Out and About...

Posted on 16 Apr 2025 @ 9:47pm by Captain Jasmine Somers FCapt & Lieutenant Lamia ‘Mia’ Kildare & Lieutenant Matthew Thompson & Lieutenant JG Faith Benson & 1st Lieutenant Cassandra Mathews & Chief Warrant Officer Glenn Stone Mr & Master Sergeant Thomas Zang & 2nd Lieutenant Jennifer Goodwin & Petty Officer 1st Class Timothy Nelson

3,926 words; about a 20 minute read

Mission: S04 Episode 01 Captive State Part 2 (Main)
Location: Arth
Timeline: MD:20

[ON]

The Away Team needed to get a move on as the Orion Syndicate were now upon the planet. So the team needed to find Lt. Lee and her team and get out of there.

"Captain, the drones have been jammed, and they are now in a diagnostic loop that will take them about fifteen minutes to process. We need to move quickly to get past them before they recycle back to active status," Nelson said as soon as he triggered the signal to deactivate the drones.

"Excellent, now scan for Lee's Biosignature. Let us get this over and done with, get back to Themistocles, and get out of this system," Somers commented and advanced.

Cassandra couldn't agree more. Though she was used to the stress and pressure of infiltrating hostile planets, she never particularly enjoyed the procedure. Calml,y she asset the area around them. Sure, the syndicate was still in orbit, but that didn't mean that there wasn't already a scout troop with boots already on the ground hanging out waiting for their main forces to arrive. Orions were indeed cruel, but what made them most dangerous was that they were also brilliant and very good at what they did. Capturing and enslaving people. She felt a soft growl tickle the back of her throat and suppressed it as they continued to move with purpose through the area.

"Beware of traps. Orions are known to set traps for unsuspecting interlopers," Matt said.

Matt ran a passive tricorder scan of the area.

"There are several detection and surveillance systems set up, perhaps we could set up some jammers to confuse them. We will lose a little time, but it could very well be worth the effort in the long run," Matt suggested.

"I may be able to alter the frequency of the scanning the tricorders do and use that to interfere with any technology we encounter. This would wreak havoc on the detection and surveillance devices and any future drones that we detect," Nelson chimed in. I could do this to one tricorder and then work on the next while we move to save time."

Cassandra's voice came over the comm. =^="Welp, I hate to be the one to piss in y'all's Cheerios. But it appears that we have a bit of company. Deuce, Orion patrols. The closest three males coming up on our ten are armed. The other is three more, two males and a mean-looking female, they are several clicks back to our one o'clock. Both are going pretty turtle-like, so if we are stealthy, we can cross between and avoid them all with a touch of Hussle if you please." =^= she suggested,d watching the two groups slowly moving towards the cross-section ahead, from her perch a few yards up from their group.

Cassandra watched helplessly as the female Orion in the right-hand group pointed to a door and chuckled. The eyes were mean, and the two males lifted their weapons with a smile. Cassandra's stomach ached as she watched one of them kick in the door. Screaming from within, the males disappeared inside, screaming, chaos. Cassandra fought the urge to run over to help those poor people. She could do nothing to save them, though. Not without endangering her team. There were a few blasts and then the utter silence that rang louder than anything else as suddenly the violence drew to its conclusion. She glanced over to the group of three to the left. They didn't seem fazed by the noise but appeared to be looking at a map or something,g tapping her Commbadge =/\= We should get going real Ricky Tik. They appear to be busy for the moment=/\= Benson said.

Faith scratched her nose, listening to Cass and the input from Somers for a little bit until she had a better idea. They waited until the information of the two patrols was given. She'd already told them that she knew how to talk to the Orions. So at this point, she'd just go off script.

She managed to slip off and keep track of the patrol movements. Faith worked her way around the back of the domicile. Inside, there could be the sound of bodies hitting the floor. The shots Cassandra heard were the Orions shooting at her, not executing the family.

That was going to hurt later. Slipping out the way she came, she climbed up onto the roof and leapt over so she could get behind the second patrol. The females were going to be the biggest problem. They always were, and she was going to be hell in hand to hand. "Taken care of, Cassie. Just not sure what to do with this woman. I got one of their communicators by the way." Faith said quietly.

"This is not going to be a good day. We just can't seem to cut a break," Goodwin stated. "I have been watching the scans on my tricorder, and I am detecting two patrols about six sectors ahead of these units. I am also prepared to follow Faith's lead."

