Search & Rescue (Part 1)

Posted on Sun Nov 16th, 2025 @ 7:36pm by Captain Taiga Aisaka & Petty Officer 1st Class Yoshika Miyafuji & Commander Thomas Johnson & Lieutenant Commander Nyxala Valentine & Lieutenant Ralen Trellis

1,254 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: The Return
Location: USS Denmark

The Denmark was a mess, the corridors were littered with debris. Smoke danced through the air over fallen crew and patients. The emergency lights flickered and occasionally sparks showered down on those below. Forcefields simmered to contain huge hull breaches and the sound of people crying out, calling for help or those in pain or trapped under rubble. The smell of burning and blood filled the air as the away team from the Tokyo materialized into this complete chaos.

Given what they were beaming into, the team was armed and ready in case instant action was required. Nyx had on an actual uniform based off of Marine BDUs and was on one knee, eyes and rifle scanning for enemy signatures. The pack she wore on her back contained a large medical kit and water to go along with the belt she wore with a tricorder, emergency medkit, several preconfigured hyposprays and a pair of spare power packs for the rifle. Eye still over the sights, she raised to a combat crouch and moved towards the door of the compartment after seeing it wa clear and off to one side. She triggered the door and looked out the one way, then cross-stepped over to glance the other way before stepping into the doorway for a Quick Look down the corridor.

Finally she stepped out towards a body of an officer in blue on the ground silently, kneeling once more and reaching out to feel for a carotid pulse, not finding one, never leaving the rifle out of use, then rose again. “Sir, we need to split up to search the ship.” She said in just above a whisper, as she was joined eyes scanning the whole while, “I recommend two teams, Miyafuji and I in separate teams for medical support.”

Counselor Ralen Trellis materialized with the away team, his hand instinctively moving to the phaser on his hip as he took in the carnage. The acrid smell of burning metal and blood hit him immediately, and for a moment he wasn't on the Denmark at all.

Smoke. Screams. The distant thunder of artillery.

Jaret's memories surged forward - different corridors, different battles, but the same visceral chaos. The Marine host had seen scenes like this too many times, and the symbiont carried every one of those experiences.

Ralen shook his head slightly, forcing himself back to the present. Focus. These people need help now. He thought to himself.

Pulling out his tricorder and scanning for life signs. The device flickered in his hands - whether from damage to the ship's systems or his own tension, he wasn't sure. "Life signs are scattered throughout multiple decks. Some are faint."

Don't think about the bodies. Think about the ones you can still save.

"We should prioritize sickbay and patient wards first," he said, though his grip on the tricorder was perhaps tighter than necessary.

Yoshika's senses were instantly assaulted by the surroundings. "This entire ship is a flying hospital," she said in response. She opened her tricorder. "Confirmed, I'm also picking up faint lifesigns fifteen meters ahead, and sporadic lifesigns throughout the ship." She looked over towards Thomas and Nyxala. "I think we're going to need more people..."

"Focus on getting the injured back to Tokyo. We can tag them with emergency transporter tags." Nyx kept scanning around, "If there's anyone needing stabilized, we'll do that before sending them back." Her eyes flicked over to Yoshika, "Triage as we go. We may not be able to save everyone, so if they're too far gone.." She trailed off, hating herself for what she was saying, but knowing it was necessary.

Ralen's jaw tightened at Nyx's words, but he nodded. He was all too familiar with the cold calculus of battlefield medicine - save who you can, move on from those you can't. It was brutal. It was necessary.

"Understood," he said quietly, checking his medical kit. "Black tags for expectant, red for immediate, yellow for delayed, green for minimal." The triage categories came automatically, though saying them aloud made his chest tighten.

"Its a part of war no one likes." Thomas agreed as he walked up to the front of the group "Based on our readings, and our previous encounter with them. Their weapons dissintegrates the victims. I am not entirely sure if there is another setting. We know the bridge was hit. Lets focus on other areas, that might have been used as a place to hide."

"Understood." Yoshika replied as she clicked open the flap on her medkit. She pulled out several tags of different colours. She never liked 'tagging' people, but afterall this was war and triage. This was what needed to be done. "I'm ready to go." She said solemnly.

Nyx nodded and pointed to the left, which was the way she was facing, “I’ll head this way, who’s coming with me?”

Counselor Ralen looked up from his tricorder, his spotted features set with grim resolve. "I'll go with you," he said, moving to join Nyx.

His eyes swept across the carnage surrounding them - bodies twisted in unnatural angles, limbs severed by structural collapses, faces frozen in their final moments of agony. The smoke and blood created a hellscape that Jaret's memories recognized all too well.

The ones the Heralds vaporized were the lucky ones, he thought darkly, stepping over a pool of blood. At least their deaths were instant. Clean. These people...

"Ok I'll go with the others," Yoshika said. She looked at Commander Johnson. "Lead the way Commander."

Watching as the others left, he turned to the remaining. "This way." He looked around him, officers all over, dead. Bending down, placing tags on the ones missing them. Starting down the corridor. "Before you open any doors, make sure theres atmosphere. There are open breaches in this area of the ship."

Yoshika was darting from person to person, many of them were far gone by the time she reached them. Then she heard it, someone crying out from behind a door. Rubble and debris blocked the door. "Commander!" Yoshika called out. "I heard someone crying from behind this door!" She added, she then looked up. "Oh god..."

Children's Ward

"We need to get this door open!" Yoshika shouted. "They need our help!"

Thomas's stomach churned, the childrens ward. Feeling sick even thinking about what they saw, what they were going through. He nodded, and walked up to the console. yping in his security code did nothing. The system was fried, he took out his smaller hand phaser, set it to the highest setting. Turning to the other to do the same, he aimed it at the door. "Careful, we don't know whats on the other side." Firing, the beam slowly cut through the door. Within minutes, with the help of the others, were able to cut a hole big enough for them to get through.

The ward was once decorated with bright colours. There was once colourful animals painted on the walls too. However now it was a complete mess. The beds and cots were all overturned. Huge scorch and burn marks ran up the walls, and smoke drifted through the air. It was totally destroyed, yet faint cries could be heard from amongst the wreckage.

Yoshika rushed in and scanned. "Three lifesigns..." she looked away from her tricorder. It was evident that there was once more in here than just three. "Weak... one critical "

To be continued...

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