Angela sighed and resisted the urge to shift around in her seat. She had no idea the panels would have been so boring for the cadets. Every time the bottom of her foot itched she thought of the cams trained on her and how this would look on her academic resume. She was young, but winning her spot took months of work she wasn't going to undo by looking her age. The real problem with the panel was her position - not high enough to be answering questions but not low enough to be running around doing things. Her job was to sit quietly, take notes, and present Makoss with the results.
Her message notification went off and Angela was so glad her padd was set to silent for the day. That would have been beyond embarrassing. 'Hey girl,' it read, 'Uhura and I are watching the feeds, looking good up there. Come over after the panel and photo ops - we'll order pizza and celebrate! ~G' Angela kept her features blank as she sent back the confirmation. She was really glad her friends were supportive. Many of her classmates were jealous and competition for spots on these kinds of panels was fierce. If it was junior or senior year and each cadet hadn't distinguished themselves in some way it was difficult to break out of the pack that late in the game. It would have been easy for Gaila to be jealous and go after her achievements, but instead ordered pizza. The young girl found it much easier to ignore the itch on the bottom of her foot after the message went through.
Finally, after another two hours of questions, they were let up to move around for a few minutes before the promotional photos started. "Angela," Makoss greeted, handing her a glass of fruit juice. "To success." Angela joined him in the toast and took a sip according to Terran custom. "There are two department heads that want to meet the intern teams after the photos - I need you, Michael, and Synok to stay for a few minutes after the photos. That ok?"
"Will do," Angela replied. "Want me to round them all up?"
"You're a doll," Makoss smiled. "If anyone ever tells you otherwise, don't let them."
"Yes sir," Angela replied, running off quickly to grab her co-workers for the photo op and department meeting.
"Cadet," a strong voice asked, the young woman turned to see Spock and a huge smile broke over her face.
"Commander," She smiled, "What did you think of the panel?"
"Your work was satisfactory," Spock said with the tiniest quirk of his lips. "You and your fellow interns are getting commendations in your file."
"High praise," Michael said from her side. "You and the Commander are acquainted?"
"You could say that," Angela laughed, taking half a step closer and bumping his shoulder with her own. "Oh, and I wanted to tell you I'm going to Gaila's after this, we're going to celebrate."
"Commander," one aide called from the photographers group. "We need the cadets for their photos."
"Here," Angela said, handing Spock her glass. "I'll be right back." The older man took it and turned back to a conversation with Lipton.
"So you two are close?" Michael clarified as they took their places.
"Naturally," Angela replied, putting on a smile for the cameras. Michael had nothing to say as the cameras flashed around them, Angela didn't notice his hands tense behind her or how quickly he left the hall after the event. She and Synok were to busy networking with the department heads and the rest of the intern teams.
When she was finally free to get away from the event, Uhura and Gaila had the pizzas on their way. "Hey girl! Congrats!" The Orion called.
"I could sleep for a week," Angela confessed. "I never thought sitting still could be so tiring!" She pulled off her boots and onto one of the beds. "We watching movies?"
"Yup," Uhura promised, powering up the queue. "We're starting with the latest spacer."
"There needs to be a version with all the boys shirtless," Gaila cooed.
"I'm ok with that," Angela giggled. "Uhura?"
"They're very pretty," the Terran agreed, falling onto the bed next to the young woman so they could settle in for the movie. It took about twenty minutes before the door chime rang. "The pizza, I got it." She turned around the privacy divide and opened the door, a shriek of terror echoed through the room.
Spock's hand jerked and he dropped his glass - overwhelming fear coming from his bond with Angela. "Spock, what's wrong?" Pike asked, concerned at how pale his future first officer had become.
"Angela is in trouble," Spock said, taking off in a sprint for the door. "You two, with me, now." The security guards tried to keep up but Spock quickly out stripped them. By the time he had reached Gaila's dorm room people were starting to filter into the hallway to look, still afraid. One cadet with a security department patch was trying to keep people calm and relaying information into his communicator. "Clear a path - move!" The sight of Gaila's dorm room made his blood run cold. It was trashed, the nick knacks from her privacy wall had all been knocked down or smashed, the chairs were overturned and the display shattered across the floor. "Angela? Gaila? Uhura?"
