Whispers in the Clouds Conclusion - Chapter 1

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Mission: Whispers in the Clouds

Part 1 - Timeline: Day 3 - 1635

• Location: Unknown Sector, USS Cassiopeia

There was a flash of light, then the sound of phaser fire. It took Ensign Shrevan th'Iroth a few seconds to realise it was some kind of stun grenade. He looked around noticing that several of his fellow crew members were on the floor unconscious, including Lieutenant Roebuck He rallied the remaining officers. “Hold your ground and keep up suppressing fire.” He called out to the crew who were still up and about. Outside of the transporter room was clearly not the most secure place to be.

It looks like there were four hostiles or so, which explained the stun grenade they had used to try to even out the odds. There could be more behind the broken chunks of bulkhead, which looked like a relay blew the panels out. Of eight men in this team, they were already down to five, which considerably evened up the odds in the enemy favour. th'Iroth hit one of them square in the chest, taking him out, as he was eyeing up another shot a beam struck the security officer to his right. It looked like a kill shot, as the officer hit the floor without a sound or gasp of pain. He hadn't seen someone die in front of him. He was too young to remember the Dominion war. The chirp of a combadge brought him back to reality.

“This is Ensign Natalie Jane to anyone from the Unification, my security team is down, including Commander Germond. I can't reach the Unification, I am requesting instructions.”

“Ensign Jane, this is Ensign th'Iroth, we are currently engaging hostiles on deck six, section five B.” He replied as another polaron beam lanced towards him. “Are you in a secure position for now?”

“I believe so. I'm just above you on deck five, section six C in the Security office. My team is down, but they don't appear to all be dead. I have a nurse with me, Ensign Conroy, she has stabilised the crew that are still alive, but I don't know how long for if they don't get to a medical facility.” She sounded young, but there was a confidence in her voice.

th'Iroth looked as another of the hostiles was taken down, leaving one remaining. “Once we are secure here we will rendezvous as your position. Stay secure Ensign, th'Iroth out.” He tapped the combadge closing the connection as he planned in his head what was about to happen the final hostile was stunned. He looked around, four crew members were down, including the officer in charge of this little trip. “We need to find somewhere nearby we can move these crew members too.” He looked at his tricorder, scanning the local area for somewhere secure. His scans found an auxiliary sickbay a few doors down. He shared this with the team, as they picked up the two unconscious ones and started the short trip to the sickbay.

They used a security override and entered the room. There were no lights on, something one of the crewmen quickly went to fix. They sealed the doors behind them. He needed a doctor right now. th'Iroth had no idea if it would work, but he looked at the corner of the room to where one of the holo-emitters were located. “Computer, activate EMH.” Nothing happened.

The crewman fixing the lights, Crewman Faulkner, had evidently had some luck as they started flickering on throughout the sickbay. He also heard the tell-tale sound of the doors being sealed. “The lights are back on, and I have sealed the doors, for now at least. They are controlled from a tricorder. I have copied the program onto all of our tricorders, just in case.” He held up the device in his hand. “Also, the verbal command functions are offline. However,” he walked over to the now online console on the wall and pressed a few buttons. The Mark V EMH appeared.

For some reason, Lewis Zimmerman had decided to go back to creating holograms in his own image. “What is the medical emergency?” The EMH asked.

“The ship is has been attacked and boarded. Some kind of computer virus has disabled systems, I have two officers injured, both from polaron based weapons. We are from the Unification, trying to take back the ship.” Ensign th'Iroth replied.

The EMH began to work on the two officers immediately. “A computer virus, are my systems in any danger?”

“If I may, Sir,” Crewman Lawrence Faulkner interrupted, th'Iroth nodded. “Your systems are somewhat isolated, so there was some infection from the virus in your main data files, however, they were purged, and you are currently running from the EMH backup module, which is isolated to prevent issues from situations such as the one we are in.”

“Very well. I shall stabilise them until they can be seen by the ships… the ships doctor is dead. The internal sensors that are online show his body is in the main sickbay. That is unfortunate. The LMH system is also offline. I guess it is just me for now then. You may continue to take back the ship, I shall use emergency comm channel one-seven delta if there appears to be any further developments.”

“Thank you, Doctor. Team, let's move out.” He acknowledged. He again looked to the EMH. “We need to make it to the security office on deck five, section six C, do you know the quickest way to get there?”

“I'm an EMH, not a tour guide. Use the panel on the wall.” the EMH replied, without even looking up from his patient. The Andorian officer gestured to Peters, who moved toward the panel.

As Faulkner checked the panel, downloaded it to his tricorder, and nodded to the Andorian team commander. They left the room and headed to the emergency access point. It was about thirty metres down the hall.

---

There were more bodies along the way, enemy and friendlies. How many people were still alive on this ship. He knew that most of the crew quarters were sealed, whether they were occupied or not, which had hopefully saved many lives. But a Nebula class ship had a complement of around 750, of which 250 were usually on duty at any given time.