"Fine, but let's get a move on. At the very least, we can cover her six," Thompson said as he headed out.

Meanwhile, onboard the shuttle, Lamia was sitting,g keeping the shuttle at readiness just in case a quick escape was needed. To say she felt like a spare wheel was an understatement. There was only so much her senses could tell her from inside the shuttle.

Thomas settled in close to the shuttle doors. He had his weapon set on a tripod and at the ready as he double-checked his gear to make sure that anything he might need was easily accessible in a heartbeat. "So Lieutenant, when are you due, and do you know what it is?" He asked Lamia. He glanced her way as he flexed his wrists, a dagger on a wrist sheath extended flawlessly with the movement from both wrists. A second movement and they retracted back up his sleeves out of sight.

Lamia turned her seat to look at Thomas. “About another five to six months yet. I’m only 18 weeks. As for what I’m having, it’s a boy.” She smiled warmly. “Do you have any plans to be a father in the future?”

Thomas thought for a second before answering. "I plan on having a family in the future, but for no, I'm concentrating more on my career." he looked from his gear to Lam,ia then back again. "I feel that I have found my soulmate already, but I need to advance more before I can truly dedicate myself to a family, though if it were to happen sooner than I expect, I will fully dedicate myself to the family I make."

Lamia nodded. “It’s nice that you have plans; we weren’t expecting to have children so soon, but I’m happy that it’s happened. It’s taken Chris a little longer to get past the shock, but he’s happy to be an expectant father.”

"I would have been shocked as well if I was in his shoe," Thomas said as he waited by the doors for something to happen. He was getting a bit anxious with the sitting in one place, he was used to action. "I wish I was out there doing something."

Lamia nodded as she swivelled her seat around, checking the scanners before turning back again. “I know the feeling, I don’t like being stuck in here any more than you do. I can get a general empathic sense of the area from here, but I can’t give any pertinent on the spot information for those outside.”

Thomas nodded as he shifted in his spot, his left hand drew a blade from his belt and turned it over and over, his nerves showing in the absentminded fidgeting with the blade. He kept his right hand on his gun at all times, though.

Lamia watched, making a mental note to speak to Thomas about his nervous fidgeting when out in the field. “Any trouble and I’ll have us ready to fly.”

From where her group paused Jasmine accepted a Commbadge hail as she tapped hers =/\= Okay El-tee, get your ass back to the group pronto, we are about to move in to get Lieutenant Lee =/\= Somers answered.

Faith's side was hurting her a little bit, but she could stave it off for now. =/\= "What about the female?" =/\= She was still keeping track of them for as long as she could visually.

=/\= Which Female El-Tee? =/\= Somers asked.

=/\= In the group I took out, there was another one ahead with a female Orion leading them. Of course, the females are the dominant and fierce fighters. =/\= Faith replied.

Nelson has modified the tricorders to emit a pulse at the frequency that would disrupt the insectoid drones but not wreak havoc on their equipment or such. "Captain, I have also scanned the region and noticed there is a small village about seven clicks to the east that seems to be void of Orion biosignatures, and maybe we could make our way there and have a better chance to get into the city to find Lieutenant Lee and her team." Nelson offered that even though he was not typically on the ground for any mission, he would act this out in the holodeck in private for the day he would have the chance.

=/\= Okay, change of plan. Keep track of those, Orion, but make sure you are not seen, and meet us in the main building as that is where Lieutenant Lee will be =/\= Somers said.

Her head tilted a moment, not expecting that particular part. Whatever works, then. Keeping crouched down so that she could continue to move and follow that second group. =/\= "Understood, I'm continuing." =/\=

Faith went with the plan since she could hopefully get codes out of the woman. She knew the risks and did it anyway. Starting with the two in the rear of the patrol. Simply taking each one out and moving it out of the way, silently.

Next were going to be the middle two; they were going to be a little more experienced. However, that was pretty easy considering the last patrol. Then, there was Vexa.

Faith skirted to a stop as Orion turned around. She leaned to the side as a dagger flew past her head, clipping her hair.

Vexa smirked, "You almost had a clean run, Terran." Shifting her stance a little.

"It happens. How about those codes to get my friend, and we can just walk away?"

There was a tilt of her head and then the shake of it, "Can't let that happen." Vexa said. They waited for Faith to attack, which she did.

Faith jumped in headlong, only because she knew if she let one single milisecond get by, Vexa had her. Charging and sliding at the last second under Vexa's second dagger. Kicking her leg out from under her.

