Lets try this again?

[Deleted]

*As RJ tossed and turned in his troubled sleep* :" Yellow alert Captain to the bridge' this is not a drill, Yellow alert Captain to the bridge.......*RJ slapped the intercom button on the wall next to his bunk.*

James: Captain here and this had better be good.

Lewis: Aye sir Star Base sent out a code 1 emergency.

James: Well there goes my vacation. Set a course for Star Base 24; warp 6. Then wake the senior staff and have them meet me in the briefing room in 30 minutes.

Lewis: Aye sir.

off: Star Base 24 is located in the Kaleb sector near the area where the Romulan, Klingon and Federation spaces meet.

[Ephrem Santos]

Ephrem was a disgruntled Starfleet officer, he had not been able to have a good night sleep for almost a year. At least he had been able to sleep, unlike some on the ship. There last experience on board the ship was a strange one that ended uburptly. The Romulans sort of just disappeared from there sensors and a few hours later Command recalled the Excalibur back to its original heading.

Ephrem hoped that they would be left alone for a while, but he didn't dare say that outloud. He knew that bad luck just followed him around. As he prepared to go to sleep something he had dreaded happened. The ships alert system went yellow meaning that somethign was happening that would require his attention. He quickly put his vest back on, replicated some coffee, and headed towards the brdige.

=^=Lt. Santos, please report to the briefing room in thirty minutes=^=

=^=Already on my way Barbara, you know that I wasn't asleep yet=^=

=^=Yeah I know=^=

Barbara Gold was the first person that he had met when he came to the Excalibur a year ago. They had quickly become close friends and Ephrem now considered her one of his best friends. When he arrived on the bridge she was the only officer present.

"I see you that haven't woken the others up," Ephrem said as he took a sip of his coffee and relieved the crewman at his station.

"I knew that you weren't asleep," Barbara said turning to face him.

"What if I was?" Ephrem asked as he searched for the problem.

"Well wasn't wrong was I," Barbara said as she took his coffee. "Hazelnut, my favorite. Thanks Ephrem."

"What....that..." Ephrem said but realized that it was no use. Before anyone arrived, Ethan ran into the Captain's ready room and replicated himself somemore coffee. "Hopefully this can keep me awake."

[green]

Mira stretched as the alarm went off and, stiffling a yawn she opened one eye to peer at the chronometer beside her bed. She groaned as she discovered it wasn't even 5am yet. "What are they thinking, having an alarm blaring through the night shift," she muttered as she sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

It had been very late before she'd gotten to bed as she'd had a really entertaining evening with the ship's CMO, John Mann. The teenager didn't bother to stiffle the next yawn as she stepped into the bathroom and discarded her pyama. She sighed as she stepped into the shower, shivering when it produced stone-cold water. "Someone must've botched up the hot-water tap to enlisted quarters," she grumbled as she was forced to take a cold shower.

She dried herself off and rubbed the towel through her hair. Mira grinned at her reflection, her red hair sticking out to all directions. Her grin increased when she pulled on her uniform dress, and took an extra moment to glance at the new bars on her sleeve; it was the reason her evening had ended up so late. She and John had been celebrating her promotion to CPO first class, something she'd never dreamed of happening so soon, while she wasn't even 18 yet.

Mira had decided to come clean about her age, growing tired of lying about it, and she had planned on seeing the captain first thing in the morning. Now however, with yellow alert resounding through the corridors, Mira knew that now probably wasn't the best of times, and she'd wait until later into her shift.

As she stepped onto the bridge, she noticed only the captain and Ensign Santos had arrived. "sirs," she acknowledged them with a smile as she stepped down to her station. As she wasn't senior staff, she had no business being at a senior staff meeting, but she certainly could make sure the ship stayed on course. She knew the captain would eventually tell her what she needed to know anyway. Otherwise her friends would, even when she wasn't really supposed to know.

[Deleted]

John fell out of bed, the alarms dull hammers in his ears. He grabbed his pillow and covered his head with it, hoping the alarms would stop. They really didn't need to be so loud. He lay there for a moment, remembering Mira's promotion. She'd be 18 in about four and a half months, but she'd decided it didn't matter how old she was. Her plan had been to confront the Captain about it.

