<html><head><style type='text/css'>p { margin: 0; }</style></head><body><div style='font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; color: #000000'><style>p { margin: 0; }</style><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><font style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" size="2"><span class="Apple-style-span">~~ Challenger, Bridge ~</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span">As
Bingham finished his maneuver, Corad saw the shots didn't destroy the
Romulan war bird, but definitely left it with heavy battle damage This
is just what they needed to boost moral even if it was temporary.
"Report!" Corad shouted realizing he was standing between T'Pren and
Stingley.</span><br><br><span class="Apple-style-span">"Their
port nacelle took the most damage, sir," T'Pren said, speaking in short
clipped tones. "Their shields are completely down over that section.
Commander Hanley, you copy?" </span><span class="Apple-style-span"></span><br><span class="Apple-style-span"><br></span></font><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font size="2">~~ Armory~~</font></div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font size="2"><span class="Apple-style-span">Vic
smiled at the news. He replied, "Aye I copy." He ordered some more
Tricobalts loaded and once they were he said, "Ready to fire some more
Tricobalts sir."</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span><br><span class="Apple-style-span"><br></span></font></div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font size="2">~~ Bridge ~~</font></div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font size="2"><span class="Apple-style-span">”FIRE!” Corad shouted before looking back to
T’Pren making sure she was alright.</span></font></div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font size="2"><br><span class="Apple-style-span">Samantha
was working quickly on the portside SCI console, trying to keep the
sensors online. She glanced anxiously at T'Pren, who ignored her.</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span><br><span class="Apple-style-span">"Fire's
out!" Jason reported as he sprinted toward the Bridge doors. "We have
damage on D and E Decks to contend with, Rahn, let's go!" The two men
squeezed through the doors and disappeared as the lift dropped.</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span><br><span class="Apple-style-span">"Hull
polarization at 38% and equalized," T'Pren reported. "Romulan vessel
on approach, bearing 115 mark 250." Slightly in front of and below the
Challenger. Bingham swung the Challenger's bow down accordingly,
piling on the speed ... and the G's. "Re-routing polarity."</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span"><br></span></font></div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font size="2"><br></font></div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font size="2"><span class="Apple-style-span">~~ Armory ~~</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span">Vic kept firing the pulse cannons as well as two more of the Tricobalts.</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span"><br></span></font></div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font size="2"><br></font></div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font size="2"><span class="Apple-style-span">~~ Bridge ~~</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span">T'Pren
had a second to wonder about the rest of the Fleet, but she couldn't
worry about that. Admirals and Commodores abounded whose job it was to
worry about the whole Fleet. Her first priority was the Challenger,
secondary to that, Alpha Group. "The Luddington is taking severe
damage, Captain. One Romulan War Bird and the last Klingon Bird of
Prey in our sector. Bearing 050 mark 950." She was almost panting,
her breathing rate had climbed with her heart rate.</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span><br><span class="Apple-style-span"><snip></span><br><span class="Apple-style-span">Liza
made her way from Sickbay to the Bridge. Her uniform rumpled and
splattered with blood. She stepped onto the bridge and immediately saw
T'Pren bleeding. Moving over to her "Where are you injured?" She
asked quickly, taking out her tricorder and beginning to scan the Chief
Science officer.</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span><br><span class="Apple-style-span">T'Pren
couldn't look up. The battle was still raging. "Lieutenant, if you
can treat me while leaving me free to perform my duties, I will allow
you to continue. Otherwise .... " Her voice rose as she looked down
at a sensor screen. "Romulan War Bird within range. She is powering
down to cloak. Bearing 75 mark 802, Commander Hanley." She glanced up
at Liza as the sound of the Armory chief launching his weaponry at the
enemy bled up to the Bridge. "Otherwise, it will have to wait. I am
certain your tricorder has informed you -- it is my head." She bowed
it in Liza'a direction (a lucky coincidence since she could look at the
far right display during this maneuver), revealing the 7 centimeter
laceration. It had obviously been hastily mended by an unskilled
medic, and was still sluggishly oozing blood. T'Pren's head, face,
shoulder, and arm on the left side were caked in dried blood. It was
obvious she'd lost a LOT. Her breathing was very rapid, again, she
appeared to be almost panting.</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span"><end snip></span><br><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span><br><span class="Apple-style-span">“Sorry Doc,” Corad said acknowledging that he didn’t train to be a first class medic.</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span><br><span class="Apple-style-span">Chris
cast a worried look over to T'Pren as the doctor tended to her head
wound. He felt an almost overwhelming urge to drop everything and help
care for her, but the heat of the battle kept his head in it.</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span><br><span class="Apple-style-span">A
blinking light on T'Pren's panel caught her attention ... followed
immediately by a loud klaxon. "Intruder alert, shuttle bay, Captain.
Scanning ... Klingon, sir, a squad of five. Heavily armed."</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span><br><span class="Apple-style-span">“Vic,
get Cain and a team to handle our guests!” Corad shouted over the com.