Vexa knew better than to keep her weight on her front foot. Spinning around just as Faith skirted by. The two were toe to toe again. A flurry of attacks by each side before there was a grapple.

Faith had managed to get a hold of Vexa's third dagger from her boot as she'd slid by. She felt the pain of the blade sliding effortlessly into her flesh. The only key factor was that it was on her left side; her stolen blade was pushed up and in, just enough that if she twisted even a little, Vexa would be dead. "You're going to give me all of the security codes I need, and you get to live."

Sometime Later...

- Planetary HQ -

As Jasmine and her team paused at the entryway Benson rejoined them and the Captain's Padd sounded, she pulled it out and read it "dammit, Lee was captured it has been confirmed and ironically to this building" She paused as she looked at Cassie, "Lieutenant Matthews, when we get inside, take Lieutenant Thompson with you and locate the data section, set weapons to stun, I have a feeling Syndicate operatives will be in the room, I want you both to do a data dump, hopefully, security can decode what you get and see if there is anything about the syndicates plans" Somers said.

Matt nodded to Lt. Mathews.

=/\= Ay,e Captain, we're on it. =/\=

Come on, Cassie, let's go get the info the captain wanted.

Cassandra nodded; it was a solid enough plan, though she hated splitting up. Still, orders were orders, and she did as she was told.

"The rest of us will go and look for Lieutenant Lee who will likely be in holding, that Lieutenant Benson is where you come in, when we get there you are to get access to the security system and free Lieutenant Lee, feel free to leave a parting gift in their computer system, any questions?" Somers asked.

"I've got the codes I need. just need to get in there, sir." Faith smiled a little bit. Hiding her wound.

"Captain, I must alert you to some sensitive scans I have been doing in the background as I do other things. I have detected some activity in the village we are looking to head to. It appears to be electronic or computer activity. I think there may be some AI here." Nelson reported to Somers.

*rolls eyes* "Shit! Okay, Nelson, go with Lieutenants Thompson and Matthews. I would assume if there are A. I's here they may rush to your location the moment the data dump is started" She said "Okay Nelson keep an eye on those okay you know your assignments, let's get to it" She and the teams split, it was some time moving quietly through the building until they came to the placed holding cells, from the shadows they observed two Security Officers and plenty of cameras.

"Aye, Ma'am, I am on it and will not let you do,n," Nelson replied and got to work.

"Faith, how good a shot are you? I need you to take out those cameras, I will stun the two security Officers," Somers asked.

Faith raised an eyebrow, "I can shoot the wing off of a ticks ass at 1500 feet, Captain. And ticks don't have wings; that was the fly behind it." At least all that time came in handy. Popping off a few perfect shots. "Cameras are down."

"Excellent", the Captain said and targeted both Syndicate techs and fired. Both went down silently. "Okay, Faith, go do your job, do a data dump, get everything you can. MCPO Michelle can work on it when we get back," she said "Goodwin, remain here and keep an eye out", Somers added.

"Aye, Captain," Goodwin replied and took to a spot to keep a watch on the area.

As what remained of her team carried out their tasks Jasmine headed to the cells and located Lieutenant Lee "okay Lieutenant move your ass, we are here to rescue you" Somers said.

"Great, I am so happy to see you." Lee was up and raring to go. "I am ready to get out of this place, and I can't say how relieved I am to see you, captain. The others of my team were lost some time ago."

"Your team is unattainable. I do not know if you realized this world has fallen to the Syndicate, the Orion Syndicate, so let's get out of here. Benson, have you finished that Data dump of the facilities data yet?" she asked.

"I did notice that, which is why I came here. I found this hamlet when I started my observations and knew there would be a way to hold up here until I could get to the landing site for where I would need to meet if I was right about you or someone here to get me." Lee replied.

Faith had failed a little bit upon getting to Lee first, as per her orders. However, they did get to him. She's got her other objectives to deal with. More importantly, after she took out three patrol squadrons...again. She'd made it to their main computer core room. Starting the download of all of their information to her tricorder. Some 34 teraflops of data wouldn't overload her tricorder. Then, I initiated the data purge to wipe the systems out of every and all systems.

=/\= Benson to Somers. A data dump is in the works. I've got all of their information. They are not happy already and know I'm here but not where." =/\=

*Nods in response*

Jasmine taps her Commbadge =/\= Somers to Matthews, how goes the data dump at your location? =/\= Somers asked.

