NAZGUL: Saving A Reliquary

Posted on Tue Mar 4th, 2025 @ 2:50am by Commander Sean Loewen {Meji} & Lieutenant Commander Sheyla {MD} & Lieutenant JG Ken Kudo & Lieutenant JG T'Pri

Mission: THE LAST CRY FOR HELP
Location: various
Timeline: Current

ON:

Loewen and Kudo made their way down to the Sickbay deck, stepping off the lift and seeing a short corridor leading to another that crossed over it. They could go right or left as they approached the intersection. Kudo chinned to the right for getting to Sickbay, turning his head to the left to look that way one last time before they started moving. Loewen stood a moment, then began to move right just as he heard Ken say, "Stop." He said it in a subdued tone since the passageway was silent.

Loewen spun halfway to look back at his man. "What?" His eyes looked passed Kudo, trying to see what had caused him to stop their progress.

"Captain, I swear I saw someone peeking around that corner down there." Kudo was sure he had seen an eye barely visible, with a bit of black hair dangling down behind it. It had only been a glimpse, as when he brought his eyes up that way it ducked back.

"You're sure?" Asked Loewen, trying to determine if the emptiness of the ship was getting to his Helm Chief. The idea seemed ridiculous with how the Lieutenant had performed so far, but everyone could make mistakes or get caught up in their own uneasiness.

"Not one-hundred percent, no," Kudo admitted. He glanced over at the Captain. "My brain is telling me I saw what I saw, Sir. Not an illusion. Not some phantom of my anxiety. A real person watching us. When my eyes came up they ducked out of sight." He put his hand on the butt of his phaser pistol.

"Lieutenant, no." Ordered Loewen, the two of them talking but keeping their voice tones low. "We detected one life form, right? You gonna shoot a fellow Starfleet officer, Mister Kudo?"

Ken's hand had a good hold on the pistol butt, ready to draw it if needed. When that Captain asked those two questions it all made sense. His hand relaxed and then came away from his sidearm. "You're right, Captain. If it is this Rachel Cavender I don't want to spook her. We're supposed to be friendlies, after all."

Loewen gave a grinning nod. "Good man, Ken. She has to be scared. We don't exactly look like anyone from her timeline and our badge symbol would have no meaning for her. I'm sure she's wondering who the hell we are."

"And, why we're on her ship. First, we have to determine if that was her, or someone else." Kudo reasoned. "There are ways to avoid internal sensor detection."

"Right," Loewen agreed. "Set the phasers to stun in case we need them." Both men brought their phasers out, adjusted the power settings, and holstered them again. "otherwise, if it's her, no firing."

Kudo gave a nod to that before he started to move left, staying slightly ahead of his Captain to offer protection to the CO. He was not Security, but in the Academy there were often electives one could take to have a notation for other department in their personnel file. Being who he was, Security was boring. He already knew martial arts at an expert level, was above average for firearms and an ace with melee. Other than that, Security was a lot of sitting and watching empty cells, or doing walking patrols on the ship for safety checks and to make sure no one was drunk or passed out in the corridors. Not really how he wanted to spend his days. He did not begrudge them for it, since Resch seemed perfectly at home with those duties, but it just was not in Ken to be idle that much. Getting to the corner where the eye had been peeking, Kudo looked around it and saw another empty passageway. "Clear, Sir."

Kudo stepped out from behind the corner to continue on, seeing another intersection ahead. His eye caught movement at the last moment, a woman crouched and going to one knee to lean out around her own corner, rifle in hand. A particle bolt lit off and went up above his head and impacted the overhead, sending sparks showering down on them and an acrid smoke to form. She quickly ducked back behind her own cover corner.

When the bolt had fired off Ken squatted own thinking it was going to come for his face. As it hit the ceiling he stood back up and was then yanked backwards back around the corner as Loewen had grabbed a fistful of his uniform and pulled him to cover. He looked Ken in the eye with their faces close. "I think she know we're here."

"Good guess, Sir." Kudo got his phaser in hand. "Just in case, Captain. That's all." A woman's voice came from down the hall.

