In Enemy Hands (Part III of IV)
Posted on Sun Mar 28, 2021 @ 12:40pm by Civilian 'Key Holder' Yolanthe Ibalin & Lieutenant Alanna Wells & Captain Tam "Demon" Haican & Civilian Jason Haines & Civilian Hydel Turvan
2,211 words; about a 11 minute read
Mission:
Si vis pacem, para bellum
Location: Panagaea research colony
Timeline: MD04 0500
Previously in
“Wraith to control,” the Vulcan reported calmly after he dispatched the fighters that had shot down his commander. “Demon has been shot down. Repeat. He has been shot down. I did see both a successful ejection and shrouding sequence. However, cannot locate him, due to foliage overgrowth. Sending coordinates of last known position for search and rescue, over.”
The only reply was static. Sovrak realized that all comms were being jammed. All he could do for his friend was survive the battle and get the coordinates up to command. After taking one last look at the forest below, the Vulcan peeled away and sped for friendlier skies.
And now the continuation
Jason - Underwater
Jason had just passed the section of the underwater tunnel where he had gotten burned when he felt a tremor in the water. He hoped it was just a slight shift and nothing too serious. After a moment he felt another and another. This wasn't good. He never worried about his swimming abilities, but if there was seismic activity and part of the tunnel collapsed, he would be worried about his breathing ability.
Normally he would be relatively cautious underwater, but the thought of being crushed by rocks and drowning spurred him on faster. He wasn't sure how long it took, but he soon found himself breaching the water. The sky was starting to lighten, with a few clouds in the pinkish dawn. He looked about to get his bearings to shore; it wasn't too far. It was then that he heard a faint boom. He wondered what that was. Had something happened at the colony? Motion in the lightning sky caught his attention.
It took him a moment to really focus, but then he could see the silhouettes of three small ships in the atmosphere. Given the speed they were going, they weren't shuttles, but fighters. Focusing, he determined there were two Cardassian fighters and one of Starfleet's. Two flashes of light lanced out from one of the Cardassian fighters and an explosion lit up the morning sky.
What the hell? Jason thought as he started to swim as quickly as he could to the shore.
***
Alanna finally saw Jason appear on her locator. "Oh, thank goodness!" She'd been worried sick about him, and about the portal site. Jason! she called telepathically, hoping he could hear her. Comms were still down, and she didn't trust them right now, anyway.
Jason heard Alanna reaching out to him. Being Human, however, he couldn't communicate back to her, and he swam on towards the beach.
Then she sensed more than felt a ripple. She ran over to her computer where she was monitoring the temporal fluctuations on the planet. They'd stopped, like a candle that was suddenly blown out. All communication from the portal complex had stopped, too. The fighting must be getting worse.
Jason? Are you okay? How can I get to you?
Jason heard Alanna, wishing he could communicate with her.
She checked his coordinates to see if she could safely get to him without being detected. Yes. They were both far enough from both the portal site and the colony. She mentally sent him coordinates for a safe rendezvous point and made preparations to take a roundabout route to get there.
***
The Cardassian block buildings were austere, but functional. Silk had parted from some of the rest of the group. From the sounds of things, there was a lot of fighting going on, and she noted just how thin the ranks here were. She figured most had to be off fighting to take control of the various areas. Finally they were down to one guard, who probably was not the swiftest of the troops here, and she made her move.
She hopped on one foot, crying out, "Crap, that hurts!" The guard came over to take a look, as she was holding up the movement to the area.
"What is going on?" he said.
Silk put the foot down and, while he looked down, swung up with both hands, catching the guard square on the chin. He reeled back and she followed, leaping to get his neck in a leg lock and using her body weight to over topple the man. Down they went, and she disengaged quickly and then clapped her hands over his ears. That would hurt almost any humanoid being. As expected he clapped his own hands to his ears in pain, and she relieved him of his weapon, checked it, set it for stun, and did just that. The rest of the group just stood like frightened sheep.
Silk had no time for that. She ran for the comm tower, and if there was another Cardassian in the way, she fired on them. Soon enough the main comm tower was in sight and she switched the rifle to its highest setting and fired. She was rewarded with lots of sparks and shouts from the building attached. She tossed the weapon and ran back to the group and glared at them. She did not want to kill the guard, but she could not afford him identifying her either. It was quick, efficient, and impressed upon the others, "Say a thing...and you will end up like that, got it?"
The group nodded, wide eyed.
The Cardassians moved quickly, not just sending technicians to fix the relay, but sending soldiers into the street to look for the saboteur. With a scanner it didn't take them long to find the scattering group of federation prisoners. Their guards were nowhere to be seen. Gil Azor narrowed his eyes. It had to be one of them. He gestured to his fellow soldiers to start rounding them up. It didn't take long to herd the frightened women back together. "Which one of you was it? I know it was one of you."
The women stayed silent, trying not to look at each other.
"I'll make it simple," the gil said. "In a second I'll ask again. If I don't get an answer, I will mutilate one of you. And we will repeat that process until which one of you clever girls took out our relay. So..." He looked them all over, trying to guess. "Who was it?”
