Phase Two: Free the council members
Posted on Wed May 29th, 2019 @ 8:47pm by Commodore Tyler Malbrooke & Lieutenant Commander Vaebn tr'Hwersuil & Ensign Auba Lyna
Edited on on Wed May 29th, 2019 @ 9:03pm
1,879 words; about a 9 minute read
Mission:
Episode 6 - Old Habits Die Hard
Location: Cardassia Prime
Timeline: MD004 1330 hrs
Quinn had gathered his team, the assault to reclaim the central command had begun, he looked over at his team. Jackson and Zano where hurt in the initial onslaught.
"Petty Officer Jackson and Lieutenant Zano, will head back to the ship, I need Jerane with me, we will distract Zelora. Meanwhile Vaebyn and Lyna free the council members. I want Diari and O'Rourke to stay near the computer terminal, to make sure the Cardassians do not raise the shields on this compound. I hate to split up, but if we are going to pull this off we need to divide our tasks." Quinn said, as he looked at each team, then sent them on their way.
Lyna waited for Vaebn. so they could free the council members.
Vaebn stood near a wall terminal in thought for a moment and then turned to his team, "Ensign, keep an eye out and cover me. I believe I can access this terminal and get us more information regarding the whereabouts of the Council members." He then began a series of rapid keystrokes across the arm unit he wore and he attempted to breach the terminal security systems.
As Vaebn scrolled through a number of Cardassian security screens and got past them with little to no effort. Eventually a listing of the Detapa Council scrolled through on the screen and at the top of the list was Castellean Elim Garak. It seemed that the council was being held in the main council chamber at the heart of the complex. What made it worse was that the room was locked out and only Council-member Zelora could remove the lockout.
Vaebn turned to his team again, "I found the Council. They are locked into the main council chamber, but I can't access the security lockout from here. We'll need to get to the chamber quickly. I'm not sure if I can get us in, but we need to make our way there regardless." Vaebn pulled out his tricorder, made a few keystrokes on it and then more on the device on his arm. "I have the schematics for the building, and think I can get us there and avoid most of the more active areas, but we must make haste."
Lyna held her phaser in her hand. "We're probably going to have to fight our way out."
Vaebn clipped his tricorder to his belt, pulled up the map on his arm padd and hefted the phaser rifle across his chest, "That may be true, but let's try not to fight our way in as well. Stealth will be our greatest asset for the moment."
Lyna looked around. "Agree, but we shouldn't hesitate to use force."
Inside the council chamber there was a small commotion as the council members plotted and schemed on what to do. Most of them were gossiping about Zelora instead of planning an escape. The council chair Elim Garak was hard at work trying to get everyone freed. He approached one of the guards with his fingers tented and a broad smile on his face. "Pardon me my good man, but surely you can allow me to see to a replicator. At the very least be kind enough to fetch us all some water." The guard appeared sympathetic, that is until the call for reinforcements went out. "You will go nowhere, and get nothing." came the guards curt response. Well time for a plan B. Garak thought.
The room fell silent as the sound of guards leaving the area could be hears. One can only hope that is the Pioneer. In which case this ordeal will be over shortly. Garak smiled as he thought and waited.
Auba slowly crept down the long hallway, making sure the lieutenant was behind her. Their path seemed clear, and the map said that their object was close.
The Romulan's ears drew his attention to distant sounds at each corridor, giving a slight advantage as they moved through the halls quietly, and as rapidly as they could. Hand signals became their primary method of communication as they navigated their way to the door.
The chamber doors eventually loomed large ahead of them, unfortunately with very little cover, save the heavy curves of the frame itself. Vaebn looked at his arm device and moved the image back and forth, showing no nearby heat or movement signatures, then signaled to Ens Lyna to follow him across the foyer to the door.
Once tucked into the supports for the doorway, he turned to her, "Keep a watch for a few minutes. I'm not sure if I can get us in there, but I'm going to give it a try. " Vaebn pulled one of the small devices from his belt twisted it into two equal pieces. The circuitry inside pulsed with a pale greenish tinge and he placed one side on the door and the other onto the computer console next to it. "Ensign, if you could, can you effect a mutliphasic pulse from your tricorder onto the doors locking mechanism? I haven't done this in a long time and I'm going to need all the help I can get if this is going to work."
Auba pulled out her tricorder. "I'll try, lieutenant." She started pressing some controls.