"I don't know who you are but you picked the wrong ship to plunder!" Lt. Commander Rachel Cavender was standing with her back against the bulkhead, dressed in her Starfleet regulation underwear, with a pair of water socks style slippers on her feet. The underwear was Starfleet blue and consisted of a sports bra and boyshorts panties, fitting her like Underarmor. ~next time, get dressed, stupid~ She thought, chiding herself for not dressing after this last session in the stasis pod she had built for herself in Sickbay. But, all things considered, this was the first time she had seen anyone else aboard--other than those who had died due to the effects of the metrion radiation. She was still flabbergasted that where she had been when that all happened, had saved her from the same fate.

Loewen, getting up to the corner and looking around it, spoke out even as Kudo remained with phaser in hand ready to pounce out of cover and lay down fire if necessary. "We're not here to hurt you. We're investigating the ship. Are you Rachel Cavender?"

~How the hell do these people know my name?~ She thought. Investigating the ship? Could they be Starfleet? Better to be safe than sorry. "Depends...who's asking?" She peeked around her own corner, seeing the face of what appeared to be a male Human.

"Commander Sean Loewen, Captain of the starship Nazgul." Loewen had decided not to add the USS part to it. He could explain that later. Right now he was trying to avoid a firefight. "We're Starfleet, Lt. Commander Cavender." He could say that part since Starfleet had existed long before the Federation had. Again, further explanations could be saved for later. Sean could see her full face now, noting there was something familiar about it before he focused back on the situation at hand. "I'm going to step out, Commander." He pulled his face back and holstered his phaser, whispering to Kudo. "Stay frosty. By example, her weapon is not on stun." Kudo gave acknowledgement

Cavender changed her stance, now right up against the corner with her left side protruding more so she could hold her rifle at the shoulder and aim down the sights. One wrong move and this Commander Loewen would eat particles. "Hey, Commander? You waiting for a bus? Show yourself."

Loewen took in a breath and let it out quickly to relax his body, and when done, stepped out in full view of the woman. His arms hung loose at his sides, with the fingertips of his left hand brushing against the hilt of his lightsaber. His Sense was on high, keeping him alerted to any forthcoming danger. His hands moved as he talked, nonchalantly. "See? Not here to hurt you, Rachel."

"Who the hell are you guys? That is not a Starfleet uniform." Cavender noted, still aiming true. "What are you, privateers?"

"It will take some explaining, Commander. We are not privateers but we are friendlies in every sense of the word." Said Loewen, to keep assuring her they were not malcontents looking for salvage. "You do have an idea of how long you've been missing, right?"

Cavender responded quickly. "Yeah, I do. 157 years, six months, and twenty-three days. That makes me 188 years old by my reckoning. I take it you're not from my time, are you?"

Loewen gave a slow, sorrowful headshake. "I'm afraid not, Rachel. We're from this time. The timeframe you are in now. And, believe it or not, we are Starfleet. A lot has changed since you vanished." Sean turned his head to the side and spoke out. "Mister Kudo, holster your weapon and step out."

Kudo did as ordered, coming out to stand behind his CO, hands hanging loose and relaxed. "Hello, Commander Cavender. Lieutenant Ken Kudo, Chief Helm Officer for the Starship Nazgul."

Cavender began to feel her emotions coming to a boil. Even standing here in her underwear and slippers, the weight of what they were saying began to weigh heavy on her mind. She, too, stepped out, the rifle coming down to be held along her right thigh as it pointed at the floor. By the looks in their eyes they had not noticed her lack of clothing, but had focused on her face and her weapon. Tears began to run down her face and as she spoke there were sobs mixed in, the greater portion of which she was holding back. "Please, Captain. Tell me...you're here to rescue...us."

Before taking a step, Loewen made a motion of moving forward toward her. "May we?" He got bunch of quick nods yes, the rifle she held clattering to the floor at her feet. Walking forward with his right hand held out, Loewen approached. "I can tell you that we are trying to save my ship and yours. As you may have guessed, a lot has changed since your time. But, you have my word, we will find a way home. The USS Nazgul is far more advanced than the Malta, and we may have the means to escape this subspace node." As he reached her, close enough for her to reach out and clasp his hand with her left, she clutched it frantically. Before he knew it Sean had her in his arms, her heaving body sobbing as her knees began to collapse while she wept. Easing her to her knees, going to his own, Loewen simply held her and rubbed her back, patting it occasionally to let her know she was safe with them.

