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Topic: [2380/USS Endeavour] "First Contact" (Read 15093 times) previous topic - next topic
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Re: [2380/USS Endeavour] "First Contact"

Reply #75 –
[ Lt. Kai Akoni | Holodeck 4 | USS Endeavour ] @Fife

Cross had ordered, rather, suggested that Jillian and Kai head up to what looked like an office up the stairs from where they currently were. Cross nodded at the two and headed out the door to give them some suppressing fire for their, hopefully, quick trip up the stairs. The weapon Cross had sounded loudly and echoey in the large expanse as Kai and Jillian crouch ran up the stairs. Kai was the first to reach the top of the stairs and came to a door, which he realized he didn't have time to check to see if anyone was on the other side of it. The weapons fire that had been impacting the wall around them, saw to that. Kai had been moving as quick as he could when he lowered his right shoulder and impacted with the door just to the left of the door knob. The door mechanism couldn't withstand those forces and opened forcefully. The two saw a long hallway with a door at the end of it. They noticed light seeping out from under the door. As they crouch-walked towards the door at the end of the hall, Jillian started speaking about something that caught Kai off guard.

"I'm sure going to miss these holonovels with all of you"

Kai stopped in his tracks and turned to Jillian and gave her an arched eyebrow look in confusion.

"What?"

The woman shook her head at Kai as if to say, I'll tell you later. Kai respected Jillian's wishes as the two made their way towards the door. As they approached the door, Jillian pulled out a flashbang. Kai put his hand on the doorknob and turned it and opened the door slightly while Jillian simultaneously pulled the pin on the flashbang and tossed it into the room. As Kai watched the flashbang go into the room, he immediately closed the door.

After a second or so, there was a thunderous noise that came from the room; after which Kai had flung the door to the room and the two entered the room with their rifles up and ready to fire.

Kai went right and Jillian went left and they made sure there was no hostile threats in the room, which there were none.

"Clear"

"Clear" they said almost in unison as they approached the non threat they found in the middle of the room.

"Well....shit. That complicates things..."

"Yeah.." Jill said before keying her mic, "Cross, we have a problem."

The two looked at the bodies of three scientists all laying prone on the floor, with each having a gunshot wound in the back of the head.

Re: [2380/USS Endeavour] "First Contact"

Reply #76 –
[ Lt. Cross | Holodeck 4 | USS Endeavour ] @trevorvw

Cross thought he could hear his friends footfalls on the metal stairs as Kai and Jillian moved up towards the office, though it was hard to tell over the banging rapport of the machine gun he was firing. Below him, he could see some of the soldiers firing up towards the stairs, while another group was trying to fire at him. A third group was making a go for the stairs in an attempt to reach him.

Oh no you don’t… Cross thought, pivoting and sending a hail of machine gun fire down onto the group advancing up the stairs below him. There were seven of them, though the first four were cut down with his opening burst. Realizing their position was hopeless, two of the remaining Russians turned back to retreat down the stairs, and the third threw himself over the railing. Cross’ burst cut down the two retreating soldiers, the bullets tearing into the backs of the uniformed men. The man who had thrown himself over the railing had caught a bullet in the leg, and landed badly. Cross heard a sickening thumb which was accompanied by a snapping noise, and closely followed by agonized screaming.

Cross turned the weapon on the group which was firing at him, giving little thought to the bullets which stuck the wall around him. The soldiers below were panicked, their shots flying wide and inaccurate. Cross swept two bursts across the group of men, felling several and sending the rest scrambling for cover.

Cross had never before understood the phrase “shooting fish in a barrel”, but now the reference made sense to him. This was too easy.

Which was not to say that he wasn’t enjoying himself.

Cross brought the weapon to bear against the group of soldiers which were firing at Jill and Kai, raining death down upon them from his high vantage point. Three bursts saw most of the men on the ground, either dead or writhing in pain. Two soldiers broke cover in an attempt to help on of their comrades, and Cross carefully aimed his weapon before firing.

The burst swept low, taking both men in their legs and adding to the pile of men writhing on the floor and groaning. At the far end of the room, Cross saw the hanger doors begin to open, allowing more Russian soldiers to begin pouring into the massive room. There must have been dozens of them.

Bad news… Cross thought, just moments before he heard Jillian’s voice over the radio.

”Cross, we have a problem.”

”You’re not the only ones. We’ve got company.” Cross replied before continuing his tirade of machine gun fire into the ever-growing hoard of Russian soldiers streaming towards them.

