Castle Perilous, Part II

Anomaly TrekMUX Episode (#01-022)

Flight Deck - USS Cape Fear - [IC]

The flight deck is rather spacious, consisting of a separate cockpit and services bay. The cockpit is dominated by a large horseshoe shaped console bank of standard design. A pair of comfortably padded dark grey chairs sit before the main flight controls, with a pair of matching chairs situated before the extended aft arms of the console bank. A pair of large, sloping rectangular viewports take up much of the forward area, providing a wide angle of visibility. A pair of wide, elliptical viewports on each side extend visibility further. A bulkhead partition, just aft of the boarding hatches, separates the flight deck from a services bay. Access to the bay is provided via a narrow open hatchway, through which the aft corridor hatch can be seen. Within the bay, the narrow central walkway is flanked to port by a square transporter pad and a cozy galley to starboard. Although the lighting is sufficient, the muted blue-grey walls and medium grey carpeted deck serve to soften it, creating a calming effect.

Roll the credits, the station swoops by in a slow pan and the anomaly is seen twinkling in the background with a nice fly-by of the Aegis. The music sweeps up, fade in, and we see the USS Cape fear, careening towards a firey end against the saucer section of the futuristic Aegis' saucer section. Inside the ship is the intrepid crew - all with grim determination to make it out of this thing alive. No panic, only their steel-set jaws against certain doom, but with enough will in them to fight their fates. Among the crew are Lt. Accolon, Ensign Raioth, and a security chief by the name of Oberlin.

Ghorev shouts out, "Lieutenant, I'm going to milk our shields for all their worth. Cut our impulse to reverse and we can make up the difference with a tractor beam!"

Gwen reacts immediately, hands moving to start a tractor beam to slow the ship down... "Holliday, reverse the engines."

Ghorev's own hands try to coax that 2% shield-power to something that, combined with those tractors and reverse thrusters, might cushion the impact.

Holliday's just recieved helm controls to his station as Poole switches to .. Tactical? He attempts to master the rather out of control runabout as it careens towards the dark hull of the future Aegis.. And slams the 'Fear into reverse. If it were a car, the tranny'd be in pieces about a block back..

<GAME> Holliday spends a courage point.

<GAME> Poole spends a courage point.

<GAME> Ghorev spends a courage point.

Jade clings to the console at which he was previously standing, rocking and bobbing with the ship.

<CONTEST> Ghorev (claiming advantage) contests his Shipboard Systems (Engineering) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!

<CONTEST> Poole (claiming advantage) contests her Shipboard Systems (Tractor Beam) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!

<CONTEST> Holliday (claiming advantage) contests his Vehicle Operations (Shuttlecraft) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!

Ghorev's hands work manically over the console. "I've got ... limited shields fore and ventral. She's going to be rough. Everyone assume crash positions, but we *may* make it."

"Tractor beams are online, targetted.... I hope it works..." Gwen hits the execute command on the tractor beam, 'flipping the switch' so to speak.

Jade shoves backwards from the console and into the seat which he left before, obeying Ghorev and adopting crash procedure position. Eyes closed, lips mouthing a silent, possibly final message, he awaits the move of fate...

Holliday says, "What's the last thing that goes thru the mind of an insect hitting a windscreen? His butt." He doesn't take his eyes off the forward view of the rapidly growing Aegis hull, his fingers flying arcoss the console on their own kind of autopilot..

The Cape Fear manages to slow its ascent by a reasonable margin, however it's just not quite good enough. Rather than everyone dying, perhaps a few will survive. Just then, an explosion rips in front of the Cape Fear as the USS Fox torpedos where the Cape Fear is about to hit - the force of the explosion manages to push the Cape Fear off course enough to entirely miss the alternate Aegis. The dark Aegis, its weapons blistering off blind volley after blind volley, manages to take out two more runabouts and punch a hole clean through the saucer section of her twin sister - the current Aegis.

The Cape Fear is still spinning out of control, but now that the impact isn't eminent, you check your current destination: The anomaly. That's about five minutes off at this speed.

Holliday swears wildy, taking his bearings as the ship catupults thru the conflaguration.. finding their course now to be the anomaly. He struggles with the controls.. or rather the trajectory readout, trying to weigh their spin vectors and available thrust against the target size before actually firing anything..

Oberlin, the security chief, slides out of his chair. "Permission to check on my men, sir!" he asks Poole in a concerned voice.

You say "Any way we can get a little more push.. or pull?"

Gwen grimaces as she's bounced in her seat, she keeps her tight grip on the console in front of her... When they are still alive after several more seconds tick by she let's out a deep breath. "Permission granted Oberlin, check the EVA equipment... we may have to abandon ship."

Poole says "I might be able to use the tractors again... if they weren't damaged."

Ghorev says "Do we have enough for all, or am I going to beam most of us over to the other Runabouts, or the Aegis?"

Jade's eyes flicker open and he, feverishly, goes on mouthing silent words, before unbracing and rising, lurching towards his recently abandoned console. "Lieutenant, will we have time to suit up?" A glance to Ghorev. "Checking, sir."

Holliday nods, still running streams of data across his screen. "Are we in range?" A second passes. "Someone open a channel to the Fox."

Gwen catches on, "The EVA is our last ditch measure. Perhaps the Fox could give us a lift back to the Aegis.... a shove towards the cargo bay, perhaps?"

Ghorev says "We *would* be in range, but the dechyons play tricks on the usual tolerance ranges, Doctor. We may need to be towed by harmonizing our tractor beam with someone else's and we *don't* have much time."

The USS Fox is already docking with the alternate Aegis, entering into the shuttlebay 'hole'.

"We do -not- have enough suits, Lieutenant Poole. Not for everyone here." Jade's hand grips the edge of the console as he stands, feet planted, free fingers darting across the panel. "We're about twenty short."

Ghorev says "Unless, of course, we feel like taking a brief trip into the Anomaly."

Holliday nods quickly. "Tractor status?" He's inputting some kind of flight pattern into the computer. "I don't need a tow. Just an anchor." He curses again. "Anyone.. Anything in tractor range? Chief, will our deflector catch anything the anomaly's throwing out?"

"Is there any way we could use the tractor beam as a vine?... Swing around the station and back towards the ... " Gwen stops as Holliday asks the tractor beam status, which she goes to check and verify.

Ghorev says "We can latch Aegis. our Aegis. She's ... she's thinking the same thing, I think, trying to power up her own tractor to snare us."

Holliday says, "I don't know, Lt. But I've got the flight path laid in if we can hook anything.""

There is a brief shuddering of the Cape Fear as the 'good' Aegis locks their tractor beam onto the tiny runabout.

Cut to...

The Fox, under Itaani's control, manages to slide into the hole punched into the shuttle bay doors with little hitch. Sensors indicate it passed a structural integrity field, and is now in breathable atmosphere. The security teams - more like heavily armed navy seals than the typical Starfleet officer - start to file out the moment it touches down. Half make it out of the Fox before they get pinned down by phaser fire - seems the Aegis has its own security contingent. The ship shudders as it takes another hard hit.

"We'll have to disembark quickly. "Computer, when we are disembarked, tranfer control of this vessel to Cape Fear's auxiliary console.

Itaani snatches up a phaser rifle and heads for the hatchway, "Computer, searchlights up at full intensity...

The computer chimes affirmative to Itaani's orders. Searchlights go up to full intensity, spotlighting the battle with bright light. Even with the lights on, the battle is ensuing - just not quite as accurately from the positions of the Aegist crew scattered from defensive positions around the cargo containers. The alternate Aegis crew, is donned in all-black starfleet uniforms - the shoulders are black, their undershirts are black, as are the Starfleet insignia pins and collar pips.

Cut back to the Cape Fear Flight Deck...

<CONTEST> Holliday contests his Vehicle Operations (Shuttlecraft) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!

With the Aegis' stabilizing 'hand' of the tractor beam, Doctor Holliday manages to get the Cape Fear back in reasonable control. It's not responding well, but the ship isn't dead in the water. The missing nacelle makes it limp a little to the side, forcing Holliday to keep nudging the nose the other direction.

"Are we going to be able to maneuvor into the bay, with the Cape Fear this badly damaged?" Jade tilts his head down, eyes on the readouts in front of him.