Kudo almost shed a tear as he could empathize with what this woman had been through. Her tale of survival would be one he would want to hear from her personally. Her body was bereft of any energy except for crying, her arms now hanging loose to the floor, her legs collapsing as she went sidesaddle on her left thigh to lean into the Captain. Her face was buried in his breast as she continued to sob, with one word being said over and over though those sobs; "Why?" It crushed him, his spirit feeling all her pain, anguish, and sorrow.

After a good five minutes Rachel was able to get herself under control. She finally leaned back, adjusting to a kneeling position so as not to lean on Commander Loewen. She was sniffling and swiping moisture from her face with the thumb heels of her hands. Her eyes looked to the Commander's chest, seeing a large of water from her tears and slobber, not to mention a bit of nose goo. "Sorry, Commander. I mussed up the front of your EVA suit." She had to clear her throat of mucous from her crying, reaching her right arm up to Ken. He clasped it and helped her stand, along with Loewen as he got to his feet, too.

"It's an EVA suit, Rachel. Not an issue. Seems like you needed that." Loewen's eyes were sad for her, and if her reaction to them was any sign of her story, it was not going to be pretty. "I gotta ask, Commander. How are you even still alive?"

"Come on, I'll show you." Cavender reached down and scooped up her rifle, slinging onto her shoulder. "Now that we're all friendly, no checking out my ass while we go. I'll get dressed in Sickbay." She saw both men smile at her antics.

Glad to see her able to recover quickly, for now, Kudo gave her a nod. "We're better than that," he said with a grin. "Later...maybe." The three of them shared a chuckle.

"Alright, come on. The sooner I show you, the sooner we get shit done." Rachel began to walk back the way the men had come. They got in step behind her. The Underarmor style of her trunks did not hide how well built she was. She had a body that was lithe, athletic, with just the right amount of muscle to maintain a solid frame and be feminine. Kudo, despite what he had said, did steal a couple of glances at her backside but quickly adjusted his gaze elsewhere. If there was one thing he found appealing in a woman, it was her ability to keep herself fit and healthy. As he had been talking to her, though, Ken had noted that she was familiar somehow. He could not place how at the moment, but it was now stuck in the back of his mind.

Reaching Sickbay, the three of them entering, Cavender went over to an area she had turned into a small bedroom cubicle. "Go ahead, look around while I get dressed." She took up her Starfleet coveralls and then plopped her butt on the edge of the bed to change to her socks and boots.

While Commander Cavender dressed, the two men began to look around, with Kudo going counter-clockwise to Loewen's clockwise. They traversed the outer edge of Sickbay, looking at all the equipment and plants that were all over the place. Shelves filled with nick-nacks from every walk of life and culture on Earth. They came together at the decon chamber, which had been completely remodeled and was full of devices they did not recognize. Not surprising since it had all been made using the technology available to Rachel, but only a few things looked at all familiar. Leads with sucker/adhesion pads to be placed on the body for readings and what not. The decon emitters, all the like. When looking with a more thorough eye, one could see the decon chamber had been reinforced, and within it there were machines that neither men could figure out. They both saw that there was some kind of emitter system, with spherical emitters in the four corners of the chamber, and a two-inch thick mat on the floor. No bedding of any kind, just the mat.

"You boys look confused." Caender said this as she joined them inside the modified decon chamber. "If you're wondering, yes, I made some modifications for survival. After all, it was this chamber that saved my life when the others all suffered from the radiation. All of which I slogged in the ship's data banks through my ship logs and Chief Engineer logs. My personal logs are just that; personal."

Loewen glanced at her a few times even as he and Kudo were still looking around at all the gadgetry within the decon chamber. "What is all this? I mean, does it even serve as a decon chamber anymore?" Sean had to ask since it was not apparent if it even maintained its original purpose.

