Drake swore as she ran her antigrav chair into a table. She couldn't believe she was perspiring…after all, the damn chair was doing all the work. The idea was to tailor the chair's movements to her kinaesthetic. So far, in an hour and a half, all they'd managed to do is try to destroy a lot of furniture.
"Relax Admiral." Hoshi Sanchez, the medtech in charge of prosthetics and ambulatory devices advised, "Let me make another series of adjustments. I think I've nailed your reflex pattern this time."
"We'll see." Drake grumped. Sanchez was far too perky to be for real.
After tinkering with the chair for twenty minutes, Sanchez closed all the access hatches. Wearing her never fading smile, she instructed Drake to navigate the room. Drake straightened out her chair without any problem. She set her path for the maze of furniture that was the bane of her existence.
She easily dodged the chair and then the table. Next came the Ottoman followed by a couch. Reaching the end without incident, she accelerated and then collided with a love seat. Sanchez clapped her hands, "Very good, Admiral. If you hadn't thrown caution to the wind and accelerated at the end, you would have had a perfect run at it."
Drake blinked. That was the closest thing to an admonishment that Sanchez had uttered since they began. Maybe there was hope for her after all.
"All right, Admiral," Sanchez's smile had an evil edge to it, "Once more unto the breach and you'll have earned a reprieve for the day."
Drake silently vowed not to over-accelerate.
The Obsidian's deckplates shuddered as another explosion rocked the ship. Riker called out for a damage report. The OPS Officer provided it.
"We've sustained damage to the lateral nacelle brace. There's a hull breach on Deck 7, Section 12. Thirteen casualties reported so far. Engineering is on the line for you."
"Patch them in." Riker ordered.
Gilan, the acting Chief Engineer, spoke, "We need to jettison the warp core. She's going to breach in two minutes."
"Jettison away." Riker ordered.
Riker turned to the Tactical Officer, "What's our shield estimate after the breach?"
"Probably 30-40%." She answered.
"Hannah put some distance between us and that core." Riker urged.
"I'll try." Grace replied through gritted teeth.
"Core detonation in five…four…three…two… One!" the OPS Officer ticked off.
The ship convulsed. Circuits overloaded all over the ship. Afterwards Riker asked for a situation report. The damage toll was as expected but OPS had some good news.
"One of the enemy raiders was destroyed and two more are crippled. With the five we've already taken out that means we've cut the opposition in half." The man called out, "Unfortunately, with our warp core gone that means we're stuck here."
"That was always the case." Riker informed him, "We're here until the battle ends…one way or another."
The Monitor, the Merrimack, and the Hood sailed through the traffic channel in the debris field surrounding Mityr. The Monitor and the Merrimack were Defiant-class escorts. The Hood was a Galaxy-class carrier. The carrier designation essentially meant that she carried a fighter wing rather than a full complement of shuttlecraft.
Aboard the Hood, Captain Merry Limerick was impatiently charting out the progress of his squadron. Limerick was an Elvin. Nearly undistinguishable from humans other than his pointed ears lacking earlobes and being attached directly to the skull.
The Elvins had visited primitive Earth and spawned many of the legends of faeries and elves. Sitting in his command seat with his silver hair tied back in a ponytail, one could very well imagine a fairy tale. This particular Elvin was known for his tactical expertise.
The Hood based the Rascal Squadron. It was reputed to be one of the best space superiority and ground support units in Starfleet. Also aboard were the Covert squads. Covert One and Covert Two were Special Operations Command teams and they were tasked with supporting Macen's landing party.
Commander Alec Prine was Captain of the Merrimack. Commander Hev Callas was CO of the Monitor. Both were veterans of SpecOps campaigns. Rather than bear the standard of Fleet Operations both vessels and crews bore the Intelligence designator.
A special guest aboard the Hood was one Commander Elias Vaughn. He was tasked as Mission Commander for the Covert teams. He still required a cane in order to walk normally but he was feeling fit and trim. Fiercely determined to see Sindis brought to justice, Vaughn had spent every moment since coming aboard getting to know his team members and familiarising himself with the Mission Specialist board on the Hood's bridge.
