"44" - Part 3

Posted on Wed Feb 8th, 2023 @ 3:15am by Captain Samuel Woolheater & Lieutenant Colonel Azhul Naxea & Captain David Tonelly [Reece] & 2nd Lieutenant Slarth [Reece]

Mission: Season 6 : Episode 1: Circinus
Location: DECKS 37 - 34
Timeline: MD03 - 0700
2730 words - 5.5 OF Standard Post Measure

[ON: DECK 36 – SQUADRON BRIEFING ROOM]


Up the airy mountain,
Down the rushy glen,
We daren’t go a-hunting
For fear of little men;
-William Allingham “The Faeries”



The door to the pilot’s briefing room was opened. Flashlights from marine combat armor, like search beams on a foggy night, sent their shafts of light into the darkness. Eight marines and five civilians stepped into the room. Sam Woolheater, his tricorder scanning looked around the room. It was a mess. The tactical display on one wall was shattered. Chairs lay in a heap at one end. And the desks and other debris were at the other.

“Through there…” one of the crew pointed to a single door on one wall of the briefing room. “Good job” Sam said. They approached the door. On the panel was written “COMMUNICATIONS”. They had the door open in a few tries and Sam stepped inside to the communications bay.

“Aww fuck yeah! Let’s get this online and see if we can’t get COMMS back online?”

As two marines carried emergency power and a portable diagnostics terminal and hooked it up. Sam looked at one of the five survivors. “This is good. Real good. The equipment doesn’t appear to be damaged in any way. We’ll have you out of here in no time” Sam said trying to reassure the crew.

“Power’s on Cap!” one said. And sure enough, the system came online and started. Immediately, they could hear COMM traffic from all over the ship. It was hard to suppress a smile and a relief to hear that there were many alive. “Can we talk to the rest of the ship now?” Sam asked.

The marine IT tech said, “Yes sir. This is a full comm suite. And all systems are online. Sam smiled and tapped his comm on his armor,

=A= This is Captain Woolheater on deck thirty-six. Can anyone hear me? Please respond? =A=

In her quarters, Slarth heard the sudden explosion of sound from her comm badge, caused the diminutive female Ferengi to jump. Scurrying over to her end table, she picked up the device and tapped it. She smiled a broad, toothy grin when she was rewarded with a welcome chirp of connection. "Sir! I hear you!! This is Second Lieutenant Slarth, call sign Tink!"

Sam was relieved to hear another survivor's voice. Woolheater looked to another marine who had a copy of the ship's manifest. Before answering, the marine read from the file, "Second Lieutenant Slarth. Callsign is 'Tink'. Valkyrie Space Superiority Fighter Tactical Systems Operator." Sam nodded.

=A= We copy you loud and clear Lieutenant. Glad to hear your voice too. We just got the comm system up. What is your status and location? =A=

Tink smiled a grin of relief. They weren't the only ones left on the ship! "I'm in the pilot's locker room. I've got ten other flight crew with me in here."

Sam opened up their tricorder maps and found the locker room, "Deck thirty-five!" Tapping his comm badge on his armor Sam replied, =A= Lieutenant Slarth? We are on our way. Stay where you are. We will be there....in fifteen minutes. =A=

Tink's disembodied voice sounded from his commbadge. "Understood, Sir. We aren't going anywhere."

Suddenly, the COMM system seemingly crackled to life. All over the ship people were suddenly able to communicate again. No longer were they limited to just the marine frequency band; the flight control comm system must have linked to the shuttles that were deployed and managing the comm traffic. None of the marines Woolheater brought knew how to run a COMM board. But, should any be found, between what was done in Bay One and on the shuttles, the COMM system was back online - at least for the moment.

And when the COMM came back, so did internal cameras. External cameras were also back. And a marine shouted the discovery to everyone, "We...I have live camera feeds again!" He looked to Woolheater and Sam came alongside, "Looks like you earned your keep here today Corporal?" "Not me sir, it just started working. Maybe when we got communications back?"

"Lieutenant Slarth, report to the communications bay on the flight bay ASAP." Sam said, "Let's see if we can find the bosses?"

Now Tink grimaced as she replied. "Would love to, Sir. Unfortunately the bulkhead collapsed in the corridor, trapping us in here. We can't get out."

=A= Copy. On our way. Five minutes. Are any of the other ten survivors injured? =A=

"Two broken legs, a busted collarbone and concussion. Everyone else seems to be okay, generally speaking." Tink replied quickly.