"It absolutely does!" Rachel exclaimed, a perplexed look on her face. "It had to to keep me alive. I watched..." Her voice cracked and her chin dimpled as she had to stop herself from breaking down to more crying. Her eyes welled with tears and she swallowed hard a few times before blowing out a breath to show she had regained her composure. "Right out there," she pointed out the decon chamber window. "Next to the shelf on the far wall, I watched Ryan--Doctor Sullivan collapse with the sudden onset of the metrion radiation. I was in here being treated for a virus, safe from the radiation as it completely engulfed, and passed through, the ship."

"Damn," Kudo said quietly.

"Everyone aboard, my family, were gone within half an hour. Dead, having collapsed where they had stood, or not far from it." Cavender finished that last part and again had to control her want to cry. "I had hope that someone had survived somewhere, in a place the radiation could not affect like myself. No such luck, as I would find out later. So, I used the comm and entered my command codes into the computer as Chief Engineer and began radiation cleanup for all affected decks."

"I can only imagine how hard that must have been." Sean said with feeling.

"No! You can't! No one can imagine that unless they lived it!" Lt. Commander was not shouting but the anguish in her voice was clear. Both men shared a glance, recognizing severe PTSD. Rachel kept going. "Once the computer told me the radiation was gone, and it was safe, I had to...I had to..." She choked up again, but this time she could not stop herself and allowed some crying for about a minute, the tears now a constant. "I had to go and collect them. One at a time. I had to transport a cargo lift to the armory so I could move torpedo tubes for coffins and stasis for their bodies."

"We know," offered Loewen. "We found your makeshift morgue, Rachel. I'm so sorry."

Relying on anger, and swiping her tears away with her sleeves, Cavender growled out a breath to end her crying. "Thank you, guys. I'm a friggin mess. I know I'm a mental case right now. Anyway," Rachel waved that topic away. "You were asking about my remodeling. I take it this is for the record, Captain Loewen?"

Not knowing how to respond to that, Sean finally gave her a meek expression and a slight shrug of the shoulders. "We might as well. Since you're talking about it we can make a record. We'll let Starfleet Command decide how much of it others need to hear. For now, it stays between us right here. As you know, my Number One will also be given a listen to stay caught up." Cavender said she was okay with that since it was regulations.

"Okay, I have to ask, Rachel," Ken said, motioning towards the four softball-sized spheres atop machinery tied in with computer banks and a generator each. There was one in each corner of the room, in a concentric pattern equal distance apart. "What are those for?"

Cavender beamed, looking quite proud of what she was going to say next. "A gravity well."

Loewen found that to be quite a revelation. "A gravity well!? Here, in a decon chamber?"

"Yes, Sir. It took some time, several months to work out the kinks." Explained Cavender. "But, the finished product and the right calculations and algorithms produced a functioning gravity well within the walls of this chamber. I needed it to survive, and since I had already reinforced the structural integrity of the chamber, it could hold the gravity well without collapsing."

"Why?" Asked Loewen, not really understanding why she would need something like that to survive. "What could a gravity well possibly do to enhance your survival?"

While Sean had been speaking, Cavender went to the center of the area designated for the gravity well. "Okay, here we go. This is where I slept, in stasis, for years at a time. The diodes and leads you see there," she motioned to the ones they had seen while looking around. "I strip down and place those all over my body. Even my temples and my forehead. That tricorder there," another gesture to a device. "Is the control mechanism. When it activates the gravity well lifts me into the air, levitating me off the floor. I'm usually lying on the floor by that time, so that when I rise I am levitating face up. Being held in the comfort of a gravity wave, I then activate the leads. Some are attached to keep my muscles active while I'm in stasis. The ones on my head are designed by Doctor Sullivan to connect me to the ship's neuralink, that way my mind also remains active on a subconscious level. Neither my physical nor mental faculties will then atrophy."

"Are you an MD, too," asked Kudo.

"Not at all," Cavender admitted. "But, I did aid Sullivan in creating his unique neuralink, so it worked to my advantage to have that knowledge in my head. I am an engineer, and I do build medical technology as much as starship tech. The only other Sickbay in Starfleet to exceed ours in its efficiency and creativity was that of Doctor Phlox on Enterprise. Ryan and Phlox had known each other for years, and were close friends so, Phlox even aided Doctor Sullivan with some ideas to try."

