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Day 16 [1713 hrs] Chaoticus Interuptus

[Lt. Enyd Isolde Madsen | Hall of Warriors | First City | Qo'noS] Attn: @Dumedion

Her back felt strange as she walked away from Pa'QIS. The Klingon-made scabbard and blade were gone and the owner, her friend, had another appointment at the Hall to keep after their afternoon of trading tales. Enyd had carried the engineer’s tik’leth for only a matter of weeks, spontaneously gifted to her by the fierce Klingon woman just before Enyd’s transfer to the Theurgy. She’d been tasked with bloodying the weapon and sharing tales of victory with Pa’QIS over bloodwine. Enyd felt a heap of satisfaction at having done far more with that blade than what the Klingon had expected of it—killing Infested, protecting the Chancellor, securing a tentative peace between the rebels and Mickayla’s claim to her House, and protecting her crewmates and friends. It had been a busy few weeks for Enyd, and the blade had seen more battles than the engineer had expected of a diplomat.

Not that Pa’QIS had in any way been upset as the tales had continued. Quite the opposite, really. She’d almost been keen on giving Enyd the blade permanently, but, having guessed this might happen, Enyd had been sure to take the gifted blade from Frank and Zark. One, to show off her friend’s craftsmanship to Pa’QIS, and two, to prevent the Klingon woman from giving her the family heirloom permanently. This sword, much longer and heavier than the tik’leth, was strapped to Enyd’s waist. It was certainly a strange accessory for the petite brunette dressed in casual black trousers and a forest green linen shirt. Not that she was worried about the locals—Enyd had learned how to hold her own with Klingons—but the blade did help to keep some of the more troublesome ones at bay as she walked slowly through the Hall. She wasn’t due back on the ship for a time and the peace of momentary solitude, a rare thing these days, was welcome. Especially after the fiasco of a food tour just the day before.

Enyd sighed, pausing to shake her head at the memories. It really was a miracle no one had died, been thrown into prison, or caused a diplomatic incident. Continuing on her way, Enyd lost herself in her memories and did not see the person rounding a column directly in her path.

Re: Day 16 [1713 hrs] Chaoticus Interuptus

Reply #1 –
[PO2 Kino Jeen | Hall of Warriors | First City | Qo'noS] Attn: @Ellen Fitz
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Well that was educational, the Trill non-com smirked to herself – the armor she wore was scorched in places, scratched in others, the body within weary and sore – but the day had not been quite the waste of time she'd expected. Despite what she thought of Klingons, Kino had found a new respect for the warriors of the KDF; for all their boisterous, snarling aggressiveness, they were more than what they appeared. Blunt, but effective. I just hope they learned as much as I did.

She'd never considered herself a good teacher; that was something that required a considerable amount of patience. Still, it was a good start; progress had been made. The KDF platoon she had been embedded with still looked like they’d rather eat her than work with her – but that changed after the little scuttle she just left. Two of the three that decided to step up to her would be spending the night in the infirmary with a couple broken bones, the other one was probably still icing his balls and picking up teeth. The rest of them had watched – laughing, leering, then cheering and grunting with approval. Good fight, all around, she smirked again, looking down at the helm in her hand. A chipped scratch from one of their blades scored across the top, into the visor. That’ll be fun to fix, she frowned, turning a corner around a pillar towards the transport pad on the far side of the hall.

Suddenly a body was right in front of her. “Whoa,” she barked, dropping the helm to extend her hands out to stop the person from running into her. “Sorry,” the Trill smirked, “wasn’t paying attention.” Shit that was close, she laughed, bending slightly to retrieve her helm, only to have the top of her head connect with the other woman’s with an audible thunk.

Kino froze, blinking. Ow.

A finger came up in a wait right there gesture. “I’ll get it. One sec,” she muttered, shaking her head subtly. Damn you got a hard head, lady. After securing her helm with a grunt, the non-com looked it over briefly before giving the head-butter a once over. “You alright,” she asked, head tilted, slightly confused with her appearance. The sword looked like it was twice as heavy as she was; it pulled at her balance a little. “Uh…I'm Kino,” she lifted an armored shoulder, “PO2 Jeen, if you’re one of those formal officer types.” A hand rose to rub her head as a dark brow raised, wondering who she was, and why she was there alone.

Re: Day 16 [1713 hrs] Chaoticus Interuptus

Reply #2 –
[Lt. Enyd Isolde Madsen | Hall of Warriors | First City | Qo'noS] Attn: @Dumedion

The bracing hands on her shoulders jarred her but also prevented Enyd from walking into the woman. Whatever the woman had been holding dropped to the ground as they sought to avoid collision. Hearing the apology, Enyd nodded, automatically bending to pick up the fallen object—a helm—but then she reared back when her head crashed against the woman’s—amusing how they’d avoided one collision only to have another. She nodded, more to herself than the woman, when she offered to retrieve her own helm without further effort for aid from Enyd.

“I was lost in thought as well, so apologies as well.” Enyd was still rubbing at her forehead when the light-haired woman stood up again. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips, “My grandmother always spoke of my thick skull, so I’m sure I’m fine.”

Enyd vaguely recognized the woman before her, having seen her file for some reason or another, but couldn’t place a name or a department with her. Once Kino, as Enyd learned from her introduction, finished speaking, Enyd offered another smile and a slow nod.

“Madsen, Enyd. Lieutenant, if you’re one of those by-the-book types.” She winked, hand falling loosely to the hilt of her sword. “Diplomatic corps, if you can believe it, considering the weapon strapped to my side. I actually just returned a gifted tik'leth back to a friend and showed off this gift from another. Seems I'm known to both Klingons and Federation for having a love of blades.” Enyd chuckled again. If Kino thought it strange, the Trill wouldn’t be the first to think so. Enyd had gotten a range of responses to her penchant for blades, ranging from horror to delight. Based on the looks of Jeen, Enyd presumed the Trill would be closer to acceptance or delight. “I hope the other guys look worse.” Enyd nodded towards the state of Jeen’s helm with a playful smile.

Re: Day 16 [1713 hrs] Chaoticus Interuptus

Reply #3 –
[PO2 Kino Jeen | Hall of Warriors | First City | Qo'noS] Attn: @Ellen Fitz
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Despite the throbbing bump on her head, Kino grinned at her new acquaintance. So, this is Madsen, she chuckled, pleased to have quite literally run into her. The Trill nodded along as the diplomat spoke, her mismatched eyes glancing to the sword at her side with amused approval. Yep, I can work with this one, she smirked.

When Madsen nodded to her helm, Kino's lips pulled to the side, exhaling at the damage. Fuckers.

“Oh, you could say that.” Kino drawled, then mag-locked the helm to the small of her back. “Klingons aren’t the best marksmen, but their blade-work is impressive.” The Trill dipped her silvered head to the scabbard on Madsen’s side. “That must have a helluva story attached to it – whatever it is, I’m sure you earned it,” the Trill quipped. “Word on the street is you have a penchant for getting into…interesting diplomatic negotiations.”

Amazing what you overhear, standing around all day, Kino smirked.

Regardless of the scuttlebutt, anyone who wasn’t Klingon, but wore an authentic blade on their world, in their capital, had some serious clout – or some serious balls. Kino wouldn’t make the mistake of underestimating Madsen. People tended to do that with her, all the time.

Dumbasses. Back to the matter at hand. Best explain myself, I guess.

