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Re: Chapter 04: Usurpation

Reply #25 –
[ Dyan Cardamone | Above the Subspace Acquisition Grid (Turbolift) | Starbase 84]
To some of the team, the boarding felt sour. They'd lost a man already, they were firing against unarmed men and women. It looked like a young boy went down shortly after his gun seized up. To Sar-unga, this was just the tides of battle, a thing to be celebrated. They were winning, so to speak, and those who lost did so because they weren't very good at their jobs. The 19 year old went down because he had no skills. The blonde woman? Probably not paying attention. Madison, or whoever that kid was? Sheer incompetence. This is just what happens to unskilled warriors. They deserved every single shot she fired, she thought as she mercilessly tore through the crowd.

Sadly, it had to come to an end sometime. She took a few steps back, fired some more, relished the superiority she felt being the winner. It felt wrong to back down now. But that was Cinn who called her, and she held respect for the man. She took a few more steps back, fired a little more. She's sure she hit a few bodies that were already down and out for the count. Serves them right.

She took her time, offering Ravenholm the extra time to get around the lock down before stepping into the turbolift. Her chest heaved, though she had not been doing any hard manual labor. Sheer exhilaration kept her going.

Re: Chapter 04: Usurpation

Reply #26 –
[ Boarding Team 01 | Corridor | Starbase 84 ] Free PO: chXinya and/or Kaligos, Arista & FollowTomorrow

Cal Reagar had the same fortune as the others in how the guards' phasers were disabled. They quickly became cautious, of course, when they noticed their predicament. What initially had been their mad rush to overpower the boarding team by the disabled turbolift shifted into entrenched stalemate, where neither side could move. It was a wise choice on behalf of starbase security, since the anti-nadion particles slowly but surely dissipated in the air. It did not take more than fifteen seconds until Cal had to dodge back behind cover. Phaser beams sliced the air again and made it smell funny.

Cursing under his breath, he did his utmost to discourage the guards from advancing towards them in the corridor. He almost asked the cyborg hacker to hurry the fuck up, but it would have been a waste of breath. The trick was actually not to breathe that much at all, at least not when firing since it mucked up his aim, so what little air he managed to suck down when leaning back into cover he wasn't going to waste. What he had to say, however, was discouraging.

"Running out of ammo," he grated, now reminded why the TR-120 rifle was not ideal in a prolonged engagement. They were silenced projectile weapon meant for stealth and not giving away one's position on internal sensors, but little good did that do them now. He changed clips in his rifle, the spent one clattering against the floor. For the hundredth time, Cal asked himself why the Red Alert had been sounded as soon as they arrived. He tried to make every shot count, but that meant more cafeful aiming, while the guards' energy cells lasted far longer than his projectiles would. He managed score a couple of hits, but slowly, the guards advanced towards them, taking cover in recesses along their path.

"Cardamone, time to go!" came the call from the Chief, and Cal got the cue. He stepped out into the corridor and began firing from a crouching position, just to cover for the Asurian as she crossed and got back into the lift. He saw heads peeking out from hiding places, anticipated their next look or attempt to shoot, and tried to pick them off. He clipped one, two, and while he really did not care to linger, it was either him getting shot or the oncoming guards. In sheer self-preservation, he spent ten more shots, realising that he was screaming in defiance as he took out two more guards and halted the advance, if only for a few moments. That was all he needed.

He switched on his SAFTI, turned towards the entrance to the crowded turbolift, he rolled into it, not touching the floor with his rifle. Cal scented the phaser beams that hit him rather than seeing them. If he had been hit, with the adrenaline so thick in his veins, he doubted he'd felt them anyway. When he lurched to his feet inside the lift, he deactivated the SAFTI, and tried to catch his breath. The turbolift doors closed as he realised his SAFTI's charge was depleted, and the last shot he'd taken had seared and frayed the entire sleeve on his inform. The skin of his arm was blistered too.

"Hell that hurts," he swore as the pain set in, making him clench his jaw hard and steel himself against it. "That last one had a kill setting on his rifle. I take it we have outstayed our bloody welcome..."

OOC: Next poster should be Kaligos but with Ravenholm doing the hacking, ch'Xinya might as well post too, so you guys decide. Either way, next poster takes the team to the entrance of the communication tower. I leave the details of the setting to you guys, but there ought to be personnel up there too. There shouldn't be that much in terms of security though since the closest transporter beam-in site was below the subspace acquisition grid. Standard security complement inside, in other words, but they are on alert.

