Search & Plunder (Part 1 of 4)

Posted on 08 Nov 2015 @ 8:35pm by Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm & Commander Andreus Kohl & Chief Warrant Officer 3 Lamar Darius & Major Lamar Darius & Captain Jonathan Holliday & Commander Norvi Stace & Commander Allyndra illm Warraquim & Lieutenant Min Zhao & Lieutenant Jared Nicholas & Jynn & Commander Luke Wyatt & Lieutenant JG Nizan Rydit & Lieutenant Tuula Voutilainen M.D. & Ensign K'os Beaumont & Senior Chief Petty Officer Keval zh'Erinov & Petty Officer 1st Class Unit Cu-47 "Copper" & Petty Officer 1st Class Taliesin Cynwrig & Crewman Ezra Koenig & Fleet General Jack Holliday & First Lieutenant Tuula Voutilainen & Corporal Jaana Voutilainen
Edited on on 08 Nov 2015 @ 8:41pm

3,368 words; about a 17 minute read

Mission: Episode 09 - Empires
Location: USS Galileo - Various
Timeline: MD 06 - 2355 hrs

[ON]

Escorted by its bigger, meaner sister and her cronies, USS Galileo approached the massive mouth of the hidden facility and was suddenly snared by a powerful cyan tractor beam which slowly began to drag the tiny Nova-class inside the lions den and towards its designated parking spot.


Deck 7 - Main Engineering

Lirha reached out and grabbed the nearest console to steady herself when the starship lurched under the force of the tractor beam. One of the monitors in main engineering was connected to the external sensors and presented her with an external view of their plight, and as the infrastructure of the asteroid base came into view, her jaw dropped.

Almost half the size of a Stardock-class hangar bay, the asteroid base's staging area was littered with dozens of starships and transports. The term 'starship' was probably a bit incorrect, because these Mirror alternates appeared to be heavily armed and resembled pure warships. Everything from the largest Galaxy-refit down to the smallest tactical Soyuz-classes looked menacing and dangerous, and the distinctive yellow and black emblems of the Terran Empire were littered across their hulls.

USS Galileo approached a small docking port on the port side of the bay, and Lirha's heart began to beat quickly with anxiety as it soon became apparent they were about to be boarded. Another light jolt rocked the Nova-class when an umbilical arm clamped down on the saucer section to secure the vessel, and the rear admiral's hand began to subconsciously drift towards her hip where her hand phaser was located.

With engineering systems locked down, K’os kept an eye on the Admiral. He saw her hand drift to her side and he visibly flinched. He knew the circumstances were dire. They had surrendered their ship to an unknown, but clearly very aggressive, captor and with the situation becoming direr, K’os couldn’t help but feel frightened by the prospect that there would be casualties. They were armed now. Would that be seen as an act of aggression when they’d already surrendered? His mind drifted to those on the bridge. Between the bridge and main engineering, these were the two most valuable areas of the ship and would most likely be secured first. He turned towards his fellow engineers that had been gathered to an area close to him. Some of their faces reflected his own fear and he suddenly had difficulty swallowing. “I don’t know what’s going to happen, but follow the Admiral’s instructions and rely on your training. We’ve surrendered the ship, which means we are now to comply with our aggressors. Nobody is to provoke whatever boarding party enters our engine room, is that understood?”

Taliesin did not look happy with being ordered to stand down by the Admiral, but he understood. There was a certain kind of courage in facing what was coming, the overwhelming odds they could not defeat - not yet at least. He looked at the engineering team and nodded at their bravery, even if so many of them must have been scared. Hell, he was scared too. Taliesin's hand itched to draw the phaser holstered at his waist, but orders were orders. Abbey had been ordered elsewhere over the last few minutes, so he waved to Ezra and Yates to step down from their positions guarding the core, to come join him as he went to stand in front of K'os and the engineers. For all the good it would do them.

K'os returned Taliesin's nod, but was more focused on his department. His eyes cut to the senior guy as the man began repairing an ODN line. In the face of near overwhelming danger, and the Chief Warrant was repairing an ODN line. He shook his head and didn't know whether to think the man was brave, or insane.


Deck 2 - Port Airlock

The umbilical from the Terran base attached itself firmly to Galileo's docking hatch on the left side of the starship. Within seconds, the decompression sequence began to establish a link to the interior of the science vessel.

While he impatiently waited, Major Darius un-slung his advanced compression rifle from his shoulder and slapped a fresh battery pack into the magazine. A soft increasing whine sounded as the weapon powered up, and the green indicators beneath the holo-scope flashed bright neon to let him know the rifle was now hot.

Lamar tapped his foot impatiently while he waited for the airlock to pressurize. He cast a quick glance behind him to his commander, General Holliday, as well as the other tactical forces eagerly awaiting the chance to board this mirror universe vessel and plunder its secrets. As Holiday's second-in-command, it was the major's job to enforce security where needed and keep the fleet general out of harms way. And from his previous studies of the renegade MU 'Federation', he knew the entire organization was a farce and about as trustworthy as a starving Bolian.

"Access in five...four...three..." Lamar counted down, then shouldered his rifle as the airlock finally hissed open and granted his team access. He rushed forward through the inner hatch until he reached Galileo's door seal.

"This is the Major Darius of the Terran Empire, open your airlock and surrender yourselves!" he yelled while banging on the heavy metal door with the butt of his rifle.

Abbey having now jogged quickly from Engineering to meet the group of Starfleet personnel gathered round the airlock missed the end of the demand, quickly gather her surroundings she caught a glimpse of her father and another security officer but she couldn't bee too sure as the commotion now happening caught her off guard.

The second the docking port opened, Lamar rushed forward and kicked the nearest obstruction in the gut to get them out of the way...which just so happened to be Abbey-Wyatt. The major's rifle then pointed at the group of nearby Starfleet personnel and his finger began to twitch on the trigger.

"Hands! Show me your fu--ing hands!! Get on the ground!!!" he screamed, deep voice booming throughout the airlock and into the ship. "Don't f---ing move!!! Show me your hands!" he screamed again, with adrenaline flowing through him.

"ARGH!" Abbey let out a cry as she felt something hit her straight into the gut, a crunch sounding and a fire burned through her ribs, at least one likely broken. Tears swelling in her eyes as the pain flared now burning through her body she steadied herself as she found her hand landing on top of her phaser whilst the other clutched her stomach.

Luke witnessed as a large boot connected with his daughters gut sending her back against the wall, her phaser dropping from her waist line. "HEY!" He shouted at the armed guards coming through the moving forward "We've surrendered you assholes!" His eye's burnt into the first person he could see as he felt the presence of Daniels the other security officer he brought with him from the science labs after they had finished securing it and the pair continued forward. Luke's face and gate turning quickly between concern for his daughter to anger towards the boarding party, with his anger growing inside of him as his inner-marine began to rattle in his mind demanding to be let out.

Lamar's attention initially diverted to the large, physical, yellow-collared man who was now speaking to him. At first glance he posed the greatest threat, mostly due to his size and stature, but out of the corner of his eye, the major saw movement from the small girl he had just kicked to the ground.

The young lady -- apparently an armed combatant -- was now squirming on the floor but she was not complying with his orders. Her hands were not in their ordered positions, and one of them appeared to be reaching for the weapon on her hip.

Lamar's rifle came down swiftly on her, and without hesitation, he aimed at her thigh and squeezed the trigger.

A searing yellow-hot pulse of phaser energy echoed across the airlock bay and tore into her leg's flesh, creating an entry and exit wound the size of a grapefruit which was fortunately cauterized by the intense heat of the direct-energy projectile.

"I said show me your hands!!" he yelled again, his weapon now pointing back up and across all the other assembled crew members.

Abbey's scream filled the room, piercing her own eardrums as the room around her took on different shapes and sounds as if she was looking through a kaleidoscope and someone was dragging their nails down a chalkboard. "What!?" She spluttered as she tried to grasp the situation, one hand resting on top of the phaser still the other unsure whether to stay at her rib or move down her body to where blood had started and and already stopped, only leaving a small amount of blood and the putrid smell of burnt... vaporised flesh, bone and muscle. Looking up she, for a brief moment locked eyes with her dad.

Within a brief instant of Abbey being thrown to the floor to the now gaping hole n her thigh he had only taken a couple of deep breaths before a phaser pulse shot over and past his shoulder impacting one of the Terran Empire Clothed soldiers. Luke was next to attack throwing a punch towards the officer who had just shot his daughter "HERE ARE MY HANDS" He said in a flurry of swift and well timed, well placed and well trained punches towards him.