Her gloved hands hooked into the armored collar on either side of her neck to rest while she spoke. “I was just here doing a little cross-training with the KDF; live-fire, squad based exercises, nothing too serious. Few of the boys decided to rough me up,” she explained, shrugging again. “Everyone limped away just fine. Shouldn’t cause any issues, LT.” Even if they did, it would likely be settled in house, violently.

Kino nodded her head to the end of the hall, to the transporter pads behind Madsen. “I was just heading back to the ship, but I can stay,” an armored shoulder rose and fell, “if you want,” a dark brow rose as she smirked. “Nothing official, mind – I’ve heard you prefer to roam about without a detail. Hate to blemish that ballsy reputation.”

Re: Day 16 [1713 hrs] Chaoticus Interuptus

Reply #4 –
[Lt. Enyd Isolde Madsen | Hall of Warriors | First City | Qo'noS] Attn: @Dumedion

“I’m not so sure I earned this one by my fighting prowess,” Enyd jostled the scabbard for emphasis, “but it certainly helps to be friends with two individuals in particular who appreciate a good blade and a good story attached to it. I’m not sure how much time you’ve spent around Frank Arnold, chief engineer. He coaches me in the finer arts of pugilism, which, I might add, I’m not losing as quickly as I used to, so that’s a step in the right direction. And Zark zh’Ptrell, chief medic with security,” Enyd raised a quizzical eyebrow, watching Kino’s response. “They worked together to splice this together. In all honesty,” she leaned forward to feign a conspiratory whisper, “I don’t think I’ve earned something this beautiful quite yet. But they’d likely throttle me if I bypassed the opportunity to show it off to a Klingon.”

She couldn’t help but snort at Kino’s comment about diplomatic negotiations.

“The important part of that sentiment is just as they were gotten into, they were gotten out of, and with all members involved still alive.” Enyd remembered the loss of limb for one of the crew on the first away mission, so quickly added, “Not all in one piece, but altogether alive and successful. I have earned the colorful description of ‘cowboy diplomacy’ for my efforts, but some of that can be attributed to my lack of Academy training. I only went through officer candidate school and got most of my training and insight on diplomacy and negotiation from civilian sectors. Made for riveting debates during candidate school. While I was just as keen on success on a mission, my suggested methods were often unorthodox by ‘company man or woman’ standards.”

A trio of Klingon men caught her eye, hovering near the transport pad at the end of the hall. There was something vaguely familiar about them, but Enyd couldn’t quite place the where or why. Kino’s explanation of her presence, and the state of her helm, pulled Enyd’s attention away from the lurkers and back onto the Trill standing opposite her. She snorted again at Kino’s reassurances and waved away the concern.

“There would be more issue if they’d been able to walk away without a limp. They respect you for the roughing up in return. And if you are respected, we as a crew are respected. If you are seen as a doormat, well then, it makes all our lives more complicated, and my job harder.” She rolled her eyes at Kino’s additional comment about her reputation, an amused smile playing on her lips. “Chaos magnet is more the reputation I am aware of, with much of the blame for things going wrong tossed at my feet. I have been sitting quietly at a table, had people attack me without provocation, and was then blamed for the situation occurring at all.” Enyd laughed and shook her head again, “Not complaining, mind you. More like warning you, I suppose. It is an intriguing and entertaining place to be, at my side, or so I’m told, but it is quite often dangerous.”

No sooner had she finished her sentence when the three Klingons made a beeline for them, their gait quick and expressions fierce. It took two heartbeats for Enyd to recall where she’d last seen them. They had been part of the losing faction of rebels. The ones who had high-tailed it back into the jungle when MicKayla and those allied to her had demanded allegiance of the rebels to her claim on the House and gotten it. Well, mostly.

“Three Klingons are heading our way from down the hall. The last time I saw them, they were trying to kill the rest of the away team and me.” Enyd spared a look at the Trill. “Last chance to get the hell outta dodge and avoid the chaos I attract.”

Re: Day 16 [1713 hrs] Chaoticus Interuptus

Reply #5 –
[PO2 Kino Jeen | Hall of Warriors | First City | Qo'noS] Attn: @Ellen Fitz
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Her silvered head had nodded along as Madsen spoke; Kino didn’t know the officers the diplomat named personally but word had reached her of their reputations. The non-com moved in different circles from the pips, too – mostly – but she remembered Azrin mentioning the name Zark. She was pretty sure she'd seen Arnold before too, during a rotation in Engineering, but had neither the time nor reason to chat him up, so she filed them away with a subtle lift of one shoulder and let Madsen continue.

As she explained her colorful forays into diplomacy, Kino simply nodded her understanding – sometimes shit just went south, and all the planning and preparation in the world didn't amount to shit. Times like that, when everything went to hell, tended to change people; all the training in the world didnt hold a candle to good old experience. Mission first. Get it done, and get as many home in one piece as you can, the Trill nodded again, frowning slightly. Kino knew how that felt; she knew it all too well. Despite it all, Madsen had adapted and overcome; from the Trill’s perspective as a ground-pounder, she’d rather follow an officer that showed the diplomat’s flexibility than some fool from the Academy quoting regulations every ten seconds.

Reputations were tricky – folks often remembered the fuck ups despite everything else. Madsen seemed to take it all in stride however, which prompted another smirk from Kino. Dangerous or no, being around the diplomat seemed far from boring, which suited the non-com just fine.

A dark brow arched at the LTs warning; Kino turned her head slightly to glance at the approaching threesome, then smirked at Madsen. “But the party’s just started,” she quipped, turning to face them in profile, shifting her stance in preparation for hostilities as she watched them approach; her fingers tapped the PADD on her forearm, opening a channel. “Jeen, 21-12, my location,” the non-com murmured. The bud in her ear crackled an acknowledgement. “No weapons out yet, maybe they want to chat,” she arched a brow at Madsen, while her hand subtly gripped the hilt of the combat knife deployed from her thigh plate. “Two minutes till back-up arrives,” she spoke under her breath, as the trio quickly closed in. Definitely not boring, Kino smirked, as her left hand raised in a gesture of warding.

“That’s close enough,” the Trill growled at the three –mismatched eyes leaping from target to target. They stood roughly in a triangle, pinning her and Madsen in front of the large column at their backs.

For several long seconds, nobody moved.

Re: Day 16 [1713 hrs] Chaoticus Interuptus

Reply #6 –
[Lt. Enyd Isolde Madsen | Hall of Warriors | First City | Qo'noS] Attn: @Dumedion

In her fairly brief time on the ship, Enyd had come across and worked with a variety of individuals. Thinking back on both her away missions and the more recreational visits to the planet, Enyd could also recall the types of people she’d ended up on the “wrong” side of adventure with as well. Some had been keen to punch first and ask questions later, others, in their efforts to avoid confrontation, had only made confrontation unavoidable, and still, others had been perfectly happy to create mayhem and then leave her to wallow it as they waltzed on to their next chaos bomb-making scheme.

Kino Jeen, so far at least, reminded her of Zark’s more “go get ‘em” nature as well as Frank’s “well, if we have to do it, let’s do it well.” The side comment about a party starting had Enyd fighting to keep her smile hidden, as it was something Zark would say. It surprised Enyd that the former rebels stopped when Kino bade them to for she knew well enough that a compliant Klingon was rarely a safe one. If backup was two minutes out, the best thing she could do was keep these ingrates talking instead of swinging at her head.