More posts coming up here! :)

Re: Chapter 04: Usurpation

Reply #27 –
[ Boarding Team 02 | Thea | Primary Reactor Control | Level 14 | Starbase 84 ] Attn: DocM.

From her elevated viewpoint by the entrance, Thea had whipped her head around and spotted the two engineers much too late - alerted only by the phaser fire that took down two members of the boarding team. She had ceased to weld the doors together and taken aim, but before she had calibrated her shots, O'Connell had dry-fired his Accipiter, creating a concussive force that sent the two starbase engineers sprawling. Even where she stood, above the stars from the bottom level, she could feel the peripheral wake turbulence in the air against her body's sensory mapping.

Assured that the two hostile engineers were unmoving, her eyes along the sights of her phaser, she soon returned to welding the door shut. When she got the order to check on the two fallen, she was done with the door and holstered the hand phaser. As she ran down the stairs, she passed the Bolian crew member that had taken over the Accipiter. "Acknowledged," she said in reply to O'Connell, not even winded after her leap, her fight with the security detail and her short run back through the reactor room. With her TR-120 in her free hand, she crouched down and checked the pulse of Johnson and Manfredi - something which had gotten a lot easier with her upgraded tactile sensors. Meanwhile, O'Connell attempted to fool the person on the other side of the communication link, yet with discouraging results.
 
"They are alive," announced Thea in the wake of O'Connell's rapid orders to the team, and they started to try and access the starbase's systems manually. There was no time do do anything for the two fallen crew members at her feet, so Thea left the them stunned at the floor. Lucky was it that she did, because at that point, a site-to-site transport was made by starbase security, making four new guards materialise in the reactor room. With no delay, Thea raised her rifle and shot two of them before the others could dive into cover behind some duty stations. Luff had yet to access the systems and deactivate the transporters, and now, Thea had to protect the team members by reactor control. Keyah was on the second level, and the guards outside had begun to try and cut through the doors that Thea had welded shut. The flare of the phaser beams could be seen as glowing points inside the metal, moving along the edges.

"Be advised, two hostiles present. Moving to intercept," Thea announced as she set a brisk pace towards where the two guards hid, hoping that O'Connell, Luff and Cam could keep an eye behind themselves and get behind cover if the guards opened fire before Thea reached them. Thea meant to draw their eye and their fire, since unless they hit her emitter, their phaser beams would pass right through her. They just needed a few more minutes, then the power supply to the starbase's different systems could be cut.

"This is starbase security, stand down!" called one of the guards from their hiding place, but it did not deter Thea - her pace bringing her right up to them. One of them got up and fired at her, but the beam passed through through her chest and hit an EPS relay. Before he could fire a second beam, Thea had fired three projectiles into his abdomen, making him topple over. The second guard stepped out of cover, unsure where to place his shot before Thea would reach him too.

As of yet, there was no reply from the other boarding teams...

OOC to Doc M.: I figure we can do one more post here before we move to a new Chapter, where the teams report back. The remaining guard has to be taken care of (Keyah?), system access needs to be established (or/and lost), and the door is about to be breached. Might as well end on a cliffhanger for the new Chapter? :)

OOC #2: Another post to come for BT03!

Re: Chapter 04: Usurpation

Reply #28 –
[ Boarding Team 03 | ThanIda zh'Wann | Executive Offices Complex | Starbase 84 ] Attn: 1) Nolan & 2) Summerdawn

It seemed like the opposing security guards felt that they were at in a stalemate as well, and with the risk of not reaching the base commander at all, the idea to negotiate was a compelling one. The opposing guards were holding their fire, so it seemed they were willing to listen, but then again, perhaps they were just biding their time until reinforcements arrived.. With her antennae and her hearing, Ida could almost sense how they were debating amongst themselves on their side of the shot-up lounge. Ida ground her teeth, the options not looking that promising in the long run. For while they might overpower these guards - with Sel's grenade or by some other means - given the time that was passing, they needed some kind of deal, and quickly so. Cameron had already made the first offer.

As much as Ida wanted to barge on ahead and blast her way as far as she could towards the central operations centre, she reckoned that it was too late. With a look in Sel's direction, she shook her head a little, and took a deep breath. With the mission parameters they had, there was little choice but to comply... but she would set the terms.