=^=Bridge to Dr. Mann! Report to the Bridge! There is a senior staff meeting in fifteen minutes. =^=

After untangling himself from the sheets and the pillow, John stumbled into the shower, found a fresh uniform, brushed a hand through his hair, and headed into the hallway. He nearly got run over by a security team. Rubbing his eyes and yawning, he started off toward Sickbay, then remembered he was supposed to be going to the Bridge and corrected himself. When he got there the only familiar face was Mira's.

"You'd better hurry, John. They're going to start any moment," she said. John nodded.

The junior Ops officer was not as nice. "I had to call you five times, and set off an alarm in your quarters!"

"Sorry," he mumbled, yawning again. He looked at Mira, but she was facing her station again. He didn't see why she wasn't coming to the meeting...

He entered, and the Captain looked surprisingly happy. "Right on time, doctor. We've got everyone here now."

John sat down next to Ephrem as the Captain began.

[Deleted]

*RJ finished reading the transcript of the information contained in the data packet down loaded from Star Base 24; as the senior staff took their places at the briefing table.*

James: Sorry to wake the day shift but trouble never sleeps it seem. We have received a code one disaster call from Star Base 24 in the triangle area where the Klingon, Romulan, and Federation space meet..; Computer play star base 24 message 1.

" This is Star Base 24 transmitting a code one disaster warring. Trust no one coming from this base or the USS Cleveland. The Cleveland dropped out of warp 2 days ago and began attacking the station. When they beat the shields down and boarded the station there were Humans, Orians, Klingons, Romunlans, and one other unidentified species, who seemed to be in command. We have been fighting a loosing battle the last of my people are making a last stand here in Engineering. We have 45 seconds left on the self district timer, we have lost exterior sensors so I do not know if destroying this station will take them with us or not?...... 5.4.3.2.1...end of message."

James: Comments?

[Ephrem Santos]

When John entered the conference room, Ephrem had the distinct feeling that was a miracle that he was standing on his feet. No one payed attention to these types of things, but Ephrem. He loved studying peoples reaction towards events and there environment. As the captain played the recording, Ephrem noticed that John was almost asleep.

Without anyone noticing, Ephrem elbowed him to wake him up. He didn't have to do that again, because the briefing had gotten even more interesting.

"Did they say an unknown species?" Ephrem asked.

"Yes, which is very unusual," the science officer said.

"I have to agree, if humans were part of the ship that it stands to reason that the Federation have had dealings with that species as well," Ephrem said.

"Has anyone thought about this being a fake?" the science officer asked.

"Yes, but why would someone play such an elaborate trap with multiple Federation ships in the area?" Ephrem asked.

<Tag John and James>

[Deleted]

*RJ liked to listen to his command crew toss around ideas it helped him to think and Analise the data.*

Bridge: Sir incoming subspace message from the USS America? Admiral Larok commanding.

James: Put him in here.

*The wall screen came to life showing a Vulcan in an Admirals uniform setting in the center seat of a newer bridge design than the Excalibur's.*

Larok: Captain James it seems you are the closest ship except the Enterprise and they are on a classified mission in the Orgaian sector. I am assembling a task force and should arrive in the Kaleb sector in 18 hours which my Intel people tell me puts you on your own for 12 hours. Inform me as soon as you have anything to report. Larok out.

James: Comm download all info we have so far and transmit to the Admiral on the America; helm eta at present speed?

Helm: 6 hours 10 minutes.

James: Never doubt a Vulcan; Mr Santos I need you to find out what happened if the Star Base did overload its matter/antimatter reactor then you will have a lot of ionization and hard radiation to get through. I do not want to go in there blind if we can help it. Mr Mann get your section ready for mass causality's, cargo bay 6 is empty you can have engineering help you set it up for a trauma ward. I want all survivors beamed directly to cargo bay 6 and I want it isolated from the rest of the ship. there are only three ways into that bay the cargo transporter, the outside airlock and corridor 56 and the bay is surrounded on all sides by bulk and fresh watter storage. I want all of your people to wear environmental suites at all times in there we do not know what the problem is and if I have to vent that bay to space I want to be able to recover our people.
OK everyone try to get some sleep we will go to yellow alert 30 minutes before dropping out of warp and to battle stations if the situation warrants it. Dismissed doctor stay a minute.