A choked voice came from the other side of the bed. "Spock," Uhura called.
"What happened?" Spock asked, gently lifting her to the bed. She choked again trying to speak and then pulled his right hand up to her face. "Cadet…"
"No time," Uhura managed to gasp. Spock saw the bruises already forming on her throat and completed the mind meld. The young woman's mind was surprisingly well organized; there were very few stray thoughts and feelings filtering though, but the images he saw were of the attack.
Uhura opened the door only to be slammed back against the wall by a masked assailant. She screamed in fear, Gaila charged around the corner only to be hit with a stun round from a phaser, the display had cracked when she fell against it. Uhura got a hand free and disarmed the first man, two others forced their way into the room and another two were outside.
"Nyota!" Angela called out, picking up a desk chair and swinging it expertly at one of her attackers.
"Angie run!" Uhura shouted back, kneeing the man and going after the second attacker.
"Get them and get out!" One of the men outside shouted.
"Hey," Someone in the hall called, "What are you…" A phaser discharged and another scream went through the hallway, someone else shouting for people to shelter in their rooms and bar the doors. Angela managed to knock out one of her attackers but the second one hit her over the head. She hit the ground hard and didn't move.
"Angela!" Uhura called, fighting tooth and nail against the two men still standing in her room. One got in a good punch and took her to the ground, two hands wrapped tightly around her throat. Uhura booked the hold but he was back in a moment, cutting off her oxygen supply.
"Max stop," one of the men ordered. "We don't hurt our own kind, let's go." Uhura's vision was going grey when the memory ended.
"Find them," Uhura gasped.
"Medical's on it's way," the cadet from the hallways stated, looking around the room. "Was she the only one here?"
"I'm ordering her to be taken to the Vulcan embassy," Spock ordered, sending off a quick message. "I have to go after the other two cadets, are you willing to assist me?"
"What do we know?" The man asked.
"There were five assailants," Spock filled him in. "Computer - activate hall cams for this corridor, last thirty minutes, authorization Commander Spock."
"Accessing," the digital voice replied, images flashing across the screen in rapid succession. He watched Gaila and his sister carried quickly through the hall less than a minute after forcing Nyota against the dividing wall. He switched to the door cams and had a partial plate off a hovervan posted outside.
"Can we track them off that?" The guard asked quietly, worried about the cadets.
"I can," Spock affirmed. "What is your name cadet?"
"Jason Clarke," he said, still following the other male. "We need to commandeer a vehicle." He had a quick conversation with the owner of the closest hoverer and then they were off, Jason driving while Spock continued to hack the city's camera network from his data padd. "Do you have them?"
"Here," Spock said after several minutes of tracking them across the cams, he plugged a warehouse address into their navigation.
"Do you have a weapon sir?" Jason asked as they got closer.
"You have a phaser," Spock replied. "I will need to improvise a weapon or acquire one, I'm sure one of the guards will have sufficient weaponry."
"So the two of us are going to charge into an unknown situation with one weapon and no backup," Jason clarified. Spock may have called Starlet for tactical backup, but it was unlikely they would arrive in the next fifteen minutes. "What's going for us."
"If the group that took them is Terra Prime - they will shoot me first as I am not fully human," Spock said, "Their focus on me would buy you time to escape."
"Not comforting," Jason growled as they approached the tagged warehouse, the van they were tracking parked among several others there.
"Do you have any scanning equipment?" Spock asked as they edged closer to the only visible door.
"Just a standard tricorder," Jason replied, "Not sure how far the range will be effective, they could have jammers running."
"It is our only option," Spock nearly sighed. "Focus on the entrance, we will perform additional scans as we continue."
"Two guards just inside the door," Jason said quietly. "I can only get to the hallway."
"Alert security that we have likely located a major branch of Terra Prime," Spock ordered. "I will neutralize the guards. Catch up to me when you are done."
"Sir, you don't have a weapon," Jason protested, extending his arm to get Spock to take the phaser. "Here."
