One of the highest rules in our game is to never let a character of another player be killed. During this particular joint mission of the Valkyrie and the Odyssey in June 2003 several players of the away team hadn't posted in months. Brandon, in one of his unconventional moods, killed off most of the characters on his team. One way to say: post or die...
From the Valk's status report:
ACMO Nataliya Ruschak -- MIA (Missing In Action)
ACEO Bertok -- MIA
ACONN Bast -- MIA
ASTC Ra'Los -- MIA
May they rest in peace.
Subject: CSO Giellun Maiek
(New Amsterdam colony - Balsat / Landing site - 2391.01.24, 1140)
=/\=Any member of the Valkyrie away team please respond, this is the shuttle Griffin from the Odyssey. We are here to offer assistance.=/\=
"This is Lt Maiek of the USS Valkyrie. We are in need of assistance."
(reply Griffin)
"We have lost contact with the Valkyrie can you update."
A second earthquake shook the planet putting the conversation on hold. A much larger one than before. A theory of cloaked ships targeting tractor beams at the continent was fleeting. Returning to his feet for the second time in so many minutes Giellun resumed the transmission.
"It seems this planet doesn't appreciate our presense. I will gather the remaining crew together. Stand by."
Immediately upon leaving the Valdor Ensign Bast, tricorder still in hand was laying in a most uncomfortable position at the entry ramp.
"Ensign?" Giellun tugged at the human's sleeve to provoke a response. There was none. Turning him face up, it was clear that the last quake had caught him in a bad position. In falling from the ramp, he managed to break his left arm in at least three places and impale himself on a loose and jagged corner of tile from the courtyard. Just as well. Human medicine was hardly his specialty.
"Luu Lieutenant.." Bertok pulled himself to the entrance of the Rota collapsing once he had reached his goal.
"Ensign? What happened?"
"Ear.. earthquake."
"I am aware of that ensign. What happened to you specifically?"
"Tried to salvage.. com..ications power relay..." He was fading in and out. Obviously in a good deal of pain. "ra'Los tried to pull it from console... lost balance. Hit his head... pushed me as I was.. burn the connections. Bad... timing."
Gilleun peered into the Rota. Ensign ra'Los had indeed hit his head. Hard. Even the Klingon skeletal system was vulnerable in the right spots. The impact was dead on at the base of the skull. No point in tending to him. He scanned Bertok. A self inflicted phaser burn through most of his abdomen. Or what was left of it. Lacking the containment of a rib cage, the Klingon's entrails had trailed from his original point of impact to his crawl along the floor.
"Sir.. you must end this.." His hand fell to where his side should have been, but instead rested on the shuttle's floor.
There was no point in arguing. There were no medical supplies, and even with the arrival of a working shuttle his survival was unlikely. Maiek backed away from the Rota. Bertok's mouth hung open without the strength to close it.
"I have little understanding of your rituals, but I assure you, somebody will howl for your death before the day is over." With that he drew his disruptor and fired into the bulk of his crew mate. Reduced to sub atomic particles, within fractions of a second there wasn't even a vapor cloud left. He reluctantly holstered his weapon. It had been far too long since he last fired it.
"Lieutenant!"
Looking into the place where a crowd had been gathered only minutes before it was hard to tell that it was the same area. Most of the surrounding structures had ceased to be structures and now littered the courtyard. Then a flash of gold and blue caught his eye. Korel, one of the medics was supporting al'Evering, part of their security escort.
"The others, they didn't make it. An underground tunnel collapsed as they were tending to the injured from the first quake. Part of their power transfer maintenance system. We were almost pulled in with them. Guile tore up his leg pretty bad when we started to slip in."
More bad news. But not unexpected given what had happened to the other members of the away team. The pair continued to head towards the shuttle, trying to keep an eye out for more holes about to open up under them. al'Evering pointed out a clear looking route following along the outside area of the yard, near a section of undemolished buildings. Altering their course they made it to a sidewalk in good condition quite quickly considering Guile had to hop the distance leaning on Korel's shoulder. Giellun guessed the distance at being short enough to begin speaking without the need to shout.
"I do have some good news for you though, we have reinforcements enroute. The Odyssey has come to our aid. They have a shuttle in communications range."
"The Odyssey? Was the Valkyrie in battle?" The Klingon was nearly dragging the El Aurian behind him now.
"They did not say. However we will find out shortly." He began heading for the pair to lend a hand.
Had he left approximately two seconds sooner he would not have been alive to ponder his good fortune. Just as he was about to extend his hand to bear some of the weight of the injured security chief the still standing building bordering the sidewalk took the opportunity to relieve it's support structure of it's top two floors.
Once the dust had parted, he opened a channel on his commbadge and began the futile attempt to dust himself off.
"Maiek to Griffin. We are ready to be beamed up at your convenience."
