Backpost: Captains place is on the bridge

Posted on Sun Oct 20th, 2024 @ 9:07am by Captain Xavier Carey & 1st Lieutenant Kayleigh London

Mission: Those who are left behind
Location: USS Wellington
Timeline: After Arrival

Xavier slid his boots on, this was not a good sign when ev suits were necessary when going over to a ship. Scanners showed lifesigns, some weak... some had since disappeared, so there was no waiting around. He sighed as he took the standard away team weapon, "Ok guys, lets set it to stun. Those injured may not be in their right minds. Make sure you leave it on stun."

Those accompanying him nodded, and did as instructed. "Hull breach gives us a perfect entrance." Ensign Hayes replied as he scanned the ship.

"Very well... set us down near there." He replied as he tapped the scanner. "Scanners show survivors in one location. That makes it easier for us. But any search of the ship... a recovery mission. Lets deal with the survivors first."

Kay was nervous she was not at all glad that the captain was on this mission, in her opinion he should be on the bridge and she had decided to stick to him like glue.

"Aye sir." Coming up to the hull breach he opened the shuttles hatch

"This, usually is fun." Xavier replied in a somber tone. The shuttle was still more than a dozen metres away. Slowly using the packs thrusters to propel him into the breach. Safely landing into the corridor of the ship. Any fires were extinguished by the vacuum of space. There was evidence of such with scorch marks all around.

The other members of the away team finally arrived, "Heading out to deliver the other away teams to their destinations." Hayes replied as he darted off.

Tapping the scanner on his arm console, the life signs were several decks below. The fact that it was another galaxy class starship, made it easier to get the lay of the land. The saucer section was all that remained, and that was badly tattered. It wouldn't be hard to tell this ship would not be salvageable. But perhaps something can be used from her. "This way."

"Sir would you please let me go first." Kay said respectfully. "It's my job."

He was about to argue, but remembered he did the same thing on many occasions when he was chief of security. "Very well... " He replied almost upset about.

Kay was counsellor enough to see the captain was not happy. Right now she did not really care about it, she was going to do her duty. "Allright people, move out. I want those lifesigns secured as fast as we can so the medics can do their job." She watched her people fan out. "Medics can follow at a safe distance." Kay ordered.

Xavier, clearly not being used to this... sank, taking up the rear... placing his weapon in the holster.

Kay trusted her people to do their job so she let them go past and walked next to the captain. He seemed very unhappy but she had no idea what she was doing wrong. She was going by the book. "Sir, I have not been in security long, am I doing something wrong?"

"You are doing your job... I am not doing mine... one gets used to doing something for so long, its something they forget how to." Xavier replied as he followed. "I guess its the one con about taking the centre seat... everything you've done before... gets taken away. The one thing I miss..."

Kay nodded. "You should talk to my dad, I am sure you would be fast buddies." She managed to hide a smile. "No disrespect meant sir, but the captain belongs on the bridge during an operation like this. You could do much more there."

"I guess you are right... its odd... when I was security chief I would chastise the Captain any time he wanted to go on an away team. Now here I am in his position, having the same discussion. But on the opposite end."

"Maybe you had to do this to come to terms with the fact that you are not chief of security anymore. You are the captain and we all look to you for leadership." Kay said softly.

Sighing, "I suppose you are right."

"You have to come to terms with it, sir. Talk to Toni and your wife about it. We need you strong."

"Consider this my last one, unless necessity requires it..." He replied as he came up to a turbolift. "We will have to climb down."

"After you, sir." She said. "I will bring up the rear." Kay smiled at him.

"Its been a while, especially in a suit."

"Even more reason to let me take the lead on this, sir. My staff are in the lead so I will be the rear."

"Very well." He replied simply... climbing into the shaft, after security.

Kay was in contact with the rest of the team and they only moved forward if the area had been cleared so the medics could do their work in safety. Once the ship was secure her job was to just oversee and see that survivors were treated and moved back to Resolution as quickly as possible.

Finally climbing down several decks, "The lifesigns indicate there is a large group down the corridor. Looks like they are in the hydroponics bay..."

Kay gave her people orders to move into position. They were prepared for anything. Then she waited for an update from them.

Walking behind the group, "If coms are down, we have no way of telling them we are friendly."

"Nope. I am afraid that if there is a panic my people will use stun settings. There is just no time to talk everyone down. Lives will be lost if we are tardy... sir." she added belatedly remembering that he was her superior.

"There is always time to use dialogue... Stun is not always the solution." Xavier replied. "They are scared, opening fire, even on stun can turn things around. We use stun... whos to say they are using it."

Kay tried to stay reasonable as they were losing time. "Do you have a better idea?" She snapped.

"Just one." Xavier replied as they continued down the corridor. "Not saying its better... saying it may prevent panic."

"Be my guest." She said. He was the boss after all.

"You probably won't like it." He replied as he passed her his side arm... "Someone goes in, unarmed, hands in the air... and starts a dialogue..."

"Sir with respect we have so many to rescue, we don't have time for it. It will take minutes and in those minutes others may die."

"Then lets not make them wait any longer." He replied as they came to the door. "Since this will be my last team, lets make this interesting shall we." He opened a console, found the manual door opener... "You have my back so I ain't worried." He pulled the leaver... The doors opened... there was silence, nothing happened.

"Identify yourself..." came from in the darkness of the room.

Turning to the first lt. "Im going in..." He turned to the door and walked in, hands in the air.

"Oh for f#$ck's sake." Kay had no choice but to let the captain as he moved so fast.

"Captain Xavier Carey, USS Resolution here to get you guys out of here." He replied as he slowly made his way in. He trusted he wouldn't be shot. But he also trusted that his people had his back just in case the latter proved wrong.

A little chatter and then the captain was rushed by several people who were all taking at the same time and tried to touch him or get his attention.

Kay told her people to wait to see how he would handle this quickly.

Looking at the group of people, it was plain to see that they were scared, most seemed to be non officers, scientists, which didn't make sense considering they were sent out to a battle. There were a few officers, low ranking. Noticing that there was atmosphere, and gravity... he took his helmet off...

"If you all calm down, we will get you over to one of the ships that is here to evacuate. Is there any one that is in need of first aid immediately or can everyone wait until we get to the ship?" He asked looking around. He noticed in the corner several people rocking back and forth. "1Lt, your the counsellor here... see if they need help before we transport over."

Again everyone started to talk at once and over the captain and it was chaos. Kay was on the verge of losing her temper over the whole thing. There was no way even twenty counsellors could get these people calmed down quickly. "Sir with respect, there is no time." She shouted over the noise. "Marine rule, get them to safety first, then give help. It has been proven to save the most lives."

"We aren't in an active battle zone, we are accompanied by other ships to assist us. We are not bere to create panick and chaos." Xavier replied lookingmovwr to her. "We start forcing pushing. It will make the recovery that much longer. We cannot fight them, we need to stabilize before the chaos transfers over to the res."

"Sir, I am the expert here. I am not thinking like a counsellor now but like a marine. We have more ships but we still have a lot of ships to cover. With people who may be dying this very minute. Believe me, I have done this before. You are just getting in my way."

Some of the security guards were starting to look nervous. They were picking up on the tension between the captain and their acting chief.

"Thats just it, what we need here, is not marines... these people are scared, fear causes chaos... chaos causes drastic action. We calm them down. We get them over to where they can be looked at, and given the proper. But we need them calm before we can even start this." Xavier replied, "Now get over there, calm those people down, like you mean it."

"I do this under protest, sir." She whispered. "You are undermining my authority, I am here as interim chief of security not as a shrink. And this is the wrong approach."

"You are thinking too much like a marine. You are security... these aren't the enemy. The only threat to them, is their fear... we start forcefully evacuating... it wont do anything but harm When all is said and done... my Authority is the only one that matters."

"Sir." She saluted him turned command of the squad over to her senior NCO and went to work to calm the survivors.

Watching her leave, he turned to the group. "Not what I had planned. Alright people. We are going to start beaming you over to the Resolution. It has everything there to help you guys, you will be given any first aid needed, counsellors, fresh food and a bed, we will transport you over to starbase Pegasus, once we find all the survivors."

Once he said that everyone started to push and shove to be one of the first to be rescued and the din of voices became almost unbearable. Kay and her team had the hardest time to make sure the weakest were not overrun by the strongest.

Xavier sighed, but not discouraged. Noticing the ones needing the most help off to one side, the clearly uninjured or able to get around people were the one swarming. He tapped his combadge. "Carey to Resolution. Are you able to lock on to all individuals bundled together and beam them to the cargobay."

"Locked on to the group Captain," Came the reply. "We will need to separate the groups mid transport which isn't a big deal."

"Do it." Xavier replied as he turned to the group. "Prepare for transport."