=A= Captain Woolheater to Colonel Azhul or Captain Tonelly? Please respond? =A=

In Sickbay, Naxea opened her eyes from the drifting sleep that had claimed her, shocked by the sudden voice of one of her platoon leaders contacting her as she sat up straighter in the reclining chair. " This is Colonel Azhul. How are you fairing, Captain?"

As soon as they heard the Colonel's voice, a cheer went up. A noisy, raucous cheer from the seven marines in the room. And as her voice carried over the marine comm band, from all over the ship.

"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOuuuuuuurrraahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!" And Captain Woolheater smiled and there was no stopping it. When it was over he said over the din of relief and joy that the Colonel was alive, Sam said,

=A= It is good. Very, very good to hear your voice again Colonel! We have been unable to reach anybody except if they were on the backup marine band of the COMM system. Our SITREP is this. Deck thirty-two is online and functional. It is, remarkably intact. Medical bay is at capacity and we are moving throughout the ship to SAR as many injured as we can. I have taken command of the Company to coordinate and preserve the chain. I am with the first platoon on deck thirty-six. We are recovering and aiding as many marine pilots as we can and bringing them to deck thirty-two for further orders. We have made contact with the main bridge and the battle bridge. Captain Taylor is in command. Something has happened, an injury of some kind, to Commodore Richardson. We have not seen the XO but I made contact with him an hour ago. His instructions to me were to keep doing what I am doing. We were unsuccessful in getting to Engineering but later heard that they were working on our many issues. What are your orders Colonel? =A=

Naxea took a moment to reply. She was proud of Captain Woolheater taking charge of the Detachment under such trying circumstances with the loss of the chain of command. "I am currently in Main Sickbay as the circumstances caused me to have an unscheduled delivery. Keep doing what you have been doing and coordinate with Security when able to help rescue others."

=A= Yes Colonel, I understand. And congratulations on the new addition to your family. We found at least 15 pilots and flight crew so far. Continuing our hunt up the mountain and down the glen. We'll take care of it. =A=

Then, another familiar voice piped in. "Colonel! Sam! Tonelly here! I'm so glad to hear your voices! Baeryn and I are near main sickbay. As soon as she is settled, and we both know that our unborn child is healthy, I'll get down to Marine Country. Sam, I share the Colonel's feelings. You are doing an excellent job down there, under extraordinary circumstances. Keep it up, Captain!" He then paused and added, "Colonel, before I head down, I'll come find you so we can talk."

"Acknowledged, Captain. Glad you are alright," Naxea replied.

Woolheater heard their words and they did help his spirits. Command was a burden. Life was so much simpler when he could be just a sniper. =A= Thank you both Colonel and Captain. Just...doing my job. Keeping the chair warm until you get back. We can't wait to see you all soon. Until then, orders understood. Continue to SAR and reconnoiter to Marine Country. Godspeed to us all. Woolheater out =A=


DECK THIRTY-FOUR - PILOT'S LOCKER ROOM

There was the sound of voices, the sound of knocking on doors and other voices. The sound of doors manually being unlocked and opened. Then, there was a pounding on the door just outside the pilot's locker room.

"HEY!! HEEYYYY!!! ANYBODY IN THERE?!" someone shouted. Using the combat tricorder was so...overrated.

Inside, Tink and the rest of the survivors shouted out in excitement. "YES!! WE'RE HERE!!"

The jammed door was unlocked and then pried open. Beams of light from marine armor streamed through and then the door parted and opened fully. Two marines stepped inside and looked at the survivors seeing if there were any serious injuries. None were life threatening and everyone could walk. The marine private first class said, "We're here to get you out. You are not forgotten. We're not under attack, but the ship is damaged. There is medical care, doctors and food and water in marine country. That's where we're headed. Who among you is Lieutenant Slarth?"

A diminutive Ferengi woman stepped forward. She was wearing her pilot's uniform and held her flight helmet in her right hand. "That's me. You can just call me Tink."

The marine said, "You're a pilot!" with a resounding note of surprise and happiness.

"We need you! The whole damn ship needs you! Hanna?!" he whistled as he called to a fellow marine, "Slarth here is a damn pilot! Whew! Jackpot baby!
Run 'Tink' down to the Cap?" Hanna took a look and nodded, "If you follow me Lieutenant?"

The first marine returned his attention to the survivors. "Anybody else a pilot? anybody that knows how to fly?"

The rest of the survivors all shook their heads no. There were mechanics and armorers, not pilots.


