Let's Get Outta Here..

Posted on Mon Apr 26, 2021 @ 9:47am by Lieutenant JG Brianthe Oaxaca & Captain Maritza Soran & Civilian Sabina Haican & Civilian Livia Sagan

2,993 words; about a 15 minute read

Mission: Si vis pacem, para bellum
Location: DS5, various locations
Timeline: MDO4 0700

Emergency Shelter Seventeen

Sabina wrapped her arms around herself as the few others in the shelters left. The time of the attack meant by far most people were home already in quarters and hadn't bothered with shelters, and there was only a few people who'd been caught away from their quarters when the red alert rang. Trust her father to be stupidly over protective. But no. He had to shunt her off to a shelter like a complete baby. If he hadn't been such a complete mother hen, she 'd be at least able to climb into bed and try and distract herself with a book or something.

But the fact that the Cardassians were attacking was terrifying. What would they do with the more... active... starfleet personell if theygot caught? Would her father got back? Was he even still alive. She closed her eyes, hoping he was close enough to -

The blast of surprise and outrage, tinged with a touch of fear, but it was familiar, the sensation that had followed her from the moment she was old enough to sense it. Dad was in trouble. And she had to sit here? She couldn't do that. She looked around. No-one was paying attention to her. But if she tried to leave, they would make a fuss. It was a red alert. You stayed put.

She casually shifted towards the back of the shelter, where a bench sat in front of the jeffries access. No one paid her any heed, too wrapped up in their own worries. She gave it a few minutes before she pressed the attachement points, and the access panel fell off into her hands. Sliding it up against the wall she waited a moment to check no one was watching her, then ducked inside, pulling the panel back roughly over the gap.

The tunnel was lit by gentle amber lighting that came on with her entry. A small plaque on the wall pointing left and right indicated clockwise towards the nominal south side of the station, and anti-clockwise to the north. So she was in one of the ring tubes. she just had to follow it till she got to a spoke.

It was a long crawl. This place was far too big. It definitely didn't need to be sooo big. At least she wasn't trying to circumnavigate the main mushroom hanger. It was a good twenty minutes on her knees, now protesting and sore at the abuse they were taking through her flannel pyjamas, and a number of tunrs up to spokes, and back to rings before she found the right down point she wanted and started climbing

She was halfway to the Arboretum when she heard the announcement: "Deep Space Five and the planet of Pangaea have now become protectorates of the Cardassian Empire. I, Legate Hydel Turvan, will serve as the administrator for this district until further notice. You will have the next two hours to gather your forces and withdraw from the station and the planet. Any Starfleet personnel that remain within our borders after such time will be treated as hostile combatants and be dealt with accordingly."

Sabina shuddered inside the jeffries tube. Her father was in trouble, which meant he was down on the planet, and not blown up in space. And if the Cardassians were treating starfleet personnel "accordingly". It just confirmed what she'd already decided. She had to get to him, find him first. She had lost her brother and her mother. He was the last thing she had left, and she wasn't going to sit here and wait to be told she was an orphan. She started crawling again, heading for somewhere, anywhere, to figure out a plan.

Brianthe had changed her mind a dozen times while she waited for orders. Should she go back to the arboretum and pretend to be Paula's assistant to help with the arboretum? Should she find Alanna and make sure she was okay? Should she evacuate with the rest of Starfleet and be a good little officer? The way she thought of that last one was telling enough. She'd never been very good at just following orders. Fortunately, being a botanist in charge of an arboretum that was ten decks tall gave her a lot of freedom. It fed her Gypsy spirit. At least, that's what she told herself.

Staying on the station where some of the Cardassians who visited the arboretum might recognize her wasn't appealing, either. That left finding Alanna. She was pretty sure her friend would be okay. At the same time, she had a tendency to get herself into trouble, like she did with the beanstalk. It might be safer to hide on Pangaea, too. No one would expect DS5's botanist to be a civilian on the planet. The problem was, how was she going to get down there?

She repacked her bag, carefully hiding her seedlings and starters. She selected only civilian clothes, ones she didn't want to leave behind for anyone to rifle through. She chose to wear a calf-length skirt and peasant blouse with a pair of comfortable ankle boots that would do for now. A plan was beginning to form in her mind. If she could get to the shuttle bay and offer to help round up refugees from the planet, she might be able to wander off and get left behind. Or tell hte pilot she was going to stay and look for others. That might be better. If she just wantdered off, they might look for her and she didn't wnat that.

She took a deep breath and slipped out of her quarters. Surely with all the chaos no one would question where she was going.

As she made her way down to the lower part of the station, Brianthe remembered that there were emergency shelters set up. Perhaps she could find her way down to the planet from there? Or at least find a pilot who was going to the planet.

