<USS Avalon> "To the Last Breath"

?To the Last Breath?
by Commander Javan Sierra



Javan didn?t usually run; it wasn?t dignified as far as he was concerned. There was a sense of complete exhaustion when he noticed someone sprinting down a hallway or to and from an important engagement ? he couldn?t understand why you?d want to give someone that impression. Nonetheless, he just didn?t do it. Unfortunately, given the circumstances, he didn?t have much of an option. The Captain wanted answers and different paths to take if the need arose.

So, he ran.

Pushing people over and around Javan pushed on as his feet repetitiously collided with the deck plating. People?s heads were turning and awkward looks were thrown his way, but there was only one thing on his mind and that was the safety of the ship and it?s crew. Everything else got tossed to the back burner, everything. His plans, his goals, and mission ? all were second best.

The doors hissed open, but Javan was threw it before it reached its full expansion. His eyes looked around and he whistled as loud as he could. The security officer?s heads bobbed around to stare at the Commander. Tilted heads soon followed alongside hushed murmurs among the crew. Javan didn?t have time for this, but he couldn?t breathe ? too much on his mind and going through his head.

Ryan Hollander, standing nearby with a load of PADDs in his hands, threw them onto the tabletop. They skidded across the surface and emitted that delicate sound of metal scrapping upon metal, but that didn?t stop his bolting to attention. ?Attention on ? ?

?No time for formalities, Ensign,? Javan interrupted as he found his voice, ?I need you all to listen up and pay attention. I don?t care what you think of me, but if you ever want to see your families again you better focus here. We?re not in our timeline anymore. Welcome to the year 2851.?

Much to his dismay, Javan observed the panic spread through the masses. The color drained from people?s faces, some had to sit down, quieted conversations sprang up and took center stream, but overall there was fear ? he felt it. The tension was growing; the unsettling feeling of losing their focus sparked him to slam his hand into the nearest surface and the squads snapped back to reality.

Winters stepped through the crowd and into the fray. For the most part he was just as Javan had remembered him, but it?d been so long since he?d set foot in the security offices that he immediately felt something different. This time there was no arrogance, only concern. Winters smiled as he folded his hands behind his back, ?So, what role does security play??

?So much for the Temporal Prime Directive. Captain Ketchum has already talked to a Captain of a starship here. According to what I can gather from the conversation, the Federation here is much, much different. There?s nothing but hatred and loathing for those that interfere with their time,? Javan was going to try and pad the blow for them, he felt the uneasiness and he felt the pile of horrible emotions on top of each other.

Hollander finally found the courage to speak, ?Punishment? How so??

This was delicate territory, Javan realized, there was more to the situation than the fact that in the period of the one day they could all be dead and forgotten. These people had their own lives that they left behind and that they wanted nothing more than to return to it. What a meaningless existence. Javan always lived for the moment no matter who he had, what he owned, or where he was ? it was all about the there and now. The there and now was staying alive. ?It?s not good.?

Savannah Eckstein emerged from the throng and shook her head, ?No dodging this one, Commander. We?re all big people. What is the prognosis? We can handle whatever it is they want to do ? we?re Starfleet officers, remember??

?They want to execute the crew and destroy the ship.?

There was silence.

More silence.

Worried looks.

?We?re not going to give up without a fight,? Javan started, but he knew it was in vain. They were going to feel whatever the hell they wanted to feel and no fluffy words or vague descriptions of valor and honor would change that. It was a natural emotion to feel anxiety given such a predicament. ?We?re Starfleet officers and we?re going to give them hell before we show them what five hundred years has gotten them. You know what it?s gotten them? You know how much more they know than us??

?Nothing.? Gregory Orton mumbled from the corner where he sat with his arms folded casually across his chest. ?They have nothing that we don?t have. Weapons, maybe. Information, probably. Unfortunately, we?ve got just as much heart as them ? if not more. I?m not going to roll over and let them win.?