"We tend to forget how much more close-knit you folks in Starfleet were back then," Sean offered. "So, the purpose of the well was to keep you afloat while your muscles and brain remained active for all intents and purposes?"

"Yes," Rachel stated. "If I had laid down on this mat I would have suffered bed sores and muscle atrophy due to lack of use. You have to understand, Captain, I was under for a couple years at a time. About every two years the computer would wake me up to go through Malta and do safety checks, provide maintenance, whatever was needed. The control tricorder also has a key for switching the decon chamber into a stasis chamber. Therefore I don't need food or water since I am in stasis." Another beaming smile. "I'm quite proud of that one. Took a bit of time to get it right but the medical archives have in-depth schematics and instructions for stasis units. So, I turned this chamber into one big unit."

Kudo and Loewen shared an incredulous look before Sean gave voice to what they were both thinking. "You did all this in how long?"

"Right around two years, Captain," Rachel answered. "After cleaning up my shipmates and seeing to them I had a lot of time to think. I did menial tasks at first to keep the ship running as if everyone was still around. After a couple of months I realized that I had to look to the long game. That being found and rescued could take a long time, perhaps never. All the plants you see in Sickbay, if you noticed, are edible. My food supply for the protein resequencer. Water was fresh and always in supply if the machinery was seen to properly. Yada, yada, yada. Here I am. A few times over the past hundred years I even tried to finish and figure out my equation for transwarp beaming, but I am stuck on a portion of it I can't figure out. One of my instructors at the Academy put it up for others to see, to try and figure out, as a subtle way of telling me the idea was ridiculous and could never be done."

Ken and Sean both turned their heads, smiles forming on their faces as their eyes met. In unison they said, "Transwarp beaming!"

Rachel Cavender looked at them both as if they had suddenly lost their minds, obviously sharing some thought process she was not a part of. "Did I miss something?"

Loewen grabbed Cavender's shoulder and pulled her in, giving her a solid kiss on the lips, an expression of elation on his face as he let her go. It was like a man realizing that all his prayers had been answered.

Cavender swiped her lips with the back of her hand, not sure how mentioning transwarp beaming could have such a positive affect on these two. "Can you at least buy me a cup of coffee first, Captain? Sheesh."

Sean could not help but laugh at her comment. "Sorry, can't." He laid his hand on his chest. "I'm spoken for. But, your transwarp beaming might just be the ticket to getting us out of here."

"All the way out," Kudo added. "As in out of this subspace bubble and back to a star filled galaxy."

Rachel was not sure how that would be possible, but played along. "Glad to hear it. You do know it's an incomplete formula, right?" She saw the two share another knowing look between each other. This time she crossed her arms and tilted her hips in a saucy stance. "Alright, what gives? What are you not telling me?"

"Mister Scott...", Kudo started to say.

"Uhp!" Loewen cut him off. "Let's wait on giving out names, Lieutenant." His eyes went back to Cavender. "Let's just say that many years later a Starfleet engineer must have read your portion of the transwarp beaming equation and figured out what was missing. Or, he had his own calculations and just figured it out. Either way, transwarp beaming is now possible, albeit dangerous and seldom used."

"You're shitting me?" It was Rachel's turn to be surprised. "I don't care if my name gets any credit, but just knowing that my part of the equation may have helped another engineer to figure it out would be an honor."

"We'll just have to see if this man actually read your Academy equation and went from there, or did it on his own." Loewen said. "He is known for giving credit where credit is due."

Kudo was now feeling energized. "Captain, let's get Malta out of this barrier and get away from this rock. Once clear enough to use the warp core let's cold start that bitch and develop the zoomies."

Cavender gave a laugh at that, the man's excitement bleeding over to her and making her feel giddy. "I'm ready when you are, fellas. I can man the Bridge of Malta and help where I can. I haven't ever used any of the engines or maneuvering thrusters since we got stuck here, though they all still function like we got pinned yesterday."