Ensign th'Iroth checked his tricorder along the route, checking the sealed rooms. Some crew were unconscious, some were dead in their quarters. There were traces of neurocine gas in some quarters. The feeling of sadness was rivalled only by his feeling of disgust. Some of these people were gassed in their quarters. It was sickening. Knowing what he did about the Cassiopeia most of the non-essential personnel, including the families, were offloaded to New Bajor before it was dispatched. This was standard procedure for search and rescue missions in the Gamma Quadrant, given numbers of unknowns still around.

He did not have time to worry about them right now. The ones who were still alive were OK for now. All that mattered was taking back control of the ship, and making sure no one else was killed in the process. He had to get the team up to deck five and rendezvous with Ensign Jane. Then they could follow the original plan and get to deck one, to take the bridge back. His combadge chirped.

“Unification to Roebuck.” The sound of Captain Lambert coming from the badge.

“This is Ensign th'Iroth, Lieutenant Roebuck is incapacitated, as it Commander Germond.”

“How many of your team are left?” Lambert asked, his voice sounding concerned.

“There are four of us still active. Two incapacitated, two KIA. We left our injured with the EMH in an auxiliary sickbay on deck six. We are moving toward a security office on deck 5 to meet up with what remains of Commander Germond's team,” th'Iroth replied.

“We have limited transporters at the moment, the sensors keep cutting in and out, but I will see if I can beam you straight to the security office.” He heard Lambert called out to another officer who was on the Unification bridge. “There is a dispersion field activate, so we can't beam you into the room, or scan inside, however we can beam you just outside. Stand by.”

---

The tell-tale whine of the transporter taking hold of his body alerted him to his new surroundings. Inside the security office he could see, Germond, unconscious on the floor, a nurse and Ensign Jane but no other sign of the rest team. He tapped his combadge. “th'Iroth to Jane, we are outside of the security office, please lower the security field so that we may enter.”

She did not respond but merely looked up and opened her tricorder, tapped some buttons and the door opened. The team entered the security room, then the door was sealed again. “Ensign Jane, who is the nurse?”

“Ensign Sarah Conroy, she's from the Cass. We found her with one of the officers here. He gave Commander Germond this PADD with his command codes on. Some of them still work, which is how I managed to secure this office.”

“OK, let's see if we can fix this.” He tapped his combadge. “th'Iroth to Unification. Captain, are you in a position to transport the injured from my present location back to the Unification?” He asked.

“Negative, we are having issues beaming anything back onto the ship, we have been trying. We can beam things off the Unification, or we can do site to site transports on the Cassiopeia.”

“Can you beam them to the auxiliary sickbay then? Where Lieutenant Roebuck is located? Then they can at least get medical care from the EMH.” He asked.

“Yes, we can.” Lambert replied.

“Can you beam them, including Ensign Conroy, she can help the EMH stabilise the team’s.” Sarah looked to Ensign th'Iroth with a sombre, thankful look on her face.

“Affirmative. Energising now. Anything else Ensign?” Jacob asked the Andorian.

“Actually, yes. I have an idea on how we can take the bridge back. But I will need your help. I am sending through the plan we put in place from Lieutenant Roebuck, with some minor changes.” While he waited for a response, he showed her Ensign Jane his PADD with the updated plan on, the one he had just sent to Lambert.

“Interesting. That shouldn't be a problem. I will get it done. Lambert out.” The channel closed abruptly.

He looked to Ensign Jane. “Are you ready for this?” She nodded. Let's do this, he thought to himself. He looked to the rest of the team. “Phasers ready.” He knew what was coming. The transported took hold once more.

---

They materialised in the hall from the conference room to the back right of the bridge. Well three of them did. The other two were beamed to the turbolift at the back left of the bridge. th'Iroth double tapped his combadge, which sent team two the signal. A chirp replied, indicating they were ready. He triple tapped the badge, which let the other team know they were going to move in three seconds. They all raised their phaser rifles. Three. Two. One.

They rushed forward, phaser rifles pointed at the hostiles. There was a complication. There were hostages. Four hostages, seated in front of the Conn and ops stations, with two guards, polaron rifle raised at them. The one in the Captain's chair stood up, raising his own rifle, the rescuers were outnumbered two to one, and there were hostages. This was not a good situation.

The leader spoke up. “I wondered how long it would take someone to get on the bridge. There were a few attempts, but they were stopped before they made it past deck two. Well done on that. Now, who wants to die first?”

Ensign th'Iroth went to move forward, but Ensign Jane moved quicker. “Do not hurt them. They aren't even from this ship.”

th'Iroth stepped forward. “Ensign, you have been through enough.” She pushed him. The de facto Captain was beginning to lose patience. “This is insubordination Ensign. Stand down at once.”

“I think I will just kill you both.” The Captain replied. He heard a noise from behind him, before he hit the ground with a thud. Three more of the captors went down. th'Iroth and the two teams took up positions behind the tactical station, and began to fire on the remaining hostiles. They were all down. Some teams wondered what had happened, before the door to the ready room opened.

