Chapter 11 - Chapter Eleven

Things Left Undone - Chapter 11 by ~aceman67



Ten hours earlier…[br][br]Kestrel awoke to the sun shining in through her cabin window as the Endalla continued its orbit around Reeza. Stretching, her arm brushed over the hair of sleeping man next to her. She rolled over carefully so she could face him, slowly running her fingers through his jet-black hair. His eyes slowly opened and a smile spread across his face.[br][br]"Morning Kris." She said, matching his smile with one of her own.[br][br]Kestrel met Kristoff Chernienko six months ago when the Endalla was still under construction. He was assigned to Utopia Planitia as part of increased security after the Typhon Pact had arrived on the scene and tensions started to rise and espionage became a real threat.[br][br]She would pass him almost every day as she arrived for her shifts at the dockyard. At first, they would only exchange nods, then polite hellos. Eventually Kestrel asked if he wanted to go get lunch. During their meal, she found out that Kris, as he liked to be called, joined Starfleet initially as an engineer, but moved to security during the closing months of the Dominion war. [br][br]Over the coming days, Kestrel found she enjoyed is odd, somewhat frank sense of humor. Especially his insistence that any important technological innovation was 'made by Russians first!'; which was always said with an authoritative tone, that too the uninitiated or those who didn't know better and that he was feeding you a line of bull, would have a hard time disagreeing with him.[br][br]The days lead to weeks, and Kris and Kestrel continued to share their daily lunch, which lead to occasional dinners, and drinks on the weekends. [br][br]Akira, the dock foreman at the time of the Endalla's construction, finally cornered Kestrel one day and flat out told her that if she didn't get her act together and ask 'that silly ruskie' out, she was going to have him reassigned so she could have one of her engineers focus back on her work.[br][br]So she did.[br][br]Weeks turned to months and she moved in to share his apartment at the Utopia Colony on Mars. As the launch of the Endalla loomed closer, and much of the engineering staff who built the ship were chosen to serve on her, Kestrel was thrilled when she found out that not only was her sister chosen as diplomatic officer, but Kris was joining as part of its security force.[br] [br]"Morning to you too." He said softly in return, leaning in and giving her kiss on the nose, which elicited a small giggle. "Hey, I'm going to ask you a question, and its important."[br][br]"You can ask me anything you want." She replied. He reached down and took her hand in his, bringing it up and gave it a soft kiss.[br][br]"Will you marry me'" he asked, in a somewhat familiar tone. Like when he's trying to convince you that Russians invented anti-grav plating. But the seriousness and intensity in his eyes washed any thoughts that he was kidding out of Kestrels mind.[br][br]And it scared her.[br][br]She jumped up from under the covers, started to pace the room, only to stop and turn to face him. She let out a nervous laugh.[br][br]"As much as I enjoy you walking around like that, you should put this on." Kris said, reaching down and tossing her robe at her, the same one she had let slide off seductively the night before. "And you still haven't answered me."[br][br]She tied the knot of her robe's belt and looked at the man in front of her. The more she thought about it, the more the idea cemented itself in her mind. He made her happy, as much as she made him happy. She loved him and she could not imagine anything different.[br]"Of course I will!" She said, falling into his arms on the bed, embracing him in a passionate kiss, which he happily returned.[br][br]When they parted, Kris made his way over to his dresser and pulled a small box, and handed it to her. Inside was a small gold ring with a small red jewel inset on it. Kestrel could see that it was not a valuable jewel, but she could tell from the smile and look of pride in Kris' eyes that it was very dear and important to him.[br][br]"This ring has been in my family for generations, passed from mother to son since the early 1800s. We honestly don't know how old the ring is." Kris explained, letting out a small laugh. "Before my mother passed, she gave this to me. She said 'Kristoff, I want you to find a girl who makes you happy, and when you do, you give her this. Then you make her happy.'" He said, wiping a tear from his eye. "Kestrel, you make me happy. More happy then I've ever been in my life, and I love you for that. I can't picture not being with you." He continued, taking the ring and placed it on her finger, and leaned in to kiss her again.