 The Klingon colony Thosis is the next target for the IRW Sienov Kinney's orders are firm, placing Captain Taybrim and the USS Albion firmly under the direction of Captain L'Trena and the USS Avalon. Taybrim privately expresses deep concern as to this set up, believing Captain L'Trena to be inexperienced in ship combat and an unwise choice to face a Romulan Warbird, especially since both the Albion and the Avalon lack the firepower to win a straight up fight with the Sienov.
Captain Taybrim quickly mobilizes the USS Albion and they enact an expedited launch with full battle preparations. Teams across the ship prepare for battle, while Lieutenant Taelon, Major Tatash and Lieutenant Beyett start preparing some creative solutions to deal with the Sienov to compensate for the lacking Armaments on both the Albion and the Avalon. Major Tatash proposes that everyone be aware that they need to use lethal force to take Arrhimen down, something Captain Taybrim agrees with; but which causes pain to Doctor Ezo and Counselor Zinna.
Before they can rendezvous with the USS Avalon, Captain Taybrim takes a coded message from Councillor Dempok of the Klingon Empire. Dempok has his Vor'Cha class cruiser the IKS S’Tarahk cloaked and on standby to engage the Sienov. The two share information and strike an alliance to fight the Sienov together.
As the Albion nears the rendezvous point with the Avalon, they hail Captain L'Trena who tells the Albion that he intends to break cover and send some fighters to investigate a disturbance. Captain Taybrim implores L'Trena to not break cover and wait for them to arrive, but Captain L'Trena brushes him off and closes the commline. The Albion speeds towards the rendezvous with an increasing sense of dread.
Act II: A Grave Error In Judgement
::Phrik nearly exploded, it took almost all of his self-control to not shout the medic into a perforated ear-drum:: Forgive my lack of Engineering knowledge, but aren’t the engines usually the most EXPLOSIVE part of a ship?! ::He let out a long rattling breath and shook his head. This wasn’t worth the effort:: Just tell me where on this Godsforsaken death trap I need to be to do my damn job without dying.
 The USS Albion rushes to the aid to the USS Avalon Major Tatash and Lieutenant Taelon come up with a plan to focus every offensive array the Albion has on a single weak spot of the Sienov - a move that Tatash labels as a 'glass cannon' which should weaken the warbird enough to allow the S'Tarahk and Avalon a chance to do some damage. With everything prepared, the Albion speeds towards the Avalon before L'Trena can do something stupid.
Unfortunately L'Trena has already poked the bees' nest in a nearby nebula and the Sienov moves to attack the Avalon before either the Albion or the S'Tarahk can get close. The Avalon spills the fighters she is carrying into battle, but they quickly panic and are routed. The Albion and the S'Tarahk blaze in at red alert to take some of the heat off, doing considerable damage to the Sienov, but it's too late. The USS Avalon loses warp containment and blows apart with only a handful of survivors left in its saucer section. The shockwave does heavy damage to both the Sienov and the Albion - but the warbird recovers much faster than the aging Excelsior class ship.
On board the Avalon death surrounds the survivors, who are mainly contained in sickbay. Ensign Phrik is tending an injured Captain L'Trena when the Avalon's engines blow and the ship is plunged into darkness. Along with the CMO and a tiny handful of survivors, the group makes its way out of sickbay and to a place where they can send out a distress signal. The Albion gets the signal and asks the S'Tarahk to provide cover while they rescue the survivors - but the Sienov won't let up. Lt. Commander Kelly proposes taking an armored shuttle over to the Avalon to enact the rescue. The shuttle is launched while the S'Tarahk and Albion continue the offensive against the Sienov. Finally the Sienov is beaten back and it limps into hiding in the nebula badly damaged. Unfortunately the S'Tarahk and Albion are equally damaged and resources are running low.
The fighter squadron from the Avalon has fallen and is in shambles. Major Tatash offers to take out one of the fighters in the ALbion's shuttlebay to rally what is left both to give Commander Kelly cover in rescuing the survivors and to rally some last-minute support. He launches and rallies the fighters just before Kelly's team makes their dangerous trek.
Act III: The Ultimate Sacrifice
::Taelon looked at Taybrim wild-eyed for a half second, still caught up in the flurry of terror. His half sister might be bloody jam on the shuttle bay floor, the Major might be dying -
Mourn later. It was a surprisingly cold thought, matter-of-fact and ruthless. He blinked once, twice, and looked back to his console.::
 When you can't flush a warbird out you can always blow up a nebula... The Aramis II clears the distance between the Albion and the wreckage of the Avalon. Kelly and Kasun disembark, searching for the survivors lifesigns, which they quickly find. Only a tiny handful of crew survived the explosion. Doctor Phrik joins the Albion crew, tending the injured. The Aramis signals the Albion that they are ready to return. Tatash's fighter wing discovers that the Sienov had a handful of its own fighters which it mobilized just before going into hiding. It's a dogfight in the debris field over the protection of the Aramis.
Meanwhile the Albion is desperately searching for the Sienov when Lieutenant Taelon comes up with a dangerous potential plan: To ignite the nebula the Sienov is hiding in with tricobalt explosives. It's just crazy enough to work and Captain Taybrim approves it.
The Aramis heads back to the Albion at maximum speed, with an escort of fighters behind it. Major Tatash manages to fend off the Romulan fighter attacks, but he is gravely injured in the process and beamed directly to the Albion's sickbay. The Aramis makes it roughly into the Albion's shuttlebay. It's not a pretty landing, but the survivors and team walk away from it.
The Albion readies to charge the nebula and Captain Taybrim shares the plan with Councillor Dempok - they will flush the warbird from cover giving the Klingons a chance to shoot. Captain Taybrim evacuates all crew to the primary hull section where the shields are the best while Taelon ignites the nebula. It succeeds, but the warp core is overloaded and Commander Whittaker makes the call to eject it.
Meanwhile the Sienov is violently ejected from the nebula and the S'Tarahk moves in for the deathblow. It leaves the Albion dead in the water in contested space. Councillor Dempok offers to evacuate all survivors to the S'Tarahk, leaving Captain Taybrim, Commander Whittaker and Lieutenant Flynn one last grim task: The destruction of the USS Albion to prevent her from falling into enemy hands. With heavy hearts they initiate the auto destruct sequence before saying a final goodbye to a ship that carried them through so much.
| Dig Two Graves Characters
|
| Name
|
Species
|
Status
|
Created/Simmed by
|
Bio
|
| Haz Arrhimen
|
Antaran
|
Deceased
|
Sal Taybrim
|
Haz Arrhimen hijacked the IRW Sienov intent on igniting war between the Klingons and the Romulans. He was KIA in the destruction of the Sienov
|
| Captain L'Trena
|
Troyian
|
On extended medical leave
|
Sal Taybrim
|
Captain L'Trena was one of Commodore Kinney's favored officers who made a grave error in combating the IRW Sienov. He suffered a head injury and was placed on extended medical leave after this mission before he retired from the fleet in 2394.
|
| Lt Commander Vorhan Gort
|
Denobulan
|
Transferred to Starbase 67
|
Sal Taybrim
|
Dr. Gort was the chief medical officer on board the USS Avalon. He suffered a nervous breakdown after the ship's destruction and the near total loss of the crew. He returned to active duty after physical and mental rehabilitation at a much safer posting on Starbase 67.
|
| Ensign Cirus Amman
|
Bajoran
|
Transferred to the USS Hathaway
|
Clayas Ellat
|
Ensign Cirus was a security officer on the USS Avalon and one of the survivors. He transferred to the USS Hathaway after a personal leave
|
Gallery and Quotes
|
|
|
