Quell’ish - Away Team - MD2 - Dawn

Posted on Mon Apr 5th, 2021 @ 6:00am by Avalon [ADMIN NPC] & Lieutenant Commander S'hib & Lieutenant JG Miraj Derani & Captain David Tonelly [Reece] & Lieutenant Tonya King ( Barclay de Tolly ) & Lieutenant JG T'Kek [Naxea] & Senior Chief Petty Officer Fernando De La Rosa [Taylor]

Mission: Season 5: Episode 1: No Exit
Location: Quell’ish
Timeline: MD2- Dawn
2293 words - 4.6 OF Standard Post Measure

Thanks to Corporal Tonelly and Commander S'hib, the team had found a well defended alcove in the caves in the past 2 days. They had been stalked relentlessly since their attempt to get away had failed. There had been brief fire fights and a few phaser burns treated by Ensign T'Kek but now they were all holed up in a small alcove, which was barely big enough to hold them all. But, they could all lay down comfortably and move around each other when needed, S'hib included, so for now, they were okay. The thing that rang in their minds, however was that the Elysium was to rendezvous with them soon. So help, was on its way.

Attempts at parlay had been met with phaser fire and from their alcove, they could see small groups of the aliens spread out in the caves, just waiting for them to stick their noses out.

As day dawned on Quell'ish, 2 days after they had found their bolt hole, the group stirred and moved as softy as they could around the alcove.

Tonya was on Watch that morning. And would be relieved by Tonelly after rations. But they all were alert, so alert that when a sound reached their ears, they alll grabbed weapons. Which is what they did, as dawn broke and a loud sound reached their ears. It sounded like missile fire. And down the cavern, nearly 1000 meters away, the roof crashed in and a metallic object slammed into the ground.

"What in the red dunes was that?" S'hib neighed, his startled tone and stomps of his hooves quickly suppressed as he moved towards the entrance to their small sanctuary hole, the sounds still rumbling and echoing around the cavernous network of tunnels making dust flutter down from the ceiling.

"Perhaps they are trying to force us out of this alcove or cause it to collapse on us by high explosive ordinance," T'Kek offered.

"No," David spoke up. "At least, not unless they are in cahoots eith the Elysium." He pointed to the impact site. "It's a Starfleet probe!"

"How can you be sure?" Miraj squinted into the far distance. The object had smashed a hole into the earth, through which a thin line of pale light shone brightly. To come through solid rock, it was either very dense and going very fast. Or it was equipped with drills, Which would suggest a rescue. It would need a bigger ship to punch it a hole through that web. And Elysium was definitely a bigger ship.

Smiling, David turned slightly to look at the young woman. Reaching up to tap his visor, he replied, "Because I can see most of the markings on the casing. I see the Starfleet crest and the letters, USS ELY. Not sure what other ship it could've come from. Can you?"

"Nope. Has to be her. Thank goodness. I need a shower." She whiffed her armpit tentatively and winced. "Two showers."

Tonya smiled. “Maybe Victor or one of the other Engineers rigged this,” Tonya says as a smile finally came on her face when she thought about Victor.

"Whoever rigged it better hurry up," Miraj sighed and held up her tricorder, showing all the encroaching enemies Then she yawned, they'd been at this for too long and she just wanted to go to bed. "Here they come again. Don't these guys every quit?"

"Showers would be nice," Tonya sighed. "Nice slow long one but right now, I settle for a bath. I do not think these guys would ever quit."

"They are, if anything, persistent," T'Kek agreed, peeking a look at the incoming hostiles. Their speed was impressive, he remarked to himself. "The problem is how do we retrieve and/or access the probe without getting ourselves killed."

"We will need to create a distraction T'Kek," Tonya says as she thought. "One that will not make them think it is us. Any suggestions?"

"Misdirection." Fernando added, "Have a group do one thing to get our enemies attention, while one or two others go and retrieve the probe."

"I'll go," David spoke up. "With my suit, I can move faster and I can snipe at them, then move before they can lock on my position."

"Since I am the Engineer," Tonya suggests, "Fernando and I will be the team to retrieve the probe. There will have to be a third team to monitor both teams. Lieutenant Commander S'hib you are in charge but that is my suggestion."

Fernando nodded in agreement. "Lt. King and I will retrieve the probe. The Corporal will cover us with his armor enhancements."

Activating a few different commands on his suit's computer, David said to the group, "Give me thirty seconds to get into my first position, then, when you see my signal, haul ass!" He started to ready himself for the sprint.

"Are you ready to haul ass Lieutenant?" Fernando asked with a grin.

"Corporal, you're with me..." He snorted, readjusting his grip on his lance. "Everyone else, you know what you're doing... Oh, and Corporal," S'hib grinned, turning back to look at David. "try and keep up."

Then he was off, thumping away from the group, lance level with his chest and pointed ahead like a spear.

David grinned at the sudden launching of S'hib. Activating the servos in his suit, the El Aurian burst from their little hideyhole, easily catching the Sequellian in about twenty meters. "Sir," David said, "If you go to that outcropping, I'll go to that one over there." He pointed to the two spots. "If you fire first, I'll fire while you move to another spot, and we just keep leap-frogging, and keep the enemy off balance."

"Alright, let's make this quick." S'hib nodded, scratching a hoof at the ground as he prepared to run.

Tonya waited for her and Fernando's cue to go.

"Lieutenant, when we go to retrieve the probe, if any shots come our way, I will need you to cover us as I will carry the probe due to it's weight." Fernando told her.

"I can do that," Tonya says, "Do not worry. You will be back with your wife soon."

"I am not worried, I have my buddy with me and we will keep each other safe. However I thank you for the nice thought." Fernando said in return.

