The assault

Posted on 14 Aug 2023 @ 11:59am by Captain Mazal Falk & 2nd Lieutenant Cassandra Mathews & Sergeant Connor Sharpe & 1st Lieutenant Jasmine Allen & 2nd Lieutenant Jennifer Goodwin & Sergeant Major Christopher "Chris" Kildare & Gunnery Sergeant Ernst Rommel & Staff Sergeant Lilliana Hawksley
Edited on on 12 Oct 2023 @ 2:34pm

3,648 words; about a 18 minute read

Mission: S3 Episode 5: 95th Regimental Missions
Location: Main mining base of the Federation
Timeline: Current

[ON]

With the other teams having gone their way it was now Mazal's group. With her were Sergeant Connor Sharpe, 1st Lieutenant Jasmine Allen, 2nd Lieutenant Jennifer Goodwin, Sergeant Major Christopher "Chris" Kildare, Gunnery Sergeant Ernst Rommel, Warrant Officer K'Muss and Kirsty Hernandez a corpsman who had been assigned by Staff Sergeant Lilliana Hawksley to the group. Plus a small handful of other marines.

Thanks to the engineer who had offered to help to hack into the life support system, the Anesthezine gas bomb had been dropped in place and released into the facilities life support system, Mazal wasn't certain if the gas had reached all twenty levels of the main base that the Federation held, but it was the best that they could do. She and her people will still have to work with their eva armour/suits for them to deal with whatever will come about. Just in case the gas was still around. She gave the signal and the group was beamed down into a corridor.

"Okay is everyone here in one piece?" Mazal asked, looking around.

“A-Okay here Lieutenant” Kirsty nodded as she looked towards Mazal before checking her readouts. “Anaesthesia levels here are at safe levels, can’t say the same for deeper into the complex though.”

"Thank you Corpsman." giving a brief smile, "Okay let's fan out and check this floor then we move to the next level." Mazal gave out the order. "Just be careful, if you find unconscious pirates do not kill them, do you understand? Just bind them and then go on. Hopefully, we'll be able to find other innocents that will be alright."

Where the marines stood, there was a desk that stretched across the back wall, it was a receiving desk for those coming to visit the site. On either side were doors which led into the other area of the level, plus to the right would be a turbolift as well as a set of stairs.

"Scan the area first to see if there are life signs and see if they are moving," Mazal called out over the comms. "Hernandez, can you pick up anything?"

Kiera looked at the readouts she had in front of her. “Readouts are showing 5 life signs, Lieutenant.”

Allen looks up "Five by Five Captain," she said her usual carefree demeanour replaced with professionalism "

Kildare smiled at Falk "I am just dandy Captain" he said.

"Captain, All is well on the western front," Goodwin replied sort of as a homage to ol' times.

"Okay, good I don't want to ask people why you are missing something." Mazal cracked a joke before her face turned serious. "Okay, K'muss, Rommel, Sharpe and Kildare, Jones go to the right while the rest of us go to the left. Kildare you will be in charge of this group. Smithy and Trevors keep watch over the lift and the stairs. Once we clear this level we're going to have to split up into different teams to cover the rest of the levels. Osborne, you are with us."

Jones looked at Kildare " Ready when you are sir."

Going through either door those with Falk and those with Kildare will see a hall which leads to the back. On either side of the halls are six doors. In five rooms two rooms on the left have one person in each, the same as the others. The fifth one seems to be at the very back. From the indication of the scans and the schematics of where they were currently at.

"Tread carefully, we do not know how long the anaesthesia gas will be affecting those up here," Mazal said before she stepped in through the door. These were actual doors not like the regular doors on a ship. it was turning knobs and also testing to see if they were locked, which they were not.

"Okay Kildare, we're going in," Mazal stated. She looked at those with her, "I'll check the first door with Goodwin, Allen you and Osborne's head for the room which has another life sign, Hernandez, keep track of the life signs and see if they become more active." Mazal stated.

Rommel positioned himself toward the back of Kildare's small group. Silently taking up rear guard, he opened up his senses as best he could. It was gearing up for a smooth operation with the gas doing the hard work, but he knew things could go south fast, and he wanted to make sure he was ready just in case.

