A Snowball's Chance

 Episode Name:  A Snowball's Chance

   Written By:  Shaft

         Cast:  Bailey, Dakin, Havaris, Idisha, Isole, Jiasha, K'net-mauri, 

                Lhian, Medes, Niel, Poole, Randal, Serendis, Shaft, Takamura,

                Turtledove and Zuh'raah'do.

  Produced By:  Starfleet

  Directed By:  Shaft

     Aired On:  Thu Jan 02 00:13:29 2003

     Stardate:  52895.6

Time: Wed Jan 01 19:29:21 2003

Stardate: 52895.2

The Station has gone to alert, having learned of the fast approach of a shattered Asteroid. The object and its debris field are heading on a collision course for the Station and its nearby space. The Shuttles have been dispatched as point defense, what with the Thomas Paine in for repairs, and the Aegis making for the safety of Dulcais to avoid damage. A hastily assembled bridge crew and a flight of shuttle pilots are all that stand between 419 and possible destruction.

OPS: Dakin frowns deeply as he sits in the command chair, awaiting previously directed orders to Sulkat and Havaris for tactical and full-mag displays of the station's vicinity and the strike zone, as well as a line of communication to the shuttle pilots. "Any word from the Aegis since she launched?"

OPS: Havaris rests at Tactical, forcing the shields to fully face the incoming debris, leaving their backside as bare as a scotsman's in a strong wind. "The Aegis is making for safety, sir. She's our only defense against other dangers. Lt. Tyler's directives, Sir." The last is said with enough weight to it to make it clear the reason given wasn't the real reason, and that he's not about to elaborate. "Shields full to face the debris, Sir. Weapons and repulsors at the ready."

<CONTEST> Havaris contests his Shipboard Systems (Tactical) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Succeeds!

The yellow alert lights flash throughout the station.

Levy: "Ops. Shuttle Levy requesting permission to depart. Do we have readings from the scanners as of yet? The Levy and the Shoemaker both need them as soon as they're available. Ensign Idisha, once we're out, follow my lead." The baldheaded little Engineer powers up the new combat shuttle, having settled herself in the pilot's chair.

Shoemaker: "Roger, Levy. We're powering up now and exiting on your left flank." The voice is Thaal's and it would seem a little paper-rock-scissors put him in the pilot's chair after all.

SHOEMAKER: Turtledove eyes the gleaming interior of the brand new shuttlecraft, as Idisha starts to take it out. Once outside, and within reasonable range to detect the debris, her hands move over the controls. "Scanning for debris now." Her hands hesitate over the controls, her eyes narrowing carefully, as she performs her task. Her brow creases thoughtfully as she looks over the data. "Sensors show massive levels of debris." Her eyebrows perk. "The probability of stopping it all is negligible." Her hands dance across the controls. "We should be okay if we focus on the larger bits."

As the Shoemaker and Levy fly out to join up with the other shuttles on defense perimeter, the Ops viewscreen shows the steady and inexorable approach of a massive cluster of shattered debris. If this object struck a planet, it may well cause an ice age. If even a quarter of that pass were allowed anywhere near the Station, it would have far more drastic effects. The Ops officer on duty relays the sensor scans to the shuttle formation, the objects most in need of destruction or redirection hilighted red on tactical readouts.

There's an awful lot of red.

OPS: Dakin nods affirmatively. "Launch clearance granted, Shoemaker and Levy. Good luck and may the Prophets guide you all." Seeing the tactical readout, his frown deepens. He looks over towards Havaris. "Get me an estimate of how much we'll need to take out for the remainder to be easily handled with our shields and weaponry. Coordinate with Engineering if you have to. Also, I want a spread of quantum torpedoes outfitted for maximum yield on hot standby."

GAME: Havaris spends a courage point.

<CONTEST> Havaris contests his Shipboard Systems (Tactical) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

<CONTEST> Havaris (claiming advantage) contests his Shipboard Systems (Tactical) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

OPS: "Aye, Sir." Havaris begins tapping rapidly at his console, glancing on occasion at the approaching debris field. His head shakes halfway through the process, "I can't... Sir, it's impossible to tell. If we fire into that, we'll break it up some, but there's no computing how much or how far we'll knock some of it off course. And if we wait too long, our shields are going to be in that redirected field. If you want to use those torpedoes, use them now. We may not get a second chance. I'll get them primed for fire..."

The yellow alert lights flash throughout the station.

GAME: Medes spends a courage point.

