Star Trek RPG - Mission #7: "The War-Brotherhood of Irkhuit"

[choie]

Squinting as if trying to see the odd noise emanating from the speaker, Kylah straightens and puts her hands on her hips. The Yorktown was able to blare its way through only moments ago--through the ship's shields, and presumably through whatever the Doregg possesses to protect itself. What has changed?

Could the Romulan ship have extended its shields around the Doregg? Regardless, there is little she can do if there is now some external barrier blocking them. A comm panel in a passenger cabin would not have the capability to override the main communications system.

She hears the Doctor's sudden offer and turns to him in amusement at his understated suggestion. But she sobers up and addresses the men. "Would it be safe to leave? There may be no guard, but if you break out of the cabin, is that not adding more of a risk of being perceived as aggressive?"

[general_urko]

Graham grunts at Kylah's question. It's a good one. "Yeah. Yes." He exhales and shakes his head. "But we have an obligation to Yorktown. The last thing I want to do is pick a fight with Major Aval if we can avoid it. But if us sitting in here means this ship or the Romulan ship gets a preventable shot at Yorktown, and god forbid..." He exhales again. "We need to help negotiate from a position of strength, if we can, onboard and in space. And, unfortunately, sitting here ain't that."

[SidonianGal]

Nia half-listens while searching for and finding the medical kit that's home to the little miracle-if-temporary cure that might get her mind back in the game, if not her body. She follows the instructions Bizhi gave her yesterday. Or was it today? Time's begun to have no meaning anymore.

Then she sighs and leans back, the back-and-forth among the others feeling very distant. She can see both points. But this team's been so helpless, had so few options for so long, that she leans more toward the side that involves taking advantage of a choice. Crazy as it is.

A memory of one of her favorite Academy instructors flits forward. An irascible bastard, but lovable, he was one of the most pragmatic, no-bullshit, this-is-what-you-do-when-the-shit-goes-down trainers she ever had. And he taught her the syllogism of every desperate engineer:

1. We must do something.
2. This is something.
3. We must do this.

Logic like this can be a big fat, fatal mistake, or it can pull off a bolt from the blue. That's up to skill and luck. But it's a risk both pilots and engineers--the best ones--learn to take.

Not that it matters what she thinks, but she murmurs: "Here's my assessment, take it for what it's worth. Singh and Vargas can only judge what they see. They arrive here, who knows how but they do.

"They see what was supposed to be a passenger transport vessel now captained by Romulans, with a Romulan ship--at least one--" Nia glances back at the viewport, wishing she could just see what was going on. "--Surrounding the Doregg. With us presumably on board. To them it's a hostile act. Maybe even piracy."

The words take more effort than she's expecting, and she breathes in, the medication turning the air less toxic to her. "So what do they do. They hail the Doregg and the Romulan vessels. Who, being Romulan assholes, probably aren't answering, or are lying.

"No reason they shouldn't tell the truth and make life easier; but they lie like the rest of us breathe. Well. The rest of you breathe." She chuckles, coughs, and continues.

"So here we are. Singh makes threats. Understandable. Totally the wrong move, but she's operating from a misinterpretation. Unless Kylah gets more luck and can talk to the Yorktown, this miscommunication's gonna get worse. If you guys can sneak around and either figure out what's blocking comms or get some sense into the Major, it beats sitting around here hoping Vargas and the Roms don't fuck this up even though, ironically, they're both doing their best."

She leans back against the wall, closing her eyes and inhaling again, trying to take a breath without it turning into a cough. It strikes her that normally she'd've been big use in disabling anything around the ship short of blasting it with a phaser, but she doubts Book'll invite her along. Probably he'll pick Kylah again, which... no. Admittedly the girl can't do much fiddling with the comms from here either, but just, no. Unless they had some weapon around...

Then she opens her eyes again to send her gaze straight at Booker.

