S6 E6 - What's in it for Me?

[Ardyn Jaeger - Wu]

[Ensign Alhanjhu Jei'Jendak/Tarik | Gang Warehouse | Bathân]

Chasing the Tal Shiar agent leader all the way through the tunnel and reaching the other end, Alhanjhu at least managed to catch up with him. He would've tackled the agent. At the very least, he had the cuff of his pants before they were ripped out. He emerged fully to see Ardyn had tackled him.

"Impressive," Alhanjhu said with amazement. "And they called me marathon champion back where I came from. And I thought chasing Andgarri wildlife gave me the advantage," he added with a joking guffaw.

"I think I can handle him, good lady," he said in a charming way. Binding the agent as best as he could, he then lifted him up and draped him over his shoulder. "That's how we do things in Andgarr, wort," Alhanjhu said, using a popular Romulan insult. "Be grateful I'm more civilized, or else I'd stuff you in a wooden cage."

A loud whoosh prompted Alhanjhu to look up in time to see the Calindra's Dream appear and crash through a roof. He let out a louder guffaw. "Now there's a sight you don't see every day," he said. "I think a Tuunn'garr would do more damage than that; those mastadons can literally move a whole building across a field just by pushing it!" He was instantly laughing, imagining one of those great mastadons of the Andgarr forest floor, one of the largest of Andgarr's animals, doing exactly that.

"Shall we?" he said to Ardyn, and then walked on back.

He then brought the Romulan agent, still draped over his shoulder and met back to the team, in time to see Malik. "Jolan Tru, Kal. This other good lady," he said, gesturing to Ardyn, "and I have a special delivery. All good and trussed-up like a hlai waiting to be devourered for Terran Christmas."

[Bathân - Gang Warehouse - Interior]

Like some sort of fortuitous angel, Calindra's Dream dropped through the ceiling, creating a maelstrom of wind, debris, and chaos below. While the Romulans all involuntarily flinched, looking upwards at the unexpected skylight and wavering, Alex didn't wait for another unlikely opportunity. He lunged, partially stumbling, the last step into arm's reach with a breathless yawp, jabbing the broken bottle at his hapless opponent's neck. A hot spurt of green blood arced into the air when the jagged glass shard ripped into skin, flesh, and artery.

Alex could feel a warm pungent fluid flowing onto his face, half-blinding him as he grappled at his adversary, not entirely intentionally dragging him down. Wrenching his arm free from beneath the Romulan, he jabbed wildly at the body pinned under him, unrelenting even when something hard and blunt hammered against his head. Again and again he stabbed, until he belatedly realized the struggling had stopped.

Gasping to breathe, Alex pushed himself upright onto his knees, too exhausted and weak to stand again. Pulling a disruptor out of the dead Romulan's holster, he wiped his face with the sleeve of his jacket, the brown cotton twill soaking up blood both red and green. Blinking to clear his vision, Alex tried to comprehend everything he was seeing.

Debris still fell from the ceiling as their freighter laboured to maintain it's position above them, he assumed Autumn was at the helm though he'd never seen her fly before. Clearly his assumption of the roof landing platform's capacity was well off the mark. Malik was blasting away with two pistols, yelling something inaudible at the two women fighting tooth and nail. Even in his state, he could tell Calindra was hurt in spite of the carnage she inflicted, her movements becoming sloppier and reckless. To his relief, Alhandru and Ardyn both emerged from the hidden trapdoor opening, seemingly no worse for their wear. Alex wanted to tell them to get to the freighter, that it was time to go, but he could only cough weakly, spitting out frothy pink phlegm. Blood slowly oozed through his fingers clutched around the handle still embedded in his side, and he propped himself against a box as another fresh batch appeared out of the dust, rushing towards Calindra and Neva.

The disruptor felt far heavier than it had any right to be and Alex strained to raise it up, the reticule wavering unsteadily. Struggling to hold it steady, he finally squeezed the trigger, firing shot after shot into the group of newcomers just as they reached his beleaguered friends.

[Kelly Oren - Bathân - Warehouse]

The sound of Wu's blaster shots echoed through the chaos, each shot finding its mark with precision born of sheer determination. Romulans dropped one by one, their advance toward Cali and Neva halted by the unexpected firepower.

Cali barely had time to glance over her shoulder, catching sight of Wu leaning heavily against a crate, his disruptor shaking in his grasp but still firing. Relief mixed with concern flashed across her face.

"I'm through the firewall!" Neva called out from behind her, her voice tight with focus. Her fingers danced over the console as the download bar loaded and slowly crept toward completion. "Just hold them off a little longer!"

Cali grimaced, shifting to cover Neva's flank. She could feel the strain in her muscles and the burn of her injuries, but the sight of Wu fighting through his own pain kept her standing. Another wave of Romulans surged forward, but Cali planted herself firmly between them and Neva.

With a guttural cry, one of the attackers charged, swinging a heavy blade. Cali deflected it with her katana, the clash of metal ringing out as sparks flew. The force of the blow jarred her arm, and she hissed as pain shot through her injured shoulder. Another Romulan lunged from her blind side, but a well-timed blaster shot from Wu dropped him before he could strike.

"Fifteen seconds!" Neva shouted, her voice rising with urgency.

Cali stepped back, her blade sweeping in wide arcs to keep the remaining Romulans at bay. "I don't think I've got fifteen in me," she bit out, blocking another strike.

Just as another Romulan raised his weapon, Wu's disruptor let out a loud whine, and a final blast sent the enemy crashing to the ground. Wu sagged further against the crate, his breaths labored but triumphant.

"Download complete!" Neva yelled, snatching the device from the terminal. "We're done here!" She held the data thumb drive triumphantly between her fingers as she turned to face Calindra.

But Neva froze, the victorious grin on her face fading into horror.

Cali's expression shifted from focus to shock, her eyes wide and mouth slightly open. A cruel, wicked blade emerged from her abdomen, gleaming crimson in the dim light. She staggered forward, the sword sliding out of her with a sickening sound. Behind her stood a bloodied Romulan, a feral snarl on his lips as he readied for another strike.

"CALI!" Neva screamed, rushing forward instinctively, her weapon raised.

Calindra stumbled but didn't fall. Her hand shot to her side, clutching at the wound as blood spilled through her fingers. Gritting her teeth, she turned to face her attacker, just as Wu's shot felled him.

Cali dropped to one knee, her katana slipping from her grip as she pressed harder on the wound. Her breaths were shallow, and blood dripped onto the floor in a steady rhythm. Cali gave a weak chuckle, her face pale, before she collapsed onto the floor.

[Warehouse]

Ardy smirked, grunting with a smirk as she wrestled the guy.  "Try - Try chasing a toddler for bath time. she said,  out of breath, and pretty proud of herself.  "Let's bring him ba— Her train of thought suddenly derailed. when out of nowhere, a massive crash hit them from above, sending debris of all sorts flying, showering her in a prickling, slicing rain of shards.

Ardy could feel the whole warehouse vibrate and shriek as the ship came in, descending with a near-thunderous roar through the ceiling.   Great way to make an entrance, for sure. And then, out of nowhere, she felt a sharp pain in her mind, like a sharp knife. ALEX!    Waves of panic hit her as she turned back towards him. She wasn't there and he needed her.  "We need to get to the ship! Now! she barked.  They had to all get out together.  She wasn't in charge of the mission, but right now, the mission was the least of her concerns. She had to stop herself. Malik was still the one in charge here.

Another mental feeling of pain.  Not as intimately sharp and strong, but equally as bad. A sharp pain in the gut.  She looked around. Neva should be almost done, but they were swiftly running out of time. She shot at as many bad guys as she could as she raced towards Alex and Cali.

The ship's hatch opened as it temporarily landed, perfect. She nodded to Alhanjhu and Malik.    "I'll get Alex. Someone get Cali."  she said before running off to help Alex up.

[Alhanjhu]

[Kelly Oren - Bathân - Warehouse]

The sound of Wu's blaster shots echoed through the chaos, each shot finding its mark with precision born of sheer determination. Romulans dropped one by one, their advance toward Cali and Neva halted by the unexpected firepower.

Cali barely had time to glance over her shoulder, catching sight of Wu leaning heavily against a crate, his disruptor shaking in his grasp but still firing. Relief mixed with concern flashed across her face.

"I'm through the firewall!" Neva called out from behind her, her voice tight with focus. Her fingers danced over the console as the download bar loaded and slowly crept toward completion. "Just hold them off a little longer!"

Cali grimaced, shifting to cover Neva's flank. She could feel the strain in her muscles and the burn of her injuries, but the sight of Wu fighting through his own pain kept her standing. Another wave of Romulans surged forward, but Cali planted herself firmly between them and Neva.

With a guttural cry, one of the attackers charged, swinging a heavy blade. Cali deflected it with her katana, the clash of metal ringing out as sparks flew. The force of the blow jarred her arm, and she hissed as pain shot through her injured shoulder. Another Romulan lunged from her blind side, but a well-timed blaster shot from Wu dropped him before he could strike.

"Fifteen seconds!" Neva shouted, her voice rising with urgency.

Cali stepped back, her blade sweeping in wide arcs to keep the remaining Romulans at bay. "I don't think I've got fifteen in me," she bit out, blocking another strike.

Just as another Romulan raised his weapon, Wu's disruptor let out a loud whine, and a final blast sent the enemy crashing to the ground. Wu sagged further against the crate, his breaths labored but triumphant.

"Download complete!" Neva yelled, snatching the device from the terminal. "We're done here!" She held the data thumb drive triumphantly between her fingers as she turned to face Calindra.

But Neva froze, the victorious grin on her face fading into horror.

Cali's expression shifted from focus to shock, her eyes wide and mouth slightly open. A cruel, wicked blade emerged from her abdomen, gleaming crimson in the dim light. She staggered forward, the sword sliding out of her with a sickening sound. Behind her stood a bloodied Romulan, a feral snarl on his lips as he readied for another strike.

"CALI!" Neva screamed, rushing forward instinctively, her weapon raised.

Calindra stumbled but didn't fall. Her hand shot to her side, clutching at the wound as blood spilled through her fingers. Gritting her teeth, she turned to face her attacker, just as Wu's shot felled him.

Cali dropped to one knee, her katana slipping from her grip as she pressed harder on the wound. Her breaths were shallow, and blood dripped onto the floor in a steady rhythm. Cali gave a weak chuckle, her face pale, before she collapsed onto the floor.

[Ensign Alhanjhu Jei'Jendak/Tarik | Gang Warehouse | Bathân]

Alhanjhu was so busy taking things in, he didn't notice until too late a flash at the corner of his eyes. He whirled around and saw a Romulan stab Cali.

"NOOO!" he shouted. He flung the Romulan leader to the ground, bound as he was, and ran over. He stopped the Romulan from making another strike, grabbing the hands that held the weapon and twisting them around. Naturally, the Romulan looked around and slipped from his grip. He jabbed at him, but Alhanjhu was faster. He withdrew his own blade and they clashed together. After an enraged sword fight, wherein Alhanjhu got scrapes himself, he leaped above the agent, whirled around, and with his fist, slammed it into the back of the Romulan's head.

Strong as Alhanjhu was, he hoped that all he delivered was a blow to bring unconciousness; if it was anybody not as strong as a Vulcan, a Klingon or a Nausicaan, or any other strong race, it would've been a blow that would kill.

Alhanjhu then rushed to Cali. "Cali!" he said in horror. Seeing where she was stabbed, Alhanjhu grabbed his shirt and ripped it to shreds to make a bandage. He then rolled up Cali's shirt and then wrapped the makeshift bandages around her belly to stop the bleeding on both ends, and any extra wads he put underneath to as an extra precaution. Then he lifted Cali with his hands. Even though she was unconcious, he began to plead.

"You can't die, Cali. You can't. We'll get you back quickly." He held her close. One of the first friends he had gotten to know, and he was so taken with her. He couldn't let somebody so beautiful die.

"Do any one of you have a medkit?" Alhanjhu called to the rest of the team? "Or is it back on the Dream?"

[Malik Grippen]

[Bathân, Gang Warehouse]

The last of the Romulans in the warehouse were taken care of and just in time as the whole building was coming down around them. Malik shot out the computer terminal to leave no evidence of their data download. He scooped up the Romulan leader and marched him up the access ramp of the Calindra's Dream.

Ardyn and Neva helped Wu and AJ helped Cali get aboard. Once they were all safely inside Malik closed the hatch and made his way to the cockpit.

"Autumn, help tend to the wounded, Neva keep watch on our captive. It's time to go."

Malik took the pilots seat, the old skills quickly coming back to him. The Risan engaged the impulse engines and the Dream rocketed upwards into the atmosphere leaving chaos behind. Ineffective shots from below followed.

Their undercover mission was over. They had captured the leader of the smuggling operation and a treasure trove of intel. It hadn't been a complete success, they hadn't managed to shut down the operation but hopefully they now had the tools to do so.

Malik opened an encrypted comm link to the Challenger.

"Dream to Mother. We're returning to the mothership. Two priority one casualties onboard."

[Neva Cordon]

[ACEO Lt. Neva Cordon|Warehouse]

Neva shot the smiling Romulan right between the eyes, cursing him to many hells in the process. She dropped the disruptor and slid over to Alhanjhu, biting her bottom lip to stop the urge to cry from bubbling out. Looking directly at Alhanjhu, she bobbed her head to the side and grabbed his bicep in one hand.
"C'mon now, Alhanjhu. Cali needs you to get her to Sickbay," Neva murmured softly, pulling him with her as she stood and put her hand over the wound as they hustled into the Dream.

[Inside the Dream ]

The run to Sickbay felt like an eternity, but Neva didn't care. Cali needed them and she'd be damned if she'd let her friend down now!

Silently, the young Engineer prayed to the Goddesses of Betazed and to the God her dad had believed in for Cali to live,
for Autumn to be able to save her, and to get to Challenger in time.

[Ian Galloway]

[Bathân, Gang Warehouse]

The last of the Romulans in the warehouse were taken care of and just in time as the whole building was coming down around them. Malik shot out the computer terminal to leave no evidence of their data download. He scooped up the Romulan leader and marched him up the access ramp of the Calindra's Dream.

Ardyn and Neva helped Wu and AJ helped Cali get aboard. Once they were all safely inside Malik closed the hatch and made his way to the cockpit.

"Autumn, help tend to the wounded, Neva keep watch on our captive. It's time to go."

Malik took the pilots seat, the old skills quickly coming back to him. The Risan engaged the impulse engines and the Dream rocketed upwards into the atmosphere leaving chaos behind. Ineffective shots from below followed.

Their undercover mission was over. They had captured the leader of the smuggling operation and a treasure trove of intel. It hadn't been a complete success, they hadn't managed to shut down the operation but hopefully they now had the tools to do so.

Malik opened an encrypted comm link to the Challenger.

"Dream to Mother. We're returning to the mothership. Two priority one casualties onboard."

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

Ian was fighting a losing battle not to fall asleep in the command chair. He had only gotten three hours of sleep as the Dominator closed on the Challenger. It was 0400 when they'd picked up the Onizuka and 0530 by the time they'd exited Toren space. It was 0600 when Rage had dropped his bombshell that the Romulan Empire was helping the Autonomy develop a mutagenic weapon. Even running at emergency speed, it was going to take 12 hours to reach Starbase 153 as this news was too critical to trust to subspace regardless of encryption. He had promised himself that at Noon, he'd take two hours of down time, so that he'd be reasonably coherent when they reached Starbase 153.

"If only the bloody clock would move faster."

He grumbled internally as he noted the time was 1030 when Lieutenant Greenway at Ops spoke up.

"Sir, I'm receiving a coded message. It's from Commander Grippen, they are on their way to meet us at the rendezvous, they have two priority one casualties."

"Oh my giddy aunt! Bugger all, we can't divert, our information is at all costs. Tell them ta make for Earth Outpost 30, it's the closest Federation facility with a proper sickbay. Notify the Outpost that Calindra's Dream is undercover Starfleet operation and that wounded personnel are in bound."

Ian dropped his head into his hands as it felt like he was betraying the away team and potentially costing the wounded their lives.

"The Toren Autonomy can nae be allowed a mutagenic weapon, they're nutter enough ta use the bloody thing. Tactical, scan for other ships in the sector, see if'n any are in range ta meet up with the Dream that will reach them quicker than they can get Outpost 30."

At this point, all of Ian's fatigue was gone, buried in an adrenaline rush. Unfortunately, the rush also meant any hope of him sleeping was gone as well.

[Malik Grippen]

[Bathân Low Orbit]

Malik's heart sank when the response came back. Earth Outpost 30 was nearly two days travel at warp seven, the Dream's maximum speed. And there was no guarantee the engines would be able to maintain that pressure.

Calindra and Wu needed proper medical treatment and every hours delay decreased their chances of survival.

"I repeat. We have two priority one casualties that require urgent treatment. Must make original rendezvous asap..."

Malik plotted a course to EO30 and activated the warp engines to maximum. As Malik waited for the reply he mulled over the Challenger's response. Something of significance must have occurred for the captain to change the plan. Even if that came at the cost of Cali and Wu's lives.

[Ian Galloway]

[Bathân Low Orbit]

Malik's heart sank when the response came back. Earth Outpost 30 was nearly two days travel at warp seven, the Dream's maximum speed. And there was no guarantee the engines would be able to maintain that pressure.

Calindra and Wu needed proper medical treatment and every hours delay decreased their chances of survival.

"I repeat. We have two priority one casualties that require urgent treatment. Must make original rendezvous asap..."

Malik plotted a course to EO30 and activated the warp engines to maximum. As Malik waited for the reply he mulled over the Challenger's response. Something of significance must have occurred for the captain to change the plan. Even if that came at the cost of Cali and Wu's lives.

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

If it was possible to be more on edge, Ian didn't want to know how, thus when Greenway spoke again, he almost jumped out of the command chair. When he heard the comcern in Malik's voice, his heart broke so hard it literally hurt. He had heard of broken heart syndrome and wondered if he could hurt that much. He managed to choke out a reply.

"Send USS Dowding is closer ta your position than Outpost 30. Ship is en route ta rendezvous, but is 29 hours out. Doctor Fellows asks is stasis a possibility?"

[Alhanjhu]

[Bathân Low Orbit]

Malik's heart sank when the response came back. Earth Outpost 30 was nearly two days travel at warp seven, the Dream's maximum speed. And there was no guarantee the engines would be able to maintain that pressure.

Calindra and Wu needed proper medical treatment and every hours delay decreased their chances of survival.

"I repeat. We have two priority one casualties that require urgent treatment. Must make original rendezvous asap..."

Malik plotted a course to EO30 and activated the warp engines to maximum. As Malik waited for the reply he mulled over the Challenger's response. Something of significance must have occurred for the captain to change the plan. Even if that came at the cost of Cali and Wu's lives.

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

If it was possible to be more on edge, Ian didn't want to know how, thus when Greenway spoke again, he almost jumped out of the command chair. When he heard the comcern in Malik's voice, his heart broke so hard it literally hurt. He had heard of broken heart syndrome and wondered if he could hurt that much. He managed to choke out a reply.

"Send USS Dowding is closer ta your position than Outpost 30. Ship is en route ta rendezvous, but is 29 hours out. Doctor Fellows asks is stasis a possibility?"

[Ensign Alhanjhu Jei'Jendak | Cockpit | Calindra's Dream]

Alhanjhu was staying close to Cali. He sat between Cali and Lieutenant Wu, but kept his eyes on Cali. He was feeling helpless, wondering what to do. Two options for treatment seemed far away. It had been estimated that it would take two days to get to Outpost Thirty. But then, came news from Captain Galloway in his transmission that the Starship Dowding is closer, but it would take twenty-nine hours.

When he heard the question that Captain Galloway relayed from Doctor Fellows to ask if stasis is a possibility, suddenly Alhanjhu remembered something.

"Commander, I might have an idea, albeit not a technical one, probably something similar to stasis," Alhanjhu said, "I've picked up on some meditative techniques when I was being civilized. When I was eighteen, my Uncle Anju was entertaining some Vulcans, and he introduced them to me. A handful of them stayed at he household on Andgarr to help me keep my emotions in control, and even taught me some basics in their meditative techniques. One of the first techniques I learned was the healing trance. I took instant interest in it, given how many brushes with death I had in the wild, and how often I got seriously hurt.

"Now, I have the idea of inducing a coma through a healing trance," Alhanjhu explained. "Not me, personally, but putting both Cali and Lieutenant Wu into a healing trance, a means to lessen pain.

"Now, I've learned how to induce it on myself at times of serious pain or injury. It was before the Academy, however; I've never attempted one since before I joined Starfleet. Besides, when I attempt a healing trance, it never lasts long. The coma time is variable, but it does slow down bodily systems, including blood flow. And while it's not actually healing - or rather, not technically regenerative - at least to me, it'll buy some time.

"Unfortunately, the comas I used to induce, they vary between four to six hours. And a maximum at ten, and even then, it was a risky thing to do; the risk of a person not waking from a coma depends on the level of expertise, and I had been extremely careful when I did it in the past. My ten hour one was a crucial reason why I stopped doing healing trances. Doing it on another person, however...I've done it once before, and that was when a Vulcan was teaching me.

"That's my idea, if it'll help these two, somewhat similar to stasis, but actual stasis and a technological answer could be better than mine," Alhanjhu said. "I'm not sure if it'll work, especially in regards to non-Vulcans...But I'm willing to try, if only to help them...although, of course, they did also teach me to use a nerve block, uniquely nicknamed the Vulcan 'Death Grip,' it could work just as well...a nerve block is a protective means back from the days of Vulcan savagery, when emotion ruled. It's not often used, only in dire circumstances. It could induce a coma just as well..."

And for him to help Cali, now that he had finally settled...he couldn't bear to see Cali in pain...

"Whichever you decide, commander, or if a technical means is ideal," Alhanjhu said, bracing himself.

[Alexander Wu]

Cali's expression shifted from focus to shock, her eyes wide and mouth slightly open. A cruel, wicked blade emerged from her abdomen, gleaming crimson in the dim light. She staggered forward, the sword sliding out of her with a sickening sound. Behind her stood a bloodied Romulan, a feral snarl on his lips as he readied for another strike.

"CALI!" Neva screamed, rushing forward instinctively, her weapon raised.

Calindra stumbled but didn't fall. Her hand shot to her side, clutching at the wound as blood spilled through her fingers. Gritting her teeth, she turned to face her attacker, just as Wu's shot felled him.

Cali dropped to one knee, her katana slipping from her grip as she pressed harder on the wound. Her breaths were shallow, and blood dripped onto the floor in a steady rhythm. Cali gave a weak chuckle, her face pale, before she collapsed onto the floor.

The ship's hatch opened as it temporarily landed, perfect. She nodded to Alhanjhu and Malik.    "I'll get Alex. Someone get Cali."  she said before running off to help Alex up.

[Bathân - Gang Warehouse - Interior]

"...nooo..." Alex groaned, helplessly watching Calindra slump to the ground. He'd seen the Romulan coming up from behind her, but noone could've heard his desperate gasped warnings over the turmoil. In short order between him, Alhanjhu, and Neva, the last attacker in their immediate vicinity was slain. Dropping the disruptor with a weary sigh, Alex coughed again, his breath coming in short harsh wheezes. He felt so tired, too weary to even try crawling towards the others. Light pressure, bulky dressing, don't lay her flat...all the things he wanted to say while the others tended to his young fallen charge.

"Hey." He murmured, trying to give Ardyn a reassuring smile as she helped him up, though he wasn't sure if what came out looked more like a pained grimace. He didn't have the energy or ability to say much else, having to put all of his effort behind each leaden step until he was laying on a bunk opposite of the one they'd put Calindra in.

[Calindra's Dream - Crew Quarters]

Most of the freighter's space was taken up by the voluminous cargo bay, and with no sickbay, he had a front row as Neva and Alhanjhu administered to the unconscious woman. Even with the makeshift dressings on her bare abdomen, Alex could see unhampered blood seeping through, soaking the mattress crimson and dripping onto the deck. He knew there was nothing in the basic medkits they'd brought along which could fix her mortal wounds, or him once they pulled the blade out. Dermal regenerators could seal surface wounds, but they needed biobeds and surgery for the internal injuries, the blood loss. Unless...

"Ardyn." He rasped, reaching across to grab at her wrist. "Get Autumn...the nanoprobes...save her." Alex nodded towards Calindra before slumping back, entirely spent. Starring at his wife with glassy eyes, he couldn't bring himself to say another word. I love you Ardyn. If anything happens, always remember that. Maddison...

[Ardyn Jaeger - Wu]

[Bathân Low Orbit]

Malik's heart sank when the response came back. Earth Outpost 30 was nearly two days travel at warp seven, the Dream's maximum speed. And there was no guarantee the engines would be able to maintain that pressure.

Calindra and Wu needed proper medical treatment and every hours delay decreased their chances of survival.

"I repeat. We have two priority one casualties that require urgent treatment. Must make original rendezvous asap..."

Malik plotted a course to EO30 and activated the warp engines to maximum. As Malik waited for the reply he mulled over the Challenger's response. Something of significance must have occurred for the captain to change the plan. Even if that came at the cost of Cali and Wu's lives.

[Ensign Alhanjhu Jei'Jendak | Cockpit | Calindra's Dream]

Alhanjhu was staying close to Cali. He sat between Cali and Lieutenant Wu, but kept his eyes on Cali. He was feeling helpless, wondering what to do. Two options for treatment seemed far away. It had been estimated that it would take two days to get to Outpost Thirty. But then, came news from Captain Galloway in his transmission that the Starship Dowding is closer, but it would take twenty-nine hours.

When he heard the question that Captain Galloway relayed from Doctor Fellows to ask if stasis is a possibility, suddenly Alhanjhu remembered something.

"Commander, I might have an idea, albeit not a technical one, probably something similar to stasis," Alhanjhu said, "I've picked up on some meditative techniques when I was being civilized. When I was eighteen, my Uncle Anju was entertaining some Vulcans, and he introduced them to me. A handful of them stayed at he household on Andgarr to help me keep my emotions in control, and even taught me some basics in their meditative techniques. One of the first techniques I learned was the healing trance. I took instant interest in it, given how many brushes with death I had in the wild, and how often I got seriously hurt.

"Now, I have the idea of inducing a coma through a healing trance," Alhanjhu explained. "Not me, personally, but putting both Cali and Lieutenant Wu into a healing trance, a means to lessen pain.

"Now, I've learned how to induce it on myself at times of serious pain or injury. It was before the Academy, however; I've never attempted one since before I joined Starfleet. Besides, when I attempt a healing trance, it never lasts long. The coma time is variable, but it does slow down bodily systems, including blood flow. And while it's not actually healing - or rather, not technically regenerative - at least to me, it'll buy some time.

"Unfortunately, the comas I used to induce, they vary between four to six hours. And a maximum at ten, and even then, it was a risky thing to do; the risk of a person not waking from a coma depends on the level of expertise, and I had been extremely careful when I did it in the past. My ten hour one was a crucial reason why I stopped doing healing trances. Doing it on another person, however...I've done it once before, and that was when a Vulcan was teaching me.

"That's my idea, if it'll help these two, somewhat similar to stasis, but actual stasis and a technological answer could be better than mine," Alhanjhu said. "I'm not sure if it'll work, especially in regards to non-Vulcans...But I'm willing to try, if only to help them...although, of course, they did also teach me to use a nerve block, uniquely nicknamed the Vulcan 'Death Grip,' it could work just as well...a nerve block is a protective means back from the days of Vulcan savagery, when emotion ruled. It's not often used, only in dire circumstances. It could induce a coma just as well..."

And for him to help Cali, now that he had finally settled...he couldn't bear to see Cali in pain...

"Whichever you decide, commander, or if a technical means is ideal," Alhanjhu said, bracing himself.

[Bathân - Gang Warehouse - Interior]

"...nooo..." Alex groaned, helplessly watching Calindra slump to the ground. He'd seen the Romulan coming up from behind her, but noone could've heard his desperate gasped warnings over the turmoil. In short order between him, Alhanjhu, and Neva, the last attacker in their immediate vicinity was slain. Dropping the disruptor with a weary sigh, Alex coughed again, his breath coming in short harsh wheezes. He felt so tired, too weary to even try crawling towards the others. Light pressure, bulky dressing, don't lay her flat...all the things he wanted to say while the others tended to his young fallen charge.

"Hey." He murmured, trying to give Ardyn a reassuring smile as she helped him up, though he wasn't sure if what came out looked more like a pained grimace. He didn't have the energy or ability to say much else, having to put all of his effort behind each leaden step until he was laying on a bunk opposite of the one they'd put Calindra in.

[Calindra's Dream - Crew Quarters]

Most of the freighter's space was taken up by the voluminous cargo bay, and with no sickbay, he had a front row as Neva and Alhanjhu administered to the unconscious woman. Even with the makeshift dressings on her bare abdomen, Alex could see unhampered blood seeping through, soaking the mattress crimson and dripping onto the deck. He knew there was nothing in the basic medkits they'd brought along which could fix her mortal wounds, or him once they pulled the blade out. Dermal regenerators could seal surface wounds, but they needed biobeds and surgery for the internal injuries, the blood loss. Unless...

"Ardyn." He rasped, reaching across to grab at her wrist. "Get Autumn...the nanoprobes...save her." Alex nodded towards Calindra before slumping back, entirely spent. Starring at his wife with glassy eyes, he couldn't bring himself to say another word. I love you Ardyn. If anything happens, always remember that. Maddison...

Calindra's Dream]

This was all her fault. She knew it.

Her heart pounded as she bolted to him, heart sinking to the floor as she saw his deep injuries. This was her fault.  She disobeyed orders and left him alone and in the end, he got hurt.

"Hey yourself. Take it easy, babe.  I'm here, I'm here, " she said, trying to project the calm and reassurance for him that she was absolutely not feeling right now.

Carefully picking up Alex, letting him hold on to her , she guided him to  one of the open beds in the cabins, trusting that the others got in safely enough, even though the warehouse was actively collapsing as they were trying to get out. "Keep her steady! Full shields! We've got debris falling in on us!" she ordered as they lifted off, leaving the crumbling and smoldering wreckage of a warehouse behind.

The ship shuddered as it moved through space as fast as it possibly could, but it still felt like just a crawl.  She looked around the room. There was one stasis pod. Not a good one by any stretch. They hadn't gotten around to updating it yet and it certainly didn't look at all like medical grade, or even barely humanoid grade. Something Ardy would definitely rectify when they made it home. "We've got one stasis chamber, but it's not anywhere near medically good.  It might do the trick with some slight modifications,  I think " she reported as she tried to stop some of the bleeding with a makeshift tourniquet. There was blood. So much blood. She was a pilot for crying out loud! What did she know about how to save lives?! Much less the lives of her husband and friend. The little first aid kit wasn't nearly enough.

Hot tears were threatening to stream down her face as she tried her hardest to keep herself together for Alex's sake, only to find her normal cool composure breaking at the seams. She couldn't let another person she cared about and loved die in her arms due to her terrible decisions.

He was weak, but she could still hear his thoughts. They were still there, at least.  But for how long, she didn't know.  Hearing him talk, as pained as it was, she held his hands  tightly.

"Alex. Alex! Don't leave me, Imzadi! I can't lose you too!  Maddy needs you...I need you!" she shouted, holding on to him to try and keep him with her.

Desperately , she tapped into her empathic abilities and reached out, giving him a lifeline to hold onto. She wasn't sure how, but it seemed to be working, He seemed to be breathing a bit easier, maybe feeling a bit less pain. That was something, at least.  If she could, she'd keep it going as long as she was physically capable. She had to .

Picking herself up, she took a look at what Autumn had gotten.

The nanoprobes.

Holding the cool glass, she set it on the small table in the galley.

It was a tiny jar, all things considered. The contents seethed and shimmered with a metallic, not-quite-iridescent sheen,  like the glistening carapaces of millions of tightly packed ants, each tiny probe with a life of its own. The Borg were dead.  The last cube  destroyed by Picard and his crew that fateful day. At least, that's what she had heard. These... these looked very much alive, though supposedly inert.  Looking at them, she shuddered.  She wasn't sure what would happen if they did take it and who should have it, or even if they wanted it.

Looking to the others , she nodded, forcing herself to steel herself and focus "We don't have many options if we want to save both of them, and buying time might be the best choice we have until we can rendezvous with the other ship." She said noting what Alhanjhu said. It would be a desperate move whatever they made.

"We have these too. " she said, showing the vial. As selfish as she was, she wanted to save him.

[Neva Cordon]

[ACEO Lt. Neva Cordon|Outside Sickbay->Brig]

When they got to the doors of Sickbay, Neva let go of Cali's wound and stopped at the threshold. They didn't need her now.

Wiping her hands on her pants, she turned away and headed to the Brig. She had registered the Commander's order on their flight to save Cali, but she hit her communicator that was again on her lapel.

Lieutenant Cordon to Commander Grippen. On my way to the Brig per your orders Sir. Cali's in the hands of those more skilled than I.    Neva slapped off the communicator as she found the Turbolift.

[Brig]

Neva had her hand resting on the disruptor on her hip, the other was on her hip. She stood in front of the cell the Romulan was in and said nothing. She looked both at him and through him, trying to quell the urge to shoot him now and let the court marshal sort it out.

"What do you want, Human? I'm not an exhibit." The prisoner said simply, standing up from the bunk and putting his hands behind his back. He gave her an equally peevish and unpleasant frown, standing opposite her.

Neva didn't move a muscle, but reached out to "feel" him. ~Pride. Annoyance. Superiority.~

"Your mind tricks don't work, Federation lackey. I know what you're looking for."

Neva let a smirk slide over her lips and shifted her arms to cross over her chest, the rest of her straightening up to full height.

"And what is that? Location of your nearest ice cream shop? A house of Romulan style ill repute?" Neva raised an eyebrow, rubbing the knuckles of one hand on her shirt then splaying out her fingers to gaze critically at them. "I'm not looking for state secrets, myself. You're free to tell me whatever your little green heart desires, though. I can't stop you."

The prisoner rolled his own eyes and shook his head. "Nice try Federation. I'll say nothing." He then walked over to his bunk and sat down again, one leg stretched out, the other dangling over the edge, and his back to the wall.

"Suit yourself." Neva agreed, then sat down at the nearest console, pretending to ignore his existence. She looked down at her PADD occasionally, but kept an eye on the screen.

This kept up for several minutes before he looked at her once more. "You can't hold me for long. We know the truth about you now. Your mission is a failure."

Neva didn't stop what she was doing or look at him as she answered him. "That may be true, but you're still in our brig. Score one for us I say." Neva gave him a droll stare, adding. "I'd suggest you shut up though. I'm right in the middle of-" She waved a hand dismissively and shook her head, even as she kept her eyes on what she was working on.

'Little bastard is going to sweat for me yet!' She groused to herself.

[Malik Grippen]

[Calindra's Dream, enroute to Rendezvous]

The Dowding? Malik knew it to be one of the newer Edison-class starships, but who the captain was he couldn't say.

"Message Acknowledged. Will keep you apprised of our situation."

29 hours. Malik hoped Cali and Wu could hold on until then. He stood from the cockpit and joined the rest of the crew, with Neva keeping watch over their prisoner.

Malik listened to AJ and Ardyn's ideas. Neither was ideal or guaranteed to work. They might even cause further problems. Calindra was the worst off having been skewered like a spicy kebab. She was losing a lot of blood. Wu still had the knife embedded in his side, acting like a plug to stop him from excessively bleeding out.

"The Challenger has been called away and won't make our rendezvous. The USS Dowding has been diverted to meet us instead. Assuming our engines don't give out, we'll reach each other in 29 hours. Let's get Lieutenant Calindra into the stasis pod. She can't afford to lose anymore blood. Ensign AJ, if you think this healing trance is worth a shot let's try it on Lieutenant Commander Wu."

He didn't want to touch the nano-probes unless absolutely necessary. Who knew if they were safe or would even work.

"I don't want to unleash these nano-probes unless we can prove they're safe".

He knew of the capabilities of nano-probes. Other starships had successfully employed them for a variety of applications including biological repair. But these probes weren't exactly sourced from the most reputable of locations.

[Ian Galloway]

[Calindra's Dream, enroute to Rendezvous]

The Dowding? Malik knew it to be one of the newer Edison-class starships, but who the captain was he couldn't say.

"Message Acknowledged. Will keep you apprised of our situation."

29 hours. Malik hoped Cali and Wu could hold on until then. He stood from the cockpit and joined the rest of the crew, with Neva keeping watch over their prisoner.

Malik listened to AJ and Ardyn's ideas. Neither was ideal or guaranteed to work. They might even cause further problems. Calindra was the worst off having been skewered like a spicy kebab. She was losing a lot of blood. Wu still had the knife embedded in his side, acting like a plug to stop him from excessively bleeding out.

"The Challenger has been called away and won't make our rendezvous. The USS Dowding has been diverted to meet us instead. Assuming our engines don't give out, we'll reach each other in 29 hours. Let's get Lieutenant Calindra into the stasis pod. She can't afford to lose anymore blood. Ensign AJ, if you think this healing trance is worth a shot let's try it on Lieutenant Commander Wu."

He didn't want to touch the nano-probes unless absolutely necessary. Who knew if they were safe or would even work.

"I don't want to unleash these nano-probes unless we can prove they're safe".

He knew of the capabilities of nano-probes. Other starships had successfully employed them for a variety of applications including biological repair. But these probes weren't exactly sourced from the most reputable of locations.

[Crew Quarters - SS Calindra's Dream]

As Malik struggled with what was proving to be the most difficult decision of his life, Autumn on the bridge called in.

"Sir! A ship is dropping out of slipstream! Sensors identify her as Pathfinder-Class, the USS Sun Tzu, we are being hailed, I'm routing it directly to you."

"Commander Grippen, Captain Sam LaVelle here. I understand you have need of a Starfleet sickbay. We weren't in the area, but when you have Quantum Slipstream capability, that rarely matters. Standby for transport, we'll tractor your ship aboard once you're all seen to. Admiral Gillespie of Starbase 153 sends his regards and asked me to relay the following. 'Well done for a bloody Risan.' I will meet you in sickbay. LaVelle out."

[Gero Priidik]

[Gero Pridiik - In Delirium]

What happened after he went down was but a blur. The wound inflicted onto him seemed to have hit his Brachial Artery. The heat of the blast only partially cauterising the large gash torn into his cardiovescular system. Red blood staining his clothes, painting his cloths the color his uniform should have had. The irony given the secrecy of their approach springing to his mind for a second before his thoughts drifted on again.

Not fully loosing consciousness but not able to fully holding onto his memories he experienced their extraction as a series of still frames burning into his mind.

At some point he stopped bleeding. A faint glow caught in his eyes, maybe a regenerator.

The sound of a shuttles engine in atmosphere engaging.

Communication over encrypted comm channels, he could not make out the words, but he didn't have to guess long as to their contents.

His body loosing its shape, atoms dissolving in a feeling similar to the experience of lowering one into warm water. Pain washing away for an instance, agitated muscles relaxing as the weight of his body was lifted into the strange in-between reality of the transporter for an impossible second, only for it all to come back almost quicker than his brain was able to conceptualize.

Lifting his head in a contest against the pain radiating from his arm into every fibre of his being, he spotted the walls of a shuttle bay through the windows. Some distant corner of his mind realised the danger in such an operation. There was a reason shuttlecraft normally landed instead just being transported to their drop of points, if they had.... Not able to conclude this thought he let himself go into the pain once again.

His eyes fixing on the two security officers that had probably saved his life... and he had ruined their mission. Guilt was eating into his guts.

-

[USS Challenger | Sickbay]

A non-registered timeframe later he found himself in a bright white room. The air rich with the smell of sanitizers and an exotic mix of drugs. Memories of past visits making it quite obvious where he had ended up. A Sickbay.

Only a second later did he realise something was missing, something he would not be sad about loosing, the pain. Instead a light feeling was filling his head, probably a powerful pain killer.

Looking to the Doctor standing at his bed and looking at his arm, he could only find the heart to ask a single question:

"Will I be able to keep my arm?"

[Alhanjhu]

[Calindra's Dream, enroute to Rendezvous]

The Dowding? Malik knew it to be one of the newer Edison-class starships, but who the captain was he couldn't say.

"Message Acknowledged. Will keep you apprised of our situation."

29 hours. Malik hoped Cali and Wu could hold on until then. He stood from the cockpit and joined the rest of the crew, with Neva keeping watch over their prisoner.

Malik listened to AJ and Ardyn's ideas. Neither was ideal or guaranteed to work. They might even cause further problems. Calindra was the worst off having been skewered like a spicy kebab. She was losing a lot of blood. Wu still had the knife embedded in his side, acting like a plug to stop him from excessively bleeding out.

"The Challenger has been called away and won't make our rendezvous. The USS Dowding has been diverted to meet us instead. Assuming our engines don't give out, we'll reach each other in 29 hours. Let's get Lieutenant Calindra into the stasis pod. She can't afford to lose anymore blood. Ensign AJ, if you think this healing trance is worth a shot let's try it on Lieutenant Commander Wu."

He didn't want to touch the nano-probes unless absolutely necessary. Who knew if they were safe or would even work.

"I don't want to unleash these nano-probes unless we can prove they're safe".

He knew of the capabilities of nano-probes. Other starships had successfully employed them for a variety of applications including biological repair. But these probes weren't exactly sourced from the most reputable of locations.

[Crew Quarters - SS Calindra's Dream]

As Malik struggled with what was proving to be the most difficult decision of his life, Autumn on the bridge called in.

"Sir! A ship is dropping out of slipstream! Sensors identify her as Pathfinder-Class, the USS Sun Tzu, we are being hailed, I'm routing it directly to you."

"Commander Grippen, Captain Sam LaVelle here. I understand you have need of a Starfleet sickbay. We weren't in the area, but when you have Quantum Slipstream capability, that rarely matters. Standby for transport, we'll tractor your ship aboard once you're all seen to. Admiral Gillespie of Starbase 153 sends his regards and asked me to relay the following. 'Well done for a bloody Risan.' I will meet you in sickbay. LaVelle out."

[Ensign Alhanjhu Jei'Jendak | Cockpit | Calindra's Dream]

Alhanjhu furrowed his brow at his intials used. "Technically, it's Ensign Jei'Jendak if rank is required with surname," he corrected, "but I understand, sir."

He looked back at Cali and placed an affectionate caress of his fingers on Cali's cheek, as brief as possible, and then headed for Lieutenant Wu.

"Lieutenant, be prepared. I'll need to start with a particular pressure point, and then induce a mental command through a partial, albeit basic, mind meld. It may or may not work, on account on whether or not Vulcan style telepathic capabilities can happen with Romulans. Like me. But I'm doing what I remember what Vulcans taught me when they helped to rein in my childhood savagery. Whatever the case, expect it to be brief."

With his left hand, he put his fingertips along the back of the lower neck, one point being a pressure point of sorts. He then put his fingertips in the style of a mind meld, a clawed hand touching different points on the face - had he done the nerve block nicknamed "the Vulcan Death Grip," he would've used both hands on the face - and began chanting. A moment later, Lieutenant Wu was under.

"Okay, he'll be out at least three hours, but he'll need something to wake him if his coma goes past ten hours," Alhanjhu said. Before he said anything further, he perked up in surprise. A ship closer than the Dowding was a relief to know, especially if it had a quantum slipstream drive. There was hope yet for Cali and Wu.

"How long will we need to have Cali in the stasis pod before the Sun Tzu has to transport her and Lieutenant Wu to Sickbay?" Alhanjhu asked Malik, though inwardly, he felt puzzled. Did he feel something from Cali...?