<USS Avalon> "Back on the Battle Bridge"

 Back on the Battle Bridge
by Commander Skyler, Sergeant Major Greg Williams and Others

As Greg watched Vevay beam out, he felt a pang of worry. "Silly old fool," 
he muttered as he clenched his fist around the phaser again. "Your orders, 
ma'am?"

 Skyler hoped that Melanie would be all right and that she would contact her 
soon, if not her then perhaps Vevay. Knowing it had been improper to send 
Vevay to Forensics, sometimes you just have to do what your gut said was 
best, or so she hoped. She heard her science officer mumble something, no 
doubt something regarding her actions.
 "Did you have something to say Sgt. Major, if so I would prefer if you said 
it and not mumbled it. Especially if regards me or something I have done." 
Skyler waited for his reply.

Greg's eyes narrowed as he addressed his commanding officer. In a loud, 
clear voice, he said, "No ma'am, I was merely saying a sort of a prayer for 
those we've just sent into battle. Or was that improper of me? Is it 
considered unseemly for an NCO to worry about Ensign Davis? She is, after 
all, quite young and with very little experience." Glaring straight at 
Commander Skyler, he said very loudly, "You orders, MA'AM?"
"Enough with the fucking attitude. This is neither the time or place for it. 
You think I'm not worried about those who are in battle, or about sending 
Ensign Davis to Forensics? Well, you are fucking crazy. If anything happens 
to anyone under my command I am responsible. I don't care if it's a bastard 
of an NCO, a petty officer, yeoman, ensign or anyone else for that matter. 
So grow up and lose your attitude. Your orders are to work with John to find 
the captain, and you are also taking over as head of security. I would think 
your military background would suit you for that post."
 Skyler turned to look at John, "What is the status of the shuttle in the 
wormhole and what other activity is going on?"

Greg turned back to his console, his face burning as bright as his outrage. 
He tapped in a rude comment to Cadet Forester, who replied with a worrying 
message. "Sir? Commander Skyler? It appears that the Captain left the Bridge 
with one of his Security team but never returned." He quickly typed a reply, 
his frown deepening. "Cadet Forester has initiated scans but there's some 
kind of interference from the attacking vessel, we can't even pinpoint the 
invaders at the moment."
 "Initiate the security protocols. I don't want anyone entering this bridge 
or sickbay unannounced. I refuse to let anyone go through what I had to the 
last time we dealt with a temporal anomaly." Both Lyta and John nodded their 
understanding.
 "John, I want you to try everything possible to locate the captain. Use 
whatever means you can devise."
 "Understood Ma'am." John started to tap away at his console. The pounding 
in Skyler's head was just getting more intense.

*Well*, Greg thought, *I guess that puts me out of a job*. Sighing, he 
pinched between his eyes before reading the message Forester had sent him 
and grinning. John wanted to know if the really cute security officer was 
still there and if Greg could set up a date with her. He quickly typed back 
that she was off saving the universe but when she got back, he'd be sure to 
ask. Before he could stop himself, he started to giggle when the reply came 
back: *"*:D* wine and roses, Greg, my boy. I'll give you a run for your 
money if she's that fine a filly."*
 Skyler chose to ignore the giggling from Dr. Williams. It wasn't worth her 
energy to argue with him. She had other worries to think about. Mainly her 
sister and the baby, the captain, brain wipes and other crap. "Dr. Williams 
please work with John on finding the captain." She was tired of his attitude 
and yelling. She needed to go see Georgia and perhaps get something for this 
headache, but she didn't dare leave the bridge, wouldn't want to give off a 
bad impression.

Greg's face straightened instantly. The fear in the room was thicker than 
treacle and a huge amount of it was pouring off of the Commander. That and 
worry. *Well I can understand that*, he thought as he typed a reply to the 
Cadet. "I hate to bring this up, Commander, but what happens if the Captain 
has been abducted and spirited away?"

"If and that is a big IF the captain has been taken then we will go after 
him. I am not losing anyone on this crew if at all possible." The thought of 
chasing the captain through a temporal wormhole scared Skyler even more.* No 
more brain wipes, No more brain wipes.* She kept repeating it over and over 
hoping it would calm her down.

"All I meant was how do you propose going after him if we can't even get 
onto their ship?" Sighing, Greg's shielding slipped. *You're helping so very 
much, old boy. Why don't you just keep your mouth shut and do as the woman 
asked?* Dragging a hand over his head, Greg sent a note to John about trying 
a slightly different scanning frequency and then went back to brainstorming.
 Knowing the Captain like she did, he probably had some little trick up his 
sleeve and was actually still on the ship. The question was where and why 
the hell didn't he inform her of these little tricks of his. "That Dr. 
Williams is your mission, to figure out a way to get on their ship if 
needed. I am hoping that it doesn't come down to that."* I am not going to 
have another brain wipe, and I don't care who orders it.* Skyler thought she 
felt Williams' shields slip but decided she wasn't going there. No need to 
create more animosity.

"Ta muchly," Greg muttered as he shifted frequency on his scans yet again. 
"Sir, I'm reading something." He grinned and then frowned. "The fighting has 
increased and they're getting closer to us."

"Where are they? We are on deck 13. I want decks 13 and 14 secured by any 
means necessary. I don't want them anywhere near the antimatter containment 
pods, the secondary shuttle bay, or the cargo bays. I want the secondary 
sickbay secured as well."

"Deck ten, ma'am. I'll go and check all of the security systems." With a 
curt nod to Skyler, Greg stood and marched out, his phaser ready.

Skyler watched as Greg walked out. He may be a bastard but she knew he would 
get the job done. She sat there with her hand on her phaser hoping Mel and V 
were okay, and that she hadn't sent V into a disaster. She wouldn't be able 
to live with herself if anything happened to either one of them.

Other related posts: