All Or Nothing
Posted on Thu May 10th, 2018 @ 4:23am by Staff Sergeant Shayla Kunadt & Major Cornelius Tremble & Sergeant Azure Thompson
Edited on on Thu May 31st, 2018 @ 9:23pm
3,143 words; about a 16 minute read
Mission:
Episode 2 - The Enemy Within
Location: Breyet Nor Ops
Timeline: MD006 1000 hr
Tags: SD 71384.1000
The Security detail made their way to the part of the station that was being boarded. Who the hell dared to first fly through the mess of the Badlands and then try and board their station. These fools where about to die!
Jack and the command team was second off the shuttle right behind Gaagii's team. He used hand signals to inform the RECONN specialist to go toward the right along the outer ring toward a lift in search of the weapons. As for his team he would go left. He activated the comm channel "Right hand signals from this point on if we can. Gunny you and your team take point and perimeter. Corporal Thompson I want you in center with me be ready to mop up any mess, and that includes enemies. Kunadt stay with the shuttle keep a lock on both teams and get us out should we need. Also, prep the cargo hold for the Doc's hardware. Right let's do it..."
"Yessir," Tremble acknowledged, then "We're going to be moving fast. Everyone keep up. Watch your intervals, don't bunch up and trust your training." He thought about that for a second, eyeing the fleet officers as he brought his carbine up, and turned into the corridors they were taking. "Well, maybe be a bit leary of that Fleet training. Let's go Marines."
He trotted into the corridor and kept to the right hand side, leaving the left to the PFC who was taking lead. Tremble was shooting left handed for this, to give himself the best chance at taking cover as needed.
It didn't take long to make contact. As they moved around one curve, they came under fire and the PFC laid down fire while Tremble pulled a mini-grenade from his belt and tossed it at the intersection. The grenade went off with blistering light, sound, and sonic effects, stunning the two man security team that was attempting to block them. He and the PFC raced ahead then, the PFC body checking one defender while Tremble hosed the other down with three rapid shots.
They paused while the others moved up, then moved out again at a good pace, the familiar rush of adrenaline amping up in his system.
The first line of defense was dispensed with rather quickly. As more of the station's security moved into place between the invaders and the Ops center. They lacked training on this because they didn't see it as a real threat. This was evident as the Marines and station security started a fire fight at one of the main junctions.
Azure was monitoring everyone's vitals from the rear of the team. It was obvious that the other team had engaged the enemy from their raised heart beats and increased breathing.
Jack kept the team advancing a stagnant mission was a doomed one. He signaled everyone to head for the lift they would make for the Ops center. He told his Marines to get to the lift first and frag each one of them. They were going to climb the shaft. "Tremble get some men over to those shafts and frag em... We are climbing."
Cornelius glanced at the LT and nodded, "Aye aye, sir. You heard him Marines, break out the climbing gear." Moving over to the lift controls, he checked over the monitors and his own tricorder vambrace, gesturing at the left most tube. "That's the one for Ops, activate magnetic locks and rig up the lines."
Moving to the right most tube, he used a breeching charge on the tube doors then linked their command codes in and yelled clear as he hit the detonator. They daisy chained with a satisfying 'Kerthump Kerthump Kerthump', boring holes through doors. Next he pulled Mk 23 EMP grenades from the satchel, setting the blast radius to three meters and dropping one into each of the tubes.
The grenades didn't explode, rather they cracked like lighting within the turbo lifts and fried the components. Checking his readouts, he gave Cunningham a thumps up as he moved to the last tube. "Good to go, LT. I'll get going and set the breaching charges."
Moving to the tube, he noted that the Marines had used ascension guns. firing grappling cables upwards into the tube. They would have to switch lines three times to reach the right level, but that was half the fun...
Nodding to the Marines hooking safety lines into their rigging belt, he hooked his own line up and wrapped an ascending grip onto the line and squeezed. The caterpillar drive kicked in and he lifted off his feet and up into the tube.
Azure waited for the other Marines to climb the tube, before taking up the rear.
Jack took a deep breath before beginning to ascend. This was the one part of the mission where everything could go wrong. He didn't like the idea of being sitting ducks in the shafts but there was no other way for it.
Breyet Nor Ops
In the command center reports where coming in left and right. The fighters were lossing the fight with the Pioneer and it didn't sound good for the station crew either. Ayala was standing at a holographic display of the station. "Why are our units not reporting in?"
Once of the security officers looked up from the map and at the Commander. "My guess is they have been over run. I am hearing these are Marines that have boarded."
Ayala looked around at the seven other Ops personnel. "They are coming for this station. Arm yourself and fight like you never have before. The Federation can not take this station. Kill anyone that enters this bridge. We give no quarter we give no mercy! FOR THE Maquis!!!"
It wasn’t difficult, but the climb took time. Nearly eight minutes passed as they ascended through the tube, bypassing a few forcefields and a tube car, which they used as a rest point, staging through to the next sections of the climb.
