S2 - M3 - A Nice Day for a White Wedding, Part II

[Rayek trLhoell]

NPC Pip the Grip
[Katra Station - Saucer 4 - Docking Bay]

Pip the Grip, the civilian dock worker, leaned against the Airtrax forklift waiting on the 'new guy' to show up.   The grey bearded dock loader had been the one unfortunate enough to arrive last to the 'tailgate' meeting and so was handed off the unpleasant task of showing the newest hire the ropes. 

The 'new guy', Lorik Larson, was apparently a Romulus-born Romulan who had been raised on Earth and was just barely out of highschool.  When Pip asked what experience the kid had the shift supervisor just laughed.   The Grip wasn't looking forward to this shift at all. 

While he waited, Pip snuck a drag from his smokeless e-cigarette as he watched the entrance to the docking bay for the new hire.

[Lorik Dellion Larson]

NPC Pip the Grip
[Katra Station - Saucer 4 - Docking Bay]

Pip the Grip, the civilian dock worker, leaned against the Airtrax forklift waiting on the 'new guy' to show up.   The grey bearded dock loader had been the one unfortunate enough to arrive last to the 'tailgate' meeting and so was handed off the unpleasant task of showing the newest hire the ropes. 

The 'new guy', Lorik Larson, was apparently a Romulus-born Romulan who had been raised on Earth and was just barely out of highschool.  When Pip asked what experience the kid had the shift supervisor just laughed.   The Grip wasn't looking forward to this shift at all. 

While he waited, Pip snuck a drag from his smokeless e-cigarette as he watched the entrance to the docking bay for the new hire.

[Katra Station - Saucer 4 - Docking Bay]

The Gamma Quadrant.  He was still mulling it over in his mind.  He had come from the Beta Quadrant when he was young; then he'd been brought to Earth.  Space was massive, and the Bajoran Wormhole had taken him farther than he could even imagine.

The ferry ship had taken him to Katra Station, which would be his new home.  He'd already signed onto a job here.  Lifting cargo; unloading it from ships.  Hard work, but something that would likely pay off.  The hatch opened, and he stepped through along with the other passengers.  He'd been told to look for a specific person � a human named Pip.  But there were a lot of humans here...

Hopefully he himself stood out.  Being a Romulan in Earth fashion, he supposed that would be so.

[Rayek trLhoell]

Cmdr Rayek tr'Lhoell
[Son'a Research Station - Corridor 25 m from the Command and Control center]

By the time Rayek's team materialized, the station's alert sirens were alerting all personnel aboard of their incursion.  So much for the sliver of hope that they might have managed to slip in unnoticed.   

The corridor appeared empty... yet scans just minutes before had reported a team of 5 Jem'Hadar between their current location and the doors to the Control center. 

"Wide-beam.  Full sweep.  Top to bottom.  Take out everything in the corridor!"  Rayek barked.   He and his team had it so much easier than Jada and the TMPST -  his team didn't need to be overly cautious firing around both anti-matter and fusion reactors.  But then Jada and her team were elite.  Rayek for all his experience had only been in Security a year.  He'd made the right choice in sending in Jada to secure that area.  He and his could clear the way to the command center in a much more direct way.

At his order - and it was an order not a politely phrased request inviting discussion - Rayek and his team laid down a cover of phaser fire that raked along the ceiling, the walls and the floor and everything in between - four front and  two back.   Phaser lines overlapped so that anything alive attempting to duck, dodge or otherwise avoid the sweeping beams would have a near impossible task.  After 15 seconds of this.  Rayek called out.  "Curdo, you're on point double time to those doors. Point and Rear continue intermittent sweeps."   

Of course, the route couldn't be a straight shot there, there had to be intersecting hallways and doorways that would give the Jem'Hadar places to hide and avoid the phaser sweeps.