She checked her PADD. Emergency Shelter 17 was closest. She'd go there first.

As she approached the shelter, she wondered how she'd find a pilot to take her to the planet to pick up survivors. She might need to go to the shuttle bay, but Bri hoped she'd find what she was looking for there first.

Livia had realized that going towards Pangaea first might be a mistake. After all, there was profit to be gained by taking renegades or survivors. However, communications were down. The Cardassians would have been smart enough to cut them off. There was no reason to try. So, how could she notify the survivors that there was some help. It was then that Livia grinned, thinking that there was one way that the Cardassians would not understand coming into the station. In Morse Code she started coding. "Help Coming. Livia. Take survivors to Pangaea or Federation."

Alanna had taught Brianthe Morse Code because the archaeologist felt it useful if they were ever out in the wilderness without comms. At fist, she didn't recognize the tapping as code. But then, as it repeated, she stopped to pay closer attention.

When she figured out the message, the botanist smiled. She pulled a metal kubaton out of her bag and tapped back. "Looking for ride to planet."

Livia grinned internally. Quickly, she typed out in Morse Code, "Beam out or dock? How many?" and then rushed off to stow away her merchandise in several of her smuggler holds.

"Dock," Bri typed back. "So far it's just me, but I may get more on the way. You can drop me off and pick up survivors."

"Fifteen minutes," Livia coded back. "Longer and I'm gone. Cardassians coming and don't want complications."

"Which bay?" Bri tapped back. She could spend twice that long just looking for the right place.

"42," Livia sent back.

"Got it. Fifteen minutes," Bri responded.

Another ten minutes on crawling around on her knees decided Sabina she was far enough from the shelter that she could risk emerging and opened up the nearest exit. The corridor she emerged on was just one of many non descript but carpeted halls of the mid section accommodation decks, probably not too far above the arboretum. Rubbing her knees she looked towards the central core. The halls were deserted, as the residents were either at their posts, or adhering to protocol and staying in their quarters. So when she turned the corner, intent on reaching the turbo lift, she didn't expect to run into another person.

Brianthe was startled to see a panel open. She held tighter to her kubaton, not sure who would be emerging. Then she saw a girl, probably early teens, crawl out. "Hi. Looking for something?" she asked cheerfully. The girl had guts, but Bri wondered if she'd gotten lost.

Sabina was so relieved to see someone who wasn't a Cardassian, she didn't think twice before blurting out "My dad. He's on the planet and I need to go to him."

Bri looked at her for a moment, picking up the girl's fear and anxiety. "They'll be evacuating the planet. He'll probably come here to find you. I doubt he'll evacuate and leave you behind," she consoled. "I can help you put out information that you're looking for him so the other ships will keep an eye out."

"He's not going to come here." She knew that without any shadow of a doubt. "Something happened. Something bad. I need to go to him." Sabina gave the woman her best helpess look. "Please, you have to help me."

Bri was all-too-familiar with the helpless look. She had a cousin who used it far too often. But the girl was certain about what she said, even Bri picked up on that. She looked at her for a long minute. "I'm probably going to regret this, but if you promise to do what I tell you, I can get you to the planet."

"Absolutely!" Sabina beamed. "whatever you say. I just have to go."

Bri vacillated between taking the girl or leaving her behind. She wasn't a telepath, per se, but she was empathic, and she knew that if she didn't take her, the girl would find her own way down to the planet. "Okay, but if we don't find him right away, you evacuate. Okay? I'm not going to let you roman around Pangaea on your own. It's not safe." She still worried that this was not a good idea. But would letting the girl leave the station to end up who-knows-where better? Maybe. But if she let the girl try, at least they'd both know if he was still alive. And maybe she'd get them together and they'd both evacuate together. That would be the best solution. "I'm Brianthe, by the way. What's your name? And who's your father?"

"Sabina. Haican. My dad is the new CAG. We only got here yesterday. His name is Tam."

"I haven't met him, but then, I spend most of my time in the arboretum--or I did. I will." She looked sharply at the girl. "Sabina, right? Was he shot down?"

Sabina chewed her lip. "I'm not sure down. I just got this... flash. A bad flash. I know he's alive. I can feel that. But beyond that... But why else would there be a bad flash if he hadn't been shot down.?"

"So, you know he's alive," Bri said, thinking. "But do you know if he's on the planet? And do you know where on the planet? I don't want to take you down there only to find out he's back here." He's be furious with her, and rightly so.

"He's alive." Sabina knew that to be completely true. "As for the planet. I think so. It's not clear, But I think so. If he was coming back, I'd know. Betazoid."

"Ah. That makes more sense. Okay. I'll let you come with me only because its so chaotic here and I don't want you two to be separated," Bri said. "But, we'll leave word with the shelter that you're with me and if you don't find your father right away, you come back. Okay?"