***

An hour later Kudo and Loewen, back in their workbees, were outside of Malta, directly ahead of the primary hull. They had used the workbee grapplers to latch on to the bow and were now sitting beside each other as they awaited word from Cavender to let them know she was all set. Soon after getting set, about ten minutes, Lt. Commander Cavender called to say she was all set to maneuver. Loewen locked the channel open. "Alright, Cavender. Pay attention and follow along as best you can, exactly. It may take a bit of oomph to pull Malta free. When I tell you, eject the antimatter pods so that the barrier locks onto them and not the ship. Understood?"

"Yes, Sir." Cavender answered over the comm. "I am so ready to be gone from this place."

Kudo replied to that. "We'll get you out of here or die trying, Commander Cavender. And, if you don't mind, I'll buy you a cup of coffee after."

Rachel smiled to herself on the Malta Bridge. Ken Kudo was a good looking guy. The one thing she had kept from both men was that her daughter had frown up and died without her mother. Rachel had left her with her grandparents until she got back from the supply run to Starbase Messier. Her father had been killed in a warp test shortly before they could be wed, so Cavender had become a single mother due to fate. She could only hope that her parents had told Rita how much her mother had loved her once they heard the news that Malta had disappeared. For a few moments Rachel's throat tightened up, hard to breathe as she forced herself to choke down a sorrow that could never be mended. It would be the hole in her soul for the rest of her days and she would never forget little Rita and her big smiles. Once her emotions were under control, Cavender responded to his offer. "You get me free, I'll sit for a whole pot of coffee, Mister Kudo. As long as you're buying, of course." She smiled at that.

Kudo, on his end, gave his own smile to her flippancy. "Consider it done, on both counts."

"Looks like we're set, you two. It's now or never." Loewen said, bringing all minds back to the moment. "Ken, let's start the tow. Three, two, one, engines." Both workbees began to pull forward, and like a truck stuck in the mud, Malta was hard to budge within the energy barrier. Sean saw that his engines were almost at redline before he felt a slight inertia. His readouts showed he was finally moving and his engine read began to even back out. Giving a quiet sigh of relief to himself he spoke to the others. "Kudo, we're moving, let's angle slowly towards the void."

***

On the Bridge of the Nazgul, all eyes were watching in their own way. T'Pri, of course, was using her SCI station to monitor everything, whereas Sheyla and the others were watching the front window and the overlay viewscreen in the center of it. "They're moving," Sheyla announced. "T'Pri, am I seeing that right?"

"You are, Commander." The Vulcan stated. "It is slow going but they are making progress. I cannot determine if the barrier will become stronger as they try and pull the Malta free of it."

Spinning her chair to face the Tactical station, Sheyla gave orders. "Fore and aft torpedo tubes. Load them with four quantum torpedoes each, set for rapid fire if necessary."

"Aye, Sir." Tactical replied, relaying the orders. "Torpedoes will be loaded in two minutes, Number One."

"Thank you." Sheyla turned the command chair back to forward. "Come on, Captain. If anyone can pull this off it's you," she said under her breath.

***

As the minutes ticked by, Kudo began to notice more and more resistance to forward momentum. His engine readout was beginning to rise back to redline. "Captain, I believe it's now or never. Any longer we may get the Malta damaged beyond salvage."

Over on Malta, Cavender was feeling the shimmering vibrations from the barrier trying to hold onto her ship. It was odd to think of Malta as her ship, but she was the last surviving officer, a Lt. Commander, and a department head. So, by brevet list, she was automatically in command. That thought did not comfort her, however. The first priority was to get her ship free. After that arguing over command could be had. Loewen's voice came over the speakers after Kudo had said his piece. "Cavender, prepare to eject the antimatter pods."

"Just waiting on you, Captain. Give the word." She replied.

"Miss Cavender, the word is given."

"Aye, Sir." Reaching out, Rachel pressed buttons and tapped keys, setting the antimatter pods for emergency ejection. Seeing as how all systems lit up green at the prompts, she hit the eject button. On a monitor she had activated on the Helm console, showing the ventral side of Malta, four hatches opened up. The first two spat out their pods into the barrier, then the second two. As the pods began to be pulled towards the planet by gravity and the barrier, as well as, direction of ejection, there was an instant jump in forward motion. "First four released. Leave them be, or blow them?"

