very thing that had helped her out the other side of that hell had become another of her own making. One she seemed more than okay with building out around her. Even when it only served to alienate her further from her superiors and peers.
With the Ronin, with this newfound (and fiercely defended) family, she had wrongly assumed that that monster inside her was finally caged for good. That her wits and will could win out thanks to the tacit emotional support of her Counselor, her Captain, and her crew. But that had been before the Lattice Alliance and their declaration of expansionist conflict. That had been before the S-Wave. Before Teryn...
Before this brand new corner the Alliance had backed them into. Where the only thing between them and nearly complete control of the sector were three starships, two of which were already well and truly on the ropes and the third coming in at well past the nick of time. She thought darkly about their gambit, even more mordantly about their chances of pulling it off. Her pulse quickened at the chances, the charred return of the pain of her burns, dancing at the edges of her awareness.
She hated how bittersweet this moment tasted at the back of her throat. But knew the only way out was forward. The eyes of the whole Bridge were darkened, a few of those gazes were even turned Kirsty's way and she understood why. The Captain turned to them with his own stormy look, dropping his voice for them and them alone.
Niac: Chief, Mr. Sims, transfer all remaining power into the deflector dish. Including life support.
The Engineers on the Bridge balked momentarily. Kirsty wasn't sure she would have trusted Marty or his people anymore if they HADN'T. The plan in itself was insane. The amount of power and the things they would have to pull it from even more so. Her mind flashed painfully to thin atmo training and the few times throughout her career that she was called upon to put that training into action. Working with little to no life support was no picnic.
And if they skimped on even a single joule. Kirsty stopped thinking about that as soon as she started. She wasn't smart enough to be speculating. But she wouldn't discredit the concern of Marty and Sims. Simply would stay silent until she had something more to contribute.
Sims: But..
Marty seemed to pick up the vibe from the new Ensign. Kirsty tried crossing her arms, but winced at the still reblooming pain of her burns. She settled for shifting slightly on her heels behind her repaired console. But once more The Captain held their gazes with his own.
Tucker: You sure, sir?
Niac: I'm sure I'm sick of seeing that ship in my sky, Chief.
The two Gold jackets exchanged another look and Kirsty didn't have to know a lot to know what the feeling was. They would have one shot and one shot only at this. Even the enemy fighter-forms and the now retreating frigates seemed to know it, putting more and more space between themselves and the glittering "Gun-Ship" that was swinging around to bear once more. Looking now more like an ancient wounded thunderlizard than a capital ship.
But they still had no other moves. She was trying to will the feeling she had forward into the Bridge.
Tucker: ::nodding at the captain:: Aye sir. Cutting all life support and diverting it to the deflector. I’ve also diverted the warp core into the deflector; the beam will blow out the deflector…if anyone cares….
Kirsty's face wrinkled sternly.
oO I do, Marty. Probably more than I can say...Oo
Sims: Blow out the deflector and probably take out the warp core along with it…
Hearing it out loud didn't help the realization go down any easier, but she had more concerns. With the incoming deflector pulse, the "anti-Web" as it were, the energy from the weapons and even the anti-ballistics fields were fizzling out. Targets that were painted and tracked by the targeting systems went unchecked. Kirsty once more burned with a momentary frustration. She couldn't protect her ship. At least...not in the conventional way, anyway.
But she transferred what little power she had control over, the scant amount from the beam weapons and the little left in the tank for the shields, and surrendered it to their last ditch effort. To silence the movement now of her idle hands, she clamped them heavily across the ends of her console, fixing her eyes on the Main Viewer. Where the "Gun-Ship" still hung like the antagonist of some mid-century space opera.
Its very presence now offended her. The anger sat badly on her chest, she had never thought of herself as a "hateful" person but she wasn't sure where else she could turn in this moment. The Captain's steely voice once more cut through her heated mind.
Niac: Standby deflector pulse. If we live through this one you've all got the day off tomorrow. If we don't I'll expect you on duty bright and early.
She gave a rueful chuckle.
Carpenter: Appreciate ya, Captain.
Sims: I don’t plan on dying today… It wouldn’t look good on my service record if I died in my first week of service.
Consoles started to shout across the compartment.
Tucker: Alright, I’ve got a massive power spike, and I need to get rid of it before we explode. Would you like me to release that energy skipper?
Niac: One last miracle, Chief.
Glittering energy and darkened lighting tracks greeted their words. Kirsty had to make the effort to keep herself breathing. But even as the air started to get thinner and the light from the Main Viewer started to bring Kirsty's eyes to a squint...her favorite Vulcan's voice crackled through the Bridge.
General address. But pointed directly down that now jeweled, impossible "gun barrel" that was pointed at...basically every Federation asset in the sector now. A new fire started to stoke in her breast. Not one of anger and desperation. But of hope. Of making a stand. Were...were they ACTUALLY about to pull this off? Alieth's even, almost senatorial tone told her that, hell, they just might.
Alieth: =/\= To all Lattice Alliance ships and forces; we are targeting your flagship with a unique countermeasure we have developed against your weapons technology. Not only that, but this ship, and soon all Federation ships in the area, will be immune to your technology thanks to information provided by an informant recovered from your facilities. We urge you to withdraw from Sector Alpha 113 as quickly as possible. =/\=
The "Gun-Ship" only continued on its targeting course. She wondered quickly if they would regret that in a few minutes.
And if she would be alive in order to enjoy it. Marty sang out from a humming console and a larger gathering of light just to the bottom of their "porthole" of the Main Viewer.
oO Teryn, buddy...if this doesn't work, I'm so sorry...Oo
Tucker: One deflector beam coming right up!
Life drained quickly, concerningly so, from basically the whole space across the Bridge. The air became stale and tinny, but that wasn't what dominated Kirsty's awareness. It was the roar and hammering of the weaponry and deflector pulse anti-Web interacting. The kinetic fallout came in rollicking waves, bucking backward the ship entirely and sending thundering stuttering impact quakes through the whole of her superstructure.
She might have screamed if she wasn't so focused on keeping herself on her feet. She clamped both her arms heartily across the top of her console, straining and even tearing in some portions the synthetic skin Beck had treated her side and neck with, blossoming fresh pain into the burns that seemed to match the noise and motion that was cascading through the ship.
After what felt like hours, but might have been only just a collection of scant minutes, it was over. And even through the blackness, the information spool of the Main Viewer now demoted to simply a window into the space showed...the "Gun-Ship" irrevocably and irreparably cracked from the "barrel" back. Bisected entirely and listing now in two ragged halves. The remaining frigates in the field started to retreat. The fighter-forms too, some even warping through the ruinous former power of the "Gun-Ship".
The lack of light and power made the victory feel slightly hollow, but they were still here. Still together. Kirsty felt her breath hitch slightly as a kind of relief started to flood through her body overwhelmingly, the tension of her limbs slacking and more sagging her across the newly installed, but now totally darkened, console. Breath finally made it back into her body now in slightly wracking bursts. They had made it. They were still here. Chief Alieth and her team were still out there. Thirty-Three still stood. Reports would tell her the worst of it, surely, but the people she had committed to the defense...the brave and tenacious pilots and crewmen on the ground...
They would all fight another day.
Two heavy splotches of liquid dropped suddenly onto her dead screen. Had she even felt her eyes welling up? She raked the good sleeve of her uniform coat across her face quickly. Hoping no one had seen what just happened...but also feeling somehow that she would be okay if she had been caught out. This was...this was her crew. She could do anything with them it turned out. Even in the face of...EVERYthing they had just experienced.
She straightened her stance. Trying to comport herself like the soldier she thought she was. The Captain rose from the emergency lighting, upright eventually but with a troubling rasp in his breathing. More movement and shuffling noises brought the Bridge back to a kind of life. Kirsty started to step forward, but was shocked once more at the gumminess of her limbs as she stumbled slightly, using the still inactive console as a crutch. Then slumping completely into a heavy sit just to the side of her alcove. It seemed her legs didn't want to work just now which allowed her to focus on the burn pain that had returned.
She gingerly touched it with her "good" hand. Yep. She had split the seal almost right down the middle. Would maybe produce another scar she would have to convince Beck to let her keep. But that was a conversation for another time. Once the ship around them was in a much, much better state and their people were back home to help.
Niac: Let's not do that again....::He coughed. It didn't sound anything less than rough::...everyone report...if you can't just stay still till we can get to you....
Tucker: We’re venting atmo on several decks, and life support is all but depleted because of that. On the bright side, communications are up and running, and Commander Carpenter, you’re free to contact Excalibur at your leisure.
The form of Ensign Sims rose from the deck plating, checking himself for grievous injuries, but seemed to rise of his own accord as Kirsty started to nobbily rise to help him up.
Sims: I..I’m all right sir.
Carpenter: Here, sir. Still here. That was...a helluva thing, Captain.
He seemed to share the sentiments, smiling weakly and crossing upward with some effort. By this time more Medical personnel had made their way to the Bridge, including a certain Dr. Morgenstern who seemed to be one of the only faces that she recognized from the Teal crush of officers starting into the battered compartment.