[Rayek trLhoell]

Cmdr Rayek tr'Lhoell
[Ba'ku village - Wedding ceremony](January 2nd, 2398 late afternoon)

[Ba'ku village - Wedding ceremony]

Lek wasn't really sure how he felt about Helga long term. So far, it was a few dates, some incredible sex and... well, that was all that had happened so far. He didn't think she was so taken by him that she had deeper feelings, but it was so difficult to tell, Helga was so closed off most of the time. Not that he was an open book himself, he was still in the 'I can't believe she hasn't beaten me to a pulp' stage that deeper feelings had never entered the picture. He would have a lot of time to think about Helga during the trip back to the Challenger and perhaps something would come to him that hadn't happened so far, but he did need to reply to Rayek, so he managed to grunt.

"Perhaps."

Lek's grunt and one-word response told Rayek he'd pressed on a subject that Lek wasn't open to discussing anymore.   Rayek was all too familiar with such topics himself, so the Romulan respected the Ferengi's desire to not talk about it, and let the subject drop.   

[Ba'ku village - Wedding ceremony]

On hearing his cue, Lek drew himself up to his full height and replied in as clear a voice as he could.

"I give my blessing."

No sooner had Lek spoken than Tekin twins could be heard.  For a moment, Rayek frowned at the interruption until he actually heard what the twins were saying...

(January 2nd, 2398, late afternoon)

[Hrafn plus Nerys and Tidu]

Before Hrafn could stop them Nerys and Tidu were practically screaming in their little voices "He's our Uncle Rayek!" and "And Auntie Tess. Auntie and Uncle is family isn't it Mammy?!"  then with an air of importance that only 5 year olds can manage to assume they both said one after another,

"I give my blessing!"
"I give my blessing!"

Hrafn looked apologetically towards Rayek and Tess, Lek, Arrun and Solluk.  Then grinned and shrugged. 

"I guess it's official now then?!  Oh and I give my blessing too!  Quite willingly to both of you!" she added with a smile.

Their unexpected declarations chased away the would-be frown and tears of joy welled in his eyes.  'By the Elements he loved those two - no three... he couldn't leave out Lamar!' 

He recalled those first few months after the Tekin children arrived on the station.  It hadn't taken them long to begin naming everyone 'Aunt' or 'Uncle'.  It had started with Mondo, then Jeb and even the reclaimed Borg, EQ.  For a long time however he remained 'Mr. Rayek' since his family name was difficult for the children (and even some adults to pronounce).  At the time, Rayek had told himself he wasn't bothered that the children hadn't adopted him like they seemed to with every other officer on the station. But he could still remember the thrill of happiness that swept over him the first time they'd called him 'Uncle'.  Now to hear them declare him family and give their blessings at his wedding, Rayek was near overcome.

Rayek turned to look over his shoulder towards them, smiling gratefully.  "Thank you," he said to the twins and Hrafn.  He gave Tess' hand a squeeze with the other as he turned towards the Captain... the only one yet to have spoken. 

[Beja]

USS Healy - Medical Bay - On the Cusp of Combat How are you holding up

[Solluk]

USS Healy - Bridge

Solluk smiled at Corso as he worked in tandem with Kalem's remarkable piloting skills to safely capture the officer's shuttle.

"I think we can overlook it," he said.  But unfortunately, the moment was not one that allowed much time for celebration, and Solluk's momentary smile gave way to a more focused expression. 

"Aft shields up," Solluk confirmed the previous order, and then thumbed a channel to Medical. 

Medical, this is the bridge.  Your preparations regarding biomonitoring are acknowledged.  However, be aware that we are entering ship-to-ship combat and shields are raised.  You will have to coordinate with tactical so that they can open a shield aperture to facilitate the beaming of any wounded.

The Son'a Battlecruiser was coming around, its own shields coming online as it tried to position itself for a shot. 



The battlecruiser was a vicious-looking vessel.  The last reported contact with one that Solluk had read about was nearly a decade ago.  He only had a general idea of what to expect.  Unfortunately, that general idea wasn't suggestive of good news.  The Son'a had a powerful arsenal which included subspace weaponry.  He could only hope the Dominion would avoid employing such devices so close to their own base. 

