”Let’s just say I work for parties that want to be the hero here. They want to fine first to show up with assistance to a planet in the border with the Klingons. And I’m not going to tell you who they are, because they are scarier than you. “
The first thing she notices as she comes to is the light. Next, comes the pain. Confused, Dr. Malati Bhalla opens her eyes. She is clearly on the floor, she concludes. Where am I? she wonders.
Looking around, she quickly recognizes the familiar items of her office in Sick Bay. The hypospray, with the slight dent--a momento from an urgent surgical procedure performed on an angry Nausicaan pirate, the old, 20th century stethoscope that her mother had given her, the corriscle shell she had found on the beach at Suraya Bay on Risa, her model of the USS Hale, the presence of these items quickly assure her that she was now on her office floor.
Grabbing hold of an over-turned chair, she slowly, and not without effort, rises to her feet. It’s all coming back to me, now. Dr. Bhalla noted, images filling her head.
The orderly… Hunsley. Kyle Hunsley! He did this! The scans revealed multiple, skeletal fractures-suggesting years of abuse. When, I confronted him. He... he must have stunned me--likely with a phaser. She winces with pain as she reaches for the button on her desk console to activate the intercom.
“Sick Bay to Bridge.” The doctor speaks evenly, despite the sensation of needles digging into her back. “This is Dr. Bhalla. Captain, I need you to confine all non-essential crew to quarters--including all junior medical staff. And send a security team to Sick Bay stat. I’ve been attacked.”
"Doctor. We've caught your attacker. Are you alright?"
Assuming she answers in the affirmative:
Returning his attention to Hunsley, Reeves has no more patience for Hunsley. "Scary or not, you'll never see them again, Mister Hunsley. You're going to spend the next few decades on a penal colony. If you're lucky it won't be a Klingon one."
He turns to Kreskin. "Have security escort him to the brig. We're needed on the bridge."
"I'm... fine.. Captain." Dr. Bhalla responds rather meekly over the comm. Caught my attacker? But how did he know about Hunsley? The CMO ponders silently, I just found out myself! How long have I been out?
The doctor takes a deep breath, straightens her uniform, and then exits her office. "Nurse Altwether, what is our current status? she asks the first med staff member she sees.
Things are going to have to change around here. The doctor repeats the phrase in her mind as she receives the nurse's report.
The nurse responds tensely, "Doctor, engineering has most of the systems back online, but the engines are still dead and we are drifting toward the Klingon border. The medical supplies have been compromised, and we will need to begin synthesizing more, assuming the Klingons don't blow us out of space."
Momentum 3 Threat 6
New Scene, Scene 4
On the bridge, at least, nearly all the frantic activity of the last couple of hours has died away. All is quiet and tense. Consoles have been repaired, as have many other systems around the ship. While Engineering begins the delicate process of restarting the warp reactor and bringing the ship fully back to life, there’s little to do on the bridge except sit and wait ... and stare at the image on the viewscreen of the three Klingon warships hanging there in space, waiting to strike.
The nurse responds tensely, "Doctor, engineering has most of the systems back online, but the engines are still dead and we are drifting toward the Klingon border. The medical supplies have been compromised, and we will need to begin synthesizing more, assuming the Klingons don't blow us out of space."
Dr. Bhalla huffs. Sounds like I may not have been the only one fooled by Hunsley and that he has been quite busy while I was stunned, but to what end? I'd best do what I can and leave the engineering in to the Chief Engineer.
"What medical supplies have been been compromised? And don't tell me it was the daronite; that would be a catastrophe."
When the nurse confirms the daronite has been compromised and that the other officers appear to have taken no steps to facilitate synthesizng more, Dr. Bhalla seems to seethe for a moment.
"Prep all available labs here in Med Bay to work on trying to synthesize more daronite. I will work in Lab 2 and see if I can somehow reverse the contamination process on our present stores and recover any daronite in that way." Dr. Bhalla orders the nurse.
Dr. Bhalla returns to the comm. "Sick to Engineering. This is Dr. Bhalla. My med team is working on synthesizng more daronite after the spill, but we don't want a repeat of the incident. I suggest that you bring those engines on line quickly so to avoid any further contamination. Also, if this ship crosses the Klingon border, we will have an interstellar incident on our hands!"
Lance gives T’Karra clear, calm directions, helping her focus and work through the restart.
"Captain Reeves, I'm not going to be much good here and we've still got time before those Klingons are going to pounce. With your permission I'd like to keep a closer eye on the medical supplies to make sure nobody interferes with them. Hopefully I'm just being paranoid at this point."
"Agreed, Ensign," says Reeves to Kerensky. "Take a full security detail with you and render all possible assistance to Doctor Bhalla while you're there."
"Mister Thoss," he says to the helmsman. "Keep monitoring our friends out there. I want to know the instant the situation changes. And be on the lookout for any sign of cloaked ships. There may be another party out here."
