Away team 2 - Down to the belly of the beast?

Posted on Mon Jul 19th, 2021 @ 7:10am by Lieutenant Sapphire Morgan [Lalor] & Commander Sthilg & Lieutenant JG Miraj Derani & Lieutenant JG Ryan Kade III & Lieutenant Tonya King ( Barclay de Tolly ) & Senior Chief Petty Officer Fernando De La Rosa [Taylor] & James Green

Mission: Season 5: Episode 2: Operation Save Humanity
Location: New Canaan
Timeline: MD6- 09h00
2662 words - 5.3 OF Standard Post Measure

The away teams had been briefed. Look around, do not start any fights, make sure you are always armed and please stay together. Away team 2, were to gather in the shuttle bay 2 at 09h00 and take a shuttle down to the planet.

The turbolift door opened as Sthilg stepped out and into the shuttle bay. He had an emergency medical bag on his back and his phaser holstered under his arm. Giving his things one final go over he waited for the others to arrive.

Lady Vanessa entered and smiled at the Doctor. "Greetings my dear Doctor. How fare thee today?" She said in her well-spoken demeanor.

" I'm well my dear. Jussst hoping my daughter doesn't go into labour while I'm gone. I'd hate to missssss the birth of my grandchild." He replied warmly

"You and me both Doc!" Fernando chipped in.

"Fear not, my good Doctor... I am sure your medical staff is more than qualified to perform a delivery of a child. But the most important things in life aren't just birth... but what comes after. You have many more important events to look forward to, my dear." Vanessa noted. "Indeed, you might be kinda intimidating to these people. Doubt they've seen a Gorn before. Do not react to anything they do or say." Vanessa noted. "Fear and superstition is not to be compounded. Such is the ways of Colonel Phillip Green." Vanessa checked one of her bracelets and flipped it open. It was a concealed Phaser as an elegant bracelet. She often wore these for... aggressive negotiations, along with her usual elegant form of dress.

" My dear I've ssserved in the Klingon defenssse force. I've been on the end of a few hostile receptionsss in my time." Sthilg replied with a reptilian grin

"Well, Brace yourself. Racism is a strange kind of fear to even my kin, my good Doctor. I'm afraid you are going to attract the lion's share of the attention. Suffice to say, I do not approve of this, Doctor."

" If it keepsss them off you and the othersss I'll happily take there insultsss." The gorn replied as he began to stow his gear on the shuttle.

Tonya rolled her eyes a bit as she shook her head as she wondered why as a Logistics officer she was assigned to this mission. Maybe it was respect she had from the last one.

Sapphire stood in silence as people spoke. ”Shall we?” She asked taking the pilots seat.

===

The Shuttle Landed on the world, at a shuttle landing pad and the door opened. For the most part. It was not the ninety percent of the human-like races they were interested in. It was Sthilg. He was the one that caught everyone's attention. Whispers and gasps resonated through the city as they examined the place.

Vanessa walked out at Sthilg's side... She was determined not to let the Commander stand alone in the face of such ignorance. Suddenly in the distance a human in a group spoke.

"Wow... Look They have croco-freak with legs." One human female noted. "Wonders never cease.

" Well, looksss like the yearsss of isssolation have done nothing to aid in their insssulating capabilitiesss." The gorn replied calmly. He'd heard worse from his friends in the KDF during meal times.

Fernando moved next to the two. "They show their ignorance." Fernando said from the CMO's side.

"Wits about you, my dear friends. And let's try not to antagonize them. Even though they may offend us... I'm interested in leaving with the impression that we're not to be feared." Vanessa mentioned. "Fear is not dispelled overnight."

The brig officer took his place beside the others, a hand on his hip as he took in the scenery and people. There was no phaser or obvious weapon on his person, only a tricorder attached to a crisp and clean Starfleet uniform. His eyes passed over the small crowd of people that were going about their daily lives. Some were ignoring the newcomers with a fast pace in their steps to avoid confrontation. Others were staring holes into the doctor, and those who would stand by him. "Where should we start?" Ryan Kade asked aloud.

"Apparently we have been asked to... 'Look around and not start any fights..." Vanessa noted reading her clipboard PADD. "Which is quite vague coming from our captain." The Alindari Diplomat noted. "Sadly... the locals are not very interested in any outreach of any kind. They're gawking at our Doctor... Which tells me Carrington has sent us to do something completely and utterly pointless." Vanessa mentioned. "I cannot even gossip with these people to learn anything, because again, they're staring at our doctor... Apparently a group began to gather around the team, mostly looking at the Gorn.

"Hey, I wonder how many handbags we could make out of him?"

"Forget that... I want some boots." More laughing came from the crowd.

