It's all uphill at the Monroe's Pt 2

Posted on Sat Mar 8th, 2025 @ 8:26am by Lieutenant Commander Shoniara T'ghann-Dex. Doctor & Commodore Finchley Kerr & Commander Alec Hunter & Lieutenant Commander Isabelle Savette & Lieutenant Commander Kevin Kilbane & Commander Shr'Nesh Karadis

3,445 words; about a 17 minute read

Mission: Voices of the past
Location: Planet side
Timeline: Current.

“NO!” Isabelle was at Finchley’s side in moments, she hit her comm badge. “Savette to Blackeagle medical emergency! Beam us out NOW!!”

Shon and the dead body of the Commodore beamed directly to sickbay. Shon did not have a second to think about Isabelle left down on that planet. "Surgical bio bed NOW she screamed as Finchley's lifeless body was inserted into the casing. Orders came thick and fast from her as all hell broke loose.

"Neural calipers"

"ten cc's dilamadon"

"20 cc's nitroprussin."

Begin cardiac stimulation!" Finchley's body jumped, "again" Shon said beginning to calm down as now her doctor's head began to take over. "Again" his body jumped. "Again." She looked at the bio board, respirations nil, cardiac output nil, blood flow nil...."Again" his body jumped again as the neural calipers attempted to reconstruct his cardiac function.

The receiving nurse touched her hand..."Doctor..." Shon shook her off.

Prepare plasma reconstruction with 25cc's prostatin."

"Doctor...Shon, the Commodore's gone, there is too much damage," the nurse said.

Shon hit her communicator hard as plasma flowed into Fnchley.

"Sickbay to Commander Hunter, get down here now!" Shon said in a level voice full of the gravity of the situation.

On the bridge, Alec heard the urgency in Shon's voice. Jumping from the chair, "Mr. Owens, you have the bridge." As he hurried to the turbolift. Moments later he was in sickbay. "You called for me Dex? What is it?"

The visit went south Commander the Commodore has been shot at close range currently he is deceased but I am still working on him Isabelle remains on the planet. she sent us back." Shon told him without taking a breath.
"I am prepping him for abdominal and cardiac surgery."

She entered the surgical field and began to attempt to repair the damage done by the weapons. "Again" she shouted to the nurse as, once again his body jumped. Finchley's body began to fill with the blood and plasma he lost as Shon repaired the damage as much as she could.

~Finchley opened his eyes, he was in unfamiliar surrounding. He looked around and he could see green grassy meadows and what looked like a tree lined meandering dirt track. Getting up, he began to cautiously walk along the track, "Hello?" he called out, "anyone there?"

"You sure took your sweet time getting here Bird" a distantly familiar voice said, then another familiar one added, "That's true, someone as reckless as you should have been here a long time ago."

Finchley looked around, then in the distance he could see two figures sitting on a fence. He began to walk towards them, then smiled in recognition as he saw who it was. "Freedman, Alexander, what are you two doing here...actually, where is here?"

"I told you he was hopeless at map reading" the older one said.

"I am not, well, not as bad as I used to be!" Finchley retorted, then it struck him, how was he able to be with these two.

"You two are..." he began saying.

"Dead, yes, we know" Freedman replied, "We're here to help you on the last part of your journey" he added, pointing up the track towards a bright horizon.

Finchley was at a loss, "I don't understand" he answered.

"Bird, things finally caught up with you, it's the end, you're here to join the rest of us" Alexander said.

Suddenly Finchley felt an almighty pain in his chest, then again, and then again. He dropped to one knee, and tried looking at his old comrades again, "what last part of my journey?" he gasped.

"The one where you can finally get some well earned eternal rest" Freedman said, coming down off of the fence and walking towards him. "It's over my old friend, you don't need to have the responsibilities anymore, come on, I'll take you to the others."

"What others?" Finchley asked.

"Well" Alexander began, "there's Brix, Walker, L'tan, Korpus, Redman, O'tMarnian, Feltman, Quinne and Ash for starters."

All those name's brought it home to Finchley as to what was happening. "Those are all Intel Officers who have been in our squad who died on duty."

"I think he's getting it" Alexander said to Freedman~


[Sickbay, Blackeagle]


Alec took everything in Shon told him, The Commodore being shot. Isabelle still on the planet. He looked into the room where, Kerr's body laid. "He isn't dead Dex. I can hear a heartbeat and see his aura. It is faint to be sure but there."