"I'm not C.O. anymore, and I don't get a say. But Lt. Graham, respectfully: yank the Doctor from babysitting duty. Rangin's out, I'm not two seconds from death--far as I know. Neither you or Rawlings've got any weapons other than wiles and strength. Which are great and all, but Bizhi's the only one boasting an appendage that doubles as a big powerful tool."

She sends a tilting smile to Booker and Double-T. "No offense, boys." Weary as she is, the wicked, challenging look she aims straight at Book is one she'd've sent him in bed just a month ago: Wanna prove me wrong?

It's so automatic it takes her a second to realize she's doing it. She darts her gaze down to the medikit in her lap. He likely didn't see, so no harm no foul.

But it felt good to forget she'll never look up at him in bed again.

[stolz]

"Oh, I have no doubts you two could bash through it," Bizhi says. "Still, it's metal. What I mean is, I have a few tools. Spare your skulls for another day." Bizhi moves to take a look for likely points of vulnerability: the lock panel and where it meets the bulkhead, any visible access panels on the door itself or nearby; some promising-looking screws or slots or seams, a way to reveal the locking mechanism (bolts? magnets?) and what controls it. Rolling up his sleeve, he treats the others to an unco sight: a few prods in the right places and he is able to roll back a flap of what looks to be normal skin to reveal gleaming metal underneath and open the compartment where resides the electric light they saw deployed back on the Tesla. It was not the only thing in there. Cleverly packed into the artificial part of his forearm are various extendible tools designed primarily for surgery, but which, with a little creativity, can be brought into play here: a flat-edged manipulator that can serve as a screwdriver, clamps that can grab, a cutting tool, probes. The first step will be to get the patient open, then--- perhaps Nia will be able to tell him exactly how to proceed?

"I want our options open," he explains to Kylah. "Access to the Common Room, a path to bolt if we have to. However," addressing Graham, "what are you suggesting?"

[Elendil's Heir]

Rawlings looks with great interest at Dr. Mäkeläinen's artificial arm but says nothing about it. The good doctor finds three possible door-control access panels along the adjoining bulkhead, each roughly rectangular. One is about 20cm long, and the other two are about half as large.

Without warning, the whole ship shudders and you hear a muted thump. It happens again, and then twice more. Graham, Onn and Rawlings recognize it as having the feel and sound of phasers being used against the Uwat ship's shields - but not at full power, Graham thinks, if it's coming from the Yorktown.

[stolz]

Bizhi keeps his balance. He can deal with this level of juddering, but what if the ship loses gravity or inertial dampeners? What if life support is compromised? All the more reason to have a way out of this cabin. He tries to remember the briefing they got on emergency procedures, in particular, where there might be emergency gear that would fit a human.

He looks back at Nia. "All right, I think she will respond to my tool," he deadpans utterly, "but where do I stick it? We have a big panel and two little ones."

[general_urko]

Graham's strong suite isn't subtlety, but he picks up on Nia's double entendre, and...it's funny, and risque, and brilliant, like she is. And it's...a path foreclosed. They'd never "gone all the way" for various reasons during their romantic relationship, but he'd already been thinking of asking her to come to Terra to meet Lizzy. And then - duty called.

Not that he didn't love Marala. How could he not? But...

The doctor's demonstration and the ship's shudder gives him an out from dwelling on it. And from holding Nia's gaze.

"Well I'll be damned," he says, adding a whistle.

"So--yeah, look, Nia, Doc - I want our non-combatants the opportunity to lay low. And if necessary, Rawlings and I will...try to do what's needed, if it comes to that."

He cocks an eyebrow. "Can you set that, uh, arm, to wide-area stun by any chance, Doc?"

[choie]

Knocked into the wall, Kylah remains upright purely thanks to the wall's support. She has no idea what just happened, yet despite her own terror, she gets no sense from the others that anything alarming happened. Normally she would ask Velir for help understanding, which is sadly not an option now. The question nearly leaves her lips when she realizes the others are busy and, if it does not seem urgent to them, she does not wish to distract them just to satisfy her curiosity. So she can only turn back to the comms panel, rubbing her sore shoulder where it hit the wall. Biting her lip in futility, she tries to see if the interference, or whatever that thrumming noise is, has gotten worse.

