***Backdated Post***Ten Percent Survival ( miraj gets to be scapegoat #1

Posted on Sat Mar 11th, 2023 @ 11:16am by Lieutenant JG Nerinath zh'Rhilror [Lalor] & Captain Gary Taylor & Lieutenant JG Miraj Derani & Lieutenant JG Jason Danvers [Taylor]

Mission: Season 6: Episode 2: Survival
Location: MD 04 0700
1604 words - 3.2 OF Standard Post Measure

The remaining flight crew gathered to hear Miraj's breifing. There was so few left. Just six officers, not including her, and less than fifteen deck crew. So many dead. Now manybe twenty faces looked at her, looking as drained, emotionally and physically, as she felt.

Miraj wobbled on her feet slightly, and gripped the padd like it could hold her up. She'd ben awake just over twenty eight hours. Just a few more things to do, and then she was going to go beg a doctor for some stimulants or permission to crash out for a few hours. just a few more things starting with this.

"Um I've got some news. Its not very good." She said. "Lieutenant Adrian Hallows died half an hour ago. Radiation poisoning from one of the fusion generators took out most of the quarters around him too."

Eric silently ground his teeth together as Miraj gave the surviving officers and deck crew the news about Lt. Hallows. *Another one dead because of your arrogance! * He silently railed at Miraj but outwardly his face was calm. "Damn. that's tough." He muttered lowly.

Miraj nodded, words failing her. "It means that, apart from one or two of the enlisted, this is it." She gestured at the people around her, maybe one tenth of her department. "This is all of us left in flight control."

Eric's anger at Miraj rose as she talked. But he kept his anger to himself for now. Now, he simply nodded and said. "We have our work cut out for us."

Anish, sitting across from him shot Eric a questioning frown. What was he playing at. Why was he sucking up to idiot child?

"so, we're pretty much on taxi duty as the transporters are out. We'll be drafting as many people as we can to help, but we're pretty much going to be on call twenty-four-seven taking people back and forth. First evacuating people, then moving repair crews in and out. Someone will also need to baby sit the battle bridge, as that's currently main conn. though it won't be interesting, jut maintaining orbit."

Eric caught Anish's questioning look and winked at him. He knew what he was doing. "I'll man the battle bridge unless you want me somewhere else Ensign." He offered.

Neri who had been sitting at the back narrowed her eyes as Eric sucked up. She was not stupid, she kept herself above the bitchiness in the department but it didn't mean she was blind to it. "We should rotate it" she suggested.

Eric turned his head and looked back at Neri and scowled at her suggestion. But made no comment at least not a verbal one. Mentally, he filed her comment away for future reference...if needed.

The Andorian raised a pale eyebrow. She kept her gaze on his and she didn't flinch. She knew what he thought of others outside his little clique. And then because he glared at her she said "Rotation is best because you don't get stuck in your head. We have all gone through this situation, and we should all make sure that we are at the top of our game"

Eric's eyes never left Neri as he said the next. "Maybe some of us need that boost of confidence more than others." He finished and then winked at her before turning around to face Miraj.

Confidence? She outranked the pissant and she was about to bring down that on his head when she considered it. "Hence your request to be on the battle bridge! Oh I am so sorry I missed the fact that you have not had a lot of bridge time, Yes Miraj give him the time to build up his confidence. After all, Practice Makes Perfect right?"

Eric smiled sweetly at her. "Oh, he rapier wit of Neri. Too bad your piloting skills aren't as sharp as your tongue." He practically purred at her.

Neri was counting in her head and then she stood up and walked over to him "Ensign, If I were you, which by the way, I am glad I am not, I would keep my mouth shut, before I write you up for disrespecting a superior Officer. You know there's a reason why you never get bridge shift. The command team dislike snarky ensigns with delusions of grandeur." The andorian straightened up and looked at Miraj. "Keep going Miraj."

