What lies ahead Part 1

Posted on Sat Jun 7th, 2025 @ 11:46pm by Captain Taliserra Tigran & Ensign Amanda Turell & Lieutenant Commander Jack Slattery & Lieutenant Hadir Prenar & Lieutenant Anthony Edwards Ph. D & Lieutenant JG Ash Rowe & Lieutenant JG Summer Wyse & Civilian Dokken & Lieutenant JG Sol & Ensign Eden Drake & Ensign Joran
Edited on on Sat Jun 7th, 2025 @ 11:48pm

5,597 words; about a 28 minute read

Mission: A marathon not a sprint
Location: Various
Timeline: Md08 1545hrs

Traveling in tandem for the last eight days the Wolff and Marathon cruised towards their destination and except for one major breakdown and a few minor incidents the trip had settled back into routine and the mood on both ships was relaxed, happy that the trip was over half way done.

At the second science station Brendan Watanabe idly looked through sensor data of the surrounding area, there wasn't much to look at, pretty much every kilometer of this region of space had been thoroughly explored and catalogued over the years, the most interesting thing nearby was the Wilhelmina nebula.

In the center seat, Lieutenant Baka idly watched the status reports scrolling on the display built into the chair and listened to the ambient beeps and bings of the bridge. Normally, she found it difficult to sit still for long swaths of time, but today, she needed the recovery time from a busy morning in engineering.

There was enough activity during Beta shift that she wasn't lulled into the haze of presleep. But her stomach also growled with hunger. It was then that she realized she had forgotten about lunch.

She paused the report scroll and wandered to the replicator. Drinking her lunch in the form of mixed fruit and vegetables, Baka strolled the bridge on her way back to the command chair. She paused at the various stations to chat with the on-duty officers. "If you were stuck on a desolate moon, what's one thing you would really want to have with you?"

“Good question” Summer gave Baka a thoughtful gaze. “I think I’d have to say company. Food you can find, and shelter you can make, but I wouldn’t want to be alone.”

Anthony thought as he worked at the first Science station, was glad that apart from the deuterium injector issue, nothing had gone wrong for the Marathon crew, at least nothing they couldn't fix by themselves. More often than not, when experimental units, like the Marathon, have things go majorly wrong, the Admiralty automatically look to the mothballs. Look at the Defiant, for example, 'We don't need warships, then they discover the Gamma quadrant has unfriendly species. Then they start screaming for a small, incredibly well-armoured ship to hold them back... Where were those blueprints again?' Sensors were clear to their destination, something the Captain would be glad to hear.

Lieutenant Volsung watched his console where he stood, but he heard the exchange between Baka and Wyse. He smiled to himself at the answer, because he liked the idea of that.

Cadet Oaks felt like all eyes were on him even though in reality, he was fairly certain nobody was really paying him much mind either way. He was just there manning the station getting his flight control experience in. Federation starships practically flew themselves, the real test of skills only came about when course adjustments were needed and lightning fast reflexes were replied upon in combat. Other than that, it was atmospheric piloting of runabouts and shuttles that were a good measure.


==== USS Marathon ====

On the bridge of the USS Marathon, Commande Munro was sitting in the seat where he was spending most of his time nowadays. He was reading a PADD with a report from Engineering after the mishaps they have had, sighing as he lowered it. "Status report?" he called out, because they had all been silent for too long. Some conversation, any conversation, would be welcomed.

Ethan Winters arched an eyebrow at his place at the helm, swallowing back the urge to say 'the same as the last time you asked' with the kind of tone a parent might use to a child that had asked if they were nearly there yet for the third time. "Green across the board, Captain," he managed to say instead.

Carter glanced towards Winters, pretty sure he'd detected an edge in his tone. But then, Winters always seemed to have some kind of bone to pick with everything and everyone. "All clear, Captain," Leo added for good measure.