"Our first mission objective is to get Ensign Henshaw to the base commander. If that fails, we need to seize the command center, but we cannot do the latter at this point. Not until the others have climbed their way up here. We are locked down, with more guards on the way. We need time, and Henshaw might grant us that. Hopefully, we won't have to seize the command center, but if Henshaw cannot persuade Hawthorne, then we need time to let the others reach us."

Having said this to Sel, Zaraq and the Yeoman, Ida clenched her teeth together. "Our terms stand!" she called, casting the die. She looked towards Henshaw, the pinkskin that had put her neck on the line, never having thought she would be up for something so bold. Her words, however, were directed to the remaining guards. "We carry grenades and are heavily armed. Having gotten so far, we'll get to Hawthorne if needed be. As Ensign Henshaw said, it does not have to come to that if you, instead, contact your base commander and tell him that his daughter is here to speak with him. You will also seal off this perimeter, telling your reinforcements to stay clear of this area, and we will remain here for the time being. We cannot surrender our weapons, however, until Henshaw return to us unscathed."

"We cannot gr-" one of the guards shouted back, but Ida overrode him.

"Would you rather we walked over your stunned bodies and you were held responsible for allowing us to reach and seize your command center? The longer we wait, the more people are going to die needlessly in battle. Ensign Henshaw carries the flag of cease fire and her information that will end the fighting. Make the call!"

There was a pause, in which Ida counted the seconds.

Then, speaking loud enough for them to hear, they heard the chirp of a combadge. "Lieutenant Junior Grade Selnak to Ops. Captain Hawthorne, there is a boarding party here in the EOC. One of of the insurgents is a woman claiming to be your daughter, a Cameron Henshaw. She wishes to speak directly with you about a seize-fire, while the boarding team remains where they are. If you don't, the boarders threaten to push on and seize the command center. What are your orders?"

There was another pause, and Ida could feel sweat trickle down her temple. Then, the answer came from someone in the command center. [The Captain will see her, but make sure she is unarmed. Keep the boarding party locked down. Do not let them through under any circumstances. Reinforcements are on the way to your position. Ops out.]

Taking a deep breath, Ida looked towards Cameron and nodded to her. "Good luck, Yeoman. We'll wait for your return." Then she looked towards Sel and Zaraq, and signalled for them to stand down. "Stay alert, but we'll hold this position for now."

OOC: Nolan, end your post with Cameron being led away by one of the guards. Next you post will be in a new Chapter. :)

Re: Chapter 04: Usurpation

Reply #29 –
[Selena Ravenholm | Above the Subspace Acquisition Grid | Starbase 84]

Switching control chips around was easy if you knew the best arrangements.  It was one of the main weaknesses in the isolinear-based systems that Starfleet used: each chip held particular subroutine for whatever system they were meant to work (typically security or priority details) with and the slots helped direct the programs, so if you knew where to put the chips you could work around the desired limitations.  Unfortunately for the away team, turbolift controls came in two parts.  The system Selena was currently rewiring simply unlocked the car they were in.  In order to get moving she needed to convince the station's computer that they needed to move.

And there was only one way to do that.  Reaching into another of her little compartments, Ravenholm produced a small optical data cable and quickly plugged one end into the turbolift's port, then clipped the other into one of the ports on the back of her neck.  Steadying herself against the wall, Selena closed her eyes and mentally started the connection to the computer.

Opening her eyes a moment later, the woman was standing in the middle of a typical Starfleet office building with numerous "officers" manning desks and working furiously.  They all had an etherial glow to them and little highlights tracked along their bodies.  In the real world, data was passing through the cable between Selena and the Starbase's computer, but in her virtual world the different programs were right in front of her, working away at a pace that few would be able to follow.  The different desks were all labeled, though a shadowy bunch in the far corner were behind a number of force fields.  Those weren't what she was interested in thankfully, instead she looked for a desk marked "Turbolift Control."  The sprite there was quite handsome, though it ignored her.

"Excuse me, I need your help."  Ravenholm starts.  "I know you shut down the turbolift currently above the Subspace Acquisition Grid, and for a good reason, but one of my friends is hurt and needs to get to the Infirmary."

"Security has ordered all turbolifts shut down without a security override."  the sprite responds, still not looking up.