The questions in Solluk's mind were... why weren't there any Son'a here?  And why were the Dominion using Son'a assets?  There was a lot about the current situation that didn't make sense, and there was no time to sort it out.

He looked to Hrafn, who had come up with an intriguing suggestion about using modified grenades to emit tachyon particles to reveal the Jem Hadar.  Unfortunately, with the Battlecruiser about to become a problem, and the shields raised, and the boarding teams already engaging, he didn't think there was the time or opportunity to make use of the suggestion.

Then a thought occurred to him.

"We couldn't possibly prep grenades and send them over in time to be useful, Lieutenant.  Especially not with combat imminent.   But I think your suggestion still has merit."

Solluk checked a display on the interface beside his chair.  "The station still hasn't raised shields..."  Another oddity to add to the pile.  But he didn't have to understand it in order to make use of it. 

"Helm, try to keep the station between us and that battlecruiser for as long as possible.  Science and Operations, coordinate to prep the main deflector to emit an inverse tachyon pulse, maximum power."   Because the Healy's auxiliary shield modules were supplementing the ship's defense, Solluk felt they could risk diverting the main deflector for Hrafn's science project.

Now Solluk had to choose a target.  He decided that Rayek would have the greater need.  In the corridors leading to the station's control room, the Romulan's team would be more exposed to attack from multiple vectors.

"Lieutenant Ferris, when the deflector is properly prepared, line the ship up with the station's control room.  Then we'll let loose the pulse.   With any luck, masked Jem Hadar in the Region of the second boarding team will be revealed, and perhaps even have their cloaking function disrupted for more than a mere moment."

He looked to Saxon, "Tactical, if there's anything we can do to dazzle the Son'a targeting sensors while we dance around this station, feel free to implement it at your discretion."

Playing cat and mouse with a Son'a Battlecruiser while setting up a particle pulse was no mean feat, but Solluk had faith in his officers. 

The only question was whether they could get it done before the Son'a station raised its shields, or opened fire, or did anything else to spoil the plan.

Thus far, there was still no weapons fire from the station...

It was making him nervous.



Son'a Research Station - Reactor Room

Jada's team moved with expert precision and used well-honed tactics to take down the hidden Jem Hadar soldiers and their Vorta superior.  Soon enough, there was one unconscious Vorta and two dying Jem Hadar revealed and laying on deck.  But whether by chance or through the product of their skill, two of the Jem Hadar warriors in the reactor room had evaded the phaser fire.

This pair uncloaked now, unleashing well-aimed disruptor fire at Jada's team from a covered position behind massive EPS conduits. 



The Jem Hadar disruptors were especially insidious, carrying particles of anti-coagulants in every burst.  Even a glancing strike could seriously imperil anyone struck by the weapons, with swift medical aid being absolutely necessary if an injury was to be survivable.



Son'a Research Station - Corridor to the Control Room

Rayek's team employed good tactics as well, sweeping corridors with phaser fire to expose any hidden Jem Hadar soldiers.   Unfortunately, none seemed to appear in response to the sweeps.  Where one might have hoped for a pile of enemy bodies to manifest on the deck, the corridors remained stubbornly pristine.

This gave them time to approach the control room to make their breach, but also filled the members of the security team with trepidation.  The question wasn't If the Jem Hadar would appear to stop them.  The question was When.

[John Saxon]

[USS Healy - Bridge]

During 'The War', a conflict so widespread and so unique in the recent history of the Federation that its bland sobriquet was the only one necessary even after over 20 years since its end, John Saxon had been a true soldier - a directed, and often surprise, weapon dropped into the middle of Hell to bring down the forces of Darkness. While rules of engagement were said to have been adhered to, it was only through the most minor of lip service; the enemy would open fire and destroy you without parley or hesitation, and despite the long-held Federation ideals of peace through dialogue, Starfleet did exactly the same.

He did exactly the same.

