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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">~~
Challenger, Bridge ~~<br>
=/\= "Nelson-Samad to the Bridge. What is our status? We have micro
fractures in the reactor. We have maybe two hours before we are on thrusters
only." =/\=<br>
<br>
T'Pren froze as the voice of Commander Nelson-Samad rang through the bridge,
right on the heels of the Admiral's command to open fire and
destroy, Chris' speaker settings set to full to counter the ambient noise
on station. Thrusters only? It would be the kiss of death for the
Challenger. She glanced over at Chris with her good eye, to see his face
set in a determined mask. Looking at the Captain, she saw that his face
echoed Chris'. Very well then. Thrusters it would be. She
took the '2 hours' estimate with a grain of salt -- with this battle and level
of damage, the impulse engines could go down at any time. <br>
<br>
The blood was in her eye again. T'Pren stopped as the Challenger made
another turn (accompanied by the shuddering of the ship as the gees were
strained and the torpedo launchers boomed in tandem), ripped her left sleeve
off and wrapped it around her head, headband-style. It would keep the
blood off for a while, at least. She looked back down at her
monitors. "Hull plating equalizing to 40%, ship-wide, Captain.
I'll adjust the different levels to counter attacks as they
occur." Checking yet another sensor, "the last Klingon battle
cruiser in this wave is coming about, sir, heading 180 mark 35." She
knew Vic could hear her in the Armory, too.<br>
<br>
Vic listened and thought thrusters only in two hours? He just shook his head
and tapped the comm button. Vic said, "Cap'n what are your orders?"</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">“Fire all
weapons on the Klingon battle cruiser.” Corad said as he stood up. As he made
his way to the Science and Communications stations he said, “Where are you, you
Romulan bastards.” As he steadied himself between the stations he asked
Stingley, “Anything on the Romulans?”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Vic
replied, "Aye Cap'n." He began tapping the necessary buttons at his
station. He felt the torpedoes launch and hoped they hit.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">T'Pren
tried to wipe the blood from her face, but left streaks. She hung onto
the SCI console, watching the main viewscreen where the torpedoes streaked
toward the Klingon vessel. Her vision doubled. She had a bad moment
where she clenched her eyes shut, feeling slightly faint, then she re-opened
them. <br>
<br>
How much blood had she lost? She touched her scalp, felt the laceration ... a 6
centimeter cut slashed from the top of her head down towards her left temple,
and it was still bleeding. Was that her skull she could feel there?
Surely not. The blood ran in a swath down her face and neck, onto her
shoulder. Her uniform was soaked almost to her waist. So.
Probably about 500 mls. Maybe more.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Chris'
suddenly looked dumbstruck at comms as a ship-to-ship communication came
through. A grin slowly crossed his face. "News from Meridian Captain.
Their COM officer has cracked the Romulan code! Scanning for transmissions
now."</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">“About
time, see if you can detect any in our close proximity.” Corad said as he
pulled an emergency med kit from underneath the science console. He flipped it
open and applied a bandage to T’Pren’s wound and used the hypo spray to stop
the bleeding. He was no doctor but it should help keep her from bleeding out.
He turned back to Stingley, “Where in the blazes is that medical team!” He
barked.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">T'Pren
could feel the Captain's ministrations, sort-of. ~Nerve damage, too~ she
thought. Great. Just great. The blood flow slowed to a
trickle that dripped off the knot of her 'headband' onto her left arm.
She felt slow and sleepy, strange sensations to a Vulcan, but she kept
working. Sensor readings were flying fast and furious. "Mr.
Bingham, bank to port. Now starboard. Yaw 20 degrees to port.
There is now a Klingon fighter triad directly forward. Commander Hanley
-- fire."</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Down in the
Armory Vic could see the triad on his sensors. He tapped the firing button and
said, "Firing phase cannon and torpedoes now."</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">T'Pren's
calm voice was lost in the furor that was Vic launching torpedoes and firing
phased cannons. "Two fighters disabled. Incoming."
The Challenger was buffeted by disruptor fire ... sparks flew from the
port-side SCI station, behind T'Pren. She hung on and instinctively
ducked as the sparks hit her back. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">The
doors were pried open by three pairs of hands. Jason Davis, Rahn
Hashad, and Samantha Williams entered as soon as the doors were open enough to
admit them. All had fire extinguishers and damage control
gear. They looked around and disbursed, Davis and Hashad heading for the
small fires that were the Ops area and the TAC console, and Samantha turned to
SCI. "T'Pren!" she gasped, seeing her 'boss' slathered
in green blood. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">"I
need you on that panel," T'Pren answered, pointing with her chin
over her shoulder to the smoldering SCI station. "The fumes are
becoming toxic ... deal with the fire and then fix what you can. Contact
Engineering for assistance if necessary, we cannot lose
sensors." </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">"Yes,
ma'am!" </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">"Incoming."