Matthew was working away at the Engineering station on the bridge. He was glad that S'Ralor had been okay after treating his burns. That was the first major issue, and it was something the team should have caught before leaving the dock. It was nice being away from the Engines for a few hours.

Munro nodded, watching the viewscreen as he let out a breath. "That's good," he said, aloud. He kept his eyes on the view rather than doing what he wanted to do, which was get up and do something. He'd even man a science station now. No one told him about this when he accepted this...challenge. The simple act of waiting. "Cronauner, how are Engineering coping?"

Matthew was ready for the question and responded as such "They're coping Commander, Which is more that they were doing when injector one exploded. Chief S'Ralor has them purring almost as quietly as he does when he's angry!"

"Good," Munro nodded and looked at Matthew, meeting his eyes. "Hopefully a little bit of that will keep us going steady."


==== USS Wolff ====

"Hey Lieutenant, what do you make of this?" Brendon called out to Anthony as something caught his eye in the first sensor sweep he'd made of the Wilhelmina Nebula just to see if anything interesting enough to break the monotony of the afternoon would show up. "Sending the data to you."

As the information on the Wilhelmina Nebula came up on his station he started viewing it, it looked like a normal space nebula of space dust and pretty colours, many different hues of pink and blue, he was about to say to Brendon that there wasn't anything to make it anything to take notice of. Just as he was about to open his mouth to say it two blips popped up "Well that is unexpected!" He started and then changed his exclamation into a proper report. "Lieutenant Baka we have two ships coming out of a Local Nebula."

Summer gave Baka a curious look wondering just who might be aboard the approaching ships.

"Can you identify them?" Baka asked. She stepped away from her conversation with Wyse and headed back towards the command chair while watching the main view screen but the view returned only starfield and light refractions from gaseous clouds.

Quickly continuing to work on the information as it came in, Anthony quickly responded with, "I'm working on it, but they are Starfleet Sabre class..." He worked a little longer and the names came on screen, "USS Broadsword and USS Claymore."

"Sabre's I'd say with names like that," Brendan remarked. "Patrolling in a pair, probably chased something into the nebula and either caught it or lost it."

"Which way are they headed?" Baka asked.

"At the moment they are on the same vector as us so the best I can do is to say Dakala!" Anthony responded.

With a small shrug, Baka did return to the center seat this time. "Alert me if there are any changes."

==== Crocell ====

Aboard their vessel, the Crocell, Dokken awaited an update as they strategized standing at a console with star charts pulled up on display. One of their advisors cautiously approached, but the masked Dokken turned sharply on their toes. "Speak," the deep synthetic sounding voice of Dokken said. It was deep, altered to keep the crew from knowing too much about them.

"Commander, our interceptors have detected the Federation starship. The Wolff, Sir. We know where they are" the male Orion said. His green index finger touching the screen at the console, pulling up the coordinates. "Your orders, Commander?"

Dokken remained silent for nearly a minute. "We have them in our sights" commented the Crocell's Commander. "We attack them here," Dokken said, placing his gloved finger on the screen. "The interference from this nearby nebula will prove to be too much for their sensors, but we must attack swiftly. Instruct those interceptors not to hesitate. It will only take a moment for the Wolff to realize we're no sensor echo."

The Orion was about to turn when Dokken grabbed their shoulder. "Everything else is collateral, but the Wolff is ours. They will disable it and wait for the Crocell. I have a date with Captain Tigran."

"Understood Commander" replied the Orion as Dokken's grip loosened. An attack was coming and the USS Wolff would not see it on the horizon.

====USS Wolff ====

Anthony noticed a course change as it came across his station and spoke up, "Lieutenant Baka our Sabre Class friends seem to be less friendly now. They have changed course to an intercept course, and they will be in visual range within a minute."

Baka looked at the control panel situated beside her, confirming the report. She didn't see anything other than the change in course to indicate a change in comradery levels - which had her wondering what Edwards saw that she was missing. "Are they charging weapons?" She asked in confusion.