Cassandra watched Thompson's back as he skillfully worked at the data station. It seemed to be going smoothly. So far the little bit of resistance they had come across had been easily neutralised and locked together before being shoved in a storage closet. Cassandra look over her shoulder at Thompson.

Cassandra taped her comm, then responded =/\=Mathews to Somers, Data dump is in progress, should be done soon. =/\=

=/\= Make it quick Lieutenant, we are on our way out, Somers out =/\= the Captain said and closed the link.

As they gather and prepare to leave, "Faith, you done? We got to get going?" She asked.

=/\= "Yeah, yeah..hold on. Just leaving a little present." =/\= Faith was installing a worm, self self-replicating virus, at the same time. She stopped to scoot her way from the data port once that was started. "Heading back the way I came. I'll be on the roof in two minutes."

Stone had been out of the fry so far. This was the most he had sat around on a mission in a long time. He had taken a concealed spot outside the shuttle and watched the perimeter. He had the phaser rifle at a low ready, crouched near a tree. He wanted one of those drones to get closer, but they stayed too far. He knew he would take them down when they had to extract.

He worried about a four-legged furry creature nibbling on the bush he was next to. It looked like an earth guinea pig but was the size of a cat, with green and brown coloring. He could use the creature as a backup warning if it ran, something was coming.

Eventually, all met back up "Okay, let's make like a tree and leave", Somers said as she led her team out. She tapped her Commbadge =/\= Somers to shuttle, prep for departure will be with you in five minutes =/\= she said.

Lamia smiled more out of relief at not having to sit around any longer. =/\= Understood, Captain, we’ll be ready to go when you get here. =/\=

Hearing the stuttle start to wind up, he knew the team would be on their way back and probably being followed at best and chased at worst. He looked at his Phaser rifle, checking the settings one more time. He looked in the direction they should be coming and kept the phaser rifle at low readiness.

After a short trek the team arrived at the shuttle "okay, get your asses on the ship" the Captain said and followed up the ramp. She headed to the pilot seat, waiting for Lamia to move "okay Mr Stone, get your ass in the shuttle" she said loudly and finally took over the pilots seat as Lamia took the Co-Pilots one.

The guinea pig-like creature looked around just on cue and scapered off quickly. Stone brought his Phazer rifle up and looked through the scope. He could hear the team coming before he spotted them. It looked like a clean escape.

But with the drones in the area, he wondered. He stood up, looking over the area. Chief Stone looked through the rifle's scope and could tell the team was about 100 meters out. One of the drones was close.

Watching the Drone closely, he noticed that it turned to look in the direction of the team. He knew they would know someone shot the drone if he shot it directly. He and a high-looking branch of a tree that was hovering for cover.

The team was now 50 meters out. And the drone moved, turning to see what the movement was. He fired the phaser rifle, hitting the branch above it. As it turned to detect where the phaser fire came from, the branch fell, striking the drone and causing it to tumble. There was a crunch as the drone hit the ground.

He stayed in position as the team came by, watched as the last one loaded, and then followed. As he entered the shuttle, he went to one knee as the ramp closed, looking out of the back of the shuttle for threats that might come.

"Okay, Lamia, make sure all are aboard and the ramp is closed; we are about to lift off," Somers said.

“Aye, Captain.” Taking a head count to ensure all were aboard, Lamia ensured the ramp was up and sealed. “All accounted for, and the ramp is sealed.”

"Excellent, okay, let's get the hell off this planet. Lieutenant Lee, when we get back to the Themistocles, you are to report to Medical for a check-up, then prep a mission report and send a copy to myself and Lieutenant Benson" the Captain said as the shuttle left Arth behind and Jasmine activated shuttle jamming equipment and headed to the ship which was currently holding station on the dark side of the planets moon.

"Understood, Captain, will do as directed." Lee replied and with a huge sigh of relief as she was off of that rock that was about to go to hell.

It did not take long for the shuttle to dock with the ship. The moment the ship was secured on the deck, JAsmine opened the Communications =/\= Away Team to Bridge. All members are safely aboard; get us the hell out of this system and back to Starbase 51, Commander Dodd =/\=

=/\= Understood, Captain. =/\=

Dodd then gave the order to get out of the system at the fastest speed possible but on a route that would not lead the Orions directly to the true course to trick them into thinking there was another party in the area.

[OFF]

 

RSS Feed