[br][br]When she opened her eyes, she saw the time on Kris' chronometer on his bed stand, and it caused her to panic.[br][br]"We're late for our shifts!" Kestrel exclaimed.[br][br]"It's alright! I cleared it with our respective boss-ladies. We got an hour, and I can think of something more 'productive' we could be doing with our time… don't you'" Kris hinted with a wild grin on his face.[br][br]* * *[br][br]Akira was leaning back on her chair in her office just off the floor of main engineering, a glass of Trixian Bubble Juice, the child's drink being her guilty pleasure, in one hand, and reading a padd with shift reports in the other. As she read, the words of which were starting to blend in together as the banality of her job started to get to her. Putting her drink and padd down, she got up and stretched her arms behind her, when out of the corner of her eye she saw Kestral figuratively glide past her office window with a beaming smile on her face. Akira quickly grabbed another padd from her desk and walked out into the center of engineering, nodding to engineer Brett Cruise, who quickly disappeared out a door.[br] [br]"Alright, listen up everyone; I've got an important announcement. Those of you who served with me on Utopia Plantia can probably guess what is coming, so this is for you new people. We have a promotion to take care of! Most C.O.s like take care of these things privately and with dignity. I, however, like to single out and embarrass my grease monkeys." Akira stated loudly, eliciting laughter from everyone. "Stevenson, front and center!" she ordered, and Kestrel took her place, rolling her eyes, but still unable to hide her smile.[br][br]"Lieutenant Junior Grade Kestrel Stevenson, Damage Control Specialist, U.S.S. Endalla. As of Stardate 58561, 0900 hours ship-board time, by order and approval of Starfleet Command and your superior officers; you are here by promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, and assigned as Deputy Chief Engineer, with all the rights and privileges therein." Akira stated formally. "Kestrel, you came to me a wet behind the ears academy graduate, and I've watched as you became a brilliant and quick thinking engineer. You've earned this." She continued, pulling a small gold pip out of her pocket, and attaching it to Kestrel's collar, replacing her half-pip. Akira then turned her head and nodded to Brett, who had returned with a tray of Sake glasses, and started to pass them around.[br][br]"Kanpai!" Akira toasted loudly, tossing back the glass of rice wine, followed by the same from everyone else.[br][br]"Thank you, everyone. This day just keeps getting better." Kestrel said, blushing furiously and brushing an errant lock of her auburn hair out of her face with her left hand, which caught the eye of Brett Cruise.[br][br]"Now, you are going to tell us why you walked in here on cloud nine, right'" He joked, eyeing the ring on her hand.[br][br]Kestrel froze, the eyes of fourteen engineers now locked on to her. She looked at her hand and smiled.[br][br]"Kris proposed to me this morning." She said quickly in one breath, followed by everyone cheering.[br][br]* * *[br][br]"Brett, take a look at the impulse reactor's deuterium flow rate, adjust it by oh-point-six." Kestrel said, going over the readings on Master Systems Display table before her in main engineering.[br][br]"On it boss." Brett replied with a smirk. Since her impromptu promotion this morning, he had taken to calling her 'boss', and it was staring to wear on her.[br][br]"Brett, you gotta stop calling me that." She mock-scolded him, shaking her head.[br][br]"Sure thing, Lieutenant Chernienko." Brett said, quickly ducking under her swing that was meant to lightly smack him upside the head.[br][br]That was when things went to hell. The red alert klaxon sounded mere seconds before the deck bucked under everyone's feet. Over Kestrel's shoulder, a frightful scream ended abruptly with a dull thud on the deck.[br][br]"All Hands, battle stations!" sounded Akira's voice over the ships intercom.[br][br]"Carol!" Brett yelled, running over to the officers still body, her neck bent a wrong, sickening angle. Brett looked over to Kestrel and shook his head, letting her know she was dead.[br][br]"Ok…" Kestrel began, taking a calming deep breath to steel herself, then let her training take over. "Drag her into the office and join damage team 2." She told Brett, quickly turning to the rest of her staff scrambling to react to the situation unfolding around them. "zh'Kiba, divert power from non-essential systems and let Operations know it's available." She ordered as the deck bucked under her again, sending her to the deck. Her mind screamed in pain as her arm gave way with a wet crack.[br][br]* * *[br][br]"Report!" Akira ordered, pulling a lock of hair out of her eyes only to see her fingers covered blood. The Reezan ship had fired two volleys from its main weapon, a particle beam cannon that ran the length of the ship, before they could move out of its line of sight.[br][br]"Shields down to eighty-three percent, sensors show our phaser fire is causing similar damage." Halee responded.[br][br]"Good, keep firing. Marion, keep us out of the firing solution of their main gun." She said turning towards Li at operations. "Damage report, ensign."[br][br]"EPS conduits blown out on decks seven and ten; damage control teams responding. Engineering reports one fatality." The young Bajoran reported.[br][br]Akira's brow knitted into a scowl as she contemplated their next move. "Marion, bring us around to…," she said, pausing to work the command chair's armrest console, "one-four-eight, thirty-five degree incline and increase speed to one-third impulse. Valco, ready torpedo salvos fore and aft, target their weapons and shields with ventral phasers, fire when you have lock."[br][br]In Akira's mind she pictured the ship pulling to port and making a torpedo run on the Reezan ship. On the view screen she saw red balls of light streak towards their opponent, then felt the deck under feet vibrate as the aft torpedo salvo launched. [br][br]"Ventral shields down to sixty-two percent." Halee reported.[br][br]"Bring us about to starboard, full axis rotation; bring our dorsal weapons to bare. Auxiliary power to weapons, target their engines!"[br][br]The Endalla banked to the right, rolling itself to fire its dorsal phasers, which arced towards their targets, one of them finding their mark on the enemy ship, causing one of its engines to explode, fishtailing the vessel so its bow had a clear line of sight at the Endalla.[br] [br]Then it fired.[br][br]"All hands; Brace! Brace! Brace!" Akira screamed after slamming her hand down on the intercom control. The ship rocked violently, sending everyone to the deck as sparks and flames erupted from blown out consoles, filling the bridge with acrid smoke as the lighting failed.[br][br]Akira rolled on the deck groaning, the wind knocked out of her, making getting up even that much more difficult. "What happened'" She called out into the darkness.[br][br]"We took a direct hit to our starboard nacelle strut. By the Prophets! It's been sheared clean off! It's adrift eight hundred meters aft, looks to be intact." Li reported. "Damage reports coming in… Main power is at thirty-one percent. Weapons, shields and propulsion are all offline; structural integrity is down to fifty-six percent but engineering reports that they've tied the holodeck power systems into the SIF to stabilize it."[br][br]"And our friend out there'"[br][br]"In pretty much the same shape we are. They've lost main power and life support is minimal. They're appear to be dead in the water." Halee responded.[br][br]"Bridge to Sick-bay, status." Akira asked as she pulled herself into her chair as Marion and Amber managed to get the emergency lighting working.[br][br]"Burst'n at th'seams lassie, I've got two dead, three more critical with plasma burns and more broken bones and concussions then I can count. I'll get back to ya." William reported.[br][br]"Engineering, what can you give me." Akira asked.[br][br]"zh'Kiba here, Brett just dragged Kestrel to sickbay. We lost Carol. I don't even know where to begin. We've stabilized the SIF, and teams are working on getting main power back to full. Damage control team one is suiting up in hazard gear to go inspect the nacelle strut where we just stopped leaking drive plasma." The Andorian zhen reported.[br][br]"Good work, I'll be down there when I can." Akira, said in praise.[br][br]"Commander, Kestrel did good. She kept us together despite breaking her arm in the second hit."[br][br]"Acknowledged." Akira said, smiling.[br][br]* * *[br][br]"Keep applying the dermaline gel." William told a nurse as he moved on to his next patient.[br] [br]"Doctor, he's convulsing!" The nurse called out, holding on to the burned man's shoulders to keep him on the bio-bed.[br][br]"shoot. A blood clot went into his brain, twenty milligrams of lectrazine." He ordered, immediately having a hypospray handed to him, which he applied to his patient's neck. The convulsing slowly stopped, followed by the bio-bed's readings bottoming out.[br][br]"Cortical stimulators doctor'" the nurse asked.[br][br]"No, the damage is too severe, there's nothing we can do. Time of death, 1845 hours." William stated, turning to see Kestrel being brought into sickbay.[br][br]"Kris!" she screamed, trying to get away from Brett who's trying to keep her from running into the busy sickbay.[br][br]"Lieutenant. I'm sorry…" The doctor started to say, as Kestrel slumped to her knees in shock has her world came crashing down around her.

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