Ensign Lyanna Avery, "End of the Tunnel" (Tag Herrera)

[Simming Kristen]

((USS Vigilant, Deck 1: Dorsal Bridge))

:: Avery was so wrapped up in her work, eyes and mind alike focused on the ever-changing read-outs that she never even saw the torpedoes coming. ::

Pavlova: Incoming.

:: Avery looked up just in time to see the flashes of light across the viewscreen.  She was pulling the Vigilant's power distribution in so many different directions that there wasn't anything she could do except cross her fingers and rely on the rest of the crew.

T'Mihn:  ::as calmly as she could.:: I see them, I can compensate. 

Herrera: Helm, roll the ship, turn our backs to those torpedoes!

::Anything loose skittered across the deck as the helm officer rolled Vigilant to avoid the persistent torpedo. One fact remained, this ship was very nimble. ::

:: Avery grabbed onto her console as the world around her seemed to slow down ... she could only hope Commander Pavlova was seeing things so slowly and clearly. ::

Herrera: Brace for impact!

::Debris rained from sections of the bridge's ceiling, clattering down close to the helm station as the air filled with the tang of burning metal.  Avery clutched onto her colsole tightly, though that itself ended up being a problem as the Vigilant lurched and fell forward, her pale forehead slamming into the console and leaving her dazed.  As she gripped the console she had no idea what was happened around her - her vision fogged and she could only register a faint buzzing.  Suddenly, she snapped back into the moment as a pair of hands jerked her away from the console and back onto the floor.  The first thing she saw was a beam slamming down across the console she had been at moments earlier ... then she looked up to see T'Mihn. ::

T'Mihn: Are you OK?

Avery: :: The ringing was still in her ears and forehead was throbbing, still, she knew it could have been much worse. ::  Yes ... yes, I'm alright.  Thank you ... I think that's enough close calls for my first day on the bridge, though.

:: Around them mangled consoles melting into slag from super heated sparks.  The air was heavy and dark ... at least Avery thought it was ... though it could have just been a concussion. ::

T'Mihn: I agree, that's too close. 

:: As T'Mihn jumped back to continue working the transporter controls, a new set of voices rang out over the din. ::

Herrera: Report!

Pavlova: Hull breaches aft ventral section, decks 6 and 7.  Aft ventral shield emitters destroyed.  ::she paused:: : That was close.

Herrera: You're not joking! T'Mihn, do we have the Romulans?

T'Mihn: Half of of them are aboard, I need another ten seconds.

Herrera: Helm, buy us whatever time you can.

:: Avery tried to pull herself up off the floor, planning to bring up the engineering controls on one of the vacant consoles which was still in operable condition.  However, the helmsman pulled a series of evasive manoeuvres that were bordering on white knuckle.  Avery, already dizzy and off-balance, immediately fell back onto the flat of her back. ::

T'Mihn: I have them all. Dispatching medical to cargo bay two.

Herrera: Great work, T'Mihn. Irina, what's our status?

:: As she sat on the floor, Avery realized that, for the first time of during the battle, she couldn't have given an answer if she wanted.  Finally, she pulled herself up and staggered to a vacant console at the far wall, accessing the engineering controls as she slumped down into the chair.

Pavlova: Shields at 49% overall, 12% at aft ventral.

T'Mihn: Thank you Ensign Avery.  I could not have done this alone.

Avery: Of course ... I'm glad I was able to assist.

::There was only a second's pause before Avery spoke again, her tone much less relaxed than it had been previously.::

Avery: Reading a massive power shift in the Andorian vessel ... It looks like they're taking every system they have offline ...

T'Mihn:What are they doing?  

Herrera: They're powering down?

Avery: If I had to guess, they're probably going to re-route it to a system that Commander Pavlova disabled.  Possibly warp or ... :: Then it hit her, hard.  Commander Pavlova ... she had already told them exactly what was happening!:: Sir, good chance Commander Pavlova already said it ... they might be re-routing power to utilize some type of self-destruct mechanism!

Pavlova ::Dropping shields again, quickly:: : Get them out of there!

T'Mihn: Understood. Suggestions where to put them?

Oot: Sir, the station!

::They didn't need sensors trained on it to track the series of explosions that blazed along the surface of the station. They were dangerously close to the combined dorsal and ventral sections of the Vigilant and currently to their aft. It had obviously seemed like a safe move to the helmsman as the Romulans on the station were effectively their allies, and it cut down the firing angle from the remaining Andorian ship.::

T'Mihn: Transporting. 

::There was barely any time at all to make a call; if they had their shields down for even a second too long then everyone aboard was going to wind up dead. This was no torpedo exploding off their aft; this was a series of fusion generators large enough to power an entire science station. That was what they knew about. If her theory was correct about the phase cloak, regular fussion reactors weren't up to the power requirements. They probably had daisy chained several powerful genrators. The explosion was going to wipe everything out.:: 

Herrera: Belay that! Shields up! Helm! Hard to starboard! 

::The station lurched to one side of the viewer and Diego was almost thrown from his seat again with the abrupt manoeuvre. .T'Mihn was jerked hard enough to make her pop.  If she hadn't had been hanging on,she'd end up in the Captain's lap.:: 

T'Mihn: Hang on.

Avery: The power flux from the station is critical ... I can't register anything else on sensors!

