Carpathia IV: Episode 305 - Pivot
Bridge, NCCS Shadowdancer-A
Only one of the bridge crew remained at his post. Teek heard everything but could not take his hands off his yoke. He knew that he, at least for the moment, was solely in charge and steered the ship at his discretion and his discretion was to stay as far away from trouble as possible.
Though Nalma went limp and was no longer breathing, Aire kept his hands pressed hard on the wound while Kit shook Nalma's arm.
Kit: Nalma! Nalma!
Aire: Kit, put pressure here.
Kit nodded and put his hands on Nalma's wound while Aire started CPR.
Joust: Everyone but Kit, back to your stations! Baal, get down to the reception room and see if you can find Trex.
Baal: Yes, Commander!
Joust: Teek take us somewhere relatively safe. Phobos, you're on both comms and tactical for now!
Teek: Already on it, Commander!
The lift doors on both sides of the bridge opened, spilling out Dr. Teagan and many more medical personnel. It only took Dr. Teagan half a second to find where the problem was.
Sorchae: We'll take over, Captain.
Aire and Kit backed off to let Sorchae and her team get to work. Everyone else rushed to their stations, except for Amenaru who was experiencing an unusual problem of his own.
Amenaru: Commander, what should I do about this?
Amenaru pointed at his feet and Joust's eyes followed his finger down to find a furious grey kitten desperately clawing at Amenaru's toes.
Kitten: Mreyow! Rawr!
Joust reached down and picked up the kitten by the scruff of her neck. This did nothing to to quell the kitten's fury. If anything, it was amplified and she continued to hiss and spit as she struggled in Joust's hand.
Joust: Bastet, does this wear off? How long before she's a vashta again?
Tiggy: About two hours, give or take.
Behind Joust, Sorchae looked up and called to Aire.
Sorchae: I'm sorry, Aire. There's nothing we can do. Is there anyone else who needs attention?
Aire clenched his fists and held both of them to his mouth, pressing his lips hard against his teeth lest he cry out in rage. The lift doors opened, bringing Sorchae an answer. Baal lumbered out, holding Trex's arm around his neck to keep her on her feet.
Baal: Doctor. Have a look at Trex?
Sorchae: Of course. Let's lay you down over here and I'll give you a scan.
Trex, at least, was alive and Aire, before he had himself a complete breakdown, turned his focus back to work which was now Bastet.
Aire: I'm glad you came when you did.
Tiggy: I tried to get here sooner but navigating through a battle is really hard.
Suddenly, another familiar figure appeared next to Bastet.
Sassinesa: Bwah! Getting here was nuts! Bastet, why did I let you drag me into this?
Tiggy: Oh shush. I have to go help Chrono Blade now. They have intruders too. You stay here and help Aire.
Sassinesa: But...
Bastet set up straight on her hind legs and pointed down with her paw.
Tiggy: Sassinesa, sit!
Sassinesa immediately dropped to the floor, seated in kneeling position while Bastet held out her paw.
Sassinesa: Yes, ma'am!
Tiggy: Paw!
Sassinesa put his paw into hers.
Sassinesa: Yes, ma'am!
Bastet reached out with her other paw and grabbed Sassinesa's necklace, pulling him close, giving him a piercing gaze with burning yellow eyes.
Tiggy: Now stay here and help Aire or so help me I will shred you to pieces!
Sassinesa responded with a cowed nod. Satisfied, Bastet cast a longing glance at Amenaru and disappeared.
Before Aire could speak to Sassinesa, a loud yell echoed throughout the bridge.
Trex: YEOW!
Aire jumped and turned toward the source of the noise to find Sorchae pressing an injector into Trex's shoulder.
Sorchae: That'll help with the pain for now, but come see me after this is all over.
Trex rose to her feet and dusted herself.
Trex: Thank you, Doctor. Captain, sorry if I startled you. Dr. Teagan just put my shoulder back where it goes.
Aire: I'm just glad you're okay, but I thought you could dislocate your shoulder at will anyway.
Trex: Oh, but that was a spicy one! Not at all like the way I do it myself.
Aire: If you're okay now, you're on tactical. Now, Sassine...
Trex rushed to the tactical station opposite Nalma's and sat while Aire was interrupted again.
Amenaru: Captain, there's someone at the reception room airlock. It's Ryuu!
Aire: Baal, go let him in. Sorchae, he's probably injured.
Baal nodded and, once again, charged down the stairs while Sorchae remained.
Sorchae: I'll take care of him. By the way, Joust, I've been meaning to ask. What's with the kitten?
Eyes turned to the vashta kitten that Joust was still holding by the scruff of her neck. She no longer struggled, instead handing limp in his fingers, finally defeated.
Joust: This is a vashta that Bastet turned into a kitten. We were just trying to figure out where to put her.
Kitten: I will drown you in your own blood!
Sorchae: Nurse, take this kitten to Shep in sick bay. Tell them what it is and let him deal with it. And be careful.
The nurse acknowledge Sorchae's order and headed for the lift. While Sorchae addressed two of the other nurses.
Sorchae: You two, take Nalma to the morgue.
Aire watched with a mixture of anger and mourning as the nurses gently placed Nalma onto a stretcher and carried him away, a miniature funeral procession on the way to the lift. His duty, however, was to the living and, more importantly, keeping them that way.
Aire: Shep is okay now?
Sorchae: The dermal regenerator should be done soon. He'll be very tender for a couple of weeks but he'll be okay. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get to the reception room.
Sorchae rushed down the stairs leaving Aire to finally direct his attention to a now impatient Sassinesa. Or so he thought.
Joust: If Ryuu is here, I worry that the dragon battle is going badly. Amenaru, put it on viewer.
Amenaru tapped at his console and the two dragon ships appeared. The larger of the two, Kuro's flagship, was in a terrible state with gaping holes and tears in the sails. The smaller one didn't look great either and even worse was that Aionaptara and the dragons weaved around them both, chasing after Lazmaedia. This was not how it was supposed to be. The dragon ships were meant to stay off to the sides while the white dragons engaged directly. Something had gone terribly wrong.
It went even more wrong when Lazmaedia charged directly at the smaller dragon ship, punshing straight through the one side and out the other, exploding it in a horrific fireball.
Lazmaedia intended to get both the dragon ships, but she bounced off the other, repelled by the stronger shields. Small comfort, yet still, the loss of any of the dragon ships was catastrophic.
Phobos: Captain, permission to go help the dragons.
Aire did not hesitate. If the dragon's battle with Lazmaedia was lost, all was lost. He needed all of his crew, but not as much as the dragons needed Phobos.
Aire: Granted. Use the reception room airlock.
With a nod, Phobos ran down the stairs. Now, Aire had an idea. The Blood Agony was his primary concern and he finally had a chance to talk to Sassinesa.
Aire: Alright, Sassy, I need to ask you a few questions.
Commissioned art in this episode from:
AvareonArt
Zelbunnii
Less_End
Colourbrand
Falke2009
