Ensign Cecil Valo - Band Name Generator

[Aaron]

(( Federation Embassy, Deck 1, Main Compartment, DS33 ))

Anxiety. Terror. Anger. Determination. Sadness. Fear. Resolution. Panic. Bravery. Thrill. Despair.

The emotions called to him like whispers, pulling him back from a far away place until his eyes opened to this harsh world called reality. It was one thing to feel a strong emotion from a person, or even a group. This was cacophonous though. The sheer number of stories being told on this station and more distantly the vessels tearing themselves apart survive and to protect. The events he was experiencing here would no doubt go down in history, but he wished for the moment he didn’t have to feel so much of it firsthand. It had been the story of his life. His empathy had developed early and had impacted his development and relationships in a big way. Normally, he would be blasting music loud enough to shake walls in an effort to replace the borrowed emotions with his own. Sadly, the aching in his skull left that notion super unappealing. Even still, in a welcome but disconcerting way everything seemed a bit more dull than it normally would be.

He could feel pain in his leg and looked down to see it had been treated and braced. The makeshift bandage on his bare arm had been removed, the wound repaired properly. Modern medicine was a marvel. He could feel tightness in his chest. Maybe a rib or two having a bad day. How much worse had it been before a medic did their thing? The Betazoid glanced over and felt some peace spotting T’Fearne. Had she been looking out for him? Cecil sat up a bit, bringing himself more solidly back to reality as she addressed him.

T’Fearne: Do you hear that? Sense anyone coming?:: to Valo::

Valo: It’s too hard to pin anything down right now, but emotions are high as far out as I can feel. Things are still happening. This isn’t over. 

That was without pushing his empathic ability very hard, which in his present state he was alright with. Whatever had come over his senses before had completely debilitated him and was likely the cause for the blood stain at his collar. At least someone had wiped his face. How embarrassing.

He watched T’Fearne hop down from a supply crate. Something had alerted her and she moved as if readying herself.

Korras: Friendly, coming through!

He looked to a Klingon warrior as he announced himself. He felt a wave of relief at having one of the mighty race at their side and found himself standing with a groan. He wasn’t going to let a Klingon's first impression of him be sitting on his butt recovering.

Raga: Commander Raga, USS Ronin. ::He eyed the bat’leth:: I imagine Tholian exo-suits would be difficult to breach with that, especially with their predilection to explode when they die. I suspect it’ll need sharpening after this is all over?

Korras: Lieutenant Korras, Starbase 118. ::moving the Bat’leth to the strap on his back:: They have their weak spots, if the aim is right. And yes, it will need servicing, but it still cuts.

Kiran: ::smiling:: yIche'meH wamwI' ::extending a hand:: (Welcome to the suck.) I’m Senior Chief Kiran Rork, I wish this was under better circumstances, like over some blood wine.

The Klingon shook Kiran’s hand.

T’Fearne::: Nodding to Lt. Korras:: Glad you made it here.

Valo: Sup.

The commander took a breath and addressed the surviving personnel. 

Raga: If the medics have cleared you to keep fighting then fall in, we’ll hold the line. Anyone who’s not been cleared but can still hold a phaser, you’re going to remain here and hold the Embassy. Protect those who are too hurt to do even that. 

Cecil had no idea if he was cleared, which probably meant he wasn’t. Still, he wasn’t going to go asking around. Lives were on the line. He groaned, rolling his shoulders as his body objected his dismissal of its need for recovery. How much worse could they do to him?

He should have known better than to ask those kinds of questions.

Korras: I will assist where I can, sir.

Kiran: For those of you who do not have phaser training, just ask one of us, gesturing to the group, and we’ll set you straight. If you have reasons why you won't use a phaser, no worries.  

He looked at T’Fearne who had just put a weird eel thing on Breeze. He decided not to ask questions and met her gaze when she turned to him.

T’Fearne::: speaking quietly:: Are you tracking clearly now? :: Gesturing playfully to their new giant companion, even taller than Breeze:: See that? That’s a Klingon.

Valo: Just get me the puck, I can end this. ::A faint smirk crossed his features.:: I’m not mad, Klingons are so metal.

Her attention seemed to divert, Cecil couldn’t help but notice her pang of anxiety. He didn’t pry.

Raga claimed his attention.

Raga: You have all gone above and beyond. They assaulted us and you held the line. They pushed our lines for hours, centimeter by centimeter and you didn’t break. You endured pain. And loss. And terror. And you're still here. Even through retreat you still have not broken. Because you are Starfleet. We. Are. Starfleet. And we do not break until our last breath. No bully, nor tyrant, nor disaster will ever take that from you. 