T'Pren's voice was weaker than before, but still calm and audible over the
noisy bridge.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Vic
continued firing. He hoped that he was doing some good. Vic wondered about the Tricobalt
warheads.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Corad saw
that T’Pren was looking … drowsy, well what he was guessing what drowsy looked
like for a Vulcan. He reached into the med kit and pulled out an adrenaline epi
pen. “Sorry T’Pren, this is gonna suck.” He said as he slammed the pen into her
chest and pressed the trigger. “I need you alert.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">T'Pren
couldn't help it -- she gasped and sucked in air as the epi pen injected
its dose into her chest. Too bad the Captain forgot his Vulcan physiology
and did not recall that her heart was where a Human's liver would be. It
would work, just not as quickly as if he'd dosed her heart with it.
T'Pren's inner eyelids slid over her eyes as she shuddered. Her
heart rate went up from it's usual 300 beats per minute to 400, and was
climbing. "Th-thank you Captain," she gasped. The
nictating membranes retracted from her eyes, and she looked down at her sensor
readings, hands shaking only slightly as she worked the controls.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Chris
watched the Captain inject T'Pren. There was a quick burst of anger on his part.
‘She's injured! Let her rest!’ he wanted to shout. He was quickly distracted,
though, by a flash of activity on the Romulan channels. He listened intently
for a moment. "Captain, it sounds like the Romulans are organizing. It
sounds like I'm picking up an order to assume formation." He glanced over
at T'Pren.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">"I'm
reading an anomaly ..." she began, and then stopped, swiping her hand over
her eyes. The stress to her system was intense. She reckoned she
could continue functioning for another 2-3 hours at the most, without further
medical attention, and then she was likely to crash. Or die, she
thought dispassionately.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Williams
stepped up beside T'Pren and viewed the monitor. "...bearing 78 mark 216,
Sir." she finished.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">"Onscreen!"
Chris shouted as he looked up. There was a faint shimmer of green light as the
enemy War Bird gained visibility. It was also increasing in size in the
process.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">"It's
charging, Captain. Weapon's charging!" Williams called out. T'Pren
grabbed hold of the edges of the console and got a grip on herself. Her
heart had to be whamming away at 500bpm. "Three more Romulan War
Birds materializing," she said, blinking with her inner eyelids
only. "Captain, they will be ready to fire in 7.6 seconds."</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Corad
turned to face the main viewscreen. He left out what could be best described as
a growl. “Vic! Let’s unchain those Tricobalt warheads and see what they do.” He
looked to Lt Bingham. “Bingham as close as we are, I’m gonna need you to bank
away as soon as Vic fire’s those warheads.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">“Aye Sir,”
Bingham said from the helm.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Vic smiled
and thought, at last. He tapped the comm button and said, "Aye sir."
He ordered his people to put the Tricobalt warheads on. Once he had
confirmation that they were ready, he tapped the fire button. "Tricobalts
away sir."</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">“Banking
Now!” Bingham shouted as he turned the ship hard to port. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">The ship
shuddered as Lt. Bingham swung the ship. The two Tricobalt warheads streaked towards
the leading Romulan War Bird. It felt like an eternity till the connected and
erupted in an amazing light show. The two Romulan War Birds that flanked the
lead cloaked as they banked away just before the warheads connected while the
rear War Bird inclined and flew towards the rest of the fleet. The hull of the War
Bird buckled as gashes appeared where the warheads hit. They weren’t kill shots
but they definitely got the message the Challenger wasn’t going down with out a
fight. The shock wave hit the ship but only managed to rattle the crew a little
due to the gee’s they where experiencing.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"><To Be
Continued></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">===================</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Capt Corad
Cole</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">CO</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">NX-04
Challenger</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">&</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Cmdr. Vic
Hanley</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">CAO</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">NX-04
Challenger</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">&</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">LtCmdr
Chris Stingley</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">COM</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">NX-04
Challenger</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">&</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">SubCmdr
T'Pren</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">XO/CSO</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">NX-04
Challenger</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
</div></div></div></body></html>