Change of Fortune

Posted on Sun Jul 9, 2023 @ 7:12pm by Master Sergeant Jian Zhao & Lieutenant Colonel Nicholas Means III & Lieutenant Alanna Wells & Second Lieutenant Emily Ransom & Master Sergeant Miranda Schultz & Gunnery Sergeant Terry Henderson

1,890 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Si vis pacem, para bellum
Location: Pangeaa
Timeline: MD 07

[ON]

After their escape via the underground river the Marines has need roughing it, even by Marine standards. They had no shelters other that what they had made from what nature could provide. Fortunately, the latitude made for cool, but not cold evenings.

Means had woken early, as usual, and had walked down to the lake where a thin fog was rising from its surface. His right arm was still bound up due to his injury but without proper medical gear his healing was going to be slow. Looking up he could see the sky lightening and he turned as he heard someone approaching from behind him.

It was a beautiful morning, and Alanna did much of her recon in the pre-dawn hours when it was easier to sneak around. "Hello, colonel. How are you and the Marines fairing?"

Glancing back as she approached. "As well as can be expected I suppose. Fortunately, most of us are used to roughing it or at least making do with what we can get our hands on. We are in no shape to mount an out attack or ever defend ourselves should we be discovered. So I will probably be breaking us up into small units for guerrilla raids to harass the Cardassians. Other than that, my primary concern are those that were wounded in the assault or during our escape from the portal complex.

"I know those portals were your project... We had been pushback into the cave but were forced to blow the entrance to the cavern. We managed to find and underground river that feeds into this lake. Hopefully collapsing the entrance will keep the Cardassian out as long as possible."

"I hope so, too," Alanna replied. "I'm grateful you were able to do that much. Those portals are critical." So was Maritza, but that information was not something she was willing to share at the moment.

That had not been the response he was expecting. He had expected at least some gripping about possibly damaging the portals or typical Marine thinking...blow it up and ask later...that type of thing. He wrinkled his chin. Perhaps he had underestimated her.

Elsewhere

Jason was going through his kung-fu forms that morning. His young ward Trace was right with him. Even though his parents weren’t here to give him permission, Jason wanted to keep the boy’s spirit up and make him think he was contributing other than by helping Brianthe with the herb gardens.

“Keep your knees bent a little more”, Jason instructed Trace. It makes it harder to knock you down.

“It’s hard to”, Trace, who was only five, said having only been doing this with him for a short time.

“To start”, Jason replied with a smile. “It will get easier.

It was at that moment his communicator, that was on a rock nearby, let out an odd chirping. Jason stopped and went over to it. The communicator was a handheld one that was about eighty years old. It was probably just picking up clips of the Cardassian communications.

Jason changed his mind after hearing someone say, “457934, Alpha, Alpha”. That was his receive code when he had officially worked in Temporal Investigations.

His eyes grew wide as a bunch of static came out of the communicator and then the word, “prepare”, then the communicator went silent.

Jason looked at Trace and said, “I’m hungry, let’s go get some breakfast.”

Trace smiled and enthusiastically said, “Yeah!”

Back at ‘Bag End’ as Alanna liked to call it, Jason asked Brianthe, “Have you seen Alanna?”

“I think she went to see Colonel Means.”

Jason nodded over to Trace and Brianthe just smiled.

“I’ll be back in a while Ensign”, Jason said to Trace. “Make sure to help the Lieutenant out, ok.”
“Yes, sir”, Trace said with a smile.

Jason high-fived Trace and then left to go to the Marine camp.

---

Terry came to the lake and knelt down a bit 'downstream' from the Colonel and washed fresh blood off his face. He stood up and came over to Means.

"We lost Paterson overnight sir", Terry said.

Patterson had been the worst wounded to start, then they needed to move through the caves, and being in the wilds hadn't helped his situation.

"I'm so sorry," Alanna said. "I'm not sure how much this hiding and waiting is helping us."

Terry nodded to her, "Thanks."

"I think I have an update on that", Jason said, walking down the path, escorted by one of the Marines. Even though Alanna had vouched for him, in the eyes of the Marines he was still a civilian as he hadn't revealed his intel/temporal connections.

"He's with me," Alanna said to the Marine.

Then she turned to Jason. "What have you heard?" She hoped it would be good news as she was about ready to do more than harass the Cardasians and Xi-Cadians on the planet.

Means had failed to acknowledge the man's arrival as he was still dwelling on the loss of another of his Marines and the CSO's comment.

He was pulled from his contemplation by commotion at the southern edge of the camp. Whatever had started it had quickly turned to cheers of excitement and shouts for him.

"COLONEL...COLONEL THEY FOUND THEM!"

The groups ran from the lakes edge and the group of Marines part to find a sweat soaked Lieutenant and only a portion of his team, desperately trying to catch their breath. They had all been handed water and were trying to report.