[Deleted]

John was not someone who was prepared to analyse confrontations like this. He was a doctor, not a warrior, and decided listening was better than speaking.

After Admiral Larok spoke, Captain James said, "Never doubt a Vulcan; Mr Santos I need you to find out what happened if the Star Base did overload its matter/antimatter reactor then you will have a lot of ionization and hard radiation to get through. I do not want to go in there blind if we can help it. Mr Mann get your section ready for mass causality's, cargo bay 6 is empty you can have engineering help you set it up for a trauma ward. I want all survivors beamed directly to cargo bay 6 and I want it isolated from the rest of the ship. there are only three ways into that bay the cargo transporter, the outside airlock and corridor 56 and the bay is surrounded on all sides by bulk and fresh watter storage. I want all of your people to wear environmental suites at all times in there we do not know what the problem is and if I have to vent that bay to space I want to be able to recover our people.
OK everyone try to get some sleep we will go to yellow alert 30 minutes before dropping out of warp and to battle stations if the situation warrants it. Dismissed doctor stay a minute."

"Yes, sir," said John, remaining seated.

[green]

Drumming her fingers on her console, Mira leaned back in her seat, her eyes scanning the main viewscreen as she stiffled another yawn. No amount of coffee was going to help her this time, and not even the message that had just come through from starfleet command was going to wake her up more. However, the message had improved her mood considerably.

When the meeting finally seemed to be over, she waved Ephrem over after flashing a grin at Captain James and showing him the message that had come through. After his brief nod, she motioned Ephrem to come even closer. "Congratulations," she whispered in his ear, chuckling at the stunned look on his face as he had no clue what she was congratulating him on.

Then she took a step back and made a show of examining his wrists and his uniform. "You're out of uniform," she commented, casting him a mock-glare, "you're missing a solid bar mister...you had better go change before the captain notices!"

[Deleted]

*As everyone but the Doctor left RJ looked him over.*

James: Doctor heal thy self. You need to get some sleep. We may need your services more in the next two days than ever before; or not. I am torn in this one I am afraid that we may not have any say in the matter but you need to be ready.

Bridge: "Sir we have a message from Star Fleet; Code One; War has been declared with the Klingons."

James:" Understood enter it into the log we are at war with the Klingons. Wake the appropriate people and set the combat watch."
It seems that events have taken a turn for the worse. Get your section ready and then get some sleep if you can; dismissed.

*RJ left the briefing room and headed to the bridge. Entering the bridge and moving to the center seat.*

James: I have the conn; helm maintain coerce and speed. science recalibrate long range sensors for detection of Klingon ships. Chief have security issue side arms to all key personnel.

<tag everyone>

[Deleted]

"Doctor heal thy self," said James. "You need to get some sleep. We may need your services more in the next two days than ever before; or not. I am torn in this one I am afraid that we may not have any say in the matter but you need to be ready."

=^= Sir we have a message from Star Fleet; Code One; War has been declared with the Klingons. =^=

"Understood," replied James, "enter it into the log we are at war with the Klingons. Wake the appropriate people and set the combat watch." He looked at John again. "It seems that events have taken a turn for the worse. Get your section ready and then get some sleep if you can; dismissed."

"Er- before you leave, sir... you could use the same advice. Don't wear yourself out prematurely," said John.

"I don't intend to," replied James before exiting.

John followed him out, smiling at Mira, who still showed signs of sleepiness. He probably did, too, but now felt awake enough to get his job done. And without any coffee. Coffee sounded very good at the moment. John went down to Sickbay and found Wundt dozing on a bed. His fresh uniform and wet hair indicated a failed attempt at waking up. John let him sleep a while longer while he took a trip to cargo bay six. After borrowing a few engineers to help him move medical equipment into the cargo bay, John decided Wundt had taken a long enouch nap and woke him up.

