Mezzanine Area - Galactic Princess

Mr. Skonch immediately used his Science Tricorder to analyze the noises coming from the ventilation shaft. As much as what was to be expected, the scanning device in the Vulcan’s hand revealed there were no humanoid lifesigns coming from beyond the vent coverings. This could only mean one thing, Xenomorphs had come for whomever they could get their hands on!

Cmdr Skonch: Commander Ashborn, there are no humanoids detected in the ventilation shafts, it must be Xenomorphs attempting to get in here. I recommend the entire boarding party should beam back to Whitestar immediately.

The Chief Science Officer looked at the XO with a grim expression to show just how serious the situation had become. Mr. Skonch felt if they did not depart soon, they would have to fight their way out of the mezzanine to get to a safe place for them all to beam over to Whitestar. The Commander was aware Capt Daqtorgh would be listening to all that was going on aboard the Galactic Princess, so the Vulcan anticipated the CO would be informing Lt. Mitchell to lock onto their positions and beam them back to the ship as soon as Cmdr Ashborn requested it.
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Commander Skonch
Chief Science Officer, USS Whitestar

Chase immediately called out to Capt Daqtorgh to lock onto everyone in the Boarding Party and beam them off the Galactic Princess. The Commander knew how deadly a Xenomorph attack could be from reading the logs from others who have encountered them in the past. Even with the Security Officers that accompanied Lt. JG Syntranos who were armed with incendiary weapons, Chase knew that kind of device would only deter the Xenomorphs, not fully stop them!

Cmdr Ashborn: Ashborn to Whitestar! Initiate Emergency Beam-Out immediately!

As the XO and the others waited on Capt Daqtorgh to give the order to get them out of the mezzanine, the vent covering finally gave in and several Xenomorphs jumped down onto the deck! The Security Officers began using their flame throwers in a fashion to create a wall of fire between the rapidly approaching creatures and where the Boarding Party was now standing. The fire wall would only act as a deterrent for so long before the Xenomorphs jumped through to attack the personnel from Whitestar. Time was certainly of the essence, in this situation!
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Commander Chase S. Ashborn
Executive Officer, USS Whitestar

Bridge - Deck 1 - USS Whitestar

The Captain heard the commotion from the open channel and tapped his Combadge to alert Chief Osaka to beam the Away Team back to Whitestar.

Capt Daqtorgh: Daqtorgh to Chief Osaka! Beam the Away Team the Hell out of there! Have them return to their stations immediately upon arrival!

Looking over to the Ops Station, the Captain called out to Lt. Mitchell.

Capt Daqtorgh: Mr. Mitchell, please hail Admiral Arayuss on Sutherland, Priority One!

Daqtorgh then called out to Lt. Wolf at the Sec/Tac Station next…

Capt Daqtorgh: Mr. Wolf, standby for Red Alert, be ready to divert power to Shields and Weapons!

Waiting for the Transporter Chief to beam the Away Team back to Whitestar was keeping the CO sitting on pins and needles! Daqtorgh did not want to lose any members of Whitestar’s personnel, especially to the honorless creatures who had apparently infested the Galactic Princess.
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Captain Daqtorgh
Commanding Officer, USS Whitestar

While waiting to hear if Chief Osaka had beamed the Away Team back to the safety of Whitestar, Cole used the Companel at the Ops Station to contact the USS Sutherland using a secured Priority One frequency. As soon as the Lieutenant established an open channel to the Nebula Class Starship, Cole indicated the communication was to be between Capt Daqtorgh and Adm Arayuss. In a matter of seconds, the Bridge of Sutherland appeared on the Main Viewscreen with the Admiral seated in the center chair.

Lt. Mitchell: I have the Admiral for you, Captain! He’s on the Main Viewscreen now, Sir!

The Chief Operations Officer was curious as to why Capt Daqtorgh needed to contact the CinC so suddenly. The Captain must want to discuss something with Adm Arayuss of some importance, otherwise he wouldn’t have authorized the use of a Priority One frequency. Whatever the reason the CO had for wanting to speak to the Admiral, Cole knew he would be finding out what it was shortly. The Lieutenant was becoming concerned about the Away Team not being transported back to Whitestar yet and hoped Chief Osaka was not running into any difficulties rescuing their fellow officers from certain doom.
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Lieutenant Cole S. Mitchell
Chief Operations Officer, USS Whitestar

Since Daqtorgh had not heard word from Chief Osaka regarding the status on the return of the Away Team, he tapped his Combadge again and contacted Transporter Room 1 with concern in his voice.

Capt Daqtorgh: Bridge to Chief Osaka! What’s the status of the Away Team, have you beamed them aboard yet?

Down in Transporter Room 1, the Chief was having difficulty locking onto their coordinates with all of the havoc happening over on the mezzanine of the Galactic Princess.

CPO Osaka: Osaka here! I’m having problems locking onto the Away Team with all the craziness going on over there! They’re not standing still long enough for me to get a lock and I don’t want to accidentally beam over a Xenomorph!

Hearing this sent a cold shiver down Daqtorgh’s spine as he stood up from the center seat.

Capt Daqtorgh: Understood, Chief! I’ll have Mr. Mitchell assist with the ship’s sensors so you can get a positive lock on the Away Team!

Walking over to the Ops Station, the Captain spoke directly to Lt. Mitchell…

Capt Daqtorgh: Mr. Mitchell, do what you can to assist Chief Osaka with the Transporter dilemma! Transfer the Admiral to my private channel in my Ready Room. Mr. Thomas, you are in temporary command of the Bridge till I return!

The CO walked across Bridge to the Ready Room, and once the doors open Capt Daqtorgh went and sat in his chair waiting for Lt. Mitchell to patch the Admiral to the terminal on his desk. As the Captain waited on Adm Arayuss to appear, he was very concerned with the safety of the Away Team and the situation there were in.
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Captain Daqtorgh
Commanding Officer, USS Whitestar

Dylan nodded to acknowledge the Captain transferring command of the Bridge to the Lieutenant as he spoke aloud to Capt Daqtorgh, this way the Commanding Officer would know Lt. Thomas accepted the temporary position for the time being.

Lt. Thomas: Aye, Captain!

The Chief Flight Control Officer went over and stood beside his best friend, who was like a brother to him, and offered any support Cole needed to assist Chief Osaka with beaming the Away Team back to safety. The last thing anyone wanted was for harm to befall their fellow officers from Whitestar at the hands and jaws of a Xenomorph hoard.
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Lieutenant Dylan S. Thomas
Chief Flight Control Officer, USS Whitestar

Cole did as the Captain ordered and transferred the Priority One call to Adm Arayuss to the Ready Room where Capt Daqtorgh could speak with the CinC in complete privacy. Afterwards, the Lieutenant immediately used the sensors of the Akira Class Starship to pinpoint the members of the Away Team. In a few short moments, which would’ve felt like an eternity to those aboard the Galactic Princess, Lt. Mitchell was able to lock the Transporter Beams onto the Combadge signals of each member of the Boarding Party. A second later, Cole in conjunction with Chief Osaka beamed the entire Away Team back to Whitestar!

CPO Osaka: Osaka to Bridge! The Away Team has returned, but there have been casualties! Dr. Tudismaque has fatal wounds! Commander Ashborn has serious acid burns, as does the rest of the Away Team! I’m going to beam them all to Sickbay which will activate the Emergency Medical Hologram to get to work on them right away!

The Chief quickly beamed the entire Away Team to Sickbay which activated the EMH to treat his badly wounded patients. The Transporter Operator left instructions for the Holographic Doctor to contact the Bridge as soon as he medically had an update on the crew that had beamed aboard the Galactic Princess and returned so badly injured.

The Chief Operations Officer had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach when he heard that Dr. Tudismaque had fatal wounds. Cole, Dylan and Jacques had been friends a long time and the thought of losing him was just too much to bear. The Lieutenant muttered a quiet prayer for their longtime friend being worked on by the Holographic Doctor in Sickbay. Lt. Mitchell looked over at Lt. Thomas and could see his close friend was also worried about the events that transpired on the Galactic Princess before the Away Team returned to their home on Whitestar.
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Lieutenant Cole S. Mitchell
Chief Operations Officer, USS Whitestar

Ready Room - Deck 1

As Daqtorgh sat in the chair behind his desk in the Ready Room, the youthful image of Adm Arayuss appeared on the screen of the terminal before the large Klingon Captain.

Adm Arayuss: How can I help you, Captain Daqtorgh?

The Captain had sad news to report, but started off by wanting to thank the Admiral for taking his call.

Capt Daqtorgh: Hello Admiral, thank you for taking my call in this troubling situation. It is my duty to report the Away Team has returned to Whitestar, but are recouping in Sickbay. Dr. Tudismaque, I hate to report since I know he's a friend of yours, Sir, that he may succumb to his wounds. Jacques is in a fatal condition, so I thought you should know right away. Commander Ashborn has serious acid burns on his face and arms. The rest of the team seems to be resting comfortably from a job well done. The other reason I called was to ask your opinion on what we should do with the Galactic Princess, tow it to Starbase 34 or dispatch with it? There is a Xenomorph infestation on the Cruise Ship, so if it were me I wouldn’t let it get near a Starbase full of different races of people.

Daqtorgh waited to hear the Admiral’s response before making a follow up statement regarding a replacement Chief Medical Officer.

Capt Daqtorgh: I would like to request a temporary Medical Officer be sent over as soon as possible, the Holographic Doctor can do only so much.

The CO sat back in his chair as he waited to hear what Adm Arayuss had to say about getting Whitestar a new Chief Medical Officer. The Captain knew very little about the Emergency Medical Hologram since there were none aboard any of the Klingon ships he served on. Daqtorgh had dealt with holographic foes in training exercises before, but he never knew of one capable of replacing a Doctor aboard a Starship.
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Captain Daqtorgh
Commanding Officer, USS Whitestar

Bridge - Deck 1

When Dylan heard the news regarding the injuries to the Away Team when they returned, the Lieutenant was really worried about them. Especially after hearing of the fatal injuries of Dr. Tudismaque! Dylan and Cole had been friends with Jacques since before he was the Assistant Medical Officer to Dr. Sonny Brewer. The Lieutenant decided to call down to Sickbay and get an update on the medical condition of each of the members of the Away Team that were recovering from their injuries.

Lt. Thomas: Bridge to Sickbay! What’s the medical condition of each member of the Away Team?

Down in Sickbay, the EMH was hard at work trying to save the life of Dr. Tudismaque! Unfortunately, between the mauling and the damage to the Doctor’s cranium from the inner jaws of the Xenomorph, the EMH was going to lose the battle due to severe blood loss and damage to Dr. Tudismaque’s head. The open wound exposed the Doctor’s brain, which also suffered severe trauma from the Xenomorph attack. It wasn’t long before the battle was over and Dr. Jacques Z. Tudismaque had passed away. The EMH heard Lt. Thomas calling from the Bridge, so he answered the Lieutenant.

EMH Doctor: My apologies, Lieutenant. The Doctor’s injuries were too severe and I was unable to save his life, he passed away a few moments ago. As for Commander Ashborn, Commander Skonch and Lieutenant Syntranos and the Security Personnel, they all received severe acid burns from physically fighting against the Xenomorph that was attacking Dr. Tudismaque. They did manage to kill the one that attacked the Doctor, so there won’t be any need to go on a revenge strike against it. Dermal regenerators are being used to heal the burns so they’ll be fine in a matter of time.

Dylan felt sick to his stomach when he heard the news that his friend Jacques had died. The Lieutenant didn’t know what to say other than expressing his gratitude for the efforts the EMH had performed on Dr. Tudismaque.

Lt. Thomas: Thank you for your efforts, Doctor. Bridge out.

The Chief Flight Control Officer sank in his chair as he tried with every fiber of his being not to break down and cry right there on the Bridge. The loss of his friend of so many years was breaking his heart and the fight to keep tears from rolling down his cheeks had become a losing battle. Using the sleeve of his uniform, Dylan wiped his face for he did not want Capt Daqtorgh to see him weeping. The Lieutenant was well aware of how the Klingons saw crying as a weakness of character. Especially since it was known the Klingon race did not have tear ducts. Using the Companel on the Flight Control Station, Dylan sent a text message to the Captain’s terminal on his desk in the Ready Room which simply stated, We lost Dr. Jacques Z. Tudismaque.
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Lieutenant Dylan S. Thomas
Chief Flight Control Officer, USS Whitestar

Ready Room - Deck 1

The Captain sat at his desk and listened to everything Adm Arayuss had to say regarding the Galactic Princess, as well as the use of the EMH in Sickbay.

Adm Arayuss: The Disney Corporation has put a substantial value on the Galactic Princess, they informed me that they do not want it destroyed! They would like the ship brought back to Starbase 34 and cleaned out. There’s no way I want that Cruise Ship docking with the base, I want it placed in an elliptical orbit at fifty thousand kilometers. Make it so, Captain!

Then the Admiral’s mood changed and he appeared quite stern with Capt Daqtorgh.

Adm Arayuss: Captain Daqtorgh, it really lacks compassion for you to request a replacement for Jacques when he has not even passed away from his injuries yet. Plus, the EMH is quite sophisticated and can do quite a lot. It has an active database of every physician that was ever in Starfleet making it the best Doctor you could ask for under the circumstances. Your request for a temporary Medical Officer is denied. I’ll get you another one once Whitestar docks at Starbase 34. Until then, make use of the EMH.

Daqtorgh read the message he just received from Lt. Thomas and felt he must inform Adm Arayuss of the dreadful news. Before speaking to the Admiral, the Captain sent a text back to the Lieutenant that simply read, Understood.

Capt Daqtorgh: Admiral, before I let you go, I have just learned from Lieutenant Dylan Thomas that Dr. Jacques Z. Tudismaque has passed away due to his fatal injuries. I will carry out your orders and remain using the EMH. I trust in you, Sir. You are truly a person of honor. Thank you for your time, Admiral. Whitestar out!

The Captain rose from his desk in the Ready Room and walked towards the doors and exited to the Bridge where he went to the unoccupied center chair and took a seat.

Capt Daqtorgh: Mr. Mitchell, open a fleet wide channel. Mr. Wolf, ready the Tractor Beam as we have orders to tow the Galactic Princess back to Starbase 34 and place it in an elliptical orbit of fifty thousand kilometers from the base. Also stand down with the Red Alert, Shields and Weapons. Mr. Thomas, you were close to Jacques so I would be honored if you did the notification to all ships and to his family.

Even though it was customary for the Captain of a ship to contact the family of a fallen member of their crew, Daqtorgh figured the news would come easier from somebody who knew Dr. Tudismaque from his younger days. The Captain felt really bad about what happened to the Doctor and pondered the idea of going down to Sickbay to check on the XO and the other members of the Away Team. Once Whitestar was on its way back to SB34 with the Galactic Princess in tow, Daqtorgh would check on the survivors of the Away Team that saved the lives of the people they rescued to the transport vessels.
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Captain Daqtorgh
Commanding Officer, USS Whitestar