Cross glanced down at the hanger floor, his eyes sweeping the area. Then he saw a single Russian soldier making a run for a truck. The truck was a large green military truck, and had a canvas covering over the bed. The fact that the man would risk running out in the middle of a firefight to reach that truck filled Cross with concern. The man reached the truck before Cross could turn his weapon to aim in the trucks direction, and Cross could do little but sweep the tires with bullets, blowing out both of the driver side tires. The soldier started the truck and began driving, sparks flying from the wheel rims as the soldier payed no heed to the fact that he had no tires. The truck headed for the hanger doors, careening back and forth as the driver fought to compensate for the drag of the missing wheels.

”We’ve got another problem, too. I think they’re moving the satellite.” Cross announced, pausing to watch as the swerving truck plowed through a group of other soldiers, running down at least ten men as it veered back and forth. ”Though that problem seems to be helping with our other problem…” Cross added as the truck plowed through another group of soldiers, their screams raising like the tones of a tortured church choir before the truck silenced them.

Re: [2380/USS Endeavour] "First Contact"

Reply #77 –
[ Lt. Kai Akoni | Holodeck 4 | USS Endeavour ] @Fife

"Though that problem seems to be helping with our other problem..." Cross had announced on the radio in reply to Jill and Kai finding the executed scientists.

He's always a little confusing... Kai had thought to himself before keying up his mic.

"Copy..we'll be with you in a few seconds" Kai said just as they finished searching the bodies of the dead scientists and finding nothing. The two of them sprinted back from the way they came and back down the stairs towards where Cross was.

They reunited in mere seconds and started making their way down to the lower level of the building, all the while hearing the screams of the soldiers being run over by one of their own vehicles. The three managed to shoot at the handful of soldiers that were left while running down the stairs as fast as they could. They know they needed to stop that truck, and despite Cross having shot out some tires, the truck was still trying to get away, albeit a little slower than normal. The three reached the bottom floor in no time and started sprinting after the truck. Cross took out the last remaining soldier that had been shooting at them, which left them nothing to worry about other than the running.

All of a sudden, sparks erupted from the right front side of the truck followed by a black liquid squirting out and onto the ground. The truck ground to a halt, to the surprise of the trio. The driver got out of the truck and brought his AK-47 up and ready to fire when all three opened fire on the driver, riddling his body with at least 10 bullets before the body hit the ground, dead.

"Nice shooting Annika!" Jill said over the radio, as Kai turned to Cross and asked,

"Ready to blow this shit up?"



[ Lt. (JG) Annika Van den Berg | Holodeck 4 | USS Endeavour ]

After the firefight had started up in the hangar, Annika decided she should reposition herself so she could see that large hangar doors in case she had been needed. It had taken only a moment to reposition so she'd have a better view of where all the action was taking place. She heard the radio traffic going on, how Kai and Jill had found the scientists executed, how Cross said they were moving the satellite.

The young woman looked through the scope of her sniper rifle as she hovered her aim over the now open doors of the hangar. She slowed her breathing down as she prepared to take a shot, any shot that she may need to.

All of a sudden, a truck appeared in her view, which seemed like it was leaning slightly to its left, and also going slower than it ought to be. She adjusted her aim so it was over where the engine of the vehicle should be.

All thanks to Kai's love of history, do I know anything about archaic vehicles, she pondered as she moved her finger to the trigger.

With the lightest touch, she gently squeezed the trigger until the firing pin ignited gunpowder propellant contained within the round in the chamber of her rifle. The 'business end' of her rifle sent the projectile towards the truck followed by some flames emitting from the muzzle. The bullet impacted with the truck exactly where she wanted it to go, as she looked through her scope and saw that sparks followed by the black liquid being spewed out of the new hole she had just made. The truck stopped in it's tracks.

She packed up her rifle and started to make her way to rendezvous with her friends as this mission was just about over.

Re: [2380/USS Endeavour] "First Contact"

Reply #78 –
[ Lt. Cross | Holodeck 4 | USS Endeavour ] @trevorvw

”Ready to blow this shit up?” Kai asked.

Cross nodded at his friend, but patted his bag that had held the C4 before.

”Ready, but I used all my C4 earlier.” Cross said with a wry grin, tossing down the now empty machine gun. ”We’ll have to use Jill’s.”

Jillian rolled her eyes at the hybrid as she pulled the bricks of composite explosive out of her own bag.

