The Nomad
Bajor – Jalanda City
Present Time March 4th 2379 – 14:00 Hours
Lieutenant Joanne McHattie had been in the cafe for some three hours up to now. The mark had yet to make an appearance, which was quite strange since she frequented the cafe on a regular, if not daily basis. JoJo as McHattie is known, is not somebody you see again after an encounter. Mainly due to the fact that any said lifeforms are still alive after seeing her. The mark was one of those idiotic Bajorans whom believed that she sent by the prophets. This all arose just because JoJo happened upon a fight taking place while bunking on DS9. She had saved some prat from offering out a Nausicaan, it transpired that the incident was viewed as an act of the prophets.
Jojo pretty much felt that the Bajorans were backward enough already, even the prophets seemed backwards according to her
"Why would a so called advanced being, wish to confine themselves to a wormhole? Is that evolution, I think not"
JoJo was relieved when the mark walked into the cafe and spotted JoJo right away and started to venture her way. The mark was able to make it halfway to the table that she had selected, however JoJo knew that the mark had covered enough ground and with that thought, she was already standing with a false smile on her face. The next few moments in what seemed like a couple of heart beats, the mark went down hard clutching her chest in absolute agony. JoJo had reached out with her mind and locked on to the marks vital organ and made it explode. The overwhelming tiredness with that act, compelled the lieutenant to fall to the floor near her chosen table. Being only 23 years old, her mind was not as strong as her 25 year old Sister Sarah, yet.
As this was happening, the way that JoJo collapsed to the floor was a perfect mask and worked to enhance her cover. The mark that had been slain, just happened to be a member of a new reactionary group with political aims that she had no interest other than the fact that the group had to be stopped.
"Now what are they called again, the new circle or something?, no matter, they cannot be allowed to incite hostility's with the Cardassians"
The Cardassians have Intel that is needed concerning the Tholian Assembly. Couple that with the agent whom (a Gul from the 2nd Order) passes the Intel, the status quo has to be kept for now.
A few minutes had elapsed while JoJo was recovering her mental stability and this was the moment to leave the cafe and ultimately escape the planet. She walked back to the rented home and activated her deployment beacon. Seconds later she materialized on the scorpion attack shuttle's compact transporter pad and headed for the cockpit. Once she was under way, she headed to the refresher to remove the holo mask and wig. Still feeling drained, sleep came quite easy.
"I need a holiday with a nice 20th century style English pub near"
With that blissful thought, she hit the sack and was out quicker than the lights dimmed off.
Next Day Sector 04 – 70
The lieutenant awoke early due to a console alarm sounding. By her estimates she had been asleep for ten hours. Felling fatigued and somewhat drained still, she dragged herself of the passable bed and made for the cockpit. The scorpion being a facsimile of a defiant class, though vastly smaller and no need for the insane power requirements and output, would hold its own to fighter class vessels and cargo ships. Still JoJo felt edgy. Lack of sleep probably, but the old badlands should still be a haven of sorts.
Well she thought "should be".
The sensors operating passively had picked up transmissions somewhere close, but without scanning the area aggressively, the computer will have only basic data. A quick look at at the incoming data showed that the transmissions were some way off, she set the computer to record the frequencies to see if further information can be gleaned from whatever source is making them. There do not appear to be any ships of note, or anything really, but in this hell hole who knows. The lieutenant went back to the living quarters, and being a one member crew ship, quite small but at least one person owned space, to get a little bit more sleep.
Same Day Sector 04 – 70 05:00 Hours
Lieutenant McHattie now sitting in the cockpit awaiting further instructions. The Argus array is being used by SSFD (Starfleet Special Forces Dept) for covert operations, was due to transmit the next mission to the lieutenant. With a strengthening dread, the next mission was bound to be just a few thousand kilometers away. A small moon had apparently seen some action over the past few hours. A routine check in via some handy sensor equipment laced around the badlands, was bound to bear bad tidings against a target that the lieutenant would be expected to neutralize whatever. Beep beep, beep beep. Jojo sat at the controls impassively as the new transmission from HQ was being received. The orders stipulated that a near by moon was is position for a reconnoiter mission to establish exactly what the apparent interest in the moon, and by whom. Well the transmissions appeared to be of Cardassian origin, but the lieutenant would be in the area if things were so clear cut. Signed off with the usual brief, no rescue upon capture.