“You,” the gangliest of the three thrust a gnarled finger in Enyd’s direction, “you’re the Federation officer who brokered that deal with Mac’Mon’s bitch.”

Enyd raised an eyebrow, “I recently facilitated a meeting between Mo’Kai rebels and the new leader of their House.” Being sure to make unflinching eye contact with each of the Klingons, Enyd kept her shoulders back and head tilted up, speaking ‘down’ to the men when she continued, “That meeting concluded with the rebels left alive laying down their weapons at her feet and those that refused turning tail and running like cowardly targs back into the jungle.” She was intentional about adding a Klingon-esque sneer at the end of her statement, watching as each of the former rebels growled and grunted in response to her words. “What is your business with us?” Enyd shifted her body weight just slightly, momentarily bumping her shoulder against Kino to signal a united front between them.

“We have no business with her,” the shortest but most muscled one spat towards Kino, “just you.”

Enyd raised the eyebrow she knew infuriated them—only because it was the most Vulcan-esque move she could do and she’d never met a Klingon who found that Vulcan trait endearing.

“I have no power to rescind what has occurred within House Mo’Kai, if you were hoping I would support inner House fighting.” She glanced between the men once more before adding. “If, instead, you are wanting me to advocate for a meeting with Mo’Kai’s new leader,” she waved a hand casually in the air between them, “now that you’ve had some time to cool off in the swampy jungle where there is no honor and no protection of a House,” the tallest Klingon of the group who had not yet spoken snarled at her words but maintained his stance otherwise, “then I can do that.”

“It isn’t so easy,” the gangly one growled, head tipping down as if to whisper, “we have information on a common enemy and are willing to trade for it.”

Enyd barely had a chance to look at Kino before the short Klingon let out a howl of pain and crumpled to the ground, hands clasped over a hole in his stomach. The Hall echoed with the screams of scared and angry Klingons as nearby an explosion shattered the otherwise normal sounds of the day.

Re: Day 16 [1713 hrs] Chaoticus Interuptus

Reply #7 –
[PO2 Kino Jeen | Hall of Warriors | First City | Qo'noS] Attn: @Ellen Fitz
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Really wish I’d brought a sidearm now, Kino’s jaw clenched as blue eyes narrowed at the trio. In the dimly lit hall, the gleam of her cybernetic ocular implant flared as it moved from the stocky ‘leader’ to his cohorts; body tensed to act on the slightest movement of aggression. Beyond the five of them, her eyes scanned the hall quickly, noting that all seemed normal for a vast corridor lit with roaring braziers; citizens of the Empire went about their business, guards stood at their posts, conversations echoed from the stone walls.

Yet the silvered hairs on the back of her neck stood out, all the same. Kino hadn’t anticipated them to actually stop, and certainly didn’t count on them wanting to talk. Klingons tended to be blunt in the extreme, and as she listened to Madsen engage them, the non-com fought a smirk down at the Lieutenant’s choice of words and tone. She certainly knows how to talk Klingon, Kino commentated silently, side-stepping closer to the diplomat’s flank as the exchange continued – the Trill’s curiosity piqued at the opportunity offered. Intel exchange? She wondered, lips pursed slightly.

“Sounds like -” Kino had turned to Madsen, but then caught the flare of weapons fire out of the corner of her eye and reacted instinctively; an arm reached out over the LT’s torso, shoving her back into the column as Kino crouched. “SNIPER,” she roared, as the stocky Klingon dropped to his knees, smoke rising from the hole where his intestines used to be. The wound was cauterized, yet he sprayed lavender blood and digestive acid from his mouth as he keeled over, gurgling as he choked to death on his own fluids. His comrades pulled concealed disruptor pistols from their backs as the Trill knelt, combat knife in hand in a reverse grip, ready to charge them both. She started to tell Madsen to stay in cover – but then the world detonated in light, heat, and white noise.

As ambushes went, Kino knew they were probably fucked.

The primary explosion cooked off on the column adjacent to the one they had used as cover from the sniper; the concussion blasted them all out to the side, right into the open. A second and third went off further along the hall, spreading even more chaos, which was probably exactly what the sniper wanted. When she came to, Kino found herself sprawled out on her back, hearing nothing but the all-to-familiar high-pitched whine in her ears, coughing smoke from her lungs as she tried to shake her head clear. Distorted thumps of incoming fire registered as the non-com lifted her head, searching for Madsen. Her eyes locked on a disruptor pistol first, which she snagged and rolled onto her side, blasting up at the second level balcony, hoping to suppress the shooter out of scope. Bodies lay all around her, smoke rising from holes that shouldn’t be there as emerald fire impacted the stone-tiled floor near her head.

The sniper had relocated after the explosion, firing from the other side of the column. Kino fired off another burst of suppressive fire, then scrambled into a low-crawl, blinking as she looked around. One of the Klingons still lived, groaning from the smoldering wounds dotting his legs. “Fuck me,” Kino grunted, firing again, then pushed up to her knees and dragged him into cover as fast as she could. Alarm klaxons blared as the building’s fire suppression systems kicked in – dumping a deluge of water from high overhead. Another pistol clattered to the floor from the Klingon’s hand as he snarled something up at her, pointing out to the side as Kino propped him up against the base of the column.

“What,” Kino shouted, firing blind up at the balcony again, then followed his gesture.

Madsen.

The diplomat was slowly stirring, face down out in the kill zone; the Trill couldn't see any holes, quickly guessing the LT had been knocked out by the explosion. Two streams of vertical light materialized near her, the tell-tale sound of transporter beams making Kino’s gums itch. The security officer tapped her comms open, screaming out to abort the transport, but it was too late; just as back-up from the Theurgy materialized, they were lit up with a series of green bolts punched through both of their uniformed bodies. Crewmen Agans and Falvar dropped like rag-dolls, weapons clattered to the floor at their feet. Kino swore as she grabbed the other pistol, glancing back over her shoulder to the sniper’s position. “Covering fire,” she hollered, then leaned out around the column with both disruptors to lay down a furious stream of suppressive fire – noting the other guards in the Hall had zeroed in on the enemy’s location, firing as well. Taking her chance, the Trill pushed up to her feet and scrambled to Madsen; armor screeched along the floor as Kino slid down next to the diplomat as a shield.

The entire hall was a war zone now, filled with smoke, pulses of weapons fire and roaring Klingons. One of the columns had collapsed, laying a ridge of shattered stonework across the hall, blocking one exit completely. Kino searched for another way out after quickly glancing over Madsen, blinking stinging water from her eyes. Everything was drenched by the fire suppression systems.

“C’mon LT, we gotta move,” the non-com yelled as she brought the borrowed weapons in her fists up to fire again – but her shoulder exploded in pain as an emerald bolt struck home, showering them both with sparks and armor shrapnel. The force of the impact sent her sprawling, the disruptor pistol sliding to the floor next to the LT’s head as Kino groaned in pain, rolling back up to fire with the one good arm she had left. Sparks and black fluid sprayed from the damaged internal servos of her armored shoulder, and the cybernetic mechanisms of the limb within. “Shit’s sake – Madsen – get the fuck up,” she screamed, pushing herself up to kneel over Agans. Somehow, the human was still breathing. Kino dropped the disruptor to tap the man’s combadge before securing his rifle in one hand. “Theurgy – emergency beam-out to medical, Agans and Falvar, right now,” the non-com grunted as she opened up with her rifle.