"Yes." Sabina agreed readily. She was sure if she could just get down there, she'd find him.

They arrived at bay 42 with two minutes to spare. "We're meeting a pilot here," Bri said, walking in to look for the pilot.

"Someone's going to try flying through the Cardassians?" Sabina tried to sound like it didn't phase her, but her words came out in a bit of a squeak.

"With the surrender, there will be ships going down to Pangaea to pick up survivors," Brianthe said. "The pilot will be able to get people and take them to safety. We'll just...stay behind."

She found the shuttle and headed toward it, hoping the pilot was there.

Livia stayed within the confines of her shuttle, the doors open. The outside of the ship appeared beaten, bruised, and well worn but the interior was much more modern and spoke of many loving refurbishments. Livia saw a group of people heading towards her ship. She waved them towards her silently and urgently.

Bri nodded and picked up her pace. "Thank you," she said quietly when she reached Livia.

The small human nodded back at Bri, urging everyone forward quickly and silently.

Bri let Sabina board first, then followed her. In spite of knowing that the Cardassians would probably allow them to get to the planet and pick up survivors, she was still nervous.

"Thank you." Sabina said to the woman. "And if you can get me closer, I'm sure I can help find him, and others."

"If you can take us to the north side of the colony, you should be able to pick up passengers there," Bri said as she took a seat. "I'm going father north, but Sabina will most likely find her father there."

Once everyone was on board, Livia took the controls and flew a little way from DS5. After getting out of the range of the docks, she announced, "Greetings, passengers. I'm Captain Sagan and I am your host. Now that you are here, there is a little thing called payment that is required before I take anyone anywhere." She silently remembered that she had to get payment because Rule 285 was clear that no good deed goes unpunished. Her short shorts and tight red shirt were purposely there to emphasize her long legs and her red stilletto high heels on her feet made her look taller and more commanding than her five feet two inches of stature would otherwise make her.

"If payment is insufficient, I will take no pleasure in beaming you back onto DS5. It is not personal, just good business," she explained with an apologetic shrug.

"What do you expect?" Bri asked. She expected to pay, but would rather hear what the lady wanted first.

Livia smiled at Bri. Livia immediately decided that she liked her. She knew how to negotiate. She did not want to make the first offer. "I expect that I am risking my life for all of you and potentially losing a trading partner in the Cardassians for assisting you. So, what can you offer?"

"You're also getting the opportunity to bring people back from the planet, so I don't need to pay you full price for the trip," Bri countered. "Five slips of latinum and when we get back to DS5, I'll give you plants for your quarters."

"Plants?" Livia asked suspiciously. "What kind of plants?"

"Depends on what you like. Herbs you can use in recipes and teas, flowering plants, edible plants." She shrugged. "I might even have a couple of hybrids you could sell for a small profit."

"Ah!" Livia sighed pleasantly. "It seems that you know my language. Six latinum and three of these hybrid plants and we have a deal."

"Deal." Bri rifled through her bag and pulled out six slips of latinum, handing them to Livia. "When we are back on the station, come to the Arboretum. I'll give you the plants. Or, if you get back there before me, talk to Paula. Tell her I said to give you three of the hybrid plants in lab 6. She'll know what they are."

"And your name is...?" Livia asked with a drawl.

"Brianthe. Brianthe Oaxaca. I'm the botanist. Paula is my assistant."

"Captain Livia Sagan, at your service." She took the latinum and pocketed them. "Is there a particular place on Pangaea that you wish to go? I assume you still wish discretion."

"Northwest of the colony. Far enough away to not get too much attention, but close enough for you to pick up evacuees," Bri said. "And yes, we want discretion. I don't want the Cardassians or Xi'Cadians knowing we came down here and wondering why."

Livia smiled. "I have no reason to hide anything. I have nothing but merchandise on this ship," Livia replied with a wink. She flicked a switch which masked the life forms outside of the pilot's area. "I'm an honest merchant, I am. Just stay here and quiet and I will get you from here to there without an issue." With that, she headed to the cockpit to fly her ship towards Pangaea.

Bri grinned. "Absolutely. If anyone asks, we came down to the colony before the attack. I'll remember you if I ever need more favors."

She made sure both she and Sabina were fastened in and prepared for the short trip to the planet.

Livia thought to herself, And who said that all Starfleet personnel were straight-laced? Bend a person hard enough or subtly enough and there is business enough for anyone who is wise enough to see it.

____
OFF

Sabina Haincan
[NPC by Soran]

Livia Sagan
Opportunistic Entrepreneur

Lieutenant JG Brianthe Oaxaca
Botanist & Assistant Chief Science Officer
Deep Space 5

 

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