"I know, I know, but it's a medical emergency.  If he doesn't get to the Infirmary in the next few minutes he'll die.  Medical emergencies take precedence over security, don't they?"  Selena leaned against the desk out of habit, adopting a pose that many a femme fatale has used over the centuries.  This time the sprite did look up but it had no emotion.  "There is an injured party in that turbolift, and security is nearby.  They can input their override directly."

Shaking her head, "There's no time for that.  We have to go now."  Selena pushed the issue, her interference with the system starting to manifest as lines of code and circuit paths started to snake from where her fingers were in contact with the virtual desk.  "Medical codes clearly state that all transportation priorities fall to medical emergencies.  It would be a violation to not let the car start to move.

The sprite sat motionless, stuck in a logic loop or some other heavy process, giving Selena her opening.  Her hack whipped to the figure and his form flickered as her new code integrated itself into the turbolift control system.  Once it had restabilised it turned to her with a smile.  "Of course, the car is on its way to the Infirmary at the Communications Tower."

Smiling wide, Selena nodded in agreement and jumped out of the system.  Once again on the cold deck in the turbolift, she straightened up while disconnecting herself from the computer.  The hum of the travel mechanisms filled the car and the light pattern from the window painted an oscillating pattern on the opposite wall.  "We should be at the communications tower in the next few minutes.  I can't guarantee we'll get to keep the car after that though, if their computer techs are any good they should have my little work-around purged a little bit later."

Re: Chapter 04: Usurpation

Reply #30 –
[ Cameron Henshaw | Floor 47: Administration, Departmental Head Offices and Command Centre | Starbase 84]

Cameron glanced over at the Mistress at arms as she outed her concern about being escorted by hostile security members towards her adoptive father. She could understand the concern, it was even a very logical assumption to make that the guards could even hold her hostage to leverage the away team. Yet the alternative was failure by an overwhelming force further down the road. Her eyes looking at the grenades in her hand and a flicker of hope burning inside her. Perhaps they could fight there way out of here, but who knows what hid behind the next corner.

"Well those might be an option..." she whispered under her breathe before she looked over at Ida who was in command of the mission. The blue skinned woman quickly made her call and explained the situation in short. Cameron knew she'd be functioning as a decoy perhaps for the remaining away team. If she could cause enough of a racket, maybe more guards would come to listen to her speech against Hawthorne. Or she could just be shot once they turned around the corner if her father was perhaps indeed in on the conspiracy. All options were open here, yet Cameron did not believe that the man that helped raise her would be in on this entire conspiracy.

She played the waiting game as Ida made her demands before there was a short discussion. It seemed to take an eternity before the guards received and answer from there command center. It was cold, systematical as Cameron looked at Ida's eyes before looking over at Ryuan. "I guess that's me..." She said softly, a hint of nervosity in her voice as she handed her phaser over to Sel. She waited for the security team to be ready to counter fire in case the guards would disobey the order before standing up slowly with her hands in the air.

Cameron could feel how her mouth turned dry as she stepped out of cover and stepped over to the security detail that had their weapons trained at the remaining away team, also just in case they'd return fire. Once she made it to the security detail she glanced over at them and asked loud enough for the rest to hear "Lieutenant Selnak." Her eyes going over the officer "Shall we not keep my father waiting then." she asked on a stern tone, wanting to emphasize to the man that her time here was precious and of the essence. Two more guards got up slowly as they would function as the escorting party and Cameron gave the away team one last glance before she turned around the corner with her new party.

Re: Chapter 04: Usurpation

Reply #31 –
[Nathan Isley | Turbo Lift towards Communications Tower | Starbase 84] Attn: Arista, chXinya, FollowTomorrow, Auctor Lucan, Anyone else


Keeping the team covered was difficult even from the secure position of the turbolift it seemed like they were taking their sweet ass time to actually get moving. It seemed like they only got a few breaths thanks to the combined effort of the team and Wenn, he had to admit that he had a bit more respect for the commanding officer right now. The entire team seemed calm under pressure even if they had to deal with the fact that one of their own would be unable to walk as he was now hit prone. He hoped it was with a stun, but Nathan was a little too busy to check.

When the doors of the turbolift finally closed Nathan practically fell backwards to sit down on his ass. Looking around the small enclosed space everyone for the moment seemed to have make it out of their fire fight and were now on their way to phase two of the plan. "We should have brought bigger guns."

