Away Mission: day 2 (taking off the mask), part 1

Posted on Tue Jan 5th, 2010 @ 4:42am by Commodore Samantha York & Colonel Damon Raine & Lieutenant Commander Leanne Bowen & Ensign Bak'ten J'trey

1,154 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: The Devils Snare
Location: Planetside, camp
Timeline: Right after the Marines go to rescue the team in the cave

ON

John Stockton and his group had been quietly watching the events of the evening with anticipation. When the rescue team was out of site he and his group stood up from their log by the fire and walked casually into the hopper.

"Can I help you?" Bak'ten said, seemingly appearing from thin air.

"I'm taking over command here. I don't think your senior officers have acted... prudently. So, if you'll all sit quietly in your ship. We can keep you safe," Stockton replied calmly.

Leanne stood up from checking out the injured Marine, after hearing what the man said. "Um, I prefer you stay put over where you came from. My marines are capable of defending this area and I believe I'm still in charge till my officer gets back." She frowned at him, trying to read his facial expression because something just doesn't seem right. Is he telling the truth? she wondered and kept the phaser secretly hidden under her uniform as well as a knife in her boot. The knife was actually for survival than as a weapon, but she knew that her last resort on that can be to defend.

Stockton was surprised. He'd expected to simply take over. But, if she was going to play games, so would he. He could wait for a bit. Until he was sure the rescue team was well and truly engaged. So, he signaled to his team to go back to their log. For now.

45 minutes later the unmistakable sounds of gunfire began to ring through the night. Stockton and the others pulled their weapons and headed back to the hopper. They walked inside and immediately fanned out. "Okay. Now we're ordering you. Sit down and we'll make this nice and easy. Fight us and you'll get hurt."

Leanne heard the gunfire and ordered her men to get inside. By the time she went in, she knew that Stockton was up to something by his words. What bothered her is having two injured marines plus one non-injured and herself against six. Not much protection if they turn against them. She decided to play it as if she trusted him, knowing that she doesn't. "I think we need to find out who is fighting out there and we all can fire back, if there is danger." Her point was to be neutral with them till her officer comes back.

Stockton smiled coldly. "I'd think that was obvious. Your Marines have met a little... resistance. It shouldn't take too long to kill them. That will leave just you. Resistance truly is futile."

Bak'ten sighed. "Come now. Let's all just try to be civil... " He paused. Turned to Stockton and hit him round the head with his right hand. "... If not for a couple of seconds."

Stockton reeled back. Two of his men jumped at J'trey, determined to take him down. One of them went low, to take him down at the knees. The other went high, aiming a blow at J'trey's jaw.

Blood sprang forth from Bak'ten's lower lip and his wind recoiled out of his body. "That... I'll admit... Was good." He said, trying to regain his breath. He then lunged forward into one of the men's stomachs. Raising his knee up and inflicting serious damage. He then kicked the other man in the chest and brought his hands down together onto his back.

Stockton aimed his weapon at J'trey and fired. He was tired of playing games. He hit J'trey in the arm.

While the men fought, the two women moved around them. One went for the doctor, the other for one of the injured Marines. Both were intent on using them to force the Cardassian to back off.

Trent had spent the last few minutes hiding behind a bush with a view to the hopper. He lay as still as he could to avoid disturbing anything that would give away his position, as he thought up some sort of rescue plan.

He initially resented the idea of being left behind to guard the hopper, it felt like he was being punished for something. The first half hour of his guard duty went by very slowly, as much as he expected it would. Nothing was happening, and nothing likely would he told himself as he absently walked in circles. As the minutes dragged on he decided to head into the bush to relieve himself, it didn't seem necessary at the time to announce his intentions to anyone. After a little while of wandering in the bush he heard the distinct sound of gunfire in the distance. Immediately he started running back to camp. He might be able to convince the doctor to let him go after the other Marines, after all, it wasn't like anything was happening around here. As he closed in on the hopper he realised how utterly wrong he was. By chance he saw from a distance the Starfleet refugees filing quickly into the small craft while one stood guard outside. His pace slowed to a crawl, unsure at first what was happening. It was only once he shuffled behind the cover of the bush that things started to become clear.

As he lay unmoving on the dry soil, he ran through all of the training scenarios he went through in the past. He quietly sighed to himself knowing that all of those programs were geared towards fire teams. The drill Sergeants said one thing in common; if a Marine was alone he was to wait for backup, trying to be a hero rarely ever works out. This thought was running through his head when suddenly he heard a ruckus inside the hopper, someone was fighting back. The guard at the door peered inside the shuttle taking his attention off the forest.

This was his chance. Without another thought he jumped up and pulled the trigger to his MK17 aiming at the back of the guard. Both shots connected and the guard thumped heavily to the ground.

Suddenly a man from just inside the hopper looked out the door, faced Trent and brought his weapon to bare.

"Shit!" Trent said as his eyes went wide. He threw his body to the ground just as a hail of bullets tore though the fern-like bush that was his cover. "OF ALL THE HALF BAKED FRIGGIN PLANS..." He yelled to no one.

The bullets suddenly stopped as the man needed to replace his clip.

Trent didn't hesitate; he rose up again and took a few snap shots at the man. None hit this time, but it did force the man to find cover farther inside the hopper. After he lost sight, Trent turned and ran into the forest. "Hope that helps guys." He said through gritted teeth.

(To be continued...)

Lieutenant Leanne Bowen
Chief Medical Officer

Bak'ten T'trey
Assistant Chief Security Officer

John Stockton (NPC)
Pirate

Private Trent Kushner (NPC)
Marine

 

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