Korras: To the last breath. Today is a good day to die.

Valo: oO But maybe let’s not. Oo

Kiran:::addressing the group:: As I said before, trust your training. Your training will help you through this. Above all, listen to your CO at all times. I know it shouldn’t have to be said, but things do tend to go pear-shaped. 

T’Fearne::: quietly:: I wonder how many last breaths today has taken. :: blinking away the morose thoughts and steeled her face into a determined/neutral expression::

The air held an uncomfortable stillness at the dire outlook of their situation. They had fought back the enemy, the cavalry had come, but would it be enough? He chose to believe yes.

Valo: Better to focus on our victory. 

When you felt the emotions of others, you learned to encourage optimism.

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. =/\= 

Stergis/Mackenna: =/\= Response =/\=

The corridors outside erupted in a cacophony of explosions and searing phaser and disruptor fire. The volume of the chaos suggested that it was not far from the sanctuary of the Embassy, each blast a stark reminder of the fierce battle still raging just beyond their fragile refuge.

Osiris: =/\= The Alliance is pushing again, Port side. =/\= 

Raga: You’re with us, Lieutenant Korras. 

Korras: Yes sir.

T’Fearne: On it.

Valo: oO *$@# Oo

Cecil took up the seiuri team flank, not out of any strategic logic, but because he didn’t want them to see how awkwardly he was lobbing along in an effort to keep pace.

Dragging himself into position alongside his squad, he lay flat on a slightly elevated platform and raised the phaser rifle he had elected to equip for round…what was it? Three? Six? It was all starting to feel like an endless nightmare of blood, fury, and phaser fire.

Valo: oO My next band name. Oo

A disrupter blast just over the top of him proved successful in making him aware his tired mind was wandering. He focused up, putting all his energy into targeting the enemy combatants and employing paced out, calculated, intentional strikes into what he had determined to be weak spots. By not drawing too much attention with a fury of phaser fire he hoped he could get away with playing sniper for a little while as the chaos continued on around him.

The Tholians and Sheliak were relentless, attempting to breach the deck through two turbo-lift shafts and a stairwell.

Kiran: I’ve got the turbolift covered at the moment. Is it me, or are they setting up some sort of cannon emplacement? They get that thing put together and we’re going to be in a world of hurt…

Korras: Is there any other way into this position? I found several Tholians roaming throughout the station, I would not be surprised if they are trying to flank or distract us.

T’Fearne: I’ll provide suppression fire on the stairs.

Valo: Targeting their cannon team.

And so he did. He let out a slow breath with his target fixed and fired, providing a headshot to a Sheliak working at the equipment. He dropped, just to be quickly replaced. Their seemingly infinite number was getting really old.

Raga: Response

Kiran: Commander, do we have any transporter inhibitors left?

T’Fearne: I saw some active in the Embassy proper. There might be a few unactivated ones in a supply crate. I’ll check. How many do we need?

Raga/Korras/Kiran: Response

She was gone in a flash and seemed to have returned before he would have thought possible. Kudos to Vulcan athleticism.

T’Fearne: Great Fire! oO Three will have to do Oo

Sounded like she had found some, though admittedly he was a bit too distracted to focus on anything but the angry murderous space monsters.

Valo: oO Even better band name? Oo

T’Fearne: We need to use these sparingly. Maybe carry them with us.

He watched her attach an inhibitor to her gear and offered an impressed nod, reminding himself to keep close to her. Not that he wouldn’t have anyway, being alone out here was suicide. His mind went to the catastrophic blow that had knocked him into an isolated position earlier. Albeit, he hadn’t had much time to dwell on it while he was mustering everything he had to access the environmental controls. 

That gave him pause. Why wasn’t it cold? He fired off another blast from his phaser rifle as his mind churned.

Valo: Hey, what happened with the environmental controls up there? Are they managed via a separate control system?

Raga/Valo/Korras/Kiran/T’Fearne: Response

He tried to think back on this section at the academy. The betazoid always told himself he should be paying better attention in his engineering classes and now he was feeling it.

Valo: What about fire suppression systems? Some systems will use force fields and trap a flame, allowing it to snuff out all the oxygen. That….doesn’t seem like a good idea. BUT, if there is any kind of water or cooling mechanic built in on the starbase it might help these guys chill out.

And frankly, they needed to chill out.

Raga/Valo/Korras/Kiran/T’Fearne: Response

Ensign Cecil Valo

Security Officer

USS Ronin

C239205AF0