The fact that they only had a hand full of riffles between them was probably going to be a problem. While they weren't here to destroy the comm tower or the station he doubted that the security teams on the other side would have much problem killing them if they got the chance.

Nathan was suddenly all too aware of the half romulan nature in his blood. A few days ago killing any member of the Federation would have been rather difficult. Holding a gun would have been distasteful and he would never have signed up for this kind of mission. Now he was all too prepared for the next stage of the fight, part of him even wanted to get his hands on a few of the other officers who were really just doing their job. After all any single one of the people they fought could have been infected with the parasitic enemy, so why even take the chances of stunning them?

Silently, and without the orders too do so, Nathan switched the setting on his rifle. He wasn't going to vaparise the next person they saw, Wenn would probably frown on that considering, but if the enemy was shooting to kill... well why not their team? Silently he put it on the very first killing setting and then stood up.

"So... You ever miss elevator music?"

Nathan asked the room of other security guards as they waited for the turbolift to arrive at their destination, but they didn't really have to wait long. As soon as the door opened, Nathan threw himself out of the lift and rolled along the ground to the nearest wall like some sort of action hero checking his corners for a moment and giving an all clear. "Security seems spread thin, they might think that we were going for a more critical objective or are pre-occupied with another team."

Re: Chapter 04: Usurpation

Reply #32 –
[ MCPO William Robert O'Connell | Boarding Team Two | Primary Reactor Control | Level 14 | Starbase 84 ]  

"Thea, how are Manfredi and Johnson!" O'Connell shouted over his shoulder as his large meaty hands darted over the LRCS console in front of him with surprising dexterity.

"They are alive," the heavenly hologram called back.  As Keyah ascended the second level the telltale hum of a transporter was heard and soon four burly gold collared enlisted men welding phaser rifles appeared on the floor level mere meters from Rivard.  Without hesitation, Thea had stunned two of them giving Rivard time to dart behind a podium style console and send a few shots of covering fire.  The other two had dove for cover behind some duty stations near the bulkhead.  Rivard rolled out of the way to get behind a large apparatus he could use for cover as he exchanged hand signals with Verguy Cam.   The flare of the phaser beams could be seen as glowing points inside the metal, moving along the edges.

"Be advised, two hostiles present. Moving to intercept," Thea's proper queenly voice announced as O'Connell turned his attention back the task at hand.


"Luff!  Shut down the station's transporters!" he cried.  "Shut 'em down!"

"I'm on it!" Chief Warrant Officer Luff.

"This is starbase security, stand down!" one of the guards called before the sounds of phaser fire and the thud and clatter of a body and a phaser rifle hitting the deck could be heard.

"Good job Thea," O'Connell muttered before pushing more buttons on the console before him.  "Now to get a line to the Theurgy," he commented while trying to ignore the glowing spots on the thick main doors out to the corridor where the bad guys were trying to cut their way in.  In the meantime Cam and Rivard had dealt with the final security crewman unaccounted for.  A crossfire of bullet like projectiles delivered a non-lethal shock via magnetic pulse that would stun a Jem'Hadar hit the hapless security man.

"The station's transporter system has been deactivated!"  Luff announced triumphantly from his console.

["Boarding parties, space superiority is... hotly contested so you are directed to expedite your mission and extraction."]  Comander Carrigan Trent's voice informed them.

"Dagnabbit!"  Billy Bob cursed.  "Fergit whut ah said Luff!  We need the transporters!  Git th' transporters back on line raight now!"

Re: Chapter 04: Usurpation

Reply #33 –
[Wenn Cinn | Communication Tower | Starbase 84] Attn: Kaligos, Auctor Lucan, chXinya, FollowTomorrow, Anyone else

Ravenholm had been as good as her word, and the turbolift skimmed silently to the desired location. It was a tight squeeze in the lift with all those, but certainly was more comfortable than the jaunt through the Jefferies Tube that they had already endured.

Working through the next stage of the plans in his mind, he knew they were on, as what some humans would call, the home stretch. He wasn't exactly sure that he had got the name right, nor the meaning, but he had heard it enough times to know this was the point in which it was said. All that remained was to overpower any remaining security officers, take hostage any engineering team present and get Ravenholm working on getting that message out. Cinn figured that it should be easy enough with the team he had assembled. That was until Isley had quipped.

