Blood, Sweat and Tears

Posted on Monday June 7th, 2021 @ 10:48am by Tiandith 'Tia' Tobru

Mission: Out on Bad Behaviour
Location: Personal Quarters, Loki
Timeline: MD01 - 0330 Hours
1044 words - 2.1 OF Standard Post Measure

It felt so real. Sometimes perfect memory recall was a bitch when sleeping. Like a time machine it sent you back to relive that time before your body in the now decided 'Oh crap! Better wake you up!'

Tia sat in the chair, the command chair on the bridge of the Sovereign class USS Cavalry, with smoke filling her lungs and the dim of the room filled with the flashing red light of the alert status. This was the moment the second wave of Dominion attack hit Earth, the planet below could be seen on the fritzing viewscreen.

The Cavalry had taken severe damage over the course of many engagements (think VOY: Year of Hell) and Tia looked down at her uniform. The red of command littered with holes and burns, blood, sweat and tears. She sighed, this was not how her Admiralty years were meant to be, nor were they meant to be here as quickly as they were thrown upon her.

She had defended Vulcan as best she could before retreating further into the Sol System to make a final stand of sorts. She knew deep down it was a leaking dam holding back the water that would eventually drown them but she would never let her crew know that. Tia believed the Dominion could be beaten but traditional warfare was not going to be how. Hells it hadn't worked for them so far.

"ADMIRAL!" came the shout from her helmsman. "More ships approaching from port side. The Enterprise is gone!" he said with almost a cry in his voice.

Tia looked as the viewscreen switched to the wreckage and she placed her hand over her eyes as their last bastion of hope went down in flames.

The Enterprise was more than a ship, it was a symbol. It had previously been one of exploration, of Starfleet ideals, the epitome of what Starfleet stood for. Later, it became their beacon of hope and in many ways the sister ship of the Cavalry. Two remaining Sovereign classes battling the bad guys and protecting those in need. Now only the Cavalry remained and frankly she was at deaths door as well.

The ship shook once more as weapons fire from the Dominion ships battered the remnants of their shields. "REPORT!" Tia yelled.

"We are down to 5% shields, weapons are barely functional and we have minimal power." The ops officer yelled over the noise of the battle. "We will fight to the last ma'am!" she yelled in defiance as a photon torpedo destroyed a Jem'Hadar vessel.

Tia shook her head, there were still over 100 souls of her ship that she would not condemn. The Cavalry was done, she had fought well but Tia would not sacrifice everyone on board through stubbornness

"We are abandoning the ship." Tia said simply as she stood, steadying herself as she said the words she wished would never leave her mouth.

"Admiral--"

"No, Lea. This is not a discussion, a couple more hits like that last one and we will not be able to fight anyone." Tia spoke softly as a moment of din gave them a moments reprieve.

"All hands, this is Admiral Tobru, we are abandoning the Cavalry. I order you all to evacuate to your nearest escape pod and meet at the coordinates we all spoke of in the mess." she believed in keeping that kind of information verbal, the Dominion wouldn't be able to trace anything that way. "It has been my honour to defend your world but we cannot do any more from orbit. We will scatter and cause damage from within. May your Gods be with you." Tia said as she pressed the evacuation order on console of her chair.

The klaxons stayed the same but a new quieter message played for evacuation as people began to hurry around to their pods.

Lea turned as she saw Tia take the helm. "Admiral, what are you doing?" she almost screamed as another barrage slammed their hull. Shields were now down.

Tia turned and with soft features offered a resigned smile. "I'm buying you time Lea. You defied the order to stay on Trill with your people to help save Earth. I am going to defend as many pods as possible, including yours." She stood face to face with the woman.

Lea was formidable, her symbiont Tel would not let her be anything else. Face to face the background faded and they were lost in a moment. Lea grabbed Tia by the head and kissed her, tears leaving those crystal blue eyes. "You better see me down there." she said gripping her arm.

Tia smiled and stood back. "Go Lea, please." she said as turned her back on her to retake her station.

In protest most left, pods began to launch and Tia did her best to defend them. Bringing up what was left of the holo-systems she flew, fought and fired weapons.

"Collision alert!" the computer spoke in her monotone voice, devoid of emotion.

Tia looked at the display, a Jem'Hadar ship was making a kamikaze run for what looked like the bridge.

She unstrapped herself and began to move but the ship struck slightly off base as Tia had set the ship on a rotation to avoid maximum impact.

DARKNESS!!

Tia woke up.

She was drenched in sweat and had fallen out of bed. Her heart was racing, her breath fast and short as she panicked. She reached for her shoulder, the one that had been recently patched up by Ortega and realised where she was.

The Loki.

Being on a Starfleet ship again was bringing back memories she hadn't thought of in a long time, but she was safe for the time being. The quarters were sparse, barely even what you would call living quarters but it had a bed and someone to 'relax' if you could these days.

Tia began to breath slower, she looked at the stars streaming past her window and it gave her a sense of calm. The dream had shook her but she was alive and unhurt. It was over 20 years ago she lost the Cavalry and lost sight of Lea, but she would not rest until her true dying breath.

She'd find a way to win.