Great what next, Corad couldn’t help but think to himself.</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span"><br></span></font></div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font size="2"><span class="Apple-style-span">~~ Armory ~~</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span">Vic
tapped the necessary buttons that launched two more Tricobalts at the
Rommie warbird. With them powering down to cloak, they should be easier
to hit, thus he should be able to cause more damage. He tapped the comm
button and tried to raise CPO Cain, to no effect. He next tried Magee
and said, "Magee, get a team together and get to the shuttle bay now."
She acknowledged his orders and Vic went back to shooting up the enemy.</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span><br><span class="Apple-style-span">As
if the intruding Klingons weren't bad enough: "We are being targeted,"
T'Pren began, but conflicting readings interrupted her warning. Ohh,
that was why. "Correction, we are being targeted by two Romulan war
birds, bearing 89 mark 872 and 31 mark 247. Powering up to fire
simultaneously." This was going to be bad. There was no way she could
align the hull polarization to adequately cover the ship if the enemy
flanked them. </span><br><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span><br><span class="Apple-style-span">"Tricobalt
warheads impacted with the warbird at bearing 050 mark 950. Port
nacelle and port engine destroyed. Heavy damage. It looks as though
her reactor could be going critical, difficult to say. They are
attempting to cloak ..... unsuccessful." T'Pren watched as the vessel
fired at the Pearl Harbor. Romulans, she thought. They never knew
when to quit. Or perhaps it was sheer stubborness.</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span><br><span class="Apple-style-span">Corad
didn’t have to say it, everyone braced for impact as Mr. Bingham tried
to maneuver the ship to aid in minimizing damage. One shot clipped the
starboard nacelle and the other hit between decks F and E. The ship
shock violently, it took the hit hard. She groaned and screeched as
bulk heads where being pushed harder then they ever where designed for.</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span><br><span class="Apple-style-span">Corad
crawled back to his feet from being slammed to the deck plating, he
felt like he’d just experienced every roller coaster he’d ever ridden
all at once, with out a safety harness. He felt a sharp pain as he
breathed, probably a few cracked ribs. He could tell his right knee was
aggravated again, hopefully not broken.</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span><br><span class="Apple-style-span">He
looked around the bridge, everyone was moving, slowly but still moving.
There was only emergency lighting now, he saw sparks fly from the rear
operations area of the bridge showing a beam had fallen into the table
there. There was a metallic taste in the air along with a thin smoke.
Cables and wires where dangling allover the place</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span><br><span class="Apple-style-span">“Re
..*cough* REPORT!” Corad barked roughly trying not to chock. Before
anyone could reply Corad noticed a beam above Stingley started to
shift. He grabbed Chris by the collar of his uniform not knowing if he
was injured already and threw him out of his chair away from the
falling beam. He tossed Chris towards the step leading towards the
center of the bridge. Unfortunately he himself wasn’t completely out of
the way as the beam fell knocking him on the head before pining him
against the forward communications consol.</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span><br><span class="Apple-style-span">Chris
was completely disoriented. The blast caused an overload in the
communications console, which Chris had heard as an ear-piercing
screech in his earpiece as the circuits beneath his feet burst into
flame. On top of it all, he had been launched into the bulkhead in the
impact and hit the back of his head pretty well. Add a couple of
bruised shoulders and an elbow from Corad throwing him into the middle
of bridge, and he was effectively incapacitated for half a minute.</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span"><br></span></font></div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font size="2"><br></font></div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font size="2"><span class="Apple-style-span">~~ Armory ~~</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span">Vic
picked himself off the deck down in Armory. The first thing he tasted
was something salty. He touched his forehead and found a nasty cut
there. He tapped the comm button and said, "Sir, Armory appears to be
ok, though I've seen better days."</span><br><br></font></div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font size="2"><br></font></div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font size="2">~~ Bridge ~~<br><span class="Apple-style-span">T'Pren
stood up as the Captain was downed by an I-beam. "Doctor Rowe! The
Captain!" She moved away from the SCI console. "Williams! Take SCI!" </span><br><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span><br><span class="Apple-style-span">Liza
moved quickly to the Captain's side and began checking him for
injuries. "Captain?" She asked "I need to get this beam off of him
now!" She said to whomever was in the area and began trying to move
the beam herself. </span><br><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span><br><span class="Apple-style-span">T'Pren
got to the CO's chair just as another round of fire hit the ship.
Damage reports were coming in like mad. "Commander Hanley! Fire at
will!" She was weak, she was dizzy -- and she was in command. Not her
best day.</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span><br><span class="Apple-style-span">Chris
rose slowly to his feet a surveyed the damage. The bridge was a
shambles, looking much like his head felt. A tickling sensation at his
ear made him rub the side of his head. He pulled his fingers away to
find them coated in blood and fluid. His eardrum had burst as a result
of the earpiece overload.</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span><br><span class="Apple-style-span">Groggily, he looked to T'Pren. "Are you alright?" He mouthed the words more than anything. He couldn't have heard them anyway.</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span><br><span class="Apple-style-span">All T'Pren could do was nod. He had blood running down the side of his head. "Can you continue to function?" </span><br><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span><br><span class="Apple-style-span">Chris
nodded to her and then looked over at his station. Smoke was still
rising from its burnt out circuits. It was the beam and the sight of
Liza tending to the Captain that really caught his eye, though.