<CONTEST> Medes (claiming advantage) contests her Shipboard Systems (Tactical) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

LEVY: "I hope so, sir." Medes take a deep breath and pilots her shuttle out into space. She shuts off her shuttle's com and quietly breathes a series of words that really don't reflect well on her standing as a Starfleet Officer once she gets the sensor data. Turning her com back on, Thea takes a deep breath. "What've you got for us, Ops?"

Shoemaker: Idisha keeps one antennae on the com speaker and the rest of his senses in front of him. Reflexively he keys up the shields, but more keeps his hands by the controls. Avoiding debris being foremost on his mind while hist co-pilot analyzes the tactical situation.

GAME: Turtledove spends a courage point.

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

The yellow alert lights flash throughout the station.

SHOEMAKER: Turtledove's brow furrows ever more thoughtfully, as her fingers tap fluidly over the shiny controls. "I'm analyzing the debris field for an appropriate plan of attack, now." Her eyes focus intently on the output then her eyebrows ascend. "I think I've found a reasonable attack plan for reducing the bulk of the mass it should reduce the projected damage to the station to an acceptable level." She grins, in spite of herself. Her eyes flick up to Idisha. "I'll send the data to Medes and Ops, for their information." Getting the okay nod from Idisha, presumably, she sends the data.

On the flight line, the ten shuttles of 419 form a concave curve to maximize line of fire and 'catch' the debris field as it nears. Even at this distance, the occasional blue glow touches the shields as dust evaporates into the energy. The closer the debris grows, the more constant the glow, until finally the nose of the shuttle line is a near constant dim blue of energy. Shield batteries slowly begin to lessen over time amid this constant assault of particulant matter.

OPS: Dakin frowns and nods to Havaris. Then to the shuttles, "If even 25 percent of that reaches the station, Starfleet better break out the black combadge bands. We're readying a high-yield spread of quantum torpedoes to redirect it and hopefully take some of it out. Stand by and brace for shockwave." He then looks to Havaris again, "Get them ready, get a target solution that'll knock it on a path away from us AND Dulcais. Then flood the tubes, set for a clustered spread... then fire at will." He tabs an interstation channel open. "All hands, this is Lieutenant Dakin. We're preparing a high-yield ballistic attack in the hopes of redirecting the debris field. All personnel brace for shockwave." He then gives a final nod to Havaris, "Let's hope this works..."

Over the intercom comes the voice of Lt. Dakin, "All hands, this is Lieutenant Dakin. We're preparing a high-yield ballistic attack in the hopes of redirecting the debris field. All personnel brace for shockwave."

Poole steps into the bustle of Ops from the corridor. The door slides shut with a whisper.

Poole has arrived.

<CONTEST> Havaris (claiming advantage) contests his Shipboard Systems (Tactical) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

OPS: Havaris' console bleeps in alert as Turtledove forwards him the tactical plan. But in one of those quirks of fortune, Dakin's orders distract him from the message, and he plots his spread according to his orders from the bridge. Tubes are primed and flooded. A firing solution is plotted, and he releases a blast of torpedoes out into the debris field. They skim above the shuttles on the flight line and blast into the debris in a corona of light. Debris flies erratically away from the blasts, concussive force rocks first into the shuttle line, then into the station itself, shaking the station like San Francisco twenty seconds before the Breen.

GAME: Medes spends a courage point.

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

GAME: Idisha spends a courage point.

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

The yellow alert lights flash throughout the station.

LEVY: "All shuttlecraft, follow Ensign Turtledove's strategical recommend... " And then Medes is cut off by the concussive force of the blast, releasing a brief shriek and a short burst of stacatto epithets which are -- unfortunately for her -- picked up loud and clear by the com. "HOLD YOUR FORMATION. Son of a Ca... " Her stubby-fingered hands fly ably over the controls, and she rides out the blast like a wave back in San Fran before circling back around to her position. "Turtledove, give these tea leaves another read, see if you can come up with a new plan for the shuttles, we're going to get pummeled out here if we don't act quickly. I'll have my hand at it, too, between the two of us, we ought to be able to cook something up."

Shoemaker: There are a few Graalen epithets mutter unintelligably near to Turtledove and Idisha focuses upon keeping them alive. And relatively unscathed. Thaal doesn't really give much in the way of orders, Medes covered that. And in any event he trusts Tera to do what she needs to do in this moment.

