“Denver to Knight actual,” Rebecca’s voice came over the com.

Ming perked up as he heard the voice of his ship’s CO.  He responded, “Knight Actual to Denver…What’s going on?”

“The away team was attacked and Ensign MacKenzie was shot. Theta radiation from the warp explosion is preventing transport. I need you to play ambulance and the Ensign and doctor back to the ship.”

Ming’s face paled followed in seconds by a groan which swiftly turned into a soft but angry growl. Someone was going to pay for injuring his protégé…But right now it was time to care for her and her and her injuries.   

The CO of the Knights signalled back, his voice barely hid his worry and anger, “Understood. How bad Denver?  Can we load her in the second seat of a fighter with the doctor doing the same in a second?  Recognizing we need to hustle her from here back to Denver in nothing flat of course….It’ll be tight with two people in the weapons officer seat. A reminder of the obvious here but Valkyries aren’t as roomy as a Danube, Denver.”

“She’s dying Lieutenant. Once you are out of the radiation zone transporters should work so you don’t have to get back to the ship, just away from the effected area.”

“Understood, Denver.  Knight Actual enroute,” Marcus said seriously before closing the channel and making best speed to the designated LZ.   He didn’t know Aiofe well but he wasn’t going to let her die if there was anything he could do anything about it.  

Lupherian Triage Center…

Aoife lay on her back staring up at a polluted sky. Breathing was hard, she couldn’t feel anything below the waist, and yet she felt no pain. Her mind was fuzzy and she tried to piece what had happened together, but the more she tried the more disjointed the sequence of events became. 

“Wha… wh… what… happened?” She rasped which sent her into fit of coughing that sprayed blood.

Lavender placed her instruments down quickly in the medpack and eased Aiofe back down. 

“Don’t move,” she said firmly. “You were shot with a projectile weapon, Ensign. I’ve given you enough Terokine so you won’t feel the pain but you must, not, move. Do you understand?”

“It doesn’t hurt,” Aoife wheezed. She coughed again spraying more blood. “I’m sorry Doc…” Her eyes closed and her breathing stopped.  But something in her refused to die and she took a breath.  Her eyes opened and she continued like she had just been paused “… Sorry Doc. I didn’t keep your people safe.”

With one hand placed gently on Aoife’s clavicle to stop her moving too much Lavender skilfully dematerialised the bullet from where it was lodged on the inside of one of her ribs. That was one problem resolved, but Aiofe had plenty more that needed resolving quickly if she was going to survive.

“Apology accepted, Ensign,” Lavender drawled with a calm confidence that contrasted the rapid movement of her hands as she switched tools. Her medical tricorder sat on the ground next to Aiofe displaying her vitals. Lavender picked up a Cellular regenerator and started to repair the holes in her lung. “Between you and me neither did I. They’re Commander Nalam’s responsibility now. You and I will get back to worrying about them when you’re all fixed up, okay?” In saying this Lavender tried to give Aoife something to concentrate on that wasn’t her injuries. 

The roar of engines echoed through the air as Knight Actual descended for landing, the sound echoing across the square. As the canopy of the ship slid open with a hiss, Sh’iv wasted no time, leaping out of the back seat and onto the solid ground below. The rush of wind tousled her hair as she landed,  boots thumping on the pavement.

Ming stood up in the cockpit after switching it to ready idle with a quick code only he knew for a quick takeoff once he got back into the pilot’s seat and not before.  He looked around and spotted the Denver’s CMO and the young patient under her care he was to transport.  He ran in their direction and stopped short not wanting to interfere though. 

Marcus said looking concerned at the Ensign, “Doctor….Lavender…Captain Talon ordered me to land and pick up you and the patient in my fighter.  It’s far from ideal but it’s the best we can do in short order and we can squeeze you both in the gunner’s seat.  It’ll be close quarters but time’s of the essence as I understand it.  Seems that the reports were right.  Is the patient fit to move?”

“Barely,” Lavender commented, with some inner surprise at the use of her name. Ming had obviously been paying attention, even though the two hadn’t properly met that she recalled. She glanced at her medical tricorder to get a read of Aiofe’s vitals and started to stuff her gear into the medpack box. “Do your best to keep things smooth. What’s the word on a beam-out once we’re clear of the atmosphere?”

“Barring any fire it should be a smooth flight.  If anyone gets cute I’ll keep it as smooth as can be but we’re as sure as can be the immediate area is now devoid of anything that can act as Anti Air Artillery.  If someone gets cute I have Knights 3, 4 and 5 continuing air patrol and they’ll be covering us on the way out. One shot will be all anyone will get in the unlikely event someone does get suicidally brave.” 

He paused then added, “Captain Talon said we should be able to transport shortly after clearing the atmosphere.  If anything changes you’ve got the man who currently holds the lunar run’s record time at the helm.  It’ll be the smoothest hotrod run ever if needed.”

Sh’iv stared up at her commander as Aoife was being helped into the fighter. It was going to be cramped in there with the Doctor too, but Ensign MacKenzie was in bad shape. There just wasn’t the time to waste.