Vanessa spoke quietly to Sthilg. "I cannot begin to state how much of a horrible idea this was from Carrington."

" I agree I don't know what ssshe was thinking. " The gorn said windering how soft these humans had gotten to have lost their primordial fear of giant reptiles.

Ryan removed his hand from his hip and walked forward several steps towards the gathering crowd. The snickering and snide comments turned to silence. "Hello, there!" In response, the front row took an instinctual step back. Ryan slowed down his movements, being more careful as he continued, "My name is Ryan-" They began turning to leave, "Hey, I just wanted to ask you something. Please?" One by one, the onlookers chose to show what they thought of the idea of conversing with him... by leaving.

Ryan looked back towards the Commander, the pain of sympathy in his smile. "I'm sorry, sir. I don't know what to say."

Vanessa shook her head. "So we have looked, Let us depart. This is pointless and foolish, and the longer we stay here making a scene, the more it will spiral out of control. To the shuttle, mission complete."

From behind, the Gorn could feel something grabbing his leg.

Getting a familiar feeling the gorn slowly turned and looked down

Down low, at his heel, was the little gremlin that had latched onto his uniform pant leg. A bright green pair of iris' beamed with delight. She smiled. "You're really tall!" Said she.

" I am indeed little one." He said kneeling down to be more level with the human child.

Vanessa smiled and knelt down. "Why hello there. And who might you be?"

"Jaden!"

"Jaden... It's not polite to squeeze people without permission., And he's our ship's Doctor." Vanessa mentioned. "My name is Vanessa."

A light breeze moved a lock of brunette hair into little Jaden's face. She scrunched her nose and shook it away from her eyes. "Woops..." The admonishment appeared to go right over her head as she beamed again with pearly whites. "Hi, Ms. Vanessa!" She looked back and forth between the Gorn and the human-looking woman. "Are you two friends?"

" We are little one. All of the crew of the ssship are my freindsss." the doctor replied with his usual kid-friendly voice. He was wondering where her parents were.

"Indeed we are, Jaden. I often have morning Coffee with him my dear."

"How can you do that?" Another human noted. As she walked up.

"How else do you make friends, miss. You just give them a chance. If you meet Dr. Sthilg, before fearing him. You'd have met a delightful man." Vanessa stated. "For one, he is an exceptional doctor, even on humans"

The woman thought a moment, she never knew humans and aliens could even get along. Much less be friends.

" I can assssssure you ma'am I'm far lessssss terrifying than I look." the gorn replied with the friendliest smile he could manage.

The woman looked at the team and then gestured them to the entrance. Picking up Jaden "Listen... You must leave... And don't trust President Green. He's turned against loyal Human beings here, Just because they 'may have been irradiated before the exodus.'" The woman noted. "He uses that excuse to dispose of those who want... something different... Something better. Tell your Captain to leave this world before you all become a pawn for them." The woman turned to leave. "Leave before he finds a way to drag you away and experiment on you. Like he did to my husband."

" Come with usss. If you claim asylum we can get you and your daughter out of here." The gorn sated giving hand gestures for his team to keep an eye out.

The woman stared at them... "Can you truly protect me?"

Vanessa responded. "Indeed we can, my dear..."

"Then let's go, we don't have much time to leave. Listen I'm not sure about life with aliens yet.. But a lot of us think Philip Greene was of the Devil. They just won't come out and admit it."

" Believe me he wasss." The gorn replied. " What'sss your name my dear." he asked.

"My name is Katherine Taylor. This is Jaden." Katherine chuckled a moment. "She's always had her Daddy's intuition for people."

" Well Katherine and Jaden ssstick close to usss me. Everyone let'sss head back to the ssshuttle. " Sthilg said to his group as he moved the two humans into the center of the group.

Ryan fell into step with the others, keeping an eye on the rear. He doubted anyone would bother them now that they were leaving, but he stayed vigilant just in case.

"You all move back to the shuttle and prepare for lift-off. I will watch for any that wish to start something." Fernando said waving the others to the shuttle."

Sthilg eyes darted to the side as something moved in the corner of his eye. " Where being followed let'sss move." He said pulling a rain poncho from his belt and dropping it over Katherine and her daughter to hide their appearance.

Vanessa grabbed her bracelet and flipped it open. It was an elegantly decorated phaser. conforming to Vanessa's sense of style. "Commander, make haste with our charges. Ensign Kade; Get the Shuttle's Engines up. Mister De La Rosa. Phaser on stun. Everyone else; The priority is this young woman's life."

"Understood Consul, I suggest we keep moving towards the shuttle." Fernando replied.