"Captain!" He rushed over to Liza's side. "How can I help, Doctor?"</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span><br><span class="Apple-style-span">Liza
looked up and saw Chris was injured "We need to get the I-beam off of
him and we'll go from there. Where are you hurt?" She asked as she
moved to change her grip on the beam. </span><br><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span><br><span class="Apple-style-span">Corad
could hear everything going on around him. He felt Liza touch him for a
pulse. He tried looking around but it was like looking through a sheet
of oil while on psychotropic drugs. “*cough* Get this *cough* get this
damn thing off me!” Corad shouted. He immediately felt dizzy and his
vision started to blur. “Oh *cough* that’s not good.” Corad said as he
passed out.</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span><br><span class="Apple-style-span">Liza
didn't like the sound of the Captain's breathing, broken ribs and
possibly a collapsed lung. "We're doing just that Captain. Hang on
for another minute or two." She said as she grabbed an engineer or two
that were also present on the bridge to help move the beam. </span><span class="Apple-style-span"><br></span></font></div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font size="2"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span><br><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Samantha</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> sank
into the SCI console seat and began reading off sensor readings and
damage reports. The bridge was in turmoil. "They're turning and
coming around for another run, ma'am!" she shouted. </span></span><br><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span><br><span class="Apple-style-span">"Bingham,
evasive maneuvers! Keep them astern! Williams, full power to aft hull
polarization!" T'Pren watched as the stars swung crazily. "Commander
Hanley, NOW would be good."</span><br><br></font></div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font size="2"><br></font></div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font size="2">~~ Armory ~~<br><span class="Apple-style-span">Vic
had torn a strip of cloth from his uniform and wrapped it around his
head. He tapped the fire button and replied, "Torpedoes away."</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span"><br></span></font></div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font size="2"><br></font></div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font size="2"><span class="Apple-style-span">~~ Bridge ~~ <br></span></font></div><font style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" size="2"><span class="Apple-style-span">All
T'Pren could do was watch. The torps sped off in two different
directions, Samantha split the screen so they could watch both war
birds and see how they did. "Enemy vessels firing ..." Samantha got
out before Bingham wrenched the Challenger off trajectory and flung the
ship straight down. The Romulan vessel to port's fire missed
completely, but the one to starboard managed to hit. "Damage to
starboard nacelle," Samantha shouted, "also to fuselage, upper dish!"</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span><br><span class="Apple-style-span">No
kidding. The ship shuddered, an actual explosion took out the entire
Ops area at the back of the bridge. T'Pren slumped down in the CO's
chair as debris flew past her head. "Fire control to the bridge!"
Damage and injury reports were coming in fast and furious. T'Pren
looked over where Liza was tending Captain Cole, but she couldn't see
much.</span><br><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span><br><span class="Apple-style-span">With
the beam removed, Liza lowered the Corad to the deck of the Bridge and
began treating him as best she could. Administering Triox for the
breathing issues, she bandaged the wounds he had. She looked at T'Pren
"He's in bad shape. Not realizing that she herself was injured and now
bleeding as well.</span></font><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><div style="font-size: 12pt;"><div style="font-size: 10pt;"><div style="font-size: 10pt;"><div style="font-size: 12pt;"><font id="EC_role_document" size="2" color="#000000"><div><blockquote style="border-left: 2px solid blue;"><font style="background-color: transparent;" size="2" color="#000000">
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<div>"Commander Hanley, if you see it and it's not ours, you have
complete freedom to blow it out of this sector!" A wave of dizziness
washed over T'Pren, but she clenched her jaw and rode it out. "Mr.
Bingham, give Commander Hanley something to shoot at, for as long as
our weapons hold out." She looked over at Samantha. "Where are our
intruders?"</div>
<div> </div>
<div>"Still in the hangar bay, ma'am, they've met resistance and a fire
fight is underway." She paused for a moment. "Romulan war bird on our
six! Firing!"</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Liza braced for another impact as best she could. Once she had
done what she could for the Captain, she turned her attention to Chris
and began dressing his injuries as best she could, she could not do
much about the ruptured ear drum right now except for pain management. </div>
<div>-----</div><div>This epic joint post fearlessly crafted by:</div><div><br></div><div>Capt Corad Cole</div><div>CO</div><div><br></div><div>SubCmdr T'Pren</div><div>CSO/XO</div><div><br></div><div>Cmdr Vic Hanley</div><div>CAO</div><div><br></div><div>LtCmdr Chris Stingley</div><div>COM</div><div><br></div><div>Lt Dr. Lize Rowe</div><div>CMO</div><div><br></div><div>NX-04 Challenger</div></font></div></div></div>
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