[SidonianGal]

Nia's equilibrium isn't at 100 or even 60%, but she's on a bunk, so the sudden juddering doesn't cause any harm. It does confuse her, enough to stare at the viewport again even though she's seen nothing there but that light. "What the everloving fuck--who's hitting us? Can't be us," she mutters, referring this time to the Yorktown. "Unless they're trying to break down the shields, but... that's a pretty dangerous way to go. Maybe the Romulans? Like holding a knife to our throat in order to get the Yorktown to back off?"

All of this is nearly subvocal, but she hears Bizhi's question and Book's decision--which she still disagrees with, but knows her mind's also at 60%, if she's being optimistic, so her judgment and strategizing are probably not worth much right now.

But she knows how to answer Bizhi, because it couldn't be easier. "Try any of them. I've no clue how the Uwat use technology, so your guess is as good as mine. Big first, sure, why not. As long as you don't fry anything, merely opening 'em shouldn't hurt--and accessing any panel's to our benefit. Maybe you can find something that'll help with the comms issue?" Nia tosses a look in Kylah's direction, unable to see what she's doing, then returns to the three conscious men. "Getting some message to the ship... that's gotta be a big priority here, right? If they don't understand the situation..."

Ooh. A steady wave of what feels like adrenaline washes over her. Confused, she takes a second to figure out what's going on and then, with her next breath, recognizes it. It's not adrenaline, it's a just... clarity. The air traveling to her lungs feels less like soup and more like, well, air. She closes her eyes and leans back, inhaling. The meds must've started working. Oh mother of us all, thank you.

She opens her eyes to watch how Bizhi uses that arm of his. She'd give a lot to get a close-up view, but even with her clarity she's just gonna get in the way. Some day, if they survive, she'll get to study that thing.

[Elendil's Heir]

Kylah finds that the interference on the comm panel is the same as before.

Dr. Mäkeläinen picks one of the three access panels beside the door - which one? - and sets to work.

Twice more the Doregg is hit.

[stolz]

"Nothing like that, Lieutenant," Mäkeläinen replies to Graham. "No weapons." He has limited space, and his cybernetic modules are currently configured for delicate surgery. He supposes the scalpel or laser could cut someone, but, if that were the goal, a shiv or knife from the galley would do more damage and be more handy. "I must point out that I am also a non-combatant, even though we know the Chalnoth don't see it that way. Did you see any of them during your brief tour, by the way, or any other passengers? There might be a number of innocent people caught up in this mess, running around in a panic or needing help."

The Doctor is hardly familiar with Uwat technology either, but it seems utilitarian, so there should be a simple way to get these panels open, he hopes, and not some bespoke arrangement with hidden sensors. Bracing himself and relying on the servos in his cybernetic limb to keep the tool steady, he starts from whichever panel is closest to the where the door opens [or the middle one, if they are arranged vertically], unscrews any visible screws, tries to probe for a release catch or slot or seam...

[choie]

This time Kylah manages to get to the free bunk before she topples to this new round of jostling. There is no sense in standing, so she remains there, fingers curled around the thin mattress to brace herself for whatever happens next.

The doctor's question about other passengers makes her bristle--not with annoyance, but from the thought of the eerie, insidious silence and empty desolation; cold fingers seem to snake up her spine.

"I saw no one but the Romulans. No sign that anyone even existed on the ship but us. Except for a...stain. We were told it was from a Chalnoth casualty." Her lips tighten for a few seconds, then she looks up at Lt. Graham. "Sir--I did not have the chance to mention this: In the cryo unit area, when I looked at some of the captives, I did see at least one Romulan, confirming the Major's story, and Caitians and a variety of others as expected. But in addition... there was also an Uwat."