”I told you not to get carried away, Wrinkles!” Jillian teased as she tossed the bricks to Kai. Cross only glowered silently at the blonde woman, causing her to giggle.

As Kai primed the explosives, Cross moved to the back of the truck and climbed up on the back bumped. He drew aside the canvas top and peered inside, seeing the form of the satellite that was their target. ”This is what we came for.” Cross confirmed, turning to catch the primed bricks of C4 that Kai was now tossing up to him. Having caught the bricks, Cross stepped over the tailgate of the truck and moved closer to the satellite, fixing the bricks of C4 to the body of the space weapon. He turned to exit the back of the truck, but stumbled when his foot caught on one of the cables securing the satellite to the truck’s bed.

Hearing the loud thumb of someone falling in the bed of the truck, Jillian turned to look at the vehicle. ”Watch you step, sweetie!” Jillian called, sharing a shit-eating grin with Kai. An angry growl could be heard coming from the back of the truck, along with some words in what Jillian knew to be Cardassian, none of which sounded happy.

”C’mon Wrinkles. We don’t have all day!” Jillian called in a mock-impatient tone, chuckling along with Kai as a very angry looking Cross crawled out of the back of the truck. ”We’ve gotta get to the RV point and meet up with Annika so we can go get a drink!”

Cross jumped down to the ground and glowered daggers at the two humans who were both chuckling. Cross pulled out his pistol and got ready to head out, muttering more Cardassian under his breath.

”Now now, Wrinkles.” Jillian by way of chastisement, though the reprimand was ruined somewhat by the giggle that escaped her. ”That’s no way to be speaking with a lady present!”

”Yeah Wrinkles!” Kai chipped in, grinning at his friend.

Cross, for his part, was less than amused. The grumbling Vulcan stalking off into the night, followed by his two companions and the sound of giggles.

As they reached the RV, they found Annika waiting for them, still cradling her sniper rifle.

”Nice shooting, Van den Berg.” Cross acknowledge as they approached.

”Yeah, you’re a natural.” Jillian added. ”Now can we blow that thing up already?” Jillian pulled the detonator from her bag and tossed it to Annika. ”I think Annika should do the honours!”

As soon as the short brunette depressed the button, there was a loud boom heard in the distance, sounding like thunder in the night.

[Story complete] chimed the computer. A moment later, the holographic simulation dissolved around them, leaving them in the bare room of the holodeck. The four of them made for the door, which hissed open to allow them to exit into the hallway.

”So what now, gang?” Jillian asked. ”I vote we go get changed out of these outfits and reconvene in the mess hall for a celebratory drink!” Jillian hooked her arm around Cross’, leaning against him. ”Cross seconds the motion!” Cross glanced down at Jillian, his expression one of amusement. He was used to Jillian’s behavior at that point, and simply accepted it silently. ”All in favour?”

Re: [2380/USS Endeavour] "First Contact"

Reply #79 –
[ Lt. Kai Akoni | Kai’s Quarters | USS Endeavour ] @Fife

Kai, Cross, Annika and Jill had gone for drinks in the Mess the night previous after the successful completion of yet another holonovel. Kai stayed out later than he had hoped to, considering he had to be on shift in the morning. Although, good company and good drinks made him think otherwise at the time. 

He was regretting being out so late and drinking so much, however the shower had woken him up a bit. That, coupled with coffee helped wake him up and clear the grogginess from his brain. Kai picked up a PADD that he looked at most mornings and looked at both the duty roster for the day as well as yesterday’s security report.

Once again, not much happened yesterday.., he thought to himself as he took a sip of the delicious, black liquid that warmed him as it went down his esophagus. He slowly had been feeling more and more awake as the caffeine in the coffee had started to do its job. 

The large man had emptied his first cup of coffee and wandered over to the replicator in order to get a refill. Kai had even skipped his workout that morning, which usually helped him wake up. Coffee would have to do the trick today.

It’s going to be one of those days, he confirmed to himself as his thoughts were punctuated by the door chime.

”Come in!” he announced to the unknown visitor.

The doors to his quarters swished open and there stood Cross. It was their ritual to meet together in Kai’s quarters prior to their shifts for something to drink and hangout time before they reported for duty. Today Cross looked quite dishevelled, which was out of the ordinary for Cross. Kai wondered if he was hungover a bit too.