Tremble’s arms were starting to strain by the time they made it to the Ops level and he could hear whispered “Are we there yet?” drifting up from below. He wasn’t sure exactly who was whining, but it had to be Fleeties.
Mumbling to himself, Cornelius surveyed the top of the lift and gestured for the marines behind him to get to work. Unlike all of the other lift doors, this one entered through the shaft ceiling. They spent a minute rigging standing lines as the other boarders moved up. It was starting to get crowded by the time he looked down and gave the LT a thumbs up.
Tremble activated the hatch, causing it to cycle. Palming three micro-flash bangs, he tossed them over the lip of the tube. He could hear cries as the grenades hammered the defenders senses. Immediately, two marines on either side popped up and began laying down covering fire while he clambered up the netting they’d strung and scrabbled for cover, moving left.
Crouching behind the op’s duty station cluster Tremble raised his carbine and began firing at the first large that presented itself, green fire washing over the human. He had drawn fire, which was the point and he had to duck down as phaser fire slapped into the console above him.
“That’s definitely not stun settings,” he growled as he slid left a bit more and glanced around the edge of the console. He heard movement and saw a form rushing toward him. If the defender got past, they could flank the boarders as they came up.
That would be bad.
Surging to his feet and firing shots to confuse defenders to his right, Tremble body checked the defender, forcing his phaser up and to the left with his carbine, A blast went off from man’s phaser, blowing out a lighting fixture causing sparks to rain as Tremble got inside the man’s guard and slammed the butt of the carbine into his opponents jaw. He grabbed the stunned man’s collar and shifted him to be a human shield as more fire lanced at him.
The man died in a hail of fire from his own comrades and Tremble shoved the corpse into another defender. Two more were rushing forward and he had no time to level the carbine at that point. He clubbed one down and grappled with the other, feeling the phaser barrel creeping ever closer to his side as they both snarled at one another.
As the struggle for control continued with Tremble the Maquis tried to headbutt Tremble to throw him off. That seemed to back fire as the Maquis finally released control of the phaser as his hands went to his head which was ringing from the impact.
Ayala stood crouched in the corner of the room. This was not going how he wanted. He was frantically downloading all the stations data on his PADD to escape with. He was following orders and if the Station was compromised the burn any trace back to the powers that be. Once the PADD was done downloading he would have the all of the new organization's secrets with him and he could get away... some how.
Azure had been getting a good workout climbing the shaft, happy that her Andorian genes gave her increased strength and stamina over a human of her size. She could hear the commotion above her but was unable to do anything about it as yet.
Jack watched as Tremble's team breached in the initial onslaught. As soon as his team was in he entered guns blazing. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a Klingon in plain clothes charging at him with his Mak'tagh drawn and at the ready. Great just what I don't need, Jack thought. "Corporal seems like I am about to have my hands full. Your orders are to keep tabs on the team and get em out when needed. Kunadt stand by for emergency transports on Thompson's orders." As soon as Jack got the orders out he dodged the blade as the Klingon swung down to cleave his head open. Jack countered with an uppercut right to the Klingon's jaw. This punch while avoiding the initial attack did not phase the Klingon much.
Brilliant phaser fire filled the air, criss crossing Ops with the familiar din of battle echoing harshly. At the entry point, PFC Dawes and Swearington continued to lay down covering fire as they attempted to edge up and enter the fray. A crimson spear lanced across Dawes as she cleared cover and she fell backwards, dropping a few feet before her legs became entangled in the netting and she hung upside down, groaning. Sweariington forgot his training as Dawes dropped, hesitating and caught a similar blast. He fell straight down, catching his chin on the deck before falling into an unmoving lump at the bottom of the boarding net they’d strung.
Azure regestered the change in lifesigns of PFCs Dawes and Swearington. Opening her comms she contacted the shuttle. "Kunadt. this is Thompson, I need an immediate beam out of Dawes and Swearington." She said. She then redoubled her efforts to reach Ops.
"Locking on now Corporal..." Shayla said as she tried her darndest back in the shuttle to get the men out. However, as she was attempting to initiate transport a horrified look came across her face. "Gorram it... They are employing a scattering field in Ops. I am attempting to overcome it. Corporal I recommend you stay put with those men and have one of the grunt find the emitters. Also be advised I am taking fire, repeat taking fire. Stand by..." she shouted into the comm channel.
Ayala huddled in a corner watching the two marines go down. Then he saw the attempt to beam them off the field of battle fail. That is what he wanted to see. If they repelled the Marines and won the day, the Admiral would owe him big time. "Kill them all. FOR THE MAQUIS!!!! He sent out a rallying cry again.
Jack managed to knock the Klingon blade from his hands and was now employing a martial art known a krav maga to render the Klingon out of the fight. The Klingon grabbed Jack by the throat and slammed him hard into the deck plating. Jack grasping for air and anything he could get his hand on, found his knife on his hip. In a fluid quick motion he stabbed through the Klingon's boot and into his achilles tendon. The Klingon growled in pain and dropped to knee released Jack. Jack sprang to his feet with blood dripping from his face and reached for his gun. The Klingon suddenly slumped to the floor stunned. It seemed that one of Tremble's men had come to Jack's aid. "Thanks..." Jack said. "Ohh Rahh sir, Ohhh Rah!" the Marine replied with a smile on his face and he waded back into the fray.