"Umf..." muttered Wundt, eyes barely open. "That for me?"

John held a cup of coffee in his hands. "Sorry, this one's mine."

Wundt sighed and got up, looking for his own. "Some friend you are..."

John shrugged. "I let you sleep in while I set up cargo bay six. I suppose I should tell you about that..."

[green]

Mira nodded and relinguished control of her console to the nightwatch. She tended to personally go down to the armoury to hand out phasers to those who needed to wear them. "Captain, could I have a word with you in private when I get back?" she asked as she approached his seat, "it is important."

(James)

At James' nod, Mira left the bridge and went down to tend to the tasks set. She stiffled a yawn when she entered the armoury, surprising the local watch officer as she entered. "My aren't you a little early young lady?" the middle-aged officer querried.

"No," Mira answered rather tartly, "I was woken up by the yellow alert alarm. And now I have to issue all security teams a phaser. You could of course be a gentleman and offer me your asistance?"

The officer in question raised an eyebrow at her lack of diplomacy but let it slide on the fact that it was still barely 5am and she was still rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Of course," he answered instead of giving her a lecture.

About an hour later, all key personnel were armed, including Mira herself. There were only a few phasers left and she knew both Vegeta and James would have to be issued one. They and the CMO were the last ones left. Mira entered sickbay and held out one of the three phasers she was carrying out to John. "I know you don't like these, but please keep one at hand," she told him, "I'd hate to see you get hurt......or killed."

Several minutes later she re-entered the bridge and handed one phaser to Vegeta, and the last one to the captain. "Everyone's armed now," she reported, "including the watch that has just gone off duty. Permission to go back to bed and catch a few more hours of sleep? And when I get back on duty to have a word with you about that private matter I mentioned earlier?"

[Ephrem Santos]

Ephrem was really surprised when Mira handed him the new stripe for his uniform. He looked at it and then at everyone else on the bridge. They were all smiling at him and before he could stop himself he hugged Mira and ran towards his quarters where he could adjust his uniform.

When he came back everything was back to normal, except that a phaser was waiting for him at his station. He was a bit confused, but he understood when he saw that everyone else was armed. No one wanted to be left unprepared and it was better to be over prepared then left defenseless.

There was not much for Ephrem to do, so he surveyed the bridge and the interactions of the crew. No one liked being looked at, but there was nothing that they could really do. The only way that he would stop was if they asked him, but no one had yet done that.

He noticed that everyone on the bridge other than Barbara were trying hard not to fall asleep. Ephrem quickly realized that he too was tired, but after a small electrical charge he was awake once again.

"Maybe I should go to sleep here," Ephrem said to himself. He didn't really care if people looked at him funny. He knew that he wasn't going to sleep on the bridge, so he just activated the star charts and studied them.

<Tag anyone>

[Deleted]

"I know you don't like these, but please keep one at hand," she told him, "I'd hate to see you get hurt......or killed."

"That would put a damper on our relationship," admitted John.

Mira punched him lightly in the stomach. "I'm serious, John. Watch yourself."

The doctor nodded obediantly. "I will. Good luck, Mira." She left, and John had little to do. He turned the phaser over in hands several times, looking at it critically. He would never become very good with it - everyone who had ever seen him fire a phaser before knew that. But it was hard for even John Mann to miss with a phaser in the cramped area of Sickbay.

Wundt, now holding his own cup of coffee (his third), intruded on John's thoughts. "I got the environmental suits all assigned to those of use with the lovely assignment of cargo bay six, John."

The doctor nodded absentmindedly, and then lay down on one of the many unoccipied beds. He had made sure they were more comfortable than they had been earlier. "I'm going to catch a bit of sleep. Wake me up in a few hours."

Wundt shrugged and drained the rest of his coffee cup. "Whatever."

[Deleted]

*As the Excal headed for Star Base 24*

Comm: Sir receiving a report from the Organian task force; they have engaged the Klingons.