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

When the lightshow clears out in the debris field, there's still a good deal of debris speeding towards the Station and less importantly but more urgently... the shuttle line. During the evasive maneuvers, the majority of shuttles manage to escape harm. But the second shuttle in on the left flank is struck head on by a large chunk of debris, sending it rolling away in the direction of the station, leaving the chunk that his it spinning rapidly but slowly, almost entirely in place. The shuttle to the right of the Levy is blasted by two chunks, the first smashing its shields, the second hitting its port nacelle with enough force to cause it to vent plasma and send the shuttle into a roundabout spin. The reports begin coming in almost at once.

"Mayday! This is Shuttle Two! We've lost guidance controls--"

"This is Shuttle Six, Chief Brooks is injured, I've lost guidance--"

"We've got wounded on Deck 25--"

SHOEMAKER: Turtledove braces for the shockwave, as per Dakin's announcement, but the actual force takes her somewhat by surprise, and she grips the control panel as Idisha zips around, handling the little shuttle with apparent expertise. Or maybe it's just adrenalyn. Turtledove eyes Idisha appreciatively before her hands go to the controls, moving with furious grace to adapt to the new arrangement of debris. Her eyes narrow thoughtfully. "Ah-ha. Oh." Her mouth puckers thoughtfully. "That volley reduced the mass by 17. But." She taps and taps. "I think I'll send the information audibly this time." She winks at Idisha as she taps the comm. "Turtledove to Ops. The heavy debris seems to have settled into a colloidal mass roughly oblong in sha... looks sort of like a bunch of bowling pins, actually. If we can hit the mass from below... at the co-ordinate I'm sending... we should be able to hit the heaviest part of the field and deflect it away from the station. And Dulcais."

The yellow alert lights flash throughout the station.

OPS: Dakin fumes as he picks himself off the floor. "Ops to Medical, send a team to Level 25 on the double! 419 to Shuttles Five and Three, break formation and tend to Two and Six! The rest of you hold the line." At Turtledove's comm message, he says to the RRT officer, "Dakin here, Turtledove. Is the shuttles' collective armament payload enough to do the job, or do you need additional firepower from us..?"

OPS: Well, that certainly was a wakeup call if the station-wide intercom she heard before she entered wasn't. Poole clutches the bulkhead as the station shakes beneath her feet, sinking to her knees. When the wave has been ridden out, she stands up and moves further in... and noting the lack of experienced officers, she finds a seat at operations, "My duty station was empty, sir," she explains, "Thought you could use some help."

OPS: Havaris shakes his head in dismay, though his spirits are lifted at Turtledove's report. "Right. Right... Right! I've got your read, Shoemaker. Plotting a firing solution-- Sir! We'll need to switch to standard yield on our torpedoes, or we'll rip our shuttles apart. This may work for the worst of it. I need your go-ahead." He glances over his shoulder, awaiting clearance for the change in ordinance.

Poole sits down at Operations.

<CONTEST> Medes (claiming advantage) contests her Shipboard Systems (Transporter) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Succeeds!

LEVY: "Ops, I need Three and Five where they are in formation, sir. The Shoemaker is going to need them for Turtledove's plan of attack, we /can't/ spare two shuttles. I'm going to pull the crews off of Two and Six with my emergency transporters. They've lost guidance entirely, there's nothing else anyone can do for them. Shuttle Six, stand by for transport." Medes' hands fly over the controls, calibrating the the transporters. Shuttle Six's crew finds themselves in the belly space of the Levy. "There's a shiny brand new emergency medkit up here, boys, someone come get it and look after Chief Brooks until we can get him back to the station. Shuttle Two, stand by for transport." But that will happen next round.

The yellow alert lights flash throughout the station.

<CONTEST> Idisha contests his Shipboard Systems (Sensors) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!

Shoemaker: "Ops, I'm reading a fracture in the colloid. Centermass of the largest object. If we clear a line of fire for you, your fire will likely be all the more efficient for it." Idisha's hands are flying on the panels before him. How he can fly and take a sensor reading at the same time amazes even him.

SHOEMAKER: Turtledove taps quickly at the controls, raises an eyebrow, then responds to Dakin over the comm., "Shuttle payload is insufficient, sir. The force required to deflect the debris will require pretty much all the instantaneous firepower the station can provide at its current configuration, in addition to what the shuttles can put out." She pauses to grin at Idisha, giving him a facial thumbs-up as he makes his astute discovery. "We'll have to act soon, sir.", she says to Dakin. Her hands move over the controls. "Preparing to clear a line of fire, on your order."