"Give them some space people and get back to your duties!"

Alanna moved closer to Jason and waited to hear the news.

Kneeling to the exhausted Marines. "Catch your breath. Gunny Henderson, do we have any Tri-Ox?"

"Very little, sir", Terry replied, taking a hypo out and administered the dose. He nodded positively to Means after running a tricorder over the Lieutenant.

Granger's was still panting but as the Tri0ox took effect his breathing slowed and he took a deep breath. Looking up at the Colonel, a wide grin spreading over his face. "We found them sir...both of them."

Getting to his feet he recognized the stations Chief Science Officer. "Ma'am". Returning his gaze to the Colonel. "Sir, both yacht's are intact and operational. Sgt. Toshias is taking one north along the coast to recover the other patrols. The rest of my patrol is back at the large bay to our south and busy replicating supplies. the scuttlebutt on those yachts was that they were for medical and psych rehab; recommend we get the wounded to the yacht."

Means grabbed the lieutenant by his gear harness with is good arm and shock him. "Absofrickenlutely!

"Henderson!"

"Sir!", Terry said, snapping to attention.

"Let's get the serious cases to that yacht immediately. Walking wounded will make their way there later."

"Colonel", Jason said, approaching Means. "May I have a word with you? There are a few things I think you should know."

Standing Means turned questioningly. "Yes?"

"With respect, I don't think this is the best course of action", Jason replied. "Besides Lieutenant Wells, her scientific team, and a few of the Marines here, I know this territory more than most. Trying to move your serious cases is an extremely dangerous approach. The terrain is rough, you have Cardassian patrols to deal with, and the wildlife can be a bit cantankerous. From an oceanic point of view, now that the yacht's are powered up, they are targets. There is also an intelligent aquatic species that don't care for us surface dwellers a lot. Finally about 20 minutes ago, I got a one word message from Temporal Investigations. It was 'prepare'. Something is about to happen, when I am not sure. The Marines are yours to command and this is your decision, but my recommendation is to get the supplies off the boats before they get blown out of the water and start prepping for kicking some Cardassian ass."

Granger spoke even as Mean turned to question him. "We didn't encounter and any hostiles, Cardassian or otherwise at all during the patrol or our return here sir. But that doesn't mean there isn't anything out there."

Means considered the information. Thinking to himself, ~ Why was Temporal Investigations in the loop....must be the portals.~ "

"Henderson, can you treat our wounded with mobile equipment or emergency med kits from the yacht?"

"Yes, sir, with two assumptions", Terry answered. "One, we don't run into a lot of trouble on the way and two, the 'civies didn't cheap out on the med supplies. Garbage in, garbage out they say."

"Roger that." Deciding to error on the side of cause he took the man's advice.

Schultz had been near by but silent thus far. "Top, get the coordinates from Granger and put a fresh patrol together. Grab or replicate what you can and get back here. If there is some kind of action about to kick off we need to be ready to assist. Henderson give her your shopping list."

Granger looked at everyone. "Sir we could use the yacht as a base of operations. It is fully equipped with sensors, comms, replicators...it has has everything we need."

Jason looked at Granger, "I wouldn't attack you to start if I were the Cardassians either. I'd follow you to see where you were camped out and get intel. So far no sensors have gone off yet."

Means nodded in agreement. "That' yacht's a big prize is also a huge target. We have to assume the Cardassians know about them."

Returning to Schultz. "That patrol needs to get in and get out as fast as possible."

"Yes, sir."

Alanna had said little, leaving Jason to pass on the information. She wondered if she should offer to help with her shuttle, but it was small and so unable to move the numbers of Marines the Colonel required.

Means felt a subtle rush of anticipation. Up until now theyve been just trying to keep themselves going and find what they could to start a hit and run operations. But now they not only had the opportunity to get medical supplies, food, power cells for their weapons and othe gear but a chance of getting back into the fight.

After glancing towards Jason, Mean looked to the rest of the Marines in the area. "It seems there may be something stirring in the weeds and we need to be ready for it. If and when we detect friendly forces we need to be ready to move in support of whatever operations they have in place.

"So far we've been focused on survival and potential defensive action. Not we have to be ready to go on the offensive. Get your people ready for action. As soon as the patrol returns, we will distribute those supplies. Butnin the mean time...as the man said let's get ready to kick some Cardassian ass!"

"Oorah!", Terry exclaimed.

"I don't have much to add by way of assistance," Alanna began, "But I do have contacts in the colony and I've been monitoring communications. If I hear anything relevant, I'll pass it on."

[OFF]

Gunnery Seargent Terry Henderson
Combat Medic

Jason Haines
'Resident Bum'

Lieutenant Alanna Wells
Chief Science Officer
Deep Space 5
Pangaea Rabble Rouser

 

RSS Feed