At his station, Volsung gave a small frown as he observed the situation as well. He didn't say anything, but he did double check the phaser banks and their torpedoes because you never knew. The lack of a hail worried him, because he had expected one when they changed course. He remained silent though, letting it play out.

Anthony knew Lieutenant Volsung was likely watching his sensors as they were where Tactical information came first. Nothing was showing up on the science station. Hence, Anthony decided to engage his knowledge, "I have nothing on my sensors that would indicate that, how about your sensors, Lieutenant Volsung?"

"Their weapons aren't charging and based on this their shields aren't up," Magnus said as he looked at Anthony. His frown eyes were serious as he spoke. "But I would have expected them to hail us before going on an intercept course." And that was what was throwing him.

Baka scowled for a moment while listening to the information. "Open hailing frequencies," she ordered.

Anthony tapped the button and said "Open and Transmitting."

Summer was sitting quietly, her own senses were reaching for what she could sense, she didn’t like what she was feeling. She motioned to Baka not wanting to say anything with the channel open.

"No response, Lieutenant." Brendon said then announced. "They're in visual range."

"What is it?" Baka asked Wyse.

“I don’t like what I’m sensing, it definitely doesn’t feel good in any way.” Summer frowned.

"Faschizzle!" Anthony exclaimed as if the word was a swear, After a quick look at the new visual of those ships gave him at least one piece of information that no one else on the bridge had; A symbol on the side of the ship, three red daggers buried several inches deep into a white skull. "Lieutenant Baka, I suggest shields and weapons hot, they're not going to respond to hailing frequencies. They're not friendly nor Starfleet. They are Dead Skull Privateers, and it isn't the first time this ship has faced them."

In space the two ships both sleek of prow but wide of body with short stubby nacelles powered towards the Wolff and Marathon at warp speeds, at a seemingly deliberately chosen moment the fronts of each ship were bathed in red light for several second as a volley of torpedoes streamed out of a forward launcher towards both ships.

Baka grimaced, "Shields. Red alert! Evasive maneuvers. Alert the Marathon," she called. "Baka to Tigran," she alerted over her comm badge, "we have a situation..."


==== USS Marathon ====

"Captain, we have two unknown vessels moving to intercept," Leo called out from behind his panel, and his tone had distinctly changed from the relaxed timbre he'd used not long ago. He didn't wait for the instruction, instead putting the image up on screen. Although it was only mere moments later that the tell-tale red glow of weapons fire crackled into life across the bow of the hunters.

Munro's eyes went to the screen before he let out a breath. They were sitting ducks like this. Chances of survival? Extremely low. "Red alert, evasive maneuvers," he said, hoping that it would be enough. Praying it would be enough.

"Never rains, but when it does, you get a deluge. Join Starfleet, they said, see the universe, they said, nobody ever mentions people shooting at you in the recruitment films!" Crewman Matthew Cronauner said exasperatedly from the engineering station on the bridge.

"Shields up..." Leo confirmed across the bridge, having already brought them up before the red sirens had even started to wail. He opened the link to Helm to make sure they worked together in both defensive and offensive manoeuvres. He wasn't a fan of Winters, but he really could fly at least. They weren't entirely screwed.

'We are entirely screwed,' the words involuntarily ran through Winters' brain as he coaxed the experimental ship into as sharp a diversion as possible given the circumstances. The truth was, they were severely understaffed for a firefight of any real proportions.


==== USS Wolff lower decks ===

When the Red alert klaxon sounded in Engineering Lt Kail leapt to his feet. "Alright people get moving, bring the core up to maximum, Michael get your damage control team together head for the shield generators make sure nothing happens to them. Elara your team is on any hull breaches, Debbie you know what you're doing." He called out to several of the engineers.

Hadir had been in his quarters catching up on some reading when the red alert sounded. He looked up to the ceiling as if it would give him an answer as to what went on. Of course it did not and he rose to his feet, put his uniform jacket on and made his way to the bridge.

