A most auspicious star

Posted on Sat May 7th, 2022 @ 11:32pm by Captain Samuel Woolheater

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: The Planet Sycorax
Timeline: The Past - Three Years Ago - The Last Hours of the Evacuation
Tags: Sycorax, Hall, Embassy
1719 words - 3.4 OF Standard Post Measure

[ON: THE PLANET SYCORAX – THE LAST HOURS OF THE EVACUATION]


=== THE PAST – THREE YEARS AGO ===


The Federation embassy here on Sycorax was a smoldering heap now. The perimeter walls had been breached, smoke and fire filled many of the buildings and only a handful of embassy staff remained trapped here. Transporter inhibitors have been emplaced and high above the surface, the USS SCOTT, waited for a squad of marines under the command of 2nd Lieutenant Samuel Woolheater to get them out. Power fluctuated; the Ambassador was safely aboard the starship, but these staffers had not been so lucky to leave before the transporters stopped working. Phaser fire and older, but n less lethal, kinetic energy weapons were being fired. And the Sycorans were closing in. A squad of six marines were all that stood between them and a certain and unpleasant death.

“Can’t get out that way!” Sam Woolheater said as he returned from a blown-out window that overlooked the landing bay.

“They’ve cut off our only escape route?!” said the embassy’s chief-of-staff, a bureaucrat of about fifty years of age.

“Yes, rather rude of them!” Sam said. There were six embassy staff. Each was assigned to a marine protector. An explosion outside sent debris flying everywhere and dust fell from the ceiling where the group of twelve were crouched down. Sam and another marine went to the blown-out window to see what just happened.

The remained low to the floor and were careful not to be spotted. Below them, the main gate had finally been blown away. Sycorans were storming through. The two shuttles and the ground transport that wasn’t on fire were gone. The main administration building and the staff living quarters were fully engulfed in flames.

Sam scanned the area with the combat tricorder. He then directed his attention to the roof of the communications tower. A four-story building that had been as tall as the walls at one time. Using the scope on his rifle, he took a closer look and saw the transporter inhibitors. “I see the inhibitors. At one-o-clock. 44 meters. Guarded, two to five combatants.” As Samuel read off the info to another marine who verified what he could see, in the background could be heard another marine calling for help to the ship.

Someone was crying in fear, and someone was trying to comfort them.

“We need to get to the roof. There. Twenty degrees to the right of the flagpole. Goes behind the smoking observation tower and we get across the footbridge and up to the COMMS tower. Eliminate the guards and remove the inhibitors. The ship can lock onto the staff using our personal locators.” Woolheater had the plan and relayed it to the second marine who said, “It might work.”

Just then, in the courtyard below, three Starfleet security guards were shoved out of a doorway. “We missed a few!” Woolheater said annoyed.

“Fucking hell we missed any!” the marine said. Sam showed him by using his hand to point. They also appeared on the combat tricorder. “DAMMIT!” Woolheater said. The three security personnel were lined up and shot at point blank range. And they couldn’t do a thing in the 15 seconds they had. If they did anything to try and save them, they would give away their position.

Not that any of that mattered now. The door below them was being pounded on and the Sycorans were trying to get in. They started firing their disruptors. “Time to go!”

“LT! The footbridge is clear!” said the marine.

“Time is now. Everyone. We are leaving. Like a fly on shit, you stick to your marine, and you will get through this. Stay down, stay low. OK. Let’s move!” Sam gave the order and lead the way up the heavily damaged and smoldering stairwell. Carefully and quickly, they moved up the landings and to the roof.

“On three” was what Sam said without words as with a nod of his head he made the countdown, and the marine opened the door to the roof.

Scanning the roof with the combat tricorder they knew that it was clear. But it had limited range and wasn’t perfect. Making sure it was clear, Sam said, “Clear!”

Just then, below them, the Sycorans had successfully blown the inner door and were into this building. “Move!” said another marine and everyone was on the roof. The door was closed and using the phaser rifle at a lower setting, they started to seal the door shut by melting the door to the frame. In a moment, it was done. Meanwhile, the staff and marine team moved across the roof and behind the smoking observation turret. Using it for cover, Woolheater looked down at the courtyard. They would be in the open as they crossed the narrow footbridge. If anyone looked up, they would be spotted and could be shot at and there wasn’t enough room on the narrow bridge to go around or turn back.