[Negative, unable to lock-on due to KDF security fields in place], the comm-bead in her ear crackled.

Kino swore aloud, watching the KDF close in on the sniper’s position. They could treat the wounded, or pursue the enemy, not both. “Fucker’s gonna get away,” the Trill grimaced, but slung her rifle and gripped Agans by the shoulder, glancing at Madsen. “Into cover,” she nodded, then started dragging the man over to the column. “Are you hit,” she grunted at the LT, even as her eyes panned around for more threats.

Re: Day 16 [1713 hrs] Chaoticus Interuptus

Reply #8 –
[Lt. Enyd Isolde Madsen | Hall of Warriors | First City | Qo'noS] Attn: @Dumedion

Kino’s protective push had the back of Enyd’s head clacking against the unforgiving hardness of the column. High-pitched disruptor fire and the shouts of response sounded over the rush of blood in her ears, but then the earth shook its fist at her existence, and Enyd was tossed forward. The sound pressure at her back added momentum to Enyd’s lurch, brutishly grinding her head against the marbled floor. Her consciousness tilted. Swayed. Lights and sounds danced in and out of note, none of them quite making sense, but all of them fueling a sense of urgency. A need.

“C’mon, LT!” The blind need blurred on its edges, and the sounds were the first to resume cognition. “We gotta move!”

Enyd blinked, her body shifting and curling instinctively as consciousness returned. She’d hit her head twice, once at the back and once at the front. Apparently, that was enough to knock even the thickest of skulls loopy.

“MADSEN!”

A clatter near her ear had Enyd flinching, her head drawing up and back as she continued to blink the world back into focus. The first thing she could discern through the swimming pool of swirling lights and colors was the vague outline of a disruptor lying near her head. Intuitively wrapping her fingers around the weapon, Enyd tracked its sudden appearance across the floor. Her eyes noted black fluid on the ground amidst the rubble, then tracked back further to see Kino dragging an unconscious crewman toward a column.

In quick succession, the events that led to her sprawling on the ground, disruptor in hand, coalesced into comprehension. Enyd knew that if she didn’t rally herself now, she would further damn their chances for survival. Kino was already responding to the crisis admirably, and the injury she seemed to be nursing was likely because of the delay in Enyd’s recovery.

Rolling with a distinct lack of grace given the rubble, Enyd sided up to the second crewman and checked his vitals. Alive, slowly regaining consciousness, injured but uncertain how grievously. Reaching out with her free hand, disruptor pointed up toward the sniper’s position and firing at random, Enyd shook the crewman as she heard Kino called out her question.

“Dazed, not hit.” She yelled over to the Trill. Enyd shook the crewman again until she caught his gaze, “Can you crawl?” The crewman grunted, eyes squeezing shut when a few shots from the sniper hit dangerously close to their position. Klingon guards, and likely Kino, let loose a returning volley of angry bursts buying them some more time. The crewman gave a wary nod to which Enyd responded by unholstering his sidearm and pressing it into his hand, “Then let's crawl to cover.”

Enyd shifted her weight around and crawled over to Kino’s position, trusting the crewman to either follow through with what he said he could do, or remain where he was until he was either taken out by the sniper or miraculously could crawl to safety on his own terms. Just shy of the Trill’s firing point, a gnarled hand reached out and snatched Enyd the rest of the way across the floor, roughly shoving her behind the column. Enyd held the disruptor up, only barely holding back on her desire to fire. It was one of the earlier Klingons.

“Is all this for you?” Enyd didn’t lower the weapon just yet, gaze narrow and studious as she watched the Klingon warrior intermittently lean out to squeeze off a shot toward the sniper’s position.

The Klingon nodded. “The Syndicate doesn’t want us talking to you.”

“The Orion Syndicate?” Enyd raised an eyebrow at the Klingon before turning her head and heaving a sigh of relief when she spied the crewman hoisting himself out of harm’s way alongside Kino and the other crewman. “What don’t they want you telling us?”

“I’d be a fool to tell you that right NOW!” The Klingon snarled at her. “You’d take the information and leave me and the others here to die.”

“We aren’t cowards,” Enyd sat up and moved into a crouch, punctuating her words by firing alongside the Klingon, “and we certainly don’t repay informants with death. At least give me some indication of if this information is something worth dying for?” She looked back toward the fallen comrade of this Klingon, watching as his eyes also tracked over his friend.

“It is.” He grunted after a moment’s pause.

“Alright then,” Enyd looked past him to Kino, “if possible we need to capture the sniper alive. Can we contact the ship?” Enyd glanced toward Kino but it was one of the injured crewman who shook his head. Enyd sighed. “How about you,” Enyd looked to the Klingon warrior who in some ways had caused all this, “work with the others to keep the sniper pinned down while my colleagues and I flank?”

The Klingon nodded a second before Enyd looked to Kino, and the crewman beside her. She wasn’t certain if the Trill had other ideas on how to fix their conundrum but that certainly seemed like the most logical to her. 

Re: Day 16 [1713 hrs] Chaoticus Interuptus

Reply #9 –
[PO2 Kino Jeen | Hall of Warriors | First City | Qo’noS] Attn: @Ellen Fitz
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A bolt of emerald fire exploded through the marble column just to the side of the her head, blasting dust and debris in her face. "Shit," Kino flinched, then turned to cough with a grimace at Madsen. Flank? Are you serious? the non-com blinked at the diplomat - her opinion of that strategy writ plain on her features for a second - then quickly scanned the wounded just to be sure she wasn’t acting too hasty. One eye squinted and watered in an attempt to clear the masonry dust, making her blink again rapidly. No way in hell, Kino shook her head, then pressed her back to the column to try to peer over the debris wall at the sniper.

What she saw didn't look promising.

Sixty meters or so to the stairs, probably two flights up, her eyes traced the route along the balcony on the second level, to the corner where the prick was hidden; another thirty meters, all in the open – not feasible. Fuck, her head dipped down again, as three more rapid fire shots cracked into the stonework around them. The fires had died out, but the deluge from the suppression system continued. Klingons were roaring and hollering everywhere over the cacophony of disruptor fire.

Kino winced as she shifted her weight to pull the meager first aid kit from the small of her back to toss to Falvar, who was in far better shape than Agans, then locked her mismatched blues on Madsen with a scowl. She didn’t like what she was about to say any more than Madsen would, but it needed to be said. “Bad idea, LT – too many wounded, and I can’t see a route to flank anyway. We’d just be funneling ourselves into scope if we tried it,” the Trill shouted over the powered bark of her rifle, firing blind around the side of the column until the powercell drained. Shifting again to grab a fresh ‘cell from Falvar’s belt, her left leg kicked out from cover just enough to earn a glancing hit in a shower of sparks, just below the knee. “FUCK,” Kino roared in pain, “you mother-” she bit her lip, grunting as Agans’ reached over to pull her back in position.

[Meanwhile, Syndicate Operative XVI| Second Level Balcony, Hall of Warriors]

Back from the edge of the balcony, the business end of a long range disruptor rifle peeked through the wide columns of slate colored stone covered in Klingon runes. The man behind it lay prone on the dark volcanic floor, the black marble threaded with veins of ruby quartz, dark as dried human blood. The rebreather he wore covered most of his face, the hood up over his head hid most of the rest, but the color of what little skin left to see easily identified his race. Faint tattoos circled forest green eyes in cryptic symbols known only to to those that trained him, and the masters that owned him.