It's now or never time for the shuttle crews and the station as a whole. The debris field continues to close at an alarming rate, and the dust is already setting the station's shields into a near constant glow in the way it had the shuttles moments before.

Dakin nods then looks to Havaris. "All right, downgrade the yield on the torpedoes and prepare to fire in conjunction with the forward phasers once the shuttles have plowed the field. Gwen, notify all decks to remain calm and that we've got a new plan we're about to enact." He thumbs the armrest on his chair. "Dakin to shuttle contingent. Coordinate with Ensign Turtledove and clear the station a line of fire. Turtledove, uplink your final attack coordinates to the shuttles, then all of you join in once the station fires. All shuttles, ENGAGE." He turns to Havaris, "Get us ready, Kusto. We've got only one shot at this."

GAME: Dakin spends a courage point.

<CONTEST> Dakin (claiming advantage) contests his Command (Starbase) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!

<CONTEST> Turtledove (claiming advantage) contests her Shipboard Systems (Tactical) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!

<CONTEST> Medes (claiming advantage) contests her Shipboard Systems (Tactical) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!

"Shuttle two, I can't get to you now. Put all your power to your shields and hang on tight. Don't worry about helping out, last thing I need is the kickback from your phasers sending you careening into the station." That said, the little engineer powers up her ship's weaponry and follows Dakin's orders, firing according to the attack coordinates provided by Turtledove.

The yellow alert lights flash throughout the station.

Shoemaker: With nothing left to do but give Turtledove a good firing arc, he zips the experimental craft in and out of debris. And with nothing left to say, he braces for the flash of Station based phasers and the resultant debris field.

SHOEMAKER: Turtledove's fingers move fluidly over the controls. "Final attack coordinates are sent and confirmed received, sir. STanding by to fire." She glances at Idisha, grinning quietly Ah the confidence of youth. Weapons are powered-up, and aimed... she prepares to fire!

<CONTEST> Havaris (claiming advantage) contests his Shipboard Systems (Tactical) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!

OPS Already steadily working at her console, Poole nods and speaks over the station intercom, "Attention all hands, this is Lieutenant Poole. We're working on a final plan to deflect the debris. Please remain calm while we resolve this situation.... And remain in the designated safety areas. That is all, for now."

Poole speaks over the station intercom, "Attention all hands, this is Lieutenant Poole. We're working on a final plan to deflect the debris. Please remain calm while we resolve this situation.... And remain in the designated safety areas. That is all, for now."

OPS: The shuttles clear the way effectively, their firing arc sizzling away major debris that would interfere with the flight path of the precisely aimed torpedoes. With five precise taps at his console, Havaris releases a timed array of standard yield torpedoes, preceeded by a barrage of phaser fire to clear the last of the debris. The red bulbs of torpedoes once more skim across the center of the shuttle line, splitting between the Shoemaker and the Levy, detonating hard and fast at the center mass of the approaching swarm. They explode with deadly force, shattering the largest of the objects, thrusting the pattern outward in a near perfect sphere. The shuttle line breaks wide as the debris screams around them, most of it well away from the Station.

Some of it, however, right towards it. Some of it small, some of it impressive, but one piece of it, rather deadly indeed.

Spending a moment checking the results of his work, Havaris falls rather mute. He then turns back about to report. "Sir. We've got a large chunk heading towards Deck 25. Too big for the shuttles. Too fast for another torpedo blast. Phaser charge is spent, shields at full... Twenty seconds to impact."

Dakin frowns and tabs open the intercom. "Damage control teams, stand by! All hands, BRACE FOR IMPACT!!"

Time: Wed Jan 01 22:16:08 2003

Stardate: 52895.4

Shortly after Dakin's call comes over the intercom, Havaris' voice breaks through direct to the Cargo Bay. "Whoever's listening... we've managed to destroy the majority of the field and it's been diverted harmlessly. However, you've got a massive object heading directly your way. Our shields have taken a beating, it's too close for torpedoes, and our phasers are spent. We've put everything into shields, but they may not hold. Impact is imminent. There's a terminal down there... do what you can. Prophets guide you."

Jiasha looks rahter bewildered. Heck, it may be the way it all ends. And she did so say she hated outerspace. Apt, really. And there's nothimg much left to do but panic and be afraid. But Jiasha stands, setting her jaw up. "Maybe the children ought to try to evacuate."

The yellow alert lights flash throughout the station.