Holliday glances at the sensor display. "Looks like they got us locked." He taps the controls, initiating the flight pattern he programmed in earlier. He takes a short but deep breath. "Towel." He says, probably out of habit, not reaching up to wipe his brow. "I'm going to try, Mr. Jade. Can we raise the Aegis on com?"

Oberlin comes back from the back. "My men are shaken but not stirred, Lieutenant. They just want to know who to point at."

Ghorev says "I don't know if we'll make it before they can bring thier full power back up." He grimaces at his controls. "It's hard to estimate good sensor readings through the background dechyons. Lieutenant Poole, your orders?"

Holliday chuckles at Oberlin's report. "Then lets see about serving up some dinner cocktails.."

"It'll be a difficult landing, Ensign." Gwen starts bringing up whatever weapons she can, "I'm going to try and fire some torpedos as decoys.... confuse their firings. Holliday, bring us into the cargo bay as best you can."

Poole says "Ghorev... Do what you can to keep them from hitting us again..."

Holliday nods. He's been working at the controls, programming another set of instructions for the flight computer. "Aegis this is Cape Fear. Can you give us a little play with the tractor? I'll transmit a flight plan."

"Cape Fear, we read you. We will assist as best as we can," states the Aegis.

Ghorev says "Aye, Sir. I think they're still firing blind, though, so as long as our luck holds, we should be alright. If they can push us towards the cargo bay, I can try to coax what shields we still have into giving up the ghost for us *after* we make the landing."

"Sirs, I know this isn't entirely constructive in the short term, but I would point out that, since the alternate Aegis still has some power, they may be able to use the artifact to timeshift at any point." Jade murmurs, though clearly, having finished raising the Aegis for the Doctor. "However, the fact they haven't yet suggests that they -can't-, right now."

Holliday transmits the flight pattern and begins to 'wrap up' the still working nacelle, using the tractor beam as an achor line to swing the ship about in an arc.. He begins the flight program, compensating somewhat with the maneuvering thrusters on the other side of the ship, bringing them up in power as he begins to back down on the nacelle. "Roger, Aegis. Let her fly.." As the tractor beam disengages, he cuts the remaining power to the nacelle, letting the ship 'coast' at high speed towards the Dark Aegis, making minute corrections with the thrusters. "Goliath, here comes David."

The current Aegis nudges the Cape Fear along, however, it breaks off after a few minutes due to rengagement with her dark sister. Even while crippled and slowing down, she is still putting up a nasty fight.

<CONTEST> Holliday contests his Vehicle Operations (Shuttlecraft) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!

<CONTEST> Ghorev contests his Systems Engineering (Shields) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!

Ghorev says "Okay, I think we've got enough shield power to land like a wounded canya bird. This is, I should think, better than landing like a dead one."

Holliday, with his delicate touch, eases the Cape Fear into the hole of the shuttlebay, where a large phaser firefight is stalemating. Bodies are starting to pile up on both sides as the two forces exchange fire across the vastness of the shuttlebay. The Cape Fear is the third in, leaving two more runabouts still out there (the other three are only so much vapor scattered across the cosmos). Oberlin whistles.

Jade looks through the viewscreen as the Fear enters, jaw dropped at the carnage visible even in that small vista. Gripping the console whiteknuckled, he swallows, blinks, as if to check he's really seeing the firefight outside.

Holliday maneuvers the 'Fear into the maw of the alternate Aegis' shuttlebay. Now that the craft has recovered its stability, he pilots the runabout with the maneuvering thrusters, although without continued propulsion the ride is likely somewhat choppy. "Where there's life, there's hope, Chief." He says, like a mantra. "Now just to find a place to park. I think we can take 'handicapped' considering.." He glances to Poole and Oberlin, "You're up next..

Gwen stands from her console, not much more she can do there. "Lt. Oberlin, prep your men... you've got less than half a minute." She looks over to Holliday, "Try and set us down away from the other shuttles... give our side a bit of a crossfire."

Outside, Itaani rapidfires a phaser rifle at the enemy's cover...

You say "Will do, sir."

Oberlain looks to Poole. "Yes sir," he says curtly and with respect. He turns toward the back of the runabout. "All right, dirtbags, what are you waiting for? Get it together and move! You! Jamalia! What the hell do you think you're doing! Get that rifle back together!" His ranting can be heard even as the door is closing behind him.

Holliday taps at the controls, beginning to set the craft down in a likely spot and prepping the landing protocols. "Ghorev, can you see one of their shuttlebay consoles anywhere down there?"

Ghorev says "Checking now."

The reinforcements start to spill out of the Cape Fear - the men going out to meet the enemy - and some of them death - head on.

The Aegis rocks hard under a pounding from outside.

Gwen pulls her phaser from her utility belt, setting it's level. "Phasers set to heavy stun... They're not going to give us an inch." She nods to the rest of the officers, "It's time to make them pay for what they've done." With that, she's headed to the rear of the runabout, just behind the troops.

Ghorev says "There's one over there, Doctor, but the power still is down. The best we can do is get to some engineernig controls and hold the line until power comes up, then play merry hell with the ship while the teams findTyler."

The shuttlebay is filled with the sound of phasers discharging, the screams of the injured Starfleet commandos (as it seems the alternate Aegis troops are not being quite as gentle as to have their weapons on stun), and the acrid stench of smoke and blood.

Holliday asks, "Did you ever find those handlamps, Alex?" He sets some 'holding program routine' on the 'Fear's flight console, turning on the external spotlights and lowering the blast shields over the forward viewport. As the flaps close of the view of the bay, he sights thru the smoke and darkness, trying to establish where the turbolift might be. "Good enuf, Chief." Shouldering his medkit, he looks to Poole.

Jade's hand slides to his phaser, then returns to his console. His eyes latch onto it, though he's not really doing anything right now. Probably easier than looking at the death outside. As the security teams start to leave, he ducks back and into the Runabout bay, unclipping his phaser and setting to heavy stun as Poole orders.

Ghorev takes up his phaser and rises from the console. "Lieutenant Poole, unless you have a better plan, I'm willing to take and hold a console line if there any who can help me."

Jade steps, a little unsteadily after all of the lurching, to the exit hatch, looks out, phaser clutched to his chest, eyes wide. "Hell... these guys aren't Starfleet officers... they fight like..." He glances over his shoulder to Holliday, nods and raises a hand to a storage crate at the rear of the bay, flips it open. Takes out one flashlight, and begins to proffer them to the officers around.

<CONTEST> Itaani contests her Energy Weapon (Phaser) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Fails!

Ghorev grunts at Jade. "Indeed. If we still didn't have men out there, I'd say to blazes with it and fire a microtorp into the mix."

The second officer nods to Ghorev, "Take control of that console, if you spot Itaani or Nevaren, they are with you." She heads out of the runabout and towards the nearest turbolift (from what she remembers on the 'good' Aegis). She uses whatever cover there is.

Poole says "Doctor, you're with me... in case Tyler's hurt."

Itaani ducks a phaser shot and pops up to discharge her weapon...

Jade draws a breath as his eyes latch on to a few of the battling, dark-clad alternate Starfleet, even as he follows Poole, flanking a couple of metres behind. Under his breath, sharply, "If they will fight with us, bid them come down, or void the field; they do offend our sight." Spat, but despite his anger, he keeps low and likewise to cover.

Holliday takes a light and clips it to his left wrist. He nods to Poole from where he stands, close to the wall near the hatch. "We go find her.. What's the plan?"

Another Runabout starts to make its way in - however, it is on a course set for certain doom. The commandos start to scream, "Heads up!" "Clear!" "It's coming in too fast!", and people start to scatter from their positions like cockroaches under the flip of a lightswitch. Over your shoulders, the Etowah comes screaming toward the cargo bay doors.

Holliday emits a short barking laugh. "Step one- distract the opposition.."

Ghorev says "Aye, Sir." He wields his phaser, primes it to some unclear setting, presumably on the heavy side of stun, and watches the firefight from the hatchway until the incoming Runabout makes that pointless. "Mother of all the Gods!" He tears forward with a war cry that fades into an indistinct noise. "ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"

"They'd expect us to use the Jeffries Tubes...." Gwen stops as she spots the Etowah coming in, "Everyone down!"

<CONTEST> Nevaren contests his Dodge skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

<GAME> Poole spends a courage point.

<GAME> Jade spends a courage point.