Prior knowledge of the odds of successfully completing this assignment notwithstanding, XVI knew he likely had only a few more minutes to live at most; everything depended on the turrets and hastily deployed traps set to hinder the KDF quick-response teams that were no doubt scrambling toward his position. Peering through the scope, he knew two of the four primaries were neutralized; three of the six propositioned charges spent. Running out of time and options, dark green eyes narrowed as he scowled, inhaling a deep breath. In the pause after he exhaled, XVI’s finger squeezed the trigger, firing off three more rapid fire shots at his quarry, before he burst to his feet and ran – rifle towed in one hand by the barrel – while the detonator in his other first bleeped with an activation chime.

A quick succession of explosions cooked off from below as he raced across the balcony to the far adjacent corner – another displacement to hopefully achieve the line of sight on the primaries still in play – yet he managed no more than a dozen paces when the auto-turrets left behind at his back spun up in activation. The only path out to him swarmed with disruptor fire and the bellows of angry Klingons, some of them taking pot-shots at his heels before they were mowed down by his turrets in turn. XVI glanced down at his targets, cowering behind rubble, right were he wanted them. Stay right there, he grinned, as his boots thumped down the balcony. The fools even fired up at him; ineffective bursts of scarlet phaser fire burned into the masonry and stonework behind him and into the railing at his side. No matter, you’ll be dead soon enou – the thought died as a section of wall blasted out from his left side, knocking the rifle out of his hands as the world tumbled in a red haze of pain and noise.

[Kino and crew; shot to shit and pissed off]

“Everyone okay? Sound off,” Kino roared as she fired, eardrums ringing painfully from the second round of explosions. Every entrance and exit was down, reduced to a flaming pile of rubble – no easy feat from a lone operative. This fucker had help, she grimaced, trying to ignore the pain in her shoulder and leg as her eyes darted to the right, ahead of the sniper; tucked in the corner, another trio of wider columns stood with a perfect line of sight on their position. “Oh, fuck,” she grunted, realizing how screwed they were all about to be.

The non-com flinched where she knelt as the wall section detonated, eyes narrowed in sympathetic pain as the bastard clipped the railing to tumble end over end on his way down; he smacked the once pristine floor of the Hall in a heap, along with a few chunks of debris that scattered like beggars coins around him. “I’ll check ‘em out,” Kino sighed with relief. So much for taking him alive. No way he lived through that. Using the butt of her rifle as a crutch, she pushed herself up to her feet then snapped the rifle back into her damaged shoulder with a grunt – limping toward the assassin at the ready. “What you get, asshole,” she growled, then glanced up at the wrecked balcony and the smoking hole. A squad of KDF warriors poured out of the haze, weapons raised, panning for threats. She recognized the movement pattern, and made a mental note to thank them later as the fire suppression systems finally turned off.

A groan snapped her attention back to the sniper; the non-com aimed the muzzle of her rifle down at the prone individual, barking at him to stop moving instantly, but too late. In a blur of motion, a blade the length of her arm sliced out as he flipped to his feet; Kino reacted instinctively, managing to block with her rifle, but the weapon fell from her grasp in a spray of sparks and metal fragments, cut clean in two. A foot slammed into her armored chest, knocking her off balance; then a sharp, cold pain raced up her leg after the assassin skewered his blade into the top of her foot, down into stone, to pin her in place. Before she could even cry out, green hands gripped either side of her head, pulling her face down into a series of knee strikes – each one a muffled blur of pain and red haze.

Crimson filled her vision as she fell, then faded black, and as the world drifted away, Kino hoped Madsen still had that sword of hers handy...

Re: Day 16 [1713 hrs] Chaoticus Interuptus

Reply #10 –
[Lt. Enyd Isolde Madsen | Hall of Warriors | First City | Qo'noS] Attn: @Dumedion

Enyd nodded. She’d gathered that the concept of flanking was likely not the best option and had trusted—and been rewarded by—Kino’s insight to either support or dissuade. That didn’t mean sitting still and just waiting for the inevitable was any better than willingly funneling into the sights of a sniper. Glancing at their temporary Klingon ally, Enyd frowned. In her scramble to get to cover, she counted at least a half dozen Klingon security guards likewise pinned down at various intervals in the Hall, along with more than two dozen non-security forces. The nice thing about Klingons, if it could be called nice at all, was that most of the non-security forces were armed in some fashion or another. Most with blades of various sizes and shapes but, based on the returning rate of fire to the sniper’s position, at least some had small sidearms. Thinking of the blades, Enyd’s free hand fell to the hilt of her own. It would do no good to take a blade to a sniper fight…

Her thoughts were interrupted by second, third, fourth, and more explosions happening in such swift succession that it was easier just to think of it as a wave. Enyd instinctively covered the back of her head and neck, curling inward as the dust and bits of rubble showered around them. What natural light had been pouring in from the entrances or exits was cut off and based on the tones of voices from her colleagues—the Klingons didn’t bother to ‘sound off’ at Kino’s request—it seemed they noticed the same increasing peril as Enyd did. The Klingon nearest her took advantage of the yet-to-settle dust and darted out from around the pillar. When she didn’t immediately hear any sounds of fire, her hopes increased. Perhaps…

Enyd ducked again when a portion of the far wall, the other side of their position, imploded. Hearing a humanoid guttural noise mixed in with the sounds of crumbling rubble, Enyd shifted to peer around the pillar just in time to watch the sniper hit the floor with a sickening thud. Having come up against Orions before, both officially and unofficially, Enyd knew there was still a high chance that the man had survived the fall. When they were allies, Orions were great to have around because be they male or female, they could take a mighty beating before they gave up and fell. But when they were enemies, they could be reliably difficult to restrain or kill.

When Kino stated her intent to check out the fallen sniper, Enyd nodded. Members of the security forces were moving in from both directions, taking time to ensure safety from the various darkened crooks and crannies as they went. For her part, Enyd’s eyes scanned for the Klingon who’d first approached them. During the chaos of the second round of explosions, he’d managed to scurry off. To what end, Enyd didn’t know, but that his presence had called this wrath down on their heads and then he’d slunk away unscathed—aside from losing a comrade—set her jaw tight in frustration.

Enyd had been in the process of double-checking the injured security personnel when she heard Kino’s barked instructions. The Orion had indeed survived the fall, with far more aplomb than seemed physically possible given the way he leapt to his feet and engaged Kino in hand-to-hand. Glancing at the two men at her feet, Enyd pointed to the scuffle.

“Set on stun and shoot when I tell you.” Watching both men’s eyes widen, Enyd shook her head. “Don’t worry about hitting Kino, just shoot. You've been trained for this. You will do fine.”

With these instructions left with the men, likely wondering about the lieutenant’s state of mind, Enyd closed the distance between herself and the fight. Kino had her foot pinned to the ground and without a helmet, the Orion’s knee was doing a splendid job of drawing blood and smashing skin on Kino’s face by the time Enyd came close. Unsheathing her sword and leveling it at the Orion’s back, Enyd yelled over her shoulder, “Fire!”

Twin shots of phaser light reflected off the surface of the floor, both beams hitting the Orion, one in the back, the other in the thigh. Enyd made a mental note to check on the files of these men and make commendations for their courage under fire and precision with fire. Unsurprisingly, the twin bolts did little more than seize up the Orion, his hands going loose as his body went still. Kino’s form fell from his grasp, and his weapon as well, it seemed for the moment things were looking in their favor. The plucky bastard didn’t fall over though. Instead, after a few seconds of stillness, he turned a snarling expression on Enyd.

