Running The Gambit

USS Cassiopeia
	This takes place on, or is in relation to the USS Cassiopeia.

Mission: Whispers in the Clouds

Timeline: Day 2 - 1620

• Location: USS Cassiopeia

Making her way through the halls with the others, Aztala listens carefully. The ship was too quiet. Suddenly, there was a loud shot fired behind them, followed by a scream. Turning, she saw Ensign Ricky crumple to the floor and an invader peeking around a corridor they just passed. Leaping over the fallen security guard, she sprints towards the alien, his shots going wild and a scared look in his eye as she charged him. She was firing her rifle from the hip, but as she rounded the corner she was able to knock his weapon out of his hands and fire point blank into his gut, killing him instantly.

By the time Aztala made it back to him Stig had wedged himself into a partially open door and pried it open far enough for them to squeeze through. "We can take the turbo lift up to the just below the bridge." Their path hadn't been as straight forward as intended due to doors being jammed and sealed shut from the virus, as well as encountering boarding parties.

Checking for a pulse on Ensign Ricky and finding none, Aztala slings his rifle over her shoulder and heads over to Stig. "We're taking the jeffries tubes. The turbolifts are sitting cages I don't want to be caught in."

"Then we need to make better time." Already moving he changed course and stopped near a bulkhead panel and pulled it loose from the wall. Unlike most of them this one was this one was tall, thin, and exposed a ladder in a crawl space between decks. Without wasting any time he discarded the panel and hopped on the ladder before disappearing into the ceiling.

After several minutes of crawling through jeffries tubes and a couple small cuts on debris scattered through one junction, Aztala leads the team out onto deck 6 in search of a medical storage unit or medbay. Finding one right off, she has the team fan out, covering the corridors leading both ways.

Sarah heard a noise outside. The same noise that the Commander heard. She reached down next to the Commander and picked up her phaser. She had used it on the firing range, and was qualified to use it, but hadn't used it on another living thing yet. She walked toward the wall making eye contact with Devon, who gave her a curt nod. She leaned slightly around the corner, slowly enough that she wouldn't be noticed. She could hear a noise as the door. Someone was trying to come in. Her heart began pounding against her chest.

Outside the door, Aztala was trying to force it open but the most she could get is just a crack. "This door is jammed shut. Does anyone know if there's another medbay near here?"

Sarah leaned out more. From the crack she could see an Orion in a Starfleet uniform. Where had she come from? She didnt care. She got up and called over to the door. "Wait, come back." She moved pieces of the bio beds, and started to force the door open with the help of the woman on the other side. The door eventually opened enough for her to see several Starfleet officers, all armed. "Where did you all come from? Who are you?"

"I'm Commander Germond of the USS Unification. We were to rendezvous with you but found your ship adrift. What's your status?" Aztala got the door open with her help after a few seconds, seeing the ransacked medbay more clearly. "Are there any medical supplies left in here?"

"Nothing but hyposprays. Its so good to see someone alive." She paused as she heard a groan from the office. She suddenly remembered the commander who lay there dying. She looked to the Orion who also heard the groan, and turned to walk back to Porter. She hurried herself over there and pulled out her tricorder as she moved swiftly across the sickbay. Oh no. she thought to herself. Dreading what was about to come.

She reached him and put her hand on his. "Its ok Commander."

He rustled all of his strength to speak. "Its time isn't it." he said, tears forming in his eyes as she nodded.

"Help came, the Unification arrived. Maybe they can help?" She beckoned over the group now standing guard at the door.

Taking a position on the other side of the dying man, Aztala spoke softly. "I'm Commander Germond of the Unification. I hate to ask this right now, but can you tell me what happened?"

"I am Commander Devon Porter," Every word sounding strained. "We were hailed by a Karemman ship. It transmitted some kind of cascade virus, which shut down most of our systems. We managed to purge some of it, but there was an explosion in Engineering, and I was knocked down a Jeffries tube. Sarah over here found me and dragged me here. This is her first combat situation, but nothing could have prepared any," he coughed painfully. "prepared anyone for this."

As the commander spoke, Aztala's face took on her customary stone solid look. Completely emotionless on the outside, yet a storm raged within her yet again. Something had happened to her and her whole colony when she was just coming of age. Had it prepared her for this? Who knows. She just knew that she wanted to make every one of these invaders pay.