Niel looks around with Nelle back in his arms after Haven gave her back on her way out. He clutches her tight as he listens to the report over the channel, and grabs one of the tubes, clutching Nelle very tightly, "It will be okay Nelle, it will be okay."

Isole blinks mildly at the intercom messages, and eases away from Lhian, setting her carefully down onto the deck. "I'll be back." Pushing up to her feet, she jogs over to her abandoned bag near her former perch atop a cargo crate and starts dragging it towards that terminal. "Anyone here any good at Engineering? Ship's systems? Anything useful?"

K'net-mauri makes a face as if he's tasting something bitter, looking to Isole. "How useful I can be on such equipment remains to be seen. What do you intend to do?"

While a throng of panicked civillians head for the doors, Takamura stays next to Serendis and Theel'zin. While he might be relieved from his Starfleet duties, that doesn't excuse him from his duty to his teammate's family. He jerks his head toward Isole's question, pausing, torn between staying with the Andorians and going to the terminal.

"Good luck," Lhian calls after Isole, trying to get a good hold on her hoverchair. She looks around the room, crowded with civilians, and not nearly enough holds for them all. "If anyone needs a hold, grab onto my chair! It's sealed to the deck, it isn't going anywhere." Her voice carries to the crowd around her, but is calm and controlled. Afterwards, she quietly murmurs an entreaty to the Goddess to protect them.

Nelle gurgles at Niel, her wailing stopping as she becomes too frightened to do even that.

Serendis appears to be somewhat numb, looking at the panicking civilians around her with a somewhat bewildered expression. That is, until the screeching Theel'zin yanking on her robes finally gets her attention. That kicks her into gear, and she reaches to scoop the frightened child into her arms, then starts looking for a safe place to get to. Icy blue eyes lock on Takamura. "Go," she says to him, hearing Lhian, and then quickly makes her way over to the Elasian and her anchored chair, where she drops to the deck and tries to secure Theel.

The yellow alert lights flash throughout the station.

If childhood has prepared Havaris Jiasha for much of anything it's boldness in the face of fire. She takes up a place near Isole's higher ground, courage brought on by adrenaline or fear. And her voice more or less carries, because it must, over a frightened sea. "Hiroshi! What's the next-most secure area of this station? Everyone brace for impact, someone is working at the console, everything is going to be fine if we're all secure."

Niel tries to rock Nelle in his arms, really worried about her. "You'll be okay Nelle. I know I'm not your mommy, but I love you too Nelle." He watches the others as they start to work on other ways, but he doesn't move as he already has his own duties to take care of.

Isole glances up at Jiasha as she starts calming the crowds, even as she drops to her knees before the terminal and tears open her bag. She answers K'net-Mauri as she can. "If I'm dying down here, I'm stars well not doing it around mothers and children. We've got a transporter. Someone needs to beam them away. If someone can do that, I might be able to reroute this terminal to control a tractor array. But I'll need time. So..." She wastes no time, lifts her bolt gun and begins unscrewing the bulkhead rapidly. Ssssssreee. Sssssscreee. Screeee. Screeeeeeee. Klang-ka-klang. She tosses her bolt gun over her shoulder, grabs a widget from her bag, and buries herself in wallguts.

K'net-mauri scowls, making that bitter face. "First we need to know where to put them," he says. He heard Jiasha's question and looks around for Takamura to answer it.

Takamura nods over to Serendis and weaves his way over to the transporter controls. "There's another cargo bay on the opposite side of the station from this one," he yells to Jiasha. "But I might be able to transport them out in groups. Your call."

"Just grab on tight," Lhian murmurs to to the Andorian child, a look of relief in her eyes as a few hands grab on tightly to her chair, and she helps them find the best handholds. "If there's no more room, grab onto each other, but let the children hold on first." She lets a small Terran child between her and the chair, her father and mother already securing their other children. "Just hold on tight," she murmurs to the little boy as she holds on tight to the chair, her hands just below his. "I've got you.."

Nelle, of course, being less than a year old understands nothing of what's said... nor could she really comprehend the impending doom that's headed towards deck twenty five of the station... much less her own death... or even the concept of death. Anyways, she just begins wailing again, the tiny little break helping this new sounds stamina. How's that for background noise?

Serendis nods grimly to Lhian while she directs Theel's little hands to hold on to part of the chair. She does her best to pin him between herself and the chair, and then glances back toward Takamura, having heard mention of beaming people out. She looks hopeful in that direction. Desperate, even.

The yellow alert lights flash throughout the station.