Holding the sword firmly in both hands, Enyd lowered her head to glower back at him, “If you surrender to me now, your life may be spared. If you continue to fight, you will perish by their hands.” She didn’t take her eyes from his face, and neither did he take his from hers, but they both knew they had seconds left before the Klingon security forces were on top of them.

His choice, when he made it, was logical for his predicament, but it was no less disquieting. Letting out a guttural roar, a credit to his people, the Orion rushed Enyd. He made no effort to deflect her sword. Perhaps he preferred to die by her sword than by Klingon disruptors. In either case, one-second Enyd was pointing the tip at his chest, and the next, the tip was jutting through the back of his abdomen, the warm flesh of his belly hot against her fingers still gripping the hilt. The man had impaled himself on her weapon just as the Klingon security skidded to a halt at their side.

“Pity,” one of the security commanders sneered at the Orion as the green-skinned sniper slowly sank to his knees, the internal injuries of his fall mixed with the blood loss finally slowed him down, “that we can’t draw out his death a bit longer.”

Enyd sniffed at his comment before silently reaching up and grabbing hold of her combadge. One hand on the hilt of her sword, the other gripping her badge, Enyd spoke in a clipped tone, gaze not moving from the dying man’s face. “Thea, lock onto this signal and beam directly to secure sickbay, armed guards necessary for an injured informant.”

In one swift motion, Enyd pulled her sword from his gut as she slammed the badge against his chest. As the Klingon security bellowed out their surprise and anger, the Orion disappeared in a shimmer of transporter light. Enyd pivoted to face the Klingon security, noting in her peripherals that both her security colleagues were back on their feet and moving—slowly—toward their position. As much as she wanted to drop her sword and immediately see to Kino, Enyd knew from experience with Klingons that she had to deal with them first before she feel safe enough to be of use to Kino. Hopefully, the security personnel from the ship would be able to render assistance if she couldn’t get the Klingons off their back fast enough. Enyd kept the tip of her sword pointed toward the ground, drawing an arc of Orion blood on the floor from her movements to square off with the much larger and far angrier security guard.

“You will note in your security footage that the Orion sniper opened fire on our position after a trio of Klingons approached us. They were Mo’Kai rebels.” The guard seemed surprised at her claim but kept silent, his scowl not lessening. “I faced them some days ago in the jungles and they are what’s left of the faction refusing to accept the new House leader.” Enyd waited until after one of the other security members tipped forward and whispered a few remarks into the head guard’s ear before continuing. “They told me they had important information to share with us and, after the Orion opened fire, confessed that the Orion Syndicate did NOT want them to survive to tell us a thing. As of this moment in time, I have no notion what that information was, though I am looking at an incentive to know it.” She glanced at the ruined wall, Kino, and gestured toward the ruins of the Hall. “Now, I understand you have protocols to follow and would like nothing less than ensuring the Orion’s death for the crimes he has committed this day. And we will not stand in the way of judicial proceedings; however, considering our own injuries, and the fact that we were attacked on your soil, in an area your government promised would be free of attack, I would like us to strike a compromise without calling our superiors and involving anyone other than necessary.”

The guard shifted closer, nodding to the other others to step further back and maintain security while Enyd continued. “Let us see if we can get more information from this sniper on our ship, useful information for you to follow as much as it would be for us, and if we can do this and keep him alive, we will return him to you. We will corroborate any story you tell as to how you obtained him and none will be the wiser.” The Klingon looked surprised at this and Enyd looked to Kino, thankful that the more able-bodied of the security pair had moved to help her while Enyd negotiated. The Klingon’s eyes had tracked her gaze a moment before flickering it back to her, “We are not above your laws or traditions and will not stop you from following them. We merely ask that we be allowed to protect our own and have the information necessary to do so. If the Orion dies before we can get any information from him, then for all your superiors may know, he died in your attack, as we will return the body to you for whatever purposes you need it for.”

A shout from the end of the hall had them all turning. The guard grunted in displeasure at the sight of a trio of very official-looking men picking their way through the rubble, not quite seeing their huddle yet, but it was only a matter of time. Enyd hurried on.

“If necessary, we will send you the recorded footage of our…interview with the Orion to support whatever claims we make of the encounter. And in the meantime, I can give you a description of the Mo’Kai rebels who first approached us and who claimed to be the reason for the attack. Unsurprisingly, they have since made use of this chaos and fled. One is dead over in that rubble,” Enyd drew the guard’s attention to the corpse that remained where he had first fallen, “and the other two disappeared during the firefight.”

The official-looking trio noted their huddle and started their way, a trail of perturbed Klingons in their wake. Enyd turned to face Kino and the others, deftly wiping her blade on the inside portion of her tunic before sheathing it. It would not do for the Klingons to see the blood so obviously. Not yet. There was also no time to get verbal confirmation from the guard as to what he was willing to comply with if anything. Noting she’d done all she could for the time being, Enyd focused on Kino and offered the Trill a bemused smile.

“I’m not sure if you’re aware of the Terran saying of sticking your foot in it but,” glancing at the woman’s wounded appendage then back at her face, Enyd tipped her chin playfully, “it seems you’ve lived it.”

“Report.” Behind her, the head of the newly arrived trio barked the order to the security guard, barely noticing Kino’s condition or that of the other two Starfleet security personnel.

Schooling her features into a stonier version of netural, Enyd turned to face the music.

Re: Day 16 [1713 hrs] Chaoticus Interuptus

Reply #11 –
[PO2 Kino Jeen | Hall of Warriors | First City | Qo’noS] Attn: @Ellen Fitz
[Show/Hide]
Consciousness dawned in a flood of pain and confusion, then a burst of adrenaline; Kino's arm shot up and out in an iron grip to clamp around the neck of whoever was trying to choke her. Red tinted her vision, as the world blurred; she blinked rapidly, hearing only her ragged breaths and the gurgled struggle of whoever was trying to kill her. More arms held her down, as her muddled brain quickly made sense of the rushed, alarmed voices talking to her. “E-easy, Kino, it’s us,” Agans repeated, over the gurgle and gags of Falvar as he tried to pry her hand from his throat. Realization finally clicked, and the Trill released him instantly with a wince and a mumbled apology.

Her neck burned with the lingering pinch of a hypo; something cold and beeping was pressed to her forehead. She couldn’t breathe through her nose – a sheen of blood flowed from her nostrils, dripping into her ears and over her lips. It was all she tasted, spitting a mouthful out after she managed to turn her head with a grunt. The world spun with the brief movement. Ugh, fuck, her stomach lurched.

“Don’t move too much, you’re concussed. Just relax,” Agans hovered into view above, while Falvar coughed off to her side. “The hell man – she tried to choke me out,” he wheezed between gasps. Agans shot him a look but then returned his attention to the tricorder in his hand. “Told you to back off didn’t I? Pull her boot off – we need to plug that leak. Your nose is busted, too. Give the meds a minute, Kino. You’ll be alright.”