<CONTEST> Poole (claiming advantage) contests her Dodge skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

<CONTEST> Itaani (claiming advantage) contests her Dodge skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!

Ghorev bursts forward against his console, trying to do what he can with the shields before the impact.

<CONTEST> Jade (claiming advantage) contests his Dodge skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

Jade, Nevaren and Poole are all hit by debris from the passing Etowah - it bounces off the bay doors and starts tumbling violently down into the bay with a rain of sparks, bodies and debris.

Holliday ducks back fully behind the doorway of the 'Fear a split second after his shout to Poole. He swears. Once the immediate noise and rain of debris has passed, he chances a look out the hatch again, scanning Jade and Poole's last known location..

Jade takes 2 levels of damage and is now at 5/7.

Nevaren takes 2 levels of damage and is now at 5/7.

Itaani rolls as her cover is blown away by the onrushing Etowah...

Gwen is lifted from the floor and goes flying a few meters. She lands with a solid crunch on her side, her face grazed by some debris as well.

Poole takes 2 levels of damage and is now at 5/7.

Nevaren is flung sideways and skids across the floor as a piece of debris strikes him flat on his side. He rolls, coming to a stop against a wall. With a groan he unsteadily pushes himself up the wall until he is standing.. sort of anyways.

You say "Chief, can you get anything on their power status? ..We're going to have to take the 'tubes if the 'lifts and transporters aren't available.."

Likewise bowled to the floor by the impact, Jade slams onto the deck on his side and rolls, finally slamming into one of the stacks in the bay, and perhaps a body or two; the collision with both looks painful. His phaser mercifully lands near his hand.

Ghorev says "Doctor, *we* have transporters. I can beam two at a time if necessary. But I'm scanning." WIth one hand, the other holding his phaser, he works the console, trying to get a bead on the pwoer situation. "If necessary, I'll hold down teh fort here."

Nevaren sets his Type I Phaser to Stun.

Gwen stirs from where she landed, managing to get up to her knees. She takes a quick look around, causing her vision to spin in front of her for a moment... then, stands with her knees bent some. "Ensign?" She calls out.

Outside the runabout - it is pandemonium. The Etowah has lodged herself upside down against a bulkhead. Wounded and the dead lie everywhere. The firefight, for all intents and purposes, has ceased - the casualties are incredibly high - bringing the question to mind, 'is one person worth this much?'

Holliday nods, considering. He's eyeing the distance between himself and the wounded outside the runabout. "Chief, could you patch our power thru their transporters for a site-to-site?

Itaani manages to come to her feet: in the open anyway, she charges, with a shout in her own native language, into the confusion the passing runabout has sown among the enemy...hoping to take and hold a better position, if not scatter the opposition...

"Uh..." Jade slowly starts to lever himself off the floor. Every movement is met with a clear expression of pain on his face. He makes it to a slouched sitting position, in cover, fumbles for his phaser. "Here, sir... I think, at least..." A beat. "Can we get out of this godforsaken bay?"

Holliday squares his shoulders and steps from the runabout, opening his tricorder and hefting a sprayhypo in his other hand. He moves towards the most severly injured readings, indiscriminate of their uniform colors.

Ghorev says "I could try. I'd have to win *control* as well as broadcast the power. And if their power comes up while I'm doing it, we're going to be the burnt stuff on the bottom of a keg of Ferengi beer."

Ghorev's comm badge chirrups. "Commander Montero to Lieutenant Ghorev," says a voice over it.

Ghorev taps his comm badge. "Lieutenant Ghorev here."

Nevaren limps into the middle of the hangar, looking around at all the dead, shaking his head. He looks a little dazed at alkl the carnage, shaking his head.

Over Ghorev's comm badge, Montero says, "Status, Cape Fear?"

Itaani and the commandos mop up what little resistance is left of the opposing force - the Etowah's crew appears to be dead as well. Surviving the destruction of the Etowah is enough to make up two teams out of the original six.

Holliday ignores the cries of the mortally wounded here- though many are in no condition to cry out anymore. He administers a painkiller or antishock treatment to a casualty here and there, though his path takes him in a mostly straight line to Poole and he scans her.

Ghorev says into his comm badge, "We've got about 10 percent shields, no warp power, partial impulse, and we're in the middle of a firefight that just got interrupted by Etowah's crash landing. We're intact, though, Sir. Some light casualties from the firefight. I'm trying to take and hold a console once we can get out of the runabout."

Gwen moves towards Jade and says, "Yes... Hold on a second, let's gather ourselves for the push into the ship." She takes a longer glance around the bay (this time her vision doesn't swim so much), "It looks like most of Alpha team made it, we'll push forward, the rest will stay here and guard the bay."

Itaani 's face is a storm as she takes stock of the remainder of her team at the doors into the rest of the ship. She was going through that door, and by Gods, that's what's on her mind... "Nevaren!"

Jade crowbars himself into a slouched standing position - clearly he's a little unused to this kind of action - his stance warped by whatever pain he's in. He swallows, checks his phaser and other equipment as he replies, "Sir, might it be possible to use their transporters internally? They may have secured access points deeper into the ship, against us."

Over Ghorev's comm badge, Montero says, "Understood. Station systems are returning online so I must assume the same for Sinclaire's Aegis. Continue towards your objective then. Montero out."

Nevaren turns around, looking at Itaani. "yeah? I'm over here."

Ghorev says into his comm badge, "Ghorev out."

Ghorev terminates the comm by tapping his comm badge.

Gwen looks to Holliday, "I'm okay, Doctor... Check out Jade." She motions to the Ensign, then calls out, "Itaani, Nevaren, you are with us." Then she looks about for Lt. Oberlin."

Jade offers a weak smile to Holliday, shifting again into a less slouched stance, straightening. And coughing, once. He presses for no reply, but refocuses his attention on Poole.

Nevaren sighs, limping towards Poole. His phaser is in hand hanging at his side.

Itaani looks to the door. "Get your engineers together. We're going to continue... She suddenly loooks up at mention of her own name, and sees Poole... "Belay that, let's regroup." She tells a few of her men to "hold this doorway," and trots over, predictably sooty, her uniform jacket having split its front zipper..... "Lieutenant...

Ghorev steps back from his console and raises his phaser again. "Alright. Time to find a console and do this."

The Aegis rocks under fire from outside - the battle should have been over by now.

Itaani says "What's the plan, sir? We were delayed, and time is running out...."

Nevaren stops a few feet in front of poole. "Orders, Sir?" He asks, his vpice a it haggard."

Jade's brow creases with a frown as the ship's deck rocks, and, in lurching, he almost loses balance. Alex grabs the side of the nearby stack to steady himself, and simply tilts his head to hear Poole.

"We're splitting into two teams, Alpha team and Beta team.... We are Alpha team, and our objective is to find Tyler and get her off this ship by any means necessary.... Beta team is to head to the bridge, to try and take control of this Aegis."

Holliday nods to Jade while he opens the medkit, still slung over his shoulder. He presses a spray hypo to Poole's arm, administering a dose of impedrazine. "Ghorev's working on it, Alex." He glances towards the 'lift doors. "Until power comes online, we'll have to find another way to lift our spirits." He reaches for Jade's arm.

Jade nods, once to Holliday, as he makes his arm available, shrugs his eyebrows. "I need to pay more attention, sorry." Breathed, quietly, as the man's gaze shifts and darts around the utter destruction of the bay.

Ghorev dashes to a console, as the last of the smoke and debris clears, and curses. "They've made changes to the controls!" he shouts. "I'll do what I can, but we're running against the clock! They're starting to regain power."

Itaani says "We could go for the main couplings?"

Jade nods, once to Holliday, as he makes his arm available, shrugs his eyebrows. "I need to pay more attention, sorry." Breathed, quietly, as the man's gaze shifts and darts around the utter destruction of the bay.

Shuttlebay - USS Aegis - [IC]

The most obvious attribute of the shuttlebay is its sheer extreme size, probably capable of holding one hundred attack fighters, or around seventy-five Danube runabouts, although the Aegis' carries a much smaller compliment of craft: Perhaps two runabouts and ten or so utility shuttles of various types. Really two shuttlebays, each quite large in itself, and joined together back to back, the shuttlebay section extends front to back through the whole length of the Aegis' saucer section. At either end, three sets of large docking bay doors can be seen. The unique arrangement of the shuttlebays allows for a large number of launch and landing operations to be carried out simultaniously. On the Aegis, this area serves double duty as a cargo hold, and different areas of the 'bay can be sectioned off and converted to other functions in short order as well.