Jiasha continues, that information in hand. She stretches out an arm, pointing towards an blank area of the wall. "Will all children and their guardians please convene on the far corner of the bay, by the door. Those with limited mobility please follow. Someone move that chair over there and get it stuck to the floor. Everyone else please remain in place." She has an amazing, practiced capacity for breaking through baby wails. " The Bajoran girl then turns her focus halfishly to Hiroshi. "It's the best we can do. Make sure the transporter is stable, and begin movement of that group to the cargobay. Everyone else can follow on foot in small groups." And again, in the crowd-breaking voice requests, "Everyone please remain calm, and get into place."

GAME: Isole spends a courage point.

GAME: Takamura spends a courage point.

Niel releases himself from his locked up position and holds Nelle tightly. Not too tightly to hurt her, just to make sure she's safe. He runs over to the corner of the bay by the door where he was told to go.

<CONTEST> Isole (claiming advantage) contests her Systems Engineering skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!

Sparks and light begin shooting out of the wall where half of Isole has disappeared. There's a loud klang and a burst of orange light followed by black smoke, which begins rolling out and up over the controls to the Transporter. Her voice calls out in a hoarse manner. "That was me..." Coughing, she returns to work and rather shortly declares, "Right! I got it! I think! Either that, or every replicator below the mall is going to be spitting out sparks. But I /think/ I got it! Let me know when you've transported people out and I'll switch the feeds!"

Randal, having stayed back and out of sight when the commotion started, moves forward as showers of sparks come from the wall panel in which Isole is working. Concern creases his features. "Isole?" he says, "Are you okay in there?" He clears his throat, apparantly embarrassed at the hint of panic in his voice, and says more evenly, "I mean... are you sure you don't need a hand?"

K'net-mauri glances up as Jiasha starts moving people towards the transporter pad. He's definately of limited mobility, and he doesn't move at all. Instead he looks over at the terminal console, glancing over its readouts. A dark glance to Isole, "Did you get a feed from the sensors? How many groups can transport before we run out of time?"

Takamura nods at Jiasha and begins to program coordinates into the transporter console. Still working the controls, he projects loudly, "Using the transporters, I can get them to deck 12." Coughing, he takes a free hand to wave the smoke away from his face.

Lhian looks over to Jiasha and takes a deep breath, moving so that the little girl can rejoin her parents and siblings, who quickly move to the far side of the room. "Miss Havaris, my chair is magnetically sealed to the floor, so it will give me as good a hold as any. For Goddess' sake, get the children and their parents, and those who need the help out of here first," she says, her voice as firm and unyielding as her eyes. She will *not* be given any preferential treatement because of what she is. "I will remain here with everyone else, unless you're able to get us all transported out." She glances up to k'net-mauri, a determined, almost proud smile on her lips.

Zuh'raah'do goes home.

Zuh'raah'do has left.

<CONTEST> Takamura (claiming advantage) contests his Shipboard Systems (Transporter) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Fails!

The forms of several of those in the corner shimmer briefly, but do not disappear. The terminal begins growling at Takamura in complaint, apparently not liking the coarse hands of the RRT officer much.

Serendis glances around, between Jiasha, Lhian and K'net. Grimly she shakes her head, pulls Theel free from the chair, and directs him toward the indicated place where the other children and parents are gathering. Her family has lost too many members. Obviously she isn't willing to risk another.

As those least able to break for it are secure, Jiasha begin picking the crowd off into groups. Trying to get a few fit and ready with the more shaken and weak. She is breaking them into groups of five, giving them places to be, linging them up on secure 'pods' accross the walls of the cargo bay. "Lhian we need your chair, and you to operate it, there may not be enough holds where they are. Please get into position." Meanwhile trying to secure escape groups. "You, and you." She points to two groups nearest the door. Begin making your way to the opposite side of the staion. There is a cargo hold there."

Niel stays with some of the other people with children in their charge. He appears to be trying to reassure them, Nelle, and in many different ways himself. He closes his eyes momentarily and says, "I know you guys can do it."

The yellow alert lights flash throughout the station.

Isole kicks out blindly, bumping into Takamura's boot. "SLAG! Hurry it up! One more chance and then I'm kicking it over to repulsors!" She shoves herself deeper into the wall, calling back out to Randal, "I'm fine! Help out Takamura with the transporter or something..."

<CONTEST> Takamura (claiming advantage) contests his Shipboard Systems (Transporter) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Succeeds!