She heard Madsen’s voice over them, sounding quite serious as she spoke to someone; the tone and confidence in her voice reminded Kino of her primary school administrator, a lifetime ago. The woman spoke like that whenever she tried to tell Kino's troubled younger self how simple life could be if she would just stop fighting everything. Despite the pain, a bloodied smirk curled her battered features at the memory. “Where’s the perp,” she mumbled. “We get ‘em?” She grimaced, hissing at her wounds, even as the agony dulled slightly.

Agans nodded. “Yeah, we got him,” he glanced over his shoulder at the gathering around them. “Not sure if that’s a good thing though.”

Kino grunted as she sat up, batting his hands away with a snarl. “Fuck off,” she hissed, then arched a brow at Madsen’s comment. A gloved hand smeared most of the blood away from her mouth, revealing a smirk. “Funny,” she drawled back, then cursed as Falvar yanked her boot off.

[Colonel Hauq, KDF, Deputy to General Makot, Guard Commandant of The First City]

Dark eyes narrowed behind a scowl of fury at the scene; the sheer amount of destruction wrought on the Hall under his watch enough to make his blood boil. He would have the heads of those responsible – retribution for the lives lost – and the intolerable insult to his honor and flawless record of service to the Empire. The escorts flanking him mirrored his stance, disruptors clutched across their chests, awaiting orders. After his command for a report, silence reigned, which only fueled his anger. “Answer,” he barked, eyes darting from the human female to his own warriors and back, “Before I cut out every heart I see before me,” he added in a deathly serious growl. Tense silence followed again, as his voice reverberated through the shattered hall – then another column collapsed in a rumble of broken stone. Hauq turned his scarred head slightly in that direction, jaw clenched in outrage, then returned his glare to those before him.

The warriors stood tall, despite his anger; some grimaced while others snarled in agreement. None flinched or looked away – a testament to their character. Lieutenant FraHg beat his meaty fist to his chest in salute as he stepped away from the sergeant at his side, throwing a withering glare at the human female. He met the Deputy Guard Commander’s gaze evenly, his tone ragged from shouting orders only a few minutes ago. “Colonel Hauq, the Hall is in lockdown, reserves are moving to reinforce the outer cordon,” his chin lifted slightly as he cut to the meat of the matter. “Sir – this…human...claims to have been approached by Mo’Kai rebels. They claimed to have some manner of intelligence, but were ambushed by Syndicate forces,” he gestured to his second, who was busy accessing a glowing device in the palm of one hand. “Knaol,” FraHq named him, and the warrior nodded curtly.

“Verified. Surveillance logs confirm the human’s tale; the bIHnuch fired from the shadows, using the detonations to sow chaos and confusion after scrambling our security systems. All entrances were sealed or rigged with explosives, which we defused and rigged to blow out that section,” his head jerked up over his shoulder, “neutralizing the operative. But he lived, trouncing that one,” a fanged grin flashed at the armored Trill, “before skewering himself on that one’s blade,” the warrior snarled, nodding at Madsen.

“And where are these rebels and this…operative,” Hauq demanded.

“There is one,” FraHq nodded to the corpse by a small hill of rubble, “we are searching for the others. The operative has been captured. This one,” he sneered to Madsen, “wishes to interrogate him first, before releasing him to our custody.”

The scarred Colonel glared at the short human female, bushy brows twitching as he took a step towards her. “Hunt these targs down and bring them to me, now,” he growled to his Lieutenant, but kept his eyes on the human. As his men rushed off to join the hunt, Hauq’s eyes flicked to the other off-worlders, then returned to hers. “che'wI' 'oH, qa'pu,” he named her – ‘The storm that never ends.’ “I grow weary of cleaning up your mess, Lieutenant. Yes, I know you,” he spat, “and the chaos you spread with every step you take. You think for a moment your every move on this world has gone unmonitored?” He challenged, massive arms folding over his broad chest. “Don’t test my patience. You have two hours; I can delay this…catastrophe…no longer – you will transfer the Orion into our custody along with whatever intel you manage to glean from him. This is non-negotiable. Failure to do so will result in me personally hunting you down and dragging you before High Command in chains, alliance be damned,” he promised her, then paused to let the threat sink in. Curtly, his scarred features nodded to her companions. “Get your people the hell out of my city – now – before I change my mind.”

[Meanwhile]

Kino dropped one end of the bisected rifle she’d been examining with a pained grunt, scowling at Falvar. “Fuck, watch it,” she hissed, while the man poked the business end of a regenerator into the bottom of her foot. “You even know what the hell you’re doing?”

Falvar shrugged. “Not really,” he muttered, while Agans stifled a chuckle.

Kino glared at him, but then turned to wince up at Madsen’s approach. “How bad is it?”

Re: Day 16 [1713 hrs] Chaoticus Interuptus

Reply #12 –
[Lt. Enyd Isolde Madsen | Hall of Warriors | First City | Qo'noS] Attn: @Dumedion

The gruff voice matching the visage of the officer frowning in front of her had Enyd narrowing her eyes as her mind moved through the visual log of every Klingon officer she’d met. It took Enyd a few seconds to recognize the officer standing before her. Colonel Hauq had been in the Great Hall when they’d exposed the Infested and then taken down Gorka. He’d likely seen her in action with the gifted tik’leth, how she’d hamstrung the Klingon, making it easier for Ives to finish Gorka.

So when the colonel finally stared her down after barking orders, muttering some term that likely described his opinion of her, Enyd had little worry. He was begrudgingly in her debt, in THEIR debt, and Klingons resented being in someone’s debt more than they resented the person they were indebted to. Enyd kept her self-assurance at knowing how this would play out from her face and instead nodded with equally grim features. He would like to put her in chains, she was sure of it, but considering they’d also met in the jungle with the Mo’Kai rebels, and her uniform had been in tatters, giving him more than a little preview of what else she had to offer, Enyd couldn’t help but wonder if he was flirting with her with that statement.

Enyd didn’t bother thanking him or giving further comments. She recognized his dismissal and knew that regardless of his attraction—or not—and also, regardless of any sense of gratitude for her support in the Great Hall, he had to follow protocol and orders the same as she. Especially when there was surveillance to deal with. Turning to face the others, Enyd watched as the taller security detail worked on Kino’s foot while the other seemed to offer little more than pained amusement at the Trill’s discomfort. When she voiced it to Enyd, Kino's question could be connected to either her foot of the situation. Only after reassuring herself that Hauq had moved off to take his frustration out on another group of security guards, did Enyd smile at the trio.

“We should beam up soon, but all is well. So long as we can get out of here within the next few minutes and send down the Orion, dead or alive, within the next two hours. Or less. Probably less, to keep Hauq on his toes.” Enyd looked between the security detail a moment before offering them both another smile, “I’d like your names now that we aren’t getting shot at. You’ve both performed admirably under difficult conditions, and I’d like to pass that on to your superior, have it kept in your files. Same with you,” Enyd turned her gaze to Kino, “I’m a lot less dead than I’d otherwise be, methinks, having met you here today. Thank you.”

Re: Day 16 [1713 hrs] Chaoticus Interuptus

Reply #13 –
[PO2 Kino Jeen | Hall of Warriors | First City | Qo’noS] Attn: @Ellen Fitz
[Show/Hide]
“You’re welcome,” her silvered head nodded in understanding and agreement, then winced as Falvar wrapped her foot up in a synth-bandage. You’d think an artificial limb wouldn’t hurt so fucking much, Kino’s dark brows knit at the man, but it wasn’t his fault; she was the one who let herself get bushwhacked. The Trill tossed a thumb over her shoulder to the other crewman, who handed her the chipped and cracked helm she’d lost in the initial explosion. “Agans,” she named him.