Limerick called Vaughn over, "It's almost time. Are you certain you're up for this Elias?"
"I've never been more ready for anything in my life, Merry." Vaughn assured him.
"Just watching out for you." Limerick grinned, "Halfa knows you've watched my back often enough."
"It's all been worth it to get to this moment." Vaughn smiled.
"Thanks." Limerick felt mildly embarrassed, "Man your station, Commander."
"Aye, aye, Captain." Vaughn went to his console and sat down.
"Captain," Sima Havelick, the ship's Tellarite XO, reported, "The Monitor and the Merrimack just signalled. They've cleared the field and the report that the Obsidian is being overwhelmed."
"Order them to flank speed." Limerick instructed her, "I want them to alleviate the Obsidian's situation ASAP."
Limerick turned to the laidback young woman standing to his other side, "Well, Commander, are you ready?"
Lt. Commander Verity Jones, Rascal Lead, grinned, "Give me launch authority and I'll show you ready."
"Get to the bay, Commander." Limerick instructed, "You launch in ten minutes."
Jones left with a rousing, "Woo hoo!"
Limerick shook his head, "She never ceases to amaze me."
"We're clear of the field." Havelick announced.
"Let's go to work." Limerick called out.
The Monitor and the Merrimack entered the fray with pulse phasers blazing. They made short work of the remaining raiders. Two managed to break away and they started to flee. Limerick called off any pursuit. The two escorts were put on near space patrol.
The Hood launched fighters before settling into orbit. The Citadel's Type V phaser cannons opened fire and began barraging the starship. Rascal Lead and Rascal Squadron were tasked with neutralising the threat.
"Rascal Lead to Rascal Six. Tighten up the formation." Jones ordered. The Rascals were flying the Double Delta. Six fighters to each formation.
The squadron flew the new Lightning-class fighter. It was named after the famed P-38 Lightning of Earth's early days of aviation. The space fighter superficially resembled the hallowed legend and hence the name.
"Rascal Lead to Rascals," Jones began issuing instructions, "Delta Two, assume Combat Air Patrol positions. Keep the skies clear while Delta One engages the target. Delta One form up on me and ready torpedoes. We're rolling in on target. Fifteen seconds out… Ten seconds… Five seconds… Three, two, one, Tally ho!"
The Type V blew apart while charging up for another burst. The resultant explosion rocked the fortress to its base. The Rascals joined their comrades in the air and secured the local airspace while monitoring ground traffic.
"What the hell was that?" T'Kir exclaimed as she steadied herself.
"Someone destroyed the phaser mount atop this facility." Dracas answered.
"And how do you know that?" T'Kir was incredulous.
"Phaser banks make a distinctive sound when they're destroyed." Dracas explained, "That was that sound."
"You're amazing, y'know that?" T'Kir asked.
"Of course I do." Dracas replied.
T'Kir grinned, "Ah, a type of modesty I can relate to. Are you almost done?"
"The overload from the phaser's destruction scrammed the reactor." Dracas replied, "My work was done for me."
"Whatever works." T'Kir counselled. Her console beeped and she withdrew an isolinear rod, "Now I'm done."
"Now what?" Dracas wondered.
"Now we bust heads and start takin' names." T'Kir resolved.
"I like it." Dracas smiled, "Where do we start?"
T'Kir tapped her comm badge, "T'Kir to Macen."
There was no reply so she tried again. Frowning, she tapped her comm badge again, "T'Kir to Daggit."
She repeated the request to no avail. Finally she tried Radil.
"What do you want?" a harried sounding Radil answered.
"Where are you?" T'Kir asked.
"I'm in the reactor room with half of the building's security force right outside the door trying to get in." Radil replied and then she swore.
"You all right?" T'Kir asked.
"Sure." Radil grumped, "Never better. Why don't you do something useful rather than pester me?"
"We're on our way." T'Kir promised and closed the line.
"Let's get going." Dracas was eager for some action.
"Waitaminute." T'Kir advised, "We've got company."
"Roger that, Commander Riker." Vaughn said, "I have their landing coordinates. I'm dispatching teams now."
Vaughn signalled the transporter rooms where the teams waited. He transferred the landing site coordinates to each. Covert One would be tasked with tracing Macen's team's steps. Covert Two would proceed to the main entrance and attempt a penetration.
Covert One was comprised of team leader, Lt. Commander Stan Guthrie, Lieutenant T'Kris, Master Chief Kell Seemus, Chief Petty Officer Thrall Beckham, Petty Officer Sally Forthright, and Petty Officer "Merrill" Thermer'rillyst. Vaughn had personally selected them for their task. They had all familiarised themselves with Macen, T'Kir, Daggit, and Radil's sanitised personnel jackets.
They gathered together on the transporter pads. They were alert and ready for anything. They disappeared in a halo of energy…
…and reappeared on the executive landing pad. Once they were done coalescing, they fanned out and appraised their situation. The two corpses by the fortress' entrance immediately stood out. They cautiously approached the bodies and inspected them.
"They are not members of Captain Macen's usual landing party." T'Kris decided, "Nor are they members of his crew." T'Kris had been tasked with familiarising herself with Macen's crew roster. If she tacitly declared these two to be hostiles, so be it. Her word was law.
Guthrie gave the signal and the Covert One team entered the facility by twos. In the lead Kell had his rifle poised while Thrall scanned the area with a tricorder. The two had served together in the same cell of the Bajoran Resistance. They had joined the Bajoran Militia's Special Forces and served there until they were offered a chance to join Starfleet. There, they quickly proved their mettle.
Guthrie and Merrill followed. Behind them T'Kris and Forthright brought up the rear. They slowly proceeded along until Thrall detected lifesigns in the Reading Nook. Thrall showed his readings to Guthrie who nodded his assent to storming the Nook.
T'Kir and Dracas had returned to their hiding spots. They waited for the imminent rush of bodies. Dracas had his sword drawn since it would be close quarters fighting. The psychological effect of having a Roman soldier hacking his way through the troops would also work in their favour.
Just as Kell, Thrall and Guthrie came storming into the room T'Kir jumped out for her hiding spot with her hands raised and her phaser holstered, "Don't shoot! I'm one of the good guys."
Guthrie hesitated, "T'Kir?"
"Bingo! You win a cookie." T'Kir snapped off a lazy salute, "You can come out Joachim. They're Starfleet. They're here to rescue us."
"Joachim?" Guthrie's voice perked up.
Dracas stepped out and exclaimed, "Stan!" He rushed forward and he and Guthrie embraced. Guthrie's teammates, unused to a public display of affection from their leader, gaped.
Detaching himself from Dracas' embrace Guthrie began rattling off, "What are you doing here? I thought you'd be aboard the Obsidian."
"My services were required here." Dracas offered, "As apparently are yours."
"My team's involvement has been planned since the beginning of your mission to Mityr." Guthrie explained.
"If I may," Dracas asked, "how did your team find us?"
"We picked up your biosigns with a tricorder." Guthrie answered.
"Damn." Dracas' shoulders slumped, "And here I'd been thinking the sensor shrouds were working."
"I think they were at one point." T'Kir said, "Those goons that stormed past us earlier didn't know we were here."
"Interesting." Dracas mused.
"Time to be a soldier and not an engineer." Guthrie jested.
Dracas sobered up, "Of course."
"Where are your teammates?" Guthrie asked T'Kir.
"Brin and Daggit are in the command module but we haven't been able to contact them." She replied.
"And this module is located…?" Guthrie asked.
"1st tier, second level." T'Kir answered, "I'll show you."
"Isn't there normally another member of the team?" Guthrie enquired.
T'Kir nodded, "That'd be Radil. She's pinned down in the reactor room."
"Sounds unhealthy." Guthrie grimaced.
"The reactor is shut down." Dracas revealed, "Everything is operating off of the emergency batteries."
Guthrie turned to Dracas, "Do you know where the reactor is located?"
"I will lead the way." Dracas assured him.
"T'Kris, take Thrall and Merrill with you and follow Chief Dracas to the reactor room and extricate his teammate." Guthrie ordered, "Seemus and Forthright, you're with me. We will assist T'Kir in assisting Captain Macen."