“Captain Lambert sends his regards.” the lead intelligence officer said to th'Iroth as he smiled and walked toward them. The other members of the teams went to see to the hostages. The three Intel officers were carrying the TR-116 rifles, which were only authorised for use from a Captain rank or higher. “We have other teams that have secured Engineering, and Lieutenant Ra-Havrix has already begun working on the engines and some other minor systems.”

“Excellent.” Ensign th'Iroth replied. It appears the Cassiopeia is officially back under Star Fleet control. He looked towards Ensign Jane. One of the hostages leaned in to her and whispered something in here ear.

She stood up. “Which of you is Crewman Jack Jameson?” Another of the hostages, a crewman, suddenly lunged forward, pushing Sarah back, and grabbing her phaser.

He adjusted the controls, looked to the bridge crew and said, “Pity is treason”. The other three hostages dove behind the conn console, as Crewman Jameson fired three shots in quick succession at the three officers who appeared from the ready room. He eyed up the rest of the people on the bridge. He took aim at Ensign th'Iroth. Jane dove for a polaron rifle and shot him square in the chest. He looked her right in the eyes, and rasped “Pity is trea…” before collapsing to the ground.

th'Iroth looked to the hostages, and raised his phaser. “Can someone tell me what just happened? He was part of this crew, wasn't he?” A few other officers on the bridge had now raised their phasers at the hostages too. One of them stepped forward, slowly, with his arms raised.

“I am Ens… Ens…” She paused, taking a deep breath. “I am Ensign Donna Jeanson, I am the head nurse on the Cassiopeia. He was part of the crew, but he was brought in after the three of us. We were sent to the mess hall on deck two to treat wounded, but they had murdered everyone. They brought us up here, but he wasn't brought in until an hour or so after us.” She stuttered, clearly quite shaken up.

“Maybe they did something to him. And something about pitying treason. Does anybody know what that means?” He asked the group, who all shook their heads. “Computer, are bridge verbal commands functioning?”

“Affirmative. All verbal command functions are online.” The computer responded.

He pulled out a PADD from a pocket, and opened up the command code he had been given by Ensign Jane. “Computer, transfer all command codes to Captain Jacob Lambert, USS Unification. Authorisation Devon-Two-One-Nine-Three-Alpha.”

“Transfer complete. USS Cassiopeia is not under command of Captain Jacob Lambert.”

“Computer, open a channel to the Unification.” The view screen popped to life, showing the bridge of the Unification, while he was tapping the Ops console, bringing up relevant information.

Captain Lambert was standing behind the helm console, reading from a PADD. “Report Ensign.” He asked.

“We have secured the bridge. Reports are coming in from the security teams. There appear to be no more active hostiles on the ship. Some of our teams met up with teams from the Cass, which helped contain the boarder's. Lieutenant Ra-Havrix thinks he can get the engines online within the hour. Using a command code that the XO of the Cass gave us before he died, I have transferred command of the Cassiopeia to you. Also, one of the hostages from the bridge turned on us, and killed Lieutenants Dobbs, Zander and Ensign Rice. We haven't completed our investigation yet into how, or why he attacked.”

Lambert studied the data that was being transmitted to the console he was working on. “This is worrying, if we have to start worrying about our own attacking us.” He tapped once more on the console. “Lieutenant Commander Masterton will be beaming over momentarily to take command of the Cassiopeia. The computer has already been sent instructions. Lieutenant, you have acted diligently during this unprecedented situation. You are to be commended.”

A look of confusion flashed over th'Iroth's face. “Sir, I am only an Ensign.” He replied.

“Not anymore Lieutenant. Once this situation has been put be...nd us, we can star... he… pap....rk…” The channel cut off, as Commander Masterton appeared behind them.

“Ma'am, the signal has been cut off from the Unification. And I am reading the warp engine start up sequence. The Unification is about to jump to warp. And our engines won't be repaired for at least another 40 minutes. We can't match the Unifications speed in this ship.”

She immediately took the command chair and started tapping furiously. “Bridge to Engineering. How long on the engines Lieutenant Ra-Havrix?”

A flustered voice replied, a little out of breath. “I have teams working on the antimatter injectors and the some of the magnetic interlocks. It's a mess down here Commander. We are looking at 50 minutes, minimum.”

“The Unification is about to jump to warp. We don't have 50 minutes. I need all the speed you can give me, as quick as you can.” Commander Masterton snapped.

“I'll do what I can, Ra-Havrix out.” Unlike some engineers, he never argued, he simply got on with it.

“Lieutenant th'Iroth, begin unsealing the quarters. Leave the ones with no life signs sealed. Bridge to all hands. This is Commander Masterton of the USS Unification. We have taken back control of the ship and its vital systems. We are a little short handed in certain areas, and anyone wanted to help is more than welcome to do so. I am aware that you have all been through a lot, and there will be no repercussions if anyone chooses to stay where they are. Please report to your duty stations if you wish to. Masterton out.”

“What do we do now Commander?” He asked.

“Now, we hope to hell that Ra-Havrix can get the engines online before the Unification jumps to warp.”