Cinn didn't say anything in reply, although his displeasure was undoubtedly across his face. This wasn't the situation to be making jokes in, nor was this the time. Nathaniel was just shown how novice he was. Cinn wasn't sure if all the wolves spent their time in their cockpits whooping, hollering and joking during a fight or if it was just this ex-member. Either way, he expected better of the white collared pilots whom had protected their ship so many times.

The lift slowed and opened its doors. Isley was first out, followed by the rest of the team. The corridor in front of them was short, the exit of the turbolift at one end and the doors to the control room at the other. No one had greeted them, much to Cinn's surprise, but he quickly gathered that they must had retreated to the relative safety and cover of the control room. As they shuffled up to the opening. Cinn pulled a grenade free from his belt and fingered the pin.

"Let's get this done quick and easy. Wait for the grenade." He rumbled, loud enough for the team to hear, but hopefully quietly enough that those inside didn't. With a flick of his thumb, he pulled the pin and with his other hand he depressed the door controls. As soon as they opened enough, he threw it clear into the room. Waiting for the subsequent explosion, he took the time to pray.

Re: Chapter 04: Usurpation

Reply #34 –
[ Ryuan Sel | Floor 47: Administration, Departmental Head Offices and Command Centre | Starbase 84] Attn: Ida, Cameron, Drauc T'Laus

Ryuan took her finger off the arming button as Ida gave her orders to her and Zaraq. Despite her misgivings, Ryuan understood Ida shouldered the burden of command, as Ryuan had a time or two before, and decisions had to be made, sometimes seemingly pointless decisions, sometimes to order men & women to their deaths. As enlisted Petty Officer Ensign, Ryuan had her duties, her world, her job. The worries of command, of managing people, that was for the others, the officers. That mentality at times, even though she herself was an officer now, came through when she was in battle, preferring to let other's make the life and death decisions, she just preferred to point and shoot.

At the same time, standing down or not, Ryuan kept her weapons at full readiness, ready in case this went sideways, ready to acquit herself as she had trained. There was no way in her mind that Captain Hawthorne was innocent, that he was a pawn being played. He was too far up the food chain, too written in to the secrets to not be aware there was something rotten in Starfleet, in his own starbase, his own fleet. And now, naive as she was, his own daughter had just been fed to the lion. Committing the girls face to memory, a memorial in her head, Ryuan prepared for the worst. As she saw it, excluding a miracle that Hawthorne was clean, that he'd either seduce and trick his daughter into changing sides, or he'd execute her for her role in the attack. Either way the first real idea they'd have something was amiss was when these guards opened fire.

Shifting into a slightly more comfortable position to wait out the inevitable, Ryuan got herself tucked in behind a bulkhead, a clean line of fire down the hallway, while remaining somewhat protected by a projecting strut. Checking her weapon, a nervous twitch more than anything, she glanced down the hallway, trying to gauge the opposition, not let them see her nervousness as she awaited the outcome of Cameron's conversation with her father. Looking to Zaraq she smiled. The Klingon tank hadn't said much this entire mission, just using his weapon with deadly precision, exactly how he was in training scenarios on the holodeck.

Re: Chapter 04: Usurpation

Reply #35 –
[Komial Dotnhil | Starbase 84 | Security Center]Atten: Mac, Hawthorne
 [Show/Hide]

The blue white motes of the confinement beam slowly faded from Komials deep brown eyes, and she could see the darkened impression of her office around her. The starbase computer registered the presence of an organic in the room and reacted, immediately raising the lights. "Half light, half light!" She called out, and the computer lowered it back down as she rubbed her eyes rapidly from where she knelt on the floor. The shuttle bay had lost primary lighting in the attack from the Sabine, and she still had the after images of flickering panels. The fires had died almost instantly, as the atmosphere had been sucked away.

Still shaking her head, Komial had pushed herself back against the wall, and was slowly uncurling a leg to check the damage across the side of her spotted thigh when the door went off. "It is Mackenzie!" she heard, and she sucked in a ragged breath. He was here. Covering herself as best she could she called out to the computer, "Enter," enough for the machine to unlock and open the door with a soft whoosh. She could hear the havoc of the Security Center outside her office and felt a moment of guilt, letting her men and women down by simply being curled up in there instead of out in the thick of it.