Ghorev picks up a commpin from a fallen Dark Aegis soldier, slumped against the console.

"We're splitting into two teams, Alpha team and Beta team.... We are Alpha team, and our objective is to find Tyler and get her off this ship by any means necessary.... Beta team is to head to the bridge, to try and take control of this Aegis." Gwen wipes her forehead of the sweat and dirt, then unzips her jacket top. "We're going through the Jeffries Tubes since the turbolifts are out." She points to the nearest doors to an access corridor. "Let's go."

Holliday chuckles. "S'aright. It's been a little busy in the last couple minutes." He says to Jade while pressing the 'hypo to the man's arm. "I think the technical term is 'all hell breaking loose'." He looks up, running the tricorder on Itaani and Nevaren.

Jade nods to the Doctor, slumps for a moment back against the stack, rubbing his arm where the hypo was applied. Then glances to Poole, drawing a breath, and starts after her.

Nevaren looks back at itani, wiping black soot from his pale white forehead. "So.. where Is Tyler? Where do we start looking?"

Ghorev pockets the commpin. And re-readies his phaser.

Gwen heads to the door, waits to see if it will open of it's own accord.... If it doesn't, she's pulled her phaser again, so she's ready to blast it out of the way. "Our destination is sickbay... it's most probable that she's either there or on the bridge."

Itaani says "Where would you put her if you were Sinclaire?"

Holliday finishes treating the injured members of the current SF task force as best he can, then stows the equipment away again. Consulting his PADD he follows after Poole towards the access tunnel. "Well, if they haven't redecorated too much, I think I see the route we need to take.."

Nevaren ponders that. "three places. Her own quarters. The brig.. or sickbay. probably sickbay cause she is being constantly sedated.""

Jade nods to Poole, looks to Nevaren. "Indeed, sir, but she may have been moved any time after our attack began. Regardless, I concur, sickbay's a good start." A beat. "Though I'd recommend we be prepared for a trap, in case they expect such a move."

The Aegis rocks again under fire. What the hell is going on out there?

Nevaren nods, pulling out his tricorder, setting it to scan for any strange powereadings ahead of them as they make their waw.

Itaani picks up a stray equipment strap and ties it around her head as a headband, to keep her hair out of her face... "Right." She hoists her rifle back to ready as she tosses her head. A grim look crosses her face as she surveys the damage. "They should have counterstruck by now...

Nevaren stops scanning and looks at the Alternate starfleet bodies. He runs his tricorderover their equipment, seeing if any of it is better or can help them in any way.

Gwen steps back from the door, "Step away for a moment... " Then she sets her phaser to the appropriate level and cuts a rather large chuck out of the door... large enough for any of the team members to just step through. Then she moves forward, checking for black uniform sf members and a Jeffries Tube access.

"Let's move, people," Itaani urges, shuddering with the vessel. Our Aegis may not know we're here.."

The Jeffries tubes are clear. The shuttlebay is strangely quiet.

Ghorev says "I'm sure they know, actually. The trick is whether they can do anything about it. Let's find Tyler and get out of here."

Itaani says "Naag." Itaani ducks through immediately after Poole... "Lieutenant, it occurs to me that the Romulans are now aware of the artifact to some degree, and it would be an ideal time..."

Jade flanks Poole, phaser held ready. As he walks, "If their systems were fully back on, we wouldn't be here now... that's hopefull..." A glance over his shoulder to Itaani, opens his mouth to reply, then glances away, supressing it, and following the Second Officer.

Gwen leads the way into the Jeffries tubes, starting to climb upwards to the sickbay. She replies to Itaani. "We can't worry about that Lt... The station and our Aegis will. We have a singular purpose in our mission for now."

Ghorev rejoins the group in whatever formation starts to assemble. "A most singular purpose, yes. Shall we?"

Itaani nods, and follows, slinging her rifle.

Nevaren looks up at his group. "Wait a minute.... Why don't we takes some of THEIR equipment. It may be more powerful. Help even us up a bit."

Ghorev says "Mr. Nevaren, if their consoles are any indication, they've changed the controls and settings. I'd rather not watch their weaopns explode in your hands. Let's go."

Itaani says "Or blow up," Itaani says, impatiently, from inside the tube. "On the double, folks."

Ghorev does, in fact, move along.

Nevaren sighs, and runs after the group.. well more like a fast limp. His tricorder is out as he scans for enemies and traps along their route. His phaser is always held ready.

Jade's attention is now completely on the task in hand, save the five percent which is still griping about his newly acquired injuries. Phaser - slightly inexpertly - extended before him, he is behind Poole, and just to the side, eyes on the Jeffries Tube ahead.

Holliday ducks thru the acess hatch of the tube, the medkit swinging lightly against his hip as he begins to climb.. "Well, it's not a mountain of glass, but will it do, Mr. Jade?" He says between breaths.

Nevaren crawls into the tube after Holliday.

Itaani just listens on ahead, placing her hands and feet carefully on the ladder as the junction is approached.

"Doctor, if I never see another Starfleet ship again, it'll be too soon." Alex murmur backwards, to Holliday, slightly drily, voice cracking as he is momentarily forced to duck even lower.

Ghorev is behind Itaani and ahead of Holliday, working his way through the tube. "Careful with those feet, Lieutenant," he says, with gallows humor. "I like my antennae intact, after all."

Gwen pauses just before the access to level two, hefting her phaser and changing the setting to heavy stun again. She looks down, taking a quick 'head' check to make sure everyone is still with her.

Nevaren groans. "I probably should have gone first... I spent most of my life in tunnels smaller than this.."

Deck Two - S2 - USS Aegis - [IC]

The corridor runs in a circumference around the edge of the ship's saucer section. It is much narrower than the usual hallways found on Federation starships, and the ceiling is lower as well, providing room for little more than two crewmen to meet and pass by one another unhindered. The corridor is shaped like an irregularly compressed hexagon, as if it had been pressed in along the inner side. The hall is dimly illuminated by blue and white light from thin strips where the floor and ceiling meet the walls. Doorways are spaced along the corridor at irregular intervals, emblazoned with the standard room designation codes. The deck is covered with medium grey carpet. Midway along this corridor section, a side corridor leads inward to a similar center section, an indication of the deck's radial ring layout.

Jade's arrival in the corridor is slightly more paranoid, hesitant, but he nevertheless has emerged behind Poole by the time those behind arrive. And is pointing his phaser at any stationary object which even hints at movement.

Nevaren rolls out of the tube and pulls himself up. He wipes himself off and looks around.

Itaani falls quiet as the door is reached, and slips out into the hallway, bringing up her rifle and its scanner

Ghorev comes up, hand phaser and PADD -- PADD? Yes, PADD -- at the ready.

Holliday opens his tricorder, scanning thru the access hatch. Then he shrugs and swings thru the portal. Still scanning, he looks around.

Nevaren looks at Ghorev. "Whats that for?" he asks quietly as he scans the room

Ghorev mutters to Nevaren, "... trying to... Cape... here,... Just...".

This section of deck two is empty. The red alert klaxon flares up, then back off, illuminating everything in an eerie blood red light for just a moment. It continues to strobe as the crew pulls themselves out of the jeffries tubes, including Oberlin and his security contingent. Internal security grids seem to be down - as there are no forcefields to contend with.

Itaani says "Look at Fear's auxiliary, I transferred Fox's controls to you in case you needed her to navigate."

Gwen comes out of the access, phaser at the ready. She takes a quick look up and down the corridor, then waits until everone is out.

Ghorev laughs quietly. "Oh, good. One little PADD and I can control two Danube-class Runabouts. My chaka runneth red."

Itaani nods, "now let's be quiet and listen...."

Nevaren pulls out his own padd. "Tell you what, Chief. I'll take the Fox auxillery, you take the 'Fear axuillery. That way, in case of an emergency no one gets mixed up."

Holliday consults his own PADD. "On our Aegis? Transporter, airlock access, some modular science labs.. " He says quietly.

Oberlin starts barking orders. "Huxley, take unit one clockwise. Secure this coordior. Fizbin, take unit two counterclockwise. Same orders. Move it, ladies, you heard me!"