Kylah shakes her head. "That I did not expect. Would they capture and freeze one of their own to sell? Do you not find it strange?" She glances at the others to gauge their reaction. "It bothered me. It felt...wrong. All of this is wrong of course, but I mean it did not feel--congruent."

[SidonianGal]

It's anathema for Nia to sit around like this when she's feeling a little better, especially having to watch two people doing the jobs she's supposed to be here for. But damned if she can think of any alternative. Bizhi doesn't need help using that wonder-arm of his, and Booker doesn't need the ex-C.O. second-guessing him--not that she'd do that, anyway.

She holds on while the Doregg gets thumped again. She's changed her guess, and suspects it's the Yorktown trying to crash through their shields without doing damage. Risky or not, once the shields are down, they can get the erstwhile Tesla gang transported over. Easy peasy lemon squeezy, as Ajay says, although she's never been able to figure out what lemons have to do with anything.

Kylah's info about the frozen Uwat down below is curious, but not inexplicable. "Maybe Uwat's got some caste system and that poor bastard fit the bill as 'slave' rather than exalted crewman on board a janky slave ship. Or maybe he's dead and they needed some storage. They froze dead guys on Ollos too. Although why they wouldn't just shoot him out with the jetsam..."

With a sigh, Nia glances at Rangin. His...coma? Concussion? Mental break?...has lasted frighteningly long. She's kinda surprised Kylah's not freaking out about it, but the girl's seen a hold full of frozen captives. Maybe she's prioritizing the frightening things going on. Probably natural enough; what else can she do for him? None of them can.

Still, sympathy for a fellow invalid leads Nia to place a gentle hand on Rangin's arm. He's obviously out cold so she doubts her touch even registers. But it just seems right to somehow, on some level, let him know that wherever he is, he's not actually alone.

[Elendil's Heir]

Dr. Mäkeläinen is able to figure out the relatively-simple door lock mechanism once he removes the largest panel and takes a close look. With his cybernetic limb he touches here, and then there, and the door slides open.

The corridor and common room beyond are oddly quiet.

[stolz]

Dr. Mäkeläinen suggests, "Who said the Uwat, at least the ones operating this ship, have some code of courtesy that would exempt members of their own species from falling victim to their predatory schemes? I've heard of worse, anyroad, just from studying human history. Maybe the blokes in the hold owe them money."

He adds, "We can't simply leave them to their fate. Nor the rest of the passengers. There has to be a way to work with the Romulans on this. Who the hell is firing?"

This was no secure door, as the Chalnoth proved earlier; even so, Mäkeläinen is pleased at being able to disengage the lock reasonably quickly. Synthetic or organic, a mechanism can be understood via its components. Having a few cybernetic parts himself, he is aware there is no sharp line separating man and machine.

He steps back from the now-open door. Are the lights on outside? Even if they are, the machines in the Common Room that dispense food and water may not be connected to emergency power. He looks at Lt. Graham.

[choie]

Well done, sir," Kylah says as she watches the door open, her tense stomach muscles relaxing only slightly. "The Major said they would bring the others to a safe territory, but... you are right, they might not do the same for the Uwat whom they blame for taking their people. That is--that is what I fear about the one I saw in the cyro unit. That the Romulans themselves put them there."

She waits for Lt. Graham to give them his orders, but her concern for getting in touch with the ship overrides that caution. "Doctor, could you please try the other panels?" Kylah glances quickly at Lt. Graham, and even more briefly at Lt. Onn, before returning to the doctor. "I doubt it will help me transmit through the interference--or whatever that noise is--but these passenger comm panels may not allow us to transmit in the first place. I could not, yesterday. There might be some circuitry behind one of those smaller panels I could examine."

[general_urko]

Graham leans out and takes a quick scan of the environs.