But circumstances today were very different. Certainly, the forces the Healy were facing were not welcome - indeed, their presence was technically an act of war under the articles of territorial exclusivity - but even these technical breaches of sovereignty were often preceded by just the merest shred of diplomacy.

Still. Saxon was still a soldier, even in relative peacetime, and when his Commanding Officer directed him to target the affronting vessel, he did so without qualms. It was not as if he was being asked to fir-

A sickly-yellow bulb shout of the aft of the Son'a battlecruiser, and with that single act of hostility, the chains of civility were discarded.

Tactical displays lit up, detailing composition of ordnance, time to impact, and intersection computations. The systems were already set for automated interdiction of projectile weaponry, and at a deft touch of a blinking square on a secondary console, Saxon gave the ship his authority to begin its action.

Orange streaks lashed out from the smaller phaser arrays that presented itself to the torpedo.

Miss. Miss. Miss.

The advancing threat clearly had its down evasive software to counter such attempts, and it danced like an angry wasp around the raking beams towards its selected target, ever closer.

Saxon frowned as he locked the Primary Arrays on the battlecruiser, ensuring that whenever an array found the opportunity to face one of the three key weak-points, it would notify him in a manner not easily overlooked regardless of distraction. Automation for this aspect of tactical engagement had yet to beat good old-fashioned instinct.

But his frown was more reserved for the dancing dangerous ball of light, frustratingly avoiding premature destruction. The secondary arrays had yet to score a hit, and the computer suggested impact to the shields in 10 seconds.

Face now a stern mask, 'Century' used one hand to alter the parameters of the interdiction systems, turning the arrays from collimated to individual emitter activation; that was, to dispense with slower, more powerful blasts made from the aggregation of each single emitter in a linear array, to every single segment - some numbering dozens - unleashing their own, less powerful beam. Unless the Son'a or True Dominion had deployed shielded torpedos to their arsenal, then the less powerful beams might be enough to detonate the warhead before it reach the Healy's shields. The downside being that due to the magnetic drive fields, it might take a couple of strikes to succeed rather than a definitive single smiting.

7 seconds.

Miss.

6 seconds.

Strike. No detonation.

5 seconds.

Strike.

The torpedo exploded safely from the outer edge of the shield bubble, at the very same time Saxon unleashed the dorsal Primary array upon the Son'a Battlecruiser's primary sensor cluster, followed with a brace of furious red torpedoes all of his own.

The battle was thus joined.

[Jada]

[Reactor Room, Son'a Research Station]

Jada's team moved with expert precision and used well-honed tactics to take down the hidden Jem Hadar soldiers and their Vorta superior.  Soon enough, there was one unconscious Vorta and two dying Jem Hadar revealed and laying on deck.  But whether by chance or through the product of their skill, two of the Jem Hadar warriors in the reactor room had evaded the phaser fire.

This pair uncloaked now, unleashing well-aimed disruptor fire at Jada's team from a covered position behind massive EPS conduits. 

The Jem Hadar disruptors were especially insidious, carrying particles of anti-coagulants in every burst.  Even a glancing strike could seriously imperil anyone struck by the weapons, with swift medical aid being absolutely necessary if an injury was to be survivable.

'Cruk! We pin 'em down, but watch the EPS conduits.' she warned her team. They kept up a rapid barrage, aimed low at the floor and below the conduits to kept the Jem'Hadar pinned down.

'Talie?!' From above, there was a thunderous whoosh as Talie Tunnelmouse whirled her sling and let her stone fly, cracking one Jem'Hadar in his exposed head. In modern warfare, with its disruptor weapons, phased nadion-beams, advanced body armour, and genetically engineered super-soldiers, no one planned to be hit with a rock.

Two down, three to go. Two were there, where was the other? But Jada soon realised Murv's heavy repeating phaser rifle wasn't chewing through the floor in front of the Jemmie position. 'Murv?' Risking a glance behind, she saw the burly Tellarite woman staggering back, a disruptor shot piercing her body armour, blood through freely. She'd been a bigger, slower, more important target. 'Rhade! We need medevac for Murv, now!' It pained Jada to see the gruff, motherly woman hurt, but she could worry no more about it now, had to trust their support guy could take care of her.