Ghorev nods and looks to Poole for orders.

"We should head to the sickbay... if we obtain Tyler, then we should head to the transporter room." Gwen checks her hand-phaser and follows whichever unit is heading towards the sickbay. "Let's go, people."

Ghorev follows.

Itaani moves along to cover, listening ahead as best she can.

Nevaren carefully walks up to the sickbay door, scanning it closley with his tricorder

That's all he needed to hear. Likewise, Jade moves off, flanking and almost drawing level with Poole; his focus lies completely and intently on the sickbay door, arms swinging by his sides as he marches.

Holliday moves with the rest of the group, similarly scanning with his tricorder.

The crew follows behind unit two as they sweep the corridor. There is no resistance. The red alert klaxon continues to wail. Oberlin recieves a hail. "Huxley to Sarge. We've got the transporter room secured. Me an' Higgs are movin' on." "Copy. Oberlin out." Funny. Oberlin's a Jr. Lt, not a Sargeant.

Gwen pauses in front of the sickbay's door.... or what on the 'good' Aegis' would be the sickbay. She looks to Nevaren, then to Ghorev. "Let's get this door open...."

Oberlin looks confused. "I don't like this," he says to Poole.

Holliday looks for a room designation on the door.

Lt. Poole spins and looks to Oberlin, "There hasn't been any sign of anyone?" From the looks of it, she doesn't like the situation either.

The door to sickbay is marked 'Lab Five', not Sickbay.

Jade glances at Oberlin, brows rising. "No one's trying to kill us. What's not to like? Sir." Again, tacked on the end for formality's sake. He holds his phaser with both hands, level with his head, pointed upwards, and looks towards the door. And frowns.

Holliday frowns and continues trying to scan thru the wall with the tricorder. "It's quiet, Mr. Jade. Too quiet." Like a quote. He makes a face.

Oberlain's voice is almost like a whisper. "The girl's at intruder alert, Ensign. SOP calls for armed teams to be on all decks."

Jade's eyes meet Oberlain's, and his face falls slightly, though visibly. He exhales through his teeth, eyes shifting from side to side. "Then I don't like this either."

Nevaren looks at an acess terminalon the wall. He walks up to it, pulling off it's cover, and hooking his padd into the aegis's system. "maybe I can hack the system, get control of internal sensors and find tyler."

Ghorev says "Indeed. Maybe we should go to the Transporter room your men have and see if we can use it to locate the Ensign."

Holliday says, "The Aegis can be manned by about twenty crewmen.. We don't know how many people Sinclaire recruitted beyond that I guess. Well, anyone know any knock-knock jokes?"

Itaani levels her phaser at the door. "I've only had time to learn one, Doctor."

Oberlin looks toward Poole. "If we're going to tinker with systems, sir, we should get off the beaten path."

Ghorev mutters something about flooding the entire ship with gas. And then looks up. "Oh, a boop-boop joke. Excellent."

"Something tells me ensign Tyler isn't behind this door." Gwen moves to the door, motioning for someone to help her on the other side. "We'll pull it open... and if nothing's in here, we'll use it as a safe house for now."

The door slides easily open upon your approach.

Ghorev points his phaser forward, of course.

Holliday steps towards the doorside wall, out of the line of sight if the door is opened. He's still scanning.

Sick Bay - USS Aegis - [IC]

Although this is a large room, it is still somewhat cramped and irregularly shaped. There's a lot of equipment packed in here, using every space saving design concept available. Double bunk style biobeds fold out from the walls between banks of storage panels. An operating table and the accompanying sensor dome can be lowered down from ceiling, and is raised up compactly overhead when not in use. Screens can be drawn out from the walls on tracks to divide the space in various ways or to form private exam or recovery rooms. The CMO's 'office' is a cubicle defined by a transparent alluminum panel, the corner of the room that houses the Main Medical Computer and Life Support Monitors, and an outward facing combination desk and workstation. Movable workstation cubes allow other various configurations of equipment and layout, the modular concept adaptable to meet a variety of situations. Lighting is bright- maybe the only place on the ship so well lit, aside from the bridge. Severe, sterile and a bit harsh, the Aegis sick bay sacrifices asthetics for funtionality.

Ghorev comes into the Sick Bay, the doors sliding shut behind him with a hiss.

Ghorev is wielding a Type I Phaser.

Jade comes into the Sick Bay, the doors sliding shut behind him with a hiss.

Jade is wielding a Type I Phaser.

Itaani comes into the Sick Bay, the doors sliding shut behind her with a hiss.

Itaani is wielding a Phaser Rifle.

Poole comes into the Sick Bay, the doors sliding shut behind her with a hiss.

Poole is wielding a Type I Phaser.

Nevaren comes into the Sick Bay, the doors sliding shut behind him with a hiss.

Nevaren is wielding a Type I Phaser.

Nevaren looks around, his phaser held ready. "Nice place. Like what they've done with it."

Lab Five looks laid out exactly as the Sickbay on the 'good' Aegis, with several large differences. The first being that there are no biobeds. These have all been replaced with long, horizontal metal tubes, with exotic, alien panels beside them. They are sleek and simple in form, like photon torpedos, but entirely in a polished silver metal. The monitors are spitting out some sort of medical information. Several other panels display foriegn information - at least the configurations do not appear readily comprehensible.

Holliday raises an eybrow and goes to check on the medical readouts.

Nevaren, having some medical knowledge, walks carefully to one of the tubes. He looks at it's display, trying o figure out they are for.

Ghorev looks concerned at this. "Please tell me they're not *growing* warriors in tubes in whatever time this ship comes from. I would be revolted."

Itaani sweeps the room, "Son of a lady, what are these...

Jade's face falls and he looks down bitterly, arms falling to his sides and exhaling. He steps to the side of the doorway stands on one hip, arms folding over his chest. A moment later, and Alex looks up for the verdict on the decidedly non-Wendyish contents of the room.

"As would I." Gwen replies to Ghorev. She moves across the room, checking for any possible black suited starfleet. A moment later she looks up to Jade with an almost apologetic look that Wendy isn't here.

Or doesn't 'appear' to be, at any rate.

Holliday says, "Not growing. Canning and freezing, Chief. They're cryochambers, but they must be the 2400 models. Hangon. Looks like one of them is still occupied. I'll see if I can pull up a record."

Nevaren touches the display a few times, going through their defaults. "These are some sort of Cryogenic encasements. Preservation of biorganic matter. This is YEARS beyond what our preservation technology is. It makes regular cryo and stasis seems lie childs play."

Itaani says "What language is this, then?"

Jade's return expression is, by now, neutral and maintained. He shrugs his eyebrows, dismissive of his worry, but chews his lower lip... and even harder as he looks over to Holliday, frowning. Still no word.

Gwen's attention shifts to Holliday, her eyes widening at the mention of cryochambers. She does not like the sound of that, nor the idea of someone being stuck in one of the chambers still.

Nevaren looks at where Itaani is pointing, squinting slightly to see what she is looking at.

The language on the alien terminals, the one beside the tubes, is incomprehensible.

Ghorev keeps his own eye on the door, rankly.

Accolon has arrived.

Holliday says, "FedStandard. Some of it anyway." He frowns at the display. "Well, as you can see, they've peeled the labels off. Only one way to find out who's in there." He checks the display again."

Itaani says "Someone scan this writing for later, then, and let's keep moving. I curently suspect that Ensign Tyler is in a position useful to keeping a hostage... Likely the bridge.."

Holliday steps towards the main medical computer console, and glances over the panel where life support systems should be displyed.

Nevaren looks at Itaani. "Actually, if she isn't here, she won't be on the bridge either. But I have an idea where she WOULD be though."

Itaani rubs a hand over her forehead. "Computer, status report."

Buzz buzz. "Access denied."

Jade pushes forward from his position by the wall and steps towards Holliday, arms still folded over his chest, phaser in one hand, brow graced by a slight furrow. Clearly he's as interested - or disturbed.

"We're not going anywhere near the bridge until we find out who's in that thing..." Gwen responds to Itaani, her eyes flickering from the woman to Holliday. "Doctor... Should we open it?"

Accolon walks over toward the cryotube and lays his hands upon it, drawing a breath and contemplating.