Gods bless him, he was trying to help and maintain her dignity at the same time. Her heart seized up just a little bit, gratitude warring with guilt as she swallowed. Raspy, she answered his question, "Lt. Hi'Jak happened. Him and some bit-" she bit down on the profanity, sucked in a breath, and extended her leg to Mac as he pulled out an autosuture. There was a jagged cut from her hip down to her knee across her thigh - the end result of which had been the final loss of her pants. "A civilian accomplice, the pilot for the vessel Sabine...she helped Hi'Jak escape. We couldn't bring the ship down before it started unleashing micro torpedoes in the shuttle bay. Those they didn't outright kill were spaced as a result....except me. My...."Gods, this was embarrassing, and she hissed as the suture began its work, "my uniform got snagged. It was all that saved me. Kept me in the bay long enough before it...well." she didn't say it, "The doors slammed shut and the atmosphere returned. I was all that was left. Triox, please,"

The words hurt, physically, and the room swam before her. She wasn't processing oxygen enough, it was like she was at the top of a high mountain, or on the planet Vulcan. The CSec barely heard the hiss of the hypospray, but the sensation of the mixture in her bloodstream was almost instantaneous. She sucked in a new lungful of air, her head clearing again. "Thank you," she said quietly and out of character, more emotion in her voice than perhaps either officer was comfortable with.

As the worst of the physical damage dealt to the Trill was cared for, she quietly gestured for the new uniform, and for Mac to turn around. The man was clearly embarrassed, and while Komial knew what he was seeing was the fantasy of many a man, she also was picking up on his discomfort. Hobbling to her feet by using a nearby cabinet for leverage, the battered woman eased on standard duty panties and then the pants themselves. Both of which were tighter in the waist and hip that her wide measurements would normal be, resulting in more definition showing the rear of her pants. But it was a close match, and she was glad that her second in command hadn't acquired something horribly over sized that she would trip in.

Sweeping her fingers through her hair, Lt. Dotnihl reached into her desk drawer and pulled out a hair tie, pulling the knotted mess into a bun to keep it out of the way. It would never pass inspection, but they were in the middle of a firefight and security breach so who cared. Up and out of the way beat neat at the moment.

Sinking back into her chair to wrangle on a pair of boots, she said, "I'm decent now Mac. Please...a status report? She almost asked him "Please, don't tell anyone about this" but it went unsaid, unneeded. Her ACSec was far too professional to gossip about the enviable sight he'd seen.
 

Re: Chapter 04: Usurpation

Reply #36 –
[ Lieutenant Mackenzie | Komial's Office | Starbase 84 ] Attn: Brutus

With the anger he felt towards what had happened his superior officer mixed with the awkward situation, Mackenzie decided to focus on his work with the autosuture - even if it required that he'd look at what he was doing. Time was short, but he could not let Dotnhil bleed away in her office, yet despite how pressing the situation was, he could not help glancing past the leg that he was mending - seeing how her spotted legs met at...

Quickly, he averted his eyes, focusing on the flesh that he was knitting instead of... No, just the leg. Nothing else was permitted, even if his mind kept wandering places where it shouldn't. Swallowing, he continued up Komial's leg, making it harder to avoid looking... and making something quite else harder too. He felt light-headed, and had to clench his teeth together and will himself to not look. He was quite thankful for the request to inoculate her once he was finished, and even more so when she asked for the new uniform and for him to turn away. In order to hide his... predicament, he closed the med kit and used it to cover himself during the transition of standing up and turning his back to her.

"Status?" he asked when she requested a report, and after clearing his throat, he switched focus. "We believe we have one boarding party in the building, previously moving towards the command center at the top floor, but they have been halted at the lounge. Reinforcements are on the way there already. We have also one team that hijacked a turbolift and ascended to the communication towers. The transporter inhibitors are still online, so we are sending staff up there in pursuit. Lastly, I am afraid that a third team has seized the reactor control room, and the only thing stopping them from powering down shields, communications, everything is that we are beaming more forces into the area - not letting them do anything unopposed. Our staff at the auxillary reactor is trying to wrest system controls back to their stations as we speak. It is only a matter of time until the doors are breached and the twenty guards outside will pour into the room, and they won't be able to do anything further. The duty stations are too exposed, with nowhere for them to hide."

Something struck Mackenzie as odd just then. Why are they trying to reach the communication towers anyway?