"Kudo? Any suggestions?" Loewen asked.

"We may be in for a bronco ride, Captain, but I say blow them. The concussion wave could help shove us free of the barrier." Kudo gave his opinion and waited.

Loewen did not want to waste time on consideration. It was high time to put caution to the wind. "Miss Cavender, blow them when they are far enough away to not cause appreciable damage to Malta. Your call."

Rachel gave a weak smile of no joy in hearing that. But, she had asked and now she had an answer. Watching the distance get wider on a monitor, judging that Malta could now take the force of the concussion wave, she announced her move. "Ignition," she said, hitting the key to blow the pods. There was an instantaneous flash of light, then the metrion cloud was pushed asunder in a nearly perfect spherical pattern. Cavender could see the concussion wave incoming and it was going to be a doozy. "Shock wave impact in five, four, three, two, one, hold on!" The Malta bucked and strained under the concussion wave, with a few groans of strained metal sounding throughout, but when the wave passed the Malta was still in one piece, sound, and still moving forward.

Kudo and Loewen had both watched the shock wave hit the Malta, pass it by, and now head right at them. "This is gonna be a rough one," Kudo said.

Loewen had no doubt of that. "Hang on and keep our engines at full!"

The wave hit them and really tossed them about from side to side, but despite the force of the wave's impact, both workbees weathered the storm. Beyond that Sean noticed that the temporary influx of antimatter into the energy barrier had negated it almost to nothing. "Cavender! Activate impulse, now! Run for the hills, Commander!"

Hearing that, Rachel tapped her keys quickly, starting the impulse drive and slamming the speed handle forward. "Full impulse, now, Sir! You need to let go or get out of the way!"

Malta NX-22 hot forward at full impulse, the weakened barrier no longer able to hold onto the ship. Loewen and Kudo decided to ascend over the primary hull and run their grappler cables over the top of it and then fall back behind it . This allowed their tethers to remain in place and had them moving along with the cruiser. Thirty-seven seconds went by and Malta tore free of the barrier, the two men hearing a one woman cheer from over the speakers. They added to that cheer, all three of them laughing at their good fortune and turn of luck. "Well done, people. Well done." Loewen offered, smiling from ear to ear.

"Captain?" Cavender's voice came over the speakers again in a questioning tone.

"Go ahead, Commander," Loewen responded.

"Permission to cry again, Sir." As Rachel said that they could hear her voice already breaking.

Sean felt a swelling in his heart, knowing only a part of her story, and glad he had had a part in freeing her from a fate worse than hell. "Granted, Rachel. Granted. Just make sure your tears don't cause you to slam into my ship, ya here?" He gave a chuckle.

A sobby chuckle came back. "Aye, Sir." The channel cut so Cavender could be alone long enough to cry out another episode.

"Captain," Kudo said. "Feel free to invite me on one of your away missions anytime. James Kirk would be proud, Sir. Just sayin'." He said that since Kirk had been a Captain who did not hide behind the regulations in regards to captain safety, but always took part in away missions when needed. He would never ask his people to do something he was not prepared to do himself. Sean Loewen seemed to be the same sort. Ken was glad he had been sent to the USS Nazgul, despite the negative things he had heard about the ship.

"Noted, Ken." Sean replied. "I can't think of a better officer to have at my side at such times. Your performance was exemplary, Lieutenant. Thank you." Having said that Captain Loewen then switched to hailing frequencies, contacting Nazgul.

With the back and forth between Nazgul and CO, the Malta was brought alongside and an airlock attached. Nazgul crew were to go over and begin maintenance and repairs according to the era of the NX class. No newer parts were to be used even if they had to manufacture them in the engineering machine shop. As it stood, Rachel Cavender would have a date with Sickbay and Loewen would be there to keep her calm. He had this feeling that too many people poking at her and scanning her would cause her to lose her cool. After all, she had been a long time without the company of others and it may cause a bit of anxiety to have so many around all of a sudden. After landing his workbee, Sean exited the craft, stripped out of his EVA suit and showered in the shuttle bay locker room. Donning his uniform he then headed for the upper decks.

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