"It is more logical for you to keep the weapon as Vulcan are physically stronger than humans," Spock concluded. "I will return if you are not here by the time I've incapacitated the first guards." Spock stood and approached the heavy door; he could use the large, poorly cut vision slot in it to his advantage. With little other option he walked up to the door and knocked loudly. The hatch opened and Spock thrust his hand through faster than the man could react. "Be silent. In the times it takes you to alert your fellow guard I will be able to sever the connection between your C1 and C2 vertebrae. If you open the door I will render you unconscious instead. Which option do you choose?" The door unlocked and Spock stepped in, pulling the man into the heavy door to knock him unconscious.
"Damn Commander," Jason said in awe, catching up.
"The second one is at the end of the room in the end of the hall," Spock continued, taking off the downed man's phaser from his side. "Set to stun."
"Wait, maybe, keycard," Jason said, stopping to frisk the body. "They might have some, here." The second guard didn't see Spock coming, a quick nerve pinch and he slumped to the ground. "What are the chances…emergency exit map. Good to know hate groups follow fire code." He motioned to the display on the side of the wall that every building had to have with a basic blueprint available, emergency exits marked. "Most of this is warehouse, they'd want to keep them separate but close to each other. These rooms back here are our best bet."
"Take his coat and walk first," Spock ordered. "They are less likely to notice another human." Jason wrestled the coat on over his red cadet uniform and sealed it up. They made their way quickly to the interior of the building.
"I expected more of them," Jason said quietly after they stashed the guard in a storage closet.
"I theorize they are preparing to move their operation," Spock considered. "They are aware Starfleet will find this location, there will be minimal people and supplies left." Jason nodded and they quickly discovered where most of the Terra Prime members were. Angela was tied to a chair in one of the small rooms, six members stood around her drinking beer and laughing.
"What's up with her skin color?" One asked. "Like like a paint wheel with that blue hair. So stupid." Angela couldn't respond, a gag had been tied in her mouth to keep her quiet. "We set to record yet?"
"Almost," another replied.
The man in front of Angela smiled and trailed his hand over her hair even as she shied away. "Now my little one, you are going to denounce Starfleet's inclusion policy and their precious Prime Directive. Now - as an…alien, I can see you have some issues with this statement. Bear in mind - we've already made plans for our fun with your little Orion friend. Th more you misbehave, the worse we're going to be on her." The man was almost gentle as he untied the gag. He didn't see Spock and Jason sneak up to the door or Angela make eye contact with him. "Anything to say before we get started?"
"Just a question," Angela said, her jaw sore from the gag. "Did you know I have a brother?"
"How is that relevant?" The man laughed. "The humans back at your dorm will have only just summoned security. We have at least another two hours before Starfleet gets access to the city's cam grid and we'll be long gone by then."
"I just asked because as a Vulcan he's usually stoic," Angela chuckled. "And right now he looks really, really pissed." Spock and Jason used Angela's queue to open fire and stun the others int he room. Angela lashed out and head butted the leader, breaking his nose. He cried in pain and then Spock's hands were on him. "Spock, take him and go find Gaila!"
"I'll get you out of these," Jason said, crouching behind the chair to get at the binders. "This is going to take a minute, they're electronic."
"I need to wait until you are secure," Spock insisted.
"No Spock, go!" Angela urged him. "She's Orion... you know what they're going to do."
Spock nodded and took the leader in a choke hold out of the door, "Now, you know my species is telepathic - I don't want to invade your mind but I will do so if you do not cooperate. Which way to my sister's friend? I will not ask twice." The man gurgled his response and pointed weakly to the left. "Your cooperation is logical." The scared man led Spock to another room, several men were jeering inside and already very drunk. One more nerve pinch and the man dropped. Spock checked the phaser and opened the door; what he saw tested his already strained control, he instantly decided against using his phaser. Gaila was tied to the bed at her wrists and ankles, her jacket and sweater cut away, skirt already rucked up.
"Let's hope the little one is a fighter," one chuckled, "I want to get the most out of this."
"Excuse me," Spock said, not noticing the camera already set up int he corner. "Are my inferences correct, that you intend to physically assault the cadet after your previous assault and kidnapping?" The Vulcan walked into the room, calm as ever, only the slight tremor in his hands showed how angry he truly was. "Now, are you going to cower in hear, or fight?" The first human roared and threw his beer can at the officer.