As soon as David and S'hib dashed from the opening of their position, their enemies opened fire, streaks of blue disruptor fire chasing the two warriors across the open cavern that spread before it. None of them seemed to be hanging back, all focused on the running figures. The noise of the weapons was eerily loud in the huge cavern. And then came a ponk-ponk sound, and bright violet lights arced up into the sky, aiming for where S'hib and David were running to.

His onboard sensors had picked up the mortar launches and had indicated where they should impact. Knowing that S'hib had no such early warning, the El Aurian changed direction and forcibly tackled the large officer to the ground. As soon as their momentum had allowed them to stop rolling, David snapped up, bringing his rifle up and around. "Take potshots at me will ya?" He absent-mindedly quoted a scene from a movie he had watched, back on Earth of the Twentieth Century. It was a classic as far as he was concerned.

The movie was called Masters of the Universe, and in it a group of warriors from another realm travel to Earth, and fight their enemies that chased them over. Towards the end of the movie, the actor who played a human cop, and was apparently bald in all his roles, got angry when the enemy forces started to shot near him with their ray guns. The character said the line, stood up, and using a pump shotgun, eliminated the enemy.

As soon as he was in place, David fired off six quick shots. Each one found their target, much like the human cop's did. The enemy mortar reams fell dead, and their ammunition supply was ignited, sending up two small mushroom clouds of smoke.

Dropping back down, he extended his right hand to S'hib. "Apologies for the rough handling there, Sir. Didn't want to see you turn to mist. "

"We have comms for a reason Corporal," S'hib snorted, declining the hand and raising to his hooves by himself, ignoring the trickle of blood running down his upper lip from one of his nostrils. "Do something that wreckless again and I'll have you court marshalled." He snapped, peaking his ears over the large rock that protected them, gauging where the enemy was before lifting himself up, phase lance swinging around and firing two clean precise shots, hitting their mark with a violent yellow burst of energy.

David slowly dropped the offered hand as the commander stood and fired his lance. "Yes, Sir!" He replied tensely. It won't ever happen again."

Confirming the hits S'hib fell back behind the rocky cover, wiping an arm across his snout as shots rang out, splintering rock and dust above him.

Fernando and Tonya ran towards the probe. Both covered each other systematically as they reached the probe.

T'Kek could only watch as the two pair went their ways. With a Type 2 phaser in hand, he kept a lookout for the enemy. So far, he had no idea what they looked like as many wore helmets, yet their long limbs fascinated him, leaving him to ponder what they looked like.

Tonya was able to access the probe. "Give me thirty seconds Fernando." She touched several buttons as she did it within twenty-one seconds. "Done Fernando." She takes her phaser out as she blasted a tree branch that fell right on three of them that thought they had great cover. "Let's take this probe back and run Fernando."

Fernando wrapped his arms around the probe and with a heave lifted it up and onto his shoulder.. "You do not need to tell me twice Lieutenant. Ready when you are."

"Let's go," Tonya says as they started running as Fernando carried the probe. Her shooting at that branch early causing it to fall in those three bought them some time. As they reached the entrance to the cave, a blast from the enemy hit very close to Tonya and Fernando. Tonya does a double lutz move as she twirls in the air as she confused the enemy as she shoots all three taking them out as she lands on her ankle wrong. "Arggggg!" She replies as she felt her ankle sprain. "Medic!" She hops towards the others. "Damn, that hurt but I got all three of them."

Fernando dropped the probe and was by her side in a flash. "Lean on me." He said as he helped her hop to a small clearing where there was a rock Tonya could sit on and be fairly comfortable as they waited for the medic to come over.

"Elysium should be coming soon," Tonya says as she felt her ankle. "Nasty sprain there but it was worth it. Fernando, you make a good buddy. How long do y'all think before Elysium gets here?"

Fernando nodded and smiled at the compliment as do you Lieutenant." He said honestly. He thought on her question. I would think she's close, probably a few days away but that is just a guess."

"Probes are sublight, so she can't be far." Miraj agreed. "Best case scenario is a couple of astronomical units at most. They're in system definitely for it to get here when we've only been here two days. And depending how much crap they took out to get those drills in, they could even be in orbit right now."

Tonya sits down on a smooth rock as she takes the weight off her ankle. "I will be glad to get back to the ship. Several reasons why I transfer to this ship besides Victor and Lara. Previous ship I was engaged to the Captain and he got himself killed. Too many memories. I do like the Elysium." She pauses for a moment as she catches her breath. "I am sure we have all been in scrapes worst than this. T'Kek, I have a medical tricorder with the Engineering supplies?"

"No need as I have my field kit with me, though I question as to why a medical tricorder is with engineering supplies," he said as he approached the woman and knelt down next to her. Opening his medical kit, he produced his tricorder, activating it as it began to scan Tonya's ankle.

"Because as an Engineer," Tonya says as she relaxed, "It is my job to bring devices, batteries and so forth. I have extra phasers as well. Always be prepared."

Fernando grinned as Tonya spoke. "That's my buddy! By the way Lieutenant were you ever a girl scout?"

"You managed a sprain and a hairline fracture of your Talus Bone in your ankle, lieutenant. I'll have you up again in no time," T'Kek responded as he put the medical tricorder away and grabbed a protoplaser and a Osteo-regenerator out of his kit and began to go to work on the ankle as the Osteo-regenerator began to heal the fracture.

"Thanks," Tonya smiled trying not to show the pain.

"I aim to please," T'Kek responded with a slight shrug as the regenerator finished healing the fracture. Setting the tool aside, T'Kek picked up the protoplaser and began to run it over her ankle. "This will help with the sprained muscles and take care of any tissue swelling. Afterwards, I'll give you something for the soreness and any pain."

Now was only a question of time before the Elysium would hopefully arrive.