Kirsty followed on keeping a close eye on the readouts she was getting, the gas would be wearing off and it depended on how much people had breathed in and how long they’d be out. That and what species they were as well. “I’ve got movement on my readouts Lieutenant, just one person so far.”

"Okay, just be wary, also which area?" Mazal queried, "Our area or with Kildare?"

There is the sound of someone pounding on a door on Kildare's side as another blip becomes more mobile.

"Gosh did I misdiagnose the amount?" Mazal frowning.

“I don’t think so Lieutenant” Kirsty shook her head. “The first person I registered is in the same area, there must be something that’s prevented the dose from taking effect as well in that area.”

Mazal gave a nod and then said. "Right, there is that."

There is a strong thudding as if someone were trying to get attention by hitting the metal door that Kirsty had indicated someone was there: thump, thump thump.

Looking at Kildare, Jones said to him. "Sir sounds like someone is in there trying to get out, and why aren't they coming out on their own." he paused then realized something, the door had been hit by something which made it to where it couldn't be opened from either side.

"We may have to blast this open," Jones remarked. "Or cut it open with our phasers."

On Mazal's side, the doors had life signs, it looked like the doors had been tampered with as well.

"We could try transporting them out," Mazal commented to Allen, then tapped her commbadge to ask the Engineer operating the drop ship. The message came back.

"Sorry sir, we cannot get a lock there." came the reply.

Mazal frowned, "Okay we're going to have to use the phasers to get them out. Let's get to it."

Kildare looked at it "Yes there was an explosion near this door and it warped it so!" He looked at Falk "Easy boss, the Colonel made some micro explosives that will do the trick" he said pulling one out and loud enough to those on the other side of the door "Stand back fine in the hole" he said placing the small charge at the point that would allow the door to open and set the primer and readied the detonator trigger device he held in his hand. "I think we should move back people," he said and moved back into cover a safe distance away.

Kirsty stood well back, keeping an eye on the readouts. If anyone inside was too near the door she’d have wounded to attend to.

The marines stepped back when the explosives went off, and the smoke cleared out it could be seen a man was there hunkering down. "Don't shoot, don't shoot who are you?" he blinked at the people there. it could be seen that he had taken some damage.

Cassandra re-adjusted the bag of supplies that had been sent down with her. An extra medical kit to help aid the wounded. She was there to shoot anything that might object hostile to any of their generosity and goodwill as well. So she had her weapons too of course. The standard this time, nothing fancy. Just simple aid and reinforcement. Or that's what she was told - ever so briefly- before being handed back her weapons and pointed to the transporter pad for deployment once more.

Carefully Cassandra made her way through the corridors, a whiff of smoke and dust her first hint she was near and welcomed her arrival. She had just missed the fireworks it seemed. The gas approach had surely made things easy enough that things seemed calm, so far. She took a moment to survey the scene as she approached the group gathered in the hall. She saw the man's face in the door. Her mind went ever so briefly to the little girl they had just rescued from the mining station. The man's face seemed to hold that same terror. That same desperate pleading for life. She swallowed hard and forced it out of her mind for now. “Second lieutenant Mathews reporting in to assist.” She stated to the team leader, her eyes glancing over to the poor confused man in the frame of the door again. She tried her best to not look too menacing while she fell in with the rest of them.

Mazal heard it and smiled. "Welcome to the next event, Matthews." She looked back to where Osborne was cutting through the other door, which then was opened. A woman stumbled out and hit the floor, sobbing.

"They... they took the rest of us to the eighth level, locked me and several others in different rooms. I don't what happened to the rest, as I fainted. Those jerks gassed us."

*waves away the smoke as the rifles rush in, he looks at the reader* "Go figure the Colonel enhancing them without telling me!" He said to the reader then followed his teammates in.

Mazal linked up with the rest, bringing with her, the rest of the team. "Okay so information-wise, they are where?"

"The tenth floor, that is where the rest are. " the others that were rescued exclaimed.

"Okay bring up the schematics please." Mazal requested.