"Thank you Ensign." Vaebn began moving his fingers across the pad of his arm terminal, figures and code rapidly changing as the security system fought back. "Adjust the pulse up 1.8 tHz and rotate the modulation," he called back. "This system is harder than we thought, and I'm out of practice at this." The first attempt had failed, but at least he didn't make things worse.
"Lets try a fractal based decrypt algorithm this time. Adjust up another 0.3 tHz with the modulation, but increase the resonance by 0.6." Here's hoping this works, he thought. A few seconds into the decrypt the system was faltering; "Almost there Ensign. Stay on that last modulation and increase your power output. I'm going to try one last trick."
Vaebn swiped across the device on the wall, activating a secondary system just before the security system firewall reasserted itself. His display changed slightly as the nano-tech dispersed into the system and began to dismantle the very core of the systems. "Let's see it fight back against that." Vaebn said to no one in particular. His fingers began a new dance, taking down the firewall and monitoring the nano-tech was a bit more taxing, but in a few more moments, they should be in.
True to his estimate, a minute or so later, the doors were breached; well, one door at least. The right side of the great doors groaned as it slid open, defying to the last. With the door opening, Vaebn recalled the nano-tech and began packing his gear as quickly as possible. "Let's get moving Ensign. That took longer than I would have liked but we need to get the Council members out of there. Oh, and thank you for your assistance."
"Glad to be of help." responded Auba.
Garak had given up for the time being, given up on trying to think of a way out. He glanced about the room and could see that his fellow council members were in the same boat. All were present save for Zelora and that itself was curious. He had just thought of what would be a last ditch effort, the gaurd would have to be exceptionally gullible to fall for this. However, the chairman did not have a chance to see if the guard was gullible. As he approached the main doors slid open and a small lance of light streamed in from the outside. For a fleeting moment Garak thought he saw a Romulan. That can't be right there would be no way they would come to our aid. Unless they are here to help the captors... Garak thought. He decided that he would attempt his plan anyway. Either his plan would work and get them free or it would serve as distraction...
The two officers readied themselves as half of the door opened; their line of fire would be narrow, but so would the chance of a counter from any guards inside. Vaebn dropped to one knee and pressed himself against the door frame and took aim into the room. He knew the Council members would likely be unarmed and in civilian garb, so he scanned the room rapidly for armed individuals before taking his first shot. The phaser lanced into the dimly lit room and found its mark, dropping one armed guard. Movement erupted in the room as other people dove for cover, and another lance fired in from above Vaebn; Ensign Lyna must have found another target he thought. Then a flash of fire directed at them briefly blinded his aim; and suddenly Vaebn was very glad that only one door opened.
He adjusted and fired again, striking the soldier who fired at them in the shoulder, spinning him into a table. His second shot laid him out on it. "This is Lt Vaen tr'Hwersuil of the Starfleet vessel Pioneer! Drop your weapons and lie face down and you will be spared." Vaebn called into the chamber. Another guard stalled for a moment before lifting his weapon to charge, and was brought down by Ensign Lyna. "I say again, drop your weapons!" he called into the chamber.
A calm voice responded a minute later, "I think they are starting to see it your way Lieutenant." A lone Cardassian stepped forward to address the officers. "I for one, would think twice before taking on a Romulan, especially one bold enough to wear a Starfleet uniform. But then again, I've known too many Romulans in my time to only see what's on the surface."
"Interesting words sir," Vaebn replied, "and who exactly do I have the privilege of addressing?"
"Elim Garak, a presiding member over this esteemed council. And now that introductions are complete, might I request that we depart, most rapidly."
"Of course Councilor Garak. Follow us to the transport. And if any of you are able, I suggest you arm yourselves as the halls are not quite as secure as we might like.
Auba passed out weapons they found along the way to the council members.
Garak nodded in agreement. He handed two disruptors to other members of the council and they all followed Vaebn to the transport site. Moments later Garak found himself outside the Pioneer in Limba Park. There was no time to marvel at the landed starship or wonder why the ship was there. Garak needed a communications array, he needed to tell his people that all was well...
A Joint Post By
Lieutenant Vaebn tr'Hwersuil
Chief Science Officer, USS Pioneer
Chairman Elim Garak
Chairman, Detapa Council
Ensign Lyna Auba
Security Officer, USS Pioneer
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