Decimation was the only word to describe what happened next. The closest one was lifted and just thrown across the room into the far wall, his body made a sickening crunch and lay prone. The second managed to get a punch in before a blow directly to his solar plexus send him to the ground at Spock's feet. He neatly stepped over the body and looked at the next of his three possible assailants. Two tried to rush him but Spock was trained in advanced hand to hand combat, this was hardly a challenge. He broke the first arm that touched him and planted his foot in the chest of the second, both sets of of breaking bones echoed around the small room. Both fell to the floor, one shrieking in pain and the other wheezing as he tried to draw breath. The last one paled and broke for the door; Spock clotheslined him with a blow to the throat, he to fell to the ground.
"Cadet, are you injured?" Spock asked, approaching the cot. Gaila seemed to be in low level shock, she didn't respond to the officer leaning over her. "Gaila, can you hear me?" He broke the binders off the woman and quickly wrapped the blanket from the cot around her to cover her up, one hand supporting her under the knees and the other around her back.
"Gaila!" Angela called from the door, supported by Jason, and injury to her leg keeping her off her left foot.
"She's unharmed but in shock," Spock explained. "Cadet Clarke, inform security we have handled known assailants and that we are leaving the premise, these cadets need medical attention." He carried Gaila out to the transport, Jason and Angela took point so they could check corners. Two more guards were stunned but it appeared all other forces had already evacuated the building. The two girls were loaded in the back and Angela cradled Gaila as they drove, softly singing to her in an unknown language.
Jason watched the building go back and didn't recognize the ones he was seeing. "We're not going back to campus?"
"The Vulcan Embassy has a medical wing with more advanced equipment," Spock replied, "There were also three assailants that were carrying Starfleet issued communicators." Jason had nothing to say about that - he didn't want to believe anyone in the organization would have ties to the fleet. He knew there was nothing wrong with being proud of one's home planet, but terrorism was terrorism, and if any group crossed a line it didn't matter what they started out believing in. They made it to the embassy and quickly had to the two females transferred to the medical wing. Uhura was there in soft pants and a tunic, the bio bed keeping her vitals displayed. Her throat had been treated, but it was still swollen from the attacked.
"Gaila, Angela," she called softly.
"Do not strain yourself cadet," a healer said, trying to keep her sitting down.
"They are not seriously harmed Nyota," Spock said, gently easing Gaila on another bed as Jason helped Angela to hers. "Cadet Clarke, you should contact your Commander as quickly as possible. I will draft a statement you acted on my orders, it is probable you will need legal advice."
"Forget that," Angela said from inside the privacy screen, the nurses were helping her change so they could diagnose her injuries and treat them. "Spock, call the family lawyer and get him on a transport now, I'll cover all fees and expenses. He'll be representing all five of us in any legal proceedings. Tell him to put in requests for the dorm and city traffic cam footage."
"Say what?" Jason asked.
"Plan for the worse and be surprised when it doesn't happen," Angela replied. "We're not leaving anything to chance." The privacy screen was removed, Angela looked angrier then she had when she was strapped to the chair.
"You have not even been diagnosed Ko-kai," Spock nearly sighed, the trying day starting to show in his frown. "Nurse - what is her status?"
"Angehillis has a radial fracture in her wrist and a strain in her ankle muscle, 90% of it is damaged," the nurse read from her display pad. "She has multiple contusions on her ribs, throat, and a possible concussion. We will need dedicated tests to discern it's severity."
"I'm ok," Angela replied as the nurse approached with a hypospray, most likely to sedate her. "Check on Gaila."
"She has similar injuries," the nurse continued, "She is also in shock, we recommend immediate session with a Vulcan healer."
"Schedule her a session immediately," Angela ordered, opening her mouth to continue.
"You need to let them treat your injuries as well," Spock interrupted. Angela sighed and laid back on the table to let the nurse start running a regenerator over her skin. Jason and Spock were dismissed quickly to let them start working in peace. Both males contacted their superior officers and requested paperwork for their reports. The lawyer was on planet in the next hour and began taking statements to compare with the assailants and build the case agains them. All three women were kept in Vulcan care as the inquiries began.