Plot Log | "Dutiful Memory" | CO, XO, CSFI | Capt Neyes, Cmdr Ivanova

Posted on Wed Sep 11th, 2013 @ 5:38am by Captain Landon Neyes & Admiral Rochelle Ivanova
Edited on on Fri Sep 13th, 2013 @ 7:32pm

969 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Memorias Rotundum
Location: Bridge

=/\= USS Vindicator Bridge =/\=

"Bring us into normal space."

The ship rattled a little as they began to drop speed.

"Slowly, please. I don't think our intertial dampeners can handle anything more."

A blue conduit of energy pulsed from space just outside Earth's safety zone, a couple billion kilometers from the Starbase housed in orbit. The energy held steady as the metallic hulk of the USS Vindicator shot forth into the back and starry expanse, still roaring with speed, and still glowing blue from their travel in slipstream. Just off the port bow, Uranus loomed still and silent.

The Vindicator had dropped from Slipstream and was once again in the once-relative safety of the Sol system. Neyes himself hadn't spent more than the usual required amount of time of Earth, and so held no real attachment to it, but the looks on the faces of the crew once they witnessed the destruction for themselves was striking. The attacks had hit home, literally, and a resonating drag pulled on the crew of the massive ship as they crawled through the system. The orbital defense system was annihilated to even the most basic level. Debris from starships glittered across the area on scanners, a testament to the shear devastation the system had witnessed. It seemed no colony or vessel had been entirely unscathed, as a odd hush had fallen over the sector.

"This is... Ugly." Neyes said quietly to Ivanova.

Never one to white knuckle anything, the stoic little redhead merely lifted an eyebrow at the carnage strewn out before them -- the ending results of war and strife. Lady luck had shown them favor, stroked and soothed their worried cheeks and the lullaby she'd crooned to them had been one of faith and tenderness. They'd escaped with their lives and relatively unharmed... At least when compared to what they now were faced with, "Understatement of the year." She murmured, shifting her gaze to the Captain.

"Recovery ships are everywhere. It looks like most of the major damage has already been tended to. Let's see what we can do on our way into the system."
"Agreed," Rochelle nodded, briefly as she once more turned her attention to the impromptu bone yard.

Much to Landon's surprise, the attack had come and gone without their having seen a moment of combat. Ships had called for help, and the help had already come en-mass to assist the ships who had managed to survive or avoid the conflict.

"Stand down Red Alert." Neyes said, looking over his controls for anything nearby. He immediately spotted a ship that was disabled, but in no immediate danger. Their systems had been knocked out by the initial Cardassian assault, and no serious damage to the primary essentials was evident.

"Bring us along side them." The odd air on the bridge was grossly apparent. Landon could practically feel the shock, especially in the human crew members.

The Helm's officer chirped their compliance as the big ship found her way through the destruction. Rochelle's chin lifted and her jaw set, her weight shifted, imperceptibly, heavier onto her right foot. Her comfort level had dropped into the lowest level possible. It was far too much like what had happened to the Whydah, but at least in this case they had a who and an inkling as to a why.

"Don't get your hopes up for too many survivors, Captain."

"If I stopped believing people would survive things like this, I would have had to quit Starfleet right at the start." Neyes' features saddened a little as his scans of the ship came back. He looked up to the ops station. "Anything?" His voice defiantly hopeful.

"No sir." The man at operations replied calmly, as if letting the Captain down easy.

Neyes leaned back a little further in his chair. They had arrived too late to aid in any real capacity. Their weapons and armor had been squandered in an effort to fight a battle they shouldn't have seen in the first place. Landon wanted to get angry, to chase someone down and make them pay for the lives lost becuase the Vindicator couldn't be in the Sol system quickly enough. He knew, though, no one alive was at fault and he had no one to punish for the senseless deaths of that ship's crew. He would have to find some other way to aleviate his guilt and fury, a healthier way.

"No point in going over then, I suppose. Stand down the away teams and beam the crew's bodies to the morgue. We'll take them home."

The ops officer nodded in response before the familiar chime of the active transporter controls could be heard.

"It's the least we can do." Neyes said quietly. "How long until we can be at Starbase 001?"

The helm officer check his panel, "just over four hours. There's a lot of rescue operations and no fly zones in the system, Captain. It's going to be a slow ride in."

Ops quickly added to the report, "Sir, it looks like Earth is trying to hail us. They must have detected us coming into the system... It's Captain Ascari. It says he's the acting chief of Starfleet Intelligence."

It was all he could do to keep from rolling his eyes in irritated dismay. "Ah. Have it put through to my ready-room."

Landon stood up. "Take us in, and tell Engineering to prepare the list of resources they'll need to begin patching us up. We're fit enough to conduct self-repair, at least more so than half the ships we've seen waiting for docking clearance. I'll be in my ready room."

He paused a moment, "Neyes to Mr. Larel. Please report to me at your earliest convenience."

=/\= END LOG =/\=

Captain Landon Neyes
Commanding Officer
USS VINDICATOR

Commander Rochelle Ivanova
Executive Officer
USS VINDICATOR

 

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