Science: Sir 3 Klingon ships blocking our path.

James: Battle Stations!; Shields up arm all weapons and pre pair to return fire.

* At that point every control at every station got too hot to handle causing everyone to jump to their feet and throw their phasers to the ground.*

*Then all power dropped and as the emergency lighting came on; the view screen went black except for a white light in the center *

Organian: " We have stopped your war. All of your forces everywhere are disabled and will not be allowed to fight.

James: Status report.

Engineering: The only power we have at this time is for life support, and the controls for rerouting are too hot to touch.

Comm: Message from Star Fleet ; Stand down from code 1, return to normal operations and missions as soon as possible.

James: Secure from Battle stations and resume course for Star Base 24 as soon as the Organians let us.

*At that point the main lights and equipment became active. RJ bent over and picked up his phaser and returned it to his belt.*

James: Well it seems we can defend our selfs just not fight the Klingons.

Science: Sir the Klingons have gone to warp headed for home.

<tag everyone>

[green]

"That's a relief," Mira said, as she stepped from the turbolift, "now what does a girl have to do around here to actually get some sleep?" She was starting to look terrible; her hair was standing out in every direction instead of being neatly combed and it was evident she was all but falling asleep on the spot.

She stepped down to her station. "I keep getting called back to the bridge, but I really want to sleep." She turned around to gaze at James. She desperately needed to talk to him, but he didn't seem to want to acknowledge her request.

Instead, she now focused on her controls, but soon became too tired and actually fell asleep over them.

[Ephrem Santos]

It didn't really hit Ephrem what had exactly happened throughout the entire quadrant. If what the Organians had just said was true all the ships in Starfleet had just been maimed. This was a most scary thought.

The Organians quickly cut communications with the Excalibur and things went back to normal. It was reported that the Klingon Fleet was heading back home and that Command was doing the same thing.

The Excalibur shortly thereafter returned to what it had been doing before this had all started, nothing. Ephrem hoped that Headquarters would come up with something soon or something interesting happened because he didn't want to just sit all day at his console.

He was extremely pleased to know that the war with the Klingon's was pratically over, but Ephrem wanted something to do. The only good thing about nothing have much to do was that he could have more time to spend with Barbara. As of now it wasn't anything really serious, but Ephrem hoped it could become.

[green]

Mira started awake with a scream as she suddenly rolled out of her seat when the Excalibur banked port hard. Unconsciously, she had touched a few controls that steered the ship port or starbord and when she'd moved in her sleep she'd accidently steered the ship to port.

Quickly she climbed back into her seat and corrected the original course. She glanced at James, whose face was showing signs of fury but also of fatigue. "I told you I needed to sleep," she snapped, all respect for command forgotten. She marched from her station, entered the turbolift and headed towards sickbay.

"I need something to sleep, and not wake up too soon," she started, then broke into tears out of exhaustion. "Nobody will let me sleep," she sniffed, "I just fell asleep at my station, and it very nearly went wrong. Please help me?" She glanced up at Mann, clinging to him in desperation.

[Deleted]

Most of the medical staff was out of Sickbay while John listened to Wundt complain about the stand down from red alert. "I'm glad that we didn't get into a mess, of course," said the senior nurse, "but that was the worst morning I've ever had."

John kept quiet, partly in agreement with Wundt. He didn't want to say anything that might reflect poorly on anyone above him. At that moment, Mira entered. Wundt stepped away, instantly preoccupied with organising scaples at the far end of the nearly vacant room.

"I need something to sleep, and not wake up too soon," she started, then broke into tears out of exhaustion. John held her while she released her frustration. "Nobody will let me sleep," she sniffed, "I just fell asleep at my station, and it very nearly went wrong. Please help me?" She glanced up at Mann, clinging to him in desperation.

"Of course," said John. "Let's go to your quarters. I'll make sure the Captain doesn't put you back on the bridge for a while. In fact, if you give me a moment..." he led the way over to the CMO console and quickly entered Mira as 'unavailable for duty until further notice.'

"There," he said. "The Captain can't very well argue with that."

(Mira)