PLOT - JDL | Com Ivanova, CMDR Dahe'el, CAPT Neyes, CMDR Neyes, Vokar, Ael'Riov Tr'Bak - "Flight of the Valkyries pt IV"

Posted on 241512.15 @ 4:02pm by Commodore Rochelle Ivanova

The explosion that tore through the Vindicator was a sight to behold. Flame ripped through portions of the hull, feeding swiftly on the oxygen the breaches supplied before being tempered and tainted by the molecular diffusion brought about by the atmosphere devoid space that surrounded them. The resplendent blue, pink, and purple orbs of hot energy encompassed the ship like an ethereal shield – only these ‘shields’ were adding more to the damage beneath, incinerating the battered ship as they went about. Tr’Bak’s ship – privy to the near magical display of arson – rocked from the shock wave, sending off more alarms and heralding more damage reports due to their proximity to the crippled behemoth of a ship before them.

“Sir, hull breaches on decks ei—“

“Run a full scan on the Vindicator for survivors and get the breeches repaired! Don’t waste time by sitting around and trying to strike up idle chit chat with me about it!” The Romulan found his temper waning as he watched the drama unfold in front of him. He’d given the Commodore mere minutes to make a decision that would bring an end to the stupidity wrought between them one way or another, but it seemed as if the ship had made that decision for her – snuffing out the immortal flame of the Phoenix with fire of a deliriously different sort. It wasn’t what he wanted. Wasn’t his way, his decision, or his plan. His hand, still singed with the Starfleet Delta and tightly grasping his ale, slammed against his arm rest. “Damn her.” He swore under his breath, waiting for a sign; a hail showing life even if it wasn’t the capitulation he had required. Her life had hung in his hands, a game he enjoyed – minus the way the Enterprise had stuck her fool nose in it – but this had not been the end he’d envisioned… It lacked reason or moral justification, and worse, it was out of his control.

There was silence as the scans were run, and it was deafening. His pointed ears twitched slightly as they sought to pick up some hidden whisper that wasn’t there. “And?” He growled, not caring to look at the man working feverishly to his left.

“Nothing, sir. There’s nothing. The radiation levels are too high for us to get a concrete scan in and even then it’s likely that they’re all dead anyway.” The Arrain’s lips pursed briefly as he studied the pensive Tr’Bak, “It’s too risky to send a crew over to search for her, sir.”

“I’m aware.” Tr’Bak hissed his response before clearing his throat and reaching to smooth back his hair with his free hand.

“There’s another problem.”

“Be quick about telling me what it is, won’t you?”

“The Pendragon.”

Tr’Bak turned his head at the mention of the Vanguard ship, the Vindicator’s sister in more ways than one. Like the behemoth incinerating before them, she was a mobile space station of a ship. Armed to the teeth, she rode with escorts and a madman on her bridge. “What about the Pendragon?” He asked, hiking an eyebrow high.

“She’s closing on us and fast, sir.” The Arrain reported dutifully. Saying more wasn’t necessary, the threat of the Pendragon went without saying.

Vrith’s eyes closed for the briefest of moments. Neither of his ships were ready to take on the Pendragon and her escorts, the others were chasing the Enterprise out of the sector and would never return in time. “Get us out of here.”

---

Unbeknownst to Tr’Bak, his crew, or the souls left on the Vindicator, a small shuttle was nearly burning out its impulse engine as it steered towards the burning Discovery class vessel. James was tight lipped, grim, and silent as the grave as he navigated towards the open shuttle bay doors on deck two. Pieces of the ship were coming away, fire glowed in a bright halo around most of her, and he knew he was too Gods damned late to do much of anything beyond fulfilling Vokar’s wishes and picking up a body from the wreckage.

Rochelle would never have left. She was too stubborn, too pig headed, and too full of pride as a commanding officer to ever evacuate with the rest of her crew. By all rights she should be allowed to disappear with her ship, their legacies forever entwined, but he couldn’t allow it. Were she dead she’d be given a proper burial. Were she alive, she’d hate him for it but she’d return to fight another day. Regardless, he was getting her out.

Docking was easy. Explaining to Vokar they only had a few seconds to make this work, was easy. The climb to the bridge, however, was a beast of an entirely different sort. Covering his nose and mouth with fabric torn from his tunic, James still found himself choking on a combination of smoke and particulates. Plasma fires burned wildly all around them, debris and damage further blocked their path, but when they got there they were greeted by the worst of it all.

The middle of the bridge wasn’t more than a great, big, yawning chasm of twisted metal and spark spitting wires. Consoles were blown to smithereens, and ceiling panels hung precariously by pieces of insulation and other nasties Archer didn’t want to think about. His attention was better suited elsewhere, and that elsewhere was the sound and sight of two men feverishly struggling to lift and move a pile of debris. Even in the smoke he could see why; a slender, bloodied, lifeless arm lay uncovered.

Rochelle.

Almar had come around from the explosion to see the Commodore buried beneath debris, his own uniform was torn and bloodied, pitted where a shower of sparks had covered him. He'd found his feet within moments and beside Landon was attempting to free Rochelle from her metal prison, his arms bulged as he strained to lift a beam that lay across her, sweat poured down his dirt covered face and evaporated before it hit the ground.

The hellscape around them licked flames and heat against already burned skin. Landon could feel the roughed, mottled tritanium of the support beam slowly searing into his hand. His gaze locked onto the image of her buried beneath the rubble. The muscles in his arms pulled and strained, like the programming of self preservation he'd been given. This was a do or die moment, and his people would tell him to abandon her to preserve Neyes. Keep the symbiont safe. Time was almost up, and the ship would evaporate into a cloud of particulate debris at any moment.

If he couldn't lift it, then he would wait here for the end.

Almar appeared next to him, like he always seemed to, just at the right moment. Without a look or a word, they both set their feet and prepared for one last try to lift the beam. Landon bared his teeth and felt the surge of rage, the helplessness bringing more hate and pain than he could manage or cared to suppress. They both screamed as they put their combined strength to the hope it would be enough. The beam moaned and released a few trapped shards of debris, but it wasn't enough to bring it off her. Landon's eyes searched the chaos for something, anything... and found him moving into the room like a shadow.

Again, just in time.

"Archer I don't know where the hell you came from, but get your ass over here!" Neyes screamed.

James paused to see two men standing over the lifeless lump of flesh that was Rochelle. Shaking his head, he made his way to where Neyes was standing, "What the hell happened here?!" James shouted over the warning klaxon and the roar of the fires burning out of control on the bridge. The answer didn't matter, the ship was about to come completely and utterly apart by the seams. Without waiting for an answer, he bent down and checked Rochelle's pulse. Alive, but barely.

"Here's what we're going to do. On the count of three, you two will lift the beam and I'll pull Rochelle from under it. Got it," James barked, looking up through the dark smoky haze to try and catch their eyes.

"Got it," Landon nodded. He braced himself once again, a small flicker of hope that this would not end in heartbreak, and yet he prepared for the worst still. "Hurry."

All that came from Almar was a simple nod as he planted his feet on the deck and fixed his hands on the beam, "Count of three."

"On three." James nodded and moved to reach under the beam as best he could, wrapping a hand firmly under the Commodore's arm where it met her shoulder. "One," his fingers drug into her blood slicked skin, seeking a better grip and purchase, "Two," the beam, or was it the hull? Something, creaked as both Landon and Almar levied their weight against the offending piece of tritanium that kept them from their goal. "Three!" He strained, pulling against what normally would have come away like a dandelion on a summer's day, but resisted him under the additional weight of the beam until at last she slipped free and he fell backwards onto his rear end on the debris covered deck. Quickly, he scrambled to gather the unconscious woman into his arms, resting the bulk of her over his shoulder in a crude, but safe, fireman's carry. "Let's get the fuck out of here! She can be fixed later, no time to check anything. Go!"

Standing at the entrance to the bridge, Vokar had watched the scene unfold with a cold indifference, he'd been in this situation before and had found himself in Rochelle's position, her saving grace would be that she would be surrounded by Starfleet officers when she awoke, she might be on a Vanguard ship, but her friends and family would be around her.

With Rochelle freed, Almar found himself grabbing at a padd that lay on the floor, it appeared to be his but he had very little time to check properly, "What's our exit?" he asked as they brushed past the Vulcan who leant on his cane in the doorway.

"My shuttle, you idiot. Now move before you become another name on the casualty list," James glowered as he adjusted Rochelle's weight. "This thing's going to pop in about 5 minutes."

"Then lets go, as much as I love the heat, I much prefer remaining alive." Almar replied as he checked over his shoulder and cast an eye on the Vulcan as they made their way towards the climb back down.

The Vulcan had found himself striding down the corridor a few steps behind the group, watching how deeply they cared for the injured redhead that Archer carried away from the bridge, her bridge, the same position he'd been in when he'd been rescued by Artur from the bridge of the Vindicator C, a creak above him made his cast his glance upward and instinct made him throw himself back into a diving roll to avoid the bulkheads collapsing in the section.

Once he was sure that both Almar and Landon were headed in the right direction, James found himself pausing and shying away from the sound of further destruction. In the melee, his narrowed eyes found Vokar's form. "Are you mad?! Let's get the fuck out of here!" He yelled, pausing only to push a hefty lock of bloodied hair away from Rochelle's face. Her breathing was so shallow against his body the only way he could register whether or not she was still of the living was by watching the blood bubble from her nose. Time was running out for all of them.

"I'll find another way off this boat," the Vulcan replied calmly as he brushed some sparks from his jacket and looked around for a second, "Go, I'll be fine." he added as he turned, threw his cane into the fire and began running back down the corridor towards the last service junction.

"Crazy Vulcan!" He hissed with a shake of his head, readjusted the frail woman in his arms, and took off to join the the others with mere seconds to spare.

It would be by luck, chance, and the grace of providence that they'd escape. Pendragon had been ordered off to save her hull once the Vindicator finally exploded - and when she did, the shock wave nearly sent them to their makers regardless. The shuttle rocked, tossing people to the deck and practically throwing Rochelle from the biobed James had set her on. In the end, however, all that remained was the burning remnants of a once great leviathan that had owned the sea of stars they all knew and loved.

Vokar... Was dead. No chance of escape of survival had presented itself.

Rochelle... Hung precariously to the final fraying strings tethering her to her life.

Life... Would never be the same.

---

Commodore Rochelle Ivanova
Commanding Officer
USS VINDICATOR, NCC 78213-E

Commander Almar Dahe'el
Executive Officer
USS VINDICATOR, NCC 78213-E

Commander James Archer
Chief Intelligence Officer
USS VINDICATOR, NCC 78213-E

Captain Landon Neyes
Civilian Liaison
USS VINDICATOR, NCC 78213-E

Commander Tristan Neyes
Chief Counselor
USS VINDICATOR, NCC 78213-E

Vokar
Vanguard Commander
VCD PENDRAGON

Ael'Riov Vrith tr'Bak
Commander, 3rd Tal Shiar Task Force
Romulan Star Empire