The Voyages of Fiona Skye

Holodeck Short Stories
1
For Logs
Spoiler: 17/18JUL2416 (RED ALERT) - Battle of the HeliosShow
*Video log starts, Fiona is on the bridge of the Helios as they arrive at the edge of the Visuvu system.*

Fi - “Captain's Log, we have just reached the edge of the Visuvu system…”
OPS- “Captain, multiple ships dropping out of warp, I count 5, no 8, no ten ships captain. They are locking weapons!”
Fi - “Shields up, Red alert! Attempt to hail them.”
*As the red alert sirens start to play*
COM - “They are not responding to hails captain.”
*As the ship suddenly rocks as the pirates open fire*
TAC - “Hull breaches on decks 4 and 5! Shields holding!”
Fi - “Return fire, all maximum weapons spread. Helm get us out of here!”
Helm - “Aye aye, plotting course for the asteroid belt.”

*The ship lurches as it takes a hit as it jumps to warp.*

Fi - “Status report?”
ENG - “We can’t go to warp the hit as we jumped fused the coils, it would take a starbase days to fix it.”
TAC - “We are down to 90% weapon and shield power.”
COM - “I’m sorry captain, but they have knocked out long range comms.”
OPS - “Contact in less than ten minutes!”
Fi - “Okay people we survived the Iconian war with this ship we can survive a bunch of pirates.”

*Recording resumes, +48 hours from Red alert being initialised, the bridge has taken massive damage with sparks flickering across the bridge along with flames, blood dripping down from Fiona’s temple.*

Fi - “Ops, Initiate a full-scale evacuation, we have to abandon ship.”
OPS - “Aye Aye captain. All hands, abandon ship, I say again all hands abandon ship.”
TAC - “Captain, what about you?”
Fi - “Someone has to buy you time.”

*As the ship starts to launch shuttle craft and escape pods, while security teams attempt to fight off the boarding parties.*

DC - “This is the Deathclaw to the Federation vessel, surrender yourself this is a no win scenario for you. Surrender.”

*Fiona can be seen moving across the Helm consoles as she needs to buy time for the escape ships*

Fi - “Well I’m sorry to tell you this, but I don’t believe in no win scenarios.”

*Fiona sits down in the Captain's chair as the space seat belts lock her in place as the engines fire as she goes to ram into the enemy ship from the warnings that can be heard.*

*As the Helios rams the enemy ship, the recording cuts out until it comes back with Fiona in a firefight on the bridge against the boarders as she is slowly forced back into her ready room where she seals the outer and inner door against them. As she sits down at her desk, phase pistol next to her as she pulls out her locket holding it close. As a massive explosion rips through the sip throwing her across the room.*

“Ahh, they appear to have had enough of us now...this is my final log as I doubt I will live past tonight. If anyone finds this log, can you please tell my daughter and my fiancee that I am sorry. I held for as long as I could hoping help would come but…”
*The log ends as the inner door is blown in as the pirates storm the room.*
1 Like
2
Spoiler: Stardate 94297Show
Fiona strode unto the bridge as she exits the turbo lift, her PADD tucked under her arm, she pauses for a moment at the exit of the lift as she glances around her bridge a small smile on her face before she strides towards the centre of the bridge as she looks over at operations officer.
"Alves, what is our ET for finishing the resupply of the outpost?"
As she is addressed Lt. Alves would turn in her chair to look at the captain
"Captain, we should be completed momentarily, Commander Orso is currently making sure that the transfer stays on schedule and that it finishes on time."
Fiona nods lightly to Alves as she sits down in the captains chair as she puts her PADD down in the slot on her chair
"Thank you Alves, keep me informed if there is a delay in the transfer."

The light chatter and goings on carry on across the bridge as the officers carry on with their duties as they await for the transfer of supplies to be completed to the outpost, before the first officer returns to the bridge with her PADD in hand as she reads over items on it as she walks onto the bridge and over to Fiona as she joins the captain by taking her first officer seat.
"Captain, the supplies have finished being transferred and everything has been stowed away. Also I think you might find this of interest, one of the workers mentioned that the traders coming through the cluster to the outpost have noticed an increase in the number of ships they are seeing in the cluster...some have even implied that they look like Klingon ships."
Fiona nods lightly to Orso as she sits down, before she turns her head to look at her as she provides her update.
"Hmm...that is interesting and if it is true that would align with what we have been told though it was only speculations before. If it is true it could make this a very interesting patrol as well."
Orso would shake her head slightly at this, a small grin on her face though
"Aye Captain if you say so...but we should be ready to set of on your command now.
As Orso glances over at Alves, who would nod lightly in agreement with her.
"Thanks number one, helm lay in a course to our next way point, take us away from the outpost at 3/4 impulse."
The helmsman nods lightly as they lay in the course as the USS MacAlpine moves away from outpost so that it is able to engage warp.
"Captain, ready to engage warp on your mark."
"Copy that, helm take us out warp 9...engage."
The helmsman nods lightly as they activate the warp drive as the ship makes the jump to warp and the next way point.
1 Like
3
Spoiler: Stardate 94304Show
An explosion rocks the MacAlpine as she comes to an abrupt full stop, as a console on the back of the bridge explodes into sparks sending the officer manning the console flying as the red alert sirens come online, Fiona about jumps up having been nocked out of her chair from the explosion.
"Get me a damage report, and what just hit us?
The ops officer looks over at the captain, blood trickling down the side of her face from a cut just above her right eyebrow
"Damage report still coming in Captain, but hull integrity has not been compromised it appears that damage was limited to EPS feedback pulses when we lost a conduit. And we appear to have been hit by a cloaked mine Captain, running a scan now to see if there is more...oh bugger...we appear to have made our way into the middle of a minefield captain."
Fiona looks over at Alves as gives her report, while this is going on a medical team arrives quickly moving over to the injured officers.
"What is the status of the other ship?"
"I'm sorry captain, but we have lost them...Captain! I have just picked up multiple new contacts, getting odd feedback of the mines but got at least 4 of them, on an intercept course with us I don't have positive identifications on any of them, but they have their weapons powered up."
Fiona nods lightly as she sits back down in the captain's chair.
"Thank you LT. Commander prepares to return fire if they fire first, prepare for Helios-Fox-2 manuevers."
Fiona shakes her head lightly as she thinks about how they managed to get into this situation...
---Hours Earlier---

Fiona is sat in the captain's chair as she reads over her PADD as the other officers on the bridge go about the usual order of business, as T'les turns her chair slightly to looks over at Fiona.
"Captain, we have just picked up an unidentified vessel on an approach course to satellite Zulu-Echo-3-2, it is coming out of the cluster towards it, scans appear to indicate that it is a Klingon bird of prey. Captain, it appears to have detected us, it is changing course and running back into the cluster."
Fiona looks up at T'Les as she addresses her before she turns to glance at her XO for a moment before turning to the helmsman and the main screen
"Helm, lay in a pursuit course, we are following her into the cluster."
"Captain, need I remind you of our orders regarding entering the cluster?"
"Thanks number one, but you need not...I know what our orders are, but we also need to know why a Bird of Prey was approaching one of our satellites."
Orso nods her head lightly as she takes a quick walk around the bridge double checking everything as she tends to do in these situations as the MacAlpine turns to follow the Bird of Prey deep into the cluster.
2 Likes
4
Spoiler: Stardate 94306 - Ambush in the ClusterShow
The red alert lights and siren blares in the background as the ship rocks as it takes a volley of cannon rounds and a mine detonates against the port hull, The MacAlpine returns fire with her phaser arrays and cannons, as the plating around the weapons lights up reflecting the light of the weapons. Fiona supports herself on the side of her chair as she sits down, looking at the other bridge officers as a medical team moves about the bridge.

