Smugglers' Paradise? Part II of V

Posted on 22 Jul 2016 @ 9:42pm by Commander Luke Wyatt & Ensign Miraj Derani
Edited on on 28 Jul 2016 @ 4:05pm

2,835 words; about a 14 minute read

Mission: Episode 11 - Divinum Mundi
Location: Celes VI
Timeline: MD21 1700 local time

Previously, on Smugglers Paradise?
They followed the rail for another hundred meters, and they came across another structure. Miraj knew a landing pad when she saw it.

"Well," Miraj said after staring at it for a moment. "That's definitely manufactured."

Luke was about to say something when there was sudden burst of movement from all around them. "What the...?" He managed to say before they were surrounded by a mismatch of people wearing a variety of clothes from Military to Civilian but all held some kind of weapon which they pointed towards the two officers.

And Now, the continuation...

"Manufactured is exactly what it is" Said the gruff man who stepped out, two grunts standing either side eyes only on Miraj. "It seems our little hidden community here is well? Not so hidden anymore. How many of there are you?" He asked, looking at Luke, his grunts still eyeing up Miraj like hungry animals. Luke moved closer towards her protectively.

Miraj instinctively took a step closer to Luke, wanting his larger bulk between her and the slavering looks she was getting. It was only partly successful. There was half a dozen or so beings who had spread out to surround them on all sides and though looks from the front were blocked, she could feel more on her back.

The man had addressed Luke with his question and she was a hundred percent sure she didn't want any more attention from these people to risk answering for him.

A rangy looking cardassian stepped forward and snapped off a shot with his disrupted that gouged out a fifteen-centimetre-deep track through the concrete scant millimetres from Luke’s toes. "You heard the boss. How many?"

Luke had been shot at more than enough times to learn not to flinch at a weapons discharge even was as close to his feet. Knowing the situation was quickly deteriorating he had to choose between lying, telling the truth or not telling them anything. "Sir, you must know that we are not obliged under the rules of engagement to answer any questions especially that of those at gun point however our presence here must show you that a federation vessel is within communications range and will know of our location." Most of what he said was true, the Galileo was nearby but not within communications range and all they knew was that they were on this planet.

Logan laughed "You and your rules and regulations, they mean nothing here" He turned to minions as if mentally telling them to prepare to take the hostages. "If your ship was so close why aren't we surrounded by your security teams? Or being beamed directly into a brig? It was a good try Lieutenant but you just made a mistake... Take them boys... “He ordered and the circle that had encompassed the pair now grew smaller.

Miraj swallowed as the others got closer. No-one had fired, assuming that the two fleeters had decided to come quietly, given how outnumbered they were. "Uh, sir?" Miraj wasn't sure if she wanted to go without a fight. She caught the expression on one of the human's face, and decided she was going to fight like a hell-cat if she had to.

Luke sprang into action as he grabbed Miraj and used his size and power to plough through two romulans, knocking and stunning them so quickly that he had made a gap for them both "RUN!" He ordered now letting go of her as they made their way in no particular direction but away from the men chasing them down.

She didn't have to be told twice and dashed for the cover of the tree line, wanting to get off the wide open space as fast as she could. Fortunately, most of the gang or whatever they were had been holstering their side arms in readiness to drag their new prisoners away. It gave them precious seconds to head for cover.

As they ran into the forest, their pursuers opened up with fire from their hodge podge of small arms, both disruptors and phasers, trying to bring them down. Miraj, smaller and lighter than the muscular former marine, made it to the tree line ahead of Luke, ducking back as an energy beam hit a tree branch a hands width from her head. She didn't smell any burning. It was set to stun. But in this situation stun might as well be kill. She kept running, knowing if she slowed for a moment thing would get very unpleasant; behind her she could hear their pursuers crashing into the undergrowth, their leader screaming for someone, anyone, to bring them back.

Tree's whizzed by as they ran through the forest all bearing and sense of direction being thrown out of the window, sounds of barking could now be heard over the cracking and explosion of tree splintering around them. Looking to his left, Luke realised he had lost sight of Miraj and panic filled his mind.

Olf and two humans charged after the pair of fleeters firing and shooting off the disrupters they each carried whilst shouting curses and laughing as the drugs in their systems boosted their physical and mental capabilities. Suddenly with a bit of luck the two they were chasing split. "Go after the girl she's worth more money!" He ordered as they moved to cut her off.