Herrera: Brace for impact! All power to the shields!

::The screen was filled with incandescent light as flame and debris spewed past them; sparks flew overhead as EPS conduits blew and the consoles flickered before eventually settling down.::

Herrera: Damage report!

:: Avery had managed to stay in her seat this time, but an overload in a conduit above her head had rained down a shower of super-heated metal.  She could feel heat on her face ... but had no idea whether it was her own blood or a residual burn from the hot metal.  For some reason ... she simply couldn't bring her hands up to her face to check ...  Instead, she looked at the Vigilant's systems read-out and offered her report. ::

Avery: Shields critical, less than ten percent ... inertial dampers offline, re-routing the remainder of auxiliary power to compensate.  Sir, the power grid is in shambles ... there really isn't anything left to play with anymore.

::It didn't matter any more whether the Andorians had self destructed or if the station had destroyed their ship in its own death throes. There was just the Vigilant and one Andorian cruiser left.::

Pavlova: Station destroyed, Andorian cruiser destroyed.  Incoming transmission from Ccentral section.

Herrera: Put it on the speakers.

Tagren: =/\= Response =/\=

Herrera: =/\= We're alive over here, Ari, how's the central section holding up? =/\=

Tagren: =/\= Response =/\=

::Their conversation was interrupted by a report from mission ops.::

Oot: Sir, the remaining Andorian cruiser is powering its engines.

Ki'Kay: Should I lay in a pursuit course?

:: Avery was actively concerned about what she would do if the captain ordered a pursuit ... she was in bad shape herself, but she knew the Vigilant was faring a even worse.  She had been drawing power from all manner of nooks and crannies for the last hour, creating one leak to plug another when necessary.  Now, though, there was nothing left - she had done good for an Ensign, she knew - but she was fresh out of miracles. ::

Herrera: No, let them go. Starfleet Command won't let this lie. They'll have people sniffing after them soon enough. I get the feeling they won't exactly be welcome back in Andorian space.

Pavlova: Response

T'Mihn: This is going to be difficult to explain back home. 

:: Avery managed a weak smile as she thanked her lucky stars that she wouldn't be writing any of the official reports. ::

:: The doors at the back of the bridge opened, admitting some of the crew from the ventral section.  Avery was pleased to see the crew in good shape ... even if she didn't recognize most of the faces. ::

Herrera: Good to see you gentlemen. Is everyone alright?

Eerie: Fine sir. Looks like you have a good shooter at tactical.::Looking over at Commander Pavlova.::

 

Udas: ::not addressing Eerie's comment, but instead looking at the Captain::  Good to see you as well, sir. 

Pavlova: My one skill that isn't out of date.

Herrera: Response

T'Mihn:  Welcome back. 

Udas: You too, Lieutenant.  I'll expect a duty report of what happened while I was gone, ::he smiled:: but enjoy yourself for the time being.

T'Mihn:  I tried to keep the fort intact.

Udas: ::jokingly:: Is that so?

::As if on cue, a nearby EPS conduit suddenly shot a spray of sparks at T'Mihn.  Calmly, and T'Mihn rarely did things calmly, she patted out the sparks and turned to the Andorian::

T'Mihn: That's the tenth time she's bitten me.  I don't think Vigilant liked me fiddling with her sensor array. 

:: As Avery listened to the conversation, she beamed a much more genuine smile.  She had never met a Vulcan who was so ... immediately affable. She could have kept right on smiling, except for the pain stinging her temples. ::

Udas: You did swimmingly, Lieutenant.  Well done.

::Their conversation was interrupted again by Pavlova and Eerie discussing what lay ahead. ::

Eerie: Guess she will be aiming for department chief next.  Sir. ::A small smile developed briefly.::

Pavlova: ::jokingly:: Well the Klingons promote by single combat.  Immunity to phasers is a problem, and I’d rather not wrestle with you, but from a distance?  Maybe.

Herrera:Response

Pavlova: Oh and sorry Chief, I used all of your torpedoes.

:: As Avery wished the pain in her head would allow her to smile at the joke, she noticed T'Mihn rise from her seat. ::

T'Mihn: Captain, if I am not needed here, I need to see if sickbay is going to need any blood.  

oO Smart ... hopefully we have quite a few patients down there. Oo

Eerie : Response

Udas: I'll take over the science console, Lieutenant.  I think you have your orders.

T'Mihn: Response

Udas: ::smiling:: As long as she doesn't shoot any sparks at me, we will be ok.  Good work back there, Lieutenant.  I mean it.

T'Mihn: Response

Udas: Alright, alright. Enough of that sappiness.  Get to sickbay and help them out down there.  That's an order.

T'Mihn: Response

:: Finally finding some inner strength, Avery reached up and gently dabbed at her forehead, feeling a small trickle of partially dried blood.  It didn't seem like anything that was going be the end of her.  She gave a little sigh of relief and seized the quiet moment. ::

Avery: Captain, if you don't need me on the bridge at the moment ... I'd like to go survey some of the damage first-hand.  :: she paused and stifled a wince, then continued. :: I was hoping to get a chance to start on some of the immediate field repairs as soon as possible.

Herrera: Response

Eerie: Response

Any: Response

Udas: Well sir, what are your orders?

--------

Ensign Lyanna Avery

Engineering Officer

USS Vigilant

NCC-75515-A