Date: 19 Jul 2013 01:44 Title: Chapter 7
John is really thinking and acting above his rank here, definitely doing everything possible and without much of a playbook. This is major league heroic work, but it is likely to haunt him just the same. He is absolutely right - there is a very real possibility that just getting the people away from the debris and into the cargo bay will not be enough for all of them. But he is giving them so much more of a fighting chance at living. I do hope he comes to realize that at some point.
Date: 28 Oct 2010 20:05 Title: Chapter 7
Ryzal to the rescue! Saurians for the win!
Goodness gracious about the poor keller family. I'm hoping they all make it out alive...but I have a distinct feeling someone dies there.
Good stuff as always.
Author's Response:
Glad you liked. We'll see what happens with the Kellers. Keep reading ... ;-)
[Report This]Date: 12 Oct 2010 22:12 Title: Chapter 7
John gets another dose of command reality as he struggles valiantly to save more lives, only to discover those trapped in the radiation are the most vulnerable of his charges… civilians.
Unfortunately, I have the sinking feeling that he may soon discover that you can’t save everyone all the time. 
Gritty stuff here, kes7, and brilliantly executed.
Good on Ryzal for keeping a cool head in a tense situation and knowing both how and when to act. Icheb, on the other hand, was so preoccupied with Maren's condition that he dropped his guard and now one or both of them may end up paying the price.
John's tactic with the grav-plating was inspired, and I hope the civilian victims can be saved from their injuries and radiation exposure. They've still yet to discover who attacked them, and why, but first things first...
The excellence continues! 
Author's Response:
Thanks for the very kind praise, Gibraltar. I'm blushing over here. We'll see what happens with the Kellers.
Ryzal is an experienced officer who had his mettle tested in the Dominion War. He also had the distinct advantage of not having a loved one there to distract him. Icheb and Maren both are going to have to figure out how to deal with the realities of being in a dangerous situation together. Now, we'll see if they do that by growing up/maturing ... or some other means.
And indeed ... first things first. Before JQ or anyone else can try and figure out what happened to the Sol and Luna, they have to deal with the fact that it DID happen.
Thanks again.
Date: 12 Oct 2010 20:09 Title: Chapter 7
From TBBS: "It is cruel to put children in danger by bringing them aboard a starship in the first place." DaiMon Lurin in "Rascals" (TNG)
So much for getting the civilians out of harm's way. That was kind of my rub with having families aboard the Enterprise-D even if they did separate the saucer section every time they went into battle. But I guess separating crew from their families would also be cruel seeing as they'll be spending the next seven years in the Delta Quadrant. And sometimes it can't be helped, which Benjamin Sisko has to tell himself in the latest chapter of my story being reminded of all the times Jake was in serious danger.
And talk about taking big risks: Ryzal throwing himself against the forcefield and JQ going into a danger zone to rescue civilians. Either way, he made the right choice in the face of huge danger despite T'Pring's urgings. It would make for an interesting case study on just how literally Vulcans interpret, "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."
Author's Response:
You're right, this is one of those "can't be helped" situations. Even if they sent nothing but single people into the DQ for seven years, given Starfleet's lack of a fraternization policy, there would probably be families on board by a year or so into it. They were so hoping this would be a straightforward exploration and diplomacy mission, given the lack of Borg contact for eight years prior ... alas, it was not to be.
I like your analysis of T'Pring's feelings as a case study on Vulcan decision making. JQ is about as far from Vulcan as it gets. It's a good thing, I think, that they are on two separate vessels right now.
Date: 11 Oct 2010 21:52 Title: Chapter 7
Yay JQ! He is again pulling off risky moves and taking decisions that could back fire. For which, you gotta admire his ... ahem ... but seriously, he is a clever guy trying to be very practical and calm in a bad situation. Part of that, is telling a certain Vulcan to go to hell - which let's remember Kirk use t do all the time - so it must be a plus in his favour! LOL! But as pointed out, his decisions may yet backfire, not everyone is out of this alive yet, there's so much potential for this to go wrong, and the Sol is still very heavily damaged - who knows if it can hold up long enough for John to effect a rescue. Damn. It hits home when kids are involved. Now it is going to be really difficult for John.
Despite the hiccups all along the way so very early on for the crew of the Tesseract, it seems quite a few of them display the skills and qualities that marked them out as the best for the seven year job. Both Ryzal and JQ so far showing the security department in a good light for good thinking and using skills beyond their security brief to best the different situations they are in.
The anti-grav thing is so obvious is seems stupid that it hasn't been used before. But it shows the young JQ is a real thinker and problem solver. He is quickly garnering real command presence and strength, from effing off his superior officer in the previous segment to now using his brains to shift the heavy wreckage. He is also wise enough to know that he is far from out of the woods and that he still has to figure out a way of bringing this whole disaster to an end and the people to safety.
Likewise, Ryzal demonstrates some mad bravery - which he has displayed before. Go the Dominion War hero. I love the usage of his Saurian background to pull his stunt off as well as tying it into personal experience of his from the war. That is really impressive. Even the long description of his arduous task of trying to push through the field with the details about his skin under his scales, etc.
Then we come to Icheb and Maren. Man oh man. That seems like a moment of truth or a great big deal the way Icheb tells Maren that he wishes she wasn't there. He is speaking of so much more. He is hinting at things in the future. He shows he wants to protect her. he shows that he cares for her. What it means for after this - if they get out of it - is still undecided. But I like the potential set up for so much after this. Great stuff.
Author's Response:
Thanks for the awesome review, mirandafave. Glad you approve of JQ and Ryzal's actions so far. As for the anti-grav thing ... well, the gravity is artificial. It stands to reason that if it can be "lost," then it can also be manipulated or turned off, right (like they did for Mellora in DS9)? If JQ had been thinking more clearly, he might have just reduced it a lot to avoid the big crash at the end ... but he's pretty much flying by the seat of his pants, here.
Oh, and can I just say, you are the CHAMPION of reading romantic subtext into things! From shipping Julian and Adele before they'd ever spoken to each other to calling the whole JQ/Maren thing, and now reading a whole possible future in one little line between Icheb and Maren. I love it. I'd also say you're pretty spot-on, at least this time.
Thanks again.