Holliday nods to Poole. "Maybe sleeping beauty's right here." He continues to consult the computer console to glean what further information might be found regarding the cryotubes and the status of the ships systems.. "I'd like to.. But no canopeners this time.."

The Aegis rocks under a blast. It seems they have established shields, though, as it doesn't reverberate the ship quite as hard.

Nevaren walks over to Holliday and studies the latch system on the tube. He pulls his portable phaser welder from his sathcel. "I have a canopener right here." he says, smiling slightly

Oberlain leans against the door, his phaser rifle leaned back over his shoulder.

"So there's no way to find out who's inside it, without taking it back with us?" Jade enquires, eyes studying the length of the 'tubes. Then glances to Nevaren. "Or...?"

Accolon furrows his brows. He says, "Leiutenant Nevaren, you could endanger the occupant of this cryotube if you use that."

Ghorev says "Mr. Nevaren, I don't suppose you still have all that biodata on Ensign Tyler and her adult self on your PADD, do you?"

Nevaren looks up at Accollon. "okay.. Tell you what. We never find out who's in there. If it's Tyler, then she could die and we could die if we don't at least find out who is in here righ t now

Holliday shakes his head again. "Nev! I think I've got the latch protocols.." He finds a hypospray and selects a powerful and fast acting sedative, then steps towards the tube.

Suddenly, standing to Oberlin's left is the former Admiral herself, Sinclaire. Her hands are clasped before her, the bun on her head looking pristine clean, as if their bridge impossibly survived any shots. "Open it. It's her," she says. Oberlin spins and levels his rifle in one quick movement. "Freeze, bitch!"

Accolon sighs in relief at the doctor's report. As Sinclaire comes in, he takes a step away from the tube, turning to face her.

Ghorev says "Odds on this being a holoprojection? Anyone? Anyone?"

Nevaren sees Sinclair and whips around, phaser bearing on her.. tending to be aimed for a head shot. He just stands there, waiting for an excuse.

Ghorev holds his own phaser at the ready, though.

Sinclaire, dressed in the same black garb, is actually wearing.. Captains? Pips. The old woman looks toward Oberlin and shrugs. "Shoot me," she says nonchalantly.

Nevaren pulls out his tricorder with a free hand and scans Sinclaire

Gwen spins as well, her phaser semi-steadily aimed at the woman. "Just stay where you are, Admiral." She looks over to Holliday, "Can we open it?"

Accolon asks Sinclaire, "What do you want?"

Holliday chuckles at Oberlin's command. "Wrong lady. She already is. Or was. Or will be." He shakes his head, standing by to open the tube. He hefts the hypospray casually and nods to Poole- yes.

Nevaren says "It reads as a life form. It's real."

Jade steps back from the Tube, looking to Sinclaire with a quite icily blank expression, hands falling to his side then clasping behind his back. But there's a worry in his eyes. "And why are you letting us have her now, if that's the case, Admiral?"

Sinclaire smiles bitterly and takes a step forward. "Yes, I am appearing in a holo projection from the bridge of the Aegis. Yes, I am picked up as a lifeform because of falsely projected readings that accompany it."

"Open it, Doctor." Gwen orders, turning from Sinclaire to assist Holliday if she can.... and to get a first look at whoever is in there.

Jade's eyes also swivel to the tube, but he draws a slow breath as he readies to see the contents...

Accolon steps up toward the holoprojection of Sinclaire. He says, "You've brought this on yourself. I don't know what you're thinking with those fascimile's of Starfleet uniforms, but it's blown for you now. There's nothing left for you in this timeline, so leave us with Tyler and return to where you came from."

Itaani doesn't look at the tube, but says, simply, "In either event, I'm under orders to place you under arrest, madam Sinclaire.

Holliday holds the hypospray at the ready just in case his guess, and Sinclaire's statement as to the occupant are wrong and unseals the 'tube..

Sinclaire stands there, looking to Jade. She cocks her head to the side. "Take her because I have no choice but to return her and hope that she will one day walk in the footsteps of her destiny." The casket is opened, and inside is the young blonde girl, dressed in a normal Starfleet uniform, just as on the day she was abducted by the old woman.

Holliday creases his brow, starting what he believes is the revival procedure series.

Nevaren pockets his tricorder and pulls out his pad. He thumbs a connection open to the Fox.

"Scan her... verify that it's Tyler... Then let's move to the transporter room." Gwen looks from Wendy to Sinclaire. "You will let us leave this Aegis safely then?"

Jade starts forward, placing one hand on the edge of the tube, reaching another halfway to touch Tyler. His jaws clamp, and he supresses a flicker in his eyes, a quiver to his lips. And swallows, shaking his head.

Ghorev looks darkly at Sinclaire's words, but says nothing.

Sinclaire nods once. "I will. And you, in turn will let me take my crew and go home. I've already made arrangements with Mr. Evanginor that will guarantee our passage out of this system ."

Nevaren steps back beside poole. He leans over and whispers to her.

"I hope it was worth it, Wendy." This, however, to Sinclaire. Jade's voice is low, dark, sharp. "All this death. All this pain. All this loss." His eyes flicker , burning, to the 'Captains'. "I hope you can still believe it was worth it."

Holliday consults his tricorder. "Well, it looks like a duck so far. Though the Admiral reads as a lifeform too." He detaches the hand sensor and runs it over Tyler's arm. "Ever catch a bad break Admiral?" He says offhandedly.

Sinclaire levels her gaze at Jade. "I wonder if you'll believe the same in fourty years, Alex."

Nevaren mutters to Poole, "Get... to... I... access... system... on... When... this Aegis, I'll...".

Sinclaire nods to Holliday. "Yes. When I got him," she says, gesturing toward Jade. She moves across the room to watch Tyler wake.

Gwen nods to Nevaren, then looks to Sinclaire. "Sinclaire.... Wendy... You can't leave, Starfleet wants you apprehended." She eyes the woman carefully, not exactly hostile.

"I pray to God I never become a being - I won't say human - that could help you in what you've done." Each syllable leaving Alex's lips is laced with fury. "Because in trying to save the Federation this way.. you've destroyed everything that makes it good and pure." He does a double take as Sinclaire speaks about him so, draws a breath, but does not respond.

Holliday chuckles. "Well, you might finally have something in common with Tarsis then." Then he raises an eyebrow. "Allright. I'll bite. Who's Mr. Evangior? I thought the artifact was named Spot."

Ghorev says "Spot?"

You say "Or Fido. Or Sempy."

Ghorev does not take his eyes off Sinclaire. "I see."

Sinclaire's voice gets tense. "Silence. Wake her," she orders Holliday - in a clearly 'still superior to you' way.

Accolon glances toward Holliday briefly, uncomprehending and with the annoyance of one listening to static. His eyes shift over toward Wendy's form and he watches carefully.

Gwen eyes Sinclaire carefully, then looks to Holliday. "Yes, wake her, Doctor." She motions for the rest of the team to start getting ready to move. "Lt. Oberlin, get your men ready to move."

Itaani stands restlessly.

Jade's eyes flicker up to Accolon for a long moment, then back down to Tyler. He interlaces his fingers, presses them to his lips, tense.

Holliday smiles faintly. "Don't rush me." He says in an over exagerated tone. "I don't know what would happen if I screw this up. Do you?" Nonetheless, he's activated the sytems to revive Tyler.

Speaking of, Oberlin gets a hail. "Sarge! Huxley here. There's a mess in Lab Three. We took heavy fire, and we're ambushed. St. James got.. something.. All over him."

Nevaren types something on his padd, making a link with something.

Almost instantly, Tyler's eyes flutter open. She squints, shakes her head and focuses. Awake - instantly. No adaptation phase necessary, thanks to the high tech toys from aliens, the future, or both.

Itaani looks to SInclaire. "What would that be... Captain Sinclaire?" Her face is fllushed a bit darker of a blue, and she's getting restless with that rifle.

Jade's hands reach forward again, and are pulled back, for concern. His face cracks briefly, and he tilts his head down, before looking up to Holliday, eyes desparate, for any comment. The news from Huxley washes over him.

Holliday nods to Tyler. "Mornin'. I'm afraid the continental breakfast in bed has been canceled due to war shortages." He gestures to Jade. "Your line, I believe, Ensign Charming.

Gwen looks to Sinclaire, "Betrayal? Order your men to stand down so we may leave." She wasn't asking Sinclaire, she's telling her. "Do it now."

