Home Front - Part IV
Posted on Sat Mar 13, 2021 @ 11:15pm by Captain Maritza Soran & Lieutenant Kivan Ta'Gas & Lieutenant Annora Tessaro & Captain Tam "Demon" Haican
2,008 words; about a 10 minute read
Mission:
Si vis pacem, para bellum
Location: DS5, various
Timeline: MD04 0500
Previously in
"Elot'oX, go and secure Raddon and the woman. You and your men are to get them to give you the access information to activate the device. Use any means necessary. Our window is closing. We have to be ready by the time Gul Vashur launches her assault on the station," Glinn Remtok said in that standard voice that could only come from someone used to giving commands to others.
Elot'oX did not need to be directed on what to do, especially since he had helped formulate this part of the plan in the first place. "You just ensure that your men can hold off the Starfleet Security and Marine force that is on their way here," he said ruefully. He had received word from his reconnaissance team that such a large group had learned of the disruptor fire and were making their way towards the facility.
Time was running short.
And now the continuation
Main Promenade
Reports soon came flooding in of a weapons fight taking place near the Dilithium Chamber. Whether the opposition was planted ahead of time or somehow snuck on in the confusion, it didn't really matter. As a threat to the station and its inhabitants, they had to be dealt with appropriately.
Tihr and the rest of SRU 3 were quickly rerouted from their trek to the docking bay, joining the other security teams converging on the scene. A group of panicked civilians running past was further indication they were on the right path.
"Crewman Carlton, help get the civilians to safety. If you get an opportunity to pass it off to other station personnel, then do so." Tihr said
The young Human turned back towards the crowd as the rest of the security team moved forward, weapons at the ready. While Zahl worked on overriding the sealed doors, the teams stacked up in two columns, prepared to rush in as soon as they were able.
Glinn Remtok could see on the wall monitors that the Starfleet Security team had responded, just as they were expected to. He walked over to the prone and bloody form of a nearby Raddon Corp employee and obtained his communicator. The various employees used these to communicate with one another throughout the complex. The Glinn was certain that the security team was openly listening to the channel.
"This is J'resh Remtok to the Federation force that has just arrived at our small...gathering," he began. "You'll have to excuse the appearance of myself and my men. We were forced to don more casual and civilian attire when your commanding officer invaded our sovereignty and forcefully removed the Cardassian Embassy from this station," he continued.
"But I'm certain you did not come here to hear about me. Instead, your assault force is working to unseal the doors that lead into this complex. Undoubtedly, yet unsuccessfully, you have tried to bypass the security lockout," he taunted. "Next, I'm sure you'll attempt to beam in or beam us out. However, you'll find that the transporter buffers will make it exceedingly difficult to maintain a lock on any particular target. Eventually you'll try good ole-fashion explosive devices. However, I would be an unworthy host if I did not first give you fair warning," he said as he took a dramatic pause.
"We're not alone in here," he said. "In fact, we're joined by over a dozen guests of the Raddon Corporation, many of whom are quite frightened and would like to make it back home to their loved ones without being killed by the explosive devices that we have installed throughout the. . .the..." He paused to ask what exactly was the name of the Human establishment they were in.
"Oh yes, the Dilithium Chamber," he said, as if the words themselves were of a bad taste. Such a tacky name, it had to be of Human design.
"I will give you forty-five seconds to remove yourselves from the door before I'm forced to. . .escalate the matter," he said. "Starting now."
Tihr motioned for the security guards to back off from the entrance. With no clear way in, they weren't about to risk the civilians inside. He saw the rest of his team head away from the establishment, likely in a bid to find a more clandestine way in.
Elot'oX and three other Xi'Cadians made their way up the platform while Remtok enjoyed being the star of this dramatic little production. As they got to the top of the platform they were greeted with the sight of a restrained Melvyn Raddon and his Assistant Operations Director Jhene Waugh.
"Elot'oX," Melvyn said wearily, as he almost instantly recognized the Xi'Cadian even before he had opened his mouth to talk.
The Xi'Cadian smiled. "I'm glad you remember me. That should make this even easier," he said mirthlessly. "I'll make this quick. Give us access to the tritium relay project," he said, looking directly to the Operations Director.
Jhene knew what he wanted access to the program for, and she was not prepared to cooperate.
"This is ridiculous. You came all the way and took over my business just so you could play with your childis--" Before Raddon could finish his comment, Elot'oX crossed the distance of the several steps and drove his fist into the older man's stomach, causing the wind to rush out of his lungs as he fell to his knees.
"If you think I came all this way just so you could talk down to me you are dead wrong. This isn't one your damn dilithium sites, you don't own anyone standing in front of you," the Xi'Cadian said bitterly.
"And you should be careful whom you hit in my presence," Major Mot Rixx's voice boomed powerfully through the large chamber, as if he was speaking from everywhere.
