Engineering had been essentially cleaned out. Plimmitt sat against the wall as he tried to survey the full damage, with the corpses of starfleet and Vaadwaur alike littering the floor.

Lighting had started to flicker back on, and whilst he would normally be worried about that, there was far too much running through the man’s mind to give much of a concern.

”Lieutenant?” Mazev called, clearing his throat. He was barely able to stand on his leg, blood caking around the slash in his outfit. Velau also stood here, holding her arm—injured once again.

“Yes? Is everything alright?” He stood up, trying not to notice Lumi’s body only a few feet away. The two looked to the side to show Captain Jetta Dowe, looking wide eye’d at Plimmitt.

“..Captain? CAPTAIN! You’re okay!” He lets out a laugh, running towards her. “Why..were you not here?”

”The Captain was gunning to kill me.” She scoffs, crossing her arms. “But we don’t have to worry about that. Not anymore. I have a plan—“ Jetta walked to the warp core, starting to type on its main monitor. “But it won’t be enjoyable for you, Lieutenant.” She flashed a smile.

”What? Why??”

“We’re going to leak the warp core’s insides and make it kill every last god damn Vaadwaur here.” Jetta glared forward, typing away. Mazev gasped.

“Captain, that’s—you’d be killing the rest of them!”

”I don’t particularly care, Ensign. Do you know how many they’ve hurt? Do you know how many of my people lay there in a pool of their own blood?” She looked at him. “They will not stop until we are all dead.”

“I-I mean…true. Yes. But…just…” He sighed.

“it’s us or them.” Jetta typed away, furrowing her brow. “And I choose us.”

–

The plan was set in motion only thirty minutes later. There was a universal sign that could get all of the starfleet out of the warp core room; all they needed to do was lure the rest of the team into this walking deathpit.

Jetta sat down near the outside of the core as the rest of the remaining starfleet on engineering got prepared for the final attack. Plimmitt walked out shortly after she did, sitting next to her. They sat in silence for a good few moments.

”…You know it’s not your fault, Captain. Right?” He finally spoke up. Jetta took a deep inhale and nodded.

”I know. I did everything I was supposed to do—everything I could’ve done.” She took a deep inhale, looking at Plimmitt. “But so many dead—I—“ Jetta felt herself tearing up.

”Captain..”

”Ensign Manny. He was expecting a child soon, and was going to head to a Starbase to raise him nearby.” She sniffled. “He loved a good routine and always had a black coffee on the Friday mornings of shifts.”

”Captain, it-“

”It may of not been my fault. But this was my crew, even if for a few days.” She wiped her eyes. “They all had their own lives, their own personalities—and..”

Plimmitt tried to say something, but he didn’t truly know what. She was right; this whole ship that had everyone on it…

”But it’s fine.” She stood up, wiping her eyes once more. Jetta was moritifed and upset, yes, but she was also angry. Very, very angry. “Because what I’m about to do isn’t revenge. It’s survival.”

Plimmitt watched as Jetta stormed into the room, with him following close in toe.

”ALRIGHT!” She yelled, getting everyone’s attention. “I sent out an SOS, and I don’t know if anyone received it. But what I do know? Is that we have a chance to survive.” She crossed her arms.

“I’ve fitted some of the sensors to almost become a mirror—they’re going to project a spot where Jetta’s standing right here.” Plimmitt motioned to the exact spot Jetta was standing in.

”I’m making sure it stays that way.” Velau spoke up from the upper floor, motioning to her PADD connected into one of the panels in the wall. “I’ll be hiding nearby to make sure, is what I mean.”

”We don’t have much time, but I want you all to know that you’ve fought hard. You’ve done a phenomenal job at keeping true to starfleet. But..” Jetta undid her hair. “Now we’re just beings. Alive, breathing, living people, who want to live. Act like it.”

Jetta gave one last look to the people she called her crew, taking a deep inhale, and pressing her badge.

”Attention all crew, this is Captain Jetta Dowe. All is clear, and we have defeated the Vaadwaur invaders. Please all report to engineering. Code green-one.” She tapped it again, looking at everyone else.

”Good. Now let’s go hide, and end this.” Jetta grabbed one of the phasers off the ground, setting it as high as it can go.

”Once and for all.”