Sam gave the order, “Lance Corporal Evo, you take the point. I want you to get these people across that damn bridge and onto that COMM tower. I will take the rear and cover you as you all cross. Under no circumstances are you to stop. Drag your staffer if you have to but do not fucking stop.”

Just then, down in the courtyard, the bodies of the embassy staff were being brought out and…mutilated. With rocks and fire and gunshots. It was terrible to look at. The COMM signal was being blocked but Woolheater could hear the ship calling for them. Another marine came up and said, “Lieutenant. That was the ship. Sycoran fighters are coming out of warp.”

Sam said, “I heard ‘em.” Sam pulled the Type III phaser rifle in front of him as he got into position. He gave the signal and the marines with their protectees started for the COMM tower. He used both eyes with the sight, which always gave him a headache. He watched the courtyard below and would have loved to pick off a few. It was a gruesome sight.

They were at the bridge and started to cross. Two at a time, marine and staffer. Below no one had noticed. There were large explosions and from behind him, he could hear that the Sycorans were at the melted roof access door. The staff person that was him had gone with LCpl. Evo so Sam was free of any distraction for the moment. The last of the team was crossing the bridge and still no one had noticed. They started banging on the door and that was going to draw attention. Sam got up from a prone position and started running towards the bridge. On the other side, he could see that his team as covering for him as they had gained access to the COMM tower. He started across the footbridge just as they door to the roof exploded.

Woolheater turned and started firing into the open doorway as a few Sycoran unfortunates fell to his fire. From the COMM tower, the guards started firing down on his position and of his team. Sam cursed under his breath as he turned and ran across the bridge. Taking a Type I “d” grenade, he pulled the locking pin and threw it behind him. It exploded a moment later and took out a section of the foot bridge.

The marines were now inside and climbing the COMM tower. It was a race now to the top. The Sycorans weren’t stupid, and they knew that the transporter inhibitors must be the target.

Firing, climbing, yelling, and pulling. Every step of the way was hard ground earned, but they made it to the top and everyone was still intact. The squad took out the eight Sycoran guards that had come to defend the tower. With ready dispatch, the marines from the SCOTT took out the transporter inhibitors.

=A= Away team to SCOTT. We are ready to leave! Lock onto our personal locaters! =A= Woolheater said into his commbadge. He could see that a shoulder mounted weapon was being pointed at them.

From the bridge of the USS SCOTT the OPS station said, “I’ve got a lock!”

“Get them out of there!” the Captain said.

They Sycorans fired at the tower.

It hit the COMM tower and the whole structure shuddered. Sam could feel the tower start to twist and turn and then it started to fall. At the same time, he felt the sensation of the transporter and was engulfed in the blue-white light of the transporter.


=== THE PRESENT – ON TITAN – CLOSE COMBAT TRAINING ===

Mason Hall looked at Sam and said, “LT! You with me?”

Sam snapped out of his memory of events years ago. This training simulation hit a little too close to home. The holodeck felt a little more real today.

“Yeah. I’m with you.” He said.

Hall looked at him. The urban warfare close combat certification was exhausting. Making your way from point a to point b in an urban city setting filled with traps and hostiles meant long hours of concentration. So far, Hall and Woolheater were doing very, very well.

“I’m here. Just…thinking about something very much like this.” Sam answered.

Mason said, “Yeah? Well, if you got any bright ideas; now would be a good time.”

Sam looked out the window and sighted a large balcony and a pool. Then he traced the suspension cables that ran between the two structures and used the combat tricorder to calculate the spot where they would need to let go and drop from if they planned to land in the rooftop pool. He had the distance, and he knew where they would need to drop from. He handed the combat tricorder to Mason, “How’s a dip in the pool sound to you?”

Mason looked at the tricorder, then the pool, then the suspension cables and then at Sam. “Are you shitting me?!” he asked incredulously

Quoting the armorer from the previous day and imitating the same annoyance Sam said, “Do you see a smile on my face?!”

And it was just the second day.


[OFF:]


2nd Lieutenant, Samuel Woolheater
“Saepius Exertus, Semper Fidelis, Frater Infinitas”

===UNASSIGNED===

 

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