Eric opened his mouth, thought better and closed it. He couldn't carry out his plans if he got written up or removed from flight control. Just like Neri to come to the aid of their bubble headed boss. She probably brought home stray cats as well. He thought sourly.

Miraj looked between them, not sure what to say. In the end she just ploughed ahead, not adressing either of them. "Yes, we're going to rorate the bridge. There's also not enough of us to do all the ferrying, so we'll need to borrow people from other department. At least another fifty to cover all the ships and all the shifts." They needed so many people. They'd lost so many people. How was she going to be ablet oface all their families. Ninety percent of her department were gone. Everythign around her faded away as she tried to count all the names that were killed or missing. nearly two hundred of them. So many.

Neri nodded. "There are a few in Operations who are flight control trained, and I believe science has a few as well. We had Samaire helping from Ops during the evac." She noted Miraj's look and added "That said, we should also be making sure we are taking time to see counselors." now she shot a glower at Eric "Some of us need to."

By way of response, Eric smirked and blew her a kiss.

"Yes, we all need showers, Miraj said absently, having utterly misheard what Neri had said, still trying to work her way through the list of the unaccounted. "I don't think we'll be getting them any time soon. There's not enough of us for three shifts, so its going to be 12 hours on, 12 hours off for the foreseeable."

"Miraj" Neri said gently. "Counselors. We need to do that as well"

"Counselors?" Miraj replied the last moments of conversation and realized her error. The embarrassment hurt more than any of the bruise that had bloomed from their flight across the universe. "er yes. yes of course"

Anish scrubbed a hand over his forehead, rubbing his thumb into the crevice. His ridges itched with the stupidity around him. His so called superior officer was a moron two years his junior. How was this his life? "Let me get this straight. We're dead in space, 13 million light years from home - which is your fault, and we have to see the counselors." He raised a sarcastic eyebrow at both of them. "Don't you think we have bigger priorities right now? Like getting helm back up, and dealing with our fucking dead?"

Miraj paled a bit. Neri was right. Anish was right. She didn't know what to do.

Neri however had no compunction of tearing the smart arse to pieces. "And if your mental state is compromised how will you handle doing your job? You know this is standard procedure. The Commodore expects it. While we have to continue to do our jobs, we all need to make sure we are at the top of our game. And that means self care as well." She narrowed her gaze at the ensigns. "This is not the time to be blaming people. None of us were on the bridge, none of us had to handle the Elysium in such a state. Even the former chief crashed the Elysium into another galaxy, so I suggest you all keep your comments in your heads."

"Last time, Shar bargained us a way home. I don't know if you noticed, but that icecube down there doesn't have anyone on it to bargain with. And unless you've got a magic ring to rub, I don't see us finding anyone to hitch a lift with anytime soon. So forgive me if I'm a little salty" he sneered. "And you can say its not the time for blaming, but we all know its true."

The andorian's temper bubbled but she shoved it down. "Like you could do better" she retorted. "Until you go through the same thing, then you have no right to comment."

"That's such bullshit." Anish shook his head. "And-"

"Please, don't fight," Miraj said, "Like you said, there's bigger priorities."

Neri nodded and looked at Miraj. "Sorry Boss."

Eric looked at Neri but said nothing, but he was thinking, *Neri, you are just a suck up. I guess that's one way to buck for a promotion. Kiss ass.*

"Please!" Miraj tried again, taking a deep breath to top herelf form losing it completely. "We can't be fighting now. I'm sorry for everything that's happened, but there's not enough of us left to fight like this. We have to work together, and with everyone else if we want to get home."

Eric chuckled silently. their bubble headed 'boss' was following apart. Her downfall spiral had started. He decided to offer help to keep her confused. "Ensign Derani is right, we need to pull together get our ship repaired."

Miraj gave him a grateful look, "Thank you. Now I've set rotations and assigned ships for all the taxing back and forth we have to do, they're in your inboxes. Lets just get through the next few weeks. We can all do that, I'm sure."

OFF