Chapter 11
"Any suggestions Mr. Reed?" asked Soma as he crouched down behind one of the large stones.
The enemy fighters were making a strafing run on their position.
"There's nowhere to go Captain." said Reed "This stone circle is the only cover. If we try to run we'll be on open ground. Those fighters will have no trouble picking us off."
"Agreed." said Soma "and with the shuttle pod destroyed we won't last much time in this circle either."
The enemy fighters had begun their attack just as Captain Archer had leapt into the 'Guardian's' archway. Lt. Reed had instructed his security guards to take off in the shuttle, but it was to late. The lead fighter had made a strafing approach on the shuttle pod blowing it to bits on the first run and killing the two security officers onboard. With Enterprise fending off it's own attack the landing party was now on it's own.
Two of the three attack fighters came in for another run. As they made their approach, Reed leaned out and fired at the ships with his phase pistol. The energy harmlessly dissipated on the fighter craft's shields.
"Dammit, we can't even use our phase pistols." said Reed
"Mr. Reed, give me your communicator." said Soma
The Armory officer handed the Vulcan his communicator and he flipped it open. "Soma to Sato and
Mayweather, report."
There was static on the line, but after several seconds the sound of Ensign Sato came through "I'm here sir." she said "Ensign Mayweather is with me. His communicator was damaged but he's alright."
"Where are you?" asked Soma
"We're about 20 meters from your position sir." answered Hoshi
"Can you and Mayweather move to our location?" asked Soma as the fighters opened fire again.
"I...I don't think so sir." said Hoshi "It's one long stretch of open ground."
"Your going to have to try Ensign." said Soma "As soon as the fighters finish their next pass make a run for our position."
"Yes...yes sir." said the Ensign trying not to let fear overwhelm her.
The fighters had shortened their intervals between attack runs. It wouldn't give Hoshi and Travis much time to move. As the ship's came through for another attack run their weapons fire shattered several boulders that had been weakened by previous hits. The stones exploded sending fragments in every direction. One fragment sliced across Lt. Reed's leg, making a large gash through the muscle.
"Arrrrgh." he yelled in pain "Dammit!"
Reed lay exposed on the ground in plain site as he clutched his leg in pain. Captain Soma rushed out to pick him up just as Ensigns Sato and Mayweather arrived. Travis Mayweather helped the Captain carry Lt. Reed back behind the rocks.
"Lieutenant.?" said Soma "Lieutenant.!"
"Y...Yes sir." responded Reed.
"Stay with us Lieutenant." said the Captain. "I have a plan, but it means we have to leave the cover of these rocks."
"Captain, those fighters will make easy targets of us." said Travis
"I'm aware of that Mr. Mayweather." said Soma "But these rocks aren't going to afford us cover much longer. These fighters are just toying with us. I got a good look at the underside of one of those attack fighters on the last pass. Their armed with cobalt bombs. It's only a matter of time before they get tired of playing and start dropping them."
"What do we have to do?" asked Hoshi
"No time to explain, we need to make a break in that direction." said the Captain pointing to several large boulders. "Ensign, give me your scanner."
The Captain opened the device and took a reading "Good, it's still active." he said to himself
"When I give the signal, we all make a run for that outcropping. Ensign Mayweather, you'll need to assist Lt. Reed."
"Understood sir." replied the Ensign.
"Captain, leave me here." said Reed "I'll just endanger the rest of you."
Soma looked down at the armory officer "Mr. Reed?"
"Sir?" said Reed.
"Shut Up." replied the Captain
Hoshi and Travis smiled.
"Ready?" said Soma
All three nodded.
"Then on my mark." said Soma
The fighters came back for another run, but this time there were no disruptor blasts. Instead, the ground shook from the seismic upheaval of cobalt bombs exploding. The incendiary devices exploded in successive fireballs of conflagration.
"Damn!" said the Captain "Run! Now!"
The away team ran across the open expanse. They no longer had to worry about disrupter fire cutting them down while they were out in the open, but the cobalt bombs would make short order of them when they caught up to their position. Soma lead the team with a good fifteen foot run followed by Hoshi and Ensign Mayweather helping Lt. Reed. They were within twenty five feet of the outcropping when one of the cobalt bombs struck nearby. The force threw them off their feet. Captain Soma managed to dive towards the outcropping and dragged himself in just as several stones shattered and fell where he had been laying. He winced as he looked at his uniform sleeve. He had a deep laceration. Green blood started to trickle down his arm staining the sleeve. He pulled out Lt. Reed's communicator.
"Soma to Sato?" he said "Come in Hoshi!"
"Ensign Sato, sir." she replied
He breathed a sigh of relief "Are you all alright?"
"Yes sir" she said "The bomb missed us but struck a nearby column. It fell and we can't
get past it."
"Can you circle round?" asked Soma
"Negative Captain." she replied "We're pinned in."
This changed things. His plan involved the four of them. He still might be able to save himself, but what about the landing party? There was no way he could get to them and no way for them to get to his position.
"Ensign, hold your position." said Soma "I'm going to continue on. I'll try to get you out of there. Do not make a break for open ground unless you have to...clear?"
"Sir, we can't last long here." said Hoshi
"I'll move as quick as I can Ensign." said the Captain "Soma out."
The three Enterprise officers looked at one another. Whatever Soma had planned he had better move fast.