“I want some situation reports people, tell me something good.”
“Weapons firing at minimal power, non-lethal as per ROE captain. Shields are holding, but I don't know how long for with the combined fire of the ships and the mines.”
“No major damage at this time captain.”
“From what my scanners are saying we will be able to nullify the mines as a threat… If we turn off the shields…”
“Captain a number of other ships have just jumped in, we are looking at another six vessels but it is hard to get a reading with the interference, they are holding at the edge of the minefield for now.”
Fiona pauses in thought as she looks down at her hand for a moment as it shakes slightly before she grips down on the arm of her chair to stop the trembling, as she glances at Luna as she speaks to herself under her breath for a moment.

“Never another Helios… Thanks for the heads up Lt keep me posted. T'Les that is not an option and you know it, Calder how long will it take you to get us out of the minefield.”
"Of course Captain, just giving you all the options."
“Captain as we don't know how far the field continues we will have to double back on ourselves… It will take us at least 20 minutes to get out of the minefield fully.”
"Captain, I don't know if the shields will hold that long..."
“This is going to be close then, going to have to be close enough. Helm lay in the course, tactical prepare to fire full spread on my mark.”
Fiona nods lightly to her XO before she taps the intercom
“All hands this is the captain, we are blasting our way out of this ambush, so things might be about to get bumpy. Helm take us out, tactical fire maximum spread.”
The MacAlpine starts to turn to make her way back the way she came as she is harried by the hostile ships into the waiting arms of the vessels on the edge of the minefield, as she fires her phasers in a full spread around her trying to disrupt the hostile ships attack runs.

“Tactical as soon as we are clear...."
She is cut short as an explosion ripples through the ship as a console behind Fiona explodes, catching her in the explosion.
“Captain shields are down to 50%. ”
“10 minutes until we exit the minefield captain.”
“Number one, take the battle bridge, and Alves alert the Aquarius to prepare for separation and flight pattern Delta-5.”
“Aye captain, alerting the crew now.”
Orso nods as she stands to take Fiona's hand for a moment before heading for the turbo lift and the battle bridge.

As the MacAlpine clears the minefield getting strafed by the hostile ships chasing it as the ones waiting outside the minefield move to engage, the MacAlpine separates the chevron from the primary hull as the RCS thruster fire pushing the chevron clear, at the same time as the Aquarius launches from it's docking port.
"Avire how are the shields looking, relay attack pattern Falcon-4 to the other commands. Helm set a course out of the cluster, the best speed that all commands can maintain."
"Aye Captain bringing shields up...shields are down to 20% ...sending attack pattern to the others now."
"Aye Captain, setting the course and moving out."
"This is Orso, forming up on your port stern, we will make sure these idiots have something else to worry about."
"This is Hawk Gold, skirmishing with the hostile ships going to try and keep them off you."
As all the sections of the MacAlpine form up in the attack pattern, the hostile ships redouble their attacks as the MacAlpine makes a valiant break for the edge of the cluster, skirmishing with the hostile vessels the entire length of the way so that there is no rest for the crew.
As they break the edge of the cluster and are reentering Federation space the hostile ships break off and retreat into the cluster and thus giving the MacAlpine a chance to restock and for the crew to get a chance to rest. Medical teams are in use throughout the vessel dealing with the injured crew that either hasn't or are unable to report to medbay as damage control teams attempt to get the damage under control with repairing the systems that overloaded and emergency hull repair jobs.

With the combat over Fiona lets her self-have a small sigh of relief as she looks across her bridge and the damage it has suffered, a few blown out consoles and overloaded EPS conduits nothing that would require a drydock to fix, this is same for the majority of the damage the MacAlpine has suffered.
"Ok people, let's get those damage reports coming in, and word sent to the emergency teams so we can get her back into full condition."
"We have a number of casualties, numbers still coming in through the majority is wounded with only 2 fatalities as of this moment. Though Engineering is reporting that the primary warp core is offline along with the Aquarius warp core, so we are on secondary power."
"Shields emitters took a pounding, engineering had to reroute a number of the eps conduits through overs as emitters and conduits blew out. So it will take them some time to get back to 100%. Weapons are holding at 85% as is hull plating."
"Sensors are looking good Captain, we are back where we entered the cluster at the end of our route, and scopes are looking clear."
Fiona nods ever so slightly a few drops of blood, from the cut on her forehead from when she was caught in the console exploding, dripping from her as she does so landing on the arm of her chair.
"Good update people, you all now procedure lets get to it. Helm set a course back to DS13, best speed. Engage. Avire you have the con until Orso gets back, I will be in my ready room, push any updated reports directly to me."
Fiona stands with a nod and a smile to all the officers on her bridge as she makes her way to her ready room to start to write the mission report as the MacAlpine jumps to warp and the voyage home.
2 Likes
5
Spoiler: Stardate 94361 - Dreams of fearShow
The war with the Iconians has been raging for a month now, and the USS Helios has been skirmishing with the Iconians on her patrol routes with her strike squadron, on this day though she is responding to a distress call from a civilian transport that has been caught in a battle with a loan Iconain vessel. As the Helios closes in on the distress call, Fiona fidgets slightly in the XO's chair as she looks across the other officers on the bridge who are also starting to show the signs of nervousness before she turns her head to look at her captain the image of the calm before the storm. As her Captain turns to look at her with a small smile and a slight nod to say that he understands her nervousness before he stands drawing the attention of the bridge crew.

"Lt. broadcast this ship-wide."
Once the communications officer had nodded to say that he was now broadcasting to the ship
"This is the captain speaking, I look around, and I feel the fear that would take the heart of me, and I am reminded of a story my first captain told her crew on the eve of a similar scenario. On the eve of battle, on a cold and windless night, an old general turned to a young soldier. 'Tomorrow,' said the master,'you will know Fear.' The young soldier who had not yet experienced the agony of war looked at the general with quizzical eyes. 'How will I know Fear if I do not know what it looks like?' The general replied,'You will know Fear because it speaks very fast and it speaks very loud...' 'If that is how Fear acts, recognising it is easy.' But as the young soldier considered the general's advice, she asked the question facing us now,'Once I know Fear, how do I defeat it?' And that was the question my Captain left for us to ponder before they told us the answer...The only way to defeat fear is to tell it 'No'. No, we will not take shortcuts on the path to righteousness. No, we will not break the rules that protect us from our basest instincts. No, we will not allow desperation to destroy moral authority."
The Captain pauses here for breath as he looks around the bridge officers as the nod slightly, a look of hope and resolve slowly starting to replace the look of fear and hopelessness in their eyes.
"So I say the same to you, a crew no Captain could ask more from, Come together as a crew as a family and give it you're all as I know I don't have to ask you for. We will save the civilians, and we will beat the Iconians, all hands report to battle stations and remember not only are you crewmates you are family while aboard the Helios."
As he finishes speaking he motions to the Comms officer to close the broadcast as he retakes his seat as he looks around the bridge Officers, Fiona smiles slightly as her resolve has returned again despite the massive odds that are facing them.
"Number One, I want you to head down to the armoury and get your response team together in case we are boarded or need to send an away team to the transport. Everyone else, keep your eyes on your consoles and prepare for a fight."
"Aye Captain, right away."
As she goes to head to the turbo lift, she turns slightly to look back at the Captain as he stops her for a moment.
"Skye, be careful no matter what happens don't do something rash. Remember what I have said and taught you."
"Of course Captain, I will..."
Fiona enters the lift as she mulls over what the Captain just said.