Already in her seat Summer was wondering just who they were up against, she couldn’t get a good read with all the heightened emotions aboard the Wolff and the Marathon, it seemed their attackers were focussed on the task at hand.

Doctor Ross and her team were busy preparing sickbay in case it was needed. Red alert situations often lead to injuries or several other potential issues that might involve the medical teams.

Dr Sol looked across to his chief, a slight frown furrowing between his Vulcan tilted brows. He went through the motions of preparing Sickbay for casualties, but he was having to put more effort than usual into keeping his emotions under control. Adrenaline was threatening in the ex-marine, and his muscles were drawing tighter ready for a fight.

Sullivan raised an eyebrow as the Klaxon went off then looked at the physio.
"I think I just got called up, kid." he grinned. Heading for the door and his post at the main Security office.


==== Bridge ====

In space torpedo impacts blossomed against the barely raised in time forward shields of the Wolff and Marathon, more torpedoes leapt from the launchers of the Privateer vessels as the four ships sped closer to each other.

"Targeting the warp engines," Volsung called out, frowning as he was targeting the ships that had decided it was a good idea to attack them.

Slattery frowned as he stepped out on the bridge, eyes going to Baka at once. "Report," he said as he looked at the viewscreen. Whatever had caused the red alert, judging by the atmosphere of the bridge...it was not good.

"There are two Starfleet Sabre class ships that wouldn't answer hails - they're shooting at us. We're busy avoiding the volley of fire..." Baka answered as the gravity drastically changed on the bridge with the maneuvers.

Anthony knew from a battle point there was nought to little he could do to aid the fight as trying to blind the two Sabre size ships would also blind their efforts too, so he kept an eye on the nebula as it felt like these two were only a force to distract from the main event. The times he and the Wolff had conflicted with the Dead Skull Privateers ambush was a given.

The doors opened to the bridge and Ash Rowe bolted down towards the Helm, slapping Oaks on the shoulder. She barely waited for him to be half way out before jumping in, her gaze darting across to take in the field of play. She tapped quickly, continuing through the pattern of evasive manoeuvres they were already half way through.

Slattery let out a breath and moved to the Captain's seat. "On screen," he said in a firm tone, frowning as he looked at the ships. And his lips parted with surprise. "Those aren't Starfleet vessels, or Sabre class." He hadn't seen ships like that before. They looked the same size, but where the Sabre class was round with the nacelles extended along the sides to the aft, these ships were pointed, reminding him of the ancient fighter jets. And as a former pilot, a part of his brain appreciated how they looked. Sleek. Didn't help the situation though. "They'll be quick to manoeuvre," he observed. "Helm, the Marathon is vulnerable, we need to be between these ships and them." Which was a tall order considering they were travelling at warp. Dangerous, even. But he had faith in their Chief Flight Control Officer. "Volsung, keep targeting their warp core."

"Aye Sir," Rowe replied without hesitation, understanding the stakes - and the mission - all too well. And surely this was no coincidence either. A valuable ship holding the key to potentially life changing technology? She knew they'd need to keep them off of it at all costs. She took as much care as possible in manoeuvring them between the Marathon and fast approaching vessels, but with more than one hostile in play, there was a real risk of the Marathon being flanked.

Hadir stepped onto the bridge as the Captain gave the order to continue firing to Volsung. Without a word he relieved the junior officer and took his post. Hadir's pale finger tapped in a number of commands quickly. "Sir, I am initiating attack pattern Prenar-delta-2." Within seconds two spreads of torpedoes launched from the Wolff. One spread targeted each of the attackers. All the torpedoes made their impacts. "Direct hits to warp drive systems. Minimal damage. Their shields are holding."

Only partially uniformed; the jacket only slung over her shoulder Taliserra emerged onto the bridge heading for the center chair, she watched the viewscreen display of the ships that were now manoeuvering to pursue the pair of federation ships, their frontal attack failing to stop them before coming too close at warp speed. "Lt Rowe, can we outrun them?"