He was quiet, but he had it where it counted. Javan nodded with the young lieutenant. The man had so much potential, but Javan refused to submit his name in recruiting for the fear of poisoning the man?s good soul. ?That?s right. I?ve got some ideas of how to make things run smoother and more safely here. You guys ready to get to work??

Hollander held up a PADD and offered it to Javan, ?Boarding Protocols, sir. Revised by Starfleet Command just before this incident occurred. I?ve looked over it briefly, but there are hardly any new procedures. Where should we start??

?Throw that out the window.?

?Sir??

?You heard me, Ensign. This is a new time and therefore we?re using some new strategies. I?ve got my own ideas and I?ve learned to trust myself from time to time,? Javan found himself smiling given the dire circumstances, ?OK, we?ll start by splitting into the normal squads.?

People nodded in consensus as they slowly moved around the room into their respective groups and entered formation. The squad leaders took the lead and folded their arms behind their backs indicating their readiness. Javan was almost surprised by their prompt response to an order that he didn?t even have to give ? that was what being in Starfleet was all about.

?Hollander, set.?

?Orton, ready.?

?Winters, standing by.?

?Eckstein, bring it on.?

?Benevente, prepped.?

?Excellent,? Javan nodded his praise as best he could. There were some smiles from the crew and he felt their response to it. ?Benevente, get to the bridge and post a guard to every access point to that deck. No one goes in or out, period. If the Captain has a problem with that, tell him to deal with it ? security matters first. And remember, no matter what happens, fight. You fight until you can no longer manage to stay in consciousness.?

Winters tossed in, ?Fight until the last breath. We will.?

Benevente nodded to his team and they dispersed out into the hallway. The young ensign was going to work out just fine. No matter his past, which Javan had been thoroughly briefed about from his ?contacts?, this man was good-hearted. Evan Benevente would serve him well.

?Orton, take your team and seal down engineering. Post some people at every entrance to engineering and then surround the damn place with the highest forcefield you and the engineers can come up with,? Javan was spouting off random information that came to him, there was no set plan. ?If they get engineering then they?ve got the heart and we?re dead in the water no matter what. Understood??

?Of course, Commander,? Orton moved off with his team.

?Hollander, follow Orton and seal down deck eleven. Follow suit and seal off every access point to deck eleven. It?s going to act like the old watertight bulkheads from ancient Earth cruise ships. The Titanic, most specifically.? Javan knew it sounded trite in it?s own right, but he didn?t care, ?if they get onto deck eleven they?re still going to have to find a way into engineering itself.?

Ryan Hollander smiled, ?Forgive me if I?m wrong, but didn?t the Titanic sink?? Snickers and giggles circled the group and even Javan found himself suppressing a chuckle. Hollander was young and brash, but still extremely green.

?Yes, Ensign, let?s make sure that history doesn?t repeat itself. You have your orders.? He shook his head as the ensign disappeared and followed out his superior officer to deck eleven. Javan? eyes fell on Savannah Eckstein. ?Savvy, report to Doctor Roan and get her to set up two addition triage centers. Have her convert the conference room on the bridge into a makeshift sickbay. We don?t want the bridge crew to have to go far for help. The same for deck eleven. Go.?

Savannah nodded and motioned for her troops to move out and they did. That left Zachary Winters staring almost incredulously at him as if Javan had committed a cardinal sin by leaving him until the end. Javan shook his head slightly as he frowned inwardly. Why couldn?t they all be like Orton, Javan asked himself.

?Commander, am I going to be in charge of security??

?No, Lieutenant. I am placing you in charge of the most important of all tasks. I want to open all the armories to those that are members of the Avalon. Make sure that all crewmembers are armed and prepared to defend themselves if necessary.? Javan pointed, ?this is the key to surviving this conflict, Lieutenant, don?t let me down.?

For a moment Javan saw humbleness, but if quickly vanished. ?You do save the best for last, Commander.? With that, Winters and his crew departed the security offices. Javan was amused and quite surprised when Winters made it out without smashing his head into the top of the door ? he was, in fact, walking three feet off the ground.

Javan fought, but rolled his eyes anyway. ?The troops are rolling out. We may have a shot at survival yet.?

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