Lamar was ambushed by the large man who laid several direct blows against his face, and he stumbled back while the security officer pressed forward and continued to throw blows. His rifle had dropped to his waist and was only kept in place by its tactical sling, and now the combat became hand-to-hand.

As the large Wyatt threw a strong right straight, the major ducked left then swiveled low right and sent his own right-hand counter-punch straight into the man's kidney, then followed up with another consecutive right hook to the side of the man's face.

Letting out a gasp as the first blow connected with his body Luke managed to drop and roll out of the way and in the same time seeing Abbey be hauled up as Daniels proceeded down the corridor. Kicking out his legs he attempted to trip the soldier as to his surprise the federation defenders seemed to be gaining the upper hand.

Lamar briefly went down as the scuffle continued, and he continued to battle against the rebellious 'Federation' traitors. Security soldiers from each side rushed to the aid of each other and the grunts and cries of different crew members being assaulted were now echoing throughout the entire corridor.

She always wondered what it would be like to be shot but always hoped it would never happen to her. As she lay propped up against the wall phaser in hand, broken ribbed and a hole in her leg Abbey watched as her father turned from the loving caring man she so adored to the very person they never spoke about. That same man who had seen death and destruction and perhaps one time to many "Da-d" She gasped her ribs hurting more than her leg which surprised her. Then again the burning yellow phaser energy had most likely decimated any nerve endings so there was nothing to know of the pain and of the hole in her leg. Looking between the fighting which now ensued she raised her phaser tiredly as Daniels the security officer who had fired the retaliating shot now had at some point stood her up, disarmed her and now supported her with one arm whilst the other seemed to be springing forth beams of yellow light. "How are you doing that?" She asked. Somewhere near she could hear her fathers voice giving orders.

Keval was not a trained solider.. He was first and foremost a poet, an artist, Just one with a sharp, analytic mind that made him a decent operations officer. But he was still an Andorian a more militant species than most and he was at heart a warrior.

He'd taken out two of the Terrans, mostly with his bare hands, before his legs were knocked from under him and he felt a sharp searing pain a sharp blade was stuck just below his belt lined. Immediately blue blood began to flow.

"Not today!" Luke said snapping at the fallen Andorian as he hoisted him off the ground as Daniels now down the corridor provided some covering fire "n your feet!" He ordered now using their momentum to carry them down the corridor next to Daniels and Abbey. "Medical now" Daniels nodded as Abbey mumbled some unintelligible words "Right behind you" he motioned for Luke to lead.

Loosing sight of her father Abbey tried to speak but no real words could form in her mouth. With a bump and an odd gargling noise she was now back on the floor as flashes of light and that putrid smell of burnt flesh rose once again into the air. Putting a hand on Daniels back she proceeded to help him up but as she looked down his body she could see the burnt crater in his back where his spinal cord should have been. Stifling another scream she felt a heavy presence loom over her and as she looked, the uniform of a Terran empire soldier filled the vision.

"Don't move!" yelled the Terran invader who was now surrounded by four more of his own faction. The scuffle had finally died down and the small Galileo security crew was outmatched by sheer force and superior numbers. "Hands on your head, get down on your knees!" repeated the man.

Nizan was never one who wanted to use force, and this time was no different. He didn't want to end up like hundreds of Bajorans before him who fought back against the Cardassians during the occupation. Hesitantly he showed his hands, not normally used to being on the barrel end of a phaser and instead used to being on the grip end.

Nizan pulled his phaser, tossing it to the floor. He was secretly grateful the Cardassians weren't involved in this....he didn't want to think about what would happen then.


Deck 7 - Main Engineering

Through one of the jefferies tube hatches, the Exocomp designated unit Cu-47, came bursting into main engineering and headed straight for K’os. As the damage control specialist on the Galileo he continuously monitored damage throughout the ship. Damage to both the ship and it’s systems, which to the little machine included all the flesh-machines as well. He displayed the damage report. K’os read it the information then shook his head. “Did this just happen?” He asked the machine.

“Affirmative.” Copper displayed on his holomonitor.