Ash gave a sharp shake of her head, looking to her with tensely set features, wishing she could deliver better news. "Negative...or at least, the Marathon can't, not with their curtailed top speed."

'Damm' Taliserra thought. "Anthony set up a tactical link between us and the Marathon, instruct them to drop to warp in 10 seconds, and return fire where possible. Ash, drop to impulse when the Marathon does, do what you can to keep us between those ships and it."

Anthony's fingers were flying over his console as soon as the words were out of the Captain's mouth. He responded with, "Right away, Captain." A few minutes later, as he finished, he said, "The link is complete, Captain." To show the accuracy of his statement, he started a five-second countdown as he finished his declaration; as he got to one, both ships dropped from warp.

Rowe's gaze was fixed on her console as she took them back to impulse. She felt the immediate prickling of the hairs on the back of her neck, feeling distinctly more vulnerable with the change. She wasted no time in manoeuvring them into a more protective stance.

Summer frowned. “How did they know about the Marathon? About our route? Hell, is this even planned, or just someone taking the opportunity to attack us?”

"Your guess is as good as mine right now Summer." Taliserra replied.

As the federation ships dropped to warp so did the Dead skull privateer ships, rapidly closing the distance points all across their hulls glowed as disruptor bolts began to fly alongside more torpedoes towards their targets, one focusing its fire on the Wolff, the other targeting the Marathon as best it could. The shields of both ships rippled as the energy blasts struck them.

"The Marathon reports direct hits, as do we. Little damage to both vessels, shields are holding. Their weapons and shields are comparable to ours." Hadir reported as he continued to keep his eyes on the tactical sensors.

"Defensive pattern gamma 3 but if you see a chance for torpedoes do it." Taliserra called out. "They must have upgraded their ships since the last time we encountered them."

"Defensive pattern gamma 3 confirmed Captain." Hadir said as he input the commands. Gamma 3 was what in the twentieth and twenty first centuries was known as a crazy Ivan. The Wolff moved up and around the enemy and settled in front of the target. As the ship continued to move forward drawing the enemy slightly away from its partner, the Wolff would turn its bow in one direction or the other and as it turned torpedo spreads would fire.

It was the second volley that brought a response from Hadir. "Direct hits. The enemy's engines are inoperable, and their shields down to 45%. Recommend we concentrate our fire on the other attacker and assist the Marathon, this target will no longer be much of a threat."

"Helm bring us about, get us back between the Marathon and the other ship. Baka monitor the damaged ship, if it gets its engines operational again let us know."

"On it," Ash called across the noise of the bridge, her whole body instinctively leaning in the direction that she sent the ship cruising in. She was frowning though, at how the hostile altered its own course, clearly trying to fix its sights on the Marathon. "It really wants to get its teeth into the Marathon..." she warned.

The tension on the bridge was palpable while Baka monitored her station at the rear of the room. Her hands move over the console with practiced speed. She scans the various technical readings while keeping a close eye on the enemy vessel.

The hull had been breached with some severe structural damage near the midsection. The power was unstable, and to Baka's trained eye, it looked like it could go critical within the next five minutes if the core wasn't stabilised.


=== USS Marathon ===

"I can't explain it, Commander Munro, but unless they think we're complete as the heaviest impact is decks four and five near Transwarp Engineering and deuterium storage. Deck Four seventy percent port shields, sixty-five per cent starboard, Deck five are about the same. Bridge shield ninety-five per cent." Matthew said and recalculated as the forward viewscreen flashed as another volley hit them. "Ninety per cent. for the bridge"

Leo glanced to Matthew at the observation, his eyebrow arching with surprise. Could they have just stumbled into a piece of really bad luck? "Phasers are ready when you are, Captain..."

"Light them up," Munro said, his voice dark with simmering anger. At them being attacked, at someone knowing they were there. At warp. Someone squealed then.