Tyler looks up, then frowns to Holliday. "Duh-d-doctor? Am I guh-going to die?"

Ghorev is, himself, still training a weapon on the Sinclaire hologram, silently.

Sinclaire shakes her head. "Protection of technology. Wouldn't want to pollute the timeline, would we?" she asks ironically. "Order your men to the transporter, and they will not be harmed."

"Medically, you're fit enough right now." Holliday looks to Oberlin, then to Poole, then to Sinclaire. "Your fate, Miss Tyler, is about the only one I'm not wholly uncertain of. How do you feel?"

Tyler blinks and looks about, taking stock of the situation. She sits up. "Fuh-fine," she says, and looks toward Jade, then Sinclaire. "Admiral?" she asks. "Wuh-where are we?"

"Fine." Gwen stares at Sinclaire curiously, then looks to Oberlin. "Have your men fall back to the transporter room. We'll beam to the USS Fox... Or to the station if we have to." She looks to Wendy, "Feel well enough to move?"

Jade leans slightly forward, lips twitching into a smile which seems a grin supressed, even despite a taint of moisture in the corners of his eyes. "You're going to be absolutely fine, now, Wendy...but we have to get you out of here." He reaches out a hand, to try to take hers.

Oberlin drops the rifle to his side and taps his badge. "Huxley, fall back to the transporter room! Repeat, fall back!"

Holliday steps quickly over to a storage locker, opens it, looks in, and closes it again.

Tyler takes Jade's hand, but she keeps looking about, wondering what the heck is going on. She notices all the weapons and gulps audibly. "Are w-we?" she asks, but doesn't finish the sentence.

"Answers can wait, but I promise, you'll get them." Alex sounds as if he's having a hard time getting the words out, and his control over his facial muscles seems a little sporadic. Shock, perhaps, in relief. A glance to Holliday. "Do we need to carry her, or can she walk?"

Tyler blinks. "I c-can walk. I f-feel fine," she says, pulling away from all this attention she is getting with a shy cower.

Nevaren steps back and looks at Poole. "We should be getting to the transporter room, Sir."

Sinclaire looks toward Poole. "You will beam to the station. Your runabouts are casualties of war, I'm afraid. Seems someone left the photons primed. That would have been unfortunate, wouldn't it?"

Ghorev grunts. "Mr. Nevaren, you or I should go first, to start warming them up." He looks dead at Sinclaire. "You'll understand that I don't trust you or your men to work the controls."

"Oh, yes... unfortunate if they had detonated..." Gwen smirks just slightly, "Let's get the hell out of here people, engineers first, get the transporters ready."

Sinclaire looks to Accolon. "Jinn? Can I speak with you alone?" she asks.

Accolon glances toward Sinclaire, a little suprised. Before he answers, he looks questioningly toward Poole.

Nevaren growls to himself slightly. "Yes, CHief." he says angrily as he starts to walk out to the transporter room. HE stops at the door and looks bacl at Sinclaire. "Hey, Sinclaire. IF I ever meet you again, face to face... I WILL kill you, you know?"

Jade waits by the edge of the cryotube for Wendy to rise, though as he does so, his eyes latch on to Sinclaire. And do not budge. His expression is unreadable; at that request, his brows arch skywards. "Sir. Beware a quicksilver tongue. It can still wreak much havoc." To Jinn.

Gwen's eyes narrow on Accolon, and she shakes her head, "There's nothing you need to know."

Poole says "Not from /her/..."

Sinclaire rolls her eyes. "Nevaren. I've wanted to tell you this for a while, now. Shut up."

Holliday nods to Jade in response to his earlyier question, observign Tyler's progress. "Listen to the lady. You must be a morning person." A chuckle. "Take your pick which one." He lnods to Tyler, then looks to Sinclaire, smiles. "You've left a lot of questions unanswered."

Ghorev says "Sinclaire. You don't get to tell my engineers to shut up. Only I get to tell my engineers to shut up. You have to *earn* that right. And you haven't. Let's go, Mr. Nevaren."

Nevaren grins evilly "Ah, I love a woman in charge.. Thank god you never will be." He winks at sinclaire and leaves the room with ghorev."

Nevaren walks out of the Sick Bay, the doors sliding shut behind him.

Accolon drops his eyes, considering what Poole's said. He turns back toward Sinclaire and says, "Very well." and clenches his jaw as though fighting away doubt.

Tyler stands up from the tube, and moves across the room with Jade. She watches the exchange with Sinclaire with an odd expression on her face.

Ghorev walks out of the Sick Bay, the doors sliding shut behind him.

Tyler walks out of the Sick Bay, the doors sliding shut behind her.

Jade watches Accolon, and draws a slow breath, releases. Shakes his head, looks down, then back towards Tyler as they move across the room.

Jade walks out of the Sick Bay, the doors sliding shut behind him.

Gwen stays with Accolon, watching Sinclaire for the moment. "Oberlin, go with Jade and Tyler... Accolon, Itaani and I will be along shortly."

Accolon says, "I can handle myself Lieutenant. I don't think I'll be harmed."

Sinclaire waits toward the side patiently.

Holliday raises an eyebrow to Sinclaire and follows Jade and Tyler out. Uncharacteristically, he doesn't say anything on exiting.

Cut to...

Transporter Room - USS Aegis - [IC]

Most of this room is taken up by the transport chamber: Large enough to easily accomodate up to six people, a low platform housing the phase transition coils and pattern buffers is matched by a hanging bunker overhead, where translucent panels cover the primary energizing coils and molecular imaging scanners. The lighting here is sufficient, although subdued. The floor is covered with a dark grey rubberized material. Facing the transporter pad is the long podium of the transporter operator's console. A door emblazoned with the standard numerical room code leads out to the corridor. A small control panel is recessed into the wall beside it.

Tyler looks to Jade. "I'm c-confused, Alex. Where are w-we?"

Nevaren grumbles to himself as he runs checks on the transporter, familiarizing himself with the updated systems.

Ghorev sets to the task at hand without audible expressions. He runs a glance over them, and works by whatever intuition will allow.

"When you were abducted, Wendy..." Jade stands close to Tyler, eyes playing over every square inch of her features, as if he fears again losing sight of them. "Sinclaire sedated you and brought you to the Aegis from her time... and we came to rescue you."

Poole enters, phaser still out and ready. "How are we doing, Chief?"

Ghorev says "I think I can avoid scattering your atoms over the nearest Nebula. Of course, the proof of the porridge is in the eating."

Itaani comes into the transporter room, the doors sliding shut behind her with a hiss.

Nevaren looks up from the controls at poole. "SO this is it. She wins as much as she can. I swear I will kill her. SOmehow I will break her scrawny little neck like a twig." He returns to working with the controls. "I need a few mins to get familiar with this "future" system."

Tyler frowns. "S-s-sinclaire? Her time?" she asks.

Holliday nods. "Well, you won't get three tries to get it 'juust riight', Chief."

Jade draws a sharp breath, swallows. Soft, almost inaudible. "Wendy, what's the last thing you remember?"

Itaani says, quite bluntly, "Why don't we just take her?

Stepping into the transporter room is St. James and Huxley. St. James is cleaning his uniform - it having been doused in some sort of liquid that is discoloring the material toward a dull green.

Nevaren looks at Itaani. "WHat do you mean just take her?"

Holliday scans StJames with his tricorder.

"I guess we need a volunteer, then?" Gwen moves to the pad, takes the power cell from her phaser and sets it on the transporter pad. She looks to Itaani, "Because that was a hologram.... She's safely somewhere else on the ship..."

Poole says "And because I don't want to risk any more lives in a fruitless attempt at vengeance."

Itaani says "Sinclaire. She is only a captain now."

Itaani says "That may mean she has yet to perpetrate the timeloop, as I understand it."

You say "Or she's bluffing about that. But who's Evangior?"

Jade ignores - or at least does not respond to - the other conversation in the room, bar his with Tyler.

Ghorev works the transporter controls, to send the power cell away.

Itaani says "We may find out shortly. But in either event, I'm tired of this matter. I'll test the transporter."

Nevaren looks at Ghorev and poole. "I stay behind and control the transporter and beam out last. Just get soemone to man the transporter on the OUR aegis incase theres problems with my own beam. Okay?"

