Shaken and Stirred - Part I

Posted on Saturday, 17 June 2023 - 9:09pm by Commander T'Varis Pren

Mission: Operation: Lobes & Liberties
Location: USS Light Seeker
Timeline: 2396

ON:

Shards of glass flew across the darkening bridge. Red shadows blinked in and out of existence. Pren watched as the medical team tended to the wounded and as Captain Ivy Grams was taken off the bridge. She slid into the chair she was not ready to occupy and let out a shaky breath. This was it. Their opponent was making another run at them.

"Hard to port!" Pren's hands tightened on the arm rests. Her voice was calm and collected yet her heart hammered in her chest for so many reasons. She winced as the panel to her right on the wall fizzed. The ship shook violently sending various crew to the ground yet again. The unrelenting screams of the alert klaxons threatened to rip her sanity from her mind.

She took a shaky breath as the next volley missed the ship.

"Shields at fifty percent!"

Pren did not point out that she could damn well see that on her readouts. She studied the little ship that had caused so much trouble. "Anything on the origin of the vessel?"

The Science Officer, a Vulcan, turned. "I found no information on any of Starfleet's databases."

"Not good enough Semrik"

"However, I did find something in the Vulcan database."

Pren pressed her lips closed to keep from venting her mind and then said in a calm voice that could freeze the oceans of Betazed, "Please take your time. I am sure they will not destroy the ship until you are able to give us information."

He raised an eyebrow. "They are called the Kelterians. Their home planet..."

"I do not care. What are their weaknesses?" Her hands tightened on the arm rests as the ship rocked again. Her eyes darting to the shields.

"The database...."

"Commander! There is a weakness in their shields."

She resisted the urge to slam her hand in triumph. Pren sat up straighter. "Bridge to Engineering I need as much power to shields as you can get me."

"Aye, Bridge."

She turned to tactical. "Mr. Zevrin I need you to give me all the ship has and target the weak spot. "Mr. Fields I need you to take the ship to the coordinates I'm sending you now. Tactical be ready."

"Aye Commander."

She watched the crew spring into action ignoring the Vulcan who was prattling on. She had a bone to pick with these Kelterians. She watched as the shield levels rose. She would reward the Engineer for her quick work.

"Moving into position."

Pren leaned forward. "Tactical...fire on my mark....Mark!"

She watched as the red and orange waves streaked against the dark background of space. They sailed true and hit the belly of the ship just to the right of the port engine.

There was a moment of utter silence before the ship on the screen rumbled. She saw it before anyone. "Get us out of here!"

The call came too late anyway and as the ship before them lit up the darkness of space with a blinding white light it carried the ship forward tossing and spinning the ship while throwing and battering the crew.

The screams of the warning Klaxons joined the red alert as did the yells and screams of the crew. She prayed to the Prophets to keep the ship together.

Time seemed to slow and she watched figures move and fly with a slowness she was not sure was real. Her heart hammered in her chest threatening to leap out and she held onto the arm rests of the command chair fighting to maintain her balance.

Captain Ivy Grams would hold on. She would show dignity and grace in the face of it all. Just when she thought the ship was going to break apart the spinning stopped. Her stomach, however, continued to spin.

"Status!" Her voice rang out on the suddenly silent bridge.

She counted at least seven heartbeats before the Tactical officer's voice rang out, "Hull breaches on Deck's 30 to 36, emergency forcefields holding, engineering is dispatching crew. We have got no engines and power is low, we have no shields commander. We're sitting ducks."

Pren felt defeated. The captain would have gotten them out okay. This was her failure; she should have given the order sooner.

"Casualty reports coming in now... five lost Sir."

Five families that would never see their loved one home. She clenched her fists. "Med teams report every hour, all first aid trained crew to help. Send out a distress call to any Federation ship within the area." Her mind began racing. "Focus on getting shields up first, that's engineering's priority, shields and weapons."

"Aye sir."

She was about to say more but the coms beeped. "Sickbay to Bridge."

"Go ahead sickbay."

"Commander I need you in sickbay. It's urgent."

She knew that tone in Valaria's voice She did not like it one bit. "I can't leave the bridge now Doctor."

"Commander, that's an order. You may outrank me but in this..."

Frustrated she stood a wiped at her brow only now noticing the blood. She hissed quietly and then handed over control to the second XO heading to the medical bay. Could this day get any worse? Pren was afraid to find out.

OFF: