Taking the Fight to Them

Posted on Sat Jul 19th, 2025 @ 9:34am by Captain Shran dh'Klar & Lieutenant Commander Shoniara T’ghann-Travis MD & Lieutenant Inara Senn & Lieutenant Wyatt Steele & Lieutenant JG Vienna Steele

1,940 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Wounds From the Mirror
Location: USS Saber

One the Washington, Cmdr Smith and his team and Lt Steele and his team readied for the assault. Everyone was dressed in E.V. suits, rifles at the ready. Smith and his team were as calm as could be, but he knew his plan was a bit unorthodox, so he checked with Wyatt to make sure they were ready for it. "Everything is going to be fine lieutenant. Not something you may have practiced before, but I promise you, this is going to work. Just remember, the moment you materialize, activate your boots." He offered one of those Cheshire grins he seemed to give whenever he talked about an insane plan. "They'll never expect us to come in through the airlock in the cargo bay. We can check on the life signs there, and if they are the Saber crew, we'll beam them over here to the Washington where the security teams will be waiting. Then we will search the Saber for any additional hostages from the ship that may be over there and capture any Mirrors that we encounter. If things get dicey, you hit your emergency transporter, and we are back here in no time."

Wyatt listened to Commander Smith's instructions and nodded. "Understood sir." He wasn't worried so much for himself but for Vienna and he would do whatever was necessary to protect her.

Everyone piled onto the transporter pad. "Alright Chief, beam us out" Smith said with a smile. Everyone dematerialized in the standard blue hue and then found themselves materializing and inch above the hull of the Saber. Smith activated his magnetic boots, and his feet set down on the hull of the Saber. The sound of the others doing the same could be heard. He looked back to confirm what he heard and saw everyone was firmly planted on the hull. "Alright Face, time for you to open the door."

"On my way sir" Lt Peck replied as he made his way to the controls of the airlock.

"Lieutenant..." he began looking at Wyatt, "you breach right behind B.A. Remember, we have 30 seconds to get in and repressurize before everyone inside drops dead. Time to be nimble."

"Yes sir. I'll be right behind B.A." he assured Smith before he turned and looked at Vi and winked.

Vienna couldn’t help but smile at her husband’s enthusiasm, even on the worst of away teams he kept his, and everyone else’s spirits up.


On the Saber, Capt Parker was leading Shon and Inara through the Jeffries tubes to the cargo bay. They reached the ladder to go down one deck and were climbing. After climbing down Parker opened the hatch and they continued to crawl until they were in sight of the exit. She looked back, "Alright, nothing fancy. First one out is likely to take fire if any of these bastards are about, so I'll take that job. Just remember to not to shoot me" she said with a smile, trying to lighten the mood.

"Oh, don't worry, Captain." Inara had a slight patronizing tone. "The only person I really want to kill is Deanna right now, and you do not get to go out in a blaze of glory. Once we get these assholes cleared out, it's back to the Command Chair with you, not a single opportunity to go on an away mission, and due to my unique qualities, I happen to know if there is anyone outside the Jefferies tubes and where they happen to be looking. So, you now have an elevated level of survival with me here to watch your back."

Now, they're quite overconfident. One of them is on the far side of the bay, the other one is leaning against the starboard bulkhead. If you open the tube just quiet enough, you can take the one on the bulkhead, and I'll take the one near the door."

Parker smiled, "You are just like Deanna, and you don't want to admit it. She has that sort of swagger in these sorts of situations, something I think she got from Shran. Going to be good to see the real Bonnie and Clyde again once we deal with these interlopers. I can tell you some stories about both of them" she said with a grin. Looking back at Shon, "Doctor, you let us clear out these folks, then we'll get you back to your ship."

"Captain I am quite ready to fight, just because I am a physician do not think I have not killed before, you would not stop me surely from taking some payback for what was done to me, yourself and made me do to Lieutenant Senn. I am also prepared to treat casualties so, do not dismiss me!" bristled Shon.

"Oh, you'll get your chance doc. But we need you to stay focused on being a doctor." Inara mentioned. "Most of these cargo bays have external doors that can be opened from the bridge. I need you to run towards a panel called exterior door override controls and shoot it. Safeties will kick in before anyone on the bridge can override the doors and it can only be cleared by local maintenance overrides. I don't want to be airlocked today."

"Not dismissing you doctor, just not inclined to put you in harm's way" Parker replied diplomatically. She prepared to open the access hatch when suddenly the alarm sounded. The airlock had been opened, and decompression was beginning. Parker didn't understand it, no warning about the forcefields deactivating, over the sound of a door opening, just the airlock opening. Just as abruptly as the airlock alarm going off, the sound of weapons fire could be heard. It was definitely StarFleet issue...sounded like burst fire...Parker began to mumble, "That crazy blue bastard."

The sound of phaser fire ceased and was promptly followed by the sound on the airlock closing and pressure, along with air returning to the cargo bay. Parker opened the hatch and had a phaser rifle in her face. A member of the Saber crew interjected, "That's our captain."

"Far be it for me to ever cause a problem with such a beautiful captain" Lt Peck stated as he lowered his weapon and helped Parker out of the Jeffries tube. He took note of Inara and Shon behind her, "Well, looks like we have two of the lost lambs. Our lucky day commander."

"Get them out of there lieutenant" Smith replied. He looked over to Wyatt, "Your team hold the fort while we start beaming these folks over to the Washington."

Shon remained quiet, she could have reminded Inara that she was the senior officer but because of her torture she remained quiet. But oh, how much she wanted payback, and she was determined not to be sent back to the Washington with her tail between her legs. She quietly slipped back into the Jeffries tube and began climbing.

"Yes sir." Wyatt replied dutifully. as he, Vienna and the set of the security team quickly set up a perimeter to repel any mirrors who may want to try and put up a fight. "Captain Parker, Lt. Senn, if you'll come over here, please."

Shon continued moving until she was out of earshot her mission to kill Shran and, or Deanna. She sat for a minute glad for a moment of quietness and clarity. then it seemed she was back torturing Inara, and the shame of enjoyment shook her. "You bastards" she whispered and carried on up ladders and on again through the Jeffries tube muttering to herself in complete breakdown.

As Capt Parker went with Cmdr Smith to identify her crew, Lt Peck waited at the Jeffries tube for a moment before taking a look inside. He had seen Capt Parker and Inara come out and had been waiting on Dr. Travis, but something was wrong. He sensed the fear, anger, desperation. He looked back towards Cmdr Smith, "Hannibal, we got a problem!"

Smith came over with Parker, "What is the problem lieutenant?"

"Dr. Travis didn't come out. She was confused, angry" Peck replied.

"She isn't in her right mind commander. She has been tortured to the point of mental instability" Parker noted.

"Normally I'd send Murdoch after her, but I think you might be the better option lieutenant. Let you use your talents"

"Excuse me sir, it might be better if I go with Lt. Peck. Dr. Travis knows me and my presence might be the key to having her to listen to us." Wyatt chipped in.

"Very well lieutenant. Find her and get her back to the Washington. If she provides any intel regarding additional hostages or any Mirrors she is aware of, send me a communique. I suppose Vienna can handle your team" Smith replied.

"We've gotten all of the Saber crew transported, with the exception of Capt. Parker here" Murdoch reported.

Smith looked to Parker, "You ready to get to safety captain?"

"I'm not leaving my ship" she stated emphatically.

"Alright. Murdoch, get the captain some proper clothing, and then we'll move out" Smith ordered. He looked at Inara, "You trying to stay as well, lieutenant?"

Shon's condition was getting worse, she had attempted to contact Seth a few moments ago to ground herself but her attempts came to naught. She no longer knew who was friend or foe and had turned her phaser on herself several times, looking inside herself and seeing only darkness. Her prefrontal cortex and her amygdala were affecting her emotional regulation and cognitive control and the usual Vulcan control she had had gone.

She continued to climb through the ship breathing heavily her hair plastered around her face and shoulders. "KILL KILL" she said out loud and smiled as she neared the confluence that would take her on, upwards to the bridge where she felt the mirror Shran and Deanna where.

She stopped for a moment as the pictures in her mind were overwhelming. She relived the moment the child that had been ripped out of her by the mirror Shran and she howled until it echoed and returned to her own hearing. Her injured brain took it as the sound of her child at the moment of their separation and she again brought the phaser up to her temple. Serotogeneric contols began to break down within her cortex causing her fight or flight control to activate exponentially. Now just a few decks away from the bridge she stopped to get her bearings. A sound behind her caused her to turn as a figure appeared from a ladder. For a moment they looked at each other in surprise and then Shon fired vaporizing whoever it was.

Inara pursued Shon, "Wyatt, keep up! Feeling the chaos in her mind. She followed the feeling, approaching a junction where Shon was. She grabbed a tricorder from Peck's belt. "Can I borrow this?" She threw it around the corner to distract Shon, which happened easily because she was shooting at everything in the corridor. She popped out from below and stunned Shon.

"Peck, I need to get her back to the Washington immediately. The freaky version of Deanna here did something to her."

Peck looked at Wyatt and then hit his comm, =^=Peck to Washington, located Senn and Dr. Travis. They need immediate transport to sickbay. Placing emergency beacon, transport in 5 seconds. =^= He placed the patch on the back of Inara and a few seconds later, Inara and Shon were beamed away.

Peck looked at Wyatt again, "Now all we have to do is link back up with the rest of the team. Seems easy enough."

 

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