“Jon P. Agans, or ‘JP’, Crewman 3rd class,” he corrected, then nodded to Madsen.

“JP? Who calls you that,” Kino arched a brow up at him with a lopsided grin.

“That blonde from the FAB does,” Falvar interjected, then turned his attention to the LT once Kino and Agans started quietly bickering at each other. Apparently, they each knew several blondes from the FAB. “Brian Falvar, III, Crewman 3rd class,” he nodded, then lined up Kino’s foot with her boot and slid it home with a crunch of pressure seals. The suddenness of it brought their conversation to a swift close – as Kino’s eyebrows shot up and she bit down on her bottom lip. When her eyes opened, they glared at Falvar knowingly. “We’re gonna have a little chat when I get outta medical,” she told him.

“Sure thing Kino,” he smirked, then the two of them helped her up to her feet; the Trill’s eyes narrowed then, catching something she didn’t expect lying in the rubble. “Hey, grab that,” she elbowed Agans, pointing off to the right, where the other half of the rifle that the Orion had cut in two sat in a dirty puddle.

“It’s cut in half - you can’t fix that,” Agans shrugged at her.

“I sure as hell can – but that's not what I was pointing at. Grab the sword, man,” Kino huffed in annoyance. “Hurry up, we gotta bounce,” she added, nodding to Madsen, who seemed to be waiting patiently with an odd air of...fascination? Bemusement? It was difficult for Kino to tell. Beyond her, that stern looking, acid-washed Klingon brass was still barking orders – but wasn’t being subtle about keeping his beady eyes on Madsen. The fuck is going on there, Kino smirked, but didn’t ask. Once Agans brought the sword over, Kino took it by the hilt, mag-clamping it to her thigh plate. “Might know a guy who can tell me more about it on board, maybe where the prick got it or came from,” she lifted a shoulder, then winced as Agans returned to her side to help walk her out.

“Alright, on you LT,” the non-com grinned, despite everything, as she tilted her head to the diplomat. “You know, if you like these two so much,” her head bobbed from the humans on either side of her, “you could always petition the Chief to assign them as your detail,” she grinned, watching Agans face.

“Don’t do me any favors, Kino,” Falvar mumbled under his breath, followed by a sighed agreement by Agans. Chuckling at their reactions, the Trill gestured with one hand to Madsen in an oh well, what can you do motion.

As they started to limp out of the Hall, Kino arched a brow at the destruction, and her eyes met the Klingon officer's in passing. Neither said anything, but she matched him scowl for scowl and sneer for sneer, regardless. Klingons, she snorted, then turned her attention back to Madsen. “Could use some chow – how bout you guys,” she asked, to which both men responded instantly and loudly in the affirmative. “Shame we’re on a time crunch, gotta be a good noodle spot around here or something,” she smirked at Madsen.

Re: Day 16 [1713 hrs] Chaoticus Interuptus

Reply #14 –
[Lt. Enyd Isolde Madsen | Hall of Warriors | First City | Qo'noS] Attn: @Dumedion

Enyd enjoyed watching and listening to the camaraderie between the security detail, Agans and Falvar, as they responded to Kino’s introductions. It reminded her of the good-natured ribbing they always gave one another back on the ranch, with the memory of home eliciting another smile as Kino teased the men before getting to her feet. Enyd nodded in agreement at Kino’s suggestion of tracking clues through the sword; she’d been of a similar thought but Kino had beat her to following through by grabbing it.

“I had someone assigned to me while on Cardassia Prime in the days just after the war,” Enyd commented once Kino 's suggestion was subsequently destroyed by the men in question, “They came in as a luxurious brunette and later transferred with more than a few streaks of grey and white.” Enyd led the way past the grouping of Klingons, bowing her head to Hauq as they passed by. The colonel grunted and shifted his body to give her his back. To casual observers, that would be seen as a rude gesture, but Enyd knew enough about the culture to understand it meant he trusted her to follow through with his bidding and was allowing her to either build his trust or shatter it by facing away her departure. Klingons were truly fascinating. Glancing over her shoulder at the trio coming up behind her, Enyd smiled, “I can’t take all the credit for the color change. We were on post-war Cardassia after all. And I was one of the more mild diplomats assigned to the makeshift embassy.”

Making it to the Hall’s entrance, Enyd paused, looking back to Hauq and his men, before smiling with devious intent at Kino and the others, “I in fact DO know of a place we could get some chow. But it is in another city district, about twenty minutes from here by local transport.” Tipped her head in the direction of the exterior transport pad, “Why don’t you guys get Kino back to the ship and have her injuries checked out? Your own as well.” Enyd quickly continued before Kino could interject with distaste at the concept. “I’ll go get takeaway for us and we can have a picnic in sickbay. The Orion might have spilled his guts by then, figuratively or literally.”
 

Re: Day 16 [1713 hrs] Chaoticus Interuptus

Reply #15 –
[PO2 Kino Jeen | Hall of Warriors | First City | Qo’noS] Attn: @Ellen Fitz
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She wasn’t thrilled about the idea of Madsen running off solo, which must have shown in her bruised and bloodied face. Kino’s eyes narrowed as she glanced at her fellow security officers, then sniffed wetly. They’d all taken hits, although she was obviously the worse off of them all. Still, just because they’d managed to survive one assassination attempt, didn’t mean there couldn’t be more. No – doesn’t feel right leaving her here, the non-com decided.

A hand came up in a placating gesture as Kino winced, ignoring the blackish oil-like fluid bubbling up out of her wounded shoulder. “Really isn’t that serious, LT. Why don’t we all evac and call it a day? That head of yours took a beating, if memory serves – we should all get scoped out, just in case. Besides, they got replicators in sickbay, after all,” she smirked, “and I’ll catch hell if anything else happens to you while I’m gone. Got my own rep to look after, you know.”

The men at her side nodded and grunted their agreement.

“See?” Kino winced as she shifted her weight. “C’mon, chow can wait. Wanna see how I can mess with Vi-Nine and the docs while they patch us up,” the non-com chuckled, “not to mention have a chat with that green asshole.” Her hand dropped to pat the sword clamped to her leg as chin lifted to Madsen. “We’ll see ya aboard,” Kino smirked again, “and thanks for the uh...entertainment,” her head jerked back and to the side, back the way they’d come from the Hall.

“Not exactly my idea of entertainment, Jeen,” Falvar grumbled.

“Agreed,” Agans snorted. “Not everyone likes explosions and getting shot, Kino.”

The bead in Kino’s ear crackled to life then, as the PADD on her arm bleeped with an alert.

[Away team, you are ordered to return to the ship immediately with Lieutenant Madsen.]

“Heh, well. That’s that – we’ve all been recalled,” the Trill grunted as the group turned and ascended towards the transporter pads. “Okay, lets go,” she deadpanned to Agans and Falvar, limping between the two of them. “Shit, it’s called sarcasm, guys,” she added under her breath, trying not to grunt with every step. Once they were all in position, Kino breathed out a deep breath from the effort and tapped a finger to the PADD on her forearm. “Jeen to Theurgy, four to beam up – direct to sickbay.”

As Qo'noS faded in glittering light, Kino told herself that the next time she left the ship without all her weapons, she'd kick her own ass - especially if Madsen was around.

-FIN-
 
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