As the Helios exits warp, Fiona is in the response room with her team all armed with armoured jacket chest pieces and phaser rifles and sidearms. The civilian transport is taking heavy fire from the Iconian vessel as the transports shields start to collapse as the Helios moves in to start it attacks runs on the Iconian warship when suddenly another two Iconian warships appear behind the Helios and open fire. The Helios rocks hard as the weapon fire crashes across her shields, almost depleting her shields with the first volley.
"Helm, evasive manoeuvres get us out of here! Tactical return fire maximum spread and someone tells me where the hell those other ships came from!"
"Aye Aye Captain, performing evasive manoeuvers...not getting much response from our thrusters Captain they must have taken a hit."
"Aye Captain, firing all weapons."
"They must have been waiting at warp for us to arrive."
As the Helios takes another hit, the console the helms officer were stationed suddenly explodes and launches them out of their seat, killing them instantly.
"Captain shields have failed!"
"Damn it, someone take over helm control."
"Captain, detecting multiple transporter signals beaming onto the ship."
"Lt. get the locations of the beam ins passed onto the security teams now."
As the science officer attempts to send this information to the security teams, one of the Iconian ships moves in front of the now listing Helios and fires a single torpedo at the unshielded bridge.
"Captain! Torpedo incoming!"
"Computer, emergency command transfer to Lieutenant Commander Fiona Skye, Commanders code Fox-Delta-4-8-Bravo-1."
The Captain closes his eyes slightly as he finishes speaking as the torpedo crashes into the bridge destroying the front half of it instantly, and any of the officers not already killed or killed from the explosion are sucked out into space.

As this is going on Fiona is fighting corridor to corridor through the Helios as she reaches the science labs where Keri Verlin is fighting with a few other Science officers just managing to hold the lab until Fiona arrived. As the explosion ripples across the ship, causing numerous consoles and EPS conduits explode across the vessel and around the science lab. As Fiona steadies herself, she moves over to an intercom panel that hasn't been fried yet.
"Skye to the Bridge, we have neutralised the main assault team. Please advise on secondary teams."
"Unable to contact Bridge, no receiving intercom units."
"Computer, hull status of the bridge..."
"Hull comprimsed, no atmosphere present."
"Computer what is the location of the Captain."
"The Commanding officer is in the science labs, Captain."
Fiona pauses slightly as she processes this.
"Acting-Captain Skye to the battle bridge, you now are the main bridge. Take command of all main functions and keep us moving and firing, I am on my way."
Fiona takes off at a sprint as she attempts to make her way to the battle bridge.

As Fiona arrives at the battle bridge, it is already on fire in places with cables hanging from the roof, as she moves over to take the Captains seat, giving her continuing orders to keep the ship moving and firing.
"Captain, I don't know how long we can keep going for..."
"We will keep going until we can't anymore..."
"Captain! Four Starfleet vessels have just dropped out of warp, they are engaging the Iconains!"
Fiona lets out a small sigh as the Iconians break of their attack on the Helios before making a break for it having been outclassed. Three of the four reinforcement ships continue to pursue as one of the remains behind to lend aid.

As Fiona looks around the battle bridge as her vision slowly blacks out, before she suddenly lets out a scream as she sits up wholly disoriented her skin clammy to the touch, as she looks around slightly she realises she is in her quarters on Deep Space 13. As she notices her sudden scream and movement have woken up Keri next to her, as Keri sits up and lightly wraps her arms around Fiona.
"The dreams again?"
Fiona just silently nods not trusting herself to speak just yet
"Ahh...it has been a while since you have had one...was it the battle with the Iconians again?"
Fiona turns to her as she buries her face into Keri's shoulder as tears start to trail down her cheeks.
"Ye...Yeah, it was, they always feel so real, and I always feel useless..."
"You are not useless not then and now, remember you saved my life that day. One of the many times you have saved it to be fair."
Fiona looks up at Keri smiling her cheeks still wet with her tears.
"Thanks for saying that...and you save me about every day as well, I don't know if I could do this without you. What time is it?"
"I am just trying to pay you back, and getting close to 0600. You planning to start the day? I will come with you then."
Fiona smiles as she lightly kisses Keri as she gets out of bed as the pair of them go to start their day, but Fiona can't shake the feeling that something bad has happened.
2 Likes
6
Spoiler: Echoes of DawnShow
Fiona gazed at her self in the mirror, her eyes and cheeks stained with the tracks of her tears, before finally breaks eye contact with her reflection as she turns to look around her old room in her families house in the Highlands of Scotland. It is almost exactly how she left it all those years ago when she left for the academy, with only small changes from when she was stationed at Earth following the Iconian war. She sits down on the edge of her bed as she rubs her eye slightly before she looks down at the locket in her hand, identical to the one that she wears around her neck, lightly stroking her thumb across the closed locket as she gets lost in her thoughts as tears start to come to her eyes again. As gets lost further and further into her thoughts and memories her tears begin to run down her cheeks and drop into her open palm.

She looks up slowly as she hears her door open and then gets pushed closed as her younger sister enters her room.

"Hey Fi...I wanted to come to check on you, Cecilia is keeping Lily company downstairs, but I released no one is keeping you company..."

Fiona looks up with a sad smile as her sister walks into her room and sits down on the bed next to her, wrapping an arm around her.

"Thanks, Alex...I don't know how you are holding it together so well..."

Alex smiles sadly as she looks at Fiona, the hint of a tear in her own eyes as well.

"I'm really not, I am just able to hide it better...And you were always closer to Kira than I was."

Fiona's tears start flowing freely now as she leans into Alex, just holding each other for a time.

"Why did it have to be her...she was always the better of us in everything...she did better in her classes, she was a better captain than me as well...hell she is even a better parent than I ever can be."

Alex shakes her head slightly.

"Don't say that Fi...you are a good captain and a good parent, look at Cecilia, she is a great kid."

"No, no I am not...I am broken inside, I try and act like I am fine and act how I used to be but I am not...I can barely look at Cecilia at times, I look at her and I just see how I used to be, reckless and idealistic and it almost got her killed..."

As Fiona finishes speaking a slight noise could be heard from outside as if someone had bumped into a table before the sound of footsteps running away from the room.

"See what I mean...I have just buggered up being a parent again..."

Alex shakes her head slightly.

"No, you may have damaged it slightly at the moment, but your relationship will come back from this."

The two of them fall into silence as they just sit on the end of Fiona's bed until the time comes to attend the funeral service.

Fiona and Alex stand to flank their parents, with Cecilia and Lily flanking Fiona and Alex respectively as distant family members and
others who served with Keri and her husband arrive at the service before the hearse arrives with the coffins which the Skyes move to carry with assistance from Keri's husbands family as well, as they slowly enter the families graveyard as the piper slowly pipes flowers o' the forest as they approach the prepared graves. Both of the coffins are made from Scottish oak wood with both the United Federation of Planets flag and the Scottish flag draped over both of them.
As they reach the open graves with the coffins, they place them on the lowering ropes as they step away to assemble around the graves. As Owen then moves up to give his eulogy.

"Today friends, family both near and far we are gathered here together to remember the passing of my daughter and her husband who both were sadly lost at sea..."

He pauses slightly as he looks down at the two coffins before he continues.

"Kira was not my only daughter, but she was my first born if only by mere minutes ahead of Fiona, which proved to be a source of discussion between the two of them for years at no end of amusement for my wife and me. She was a fun loving person, always bringing a smile to the face of those she was around no matter how grim the situation was. There was a story I was told by an officer serving with her during the battle of Sol as they faced down the Iconians she was still able to bring a smile and a laugh to the crew. She was also a selfless person, putting her friends before her self time and time again, Fiona told me of a time when they where in school and they were about to be caught by the head teacher, and she ran a distraction so that Fiona could remain uncaught."

He chokes back a few tears as he comes to the end of his eulogy, as he steps back motioning for the parent of Kira's husband to come up and offer their eulogy. As they finish Fiona steps up in between the coffins as the friends and family move up to take hold of the ropes to prepare to lower them into the graves.

"I would like to recite to you a poem that Keri picked out years ago for just this situation."

She takes a breath as she begins to recite the poem.

"Though he that ever kind and true,
Kept stoutly step by step with you
Your whole long gusty lifetime through,
be gone awhile before,
be now a moment gone before,
Yet, doubt not, soon the seasons shall restore
Your friend to you.

She has but turned a corner. Still
She pushes on with right good will,
Through mire and marsh, by heugh and hill,
That self-same arduous way,
That self-same upland, hopeful way
That you and she through many a doubtful day
Attempted still.

She is not dead, this friend - not dead,
But in the path, we mortals tread
Got some few trifling steps ahead
And nearer to the end;
So that you too, once past this bend,
Shall meet again, as face to face, this friend
You fancy dead.

Push gaily on, strong heart! The while
You travel forward mile by mile, She loiters with a backward smile
Till you can overtake,
and strains her eyes to search her wake,
Or whistling, as she sees you through the brake,
Waits on a stile."

As Fiona finishes reciting the poem, the coffins reach the bottom of the graves, and there is not a dry eye around the graveside.
Fiona then throws a handful of dirt onto each of the coffins before she starts to walk off to the side to look on the graveside as the others finish saying their final goodbyes.
Spoiler: Echoes of Dawn - Part twoShow
Fiona slowly descends the stairs into the living room as she looks around the faces of the friends and family members who were invited over after the funeral. She offers a slight nod to those she passes as she makes her way over to the drinks cabinet to get herself a glass of whisky, as she starts to pour her glass she glances over to the corner of the room where Cecilia and Lily are sat with the other kids their age who were invited. Only another two in total as they spoke between them self in hushed tones, as Cecilia keeps trying to make sure Lily is involved in the conversation without being pushy about it.

"She has turned out a great kid, and she will make a fine officer one day...both of them will, you know that right?"

Fiona jumps slightly as the voice appears at her shoulder as she turns quickly, almost spilling her whisky before she looks up at her father, still in his full dress whites unlike Fiona whos dress jacket hangs on the back of her chair at the table.

"Thanks for saying so dad and I know she will, and that is what I am afraid of...she is too much like me when I was her age. That fact almost got her killed, and I wasn't even there to protect her...and now Kira is gone, I don't know what to do, she always seemed to know what to do no matter what happened."

She downs her whisky as a tear comes back to her eye as she turns to try and hide it from Owen.

"Hey now Fi, you know you can't always be there to protect her...it is something every parent has to come to terms with one day, you just have to deal with it quicker as Ceci is such an exceptional kid. And you want to know something that Keri confided in me? She told me that the only way she managed to stay so calm and confident despite everything going on around her was because of you. You kept her centred in the darkest hours; she knew that you were out there somewhere facing down your demons and you kept going, so she knew so could she."

Fiona gasps back a few sobs as she downs another whisky.

"Thanks for saying that dad, but we both know she was the better of the two of us in everything we did. I was always playing catch up...I have come so close to death so many times but keep coming out by the skin of my teeth I feel like this is the universe making it even by taking her. I feel like the universe is out to take away what I love, every time I start to settle and feel like I can move on the universe punches me in the gut again."

Owen lightly wraps an arm around her shoulders with a slight squeeze.

"Hey now kid, the universe isn't out to get you, you have just been unfortunate so far but trust me, it will get better. You have loving parents who are here for you, you have Keri who loves you, and you have Cecilia as well. Trust me; it will get better, you have your wedding to look forward to when you finish planning it."

Fiona with an almost small nod as she leans into Owen, as she wipes her eyes clear.

"Thanks for saying so, dad. It's just....no it's fine..."

Owen's response is cut off as the room goes silent as everyone looks over at Cecilia as sits down on a stool in front of the fireplace with her guitar as she starts to sing.
Spoiler: Cecilias SongShow

As Cecilia finishes the song, a few offer small claps as the rest wipe their eyes dry, she retreats into the corner with a modest nod as she looks slightly embarrassed now. Fiona looks on as Cecilia leaves with a mix of a proud and a sad smile.

"Thanks again Dad, but I think I am going retire for the night and begin to pack to return to 13 in the next day or so."

Owen smiles as he pulls her into a hug.

"Ok Fi, I will send Cecilia up shortly to start packing her stuff. It was good to get the family back together again, despite the circumstance of it."

"Aye it was Dad, night then."

Fiona raises her hand in departure as she heads back up the stairs to return to her room to start packing.
3 Likes
7
Spoiler: Penny for your thoughtsShow
Fiona sits in front of her desk in her quarters, her hair hanging loose framing her face as she looks down at a photo on her PADD until Keri walks up behind her lightly kissing Fiona as Keri rests her head on her shoulder.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Fiona leans her head lightly against Keri's cheek as she shows her the photo she was looking at, it is a photo of a younger Keri and Fiona along with someone that seems so similar to Fiona it can only be her sister, the three of them in Cadet dress uniform with a graduation banner over their heads.

"We were so naive back then, and we thought we could just fly off into space, and nothing would go wrong. Look where that got us and the trouble that caused for us..."

"Hey, yes we may have been naive back then, but a part of all us knew what we were getting into, we all knew the risks involved with what we were doing and what it might cost us in the end."

Fiona places her PADD down on her desk as she stands and starts to pace back and forth in front of her office as Keri sits down in the now empty seat as she turns it to watch Fiona as she speaks.

"I know but what right did I have to assume that Cecilia knew the risks as well, she almost died, and I was light years away unable to be there for her...I don't know what I would do if I lost her, but even so, I manage to make a right mess of being her parent...it was easier when I was a junior officer onboard a ship, and she had to stay on Earth."

"There was nothing you could have done if you were there as well, without risking your position as a non-partial officer and not as a parent. She got medical treatment and physically she is now fine, but you know that not all scars are physical and sometimes they just take time to heal. I know you don't mean that really, you love having her close, but I understand your position as well, you are trying to be a good parent but also a role model Starfleet Officer which is a fine line to balance along."

Fiona smiles slightly at Keri at her words as she continues to pace back and forth.

"Thanks for the reassurance but my heart is still in turmoil, and now with the new war in the Alpha quadrant and me back on patrol in the next few days I don't know what I am to do, I feel lost...Kira would know what to do..."

That last few words are said under her breath as she leans against her desk while she rubs the bridge of her nose, Keri looks up at Fiona as she catches the last few words a sad look enters her eyes for a moment as she releases where the real problem Fiona is having is based.

"It is easy, even for a captain, to feel lost in the vastness of space where there only yourself, your ship and your crew. But you are not lost you have me, you have Cecilia, and you have everyone around you."

"But even with you saying that I feel at a lose...I don't know what to do, I feel adrift without the mainsail just drifting where the currents take me. Why did it have to be her and now of all times, I could always rely on her to know what to do, even in my darkest hours I knew if I just did what she would do I would make it through."

Keri reaches out to take Fiona's hand giving it a slight squeeze as she does so.

"I have watched the two of you for years as we grew up together, and both of you were so identical you thought the same about each other that the other was better...let me finish. Yes, Kira was better when it came to the academics and may have been the more prominent sister, but look at it this despite Kira not swinging my way, if I had to pick again which of you to fall in love with all over again it would be you. Because you have your own set of skills and qualities that you always seem to ignore and forget about, you are a great person with a kind heart, that even the darkest of hours people look to you and find hope in you and your actions. You have spent this long trying to be Kira Skye, and now you are wondering just what it means to be Fi."

Fiona smiles down at Keri as she speaks a small tear in her eye as she just listens after she tried to interrupt and was told to wait.

"Thank you, Keri; you are a better person than I deserve to call my fiancee. And you are right, I have spent this long trying to be my sister...I need to be myself now. I've got a quick thing I need to deal with on the MacAlpine then I am going to try and find Cecilia and speak to her."

Fiona lightly kisses Keri's forehead as pushes off from the desk and heads to the door, before she looks back at Keri once more in the doorway before she heads out with the doors closing behind her. Leaving Keri in the room on her own with the PADD still with the photo of the three of them on it at their graduation. As she looks down at the PADD as she pulls out her locket with a picture of herself, Fiona and Cecilia in front of the USS Helios in the dock at what looks like Earth Space Dock, both herself and Fiona are in service jackets Fiona with Lieutenant Commander pips and Keri with Lieutenant pips.

"Those days feel like a lifetime ago now, how many wars has it been now since these photos where taken...far too many..."
3 Likes
8
Spoiler: Midnight MadnessShow
The USS Helios forms up with the other ships part of the assembled fleet to defend Earth from the oncoming Iconians, the Helios looks slightly out of place among some of the vessels present being an older Akira already plus the damage it has already taken with hull breaches and currently still without its primary bridge.

Fiona strides onto to the battle bridge to relive Keri who is currently the acting XO, as she glances around at the bridge crew all of them showing signs of the war being either walking wounded or signs of long shifts and high-stress shifts. She lightly places her hand on Keri's shoulder as she takes the captains chair.

"As you were people, tactical take us to red alert, comms contact the squadron commander and tell them that we are standing by."

"Aye Aye Captain, red alert."

"Copy that Captain, contacting the squadron lead now."

Fiona smiles sadly as she gets called captain, as she is still unused to it. As she glances around her bridge crew again as she notices how scared and nervous they all look. She looks down at her hand slightly as it shakes somewhat before she clamps it down to the arm of her chair with her grip as she forces her self to look and act calm, to be the calm in the storm for her crew. She lets go of the arm of her chair as she slowly stands up, as she glances over at the comms officer before she quickly glances at the tactical screen as she looks at the size of the incoming Iconian fleet and the ETA until the first contact is made.

"Ensign Alves, open a channel ship wide."

Alves nods slightly as she opens a channel ship wide.

"This is the Captain speaking; I know things may seem grim with the Iconians closing in on Earth. But brothers, sisters, my crew...I can see the same fear in you that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of Starfleet fails when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of the Federation, but it is not this day. An hour of wolves and shattered wills when the Federation comes crashing down, but it is not this day! This day we fight! By all that you hold dear of this good Federation, I bid you stand, Crew of the Helios!"

Fiona nods slightly to the bridge crew as their resolve starts to start to grow and they look hopeful with Fiona's words.

"Know this, my crew, I have the utmost faith in your abilities, and I know that your skills will be what see us through to the end of this day and to the victory of a new dawn."

Fiona nods to Alves as she closes the channel before Fiona takes her seat in the Captain's chair.

"Helm, prepare to take us out on the lead ships command. And Orso prepare to coordinate fire with the ships in our wing, need to work together in this fight."

"Aye Captain, engines are sitting ready to go."

"Copy that Captain, ready weapons for coordinated firing."

Fiona nods slightly to both of them, a slight smile turning the corners of her mouth as she leans back in her chair as she looks over her bridge crew as they made final preparations at their stations. The Helios sets off with the rest of the ships of the squadron they are attached to as they fly into the jaws of death as an old Earth poem came to mind Fiona as they charged the Iconians and started to exchange long ranged fire.

'Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die.
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.'

As the Helios got engaged in close fighting with the Iconians as she used her manoeuvrability to flick in and out between their ships as the other vessels in her wing, do similar, but it is not quick enough as the Helios takes a direct hit from an Iconian beam slowing it down almost to stop. With the now motionless Helios, the Iconians start to surround and fire upon the Helios as sparks fly on the bridge and consoles explodes sending crew members flying.

"Orso! Reroute power to the shields. Bridge to Engineering, I want us moving again yesterday!"

"Sorry Captain, doing what we can here they nocked the coils out of alignment being as quick as we can."

"Do what you can, pronto. Helm give them as hard a target to hit as possible."

"Aye Cap...Ahhhh!"

The helmsman is cut off as the helm console explodes sending them flying out of their chair, killed instantly.

"Captain shields are collapsing!"

"Someone get on the helm and get us moving, Alves where is the rest of the squadron!"

"I don't know captain I can't raise them on comms."

Fiona glances over to Keri as sparks fly and fires are starting to break out on the bridge.

"Can you do anything to get us out of this mess?"

"I can try to send a...AHHH!"

Whatever Keri was thinking of doing was cut sort as the Helios rocked with another blast from the Iconians as her console exploded sending her flying as she crashes head first into the bannister in between her console and the central bridge area before she slumps lifelessly to the ground. Fiona is shocked silent for a moment before she is brought of her shock by a call from Engineering.

"Engineering to the bridge!"

"Tell me something good chief."

"Sorry Captain, that last hit as cracked the warp core need to eject it before it overloads."

"Go for it chief."

"Aye Aye Captain, bugger! Everyone out now!"

"Chief!"

Suddenly an explosion can be heard rushing through the corridors of the ship as the superstructure of the Helios screams at the force of the explosion as her hull cracks and buckles. Those looking on would see the central engineering section detonate and then the hull almost rippling out from there as windows were blown and weakened parts of hull gave way completely. Fiona barely has a moment to register what is happening before the explosion as reached and engulfed the bridge as the Helios is ripped apart from the inside out.

As this happens, Fiona suddenly wakes up in her bed with a scream, as she shakes slightly as she is in a cold sweat before she realises she is in her quarters on the MacAlpine. She slowly swings her feat out of her bed, as she looks at her clock to see that she has barely had three hours sleep. She shakes her head slightly as she gets out of bed and heads to get a cold shower as she knows she won't be getting back to sleep tonight. As she finishes her towelling her self-dry, she looks up into her mirror where she sees her self how she sees her self as a battered and beaten person trying to hold it all together before she shakes her head slightly to try and get the last of the water droplets out of her hair. As she looks back into the mirror and sees a different woman standing there, one free of scars and the one she once was and still would be despite the wars and losses she has suffered. She stares into the reflected eyes until she can't take the judgement in her own eyes as she lashes out and punches the mirror cracking it and cutting her knuckles with a small yelp of pain. She looks into the broken mirror as she turns to leave the bathroom and sees her self-reflected in the cracked shards.

"What right did that version of me have to judge me..."

She shakes her head slightly as she gets dressed in her uniform as she nurses her knuckles before she exits her room and heads for the medbay, her uniform jacket hanging open. As she enters the closest medbay to her quarters, which is one of the smaller local ones, there is only a few medical staff in it along with the Chief Medical Officer. As S'Rito notices Fiona standing at the door, she heads over towards her.

"Hey Captain, what can I do for you today? And shouldn't you be off duty at the moment?"

"Hey, S'Rito need my hand looked at, I cut my knuckles with a mirror, and I was but shouldn't you be as well?"

S'Rito laughs softly as the to them head over to a medical station as S'Rito starts to look at Fiona's hand.

"No problem, going to guess you punched a mirror? And aye I should be, but you know how it is more than most I guess about being the chief on a ship this side, you are never really off duty."

"Aye I do, don't I know it...and yeah I did, remind me to put in a requestion for a new mirror for my quarters soon."

"No worries Fi, been up to much recently with what time you do get off duty?"

"Thanks, and not really I get off duty, and then I do paperwork then I go back on duty."

"That's not like you Fi, I remember when you would do anything to get out of paperwork and when every other day you would be off galavanting or doing something adventurous. What happened to those days?"

Fiona stands as S'Rito finishes treating her hand, as the two of them walk back towards the door.

"I know...those days, and that Fi died to be replaced by me."

S'Rito lightly places her hand on Fiona's shoulder.

"I know I am no counsellor, but I am your doctor if you need anything give me a shout. And I don't think she is, I still see her at times under the layers you have built up, and I say that as your friend not as your doctor."

Fiona nods lightly to S'Rito as she heads off towards her ready room on the bridge.

"Thanks for saying so S'Rito, I might take my friend up on another to hang out next time I am off duty. And if you are not, I'm sure I can pull some strings with your boss I know them quite well."

S'Rito nods slightly with a small grin.

"See you around Fi!"
3 Likes
9
Spoiler: Beyond the VeilShow
Fiona paces backwards and forwards across her ready room as her command staff finish giving her the most up to date status report of the MacAlpine, she would be limping as she does so. An open bottle of whisky would be sitting on her desk, the only part of the ready room with any semblance of organisation to it as the rest of it is still in disarray with stuff hanging off the walls or lying across the floor. Fiona moves over to her desk as she takes a swig of her whisky before she turns to lean against it as she looks at her senior officers, all of them showing signs of the battle and it's aftermath with wounds and how tired they are all looking.

"So you are telling me we are going to be out of action for three months at least? And tell me again how we are looking for accommodation."

Emily Jameson, the MacAlpines chief engineer, nods slightly.

"Aye Captain, even with the extra engineers and damage control teams that have been sent over we are looking at three months minimum without a type 3 drydock. We are currently trying to restore full hull integrity and to seal the hull breaches to ease the overcrowding at the moment, but it's taking time as we are still having to fight damage control as we try to restore systems to the parts of the ship we are repairing. We had another fire break out on deck 14 putting us back to where we started in C section."

Oliva Calder, the MacAlpines acting chief of Operations, nods slightly as Jameson finishes speaking.

"The accommodation situation is not looking good Captain, we are currently overcrowded so the quicker we can get decks repaired the better. All remaining quarters we have crew shift sleeping to have enough beds available and officer quarters we have multiple officers per quarter, we have also converted what cargo space we can into temporary housing for the civilians we have onboard that have been evacuated from their quarters. We could maybe find more space to squeeze more people in if we had to, but if we did, we would have people about sleeping on top of one another."

Fiona nods slightly, as she looks down at the floor for a moment before looking back up.

"Thank you for the reports, you all dismissed. Keep up the good work through these challenging times."

As the other officers get up to leave Fiona turns to look at the picture frame on her desk of herself, Keri and Cecilia as her shoulders sag slightly. Luna, the MacAlpines XO, hadn't left yet as she moves over to stand next to Fiona as she places her hand on Fi's shoulder.

"Fiona, we will manage somehow we always do...speak to me."

Fiona looks over at Luna as the corner of her eyes tears up slightly.

"Thanks for saying so Luna, you are a good friend. It's just I'm feeling useless and lost...I wasn't here on the bridge where I belong during the battle, you handled it how I knew you would be able to though, but I still should have been here...and Ceci is in a coma because she was trying to be a Skye and save others and I couldn't protect her..."

"Hey now Fiona, it's okay. You did everything you could from the station before returning to the bridge, and you couldn't have protected Cecilia any more on the station than you did on the bridge. You know she would have done exactly the same if you were there anyway."

Fiona nods slightly, as she wipes her eyes.

"Thank you, Luna. You are probably right, but I will need time to accept that...I'm going to speak to the crew, they will be feeling similar."

Luna nods slightly as she goes to leave the ready room as Fiona activates the intercom.

"To the crew and civilians aboard the MacAlpine, this is your captain speaking in this darkest hour of the MacAlpine, but it is also her finest hour. I will not lie to you, or hide the truth from you, you have all been through too much all ready for me to do that. At this moment in time, we are not at war with the Azedi, that is up to the fleet command, and I know a number of you will be unhappy with that as they are responsible for the loss you are feeling but first we need to take stock of our situation and regroup fully. But know this I have, myself, full confidence that if all do their duty if nothing is neglected, and if the best arrangements are made, as they are being made, we shall prove ourselves once more able to defend our starship home, and our Federation, to ride out the coming storm, and to outlive the menace offered by the Azedi, if necessary for years, if necessary alone. At any rate, that is what we are going to try to do. That is the resolve of the command of this ship - every one of them. The Federation and the Romulan Republic, linked together in their cause and their need, will defend to the death their space, aiding each other like good comrades to the utmost of their strength."

Fiona takes a deep breath before she continues.

"We are on the verge of what could be one of the most significant battles of modern and local history. We have to prepare for war in the sector and for the continuous struggle for control of the stars, and for the many preparations that have to be here at home. I would say to the crew as I have said to the command staff: I have nothing to offer you that you have not already given but blood, toil, tears and sweat. We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind, we have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You may ask me, what is our policy? I will say: It is to achieve victory, by land, air and the stars, with all our might and with all the strength that the Federation and our faith can give us; to achieve victory against an empire that has killed our friends and families when we opened our arms to speak to them in peace and in good faith. That is my policy. You may ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: Victory. Victory at all costs, Victory in spite of all terror, Victory however long and hard the road may be, for without victory there is no survival."

Luna had stopped in the doorway as Fiona started speaking, as she watches Fiona get more and more passionate as she speaks, she quickly glances out the door at the crew on the bridge as they no longer look so broken and beaten down.

"The path we have chosen for the present is full of hazards, as all roads are; but it is the one most consistent with our character and courage as the Federation and our commitments around the galaxy. The cost of freedom is always high, but one the Federation has always paid. And one path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender or submission. Our goal is not the victory of might, but the vindication of right, not peace at the expense of freedom, but both peace and freedom, here in this sector. All willing, that goal will be achieved. People of the MacAlpine, you are some, no you are the finest crew I have ever had the privilege of serving with, and we will survive and triumph in this dark hour if we come together as a crew and as a family. We will never forget the sacrifice of the heroes that gave their lives during the battle as they gave it trying to protect others, in my eyes every single one of the names on deck 29 is one of Starfleet's greatest heroes. That is all."

As Fiona stops the transmission and looks over at the door, as Luna offers a small nod and smile before she heads out entirely on to the bridge with Fiona following behind a moment later. As she exits the ready room the people around the bridge stand to before Fiona tells them to carry on as she limps to the turbolift heading for deck 29. As she exits the turbolift, she nods to the people near the turbolift with a small smile as they gather around points of the memorial walls before she starts walking towards the centre of the memorial wall where the names of the crew members are located. As she walks, she feels the eyes of those around the hallway following her every move, where before she felt only judgement now she can feel respect and gratitude from her words as well. As she walks through the halls stopping at the names of the crew for a few minutes as she has a personal minute of silence before she continues walking almost on autopilot as she ends up in the areas of the deck that are not in use due to being unsafe for habitation. As she is walking she hears the faint sound of crying coming from one of the rooms which snaps her out of her reflections, she slowly makes her way towards the crying as she knows there should be no one in this section of the ship yet, especially not a child. As she opens the door of the room, the crying was coming from she sees a young girl huddled in the corner, rocking back and forward slightly as she hugs a stuffed bear close. Fiona walks over slowly as she crouches down in front of her, as the child flinches slightly at the sight of the scars on Fiona's face before she notices the Starfleet uniform and relaxes.

"What are you doing down here little girl? You shouldn't be down here, it's not safe yet."

As Fiona takes of her service jacket to wrap around the child who was starting to shiver.

"I...I was looking for my mum...she is missing, so I wanted to find her...and she is not here..."

Fiona grimaces slightly with the thought of another child left without a parent, as she reaches out to help the child to their feet before they about collapse either out of tiredness or shock, before Fiona gently lifts her up into her arms, her jacket still around her.

"It will be okay...I'm going to take you to your other parent now, do you know where they are? And when was the last time you saw your mum?"

"She...she is in the cargo bay...and I last saw her giving me to my other mum as the red lights and sirens started going off, and she said she had to hurry to the port torpedo room..."

Fiona closes her eyes slightly as she tries not to tear up as she knows that the port torpedo room exploded when it took a direct hit from one of the beam weapons. Fiona carries the girl to the closest torpedo room as she heads to the cargo room that has been converted into temporary housing for the civilians onboard.

"I want you to know, your mum was a hero, and you should always remember that...oh look is that your other mum?"

As they were approaching the cargo bay, a woman was pacing backwards and forwards looking panicked as one of the security officers at the door was trying to calm her down, before she noticed the girl in Fiona's arm and runs over, quickly taking the girl into her arms.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you so much! I was worried I would never see her again..."

As the woman looks up as she hands Fiona's service jacket back to her she notices just who it was that brought her daughter back, and the sad look in Fiona's eyes as she watches them.

"Thank you, captain, so much. Eve, quickly head to our space your brother is waiting for you."

As the girl runs off into the cargo bay, the woman turns to look at Fiona as she takes a deep breath.

"I haven't heard anything about what happened to my wife bar she is missing in action...I hate to ask but..."

Fiona lightly places her hand on the woman's shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, your daughter told me she was headed for the port torpedo bay, if she was there during the battle...I'm sorry. It took a direct hit from a beam during the battle..."

The woman almost collapses from shock at the confirmation of the news.

"I think I kind of already knew...but thanks you for the confirmation...I saw how you looked at my daughter and me, you have a child of your own don't you?"

Fiona nods slightly, as a small tear comes to her eye.

"Aye, I do...a daughter as well..."

The woman nods slightly before she turns to go back to the cargo bay after her daughter.

"I'm sorry, I can't begin to know how you are feeling but I can imagine how I would feel if anything happened to my daughter. You said your thoughts are with us who have been affected, then let me speak for my family at least, but I know others will feel the same. Our thoughts are with you and your family."

Fiona watches the woman walk back into the cargo bay with a small smile on her face before she starts to head back to the turbolift to return to her ready room.
2 Likes
10
Spoiler: Ultimum ValeShow
Fiona paces back and forth in her quarters while Keri sits at Fi's desk, leaning back in the chair, music would be playing in the background as they talk.

"I can't believe Cecilia has woken up and we can't reach her yet!"

"I know it's annoying, but at least we know next time we see the Valley Forge we will be able to see her. I just hope she is ok..."

Fiona nods slightly as she moves over towards Keri as she turns to lean against her desk.

"I do as well...she is resilient, so it might take her a moment to recenter herself, but I know she will come out the other side stronger than ever."

"She is a great kid, and she gets a lot of that from you."

Fiona smiles down at Keri as she leans in to lightly kiss her forehead.

"I can't take all the credit from you as well, you taught her so much. You might not officially be her step-mum yet, but I know for a fact you have never not been her mum and a part of the family to her, it's just me who you had to beat over the head to make me open my eyes."

Keri laughs softly at Fiona's words.

"Thank you for saying so, in your defence you had a lot on your mind with taking command of the Helios and all that. I'm just glad I did manage to open your eyes."

"So am I...I have no idea what I would have done without you these past years. And that is another bit news we will have to tell Cecilia when we see her, that we have finally decided to actually hold the wedding."

"Aye that we will, we still to need to finish planning that though. Did you have a look at the things I sent you?"

"I did yeah, still not sure about them will have to have another look with you other them, at least I have time this weekend to go other them with you."

Keri nods slightly before she pauses as she listens to the new song that just came on before she climbs to her feet and pulls Fiona out into the middle of the room.

"Aye, that is a good thing...come on how long have we just had a dance the two of us!"

Fiona shakes her head slightly a small grin on her face as she is pulled out into the middle of the room, she holds Keri close while the two of them just gently dance to the music just happy to be holding each other.

"I love you, you know that Keri."

"I do, and I love you as well."

Fiona rocks as a massive explosion ripples through the MacAlpine.

"Captain! We have borg approaching the bridge! Appears to be the majority of them!"

"Copy that LT, are the charges set?"

One of the engineers that had been moving about the bridge looks over at Fiona.

"Aye Captain, but the remote detonator is fried. They will need to be fired manually..."

"Captain! The USS Victory is on the way to assist."

Nods to both of them.

"Give me the detonator, everyone, get ready to be beamed out."

Fiona watches her bridge crew getting beamed out as she prepares her self with the sound of the Borg at the doors to the bridge getting louder.

"I'm sorry...the MacAlpine's bridge is about to be compromised..."

Fiona glances off to the left as she hears a shout from Keri over the holocomms.

"Fiona! No!"

"There is no other way...the bridge is lost, and we have to be sure none escape."

"Quint to Captain Skye, stand by to drop your inhibitor. We can blast the ship if that's your call."

"Negative Captain, the ship can be saved...but I have put her through enough under my command...this is the least I can do for a fine ship and a better crew."

"We can still clear it remotely. I've got a lock just switch it off."

"Thank you, Captain, for the offer, but this is the only way to be sure. Had to be me, someone else might have gotten it wrong..."

"Godspeed Captain..."

Fiona glances once more over at the doors to the bridge as the borg finally blast their way through them as she stands to attention, snapping off a salute to everyone she can see through the holo image.

"Godspeed to you all..."

With that and the Borg closing in on her position she presses the button on the detonator as the charges set around the bridge detonate. Blasting the bridge of the MacAlpine apart and into space, the sudden decompression blasts the debris from the bridge across the battlefield.

"Victory to Endeavour...Negative contact on Captain Skye."

Keri is stood at her console on the Endeavour as she watches Fiona's final moments, shaking with tears rolling down her cheeks.
Mischa approves Keri as she makes her way around the bridge, looking closely at Keri to see how she's coping.

"Commander..."

Keri wipes her eyes as Mischa walks up to her, but is unable to hide her already slightly red eyes and the tear marks on her cheeks, despite this and her wounded shoulder she would be trying to stay focused on her console.

"Commander."

Mischa rests a hand on Keri's shoulder with a look that says that she has permission to stand down from duty at her own discretion.
Keri shakes her head slightly at the unspoken offer.

"I'll be fine, commander. I'm a Verlin...and a Skye, we see it through to the end...no matter what."

"In that case Commander, full systems analysis and damage report when you're ready."

Mischa smiles again as she gives Keri's shoulder a final gentle but reassuring squeeze.

Keri is sat at her desk in her quarters with her hair hanging loosely over her shoulders while her tear weary eyes stare blankly down at the surface of it and the face down photo frame in front of her. She slowly raises her head to look in the mirror above her desk as she stares back at herself.

"What am I doing...Ceci is arriving soon, and you wouldn't want her to see me like this...why did you have to go and be a damn Skye..."

"You know why I did what I did, better than most..."

Keri feels a familiar and reassuring weight on her shoulder as she hears Fiona's voice as she places her own hand on top of her shoulder as well.

"I do...but that does not make it any easier to accept that you are gone..."

"I know, and I'm sorry that I left you and Cecilia...if there was another way to be sure I would have taken it, but I was on borrowed time anyway."

Keri slams her fist into her desk suddenly in a brief flash of anger.

"Don't even think that! You were not...you can't keep trying to live your sister's life you had your own life to be proud of...I loved you..."

"And I loved you, you and Ceci were the two bright spots in my life. And speaking of Cecilia."

With that, the familiar feeling on her shoulder vanishes just as the door opens and Cecilia enters Keri's quarters in her wheelchair that she is still in while she recovers from her coma. A small look of hope in her eyes as she enters as if she was hoping it was all just a bad dream is suddenly ripped away to be replaced by a look of loss echoed in Keri's eyes.

"Mum..."

Keri quickly moves over to Cecilia as she drops to her knees next to her and pulls her into a tight hug.

"Ceci...I...I'm sorry..."
1 Like
11
Spoiler: Those days are past now...Show

The ship rocks as sparks fly across the bridge, and officers get thrown like ragdolls away from the consoles as they overload from the latest volley from the attacking Dominion ships. A young Fiona Skye, just entering her teenage years steadies her self in the captain's chair as she looks around the damaged bridge, as she glances over at her first officer.

"How we looking number one? Damage report."

The first officer turns as she pushes her hair back behind her ear and out of her face, as Kira quickly taps a few buttons before she speaks.

"She can't hold captain, we have lost shields, multiple hull breaches. We are losing power to weapons, and our port nacelle is leaking plasma. A few more hits like that and we are done for."

"Captain, I agree with the first officer on their assessment of the situation. Multiple sections are reporting increasing casualty figures."

Keri turns slightly to look at Fiona as she offers her own comment to the situation as well, as Fiona looks between the two of them.

"We can still do this people! Focus all fire on the nearest Dominion ship, helm keep us moving and out their line of fire!"

Fiona is thrown out of the captain's chair as the ship rocks as it takes another volley and another set of consoles explode sending more officers flying away from the bridge as fires spread out from the consoles. When suddenly everything freezes in place including the officers and the flames, bar Fiona, Kira and Keri. Before a man in his early to mid-'40s and an older woman in her early 70's both walks onto the bridge, with the man in the lead slightly.

"Computer end simulation."

As Fiona stands up from the floor of the holodeck as the image of the bridge dissolves away revealing the holodeck they were on, as she looks at the two new arrivals looking slightly annoyed.

"Why did you do? That we almost had completed the objective!"

The woman shakes her head slightly, as she straightens her Starfleet service uniform as the light catches the fleet admiral pips on the collar.

"No, no you had not nearly completed the objective...the only thing you had almost done was to get your ship and crew killed. And don't even bother trying to say you could have managed to pull it off, you had taken far too much damage and already lost far too much of your crew."

Fiona glares at the older woman as she speaks before she starts to exit the holodeck with her own final words.

"I know I could have done it, Gran, the ship would have been fine and so was the crew..."

Keri looks between Fiona and the adults but doesn't add her own comments as she lowers her head slightly as she hurries after Fiona, while Kira just lightly shrugs her shoulders and starts to follow in her own steady pace, but she pauses at the doorway for a moment to think if she should say something before her gran breaks the silence that had descended on the holodeck.

"You know she will never make a captain if she joins Starfleet...She is far too headstrong and has almost no regard for her ship and crew, just wanting to win."

Owen nods slightly at Nicole's words as she speaks, neither of them having noticed Kira standing at the doorway still.

"I know she won't...she may be able to make an alright first officer with the right captain but apart from that I never really see her reaching senior command inside of Starfleet. But how do I tell her that so that she doesn't waste her time..."

"I think the only way you can tell her is by telling her flat out that she will never make a captain and to stop trying to keep up to Kira when it comes to her aptitude for being an officer."

Kira looks down at her feet as she feels like she is eavesdropping on a private conversation and for overhearing what they believe Fiona's prospects are in Starfleet, she slowly looks up from her feet and down the hallway to see a shocked looking Fiona stand there just a few meters away with Keri right behind her. Fiona shakes her self out of the shock from overhearing her Dad and Gran talking before she does a quick spin on her heel and runs down the hall and towards the front door, letting it bang behind her as she does so. Kira and Keri both dash after her into the night as they look around on their front porch for any sign of her before Keri turns to Kira.

"I think I might know where she is...you go back inside to make sure your parents don't panic."

While Keri talks and jumps into action, she would step back inside the house grabbing Fionas and her hoodie that were hanging just by the door before she heads back outside to go looking for Fiona.
Kira watches Keri spring into action, still slightly in shock her self from Fiona dashing off before she turns to go back inside in case her parents shout for them.

Keri spends the next few minutes walking towards one of the small old buildings on the edge of the Skye family estate that she and Fiona use as their little hideaway. Keri would have her hoodie on, with Fiona's tied around her waist to keep her hands free as she approaches a side of the building and the well-used hand and footholds in the wall, she slowly starts to make her way up the wall, taking care due to the dark of the early nights in the highlands. She slowly pulls herself onto the roof of the building once she reaches the top of the wall, her eyes make out the silhouette of a person sitting on the edge of the roof and staring up into the stars. Keri carefully walks over to Fiona uniting Fi's hoodie from around her waist while she walks, lightly draping it over Fiona's shoulders before she sits down next to her.

"Knew you would be up here."

Fiona nods slightly, a small smile on her face as she looks over at Keri just when the moon comes out from behind the clouds and its moonlight is reflected off the tears trailing down her cheeks.

"You're a great friend you know that...better than I deserve."

Keri looks down at the roof quickly for a moment with a slightly visible blush and a look of pain flashing across her face, before she looks up again at Fiona while she moves closer pulling her into a side hug.

"I'll always be there for you, no matter what. And you might pull into all sorts of chaos, but that's just you, and I wouldn't follow you through hell if I weren't willing to go down with the ship by your side."

"I still feel horrible about dragging you with me, especially when I get you in trouble..."

The two of them fall into a companionable quiet, happy just to sit and stare up into the stars overhead until they hear Fiona's mum shouting from the house calling them back.
2 Likes