BACK ON DECK THIRTY-SIX

Captain Woolheater said to Tink, "Lieutenant? 'Tink', we need you. Ship is in a bad way. From the looks of things down here I don't think much is working. But you're the expert. We need to get the rest of the survivors off...the total now is..." he looked at his PaDD, "....forty-four. We need to get forty-four persons off and out of this area and into an emergency shelter. Can you fly....can any of these craft fly? Can we launch anything?"

A she listened, Tink started to do some quick visual inspections of the flight deck and the craft that were there. After a nearly twenty minute search, she came back to the Captain and reported. "Sir, things are pretty dire. We've only got one troop shuttle and three starfighters that look to be in one piece. The rest, my fighter included, are all scrap now. As for launching what we do have? The automated launchers are all fried. As are most of the bay door mechanisms. I think we can get one door opened manually, but then it would stay open until we get everything repaired. The birds we do have, if they are still whole inside, would need to be flown out manually." She sighed heavily. "A tricky feat with a clear deck, which we do not have. It's doable, but it'll take time, Sir."

Sam took the news head on, after a moment he said, "This doesn't all fall on you Tink. The rest of the survivors we found...its nothing short of a miracle you lot survived, They're mostly engineers and support teams. But, you and those survivors are the best hope we have right now of getting these craft in service. We need every fighter, every transport that can fly to be salvaged."

Sam looked out across the destroyed flight hangar bay. "Lieutenant? Either we do this...or we go back to marine country. Our mission was to get anyone left alive and bring them home. Transporters from ship to ship are working. We can beam you all out of here and then to marine country. And there would be no shame in that. Not after what you all have been through."

He looked over at her, "But, if we can get these fighters out of here and that troop transport then we have done more than was asked of us. And that is not such a bad thing either. Let's show this crew that the Fighting Tigers aren't licked yet. When Tigers and Spartans come together, we can do anything. And more. Can you help me Tink? Help me save as many crew as we can?"

The small Ferengi grinned as she replied. "Rule of Aquisition, number three hundred one, A fighter pilot who can't fly, is just a groundpounder." She nodded and continued. "We'll get these birds flying, Sir. Don't you worry about that."

When Sam turned to face her, his combat armor had a gap where the inner lining of the suit met the soldiers body. In this case, it was Sam's upper chest. There in a pouch on the upper chest, gleamed the unmistakable glint of marine dog tags. There were, in fact, eleven of them. He was keeping them close to his heart, in a place that was as safe as he could afford with his body armor. Sam caught her eye and gave her a knowing look. But didn't say anything.

Sam nodded at her reply. 'Tink' was a marine and her word meant something. It meant that the person who gave their word could be counted on. She wore the uniform; she was as good as it gets. Samuel nodded, "Very good Lieutenant. Forty-four souls and hundreds of others counting on getting out of here and to safety. Klingons aren't the only ones who have songs to sing or heroes to rally near. The hero is one who kindles a great light in the world, who sets up blazing torches in the dark for all to see by. Let me help you and let's keep our people safe.

One more thing?" He said, "Those dog tags you saw? Eleven. On my watch. No more today Elysium has bled enough this day. OK Lieutenant? No more today."

Tink nodded in understanding. "No more today," she echoed. They then got to work, salvaging and repairing what they could.

Nearly six hours later, they had one launch tube cleared and ready for use. As the systems were still down, any launches would have to be manual. Along with the tube, they managed to get three starfighters and two troop landers operational as well. Taking the lead, Tink climbed into Raptor three-six-nine. The starfighter that she and George used was smashed and usable only as scrap now.

Carefully, she piloted the repaired Raptor out of the ship and then waited for the rest of the crafts to launch as well. The group of survivors and ground pounders were all loaded in the various shuttles and starfighters. Once everyone was launched, Tink led them up and around to the Elysium's main shuttle bay, where space had been cleared for them to land and properly refuel and repair and damages.

As she was the senior Marine pilot on scene, Tink took command of the ship's starfighter group. At least until she was relieved by Jessica or Captain Taylor. Once her fighter was ready, she started an orbiting patrol around the ship. She laid our orders that, as they only had three starfighters available, they would each take an eight hour patrol shift. While each fighter was patrolling, the rest of the surviving members of the Flying Tigers would help to do whatever repairs needed to be done.

Seeing that their work here was done and proud the way everyone pulled together, Sam took a final look at the disaster wreckage that was this area. He went up to deck thirty-four, where, from this side of the bulk-head. they were able to manually open the sealed bulkhead. Luckily, there were no more dead. The job was done. And what was left of the fighter wing was airborne.

"Move it out! Back to marine country!" he called as the last of them departed the launch bay.


[OFF:]