'Bexx, remember what I said about restraining myself?' Jada said between shots, 'You can forget it.' But that was the plan, delivered in code.

[Tess tLhoell]

Lt. Cmdr. Tess Moreno
[USS Healy - Deck 6 - Sickbay]

Medical, this is the bridge.  Your preparations regarding biomonitoring are acknowledged.  However, be aware that we are entering ship-to-ship combat and shields are raised.  You will have to coordinate with tactical so that they can open a shield aperture to facilitate the beaming of any wounded.

Tess recognized Solluk's voice.  "Acknowledged, Captain. Mr. Saxon, we are monitoring the boarding team's bio-signals. In case of life-threatening injuries, we'll need to be able to beam single individuals to the ship if possible."

USS Healy - Medical Bay - On the Cusp of Combat How are you holding up

Tess felt someone squeezing her hand gently and Tess looked up from the monitor, looking into the friendly face of Beja. At her caring question, Tess smiled back at her, knowing what made Beja asking in the first place. "I'm doing good", she reassured her and automatically her gaze was drawn back on Rayek's readings. Of course she was nervous. But that she didn't want to show. Beja might pick up on that anyway.

"It's good to have you here", she added.

[Reactor Room, Son'a Research Station]
Two down, three to go. Two were there, where was the other? But Jada soon realised Murv's heavy repeating phaser rifle wasn't chewing through the floor in front of the Jemmie position. 'Murv?' Risking a glance behind, she saw the burly Tellarite woman staggering back, a disruptor shot piercing her body armour, blood through freely. She'd been a bigger, slower, more important target. 'Rhade! We need medevac for Murv, now!' It pained Jada to see the gruff, motherly woman hurt, but she could worry no more about it now, had to trust their support guy could take care of her.

The sound of an alert noise coming from the monitor made Tess falter. Immediately her gaze was drawn to the red flashing light that showed on Murv's readings. The heartrate picked up dramatically, then the pulse dropped, indicating rapid blood loss.

"Moreno to Tactical and Engineering, we need an emergency beam-out of Crewman Murv as quick as possible, directly to sickbay!"

Tess wasn't sure John would be able to find an opportunity to lower the shields long enough to beam Murv over.

[Hrafn Falleg]

Cmdr Rayek tr'Lhoell
[Ba'ku village - Wedding ceremony](January 2nd, 2398 late afternoon)

Lek's grunt and one-word response told Rayek he'd pressed on a subject that Lek wasn't open to discussing anymore.   Rayek was all too familiar with such topics himself, so the Romulan respected the Ferengi's desire to not talk about it, and let the subject drop.   


No sooner had Lek spoken than Tekin twins could be heard.  For a moment, Rayek frowned at the interruption until he actually heard what the twins were saying...

Their unexpected declarations chased away the would-be frown and tears of joy welled in his eyes.  'By the Elements he loved those two - no three... he couldn't leave out Lamar!' 

He recalled those first few months after the Tekin children arrived on the station.  It hadn't taken them long to begin naming everyone 'Aunt' or 'Uncle'.  It had started with Mondo, then Jeb and even the reclaimed Borg, EQ.  For a long time however he remained 'Mr. Rayek' since his family name was difficult for the children (and even some adults to pronounce).  At the time, Rayek had told himself he wasn't bothered that the children hadn't adopted him like they seemed to with every other officer on the station. But he could still remember the thrill of happiness that swept over him the first time they'd called him 'Uncle'.  Now to hear them declare him family and give their blessings at his wedding, Rayek was near overcome.

Rayek turned to look over his shoulder towards them, smiling gratefully.  "Thank you," he said to the twins and Hrafn.  He gave Tess' hand a squeeze with the other as he turned towards the Captain... the only one yet to have spoken.