Tremble winced slightly at the head-butt and gave the enemy combatant a strange look before hipshooting the human.
"Helmet," he said to no one in particular as he looked at his tricorder vambrace and then around Ops. Dropping the carbine to hang from it's lanyard, he cross drew a type 2 phaser and slagged what his equipment suggested was the transporter control running the inhibitor.
Another cascade of sparks lept into the air as another Maquis rushed him and he lost the hand phaser as he chewed out, "Scattering field should be down," as he smashed his elbow into the woman's face, grabbed his carbine and rammed the butt into the pit of her stomach, then shot her as she rebounded off a console.
Glancing through the haze of combat, he sighted a sitting figure fiddling with a PADD and brought his carbine up. Another defender moved into view, rushing him, becoming a more real threat. Tremble pivoted and fired at the same time the screaming humanoid did.
The Maquis fell, stunned as Tremble's leg buckled and he fell to the deck, shock washing over him as he unconsciously grabbed at the newly burned hole in his hip.
Azure's tri-corder alerted her that the wounded PFCs had been beamed off the station as she pulled herself out of the shaft and into Ops. Using her carbine, she surveyed the area, looking for hostiles. She found Gunny Tremble laying on the deck. His wound was obvious, but clean. He was conscious and she knew
he was in a lot of pain. "Lie still, Gunny, I'm going to give you something for the pain and stabilize you for medevac."
Jack saw Ayala, the PADD and Ayala trying to escape. He saw the escape route laid out in front of him as everything slowed down. Jack's mind was computing. He nodded at the two Marines to come with him and made for Ayala at top speed. The two Marines that came with him feel by the wayside as they engaged enemy combatants that tried to slow Jack down.
Ayala was trying to get to one of the lifts and escape but instead he was cornered by the Marine Commander. "I hereby place you under arrest in the name of the United Federation of Planets." Jack shouted knowing that it would do nothing but an attempt to take him alive would have to be made. Ayala responded by drawing a small pocket phaser and training it on Jack. "No Marine I think it is you that will be detained..." he said.
As Ayala trained his phaser, Corporal Gemel broke free from the Maquis she was grappling with and dove for the weapon, crying "Look out, sir!" She hit Ayala, attempting to wrestle the phaser from his grasp.
Instead she took the blast full on, the smell of burnt flesh filling the air. Gems fell limp, leaving Ayala in control of the phaser, but stripping the PADD from his fingers. The device landed beneath her as Ayala stumbled from the impact.
Tremble nearly succumbed to the blackness creeping into his vision but fought it back as he heard the medic's voice. "No time
for that, he mumbled as struggled to sit, willing the muzzy feeling that washed over him away.
Then he saw Corporal Gemel go down and he swore. Pulling a fighting knife from his harness he hurled it at the Maquis in a fit of rage, catching Ayala in the left eye, the blade sliding in to the hilt.
Ayala and Tremble slumped to the deck at near the same time, the Marine succumbing to shock and the Maquis to death.
With their leader's death and a few seconds more of well placed phaser fire, most of the defenders were either down or dropping their weapons in surrender. The cycling system soon cleared the haze of weapons fire from the air and Jack was looking over the compartment when one of the Marines offered him Ayala's PADD.
"Kunalt, this is Thompson, medevac Gunny Tremble." Azure said over her comms.
Tremble and Thompson disappeared into the transport effect. Jack took stock of what was happening in Ops and it seemed that he and his men had the upper hand. He took a look at the PADD and read some of the letters there. They were between this Michael Ayala and former Admiral Rodney Leyton laying out the plan for the station and the weapons. As well as starting a war between the Cardassian government and the Federation. Jack cocked and eyebrow and whistled, This is exactly what Malbrooke needs right now. he thought. "Attention Maquis lay down arms and no further harm will come to you." He shouted to everyone in Ops, then opened a channel to his men. "Attention all units, secure Ops and standby for EVAC. Hawkeye, What do you hear?" Jack asked knowing that the craft had taken fire.
"Nothing but the rain sir" Kunadt responded after a pause.
"Then grab your gun and bring in the cat." Jack replied smiling.
"Boom, boom, boom! Wilco! Aye-aye, sir! Standby for full EVAC." She said laughing.
A Joint Post By
Lieutenant Commander Darf Krakden
Executive Officer, USS Pioneer
First Lieutenant Jack Cunningham
Marine CO/Second Officer, USS Pioneer
Gunnery Sergeant Cornelius Tremble
First Sergeant, USS Pioneer
Corporal Azure Thompson
Corpsman Command Fire Team, USS Pioneer
Lance Corporal Shayla Kunadt
EVAC Specialist Command Fire Team, USS Pioneer
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