"Yep the usual kill or die trying"
Arrival at the moon was pretty uneventful. Picking landing zone was not so simple. A visual scan from far off showed that there was a lot of activity down there, what exactly was to be determined, but power sources were evident over a wide area. Most of which appears to be industrial equipment. The lieutenant familiar with Cardassian mine complexes was pretty sure that was she was looking at. There was not much to see from orbit though and not much occurring that was obvious to the scanners. A faint energy signature was interesting though and seemed to be masked, but with the current environmental conditions it was difficult to say. The lieutenant decided to pick a mountainous area with a peak of a thousand meters or so, but landed at the bottom before the main peak. Really not much of a place of concealment, but JoJo reasoned that no one is going to be there as long as her approach was not compromised by any ears or eyes watching.
Twenty minutes later the scorpion was on the ground. Jojo suited up with a prototype combat suit that a sealed inner skin with armour overlay. Light but very combat proficient allowing the lieutenant her full repertoire of martial skills as well as the usual combat skill set. Rather than the standard issue type – 3 fare. The lieutenant shut down all non essential systems and just keeping the defense and cover systems active. The scorpion itself was highly visible still, but JoJo was relying on the idea that no one is going to be looking. If the shit hits the fan, there will not a lot for it anyway, the lieutenant would be spread across a few kilometers of rock having been targeted by several plasma torpedoes. The lieutenant downloaded the last intel that was with the SSFD mission parameters. Simply put make haste to discern what is going on. The one vital piece was not to reconnoiter in force, that would be pointless.
"Huh, a pointless waste of an asset more like" Thought in a somewhat cynical tone.
JoJo set off towards the South where the signals being detected were the strongest, but still faint. She only hoped that this was correct as the air was breathable, but the surface was still pretty much a desert with stones. The target was a good forty five minutes away where the lieutenant judged that the rocky outcrop would afford some concealment for a stake out of sorts. Settling down to what would almost certainly be a long and boring time. The lieutenant not having huge reserves of patience decided to set up the comms equipment to capture signals and sort out the frequencies from military to civilian. Although in this case JoJo felt that there would be no surprises that one of the Orders is in charge of whatever is being carried out on the moon. Having done that the lieutenant just had to play the waiting game. She could not move with so many variables that would bound to invite attention that simply could not be fought. Coupled with the fact that retreat would also announce her presence, as would being aggressive, moving in on an intangible target would be plain stupid, and suicidal. The latter being something that was arranged for a mark, not herself. The scorpion would alert her to any hostiles approaching and programmed to fly to her location, rather than enacting an emergency transport at that location. A squad of Cardassian soldiers would likely bring it down. Subterfuge would probably not work either. Transporting an object into the vehicle would probably not fool them either at take off. The choice was clear. Wait and wait, and if necessary, more waiting.