"There is something else," he said, noticing how she was decent and could turn back and face Komial again, the medkit at his side and forgetting about his engorged condition, "I got a report that the Captain's ex-wife docked with the station today, so when the Theurgy arrived, I wanted to pinpoint where she was, since I figured that she could be made a hostage. But the guards that were supposed to find her can't, and internal sensors won't pinpoint her anywhere on the station either. It might be that Captain Ives already has her..."

[Hawthorne to Dotnhil,] said Komial's combadge. Speak of the devil. [Reinforcements have arrived, and the Chester has managed to manually release her docking clams, joining the battle outside, but it would seem none of the boarding teams are dealt with. Your top priority is the primary reactor room. Stop them from lowering our shields at any cost. Hawthorne out.]

The icy bitterness in their CO's tone had immediately done away with Mackenzie's situation, and he swallowed - looking at Dotnhil for orders.


[ Boarding Team 03 | ThanIda zh'Wann | Executive Offices Complex | Starbase 84 ]

Seeing Ensign Henshaw vanish around the farthest corner, Ida clenched her jaw - feeling as if she had just sent her to her death. It had been the right thing to do in their current situation, all things considered, and the pinkskin had even wanted to meet with her father. Ida would have preferred an armed escort, the Yeoman now only armed with hope and words. The worst thing was how her remaining team had no means to bargain themselves out of the situation, that card already having been played, but at least they were still armed. At least they were still alive, and soon th-

[Ritcher to zh'Wann! We are attacked from all sides down here!] said Ida's combadge, the speaker being one of the NCOs in the jefferies tubes. The audio was poor and sounds of rapid phaser fire could be heard in the background. [I'm sorry, we-]

"This is zh'Wann, repeat," said Ida after tapping her combadge, but there was no further reply. By Lor'Vela, there's only the three of us now.

"Deputy, I hear them coming," rumbled Zaraq from his vantage point behind a recess in the wall, and the shaved Klingon raised his TR-120. "The reinforcements. At least six people... Sounds like they'll come out that way."

The remaining opposition on the other side of the lounge reacted as well, shifting behind their cover. When the force arrived, it was not only six, but ten guards that fanned out through the lounge. At their point was a blonde pinkskin who looked like he was having a really bad day.

"I am Petty Officer Anton Gates," he announced, "and I swear, if you do no surrender your weapons immediately, we will end this incursion of yours right now!" It seemed that the agreement Ida had struck had just been rescinded, since no one corrected the PO. This was it. Ida turned her head to her two teammates, and she was just about to give Sel the nod - the grenades their only remaining measure to get out of the lounge.

The whole area suddenly lit up, and the searing energy of a wide dispersal field caught them all unawares. The impact of the energy seared every surface, the scent hitting Ida's nose before she could get her bearings - thinking that they had been the ones caught by a grenade's phaser field. Yet as she blinked the after-image away from her eyes, she heard continued phaser fire ahead of their position.

When she looked out from her cover, she could see a tall humanoid in a threadbare, brown cloak tearing through the security force. Brutal, bold strikes and shots were fired into the scattered guards. The man was being fired at as well, but it was almost as if he could anticipate the shots, and used the furniture in the lounge to avoid being hit. The edge of his frayed cloak almost caught fire from a beam that caught it, but he returned fire with his phaser rifle without breaking his stride. The majority of the security force had already fallen from the wide dispersal shot he must have fired, but there were three more that he'd yet to dispose of.

"Take them out!" Ida ordered, and as one, they opened fire.

By the point that the last guards fell down, the mysterious figure had rounded on them - his rifle pointing their way before his cloak settled around him. Yet he did not shoot, merely staring at them though the darkness of his hood. Ida had set her aim towards him as well, and but since the man in the cloak wouldn't open fire at them, she had her hand raised in Sel's and Zaraq's direction - signalling form them to stand down. Narrowing her eyes, Ida could almost imagine seeing how the man's gaze moved within the darkness of his hood - looking between the three of them in a silence that was only broken by their breathing.

As if he had seen or sensed something from them that made up his mind, the man lowered his rifle and raised his scarred hand - pulling the hood back from his face. Dark, burgundy hair fell into light, as well as the pointed ears of a Romulan, the only thing off about him being how his forehead had more surgical scars than ridges. Yet the fact that they were face to face with a Romulan did not make Ida's eyes widen.

It was the fact that his face was the spitting image of Nathaniel Isley's.

"You are too late," he rasped in a damaged voice, "the galactic war has already begun."

- FIN
 
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