Bringing Trouble On Board, Part V: Leatherneck Airways

Posted on Sat Feb 21, 2015 @ 6:42am by Arrain James Darson & Commander Caleb Ryan & Lieutenant Saria Rex & Captain Tam "Demon" Haican & Lieutenant Si'Lar Trellis
Edited on on Sun Feb 22, 2015 @ 8:19pm

1,969 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Eye of the Beholder
Location: Marine CO's Office & Transport craft Goose-Four-Two en route SB 185
Timeline: MD 2

[ON]

[FMS Precinct]

Returning from his meeting in the Security Department Steiner called Axsdahl into his office.

“How's the flu, Sven-Erik?” he asked.

"Pretty much gone," Axsdahl said. "I got a shot from Medical, felt worse for a while, and now it's clearing up. Pretty much feel eighty percent better, Chief."

"Good. I've got a prisoner transport mission for you."

Steiner explained the operation to collect Rex's former XO, Victoria Sterling, who had been convicted of aiding and abetting Rex and was being held in Newgate correctional facility at Starbase 185, and Security's plan to use her as bait to capture Anaia Rex.

"I remember that incident," the big Norwegian said. "Captain Rex deliberately let advanced technology loose on a non-warp planet and the locals used it for mass killings. One horrible situation!"

"Yep, she sure opened Pandora's box on that one," Steiner agreed. "The Federation and Starfleet have been trying to clear up the mess ever since and they want Captain Anaia's head on the block."

"You think this will work?" Axsdahl asked. "Anaia will be lured here?"

"Not sure, but it's worth a try. I checked the warrant, she's a Level Two priority: by all legal means necessary," Steiner said. "We just need to make sure we don't allow anything to happen to Sterling. Top of the list is not letting her escape to join Anaia!"

"So what do you want me to do?"

"Go along with the Marines. I'm sure they can handle the transportation and security, but you know how to escort prisoners," Steiner said. "So I need you to cover that angle and when you get back we'll keep Sterling in the maximum security detention cell here, alright?"

"Understood, Chief. Who's my contact?"

"Go see Colonel Darson, he'll brief you further."


[6th Combined Operations Group, Command Office]

"Deputy Axsdahl to see Colonel Darson," Axsdahl informed the Admin Sergeant when he entered Marine Command. After a short wait he was shown into Darson's office. The Colonel was there, along with a Marine Aviation captain.

"Sir, Senior Deputy Axsdahl," he introduced himself. "Chief Deputy Steiner sent me to accompany your transportation team."

Darson looked up from the briefing PADD in his hands to examine the new arrival. Never a fan of the Marshal's service, he wondered if he had been too hasty in allowing one of them to tag along during such a delicate military operation...time would tell he supposed. In the meantime, time to lay down the ground rules for him, "Welcome Deputy. Please have a seat."

As the Deputy Marshal seated himself, Darson relaxed in his chair and sighed to himself. His normal office which was usually dropped to sub-zero temperatures and covered in ice was closed temporarily as the engineers dealt with the damage he had caused to the climate control systems. So Darson was using this boring, normal office for the time being which didn't sit well with him...it lacked the intimidation factor.

Darson pointed to Tam, "This is Captain Hacian, callsign 'Demon'. He'll be escort lead for this operation...speaking of which, how much have you been briefed on?"

Tam nodded to Axsdahl in greeting as he continued to listen to the situation.

"Good morning, Captain," Axsdahl replied. "Not much, Colonel. Basically that we need to undertake an escort to bring a high-risk prisoner back to DS5. I'm here for the Marshal's Service side of things and you are providing a team and ship for the rest."

"And I assume that I'm here to provide cover for the team?" Tam asked as he sat back in his chair.

"Correct on both counts," Darson said easily. "Looks like you both have the general idea. Deputy, you will be there to oversee the actual transfer of the subject. Now, your duties will extend to the handling of the prisoner, but at least four Marines will be with you at all times. Their job is to protect you. Now, they may seem paranoid...and they are. I mean, you would have to be on a mission like this. But what that boils down to is if the shit hits the fan, you fall in line behind the team leader and follow him. If he says 'jump', you say 'how high', am I clear?"

Axsdalh nodded "I'm sure I'll be able to integrate with the team in an appropriate manner, Colonel"

"And as for Captain Hacian, you'll be on the overwatch. Nothing moves in that AO without you having eyes and sensors on it first. And if things go pear-shaped, I want you to cover the extraction of the subject and the team. Add to that the...unique...requirements of transporting people to and from the prison, do you think you can do that with only a standard escort package? We can't risk assigning too much support."

Tam grinned slightly. "Sir, there's very little that can get past me and my Raptor. The team will be safe and covered."

"And who are you sending along on escort duty, Colonel?" Axsdahl asked.

The Marine listed off his team who would be led by a sergeant White and Corporal Rice.


[Marine Transport Craft Goose Four-Two]

A few hours later Axsdahl and the Marines boarded a transport ship and departed Deep Space 5. The craft had a flight of Hunley Shuttles from the Kingfisher Squadron as escort.

"How long to Starbase 185?" Axsdahl asked the team leader, estimating it would be a couple of days.

