“Eye spy with my little eye… something beginning with C…”

Noli Auru slowly turned her head to a group sat just a short distance way from her and watched their exchange in silence. Even in their dire situation, they were finding ways to keep their spirits up.

“Chair,” Erik the Red, named such because of his flame red hair, responded somewhat cockily.

“Nope…”

“Child?”

“You’re supposed to see it, stupid.”

“Fine, chocolate?”

“No, but I’ll have a piece if you’re offering…”

“So would I…” Noli frowned as she joined in their conversation for a moment, turning her head away and slowly tilting it back against the console behind her tear-soaked face.

“Coat?”

“Good try, but no.”

There was a little lull in the conversation as the players tried to think of something, anything else that they could pick, with even Noli taking a moment to look around to see what it could be.

“Communicator?”

“Yes! Well done, Commander…”

It was so nonchalant that no one took any notice at first, but it soon dawned on them, causing quite a stir, when they realised what had happened. Noli practically jumped at the realisation, sitting herself up on her knees and looking at the Commander’s face as she placed a gentle hand on top of the Andorian’s. “Commander… ma’am. Glad to have you back with us,” she grinned, a little laugh of happiness escaping her lips as she looked at those around her. Lifting her uniformed sleeve, the Bajoran tried in vain to wipe her face clean and look more presentable for the executive officer, her hard as nails reputation probably on the line.

“Tell the staff here that I have a complaint about their hotel,” Tharia whispered, her body still reeling from the pain she was experiencing, “it’s too cold and the bed’s are lumpy.” The faintest of smiles crept upon the Andorian’s lips for a moment.

Erik the Red looked over from where he rested against a table leg, “We’ve upgraded your accommodations from the floor once already. You’ve got a nice blanket of coats beneath you. If you want something better, you’re just going to have to spend some credits…” he grinned.

“How about some replicator rations?” the Andorian smirked before wincing in pain and reaching for her side. She had no clue what had happened to her, but lord it hurt. “What… what’s the situation?” she enquired after a few moments.

Between sniffles and a grin of relief at the commander’s presence back in the room, Noli shrugged her shoulders. “The Klingons beamed out about 30 minutes ago, right before the storm hit. We’ve been working on trying to re-establish communications, or to get the energy field down, but the controls have been damaged, or fused, or something…”

“Where’s Javorian? Surely he can help?” Tharia suggested, trying to sit herself up. Her question caused Noli’s head to drop, only for her to turn and look in the direction of a covered body nearby.

Pronouncing someone dead was perhaps one of the most solemn, most painful duties a person could carry out. She’d never had to do it before now, but with it being a friend and colleague, it had been even harder to declare the science chief as lost. Crouching beside the fallen scientist, she placed a hand upon the man’s chest. “We tried everything, but we couldn’t save him. He was hit by some falling debris after pushing one of the Klingons to safety,” she told sadly, a croak in her voice and eyes welling up. 

Summoning two of her security colleagues to help her up, she draped her arms across their broad shoulders and hobbled in the Bajoran’s direction. Once they had crossed the small distance, she dropped to her knees beside the blonde, wrinkle-nosed tactician and used her for support. “I’m sure you did everything you could,” the Commander whispered to the younger woman, her antennae bobbing in respect to their fallen comrade. “Javorian knew the risks when he signed up for Starfleet. He has given his life in the service of the Federation that he so loved, and we must hope that we can do the same one day,” Tharia found solace in her words, even if she didn’t believe them one hundred percent right now.

As the tears ran free for the Bajoran, she closed her eyes and chanted a silent prayer on behalf of her beloved Prophets for her friend and colleague. When finished, the Lieutenant placed her arm around the Commander’s waist, helping each other to their feet just in time for a loud clanking beyond the lab drew everyone’s attention to the doorway, causing the room’s entire population to fall silent.

“You two!” Noli exclaimed quietly, gesturing to two of the nearby civilians to come and help support the Commander who, despite her best efforts, clearly wasn’t up to supporting herself as yet. Once they had taken responsibility for the Andorian, the strategist got to work organising a defence against whoever, or whatever, awaited them on the other side of the blast doors.

Between the clanks and crashes, the scientists in the lab grew more and more jittery… until there was a silence. The proverbial calm before the storm, so to speak. And no sooner had positive thoughts threatened to creep into their minds, a glow began to appear down the central seam between the doors – a tell tale sign that someone, or something, was heating up the gap in order to force the doors apart.

Scientists scuttled in various directions, taking shelter behind the various consoles in the room, leaving only the Starfleet officers (and the commander’s two crutches) to face whatever was to come through the doors. But as the heated glow travelled further down the door, it was apparent they would not have to wait long to find out what awaited.

The sounds began to repeat themselves, and drew the security teams phasers, long since retrieved from the Klingons, in the direction of large bay doors which seemed to be moving. Little slithers of light started to emerge, and gradually got bigger. Someone was opening the door.

”Is anyone in here?” a voice from beyond the bulkhead bellowed.Tharia and Noli alike let out a relieved sigh as they looked at each other with a smile. It wasn’t just any voice, it was a voice they recognised and were thrilled to hear.

Soon enough, the bulkheads parted enough to allow a face, an arm, and then an entire body to squeeze through.

”Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?!” Noli called out to the officer who had emerged successfully through the gap, and who waved his colleagues threw the doorway immediately after. Soon enough, several more bodies appeared, a sight that caused tears to form in the corners of the Bajoran’s eyes. Help had arrived at last, albeit too late for one of their colleagues.

”I should have guessed you would have got yourself into a spot of bother,” Dante Rawlings smirked in response, making his way over to the Bajoran and exchanging a hearty handshake with her.

”You know me so well…” Noli smiled, “Do you have a medic with you? We have wounded…”

”Not just any medic, but THE medic,” another familiar voice spoke out as Lieutenant Commander Zinn, the Deltan Chief Medical Officer of the Santa Fe, was the last to emerge from the gap in the doors. Stepping over to the Lieutenant, who looked more than a little worse for wear herself, the bald-headed Deltan caught was almost aghast at what he was presented with. “Commander!” he exclaimed, before rushing over to the frail looking Andorian.

Rushing over to their wounded superior, Noli and Dante exchanged glances. “What happened?” the Flight Operations officer asked, looking around the collective group of survivors for some answers, taking the lead whilst the physician tended to the XO.

”Klingons happened,” one of the fraught looking security officers declared.

Dante nodded slowly, “Yeah, we had our own run in with them in orbit…” he folded his arms across his chest, only to drop them when he caught sight of a Starfleet jacket draped over a fallen comrade. He was about to sprint off in the direction of the body, but Noli grabbed a hold of his arm, stopping him in his tracks. Exchanging glances, the Bajoran gave the man the knowing look he had dreaded, confirmation to him that they were on the same wavelength. “Frak me…” he whispered with a shake of the head.

”Okay everyone, listen up,” he announced once he had composed himself a few moments later. “We’ve got two runabouts outside ready to take you all to the Santa Fe. NO ONE gets left behind,” he told confidently and sternly, hoping that the confidence would cover for the fact he felt like he had suffered from a sucker punch to the gut. “With your permission, Commander?” the ship’s Second Officer asked, looking down at his injured colleague.

”I’m done here…” the Andorian whispered through the pain barrier, nodding to her friend.

“Then grab what you need and we’ll get out of here,” the Lieutenant called out to anyone listening, then he gestured to their fallen comrades body. “Jameson, Gora. Take good care of him. It’s the least he deserves…”

Rescue had come too late their kin, but thankfully those who had survived their torment would now be free to take refuge among the stars.

Watching as the survivors were escorted out of the lab via the doors which had been cracked open, Dante couldn’t help but scowl.

“If only they had left when we told them to…”