The small mixed team of Xi'Cadians and Cardassians looked around them within the facility at the sound of the voice. Elot'oX sighed with obvious irritation. Evidently, one of the security personnel had managed to either remain inside the Dilithium Chamber or had found a way prior to the siege. Either way, this was a distraction that he did not need.
The Andorian security guard wasn't a fan of the Raddon Corporation, but wasn't about to leave them at the mercy of the Cardassians. Therefore, he attempted to negotiate.
"J'resh Remtok, this is Petty Officer Othen Tihr, station security. It sounds like your quarrel is with Starfleet, not the civilian employees. Let them go and we'll talk."
Glinn Remtok was visibly upset. "A petty officer? That's who your commander sends to address me, a lowly petty officer!" he said, as if each word was being spat out of his mouth.
"Listen to me, Petty Officer," the Cardassian said with contempt. "Run back to your superiors and tell them to stand down their forces on Pangaea and we will release the Humans...alive," J'resh said into the captured communicator. "Otherwise..." he said as he reached down and grabbed a woman by the base of her scalp and yanked her to her feet. "Otherwise we might become a lot less crowded in here," the Cardassian said through clenched teeth.
"Do you hear me, Petty Officer!" he demanded.
Suddenly, a bright red dot appeared on the back of Remtok's head, clearly visible to those standing behind him. "Release the hostage, drop your weapons, and get down on the deck, face down, or I make your leader's head disappear!" the disembodied voice of the Marine commanded.
The Cardassian did not turn around nor release the grip he had on the Human woman's scalp.
"Do it," the Cardassian said. "Go ahead and pull that trigger, because I assure you that the remaining Humans will be wiped out by my men before you have time to reload your next shot," J'resh said without turning around to see where the voice was coming from.
"I'm prepared to sacrifice my life for the glory of Cardassia. Can Karen here say the same?" he asked. He wasn't sure if the woman's name was Karen. In fact, he really wasn't sure what her actual name was. He figured it had to be some generic Human name that he had heard on FNN in the past.
Suddenly a single shot rang out. Not from a phaser, but an actual ballistic round weapon. From where the dot had been on the back of the Cardassian’s head, now a small hole existed, neat and tidy. The front of his face, however, exploded forward as the energy of the bullet forced its way forward, causing the Cardassian’s right eye, check bone, and a good bit of brain matter to splatter on the far bulkhead. As the now dead Cardassian fell, his body weight forced his hostage to the deck as well.
The other Cardassians instinctively dropped to the ground and raised their weapons, searching around for the source of the shot. They stayed in a low position as they quickly backed themselves against whatever source of cover they could find. They looked around and all found the body of Glinn Rimtok lying on the ground, a pool of blood and brain matter spreading from beneath his body.
At the sound of a shot, the remaining security members looked to Tihr for guidance. The Andorian in turn looked to Zahl. "Crewman, get those doors open now. Sounds like the Cardassians have an extra threat to deal with."
With stealth being replaced with speed, their options for opening the doors were greatly expanded.
Marines appeared and opened fire, targeting any Cardassian that was dumb enough to show their face. One dragging the woman from underneath the Blink now missing his face. Once freed, the Marine kept her low as he yelled, as more and more shots rang out. "Get outta here!"
They tried to retake the area, but the Cardassians and their lackeys were holding their ground. Whatever was in there, they were definitely fighting hard to keep it.
A few levels above, Elot'oX, knelt down and typed furiously on his padd as he established the necessary connection with the team just below the Computer Core.
"I have a direct line established. Thankfully we've been able to keep the station's security systems from regaining control," Elot'oX said to Gil Morsah via the console screen just over his shoulder.
"Remtok is holding off Security from blasting through the doors before we finish," the Xi'Cadian said as he reached into his gear and withdrew a flashing isolinear rod. He inserted it into the console.
"What the hell are you doing?" Melvyn said, still restrained several feet away from the busy Xi'Cadian. "Whatever you're trying to do, you're wasting your time. This is facility is just a series of restaurants and musi--"
"And Dominion research," Elot'oX said, interrupting the elder Human.
"W-wha- what?" Melvyn said, caught off guard and stumbling to recover.
"Dominion research. Don't play dumb with me, Melvyn. You and I both know that you've spent a fortune having your goons scavenge for technology left over from the war in direct violation of the Treaty of Bajor," Elot'oX said. "Why else would a man who has made his fortune on dilithium set up a research campus on this station in the middle of nowhere?" Elot'oX asked rhetorically.
"Less of a Starfleet presence to keep an eye on just what the hell you are doing and where you are doing it," he said as he finished uploading the program into the computer console. "You used our people for years to run covert experiments with illegal technology that you could turn around and sell for profit," he added as he turned back towards the console with Gil Mursah on it.
"But now it's finally being used against you and the Federation," he said with a grin as he nodded to the Cardassian.
To be Continued…
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