"That was impressive, Doc," he says. Then he frowns. "I can't say I have a lot of sympathy for an Uwat the Romulans may be holding accountable for slaving. My priority is to get us one, someplace that the Romulans, ah, don't know where we are. And two find some ways to do something useful to help Yorktown. Or god willing de-escalate."

He gestures to the doctor and Kylah. "Ensign, Doctor, if you think there's a chance we could unlock comms here, take your best shot, but make it quick. Rawlings, get ready to grab Rangin. I want us to relocate ASAP."

He pauses and turns toward Nia. "I uh - I can lend you a hand. If you need it, that is."

[stolz]

Bizhi regards Kylah. "I can pop these panels open, sure. They are simple coverings." He proceeds to do so while adding, "But even if this is connected to the comms system, I don't have anything to reprogram it, or talk directly to computers." He stands aside to let her take a look if she wishes.

"Rawlings and I saw a lot of closed doors during our brief excursion on this deck," he tells Graham, "but I do not ken who or what is in them. Your guess is as good as mine."

[Elendil's Heir]

The lights are on in both the corridor and the common room, as before.

Dr. Mäkeläinen is just opening one of the two smaller panels when you all hear the familiar tingling sound of the transporter effect coming from the common room.

[general_urko]

"Rawlings up front with we," Graham says. As best he can, he gets as able to peek at the common room with some cover as possible. He gestures for Rawlings to stand just behind him.

[choie]

When Kylah hears the familiar sound, she immediately assumes it is the Yorktown's transporter, as she does not know what a Romulan transporter sounds like. Her heart gives a sudden flutter of relief and she relaxes against the wall, hugging herself. On the off chance she is somehow mistaken, she does not express her joy, but she closes her eyes and sighs heavily. It is over.

[Elendil's Heir]

Graham and Rawlings, both on guard, take their positions.

It takes only a few seconds for you to recognize the sound of a Starfleet transporter. Graham can now see, materialized in the common room, Lt. JG Mary Three Crows and Ensigns Josiah F. Russell, Jeanne St. Croix and Yuanhong Li. Each appears wary and has a phaser-2 in hand. Accompanying the four Security officers are Lt. Vielar, the Yorktown's Assistant Chief Engineer, a tall female Skorr, and Dr. Miriam Villa, Chief Medical Officer, a petite, middle-aged American woman with black, spiky hair going to gray.

[stolz]

Dr. Mäkeläinen hears what certainly sounds to him like a Starfleet transporter. He observes Kylah obviously jumping to conclusions, but he refrains from calling out until the security officers decide it is clear.

[general_urko]

"Graham and Rawlings here," Graham says without moving yet. "Our crew is intact although we have two members who need to get to Sickbay urgently. There IS a Romulan Tal Shi'ar team on this ship, but they have not - I emphasize NOT - harmed us or sought a Starfleet confrontation so far. They're here because the Uwats are slavers and took Romulans."

He pauses and adds "We're coming out. And in any event I'd love it if somebody could give me a sitrep and a phaser..."

[stolz]

Bizhi exchanges a look with Nia and Kylah, then gingerly steps out into the corridor to see what is going on. He does not know everyone, but he certainly recognizes his boss, Dr. Villa. She is the one he needs to brief.

[choie]

Kylah cannot see past Lt. Graham--much less Ens. Rawlings--but obviously it is someone from their crew, given the former's request. Whoever arrived must be closer than the transporter sound implied, and now she does not bother hiding her smile. She looks automatically toward Velir, and moves a little closer. I doubt you can hear me. But help is coming, my heart.

Dr. Mäkeläinen catches her eye, and then even takes a step out into the corridor, which surprises her and lifts her spirits even further. With a rising tide of adrenaline, she unconsciously bounces on her toes, as if preparing to race her way to the Yorktown.

[Elendil's Heir]

Three Crows says clearly, "Understood, Lt. Graham. Come out, please." When Graham and Rawlings do, and then Dr. Mäkeläinen and Kylah, she greets you with a big smile. "It's good to see you all. We weren't quite sure what, or who, we would find here." She shakes Graham and then Rawlings by the hand. The other Security officers relax just slightly, and several quietly greet Graham and Rawlings. Ens. Russell unlimbers his tricorder and begins scanning the area.

Dr. Villa says, smiling warmly, "That goes for me, too." She turns to Dr. Mäkeläinen and says, "Hello, Doctor. Who needs medical attention?"

Three Crows says to Graham, "I'll be glad to give you a situation report, sir, but I'm afraid I don't have a spare phaser for you. You're welcome to mine, if you wish. We got Mr. Kylah's coded message, left Cavinre on the double and came looking for you. We found this ship - the Doregg, isn't it? - and a Romulan Bird-of-Prey close by it, practically right on the edge of the Neutral Zone. Lt. Thalen was able to hack into the Doregg's comm system before he was locked out again, for the Captain to issue a warning throughout the ship. The Romulans immediately extended their shields around this ship and didn't respond to hails. After a few minutes, the Romulan ship cloaked and disappeared. The shields of the Doregg went up right then, too, and stayed up. The Captain, unwilling to wait any longer in case you were in danger, decided to knock the shields down by gradually-strengthening phaser fire. When she'd done that, she dropped the Yorktown's shields just long enough to beam us over, in case the Romulan ship is still in the area, watching and waiting for a chance to attack. She ordered us, first, to ensure that you're safe, and second, to secure this vessel. Any questions?" If none, she asks, "How many Romulans are aboard, sir, and how are they armed?"

Lt. Vielar has by now raised her tricorder, too, and is running a scan.

[stolz]

Coded message? That explains how the Yorktown was able to locate them, and why it was looking for them this early in the first place. All welcome events that Dr. Mäkeläinen has been trying to process, never having considered they might be this lucky. The way things were shaping up, they were going to be left to their own devices deep within Romulan space.

"I am glad to see you, Doctor," he says, but wastes no time on unnecessary palaver. "Lieutenant Onn's condition is serious but stable. Bilitrium deprivation exacerbated by stress and other factors, plus we all got hit by an indiscriminate wide-band stun. Lt. Rangin is critical; I've stabilized his vitals but he remains unconscious. If transport is available, I recommend evacuating them both. There's a hold full of people in cryogenic storage. We've been stuck here, so I don't know anything about their condition or that of the rest of the passengers or crew, nor half the Romulans. I am told there were a few deaths."

[general_urko]

"Well goddamn," Graham says, a little choke of emotion rising in his throat.

She might have saved Nia's life.

"I will file the recommendation for a commendation myself, Ens. Kylah," he says with a glance behind him.

He clears his throat. "OK, keep your phaser, I'll bet on talking this out. First priority: as soon as we can, like the doctor says, getting Onn..." he almost sighs. "And Rangin out."

"There's a T'al Shi'ar team on this ship, armed with hand disruptors - at least as we've seen - so far as they've said they were willing to drop us off at a neutral world and my hope is we can make the same offer."

[choie]

Eyes darting to take in the boarding party, Kylah is even glad to see Ens. Russell, with whom she has had... a rocky start. Lt. Graham's words turn her face warm and pink, but less for the commendation notion, since she only did as ordered, than for the radiating relief and emotion she senses from him--evident without empathic abilities, with his glowing eyes and weighted voice. He must be so thrilled to return to his family, she notes with a returned smile. Her pleasure increases with the realization that her own family--Aldaan--acted so swiftly upon receipt of her message.

Turning back to the group of newly arrived officers, she takes in their conversation quickly. "If I may, ma'am--sir--this situation is not as it may appear. The Romulans have done nothing wrong--nothing we would not have done, truly. This was a covert rescue mission for the Romulans' captured and trafficked people. To them, the Yorktown has arrived and attacked a ship they were attempting to protect. I fear our attempt to commandeer a ship over which we have no claim could exacerbate things."