[Ba'ku village - Wedding ceremony](January 2nd, 2398 late afternoon)

Hrafn smiled back as Lamar crawled onto her knee from Crista's.  At almost 3... he would be in a fortnight's time... he was almost too big to do so but she allowed it since the whole situation was  a little bewildering for him.  He shyly waved to the bride and groom, his way of saying 'Me too'. 

He was a very quiet boy.  It wasn't that he couldn't, he was very articulate when he wanted to be, he just didn't talk much unless he had something definite to say.  Almost like he was afraid he was going to use up all his words!

USS Healy - Bridge

"Helm, try to keep the station between us and that battlecruiser for as long as possible.  Science and Operations, coordinate to prep the main deflector to emit an inverse tachyon pulse, maximum power."   Because the Healy's auxiliary shield modules were supplementing the ship's defense, Solluk felt they could risk diverting the main deflector for Hrafn's science project.

[Bridge - USS Healy - Devil's Vortex]

"You got it Captain.  I've sent the science bit to you Mr. Corso, as in how strong the beam should be, you just have to do the implementing part of it now!" the CSO said spinning in her seat.

"I've adjusted for the fact that we're also trying to keep the magnetic field up and Mr. Saxon's tactical considerations.  Healy is good but power still has it's limitations." she said with an apologetic look.

[Rayek trLhoell]

[Katra Station - Saucer 4 - Docking Bay]

NPC Pip the Grip
[Katra Station - Saucer Four - Docking Bay]

Saucer Four, where Pip was waiting, was the civilian freight docking bay.  The Starfleet types with their huge starships mostly made use of the upper three Saucers (1-3), and used Saucer Six for storing their workbees.  Saucer One usually held the station's "attached" vessels - the USS Healy or more recently the USS Mughi.   Saucers Two and Three were the passenger transport docks for tourists or visiting representatives.  That left just Saucers Four and Five for merchants, freight and salvage haulers.   Freight customs in these two areas were mostly done by on-ship inspections prior to the freight unloading.   Crew and the odd passenger passport check were done on ship as well to avoid the risk of a hostile incursion. 

None of this mattered to Pip however.  Pip's sole concern was making it through another day's grueling labor with as little effort and investment as possible.   He took another drag of his e-cigarette, not really caring that his particular brand was not up to safety standards for the era.   Carcinogens were still making it into his system but until they caused an appreciable impact on his health, Pip couldn't be bothered changing his habit of smoking. 

The arrival of the freight ferry ship from DS9 caught his attention.  Nearly a week's travel from the wormhole to here, and over two weeks travel from Earth to the Wormhole.  Pip wondered what sort of fellow needed to get this far away from home all for a labor job?  Was he running from something?  Or headed somewhere following a dream? 

Pip watched the docking procedure absently as he continued musing to himself.  There were an abnormal number of Romulans on the station...  maybe the kid had relatives here? 

The docking hatch was opened and the few passengers began to disembark.  Pip wondered if he would have trouble recognizing which was this Larson kid.   Maybe he should have had a sign? Meh.

Then there the kid was looking a bit lost.  Pip almost considered letting the kid stew for a bit... but then that would just drag out this process.   

"LARSON!" the grey-bearded dockworker called out, as he lifted a hand to show his location better.

[Lorik Dellion Larson]

NPC Pip the Grip
[Katra Station - Saucer Four - Docking Bay]

Saucer Four, where Pip was waiting, was the civilian freight docking bay.  The Starfleet types with their huge starships mostly made use of the upper three Saucers (1-3), and used Saucer Six for storing their workbees.  Saucer One usually held the station's "attached" vessels - the USS Healy or more recently the USS Mughi.   Saucers Two and Three were the passenger transport docks for tourists or visiting representatives.  That left just Saucers Four and Fivevfor merchants, freight and salvage haulers.   Freight customs in these two areas were mostly done by on-ship inspections prior to the freight unloading.   Crew and the odd passenger passport check were done on ship as well to avoid the risk of a hostile incursion. 