”Jesus man, you look like shit!” Kai jokingly said to the hybrid as he waved his friend into his quarters. Cross crossed the threshold of the room and let the doors close behind him without saying a word. 

Kai looked up from his coffee at his friend and saw something was different, ”What’s going on Cross?” he asked as he took a sip of his coffee. [/color]

Re: [2380/USS Endeavour] "First Contact"

Reply #80 –
[ Lt. Cross | Kai Akoni’s Personal Quarters | USS Endeavour ] @trevorvw

”What’s going on, Cross?” Kai asked, sipping his coffee.

Cross shuffled silently across the room to the replicator and ordered his usually green tea, the bleak tone in his voice giving his friend a further hint that something was off.

”Jillian’s leaving.” Cross finally said, his voice emotionless and empty as he turned to look at his friend with an equally blank, empty expression. ”She was offered a position on a research project on Earth. She’s shipping out next week.” The hybrid crossed the room and sat heavily in one of the chairs at Kai’s table, a small amount of tea sloshing out of the mug as it thudded heavily on the table’s surface. That lack of care, coupled with his dishevelled appearance, presented Kai with a very uncharacteristic manifestation of his friend. Cross’s gaze remained on the mug of tea, his eyes following a bead of the green tinted liquid as it ran down the side of the mug to settle on the table. Cross lifted the mug and swiped the spilt fluid off the table with his sleeve with a muttered ”Sorry”.

Cross set the mug back down on the now cleaner table and raised his gaze to regard his friend with eyes that seemed almost lifeless. ”I’m losing her, Kai…” Cross’ shoulders slumped even further, though that hadn’t previously seemed possible, as he returned his gaze to his untouched mug of tea.

”It’s amazing…” Cross spoke again, his tone of voice utterly devoid of amazement. Or of any emotion, for that matter. ”I’ve fought to keep control of my emotions all my life, especially the anger. But now that I’m losing her, I don’t feel any of it. The anger is gone, the happiness…” Cross paused, turning his seemingly dead eyes back to Kai. ”It’s like she’s taking it all with her, and all I’m left with is…” Cross paused, searching for the word.

”Loss.” Cross finally found the word, giving Kai a quizzical gaze as he spoke it aloud. ”I’ve never had anything to lose before…” Cross’ voice seemed to take on a pained note now, with just a hint of incredulity, as though he couldn’t believe what was happening. ”Does it always hurt like this?”

Re: [2380/USS Endeavour] "First Contact"

Reply #81 –
[ Lt. Kai Akoni | Kai’s Personal Quarters | USS Endeavour ] @Fife

”Does it always hurt like this?” Cross asked Kai. This was a loaded question for Kai, since his friend was hurting and he’d never seen him like this before. Kai had to think for a little while before answering his friend, as he didn’t want to say the wrong thing.

Kai sighed, ”That’s a tough one to answer my friend…Humans have a saying. ‘Time heals all wounds’” which made Kai pause for a second before realizing another saying, ”But..absence makes the heart grow fonder…I know this isn’t helping, but the short answer is yes, it does always hurt this much. Especially when you care about someone as much as you clearly do about Jillian. It just reaffirms your love for her.

Kai walked to where Cross was sitting and put his hand on the hybrid’s right shoulder, patted it twice and then offered up advice. ”You’re not really losing her though, just increasing the distance between you two. There’s still letters and visits to Earth. I’m sure you have enough shore leave saved up that you could take the next year off with time to spare”

Kai hated seeing his friend the way he was at the present and he felt even more awkward since his friend didn’t have, rather, express his emotions as most humanoids did.

He then left Cross’ side and made his way to the opposite side of the table and plopped down in the chair across from his friend. Kai felt helpless and unable to help his friend.

”I don’t know man…would you want to talk to Annika?”

Re: [2380/USS Endeavour] "First Contact"

Reply #82 –
[ Lt. Cross | Kai Akoni’s Personal Quarters | USS Endeavour ] @trevorvw

Cross shook his head as Kai asked if he wanted to talk to Annika about this.

”No.” The hybrid said, looking up at Kai. ”It feels strange enough talking to you about this, Kai. No offense.” Cross sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. ”I’m… not used to talking about my feelings. I hardly deny them, like a Vulcan would, but…” Cross shrugged, unsure of how to explain. ”I don’t talk about them. They’ve always been a… difficult… matter for me. More like a constant battle.”