Randal glances over to Takamura. Or up, perhaps more accurate, given their difference in stature. "Uh..." He grins amicably. "Mind if I give her a go?" Before he gets an answer he steps around the side of the controls, next to him, and examines the controls.

Well, that answers Mauri's question. He doesn't bother trying to make it over to the transporter pad but shakes his head and turns back towards his little handhold on the wall.

GAME: Randal spends a courage point.

<CONTEST> Randal (claiming advantage) contests his Shipboard Systems (Transporter) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Succeeds!

Takamura takes a deep breath then taps madly at the console. He glances briefly at Randal and says, "Go ahead, I need all the help I can get."

With a slight grunt Lhian slowly comes to her knees, and then drags herself into her chair as fast as she can. She releases the magnetic hold and zips over to her designated group, a look of determinated but also of frustration and anger in her eyes. She stops once she reaches her group, and clamps her chair to the floor again. "Hold on and hold on tight," she says in that same calm but carrying voice to the group around her, again motioning the smaller to hold on first, and those larger behind them. She loops her arms around one of the armrests, looking down to the beings clutching at her chair, and then to the group of children and their parents, waiting to be transported away. "Come on," she murmurs desperately, waiting for them to dissapear.

The forms of several of those with children begin to shimmer and fade with a whine of energy. Those left behind renew a general panicked murmur and rush to close the now opened space, their arms laden with shrieking infants. In a second whine of energy and sparkle of light, the remaining families begin to dissolve and fade, saved by luck and quick thinking. Among them are Serendis and Theel'zin, the former of whom releases an audible sound of almost infinite relief that she and her son should be spared.

Jiasha allows for a good interval of time for the first groups to go, still making sure that everyone is in their preoper little 'pods', flashing concern between the knot of peoples at the transporter pad. "You, and you!" She shouts, pointing out the next two groups, "Follow to the opposite end of the station. Go!" And turns her attentions to Randal and Takamura, "Transporter priority to children too big to carry. Get them to the best secure area you can, and get the chair there to make more holds. Good work."

Niel is, along with Nelle, among those beamed out by the transporter when the families and children are beamed out. As he is enveloped in the beam, a sigh of relief comes over him.

Isole speaks from within the wall, "Making the switch now! Get ON that repulsor, or we're spaced!" There's a spark of light again and the LCARS of the transporter terminal fades out and reloads in a standard tactical display, keyed to handle tractors and repulsors. Complete with viewscreen displaying the nigh-on-top-of-them asteroid shard. Needless to say, there's a proximity alert screaming at Randal and Takamura.

K'net-mauri watches the viewscreen, though it's at a bad angle for him at his place along the wall. He braces, seething with irritation and glaring at the image.

"Alright." Randal says, with a satisfied smirk after aiding Takamura in establishing the signal locks. "The first batches of survivors are signed, sealed and delivered." He glances over at Takamura. "Never thought I'd be working with a 'Fleeter. But then it /is/ an emergency." After a beat, he says, with more sincerity, "Nice work." The alert draws his attention, and his grin fades. "Oh, crap. Hope you're as good with a tractor beam, too..." His own hands race across the controls.

Under Jiasha's advisement, a mass exodus of those remaining begins running to the opposite end of the station. It is not an orderly retreat, and several people are knocked to the floor in the rush for the doors. But in the end, the bay is emptied except for those immediately engaged in matters ... and those groaning on the floor. (Or simply held there by harsh Terran standard gravity, in Lhian's case.)

GAME: Randal spends a courage point.

Takamura lets out a sigh of relief as Serendis and Theel are transported to safety. To Randal he replies, "And I didn't think I'd be working with you. Thanks for the help." As the tactical display comes online, he focuses back on the job at hand.

GAME: Takamura spends a courage point.

<CONTEST> Randal (claiming advantage) contests his Shipboard Systems (Tractor Beam) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Succeeds!

<CONTEST> Takamura (claiming advantage) contests his Shipboard Systems (Tractor Beam) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Fails!

From the top of those cargo units Jiasha's surveys the remaining people, skittering down and scooping at those trampled to get them to their own poles. Presuming (read, praying) that the small groups in the hallways that remained had enough space to avoid trampling.

The yellow alert lights flash throughout the station.

An audible sigh of relief escapes Lhian's lips as the first group with the very young children and their parents is away, but a moment the relief on her face changes to anger. 'The chair? The chair?' Is that all anyone thinks of her? "Just hold on tight," she says to the small group that hasn't left her side, and she checks on the status of the magnetic hold, as strong as it can go. "There aren't enough holds here for the people left," she says to Jiasha evenly, a quiet blaze burning in her green eyes. "Neither I, nor my chair will leave them."

