Set Condition…

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dWS Baalensee
Baltic-Class Fleet Defense Battleship
Elysium Star System
On Approach to Scylla Jump Point

“Fire Fire Fire. Fire in compartment 1-2-5-8-Gil. Fire in compartment 1-2-5-8-Gil.”

Baalensee’s Junior Hunter clicked on the communicator “Engine Room, Bridge. You’ve had an incident?”

“Incident nothing! The portside number 2 drive torus just fucking detonated! I’ve got multiple casualties and fires spreading forward. I’ve tried to dump atmo in the compartment but the fire’s feeding on the lithium battery array and the control runs are scrap. If the array cooks off we’re going to lose the whole port side aft of the power rooms.”

“What do you need?”

New alarms echoed through the CIC, the monotone voice coldly enunciating every word.
“All medical teams report aft to compartment 5-2-5-6. Repeat, all medical teams to compartment 5-2-5-6.”

“I need to shut the main reactor down and get my crews aft to start blowing plate. If I can vent the portside drive room I might be able to get enough access to suppress the fire.”

“Negative. Orders are for all drives to be at combat maximum.”

“Bridge, our drives are badly compromised. Engine power is at 75% and dropping. If the battery array cooks off that’ll breach the bulkheads AND the firewall. Fires will spread forward into frame 256, and if the fires spread into the neighboring compartments they’ll start eating into the power rooms. If we lose THOSE we’re dead in space.”

“Permission Denied. That is a direct order.”

“Bridge, under Fleet Regulation II-15, I obey under direct and explicit protest that your actions are hazarding the ship. If the situation deteriorates further, I WILL engage an emergency shutdown under my authority in Regulation II-14a, and I will see you at your trial.”