Miraj glimpsed the humans coming at her from her right, between her and Luke, and veered left, running on instinct. As a consequence, she didn't realise she'd been herded until she saw the large Farian until he was practically on top of her.

Olf leaped grabbing the woman by the arm and tumbling her to the floor. "STAY STILL! You'll make a fine price" He drooled attempting to hold her down and wondering where the two idiots he had been in charge of went.

Miraj had no intention of staying still. She twisted over and kicked out, catching the man in the kneecap. He bellowed in pain, and she scrambled up. But Olf recovered and he made another grab, fingers closing round one of her bunches, and yanking her back. She squealed with the sudden sharp pain and stumbled off balance. Olf got a better grip on her hair, and slammed her face into the nearest tree trunk.

Luke had doubled back and ran into two human henchmen, dodging one and swinging a mean left hook towards the other one’s face where it connected with a crunching blow. Before another moment passed by the span around, bringing his leg up in an arching motion and kicking the last standing man in the gut before twisting and letting his elbow connect sweetly in the same spot as his punch did the other man. He wasn't totally unharmed; a small dagger trumpeted from his side and his phaser lay in bits on the floor.

Dazed, Miraj tried to get away again but being shoved into a tree had left her uncoordinated. The Farian grabbed her bunches again, twisting them round his fist so she couldn't escape, and punched her in the gut, driving the air from her lungs with a sharp moan, leaving her nauseous, and gasping for breath.

Hearing a woman’s voice, Luke yanked out the dagger and tucked it into his pant line which was bloodied and stained with dirt. Charging towards the noise he could make out two figures one, which was clearly Miraj with her pink hair and smaller frame and the second a large man who was struggling with the young woman. Without hesitation Luke leaped from the treeline and grabbed Olf's shoulder twisting him round before punching him. Unlike the other two he didn't go down and instead swiped Luke's legs from underneath him causing him to fall to the floor.

Rolling out of the tumble as gracefully as possible he sprung to his legs and the pair charged clashing in a flurry of punches, kicks and elbows. Olf connected a heavy blow to Luke's head and the world seemed to spin, before he had another change Luke jumped back and parried the next few blows unsettling Olf's position. Darting forward Luke tucked under Olf’s swing and came up behind him gripping the man’s neck, squeezing tight before ripping his neck against his biceps. A crack sent Olf's eyes to the back of his head and his arms went limp. Stepping away from the body Luke let it fall to the floor in a bloodied crumpled mess.

When Luke had attacked Olf, he had thrown Miraj aside, and in the time it took her to find her feet, she had seen them grapple, and then Luke had twisted round, and killed him with a single move. She thought that could only happen in holodeck games. She staggered over to him, trying to ignore the ache in her gut and the pain down the side of her temple. She saw the dark stain on his uniform and the fraying of the cloth. "You've been hurt." she said.

"Don’t worry about it for now" He said holding his side where a rib must have been broken, maybe two "We need to get out of here and lose our scent." Turning he saw a dirty dried river bed, reaching down he smothered it over his face, arms and body "Do the same, it'll help mash out sent and keep us camouflaged." Finishing off he looked back to the body shaking his head the realisation he just took a man’s life by snapping his neck hit him. "Come on, let’s go."

She copied his actions, paying double attention to her bright pink hair that would quickly give them away. "Go where?" she asked, slightly awed at the ferocity with which he'd dispatched their first pursuers "They're between us and Marina now."

Luke had come to the same conclusion and nodded as he threw some fallen ferns over the body "We'll have to keep moving and re-applying the mud, we'll stick with this driver river I know it meets with water a few meters down that way" He said. "I'm sorry for losing you, I will NOT let it happen again" He took one last look at the haunting face of the man he had just killed and finished off the camouflage for the body.

In the far distance they could hear indistinct shouts and calls - the remaining gang trying to organise a search. Miraj squinted up at the sky. It was turning a beautiful shade of yellow, as sunset began in earnest. They had probably half an hour at most before they were in pitch dark. Dark would help conceal them, but it would make getting to the runabout just as difficult. "They'll be looking for her too. They know we must have some sort of transport or we would have beamed out. It will be the first place I'd look for us."