As it transpired, JoJo did not have to wait too long at all. In the far distance to the North, faint movement could be seen, but without the computer systems of a star ship, impossible to tell what and how far. Using the binoculars even with enhanced optics could not help. JoJo felt that perhaps it was some local wildlife, but judging by the environment would seem unlikely. Not a patch of water to be seen and the soil, if it even passes for that, is dry and crumbly. She decided to follow the mission parameters and get as detail as possible on the signal traffic and retreat. However, if the object presented itself for a beauty shot all the better. An hour passed and the lieutenant was no closer to discerning what it was that she saw, but the object had gone. Maybe a mirage but maybe not. Feeling somewhat uneasy, JoJo gathered up the comms equipment and made back to the scorpion. However that feeling of uneasiness was about to manifest into the forms of a squad of not Cardassians, but what appeared to be Romulans and wearing military uniforms. There were seven soldiers heading South but seemingly had not detected JoJo yet. However, they were heading towards the peak that was hiding the scorpion from their view, but once they traversed the Northern side of the peak, they would not be able miss it. There really was no choice. The lieutenant knew that no rescue would be affected and the choice was clear enough. Let the squad find the ship and be stranded with the all too clear outcome of capture. Probably torture and death too. JoJo made the choice, as she does as a vocation. Life or death to protect herself and the information locked in her mind. A quick calculation of the positioning of the hostiles brought a snap decision to make them turn. The point had two hostiles fanning out to the left and right. The third hostile was bringing up the rear, while leaving the remaining four couple of paces from each other in the middle. There did not seem to be much urgency on display, so JoJo thought that perhaps this is just a routine patrol, or perhaps new recruits on some exercise. Either way she could not see who was the leader, or who was in charge of the communications. No matter she thought, but being some thirty minutes from the scorpion she would just have to shadow for now.
The elevation of the main peak meant that where the scorpion was, it was hidden by a rising bank that shielded the ship from view when approaching from the North. However this also meant that one the hostiles crested the ridge they would see the ship. The lieutenant would have to take them before this to mitigate any scenario where they would be in defensive positions and leaving JoJo out in the open. At ten minutes out on current pace, a ridge ran down to the right into a depression that at the run, theoretically JoJo could take down the rear hostile and get around the middle group and get to the front. However, the hostile front right side is the unknown. Does he spin around to face her direction without looking to his left and then pour fire down towards the depression, or just look front. Either the lieutenant made the decision. Being athletic with certain mental advantages, she quickly made the plan work. Approaching a crest in the rocks, she dropped the rear hostile then bolted to her right in almost one movement and jumped down into the depression in a ten meter jump. Thankfully the middle group turned and just stood there dumbfounded and did not move. The first hostile moved towards the four and ordered them down. Instructions were given to the second hostile to move forward to the downed soldier. JoJo not believing her luck went with the plan and made for the Southern side of the depression unopposed. As she crested the ridge, she faced back North and poured fire on the first and four hostiles dropping them with precision shots to the middle torsos. The second hostile rather fortuitously panicked and dropped his rifle. JoJo just simply blew his head clean away in a mass of blood and matter. Thinking quickly she ran to the first hostile and found him still breathing. Upon contact she decided to rip off the mask and was momentarily shocked by the screaming that ensued before she even did anything. It was not a Romulan, for a start up close the male was far too short. Ripping of the mask revealed something that was incomprehensible to her.
"A fucking Ferengi?"
While standing over the prostrate Ferengi with so many questions swirling around her mind, JoJo realized that the little shit is going to plead for his life with promises of wealth this, wealth and that blah blah. The Ferengi at this point panicking like mad was asking who she was and as a usual weak life form pleading for clemency, JoJo decided that she would be wasting her time, decided to humor him.
"Who am I you ask? Well you piece of shit, I am the last thing that life has granted you to see. the 10th Rule of Acquisition states that "greed is eternal" As such I deny you such knowledge. Bye bye.
The lieutenant quickly searched the other bodies who were in fact Romulans, but not a lot of evidential stuff to be found, but there were some Felodesine chips on the bodies and some comms equipment. Quickly pocketed, JoJo thought that maybe chemical analysis may tell something, but that feeling of unease was returning. Finding the scorpion unmolested at first sight, she simply could not take the risk to do a thorough check. She checked around the craft for any foreign objects, did not find any and took the same flight path of the moon. In orbit the sensors were detecting activity moon side, but there were no star ships that she could detect. Not say there weren't any, but the scorpion moved off into te swirling cover of the badlands. The young lieutenant musing over the same old unanswered and silent question.
"How the hell did I get myself into this"