A holographic three-dimensional map was shown highlighting the base and the levels below. The assault team was at the top. There was an area where the minerals were brought in for processing, and tested for their mineral content. That way had a passage into the main site. Access from the rest of the base was either stairs, turbo lift or Jefferies tubes, which allowed maintenance to areas that needed work.

Mazal looked at what was shown. "We have a few options we can utilize to get to these people while hopefully, the Anesthizine gas is viable. Just need to know how much longer we have before it dissipates. Kirsty, can you give us an estimate? If the life support system is functioning how long do you think it will take to filter out the gas?"

"I do have some options, depending on how many of those explosives Kildare has we could get to the ninth floor blow a hole into the tenth floor above where the hostages are being kept, and drop in by surprise. Or we can get in through the front door as it were once we find out where everyone is at."

She looked once more at the building plans. "There looks to be one located not too far from here. Besides the main one out there." she looked at those that were there.

Rommel was on one knee at the wall, using it for support with his eyes fixed down the hall, making sure nothing got the jump on them as they made plans. "With all due respect ma'am, as much as I love seeing things blow up, if we aren't sure the hostages are by themselves then we would be risking hostages if we jumped through the hole. Would take too long by itself, but maybe if we drew them out forward with a distraction, that would buy enough time to drop through and clear that room?" He paused, "Just throwing ideas out."

Kirsty had been busy studying the figures trying to work out the variables. “Looking at the readouts, with full life support working we should have the gas cleared in approximately 10-15 minutes. That’s if life support is fully functional.”

Standing a little back from the rest of the Marines, Connor was taking a rear guard and overwatch position while the others discussed their next step. Urban-style fighting was never his favourite as he preferred to view things from a distance. Every so often he would look down at his wrist-mounted display at the proximity sensor just to make sure there were no surprises. “We could use smoke or tear gas?” He offered up

While Allen was talking with Falk Kildare made a search of the room for any more explosive devices, he got the occasional strange look, but he ignored it, he had a job to do, eventually, he was satisfied and approached the group "excuse me, Captain, I have finished checking the room and it is all clear of any further explosive devices micro or otherwise" he said.

Ten or fifteen minutes before the Anethszine gas will disappear. It was time to move out.

"Smithy and Jones, you stay here and watch these people," Mazal ordered the two marines to stay with the ones they found. " She looked at Osborne and Trevors, "Follow up on keeping an eye on our backside. One team with Kildare to get on level nine, Rommel and Sharpe go with him. The rest of you come with me. Let's move it now." Falk decides to take the stairs.

"We will be going with a mix of the plan, and distraction at the door, with Kildare and his group getting ready to go in from the top. "Let s go."

oO Okay, this is new! Oo Kildare thought to himself and signalled those assigned to him to follow "Okay Rifles time to take the long road to level nine" he said and led the way.

Mazal paused and looked at Matthews. "Matthews I need your creative mind, if you have another idea please come up with one as I am needing help. I feel that in some aspect way over my head and I need some extra brain power. Take the lead on this one and lead the charge."

Cassandra had listened tight-lipped studying the map and the plans suggested. Almost as soon as Mazal had said her piece, Mathews's mouth opened immediately.

"Use the vents. Blowing a hole in the roof will be too dangerous. Use what is already available. These are Starfleet stations designed for guerilla stealth tactics if needed. The vents are wide enough to accommodate a decent-sized stealth team to come through them single file. Big enough for engineering to wiggle through "For sterilization purposes" they claim, but it's actually set up for being able to work around situations like this." Mathews stated. "The diversion is actually a very good idea. Draw any of the enemies to the door if you can. But they will likely be using hostages for shields. The last thing we want is to lose forward momentum. So once everyone is in position there is no negotiating. We move forward threw the door and the other team gets the drop on them." She suggested.

At this moment in time, Allen walked over to Kildare "So Chris, you and Arderne serious?" Allen asked.

Kildare looked at her "Sir, I am not an easy pushover, I know of your joy of flirting and such, but to answer your question, yes we are serious, we are also engaged" he said. Those looking at the pair would think their talk was serious, but long before Arderne was on the scene the pair had dated for a while so they had remained friends ever since, but Kildare did notice the woman's shoulders slump a little at the news.