None of this mattered to Pip however.  Pip's sole concern was making it through another day's grueling labor with as little effort and investment as possible.   He took another drag of his e-cigarette, not really caring that his particular brand was not up to safety standards for the era.   Carcinogens were still making it into his system but until they caused an appreciable impact on his health, Pip couldn't be bothered changing his habit of smoking. 

The arrival of the freight ferry ship from DS9 caught his attention.  Nearly a week's travel from the wormhole to here, and over two weeks travel from Earth to the Wormhole.  Pip wondered what sort of fellow needed to get this far away from home all for a labor job?  Was he running from something?  Or headed somewhere following a dream? 

Pip watched the docking procedure absently as he continued musing to himself.  There were an abnormal number of Romulans on the station...  maybe the kid had relatives here? 

The docking hatch was opened and the few passengers began to disembark.  Pip wondered if he would have trouble recognizing which was this Larson kid.   Maybe he should have had a sign? Meh.

Then there the kid was looking a bit lost.  Pip almost considered letting the kid stew for a bit... but then that would just drag out this process.   

"LARSON!" the grey-bearded dockworker called out, as he lifted a hand to show his location better.

[Katra Station - Saucer Four - Docking Bay]

The Katra Station was quite incredible, and Lorik was taking it all in.  He was overwhelmed how different it was.  And he preferred it.  Earth was so clean, so modern.  This place, despite being so far from anywhere he'd been, had some sense of familiarity he couldn't quite place.

This place that would be his new home.

He heard the voice calling out to him; the gray-bearded man.  That must have been Pip.  The young Romulan approached him quickly.  He had his pack on his shoulder.  He'd brought very few things; mainly sentimental things and the things he couldn't buy or replicate.  Best to travel light.

"Hello," he said.  "You must be Pip.  Lorik Larson, reporting for duty."

[Rayek trLhoell]

Cmdr Rayek tr'Lhoell
[Son'a Facility - Corridor to the Command and Control center]

The Jem Hadar disruptors were especially insidious, carrying particles of anti-coagulants in every burst.  Even a glancing strike could seriously imperil anyone struck by the weapons, with swift medical aid being absolutely necessary if an injury was to be survivable.



Son'a Research Station - Corridor to the Control Room

Rayek's team employed good tactics as well, sweeping corridors with phaser fire to expose any hidden Jem Hadar soldiers.   Unfortunately, none seemed to appear in response to the sweeps.  Where one might have hoped for a pile of enemy bodies to manifest on the deck, the corridors remained stubbornly pristine.

This gave them time to approach the control room to make their breach, but also filled the members of the security team with trepidation.  The question wasn't If the Jem Hadar would appear to stop them.  The question was When.

The lack of even one Jem'Hadar corpse was troubling.  Fvadt!  They were out there.  Biding their time hiding until the Federation team let their guard down and their weapons were near drained.   Rayek was familiar with the tactic.   "Parcetti, take a scan as we move. Find them!"

Curdo, in the lead, moved ahead 4 m before crouching, making himself a smaller target, and swept the corridor from floor to ceiling.  While Curdo did this, Trenvale followed, catching up and moving into empty the wake of Curdo's phaser fire.  It was current intel that the Jem'Hadar needed to uncloak to fire.  All hoped that was still true  but erring on the side of caution seemed best. 

As the two moved ahead 'leap frogging' at the ordered double-time, Rayek and Parcetti followed keeping pace.  Behind him, Rayek could hear Lambe and Maybri alternating their phasers shots down the hall to keep their backs protected.

At 10 m was an intersecting corridor.  Sweeping both sides of this intersection at the same time, fully, would take a bit of coordination.  But this type of incursion tactic was exactly what Rayek and his team had been practicing during the month long journey to the Briar Patch.  At a meter from the intersection Curdo motioned Trenvale to match pace. Curdo took left placing his back to the wall, Trenvale took right, doing the same.  Aiming their phaser fire towards the visible part of the opposite intersection they forced any hiding Jem'Hadar to the inner wall. And then on a signal as they drew nearer to the intersection, Curdo and Trenvale cut their fire, stepped out into the middle of the corridor back to back and side-stepped into the intersection, razing the inside wall thoroughly. 