Niac: Please send the Commodore my compliments, Lt. Cmdr. Carpenter. I'd invite her over for dinner but...well...::he gestured around::...might take us a little while to find the good plates.
Carpenter: At once, Captain. Once I can, uh, get some feeling back into my legs.
She wasn't in pain, per se, it was more like they were asleep with the effort of having to keep her up and tense for so long. But she absolutely clocked the knowing scowl from Morgenstern as she started to examine the ruined work of her superior across her left flank.
Sims: If you would like, I could head down to what’s left of the galley and start scraping what’s left of them off the floor. I’m sure Chief Tucker could find a way to put them back together again.
Kirsty gave a "heh" as she finally clambered back to her feet, shooing away Lana for the moment and thumbing open a channel with the one system actually still active. But even the effort of that seemed to take more of her than she expected, as she started to wobble once more and sought out one of the alcove's only jumpseats and all but collapsing into it. Bringing another wince to her face as the burn on her side shifted painfully.
Niac: =/\= Commodore...on behalf of the Ronin...welcome to the Alpha Isles. Most of our systems are down...can you confirm the field is clear? =/\=
Tucker: =/\= Can the give us a helping hand? We’re going to have to start holding our breath very soon. =/\=
Kirsty was trying to focus swimmingly on the conversation between the ships when The Computer issued a warning they were all likely expecting.
Computer: Warning life support offline, five minutes of oxygen left.
But even that didn't stop her heart from soaring seeing Alieth, Raedai, and Syrex with the Commodore on the gleaming Bridge of the Excalibur. And with apparently a lot more to tell them beyond the data package that had saved all their lives just a few moments earlier.
Sims: Great. I think I would have preferred being vaporized. Quicker and less painful I hear.
Symbionts, new defenses, and reports on the safety of the evacuated crew of the Ronin filled the conversation between the ships. Kirsty was eager to hear of the station's point of view on the day, but knew that XO Raga's report as well as the debriefing she would have with her own people would fill in a compelling shape of the rest of the story. As would the reports of their injured and lost.
But for the moment Kirsty took heart in the sight of her friend and new crewmate, maybe even eventually friends too on the other side of the channel. The thought of which apparently powerful enough to restore a bit of strenght to her limbs. But not enough to ward off Dr. Morgenstern who was already trying to herd her into the one working Turbolift toward Sickbay with another batch of triaged support officers.
Niac: =/\= Understood, the Ronin is standing by. And...thank you...all of you. =/\=
Tucker: Captain, I need to head to engineering to see this power swap. And if you don’t mind, I’ll take Ensign Sims with me.
Sims crossed upward a bit further, seemingly eager for the chance to work. Kirsty appreciated the keenness. They would certainly need it in the coming days. Which finally brought to her the question...just how in the blazes were they supposed to get to a bay now?
Niac: By all means Chief. Going to be tough to enjoy that day off tomorrow if we can't breathe. Mr. Sims...I know you haven't been with us for long but after your performance today I'm certain you're right where you're supposed to be. Well done son. Very well done.
Carpenter: Absolutely seconded, Ensign. We couldn't have done this without you.
Sims: Thank you sir. I look forward to further opportunities to prove myself in the future.
Tucker: Let’s go, rookie, we’ve got a power transfer to oversee.
Sims gave a cheeky look to Marty, rising a smirk of Kirsty's own at the already forming patter the two had between them.
Sims: Aye sir. I assume you will be wanting all the spare duct tape we have left over?
The pair exited and with them another batch of Medics and patients. But Lana Morgenstern all but was hooking her ear to get her up. Kirsty gave a placating gesture and creakily rose to her feet. She was about to ask permission to leave the Bridge, but saw that The Captain was already gaining his own treatment and shuffling off toward the Ready Room and then likely directly after Sickbay himself.
An old adage struck her. If it was good enough for The Captain, it was good enough for her. She surrender to the care of Lana, on the condition that someone checked on Teryn as soon as humanly possible if he wasn't already in the recovery net of escape pods that had been released from the ship. With a "yes, of course, now get your duff out of this freaking deathtrap" she finally started toward the still-working, but now busy turbolift, trying to form up something she would say to Beck about this new addition to the story of her body.
They had taken the day. And it would lead to more in the future.
But how long until she would need to call upon that dark thing inside her once more? What if next time it wasn't enough? Kirsty loathed the thought, but somewhere in the back of her mind, she wondered...
What a challenge that would make.