Shon carried on working, repairing the tissue damage, giving more plasma and using the surgical board like a wild woman, never stopping. The nurses eventually just stopped and watched her.

“Doctor there has been no life signs for thirty minutes now, the Commodore is dead.” One of them attempted to put their arms around her but Shon shoved them away as she continued. Finally she began closing him up having done as much as she could.

“Neural calipers again.” Shon said. The nurse shook her head and Shon looked at Alec.

"He isn't dead." Alec insisted. Check your instruments."

“Come back to me, don’t leave me Finchley” She said as there was a small alarm beginning to sound.

< Planet side >

Down on the planet Isabelle found herself stranded, something had stopped her dematerialising alongside Finchley’s body.

“I’m sorry Isabelle but we couldn’t just let you go, you’re one of us, you belong here.” Kara stepped closer. “All will be explained, but right now let us help you. Our doctors should be able to help with your problem.”

“One of you!?” Isabelle shook her head. “I’m NOTHING like you! Now let me go back to my ship!”


On the Blackeagle Alec was already in action. "Shon, we're going back to get Commander Savette." He tapped his combadge. Mr. Owens. You are going to stay in charge a little longer. Commander Dex and I are going back to the planet to retrieve Commander Savette. Make sure the transporter maintains a lock on all of us at all times. Go to yellow alert."

A brief paused followed by Owens replying "Aye sir."

Alec decieded to try something, he tapped his combadge. "Hunter to Savette, Isabelle, are you alright?" There was no denying the concern in his voice for her.

Isabelle was still arguing her point when Alec’s voice came over the comms. “I’m okay Commander, but I’m not being allowed to leave!”

"Okay, Dex and I are beaming down to your last coordinates, I wish to talk with Jackson and Kara."

“They’re right here with me, we’ll be waiting.” Isabelle looked towards Jackson and Kara. “If you harm them...”

Jackson shook his head. “What happened to the Commodore was...unfortunate, no one else will be harmed as long as you make no attempt to leave.”

"Isabelle, don't worry we'll be there soon. Reiterate to Jackson and Kara all we want to do is talk this over." Alec replied calmly.

Karadis burst into Sickbay and looked around wildly, "Where is he?" she demanded.

"Whoa Karadis! You can't see him at least not yet. Dex is working on the captain. He's in bad shape. Now calm down. Then she and I are going back to the planet."

"Don't you tell me how I can't and can't act, you have no authority over me" Karadis eyed him sideways, "I'm his personal staff, so if anyone has the right to be here to see what's happening it's me!" she ended, walking over to the glass partition to look into where Finchley was.

She slammed her hand on the wall and said "You do whatever it takes to get him better Doctor, whatever it takes, do you hear me, even if it means harvesting organs, you fucking well do it!"

Shon turned to the frantic Klingon woman knowing what she felt grabbing her around the arms she said, “Karadis calm down he is alive. Breathing with help but the damage was extremely extensive, I am not sure….how much he will recover. He is in an induced coma and with a lot of support. The next few days he will rest and then I will take him out of the coma and we will see.” She turned to Alec, “ I wanted to take weapons with us but Finchley refused, I knew it was a bad idea and now look at him.” She sighed and breathed deeply.

"Bloody typical of him!" Karadis exclaimed, "hoping for the best in situations, even when he himself admitted something wasn't right about this mission."

Alec looked at Karadis. "I know you are upset but if you ever speak to me again like that, I'll throw your ass in the brig and leave you there! As of ten minutes ago I am acting captain of this ship and Dex is the Acting XO, now get out." He looked at Shon, "We will go armed."

Karadis rounded on Hunter, "You may be acting Captain, and she may be acting Executive Officer, but you've got fuck all jurisdiction or command over me you prick, I'm the COMMODORE'S personal staff, so outside your sphere of influence, the Commodore told you that on the bridge. Just try and put me in the brig and I'll break you in two. Oh, and if the Commodore does survive, you'll be hearing from him how you just spoke to me, and you couldn't give me enough latinum to be in your shoes then, so back off!"

"I doubt you could do anything Karadis. You tell the Commodore whatever makes you feel good. I will make my report and he can read it. I will say this. You are a piss poor Starfleet officer! You think your better than everyone and you aren't not by a long shot." Alec fired back, not backing down one inch.