Her apologetic gaze sweeps across the group in some embarrassment. "I do not mean to advocate for Romulans against Starfleet, but..." Kylah lifts her hands, at a loss. "I suppose that is what I am doing. I think it imperative to acknowledge their accomplishment in saving all these people. And possibly us, as well. Opening a parley with gratitude might be more effective than any overt acts of aggression." Kylah nods at Lt. Graham, who justly suggested talking as well. "Imagine if the situations were reversed. If a suddenly appearing Romulan ship battered down the Doregg's defenses and boarded her... would we not assume hostility?"

[general_urko]

Graham nods as Kylah speaks. "Can we get a connection to the Yorktown and can we get ship-wide comms here again? I don't want to make promised I can't keep but I think the right thing to do is offer Major Aval - that's the top Romulan - the same treatment we were offered."

He glances to and from the boarding party and Kylah as he asks this.

[SidonianGal]

Since the entire still-upright members of her crew--her former crew--have left her behind with the unconscious guy, Nia knows she's clearly considered surplus to their requirements. Which, let's face it, she's been once she slammed the shuttle into a hostile planet.

"I'm assuming there's a friendly team on board," she murmurs to Rangin, whose ability to hear her is on par with the rest of the ex-Tesla crew. "No clue who. Mostly Security, I'd imagine." For Rangin's sake, she tries to sound "perky" -- well, not glum, anyway -- on the off chance something's getting through to him. Inside she's angry and almost choking with indignation, not that either emotion is of any use. Or even justified, except aimed at herself. Couldn't one of the team have tossed aside an update on their way out of the cabin? True, there's higher priorities on their minds than keeping their former-CO-turned-invalid-liability informed, but...

Oh shut the fuck up. You're feeling sorry for yourself. Stop it. None of this is their fault. Nia closes her eyes and leans her forehead atop her forearms, then changes position so she can absently rubs her legs. She's still dully cold but not nearly as bad as she's been. She's strong enough to walk. No sense in prolonging this.

She sighs and pushes herself off the bunk. Her scales are still visible on her face and hands--she can feel them--and scratchy beneath the thin one-piece suit that might as well be sheer. Kylah's wearing the same thing, except in black, and also except it fits her smaller frame. Nia's outfit is stretched to its limits, with her significantly longer limbs and torso, and the last vestiges of Nia's dignity are also threatening to tear at the thought of appearing in front of the Yorktown crew in a get-up that would make an Orion Slave Girl blush.

Before she moves to the door, she again clasps Rangin's hand. "I'm heading out there," she tells him. Peeking out, she finally sees the new arrivals. Her eyesight's a little fuzzy but she's able to identify everyone--Vielar is hardly difficult to recognize--and passes their names along to the still apparently dead-to-the-world Xenobiologist. She doesn't know what he can hear, if he can hear, but she'll be damned if she leaves him behind to stew in ignorance.

She turns toward him at the door. "Wherever you are, Rangin, you're still on my team." Fingers gripping the edge of the door and tapping as a kind of salute to him, she steadies herself and heads to the common room.

[Elendil's Heir]

Dr. Villa hears out Dr. Mäkeläinen and her eyes widen. "A hold full of frozen people? Remarkable. Well, let me see your two patients."

Three Crows also listens intently to Graham and Kylah, and nods. She pulls out her communicator and flips open its antenna. "Three Crows to Yorktown."

"Yorktown here." You all recognize Capt. Singh's voice. "Report."

Three Crows says, "The shuttlecraft crew are all here and alive, ma'am, but two are in poor health. We've had no direct contact with any Romulans yet, but they have." She summarizes what she's heard so far and then says, "Here's Mr. Graham; I'm sure he has more to tell you." She passes her communicator to him.

Rangin, of course, does not respond to Onn. Moments later, you all see her emerge from the cabin and come slowly, carefully, down the corridor.