"Yes, Captain," Thoss replies crisply in response as he continually monitors the tactical readings inputted from the Valiant's sensors. "Everything is ready on this end."
I suppose those rumors I have heard concerning the Genesis planet have some validity to them. If the Klingons DO have cloaking technology then the balance of power along the Neutral Zone will change, and not for the better... He reflects somberly.
Momentum 4, Threat 6
"Aye Captain."
Samuel shows up with his security team at the medical bay. "Doctor Bhalla, we're here to make sure you and the supplies wont be disturbed any more on this trip. If we get too close to the Klingon border I will be returning to the bridge for obvious reasons."
I made a mistake in calculating Momentum earlier.
T'Karra finds that the matter/anti-matter injector ports are misaligned, resulting in a failure of ignition.
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looking at the counting clock T"Karra now realizes that the ship could roll into the neutral zone without the ability or time to cold start the warp core.
Captain, T'Karra here. We have perhaps two more attempts to realign the injector ports prior to drifting into the neutral zone. Logically I can finish cold start of the warp engines in order to get phase lock and restart the engines. If not, then what is left is to try to manually realign the matter and anti matter injector ports if I fail to succeed that will be the last thing which may be attempted. The odds of success at that point Captain are 10,000 to 1.
T'Karra attempts to realign the injectors for ignition again.
Samuel shows up with his security team at the medical bay. "Doctor Bhalla, we're here to make sure you and the supplies wont be disturbed any more on this trip. If we get too close to the Klingon border I will be returning to the bridge for obvious reasons."
"Very well, Lieutenant." Dr. Bhalla responds, somewhat defensively. "Just please make sure that you and your time do not interfere with the efforts of my medical staff."
Lance starts tweaking the sensor array to give T’Karra a better view of the engine system.
You’ve got this...
Tkarra continues working those warp engines with the crew, sweat pouring down her now tired body as she tries to save the ship from certain doom.
You can.
"T'Karra, I need power now! Have you considered synching the subspace tetryon field?"
Five minutes until the radios are back on. As soon as he gets word that comms are live, Lance is on the horn, sending a desperate hail to the Klingon ships.
Come on...come on...pick up...pick up...
Just as T'Karra is finishing realigning the matter/antimatter injectors, Kreskin notices something disturbing on the sensors. The Klingon Cruisers power their engines and charge over the border into Federation Space. Without communication, they attack with their disruptor cannons.
7 damage-4 Resistance, reducing shields by 3 to 7.
3 damage -4 resistance=nothing.
6 damage-4 resistance reducing shields by 2 to 5. So this is what that looks like.
The three Klingon Battleships quickly surround the dead in space Valiant, hammering at its shields with their disruptor cannons. The shields begin to buckle, but they hold at 50% for the moment.
Captain, I can make another attempt to hail, but if they're illegally crossing the border it might not matter. We should warp away...now!
By the time the Klingons were closing Kerensky was at his station. He waited for the Captains order but wasn't eager to take on multiple Klingon ships with their own vessel in such a state.
Thoss is at the Helm station, his antenna twitching in agitation but his voice is calm. "Ready to initiate Warp speed on your command Captain. Recommend we not engage at this time."
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T'Karra sees the warp engine coils light up as the engine room starts its hum and the nycelles light up as well. a moment later she hits the infusion and the matter anti matter mixes into the crystals catalyzing and making faster then light speed possible once more.
Captain, T'Karra here. Warp engines are available now.
"Sick Bay to Bridge" Dr. Bhalla's voice chimes over the comm channel. "Our delicate procedures are being threatened by this shaking. If I didn't know better, I'd say it was the result of disruptor fire. However, I was never notified that we had crossed over into the Neutral Zone."
"Mister T'Karra, there will be a little something extra in your paycheck this month! Mister Thoss, get us out of here. Warp Four!"
"We're in Federation space, Doctor, but we are under attack. Bridge out."
Thoss sends his fingers flying over his control panel, "Yes Sir! Heading on a reverse course, speed Warp 4!" He responds first orientating the Valiant on a course back deeper into Federation space then hitting the execute button, giving a sigh of relief as the viewscreen image is replaced by the multi-colored view of the ship heading into warp.
Kerensky looked at his controls and considered options in case the Klingons pursued, they had already crossed into Federation space, would they give up so easily now?
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logically knowing that if she is exhausted that her subordinates are also most assuredly on the brink of collapse, she gives the order.
Early rotation of staff. Get all staff currently on shift to quarters for mandatory rest. Have any staff with exhaustion report to medical.
Then T'Karra calls medical:
T'Karra to medical. Engineering staff are being ordered to mandatory resting periods and check up with medical for exhaustion and we are rotating staff early to ensure proper rest. Be advised you will see a higher level of engineering staff over the next several days and stress levels which are elevated now will require lowering through what ever procedures you see fit.