"Try me" Karadis replied, a staunch look on her face, "and I don't think I'm better everyone else, just better than you. You say I'm a piss poor officer, I'll match and better you at anything, you know it and I know it. You're weak willed, indecisive and can't think for yourself in a tight situation, I know because I've witnessed it. Now you're left in charge of all this" she added, waving her hand around Sickbay but meaning the ship in general, "Kahless help us all. Just go and try not to give everything away."

Shon had had enough "STOP IT DAMNIT, look at the two of you, arguing next to Finchley who is barely alive now fucking get it together or take it to the holodeck meaning, GET OUT OF MY SICKBAY! I promise to keep you both posted." she said more gently and turned back to her patient.

Karadis turned to Shon, an angry retort about to come out, then she thought of what she'd said and thought better of it. Looking back at Hunter she said, "This isn't finished, this time I'll leave, out of respect for the Commodore's peace and for the Doctor, next time, you'll be the one leaving, either by your own choice or on a stretcher."

With that, she turned and left Sickbay, not looking back.

Alec watched Karadis leave without a word, she wasn't worth it. he turned to Shon. "Sorry about that Shon." He said sincerely. "When you get the captain stable, we're going back to the planet." He said simply.

Shon nodded, “thank you Alex, Karadis loves Finchley so much and being like this is the only way she can cope. I have repaired the Captain’s wounds and his pressures are beginning to rise but, I’m not sure he is back with us, it’s still touch and go, the brain is such a tricky organ……Why the hell would they do this Alec?” Shon asked knowing that he could not reply. “As soon as I know his brain function is stable I will join you and we will get Isabelle back.” She turned back to Finchley.

Alec nodded, "I can understand her affection for the captain but the way she speaks and talks to everyone is wrong." He sighed, "I can't say for certain but I'm guessing they are scared, scared of what we may do. It will be up to us to change their minds and bring Isabelle back."

< Planetside >

“Look, whatever you’re planning you’ve made a terrible mistake by shooting Commodore Kerr. He was the only chance you had of staying off Starfleet’s radar so-to-speak.” Isabelle sighed.

“You think we care about Starfleet Isabelle?” Kara shook her head. “It’s been two Generations since your parents left Earth, that’s two generations of our kind left on Earth who’ve remained hidden. Don’t you think plans were made for just such an eventuality? If you’ve gotten this far, think just how far others of our kind could have gotten in that time, and I don’t mean out in space.”

Isabelle shook her head. “So it’s all a power play, augments getting their revenge, if that’s what it is I’ll gladly accept my fate and bow out with a clear conscience. If our doctor can clear me of my augmentations then so be it.”

[Sickbay]

~Finchley sighed, "It finally happened then and I never saw it coming" he said to Freedman.

"Oh Bird, that's been said so many times by so many of us" Freedman replied. "Anyway, let's get you up to checkpoint Zulu, it's just at the top of the rise there" he added, thumbing further up the dirt track.

Finchley shrugged his shoulders, "I suppose so" he replied, and all three of them began trudging up the track. As they got to the top, low and behold, there was indeed what appeared to be, of all things, a checkpoint, with lots of people in Intel uniform. As Finchley approached the barrier, he recognised the people there, and he nodded to each and everyone, a sad look on his face.

"Lieutenant" said some, "Commander" said others, and there were a few "Captain" voices heard to say. Finchley again scanned all their faces, trying to work out why each of them were greeting him with different rank titles, and it struck him, they had all died at different times in his career, and they didn't know he was now a Commodore.

"Checkpoint Zulu" Alexander said, lifting the barrier with his hand, "the final one you cross."

"Why checkpoint Zulu?" Finchley asked.

"Zed is the last letter of the alphabet, Zulu is it's phonetic, so it's appropriate that the last checkpoint you cross is the named phonetically from the last letter of said alphabet" Freedman answered.

Finchley chagrined, "Always the practical one eh Pete."

"I was taught by the best Bird" Freedman said.

Finchley was just about to start walking again when he heard a familiar voice floating on the breeze behind him, "Come back to me, don’t leave me Finchley..."

He turned, but there was no-one there, but he'd recognised Shon's voice. He looked round at his fallen comrades, then back down the dirt track. Suddenly he felt drawn back down the track, a need to go back the way he'd come.