Silk stepped forward. She had the words of the captain not to injure civilians, but that did not mean that she had to tell the full truth either. "I did. Tried to force himself on me."
The gil looked her over. He could see the appeal, but any man stupid enough to try that during combat got what he deserved. "I believe I was quite clear about the relay." He gestured with his disruptor to the tower. "I suggest you stop stalling, or I'll start by burning off your fingers."
Silk nodded and smiled. "Are you threatening me?" she asked simply. The rules of standard engagement using telepathy required that any defensive use was limited to utilizing it only if directly threatened.
The gil raised an eyebrow at his fellow soldiers, who stepped forward and grabbed Silk, stretching out her arm. Gil Azor placed the muzzle against her palm. "Not threatening, promising. Who shot at the tower?"
Silk nodded and then said, "I did," and as she did so pushed hard off and into the man's chest with her legs. His shot went off target and hit instead one of the guards holding her. He screamed and let go, and Silk swung and smashed her now free hand up into the other guard’s nose. He let go, grasping for the offended member, and she grabbed his weapon and swung around, pointing the thing at the one that was going to shoot her hand. She was used to this, and with asking she could anticipate their reactions she had shown that to the marine captain at one time. "I would not if I were you," she stated as she pointed at the gil who was recovering.
He just roared with anger and threw himself at the Human woman, knocking her to the ground and wrapping his hands around her throat. His thumbs dug into her windpipe and he squeezed for all he had.
Silk choked, but she knew what to do. She dropped the weapon and then, with all her strength, slapped his ears with the palms of her hand. That would burst the eardrums and put sudden pressure on the balance organs, which would both hurt and disorientate him. He let go as that happened, howling. As his head reeled back, she used both thumbs to push in his eyeballs. That did it, and deaf, disorientated, and blinded, she pushed him off and then got the weapon and then shot him. "Well, jackanory, that went to crap," she stated. At this point the only thing she could do was to run, try to get away and do as much damage as possible along the way.
Tam on the ground
After a few moments, Tam startled awake. It took him a few beats to realize his predicament. He had just been shot down, his ejection sequence putting him somewhere deep in the Pangaean forest. He saw that the shroud had operated as designed, protecting him from the rapid descent by bouncing, much like the giant rubber ball it had formed around him. It certainly wasn't the softest landing he had ever had, bu, any you can walk away from...
Reaching down, he deactivated the shroud, which deflated around him. Then, once he could move freely, undid his harness. He could just barely make out explosions in the distance, but couldn't determine from which direction, due to the echoes from all the trees.
He quickly shrugged out of his harness and stood up. Once he was free, he first reached up and touched tbe small bulge in his left breast pocket where he had put the totem that Sabina had given him the other night at dinner. He took a beat to think of his daughter, currently up on the station, hoping that she was safe. Finally, he gathered his survival gear and moved off, away from the impact site. Once he got far enough away, he would reassess his situation and try to make his way back to friendly forces.
The Klingon section had been reduced to so much rubble, giving him two options: head north to the Federation section, currently under assault, or head south into the Independents area, that the Cardassians were largely trying not to provoke, and most of the residents in those blocks were happy to keep their heads low.
Out of nowhere, Tam received a telepathic communication. Need a ride?
Pausing in his tracks, Tam dropped to his right knee and raised his phaser, scanning for any threats. Who, may I ask, is asking? Show yourself.
Alanna Wells, resident archaeologist, she replied telepathically. I can pick you up if you're far enough away from the colony and the fighting. Otherwise, I can give you directions.
Nice to talk to ya, Miss Wells. Captain Tam Haican, CAG for DS5. As for where I am, roughly ten klicks from the colony, deep in the woods. I just got shot down by a few lucky Spoonheads and am trying to get back into the fight. So, as long as it won't endanger your safety, I certainly could use a lift.
I'm not heading into the fight, but I'm rounding up people to keep them from getting captured. And to have help causing trouble if the Cardassians did manage to win this skirmish. She had no intention of letting them keep the planet, if she could help it. Some of her intention to form an underground resistance bled through to the CAG. I'm collecting some scientists in your area if you want a ride. If you're heading in to fight, I can't help you at this time. She had a number of reasons not to be captured, mostly because of what she knew about the portal complex.
Doing a quick situation assessment of his current predicament, Tam finally responded, I'll go with you. Sounds like you could use an extra set of hands, and another phaser to use against the enemy, should we encounter them?
Definitely could use some help. She sent him coordinates where she could pick him up without running into any Cardassians or Xi'Cadians. I'll meet you there.
Activating his small gauntlet map, Tam zeroed in on where he should go. Closing down the device, he replied. Got it! I should be to you in about ten minutes. I'll be coming from your northeast. See you then.
Then minutes later, Alanna was waiting just above the tree line. She sensed Tam's arrival. A quick check of her sensors assured her that no one else was nearby. She engaged the small transporter and beamed him aboard. "Hi," she said, turning to smile at her new passenger. "I'm Alanna. Have a seat. I have one more pickup to make."
To be Continued…
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