"That's why we’re not going to be heading straight there. We’ll have to throw them which means walking, sideways, in circles and using the water beds to our advantages. We'll also have to make sure we don’t leave any ground signs or make as little as possible. Come on let’s go and don't leave that pack anywhere, the contents may save our lives" He said looking at the woman. "I'm sorry for letting him get you" He apologised again as the jogged off towards the river.

Miraj felt her face. It was mostly light scratches from the bark of the tree she'd been thrown against. There was a large bruise on her temple and her cheek was tender. "You didn't let him do anything." she said, surprised he was apologising. "I ran straight into him."

"I should have been keeping an eye on you but I let my guard down" He returned as he continued jogging and the river coming into view "Take a moment, drink some water and then fill it up make sure the lid is facing downstream to stop the algae"

"Well, anyways, he won't be doing it again." she said, and looked away from him for a moment, reseating her day sack, and taking a swig of water from her bottle. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet, we still have a harsh few hours and we will have to prepare ourselves mentally for the possibility of being captured, tortured and worse" He said trying to keep a smile on his face. "Come on let’s move," He said taking off, making sure she was following.

Miraj kept close to him as the light ebbed away and two bright moons, one full, the other just a thin sickle with the point to the left. Under the canopy was dark, but not impenetrably. The moonlight filtered through, washing out the colour but making it light enough that they weren't walking blind. The occasional glowing insect would float by, but they only made the dark look darker.

The noises of the local fauna got louder and louder as more creatures came out to feed and Miraj found herself jumping at shadows as creatures she hadn't spotted darted away from her, or brushed past her legs to get away. She was just starting to get used to all the sudden movement when something cold and bristly dropped onto the back of her neck.

She froze. She wasn't as a rule scared of bugs. When you spent your childhood in places where arboretums and hydroponics labs had broken open and grown over large parts of the superstructure, encountering bugs in the dark was part of the fun. But this thing felt huge, and she could feel the hairs on its many feet tickling at the nape of her neck. Feet, or mandibles. She reached around and scooped a spider-like creature the size of a cantaloupe from her shoulder, and threw it to the side, where she caught a flash of light coming from behind them and to their right.

Without speaking, she grabbed for Luke, and pointed towards the light. It was small, sweeping back and forth quickly - someone, or someone’s, with a flash light or similar.

Luke impressed by the younger woman's observational skills watched the light before "It’s almost dark, keep following the river." He said leading her down the river where the sound of rushing water could be heard. Coming up to a clearing the sound had intensified and the reason why obvious, they now found themselves at the top of a large ravine with a waterfall between them and safety and the sound of men, dogs and ATV's behind them.

Miraj glanced at the sky and then down at the churning water, dark and grey in the moonlight. Going further into the forest was pointless. If they had vehicles they'd be run down in short order. The climb down would be at least fifty meters over water slick rock. If they could even find one. Once at the bottom there was no easy path to follow the river either left. It moved fast along the bottom of the ravine and the banks were edged with boulders or tangled tap roots from the trees themselves

"I don't see a way down." She told Luke. The noises were almost on top of them.

Luke shook his head not wanting to allow themselves to give up. Running now parallel the sound of a vehicle was getting loud and louder, the river the followed was now to getting loud and the noise was adding to the stress of being chased.

Two buggies, once from the federation but now modified with parts from multiple sources crashed through the tree line and came to a skidding mud-spraying stop and the men inside jumped out.

The pair stopped like a rabbit caught in headlights. The river they were using now became their enemy as it turned and disappeared over the edge of the cliff where the roaring waters at the bottom could be heard. "Do you trust me?" He asked looking to the men moving towards them, smiling and looking hungrily between the two.

She wanted to say no. No-one who said that ever followed it with anything good. "What are we going to do?" She knew it was a pointless question. Right now if he had a plan, they were going with it, however crazy it was.

"Jump" Luke said taking her hand in his and spinning around, he made his way towards the waterfall "I'll be with you the whole way." He said as he pulled her in closer and not allowing her to object as the increasingly large group of smugglers watched with shock and awe as the pair dropped off the edge of the waterfall.

To Be Continued...

A JP by

LT Luke Wyatt
Strategic Operations Officer
USS Galileo

&

Ensign Miraj Derani
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Galileo

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