He gently patted her shoulder "Relax El-tee, I am sure there is someone out there for you, you just need to tone down your excessive flirting and teasing, when we went together both of us just wanted a good time and the occasional company on a night out, but if you ever want to be serious with anyone, you need to adapt and change a little" he said with a friendly smile.

Mazal glanced at the others, a half smile evident. "Okay Kildare, K'muss, Sharp Rommel. Matthews is calling the shots head for the vents and let's go with her plan. Are you going to be good with doing that?" she looking at the four she assigned together.

"Allen you are with me, Matthews and Kirsty. And let's get moving time is running out."

To one side she said to Matthews, "Good ideas there."

Then Mazal looked at Kirsty. "How are the levels now?"

*Looks at Falk* "Gotcha Boss" Kildare said and looked at Allen "Good luck there Jas" he said with one of his smiles.

Allen looked at Falk too "Got it" she said then to Kildare as he spoke, he gave her his patented smile and she felt her knees start to go weak "You too Chris" She waited till he left with Matthews then she sighed "I hope Arderne knows how lucky she is!" she said to herself, then on shaky legs which vanished when she focused on her task joined Falk.

Cassandra moved with a quickness, forward momentum. The longer they stood around the more chances potentially of them losing more innocent life. She wished she had a chance to grab an engineering drone. They had projector fields. If the pirates had the hostages in one place with enough space they could've... No... Better would have been a transporter amplifier to help them lock onto the hostages and beam them out without so much interference. Her mind let all that go as they moved into position for the assault.

Like the rest of the teams, Allen and Kildare got into their positions and waited for the order to move out.

The signal was given that all were in position. Mazal could feel the tension mounting, and the time seemed to slow down.

Mazal's ears perked up as she heard the unmistakable sound of the door they were going to be going through to rescue the hostages. So far they had the element of surprise. She motioned for everyone to get ready, the door seemed to slowly open wide, then she said. "Now!" was the signal for people to move in.

Mathews and her team arrived at their designated position. She waited for the other teams to relay that they too were ready so as to begin the diversion and kick off their show so to speak.

As Allen moved forward, she noticed this station while internally different to a degree resembled the inside of Deep Space Nine, she looked over to Falk "Captain, the Starfleet Defenders have probably fortified engineering and Command, so there is a good percentage that those we encounter will be hostile, but we need to get a team down to Engineering while others go to command" she said quietly.

Mazal gave a nod. " This is true, and the gas is wearing off.

After a moment, Mazal then spoke up. "Before we take back-engineering and the Command area, let's get these hostages freed then go from there. Be ready, I hear the door of opportunity opening right.. now."

The door opened and there was a rather surprised-looking individual staring at those out in the corridor.

A beam of light hit him and the man hit the floor. "Kildare make your entrance now as we are going in!" Mazal motioned for her troops to follow her inside.

At quick glance it could be seen the hostages were huddled together in one spot on the floor still sleeping, the pirates were standing up and moving about.

Kildare moved in as instructed and pulled out a bomb scanner and scanned the room, while the rest of the team secured the room, after a moment he returned "No explosive devices of any kind Captain, all is secure in that regard" he said to Falk.

Mazal gave a nod, she was glad that this part went without a hitch. "Okay, it's time to divide and conquer, and take the last two areas which are rather important."

She tapped on her Commbadge, "Smithy, Jones what's your status?"

We're okay Captain, also we've got reinforcements that have just arrived, we were getting ready to contact you. came the answer.

"Okay good, send some people down here and get the prisoners and those who are needed, and you two come down and join us.

Yes Captain we are on our way

She turned to Lieutenant Jasmine Allen. "I need you and your team to take Engineering, your team will consist of Kildare, Matthews, Smithy, K'muss and Trevors." Motioning to those she spoke of.

"My team will be Goodwin, Jones, Rommel, Osborne and Sharpe. Alright, it's time to move out."

With a Nod, Allen took her team and headed to Engineering to retake that vital part of the station.

[OFF]

 

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