K’os quickly turned on his heels and ran past the security team standing in front of them as he approached the master systems display he looked over his shoulder at his engineers. “I want every supervisor to move their teams to towards the warp core, now! He turned towards the display and began tapping commands. As the team leaders and supervisors rounded up their propulsion specialists, matter/energy specialists, mechanical engineers etc and headed towards the warp core K’os continued issuing orders to them. “You will do a headcount of everyone on your team and you are not to leave them until ordered to do so. lower the blast shields. Don't let anyone in until we order you to. Keep them safe."

While seemingly heavy handed his job was to protect his department and he didn't have time to explain until he'd done what he needed to keep them safe. “Admiral, Copper has detected weapons fire, and he’s registered it as foreign. He’s also reporting a casualty at the port airlock. A crewman’s been phasered and security is resisting, ma’am.” He turned back towards the console and entered in a new set of commands. “I’ve erected a level ten force field around main engineering. No one is getting in here until they honour the terms of surrender the Captain gave them.”

Lirha couldn't do much but nod in acknowledgement, both at the acting chief engineer as well as the chief warrant officer. Their job in engineering was not to assist in any sort of firefight, and the idea pained her that there could be casualties resulting from what was supposed to be a non-violent compliance. Instead, the rear admiral and her colleagues were stuck behind a security barrier, essentially awaiting the unknown while praying that the rest of the crew could handle the commotion.

When K'os announced things going south quick out there, Taliesin gritted his teeth. They'd surrendered, but apparently their captors weren't playing by the normal rules. With the lockdown on Engineering it would take a long time for anyone to break through, but he was going to glue some security to the officers in here now instead of later because of this, "Yates, you're on Ensign K'os like fur on a Tribble. Koenig, you and I the Admiral." His voice was quiet, below that of the officers talking to one another, but insistent. "Don't do anything till we're ordered to when this Empire makes their way in...but if you see anything deadly coming for the officers, well..."

It wasn't an order he could give either one of them, but Taliesin's implication was clear. If the Terran Empire felt like shooting either Ensign K'os or Admiral Saalm, then maybe the security team should get in the way. If and when that happened, it would be up to Yates and Koenig whether they would take a shot meant for their superiors. Taliesin wasn't sure he could either, one could never actually know until the situation happened, but he liked to think he would. The Admiral was the one who had the experience, right? She looked pretty young for all of that, but she was that rank for a reason. He moved till he stood on Admiral Saalm's left side, obviously guarding and staying close, but also staying quiet.

"Stay calm..." Lirha said in a light but forceful voice to everyone around her. Her light green eyes dances across the different faces present -- some older and more experienced enlisted personnel combined with the young officers. Adrenaline was no doubt being injected to all of them at the moment, and the chemical usually didn't bode too well for proper decision-making in tense diplomatic situations.

Ezra calmly nodded and moved into position beside Saalm. His cavalier attitude was punctuated by the tiny smirk on his face as he said to Taliesin, "I chose a bad day to skip my mid-day nap."

K'os watched as the security officers moved into position, his hands shook as the emotions in his mind erupted around inside his skull. He wasn't sure how much longer he could control himself. He was doing well enough at the moment, but how he would react once the aggressors began rounding them, was anyone's guess.

To Be Continued...

[OFF]

--

RADM Lirha Saalm
Mission Advisor
USS Galileo

LCDR Norvi Stace
First Officer
USS Galileo

CAPT Jonathan Holliday
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo

Ensign Tyrion Faye
Chief Intelligence Officer
USS Galileo

Lt. j.g. Naois Mercy
Counsellor
USS Galileo
[pnpc Tyrion]

Cadet SO Wintrow Paragon
Support Craft Pilot
USS Galileo
[pnpc Tyrion]

Lieutenant (JG) Tuula Voutilainen
Medical Officer
USS Galileo

First Lieutenant Tuula Voutilainen
Chief Medical Officer
ISS Galileo

Lieutenant JG Jynn
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Galileo

CPO Keval ch-Ernov
Operations
PNPC Jared Nicholas
USSGalileo

LCmdr Allyndra illm Warraquim
Chief Medical Officer
USS Galileo

Lieutenant JG Luke Wyatt
Ass. Chief Security
USS Galileo

Crewman Abbey Wyatt
Scientists Mate
USS Galileo
[PNPC Wyatt]

And many others...

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