The Marine leader, who was addressed simply as Sergeant White, an older man who carried the air of a senior NCO about him, gave a dire look. "Two days. We're not in any particular hurry to draw attention to ourselves by moving too fast, so the ship will be keeping its original schedule. Speaking of..." He palmed his comm set. "This is Goose Four-Two to Kingfisher Lead. We are all squared away over here and ready to get underway to the next waypoint. How copy?"

Outside, at the head of the escort formation, Tam was flying his Raptor, now repainted with the colors of his new command. After he heard the question, he keyed his mic and replied, ”Goose-Four-Two, I copy loud and clear. Please inform your passengers that at warp three we should arrive at Starbase One-Eight-Five in approximately fifty hours. You guys just settle in and get cozy. We'll get you to the party.” He closed the channel and switched over to the dedicated squad channel. ”Kingfisher flight, this is Demon. Stand by to engage warp engines on my signal.” He then switched to the channel set for the whole group. ”Set course and speed. Punch it!” Seconds later, the small group of craft jumped into warp speed, hurtling towards their destination.

Tam opened a comm channel to Axsdahl. ”Axsdahl, Haican here. What exactly will be the plan once we get to the starbase?”

Axsdahl turned to check with the Marine squad leader and tapped his comm badge. “My understanding from Colonel Darson is that we will get specific pickup instructions when we actually land. I guess they are keeping details on an as and when we need to know basis.”

Sergeant White was gruff as he said, "The powers that be felt that every time the plans would be transmitted or moved that runs the risk of more people knowing about the mission...especially to Deep Space 5, where the originating ideas came from and where the shipment of that drug was diverted to. Our point of contact we will meet the Provost Marshall of the Marine garrison at the prison who will deliver sealed orders. In the meantime, I have a copy of the schematics that we will be looking over. We may not know what the plan is, but that doesn't mean we can't know our ground in advance.”

Tam could be heard chuckling softly over the comm channel. ”And were you expecting anything less?”

Axsdahl continued, “I've also done some research. Starbase One-Eight-Five is on an ocean world. The surface is ninety-three percent water! So it's one of those floating colony cities. Newgate correctional facility is right below it, about six hundred meters down, on the seafloor. It's a maximum security unit, so there's going to be lots of perimeter barriers and transporter inhibitors. I'm guessing we'll be having to physically collect Ms. Sterling. Probably why they assigned the Hunley's for the escort.”

Lance Corporal Emily Rice sat with the other Marines in the back of the transport. She brushed her short red hair from her green eyes and pulled a pack of gum from her pocket, popping a piece into her mouth. After a moment she blew a bubble as she looked around. “That’s a long trip. Hope everyone brought their credchips, ‘cause I have cards,” she smiled. “And why didn’t anyone tell me there was a beach? I would have packed my bikini.”

“Lance Corporal Rice,” Tam stated, “do try not to clean out our Fleet brethren. At least...not too badly.”

"Cards?" Axsdahl said with a smile. "Well, that should help to pass the time. How much do they pay you devil-dogs nowadays?"

“Aye, sir,” Emily replied to Tam with a giggle. “Maybe they’d prefer to keep their creds and play strip poker. With all the gear I’m wearing, I’m sure I could win!”

Emily looked at Axsdahl, offering him his choice, gum or a hard candy. The Marine was always sucking or chewing something. “They don’t pay us enough to put up with Fleeters and civvies,” she teased the Marshal. “But we’re such good people we do it anyway.”

"Urhurrr, well that sure is decent of you." Axsdahl selected a stick of gum and popped it in his mouth.

Tam chuckled again as he listened to the conversation. “Well, you kids have fun in there. Let me know who wins. Demon out.” He cut the comm line and then checked over his systems. Once he was content that things were going as planned, he activated his autopilot and settled in for the flight. He programmed the computer to notify him immediately if anything unusual appeared on long range sensors. He then closed his eyes and opened his mind. He could hear the surface thoughts of everyone in the group. He refrained from pushing himself into anyone's mind, though. He simply was using his telepathic abilities as a sort of early warning system. Using his abilities as he flew combat missions was how he earned the callsign Demon. When he flew against someone, it seemed as if he would know what the other pilot was going to do before they did. He had built up a very impressive kill record during his career thus far because of it.

Sergeant White grinned and leaned back, settling in for some amusement. "Try to not spank him too hard, Lance Corporal. We all know how tight they wear their pants."

“Aye, sir!” Emily quipped, digging into an inner pocket and pulling out the cards.

"Well, how sweet of you, young lady," Axsdahl said with a grin. At fifty-one he could easily have a daughter Rice's age. He took the cards from Rice, sat at the mess deck table, slid the cards out of the pack, and expertly split them with one hand, then did a riffle shuffle, followed by a waterfall shuffle, split the cards again, and held them ready to deal. He looked up at the Marine. "The game is five-card stud poker. A spanking huh? Sit down, my child, it's time for your first lesson...ante up!"

[OFF]


SD Sven-Erik Axsdahl
FMS

Cpt Tam "Demon" Haican
Bravo Assault Wing Leader

LCpl. Emily Rice
Marine
NPC Caleb Ryan

Col. James Darson
21st MEU Commanding Officer

 

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