Holliday raises an eyebrow. "You aren't going to try and carry out your intentions after we're gone, are you Nev?"

Ghorev says "Negative. You'll go before me, Mr. Nevaren. If Sinclaire *is* trying to trick us, you've got the more experience with the Anomaly."

Tyler wrinkles her nose. "I'm stuh-still lost," she says with exhasperation. "W-why would Sinclaire kidnap me? She's our Ah-admerial, isn't she?" she asks.

Nevaren shakes his head. "Not this time. I plan on going back to our ship. It's just I am more expendable than the chief. If something bads going to happen Let it happen to me." Nev smiles at the chief. "Besides, Look in your personal files on the station. Everything I know about the anomaly is there."

Gwen waits to see if the power cell was transported successfully or not, then says, "Alright, let's go people.... Up on the pad." She orders the people into groups, command crew intermingled with some of the security members.

Ghorev says "No, Mr. Tyler, she's not. Words fail me on what she is, but she's assuredly not that."

Ghorev doesn't look up as he says this. He's still working the console.

Itaani steps onto the pad.

Nevaren steps to the console, blocking the chief. "Get on the padd, chief. Now. I will follow RIGHT after you."

Holliday steps onto the transporter pad. "Try to get us out in better shape than we got in.."

"Ghorev stays with me. We'll go last. The rest of you get ready to transport." Gwen nods to Nev, then looks to the rest of the team.

Mall S1 - Level 7 - Station 419 - [IC]

Mall Level/Sector One is probably one of the busiest intersections on Station 419. The gunmetal-grey corridor of the mall is much more spacious than any of the other station corridors, approximately ten meters across and two decks high. There is no upper level, but the raised ceiling gives one more of an 'open air' impression. Large, elliptical transparent aluminum viewports overhead provide a spectacular view of the stars, contributing to the simulated outdoor impression of a perpetual night sky. The whole impression of the mall is one of passing through a garden. Planters throughout the corridor, blooming with all sorts of strange and exotic flora, give a gradual 'winding path' effect which tends to break up the monotony of the circular corridors. The fresh oxygen that the plants provide carries with it the smell of food and drink, coming from the direction of The Neutral Zone, one of the station's busiest establishments. All manner of sentient beings can be seen moving through the Mall, heading into a shop, loitering at one of the smaller kiosks, or dropping in for a drink at the Zone. In the center of this section is a large three-sided black pillar, topped with display units - the station directory.

The anomaly can be seen flashing its blue-white streaks of light via one of the transparent aluminum viewports.

Holliday looks around, fixes on the Neutral Zone, scratches a moustache. "I think you said the first round was on you?" He looks to Poole.

Gwen grins brightly as she shimmers into existence, then she eyes Holliday, "Yes... first round on me, and you owe me a dance."

Ghorev pulls up an engineering display on his PADD as he walks towards the bar.

Poole checks her Type I Phaser.

Itaani sags slightly,

Jade stands slightly apart from the rest of the group, about to join Tyler having more thorough scans. Arms folded. Expression sombre. In his eyes stands reflected the scene in the Bay... and perhaps Accolon as he walked towards Sinclaire... and perhaps just Sinclaire. His eyes drop, and he turns, wordless, and leaves.

A short time later, after injuries had been tended, weapons returned to the locker...

The Neutral Zone - Station 419 - [IC]

Walking into the bar brings with it the usual experience of walking on bare deckplates. Each step is marked by a small clink as boot strikes against metal. The walls of the bar, in the tradition of such places from earliest Terran history, are lined with various objects of interest contributed by the crew and visitors. Here is a Cardassian Gul's rank-pin. Over there is the bridge alert indicator from a Jem'hadar battle cruiser. And in the center of the room, clearly in pride of place, is the actual bar itself. Made of gleaming metal, it takes a moment before it is recognizable as a piece of the hull of a Galaxy Class starship. Careful examination would be required to determine its origin, although the bar's frequent patrons might be pleased to share a wild story or two about it. A series of trapezoidal viewports offers a view of surrounding space. Suspended in the black void is something far more enigmatic than all of the odd artifacts in this bar. Looking almost like a miniature star, the anomaly quietly flashes alternately blue and white.

Ghorev pores over the limited PADD display, and orders an Endilev ale, very lightly chilled.

Gwen motions to the bartender that everything is to be put on her tab, then looks back to Holliday. "So, what's your pleasure, Doc?"

Ghorev sips at his drink.

Itaani arrives from the mall, the entrance's double doors sliding silently closed behind her.

Holliday quirks his mouth. "Tonight? Whiskey, neat. A double." He seems tired, and mulling over the eents of the past few hours. He steps towards the computer console, pulling up a 'jukebox' display. He hums a couple bars of Wagner, then says- "You'll forgive me if I select the music this time?"

Ghorev stands to one side as Poole and the doctor prepare to dance. He works the padd in his hand.

Itaani terminates the comm by tapping her comm badge.

"Oh, please do..." Gwen orders a sweet wine, -real- wine as well, not synthehol. "My taste in music is somewhat unusual at times."

Nevaren sits on a barstool, tonic water on the bar, and rests his head on the metal surface. He sighs deeply, closing his eyes.

Nevaren takes a drink of his Bolian tonic water.

Drixx enters from the back room, followed by a rather large bolian male, and a petite bolian female. The female, Sileel, grabs a tray and begins making her rounds between the tables, taking orders and serving drinks. The large male, Blutox, sits on a stool behind the bar, watching what is happening, yet never straying to far away from Drixx. Drixx himself takes a position behind the bar.

Drixx smiles, obviously pleased at how crowded the place is.

Ghorev slowly but surely drains his ale.

Holliday considers a moment. He makes a selection and soon the strains of an cool jazz instrumental version of 'Fly Me to the Moon' begins to play. He accepts his whiskey from Sileel and drains half of it in the first drink, then he saunters across the room to offer Poole his arm.

Itaani walks in, well-smudged with soot and a small cut on her face, carrying a phaser rifle, and her uniform jacket, swinging open. A phaser rifle held low in one hand as she enters, making as though to sling it, but handing it off to a security officer who approaches, asks her something, to which she shakes her head, dimly. She takes a seat at the bar.

Nevaren looks pulls his sooty head off the bar and looks at Holliday. "WHy THIS song, Doc. Human history has a plethora of music more suitable to the day's theme. How about some latter-twentoeth century music. I beleive the song is called Thumpawampa or something.

Holliday too is somewhat disheveled in appearance, though he doesn't seem to be too concerned about it. He looks to the barstaff. "Heya BB. How's bizness, barky'p?" He smiles to Nevaren, raises a brow archly and tips his head in Poole's direction. "Could be. But you can't slowdance to it."

Gwen accepts the proferred arm of Doc Holliday, letting herself be pulled into the promised dance. "I'm glad you're keeping your promise..."

Nevaren shakes his head, smiling slightly. "Can I dance with you too, Doc. After you're finished with Poole?"

Holliday takes Pooles hand and they move in a dance around the bar, likely nearly bumping into a table or two that hasn't been pulled back out of the way yet. Holliday's not going to win any contests, but he's smooth enough on his feet. "Sure, Nev. ..Only I get to lead."

Nevaren laughs slightly and then winces, holding his side gently. "Okay, sure thing." He says and takes another sip of the tonic water.

Gwen is also rather smooth on her feet, she's obviously done this before... In fact, in another life she may have been a dancer, though in this one she is not. But, the dance doesn't seem to hold her attention as much as Holliday does. She watches him carefully whilst they dance, a smile on her lips.

Drixx walks over to where Itaani sits, "Rough day Lieutenant?" He gives her a wry smile.

Itaani orders a stiff drink of some sort and looks over her shoulder at the carryings on.

Nevaren turns to look at Itaani with her rifle. "You know, you CAN put that away now.. I don't think any of the drinks will hurt you."

Drixx makes a Aldebaran Whiskey, and serves it to Itaani.

Nevaren takes a drink of his Bolian tonic water.

Itaani nods. "One might say. I would feel better if I knew just what it was all for.

Nevaren nods at itaani's words, watching Poole and Holliday dance. "That's what it was for, Itaani. Not just for Wendy or any of us, but for freedom in general. Freedom from tyrants like Sinclaire. Freedom to do things we think are important without harming others in the process. Freedom to live period."