A split second later, fiery red ribbons crackled through the space between them, the Marathon's phasers cracking across the enemy ships. They only served to drain some of the energy from the strobing shields of the hostiles, but it was enough to put some pressure on them at least.

As the ships twisted and turned in space, phasers, disruptors and torpedoes flinging back and forth the Privateer ship slipped past the Wolff and for several seconds barraged the Marathon's weaker starboard shields.

Klaxons and warning alarms sounded across the Marathon as multiple volley's of disruptors and torpedoes hit their shields, the shield grid struggled to cope against the strong impacts eventually cracking as the last few blasts hit and slipped through the hole to crash into the bare hull.

The Marathon rocked side to side and with this the bridge as the latest volley of weapons fire, some people were thrown from their seats. Matthew braced just before they hit and shortly after they landed the starboard finally failed. Commander Munro Starboard shields have failed. Sir!"

Munro was one of those thrown to the ground and he pushed himself up, his arm feeling bruised. He stood, taking a deeper breath. Oh. And ribs. Bruised, not broken. "Can we divert power to get them back up? If not, let's make sure they don't get a lock at that side." There was another consideration and as he got back to the chair, he opened the shipwide communication. "This is Captain Munro, we've lost starboard shields. Anyone who isn't armed, get armed."

"Working on it Captain Munro. I am not sure it will work but I'll give you everything that we've got." Matthew said and as he said it his hands were taking power from everywhere that was safe to do so. That meant everything but life support and gravity plating. As he pushed one button the lighting all over the ship dropped by fifteen per cent, he got the shields re-established but not for long because it was just ten per cent. "They're up Captain but won't be if we get another hit there."

Ethan Winters groaned as he lifted his head from his console, blood oozing from his temple. He resisted the urge to reach for it and instead forced his hands back to his controls. He meant to say something, anything to assure the Captain he was on top of manoeuvring the ship to try and protect their wounded side, but nothing came out of his mouth. He blinked blood out of his eye as the ship started to turn in a noticeably tight angle to make it harder to get a direct hit on the starboard side.

Despite the vigorous manoeuvring another volley of disruptor fire struck the starboard shield grid, the hastily reinforced grid shattered once again under the impact.

Matthew groaned as the starboard shields went down again, as this time, there was no extra power to borrow. "Captain Munro now is the time to get personally armed because the Starboard shields are down and port shields aren't far behind." As he made his report he headed to the bridge armory locker and opened, took the weapons to the other bridge crew.

"Captain!" Leo was tapping across his screen to send the alert down to the security office, even as he called to the skipper. "We have intruders on Deck 4! I'm reading a dozen lifesigns in transwarp engineering..." he knew the security personnel in the office would already be on the way, but his hand was itching to catch hold of his phaser.

Munro almost sneered at that, more because the built-up ball of mild annoyance at every step of this assignment had now risen to a feeling of getting done over by bad planning by people further up the food chain. "Seal the bridge, arm yourselves. We can't let them get control of this vessel," he said and took the weapon Matthews offered him.

The order to arm themselves was extremely prudent as a few moments later several transporter sparkles heralded the arrival of ten mercenaries; the first five, all Nausicaan's beaming in in front of the viewscreen and another five, a mix of Humans and Orions at the back of the bridge.

Munro watched the Nausicaans, his neck prickling at knowing there were people behind him too. That tell-tale sound of a transporter beam, he hated it. He opened fire at the Nausicaans even as he threw himself down into cover by his chair.

Ethan Winters followed suit, throwing himself out of the pilot's chair and into cover behind the console. He'd grabbed his phaser as ordered, but he was by no means a fighter. He swore loudly as a beam of fire flashed above his head, sweat breaking out on his brow.

At the back of the bridge, the Chief of Security didn't waste a moment, already primed and ready to go. Leo shot one of the human intruders without so much as blinking. The air was suddenly forced out of him as a pair of strong green arms grabbed him from behind. Adrenaline spiked through Leo, his elbow smashing back into the now vulnerable side of the Orion pirate. Taking advantage of the moment of disorientation, he broke free of the grip, smashing the pirate in the face with the palm of his hand before grabbing him and turning them both to use him as a bodyshield against the approaching boarder.