”As for shore leave…” Cross continued, looking across the table at his friend. ”She’s already said she doesn’t think long distance relationships work. She says she doesn’t want to hold me back from meeting someone new.” Cross let out a snort, accompanied by a sarcastic chuckle. ”I think we both know how likely that is. I only met her because you shoved me into a chair at her table.” He gave Kai a sad smile. ”You know as well as she does that I’m hardly a ladies man.”

Cross finally took a sip of his tea, closing his eyes as he tried to get a grip of himself. He took a second sip before placing the mug back on the table. ”I wouldn’t want to hold her back, anyway.” Cross admitted. ”It would hardly be fair for her to be tied down because of an emotionally stunted mongrel on the other side of the quadrant.” The words sounded bitter as he spoke them, and tasted the same. Cross knew the statement reeked of self-loathing, but couldn’t be bothered to try and hide it. ”I can hardly expect her to settle for a face on a vid screen when she could meet someone on Earth.”

Cross didn’t feel any animosity towards Jillian for taking the posting. It was an amazing opportunity for her, and he would never try and talk her out of advancing herself. Nor would he try and hold her back from finding someone else when he would be lightyears away. Cross was many things, but selfish was not one of them. He wanted Jillian to be happy. ”The opportunity is too good for her to pass up. I don’t want to be a problem in this new chapter in her life.”

Re: [2380/USS Endeavour] "First Contact"

Reply #83 –
[ Lt. Kai Akoni | Kai’s Personal Quarters | USS Endeavour ] @Fife

”The opportunity is too good for her to pass up. I don’t want to be a problem in this new chapter in her life.” Cross said, rather mopey for the hybrid which was still weirding Kai out since he’d never seen his friend like this.

”Well…shit. This sucks man, but I’m not going to try and convince you otherwise since it seems like your mind is made up. The only thing I’ll say is that you never know what the future holds” he said realizing that no matter what he said to Cross would change how he feels about Jillian. Just then, an old saying popped into his mind.

If you love something, set it free…, Kai couldn’t quite remember the whole saying but he remembered at least the gist of it.

He took a sip of his coffee and then sat the cup back down on the table in front of him. He fiddled with the cup, turning it and feel the metallic body of the cup as he let Cross to sit there and process all the information he had just absorbed about Jillian.

Kai then looked up at his friend and realized it broke his heart. His friend was hurting, and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.


[ Lt. Kai Akoni | Shuttlebay One | USS Endeavour | One Week Later ]

Cross, Kai and Annika had walked with Jillian down to the Shuttlebay so she could begin her journey back to Earth and the start of her new life and new position. It had been a tough week since the news broke that Jillian was going to be leaving. Just the night prior, they had a going away party for Jillian. She was well liked aboard the Endeavour and even Captain Amasov and Commander Ducote had said some nice things at her going away party. Crewmembers leaving had always been tough, but due to the nature of Starfleet, was getting easier and easier to deal with.

The hard part to deal with is seeing Cross gutted by his girlfriend being transferred and Kai and Annika losing their good friend. Once in the Shuttlebay, it was just the four of them standing there while the shuttle pilot prepped the shuttle for departure.

Kai was the first to approach the blond woman and he hugged her and said ”Good luck on Earth! I know you’ll kick ass! as he stepped aside and let the crying Annika approach Jill.

The two hugged for about a minute before separating and Annika told Jillian that she was going to miss her, but wished her all the best.

Kai and Annika decided to walk a few metres away and turned their backs to Cross and Jill as they said their private goodbyes. Jill looked sad and Cross still had the same mopey posture that he had been displaying all week. In the worst timing possible, the shuttle pilot interrupted their final goodbye.

”Ma’am..we’re ready to depart” the young man said sheepishly.

Jillian turned to the pilot, ”Okay, I’m on my way”

Cross and Jill hugged for about half a minute more before separating and Jillian announced that she should get going. She picked her bag up off the floor of the bay and slung it over her shoulder. She leaned in and kissed Cross on the left cheek.

”Bye Wrinkles! I’ll never forget you” she said to Cross before walking up the rear ramp of the shuttle and turning around and telling Kai and Annika, ”You two take care of him for me!

Kai and Annika both nodded at Jillian’s final request as the rear ramp of the shuttle lifted, obscuring Jillian from view. Kai held Annika’s hand in his as they walked up to where Cross was standing. Kai placed his left hand on the hybrid’s shoulder lightly and the trio stood and watched Jillian’s shuttle depart.

-Fin
 
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