He looked round at the Intel officers again, "It's not my time yet, one day yes, but not right now, I need to go back."

He turned once again and began hurrying down the dirt track, back to where the voice had come from, "I'm coming Shon, just don't give up on me..."~

[Sickbay]

Shon continued to work on Finchley more determined than ever. His wounds were healing his heart was beating albeit weakly but he was still not showing any brain function. his frequent arrythmias were now lessening with the medical adjuncts on board his system monitored and titrated by the intricate functioning of the support instrumentation. but, there was still no brain function. She didn't care who was watching or listening she just was showing a determination she had not shown for many years. Suddenly her frustration lashed out and the hit the surgical subframe. "DAMMIT FINCHLEY YOU DO NOT DIE" she shouted her energy all but dissipated. She turned away remembering the times they had been together and the times she had thought would come again. "I think that's all we can do for now Alec, I think you were......." then the automated brain function beeped.

"Doctor his hippocampus is responding." One of the nurses exclaimed handing her a hypo of Astenine. Shon bent over to his ear and whispered, "Yes, yes that's it Finchley come home to us, come home to me, take your time but get here. I love you."She stood. "Right Commander let's go get our Counsellor!"

Alec watched Shon work from a few feet away. Her determination was evident as was her love for the captain. He nodded resolutely when she said for them to go and get Isabelle. "Right you are Dex. Take anything you need that you think will help us including a phaser."

Shon grabbed a medkit and some hypos that she thought may be needed. “How about we collect a couple of pulse rifles as well as our phasers Commander Hunter, also are we talking a team down with us, and, by the way as your XO you are in command now and would it be any use to tell you the Captain should stay with the ship? Yes I know that is three questions all at once but hey I’m winging it here.?

Alec looked at her, First get one pulse rifle. Two there is a team already on the ground and three, no it would not do any good. You are doing fine Shon. You sure you want to be with a weak willed, indecisive, can't think for himself acting captain."

“Well that makes me feel really safe Commander and, I was hoping you would think for me? Surak knows I need it.” After making a few more adjustments to Finchley’s treatment and gaining a ‘yes’ response if any slightest thing went wrong they left sickbay picking up the pulse rifle on the way. Where are we going to beam down?” Shon asked.

"Right to the coordinates Isabelle, you and the captain were last at Shon" Alec replied calmly.

Shon just smiled.

[Stellar Cartography]

Karadis stormed into Stellar cartography and punched the metal frame housing the feed to the main frame, denting it badly.

"I'm going to go out on a limb and say you're a tad upset" Kilbane said.

"Bird's in a serious condition, and nothing's being done about the Monroe's or those who fired on him!!!" Karadis exploded, "all Hunter can think about is saving his precious Isabelle...and we're here, DOING WHAT EXACTLY???" she then shouted.

"Doing the work we're supposed to" Kilbane replied calmly.

"WHAT?" Karadis asked, a look of sheer despair on her face.

"Kerr wanted to know more about the planet, so that's what I've been doing whilst you went gung-ho to Sickbay" Kilbane said, "look" he pointed at the screen on the console.

Karadis threw up her arms, but went over to the console all the same. "What am I looking for?" she asked.

"Third quadrant, what do you see?" Kilbane asked.

Karadis looked, then stood back, "Are those heat blooms?"

"Yes they are, but they're not thermal heat blooms, check the data" Kilbane continued.

Karadis began reading the data next to the main screen. It took her a moment, but then it came to her, "That's...that's heat blooms from missiles about to launch!"

"Yep, that they are" Kilbane answered, "but we don't know who it is who's about to launch them or where the intended target is."

"We have to tell the Commo..." Karadis automatically began to say, then cut off, "who do we tell, Birds in no state to talk, if he's alive that is, so what do we do now?"

"Well, there's two options" Kilbane replied, "we stay here and do nothing and wait to see where the missiles go, or, we go and investigate what's happe..."

"To late, it looks like they've launched!" Karadis said, pointing at the screen, it showing five blips heading away from the third quadrant and heading towards the first.

Kilbane looked at the data now screeding down the screen and quickly calculated how long it would take the missiles to get from quadrant three to quadrant one. "At the speed they're going, it'll only take four minutes before they land."

 

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