“Whatever that is going on the wing needs to be at full strength.  Put Órlaith in the spare fighter.” Seeing Ming’s expression she smirked,  “Yeah. I know, but she’s been putting five to six hours a night in the simulator. I hate to admit it, but the kid has skill.”

Ming grinned as he grabbed his helmet and said, “Good.  Glad you think so.  Knight 5’s gonna dust down in a minute or two to pick your ass up.  Órlaith’s taking my old Peregrine while you’re taking Abara’s.  Since we’ll be a flight of six she’ll be your wingman Sh’iv.”

Sh’iv frowned, “I won’t go easy on her.”

Ming’s mouth quirked upward on the left side as he said, “You don’t have to be.  Just do it in moderation.  She’s supposed to be learning about the Fleet.  The Captain believes in her and she’s my protégé so she’s my responsibility. Baring that in mind….Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” 

Marcus slipped on his helmet before he broke into a big smile.  He didn’t quite need to guess his XO’s facial expression as he heard her rather sharp and rather disrespectful response.  He disengaged the safety systems and got the other systems back to full.  All told it took less than a minute.  After a quick review of the board he looked back and said loudly, “Ready?!”

Lavender peered out from behind Aiofe who she was trying to support as best she could.

“Let’s go,” Lavender replied firmly. “Aiofe, we’re flying you up to the ship. This is going to be bloody uncomfortable but it won’t last long.” The doctor had that authoritative tone of Medical Professionals speaking to patients who were in distress or semi-conscious.

“Damn right,” Ming muttered.  He then said louder after a few more keystrokes, “Canopy secured.   Taking off….Steady, smooth and as urgent as can be keeping the second point in mind.” 

As his fighter took off he saw Abara’s fighter coming in for a vertical landing right next to where he was launching from.  He keyed into the primary fighter frequency and said, “Knight Actual to Knights 2 and 5.  2…As soon as 5 lands and goes lid up, take a seat in his fighter’s gunnery seat.  5, soon as Knight 2 is onboard, take off and make to the Denver best speed.  We need to get everyone back into play ASAP….Maybe a bit sooner.”

Knight 5’s basso came on the frequency, “Confirmed Knight Actual.  Touching down and popping the canopy.”

Sh’iv jogged across the lot and climbed inside, “Thanks for the ride.”

After his scanners noted Knight 5 taking off with his XO on board he had a thought.  He got back on coms saying, “Knight Actual to Knight’s 3 and 4.  It’s just you two for a brief time.  Me and Knight 5 have been ordered on a critical ferry run as you may’ve heard.   Knight 3 is in command while we are gone.”  

Ming switched to a direct and secure frequency he had set up to Knight 5.  He said, “Mr. Abara….New plan.  Stick with my fighter.  With Ms. Mackenzie in such rough shape I can’t maneuver much.  You and Sh’iv will need to be our cover, Druid.” 

“Of course, Marcus.  We got your back,” Knight 5’s basso voice rumbled over short range subspace. 

Ming switched the coms to active standby so he could hear flight coms, urgent coms between Denver and the ground.  He goosed the engines to coax a bit more speed out of the fighter.  He said, “Hang on back there.   We’ll be back on Denver in roughly two minutes.  I aim to get everyone back from this alive.”

In the other seat, Lavender was hoping beyond hope that the presence of Aiofe was masking Marcus’ view of her face, which was bathed in cold sweat and panic. It hadn’t occurred to the doctor until they had been shut into the fighter that this would be her first time in space in anything other than a large and dependable Nebula-Class since the destruction of the Starship Manitoba, an event forever imprinted in her mind by her being stuck in the remains of sickbay in the pitch black and without gravity as the large chunks of decimated saucer slowly rotated in space. She had spent her time groping in the dark for a light source and considering if she would die of cold or suffocation first. Fortunately that day the Jem’Hadar had wanted prisoners. But, since then Lavender had become somewhat claustrophobic, to put it mildly. She balked at the sight of space so close through the cockpit screens and stared at her medical tricorder, watching Aiofe’s vitals, letting the numbers bring her back to her medical training. She focussed on that, telling herself she wasn’t in a fighter at all and she was safe, over and over. She swallowed.

“Good to know you pilots set such high standards for yourselves…” she returned. Marcus probably didn’t know her well enough but anyone who did know her well, of whom they were precious few now, would have detected from the raised pitch and the slight waver in her voice that Lavender was not doing well.

Time was running out and at last Aoife’s heart gave two weak beats before stopping.   Lavender’s tricorder blared in alarm.

“Aoife? Aoife!” Lavender exclaimed. “Smoothness be damned, Ming get us to the ship now.”

“Knight One, you have cleared the theta radiation,  and we have a transporter lock on the Doctor and Ensign MacKenzie.  Lower your shields,”  The Denver’s com officer transmitted. 

Ming’s heart was racing worse than it often was going into combat especially with the anguished words of the doctor.  He tapped a few buttons with effecent ease before glancing backwards for a moment, checking the situation which looked worse than before.  

Returning his gaze on where he was going Ming tapped another button and said, “Knight Actual to Denver.  Shields down…Energize!”