Seeds of Destruction

Posted on Thursday, 8 April 2021 - 3:54pm by Commander Soral & Lieutenant Haru Hernandez & Lieutenant T'Lanna Vali & Lieutenant Alex Kingsley

Mission: Operation: Peace or P'Jem
Location: USS Standing Bear |Various
Timeline: 2394

ON:

With what was happening with the Andorians T’Lanna was worried about her father, with Jayce at childcare she made her way to her office to put in a call. She wasn’t sure just where her father’s ship was right now but she hoped he was far away from what was happening.

Solan sat going over reports. This was not good. Diplomacy had failed and things were about to get hairy. A call from his daughter was welcome but the timing was off. He waited until her face shimmered onto the screen, his mask of neutrality in place. "Hello T'Lanna."

“Father” T’Lanna breathed a sigh of relief seeing her father’s face on the screen. “Forgive me for calling like this, I was ... worried about you.” She offered a smile. “Where are you?”

"We were returning from a conference at the moment we are just outside of Vulcan space." He didn't add that they were at the mercy of an Andorian war ship.

T’Lanna smiled. “I can’t go into details over the comms but something is going on, it concerns Vulcans as well as Romulans. I wanted to make sure that you were safe.” She relaxed a little seeing her father’s face in the screen. “I haven’t had chance to bring Jayce to meet you yet, I want him to meet his grandfather and soon. He’s at childcare right now or I’d bring him to the screen here and now.”

"Yes, I am aware of the issues going on." He studied her. "Do you have … pictures?"

“I most certainly do” T’Lanna nodded picking up a picture off her desk. “Here he is.” She held the picture to the screen so her father could see it clearly. “He’s extremely well behaved. Raith is a wonderful man, he’s looking forward to being Jayce’s father.”

"Good. You will need that." He said cryptically. He knew they were in the eye of the storm. All was quiet now but any minute things could change. They were surrounded. He would have to try and make this call short.

T’Lanna frowned something wasn’t right. “Is there something wrong?”

"There is nothing for you to wo..." Before the sentence was out of his mouth the ship shook. Several klaxons went off. Solan looked up. "Wait." He said muting his call. He stood and walked over to the wall and activated the coms unit. There was no sound but her father's head lowered. He let out a soundless sigh. He walked over to the communicator screen and removed the mute. "T'Lanna I will require you to listen to me."

T’Lanna’s eyes widened and her heart sank, “What’s going on!?”

"We are surrounded by Andorian war ships. Vulcan has sent rescue craft, however, our shields are failing. Our home on Vulcan is now yours. I wish you to know that I have a lot of pride in you being my daughter."

T’Lanna’s breathing quickened and her eyes started to fill with tears. “Dad ... no, you can’t leave me! You have to hang on until those rescue ships get there! You haven’t even met your grandson!!” She wanted to hit the comms and get Barret to take the ship to her father’s rescue. “Where exactly are you? I can try and get the ship to you! To help you!!”

"It is not safe for you to be here. T'Lanna, you have grown into a wonderful woman. You are so much like your mother. I lo..." Before he could finish there was a large shaking of the ship and a blinding white light, that, was then replaced by an eerie silence.

“Dad?” T’Lanna stood staring at the screen for a moment, tears running down her cheeks. “Dad!? ...” For a moment there was silence before the tragedy broke through the invisible barrier holding her together. “No ...” she shook her head. “NO!!!!” She screamed, all control of her abilities lost. She sank to her knees, her mind sending out a blinding mental wave that every telepath or empath onboard would feel.

:: Bridge ::

With the briefing dismissed, Lieutenant Kingsley had returned to the Bridge albeit briefly. Initiating diagnostic sub routines to test the suite of sensors, the science officer had headed for the labs to ensure all was safely secured. Anything to stay busy. Emerging from the turbolift her resolve not to let family distract her crumbled as she tapped her comm badge. “Kingsley to Commander Soral, could you -“

The rest of the sentence died on her lips as a searing pain ripped through her, an agony that was familiar yet amplified by a thousand. She felt nothing else as she collapsed, blood trickling from her nose. A scream that wasn’t hers following her down into the abyss.

Soral had been just coming back from his meeting with the Captain. Hearing his wife on the coms and then the scream, he quickened his pace. "Alexandra!" He'd felt a wave of agony just moments ago, a Telepathic pain unlike anything but his years of training he was able to block most of it. He hurried to the turbolift while also asking the computer to locate Alex and then he was off to find her.

“Lieutenant Kingsley is on Deck 4, section 2,” the computer responded. Coincidentally at the same time Alex came to and began hauling herself unsteadily to her feet. The door to her office parted as she stumbled inside, disoriented as she sank into the nearest chair, missed it and instead sat on the floor, leaning her head back against her desk and savouring the sudden quiet. She’d get up in a minute. Or ten. For she felt an exhaustion all the way to her bones that was luring her back to the dark. Just a few minutes and then she’d find Soral and figure out what happened.

The trip to Alex was brief and he blazed into her office like lightening. "Alexandra!" He said kneeling down by her side. He took her face in his hands gently. "Alexandra wake up!"

“Soral! Your okay?” She peered up at him, seeming to search for any sign of injury. “I don’t know what happened...”

"Telepathic meltdown. Someone of the crew. I am still trying to process it. I am alright." He walked over to the replicator and then brought some water. "Drink, quickly."

She drank, emptying the cup greedily as he held it to her lips. “Who?” She asked as she pushed the cup away. Soral was skilled, he had strong discipline and she knew whatever it was had to have been powerful. Although now, since she had come to, she could feel nothing of the pain and anguish which had hit like a freight train. Who on the ship was capable?

"Very few, myself, T'Paris who is no longer on the ship, and Vali. My guess is Vali. Betazoids can project what they are feeling."

“We have to help her,” Alex decided as she moved to get up before realising it was a little too soon for that. “What if something happened to Jayce? Or Raith? You have to go find her.”

"I will as soon as I am sure that you are well." He lifted her in his arms. "Come, I shall take you to our quarters, you must rest. Then with your permission I wish to do a mind meld...I do not want anything to happen to you."

“Sickbay is closer, the Doc will help,” she mumbled in protest, “you have to find T’Lanna ... make sure she and the rest of the crew are okay...”

He was reluctant but then he agreed. "Alright." He carried her out of the lab and headed towards the sickbay.

“I can walk, you know...” she lied through her teeth. It made her feel better to argue though. Because she was worried. Not so much for herself or Soral, or what this may mean for their chances of bonding again... she was far more worried about T’Lanna.

“Go,” she said as soon as they crossed the threshold of sickbay. “Help her.”

OFF: