Heavy Is The Brow
Posted on Wed May 15th, 2019 @ 8:14am by Commodore Tyler Malbrooke
968 words; about a 5 minute read
Mission:
Episode 6 - Old Habits Die Hard
Location: Bridge - USS Pioneer - Deck 1
Timeline: MD006 0100 hrs
Tyler had not slept, he could not sleep, not when his ship was in the state that it was. The skeleton crew that he had on board was busy getting the ship space worthy. The bright point was that the away teams had returned with only one casualty. The Detapa Council was freed and well on their way to reestablishing law and order. So what was Tyler all anxious about. He had dismissed the bridge crew and sent them to either rest, or work on repairs, so the bridge was empty.
He sat with his head in his hands as he reviewed the battle in his head. How could he have been so unprepared? Their weapons cut through his shields, as if the latter was non existent. None of it made sense. The meeting with the Intelligence Department had helped a little. That really was a good idea, and Tyler reminded himself to thank his XO for getting it done. He began to stroll the bridge, but his walk was halted as he stopped at the helm.
Miex was the only casualty. The Trill had died to save her team and it would not be forgotten. Tyler stood as a solemn sentinel at the helm. He would later give the woman a commendation post posthumously. Kunadt would get them back to the station. Like most Captain's Tyler knew that he would never forgive himself for the loss of the crew under his command.
As he started to pace the bridge again his thoughts wandered to his first night on this bridge. How his thoughts went to his mother that night, and so too they go there again. Out of the many things that she taught him she told him that "No one on a Starship fights alone, no one earns alone or loses alone. It is together or nothing." It was those words that saddened his heart at the moment. For he felt it was his fault all of this was his fault, no one else. He listed all of the casualties and injuries in his head. Miex was deceased, Larim injured his leg, Wakefield has some plasma burns, Dr Ballston seriously wounded when Sick Bay breached. Chief Moore is in critical condition after surgery. The list went on and on, and with each name Tyler got angrier at himself. He did not see the forest for the trees. He was so blinded by doing right by the Cardassians that he forgot to do right by his crew. This was a mistake that he would never make again.
The bridge was a shell of it's former self. Conduit and tubing hung from the ceiling. The scars of battle lay all over the bridge. Black smears where consoles exploded, the MSD flickered in the background. The small smear of blood that was left by Flarn when he scrambled to his feet could still be seen. All of the screens flashed blue with the symbol "Alert Condition Blue" it was an ominous reminder to Tyler of what he was forced to do. Forced to run away, to land the ship.
His gaze turned to the Science station, a station where hours ago Ameri O Flannigan had been working frantically. This was a woman who was a wife, a mother, and she resolutely followed orders. Tyler smiled as he knew that she was now safely in her quarters in the embrace of her husband. If anything good can come from this senseless fight. It is that she has taught me that having a family on this ship is needed to make it a home. Tyler thought as he noticed that even at the Science station the wounds of battle were seen.
Yet through out the disarray, and damage. Through it all there on the wall next to the entrance to conference room was the ship's dedication plaque. Tyler wiped away the dust and char marks from it with the sleeve of his uniform. As the bronze plaque began to shine his motions got more fervent. Soon it sparkled and it's wording struck to the core of the Captain. "One equal temper of heroic hearts, made weak by time and fate, but strong in will. To Strive, To Seek, To Find, and Not To Yield." He nodded as his courage returned to him. Those words caused Captain Tyler Malbrooke to dedicate himself to one goal, finding Typhon Prenar and bringing him to justice. "We will seek, we will find, and we will never yield." He said as if he spoke to the Cardassian spy master right there.
He was not sure where Typhon was hiding but he had some ideas of where to start the search. Most of all Tyler knew that he would never let a trap like this get sprung on him or his crew every again. The stakes were too high at this point. If the Cardassian and Federation alliance crumbled that could easily lead to another war and countless of lost lives. The first step was figuring out what Leyton and Prenar had in common. To that end Tyler had the computer send Rodney Leytons file to his console. It was time to do some digging of his own.
Tyler Malbrooke returned to the center chair and sat down a different man from when he stood up. Now he sat straight and resolute, in command. "Computer dim the lights to nothing." The bridge lights turned off and the only illumination now was the bridge consoles and screens.
"I have the bridge, and this is my home..." he said as he reaffirmed a statement that he made when he first took command of the Pioneer.
Captain Tyler Malbrooke
Commanding Officer, USS Pioneer
RSS Feed