While those in the lead did this, Rayek had his phaser pointed at the floor until he had a clear target, alert to his every sense.  Beside him, Parcetti had pulled out her scanner and was trying to get confirmation that the Jem'Hadar were still in the vicinity.

[John Saxon]

[USS Healy - Bridge]

The Son'a vessel's shield held, albeit wavering, despite a continued series of full-powered strikes from both dorsal and ventral arrays. Clearly the Dominion forces had been tinkering with the ship; Saxon made a mental note to update the Fleet with these new specifications, but right now his overwhelming aim was to puncture the defences further. Their primary sensor array had been taken offline, how temporarily was to be determined, and so the cruiser had turned their bow away from the Healy to protect it from further damage; no doubt secondary sensors were being brought online.

Several powerful strikes from the cannons had struck the New Orleans-class, but despite some hull scorching and dramatic sparking from console conduits as the offensive energies caused a number of surges across the power network, a single Son'a torpedo had yet to land a hit on the starship, such were the interdiction functions the secondary arrays were still performing.

And yet the station still remained out of the conflict. Suspiciously so, 'Century' thought.

The sound of an alert noise coming from the monitor made Tess falter. Immediately her gaze was drawn to the red flashing light that showed on Murv's readings. The heartrate picked up dramatically, then the pulse dropped, indicating rapid blood loss.

"Moreno to Tactical and Engineering, we need an emergency beam-out of Crewman Murv as quick as possible, directly to sickbay!"

Tess wasn't sure John would be able to find an opportunity to lower the shields long enough to beam Murv over.

The hurried, urgent voice of Dr Moreno came through his combadge, drawing Saxon slightly out of his intense focus on the battlecruiser. Fortunately, he didn't need to tap to respond. "Saxon here, Doctor" he replied in his calm, gravelled tone. "Stand by."

With Corso and Ferris engaged with matters involving the main deflector, John rapidly ran through the options at the speed of thought; he'd have to co-ordinate the lowering of shields and activating transporters himself. Beaming up one of the landing party without notice carried some risk all of it own, especially if Jada had some plan already in motion to keep Murv alive and combative; the boarding teams certainly had medkits that had been updated following lessons learned from the War, and beaming the Crewman up would reduce their team strength by one especially if she was able to continue on to support the team in other beneficial ways. On the other hand, Tess was the Chief Medical Officer, and her bio-medical datafeed has been fitted for this very emergency response.

Without a more accurate and current picture on the ground, Saxon had very little choice but to conclude Murv needed the emergency medical care in Sickbay, and waited for Mister Ferris' expert evasive piloting to bring the least vulnerable transporter emitter facing the station to bear, and lowered the shield sector. "Energising."

As the ACB reached out to envelop the grievously wounded Tellarite, Saxon had already arranged for some recompense to be beamed back in her place, with what little time he had to arrange, drawing from his expertise and the transporter-replicator pattern library. Hopefully what materialised would prove to go some way to redress the balance...

[Lek]

[Officer's Lounge - USS Healy]

Lek hissed and held onto his table to keep from being thrown across the room when the ship took another hard hit. His eyes were glued to the PADD Rayek had left him and he felt so useless. He knew he could help, but no one had asked if they needed him. So far, the Healy was doing okay, but the New Orleans-Class didn't have the power reserve the Trailblazer-Class had and without point of impact shielding, Lek knew by the changes of pitch in the shield harmonics that the Healy's shields would not take a lot more punishment. As the ship rocked again, Lek was thinking furiously on how to change the current situation. He hated being intrusive, but he was a skilled engineer and decided the worst thing the captain would say was no to his request.

"Lieutenant Lek to Captain Solluk. How can I help?"