"Do you have the command codes for the ship? We need to transfer control to the battle bridge. I have a team there working on purging your computers." Aztala asked.

"Yes. The computer core was taken offline, but the codes will still work with the isolated systems. Sarah, hand me a PADD please." The nurse walked over to the desk and picked up the first PADD that wasn't broken. She handed it to him and he tapped away, before stretching his arm out to hand the PADD to the other commander. "This will give you all of my authorisations. I don't even know if there are any other senior officers left alive. The Captain was killed point blank on the bridge." He grimaced in pain, a sign that Sarah was apparently expecting. She instantly used a hypospray which caused him to feel relief. This is it he thought to himself. I am at peace for this, I am ready. "Commander, please ensure Ensign Sarah Conroy receives a commendation for her courage during this, and for keeping me," another huge cough interrupted him. Tears were now flowing down the sides of his face, his grip of Sarah's hand becoming tighter. "Keeping me company. She has done more for me than anyone ever has, and I want that know Commander."

Aztala places her hand on his shoulder lightly. "She will. Don't worry. I'll take care of everything."

"Thank you Commander." He turned his head to Sarah who was crying almost uncontrollably. He squeezed her hand. "Hey, don't be sad. You kept me company, you helped me through this. You are an amazing person Sarah. Thank you so much. You will get out of this, and you will live on knowing you beat them. Thank you Ensign Sarah Conr..." his grip loosened and his hand fell away from hers.

The tears still flowing she stood there. She straightened herself up. She could think of no words to say.

Aztala reaches out and closes Commander Porter's eyes. Tapping her comm badge, she stands, looking over the PADD. "Germond to Unification. The Cass was hit with a hidden virus and boarded once all systems were disabled. We've only found one survivor so far and enemy teams are all over this ship."

"This is Lambert. What is the status of the ship. Do you require more security personnel to help clear the remaining enemy teams?"

"I'd love to get all the security teams we have over here and with a medic in each team. They're using polaron weapons so even a grazing blow can be painfully lethal."

"Lieutenant Roebuck, assemble every security team and everyone with medical training, get over there now, report to Commander Germond."

Roebuck jumped from his seat as he said 'Yes sir'. As he headed for the transporter he tapped his commbadge, "Roebuck to Security, assemble in the Transporter Room with full gear." He paused a moment then tapped his commbadge again "Roebuck to Sick Bay, I need all Medical Staff to report to the Transporter Room with battlefield trauma kits, you'll receive additional orders once you arrive."

Once he arrived in the Transporter Room, he holstered his sidearm, slung his phaser rifle over his shoulder, and briefed his Security Personnel.

"They are on their way Commander." Do what you can to save as many as you can. Lambert out.

"Commander." Came a voice at the partially pried open door from the man in civilian clothing. "There's a pair of groups closing in on our location." By now Stig had lost his jacket and was in a simple short sleeved, grey shirt. "I recommend we move, they likely outnumber us."

Holding out her hand to the crying nurse, Aztala offers her a choice. "You could stay here or come with us. We could use your medical expertise, but I'll understand if you want to stay. I need to know now."

"Whats the point in my staying Commander. My only patient just died." She realised how this sounded. "I'm sorry Commander. I will come with you. Save the lives of those still living." She picked up her tricorder, and grabbed her phaser before putting it in her holster. She turned to the body of the former XO of the ship. "I'm sorry Commander. We wont let them win." She turned and looked to the Orion woman. "Ready when you are Commander."

"Excellent. Welcome to the team. Now let's get out of here." Making her way out of the medbay with Sarah close behind her, she leads her team to a jeffries tube to head further up into the saucer section. With enemy teams bearing down on them, she only hoped she got everyone inside before they got here...

The warrant officer waited at the bottom of the ladder, firing a few shots down the corridor as their assailants approached. Once everyone was clear of the hallway he slung his rifle over his shoulder and quickly made his way up the ladder as he heard several shots hit the walls around his legs.

Once inside he shut the hatch and attempted to lock it but the computer didn't recognize his access code. So he tried it four more times in quick succession and security measures sealed the hatch. Good enough. He turned to follow the others.