Matthew had just finished handing out the phasers to the rest of the bridge crew as he stood near the Ops console after he circumnavigated the bridge as the pirates arrived. He watched as the Chief of Security drop one of the humans and was grabbed by an Orion and then turn him into a body shield and decided the ones that had beamed onto the bridge near the port turbo-lift were where he needed to aim rather than hitting the security Chief squarely in the butt as he fired at the Starboard lift. As he was thinking it through, however, a weapon's beam fizzed just over his head from the ones at the front of the bridge and fired at them instead.

Leo cried out with the effort of charging forward with the deadweight held out in front of him, keeping his head low as the flesh of his captive pirate soaked up a bolt from an energy weapon. As he closed the gap between him and the next intruder, he shoved his makeshift Orion shield away, narrowly avoiding a large knife slicing toward his head, his own arm lifting to block it. He pushed forward, sweat breaking out on his skin as he lifted his booted foot to savagely stamp down at the back of the knee of the pirate, waiting for him to drop with it before smashing his knee up into his face. He had barely managed to catch his breath before he started to drive forward again, his aim to get to the Captain.


==== USS Marathon Deck 4 ===

"Lets go people," Amanda shouted to the rest of the security team who had reported there as soon as the red alert siren has sounded, she had arrived there first, her personalised phaser rifle already assembled ready to go, she'd issued the remaining phaser rifles to the rest of the team. "Transwarp engineering."

Only partially uniformed having been asleep when the red alert siren went off Po Smith rubbed her eyes and checked her phaser again before heading out the doorway into the corridor, transwarp engineering wasn't too far away on the small ship.

Eden Drake grabbed a Type 2 phaser and slotted it into his belt before heading for the door, ducking only long enough to grab one of the ka'bars from the foot locker, securing it tightly. He let the rifle fall into his hand as he ran towards engineering, his features set with determination yet oddly relaxed.

More of a tactician than a foot soldier, La'Ro brought up the rear, his hands clamped around the rifle. Sweat prickled on his brow as he ran with the others, his heart pounding in his chest, but ready to do his job.

The transporter flashes of multiple invaders had barely faded when weapons were raised seeking targets to destroy, when none presented themselves there were a few seconds of confusion amongst the group. "Where is everyone?" One asked. "The core isn't here, Dokken said the core should be here." Another said.

Another transporter flash brought even more mercenaries into the empty room as reinforcements arrived, this time on the lower level of the two level engineering space.

In the corridor to the upper level Amanda and the rest of the team reached the entrance. "Should have bought a case of stun grenades with us." Amanda remarked as she took up a position on one side of the door.

"That'd be far too simple," Drake replied dryly from the other side of the door, arching an eyebrow to her, phaser clasped close to his chest. "What do you think? Wide beam phaser? Overload a Type 2 and toss it in?"

Amanda thought for a moment, "Smith, rapid fire wide beams from the doorway, head height till we're in., Drake, La'ro right behind me, once we're in target anyone on the lower level, ready?"

Quickly tapping at the controls of her phaser rifle Smith adjusted the settings for Amanda's instructions.

Drake glanced at her with concern at letting the senior amongst them go in first. He had no intention of letting her become a human shield. But she was in charge so he wouldn't question it. And he also really didn't want a bollocking for being concerned about her welfare. If the situation weren't so desperate, she'd probably laugh her arse off for a good hour or so about it.

La'Ro on the other hand had no such concerns. He was content to fall behind the far more experienced sharpshooter. He clutched his rifle ready though, his features set with grim determination. He might be a pacifist at heart, but he'd see his duty through.

Amanda took a deep breath. "And shoot to kill, let's go." She hit the panel to open the door.

TBC

 

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