TBC...
"Any suggestions Mr. Reed?" asked Soma as he crouched down behind one of the large stones.
The enemy fighters were making a strafing run on their position.
"There's nowhere to go Captain." said Reed "This stone circle is the only cover. If we try to run we'll be on open ground. Those fighters will have no trouble picking us off."
"Agreed." said Soma "and with the shuttle pod destroyed we won't last much time in this circle either."
The enemy fighters had begun their attack just as Captain Archer had leapt into the 'Guardian's' archway. Lt. Reed had instructed his security guards to take off in the shuttle, but it was to late. The lead fighter had made a strafing approach on the shuttle pod blowing it to bits on the first run and killing the two security officers onboard. With Enterprise fending off it's own attack the landing party was now on it's own.
Two of the three attack fighters came in for another run. As they made their approach, Reed leaned out and fired at the ships with his phase pistol. The energy harmlessly dissipated on the fighter craft's shields.
"Dammit, we can't even use our phase pistols." said Reed
"Mr. Reed, give me your communicator." said Soma
The Armory officer handed the Vulcan his communicator and he flipped it open. "Soma to Sato and
Mayweather, report."
There was static on the line, but after several seconds the sound of Ensign Sato came through "I'm here sir." she said "Ensign Mayweather is with me. His communicator was damaged but he's alright."
"Where are you?" asked Soma
"We're about 20 meters from your position sir." answered Hoshi
"Can you and Mayweather move to our location?" asked Soma as the fighters opened fire again.
"I...I don't think so sir." said Hoshi "It's one long stretch of open ground."
"Your going to have to try Ensign." said Soma "As soon as the fighters finish their next pass make a run for our position."
"Yes...yes sir." said the Ensign trying not to let fear overwhelm her.
The fighters had shortened their intervals between attack runs. It wouldn't give Hoshi and Travis much time to move. As the ship's came through for another attack run their weapons fire shattered several boulders that had been weakened by previous hits. The stones exploded sending fragments in every direction. One fragment sliced across Lt. Reed's leg, making a large gash through the muscle.
"Arrrrgh." he yelled in pain "Dammit!"
Reed lay exposed on the ground in plain site as he clutched his leg in pain. Captain Soma rushed out to pick him up just as Ensigns Sato and Mayweather arrived. Travis Mayweather helped the Captain carry Lt. Reed back behind the rocks.
"Lieutenant.?" said Soma "Lieutenant.!"
"Y...Yes sir." responded Reed.
"Stay with us Lieutenant." said the Captain. "I have a plan, but it means we have to leave the cover of these rocks."
"Captain, those fighters will make easy targets of us." said Travis
"I'm aware of that Mr. Mayweather." said Soma "But these rocks aren't going to afford us cover much longer. These fighters are just toying with us. I got a good look at the underside of one of those attack fighters on the last pass. Their armed with cobalt bombs. It's only a matter of time before they get tired of playing and start dropping them."
"What do we have to do?" asked Hoshi
"No time to explain, we need to make a break in that direction." said the Captain pointing to several large boulders. "Ensign, give me your scanner."
The Captain opened the device and took a reading "Good, it's still active." he said to himself
"When I give the signal, we all make a run for that outcropping. Ensign Mayweather, you'll need to assist Lt. Reed."
"Understood sir." replied the Ensign.
"Captain, leave me here." said Reed "I'll just endanger the rest of you."
Soma looked down at the armory officer "Mr. Reed?"
"Sir?" said Reed.
"Shut Up." replied the Captain
Hoshi and Travis smiled.
"Ready?" said Soma
All three nodded.
"Then on my mark." said Soma
The fighters came back for another run, but this time there were no disruptor blasts. Instead, the ground shook from the seismic upheaval of cobalt bombs exploding. The incendiary devices exploded in successive fireballs of conflagration.
"Damn!" said the Captain "Run! Now!"
The away team ran across the open expanse. They no longer had to worry about disrupter fire cutting them down while they were out in the open, but the cobalt bombs would make short order of them when they caught up to their position. Soma lead the team with a good fifteen foot run followed by Hoshi and Ensign Mayweather helping Lt. Reed. They were within twenty five feet of the outcropping when one of the cobalt bombs struck nearby. The force threw them off their feet. Captain Soma managed to dive towards the outcropping and dragged himself in just as several stones shattered and fell where he had been laying. He winced as he looked at his uniform sleeve. He had a deep laceration. Green blood started to trickle down his arm staining the sleeve. He pulled out Lt. Reed's communicator.
"Soma to Sato?" he said "Come in Hoshi!"
"Ensign Sato, sir." she replied
He breathed a sigh of relief "Are you all alright?"
"Yes sir" she said "The bomb missed us but struck a nearby column. It fell and we can't
get past it."
"Can you circle round?" asked Soma
"Negative Captain." she replied "We're pinned in."
This changed things. His plan involved the four of them. He still might be able to save himself, but what about the landing party? There was no way he could get to them and no way for them to get to his position.
"Ensign, hold your position." said Soma "I'm going to continue on. I'll try to get you out of there. Do not make a break for open ground unless you have to...clear?"
"Sir, we can't last long here." said Hoshi
"I'll move as quick as I can Ensign." said the Captain "Soma out."
The three Enterprise officers looked at one another. Whatever Soma had planned he had better move fast.
TBC...