"Indeed." The party entered the starport and approached the shuttle. As they did a group began to come out of the woodwork "Well now.. Looks like the Freaks believe our hospitality isn't good enough for them. They want to kidnap one of our own." One of the thugs stated as they closed in. "I say we skin the crocodile and put its' head on a pike."

"Turn around and leave, dear sirs. We are not interested in your bigotry nor your violence any further."

"You're the ones who are kidnapping one of our people, Freaks."

"Not a step closer..." Vanessa noted.

"Don't bother talking to them Consul, just keep moving to the shuttle." Fernando advised, never taking his eyes off the crowd.

Sthilg was about to say something but a sliver out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. The grenade speed across the port towards them only for Sthilg to catch it in his fist and crush the thing to pieces in his hand white smoke fading as it fell to the ground. " Run." He yelled to his team as his arm began morphing into a shield as his real hand went for his phaser.

Vanessa opened fire on the first of the thugs while she ran onto the shuttle with the rest of the crew. "Ensign Kade... Get us out of here Immediately!!!" She shouted as she pushed more of the crew through the shuttle's hatch. Holding them off with Sthilg. Fire came back from the thugs and it looked like several alarms went off.

"Engines are hot," Kade called back.

"Run Doctor, get to the shuttle!" Fernando said as he fired several well-placed shots at the thugs at the front of the group all while he engaged in a strategic retreat.

Sthilg used his bulk to shield his team as they were boarding the shuttle. Thankfully the people firing at them didn't have any infrared as most of the shots were hitting his cybernetics and not his flesh and blood parts.

Making sure the last of his team was on the shuttle the gorn backed into the rear before heavily banging the side. " We're all in let'sss go. Get usss out of here asss fassst as we can go." he yelled.

"Closing hatch," Kade slid his right index finger over the lift thrusters until they reached quarter-capacity, raising the shuttle while minimizing potential blowback to the civilians. Once the shuttle had made it off the ground, he engaged full power. "Lift off!"

The Shuttle launched while under small arms fire and climbed into the sky. Vanessa moved to the co-pilot's seat and hailed the Elysium. "Captain Carrington, we've had an incident, we need to speak."

Sapphire, just stared at them. “What the hell did you guys do?” she asked, having stayed with the shuttle.

From 'round the back of the gorn doctor popped a sideways stare. A little head of brunette hair hung down towards the floor, swaying with the peeking motion. Inquisitive green eyes were framed by arching brows as the daughter looked up and asked, "Mr. Sthilg, what is hell?"

" A human afterlife were one of humanity godsss sssendsss the really nasty people my dear." The gorn said as he notiched the clinking from his leg. Looking down he notiched the bullet hole that had gone right into of his leg's joins. " Doesss anyone have a ssscrewdrive or knife?"

Tonya hands him a screwdriver.

Vanessa spoke. "We were looking around, and they were looking at our doctor, and trying to decide how many handbags they could make out of him."

" They'd been following usss sssince we'd landed. I think we'd sssprung an ambusssh before they were ready. " The gorn said replaying the info from his medicle scanner in his head as he prised the small metal slug from his leg. " Looksss like an improved 5.56mm ssslug. " He said holding it up. " And it's coated with Anticoagulant. Baghdad strain from the eugenicsss war. " The gorn said as his arm lit up as he scanned it.

Katherine spoke, Holding Jaden. "Those miserable bastards... Biocoated bullets were supposed to be illegal. Eugenics!!! Even we have not dared make the mistake of making more augments. Never have I been so wrong about aliens, never have I been lied to so effectively. Consul. I'm leaving this world. And I'm not looking back." She noted. "Just do me one thing, Commander. When President Green comes to demand my return, Give him this." She handed Jaden to Vanessa and pulled her purse out and retrieved her wallet, handing Sthilg her citizen's card, and everything she had from New Cannan. "I renounce my citizenship of New Cannan... Forever... They killed my husband, and I only knew their true nature after your people arrived." Katherine began examining Sthilg's wound. "I need something the clean the wound... Very effectively..." Katherine noted.

" I will my dear." He said as he calmly moved her hand away. "It'sss quite okay my dear it'sss hit my artificial leg there no tissssssue or blood down there. "

Vanessa responded. "Just get us aboard. Ms. Taylor, I need you to come with me to Commander Lovejoy and that arrogant woman. Perhaps we can get the rest of our contact teams off that planet before they're held hostage. I'll also arrange your status as a political refugee."

" I'll come with you to sssee the captain. I have the data to back everything up." The gorn said tapping his head. " Can someone take Katherine and Jaden to sssickbay. I'll come down and give them a checkup after we're done." He said smiling warmly at the little girl.

OFF