Randal and Takamura work in tandem to operate the repulsors. And while only one beam catches the rock fragment heading their way, there isn't precisely any time remaining for things like second chances. Even at full power, there isn't enough energy to keep the massive object from colliding with the shields, sending a shiver through the station in entire. They buckle and fold, the rock distorting and shattering into smaller pieces that carry their own innertial force into the massive impact. Like a giant snowball, the greater mass of the object collapses flat, the repulsors simply shoving right through the center of the now smaller pieces, pushing them out and away, creating a very effective donut. The shields finally give way with a shower of light, and the remaining manner makes a damnable mess of the designations painted on the outer hull of the Station.

A hull that, while dented and damaged, holds.

Jiasha is sitll a bit clumsy in her limbs, young as she is. And had just enough time not to make it to a hold of her own. A rather terrific lurching, tripping, falling and general tossing about; ker-thwapping her poor, maligned head (again). At least it didn't get anything important. Along with the whapping of several gangly limbs, she is finally able to catch hold of something, and hang on. Oh, what a goose-egg her forehead is goign to hatch.

If you were to list places to be during impact with stellar matter, on the bottom of the list would be on the hull, in front of it. Just above that, the inside of a wall surrounded by electrical components and minimal space. When the collision rocks the station, Isole's lower extremities are tossed about violently. Moreso when the actual matter hits the hull. She bounces upwards, he legs bending up, then flopping down onto the deck again. Judging by the brief tension and subsequent relaxation of her visible limbs, that probably hurt quite a bit.

The yellow alert lights flash throughout the station.

Randal throws his arms around the console, hanging on for dear life as the force of the impact causes the deck to pitch violently from underneath him. He keeps his eyes fixed on the section of wall facing the outer hull, waiting for it to warp inward and come apart, waiting for the rush of atmosphere to blow outward into the void. That moment never comes, however. Once the horrendous shrieking and scraping along the hull subsides, he regains his footing, though his arms remain planted firmly around the edge of the console. "Whoa. What a rush." He seems to be in a near-miss-with-death stupor for the moment.

Takamura grabs tightly onto the console trying to stay on his feet. Even though he manages to do so, his hair starts to fall out of his topknot. When the shaking subsides and there is no whoosh of decompression, Tak takes a deep breath, exhaling slowly. Then, he turns to Randal. "Thank you for all your help. I couldn't have done it without you."

As the station shakes all around them, one of the people cluching on to her chair cries out, and only Lhian's suddenly outstretched arm keeps him from slamming into a bulkhead or a cargo container. The Elaysian is jerked from her chair, only her other hand keeping the two of them from skittering off. "Hold on!," she cries to the frightened person clinging to her, and there is finally fear in her own eyes. A Bajoran woman and a Terran man, holding onto the front of the chair, reach out to them, putting their own lives at risk to keep the two secure. As the shaking finally stops Lhian and her rescuee slump to the floor, breathing heavily, but merely glad to be all right.

K'net-mauri enjoys the advantages of being a member of a certain green-blooded group of people who's strength tends to be more than a match for their weight. He maintains his grip. His legs crumple under him but he simply hauls himself back onto his feet with his arms, without actually falling. Another impact follows shortly after this movement and the force of it whacks his head against the wall, which seems to infuriate him, by his expression.

Jiasha scampers to the door, a little bit out-of-sorts. Her eyes are swiming a bit. To the commpanel, Havaris jams her hand against it, eyes on Isole, hailing the infirmary for immediate medical assistance.

Jiasha initializes the communications terminal, "Jiasha to Infirmary."

Over Jiasha's comm badge, someone says, "Infirmary, this is Dr. Haven."

Lhian goes home.

Lhian has left.

With the station safe, having suffered little more than a bump on the head for its troubles, the civilians are once more free to retire at their convenience. The flight of shuttles that had sped out to defend the station return home, some better off than others. Damage control teams make their way to the lower decks to survey the damage, tactical stands down, and somewhere, some poor schmuck of an Engineer is going to be cursing the name of Isole Arnan and the damage she did inside of that wall, there. Strange times make for strange bedfellows, it is said. Former pirates manning stations, and Romulans sketching monsters with Bajorans. When the last klaxon sounds and the warning lights dim, however, all is much as it was, right down to the collective sigh of relief.