| Author | Message | ||
     Captain Jarod Bentall |
((With apologies to Ross and Santi for borrowing their sim lines from this past Monday's sim.  )) Jarod sat in his command chair. They were waiting again. Always waiting to be called in. Unbeknownst to Jarod however was standing orders for Blackrazor to be on standby until needed. As that time neared there would be no more orders for Blackrazor to enter the fray as the cavalry. Jarod was getting annoyed, as was his crew, just sitting there, waiting. “Captain, we’re being hailed.” Came Lt. Embry’s voice from his position at tactical. “On screen Lieutenant.” Jarod ordered. A second later the face of Admiral Brain Aldur appeared on the view screen. “Captain.” He said by way of greetings. “Admiral. Please tell me we’re being given the go ahead to get in there?” Jarod asked with an edge to his voice. Aldur frowned. “Not yet Jarod. I know you want in there but I have something more pressing for you. I need you to send one of your shuttle pods to the coordinates I’ve forwarded to your Tactical officer. Once there the pod is to rendezvous with Redeemer and pick up Doctor Kennedy and her charge. Once they are aboard you are to move into a non-combat support position until Redeemer has completed her mission. Regardless as to the success of her mission you are to get Doctor Kennedy and her charge back to Reorsa best speed.” Jarod knew without having to ask who the Doctor’s charge was most likely to be. All anger and confusion over the situation left him and was replaced with concern. “Understood Admiral. We’ll get on this now.” Aldur nodded. “I don’t need to tell you how important it is that you succeed in this Jarod. You know what we will loose if you fail.” Jarod nodded. “All too well Admiral.” “Good. Get to it. Aldur out.” The screen went dark and Jarod sat there in silence for a moment. “Get that pod going Mr. Embry.” “Aye Captain.” Came the simple response from the tactical officer. Forty minutes later Doctor Kennedy entered the bridge and nodded a greeting to Jarod. “Captain.” Jarod returned the nod. “Doctor. I assume our guest is secured?” Kennedy nodded. “I need to monitor the Admiral from here and I don’t need any interruptions.” Ordinarily being told that by anyone, especially someone not a member of his crew would have set Jarod to a simmering rage but under the circumstances he was inclined to let it go. “Bridge is yours Doctor.” Jarod sat there and allowed the Doctor to do what she needed to do. Kennedy opened a channel to Redeemer and Jarod listened as she began talking to the Admiral via the open channel. “I see you've found the ordicaine.” There was no response so she tried again “Admiral Lora, it's Kennedy. There's a vial in the pack marked hydrogen campinate. It will help your memory.” Again there was no response. Jarod frowned wondering if the mission would end up being a failure after all. “Admiral, please respond.” Ordered the Doctor. Finally a reply came back from Redeemer “Redeemer. Major Lora here. Go ahead.” Jarod was taken aback. Major? Then he realized that Tebrun had reverted to who he was before he had been joined. A marine at the rank of Major. Frowning as he listened to the final words of his mentor, commanding officer and most importantly his friend he simply sat in silence and listened. “Admiral, Major, there's a vial in the pack you’re carrying, hydrogen campinate. Inject yourself with it now.” Ordered Kennedy “What does it do, Doctor?” asked Tebrun “It'll help your memory.” Tebrun laughed, though it sounded forced “Doctor, there's nothing wrong with my memory, other than it's in a little jar on that ship. A shot isn't going to help.” “You referred to yourself as Major. Yes it will help.” Responded the Doctor. “I am a Major.” A pause, then “I was a Major. Until Kor came along, Doctor, I was a Marine. And I am again.” Jarod heard the Doctor sigh. “Very well, Major. I order you to inject yourself.” She waited for a reply. When she didn’t get one immediately she added, “It'll help clear your mind, as well. Something I'm sure you will appreciate in your current situation.” Tebrun's reply came back quickly this time “Not funny, Doctor. “I don't believe I've made a joke in the last seven years, ... Major.” Jarod sat there listening, wanting to be on Redeemer in his friends place. Knowing this was not possible he began to wish he were not listening to the conversation. His thoughts were broken again by Tebrun’s response to the Doctor. “Then you haven't made one today, either.“ “Very sharp.” Stated Kennedy very simply. Then she asked, “How do you feel?” “Groggy.” Was the reply, followed by a short pause “My reaction time isn't the greatest, but it'll do. Preparing to engage soliton wave drive now.” “The campinate will help with that. It will take a few minutes to fully come into effect.” “Understood. Thank you. Tell my escort that I'm moving in and I'd appreciate a few friends along.” Ordered Tebrun in what would be his last order to any officer that served under him. Kennedy simply looked at Jarod, who nodded, to relay the message and replied, “Message received and understood.” Jarod spoke after what seemed like an eternity. “Helm get us into position now!” Seconds later Blackrazor made a brief transwarp jump forward into her predestinated support position. Jarod looked back at Kennedy who had the channel still open to communicate with Tebrun. Over the open channel came Tebrun’s words came in slightly delayed. “Redeemer in,” a pause then “final position and the anomaly is confirmed open” another pause “I'm moving in. The Doctor spoke again “I'm still monitoring you, sir.” Tebrun didn’t reply as he spoke the last words anyone who knew him would ever heard again. “Beginning my run. I could use some cover, Marines! I-- what the Hell? Who—“ Jarod started as a burst of static emitted from the open comm. channel, he exchanged looks with Kennedy. Kennedy looked at Lieutenant Embry and shouted “Sensor scan! Get me a full scan of the Admiral's ship! Now now now!” Embry didn’t argue and did as ordered while the Doctor made an attempt to re-establish contact with Tebrun. “Razor to Redeemer. Come in, please.” Her request was greeted with silence. She turned to look at Embry again “Where are those scan results? Come on!” Lieutenant Embry wasn’t sure what the big deal was with the reactions by this Doctor and his Captain but he had heard rumours about this Admiral LoraKor and wasn’t about to start questioning things now. His eyes widened as the scans started coming back to him. He looked up at Kennedy “Someone's in there with him! I'm reading two life-signs!” The Doctor’s reaction to that was a simple “What the holy hell?” Jarod was stunned into silence just as he had about to say something. “Can we get more detailed scans? Who's in there?” asked Kennedy Embry tried hard to get more details; finally he pounded his board in frustration. “I can't pin it down! I don't know what it is, but it isn't humanoid!” The doctor’s next word broke Jarod out of his thoughts “Let's get in close enough to stage an emergency beamout. We can get the Admiral and leave the non-humanoid for further investigation.” As Jarod was about to counter those orders knowing how useless they were Embry beat him to it. “Doctor, that's impossible! We can't use transporters without sensors. And we sure as hell can't get in that close!” Giving him an exasperated look the Doctor said “Well, then, what do *you* suggest?” Jarod’s eye was caught by something on the viewer. “Look!” he shouted interrupting the discussion between Embry and the Doctor. On the viewer a flare of light appeared inside the tear. Jarod was flooded with emotions. That was it? A great man’s life ended by a simple flare of light? To Jarod, no, to everyone who knew the man and was paying witness to the event it was surprisingly anti-climactic. Kennedy looked away from the viewer and at the information from Embry’s scans and stated quite simply “Too late now anyway.” Embry could sense the sadness coming from Kennedy and even from his own Captain. He nodded slowly. “I'm... sorry, Doctor. But it was the plan.” Jarod ignored all that was going on and watched as the tear began collapsing in on itself. A brief flare appeared again before it vanished entirely, taking his friend with it. Silence on the bridge of Blackrazor reigned for a couple of minutes before Kennedy spoke again “The plan? For a non-humanoid life form to appear in that ship? You'll have to explain that to me someday.” Embry didn’t know how to reply so he let his hands fall to his side and laughed weakly. “I... I can't. But I've got the sensor logs, if you want to look at them.” Kennedy turned to leave the bridge and return to her charge in the small sickbay but she paused momentarily at the entrance to the bridge and simply stated “I already have.” Before leaving. Jarod looked back at Embry and tried to speak, but had to stop and clear his throat first. “Lieutenant,” he began quietly. Oh so very quiet. Forward those scans to my ready room so I can have a look at them please.” Embry nodded. “Aye Captain.” He was very surprised at his Captains’ reaction to the events that had just occurred. It wasn’t like him at all. Jarod stood up. “Helm, lay in a course for Reorsa and engage at fastest speed possible. We need to get our guests back there as soon as possible.” With those words he headed for his ready room. Once in the privacy of his ready room he was filled with great anger and sadness all at once. He stopped at the small window and looked deep into the nebula where the anomaly had been. Where his friend had been. Where his friend had left him behind. Turning he looked at his console for a moment. He picked up a PADD to transfer the sensor readings to it. A single tear rolled down his right cheek as the anger in him grew to such a rage that, letting out a primal scream of fury he hurled the PADD across the small room and collapsed into his chair sobbing uncontrollably. On the bridge, all eyes had shifted to stare at the door of the ready room as Blackrazor made her way back to her homeport. |