Taking Back The Team - Part I

Posted on Fri Feb 5th, 2016 @ 4:49pm by Jackson Banning V & Major David Lorenz & Lieutenant Commander Gilroy & Warrant Officer Awf & Ignatius Reilly & Commander Sakkath

Mission: Further Challenges
Location: Planet 6584

* Planet 6584 *

Few people would have actually felt it as a result of the inertial dampers, but Awf had indeed marked the moment in which the ship began to adjust what they had all perceived as the horizon line underneath them. Once they were seemingly vertically parallel to the object beneath them, the main engine would have began once again, all according to the path instructions that the Ocampa had skillfully programmed into the flight control system.

It was an initial approach to Planet 6584 that was perhaps exactingly routine, but that routine nature was what was so miraculous about it. The fact that everything was so precise without using pre-designed computer code matrices to approach the planet wasn't something that one saw everyday.

With repulsor units and force screens in place, it was doubtful that any of them would notice that they were now entering the atmosphere. The ability to control the descent and deflect the gases that built up as the shuttle descended had all but eliminated the terrors of reentry that those who experimented with the first chemical rockets would have felt.

Still, though, Awf thought something got lost in the translation

“Well done, Mr. Awf,” Jackson commented. “Put us into orbit. Gil, start the scans, I wanna know who’s alive down there.” Jackson pressed the control panel by his seat and opened a channel to Sakkath, informing him they had arrived.

“Scans started,” Gilroy confirmed. He watched the readouts coming back from the sensors. When it beeped, he scrolled through the information and announced, “We’re two thousand meters to the cube, bearing 031 mark 116. Lifeforms confirmed. Ten... no, sixteen humanoids.” He glanced at Jackson. “We knew there were two, plus our team, that should be only six - the sensors don’t register Ignatius because she’s a bug.”

“And now we have sixteen?” Jackson’s voice was tight. “Well, hell. Looks like they’ve been busy. Pass that along to Major Lorenz, though they likely will pick it up. Good thing we got here today instead of tomorrow,” he muttered.

“I’ll pass it on,” Gilroy answered and did so, even as he tightened the scans. “Ignatius is in the snow. I have a reading on two humans, one male, one female. Both are in the cube.”

Jackson had to ask and he turned to look at Gilroy. “Any way to identify them?”

Gilroy merely glanced at him. “Do you think there’s a surfeit of humans in the Delta Quadrant?”

“No. Only two in this area….Patrick and my wife.” Jackson rubbed his eyes, not really wanting to think of the state Oz was in at the moment. “At least I know she’s alive. That they are alive. What about Dae and Bryce? Any Betazoid or El-Aurian readings?”

“One Betazoid, but four El-Aurians,” Gilroy replied.

While they had just been brushing up against the upper layers of the planet's atmosphere, Awf soon set the craft into a stable orbit that wasn't going to decay or require him to boost any time soon. It was actually difficult to define where a planet ended and space began, so he didn't comment on it at all and figured that Jackson's orders were enough for the time being. Smirking to himself, he nodded and touched the controls. "In orbit, sir."

Sakkath stepped forward as the turbolift arrived on the bridge, having devoted most of the trip to his pursuit in Engineering. “Report,” he ordered, coming up to speed quickly as he relieved Jackson of command. “If the scans are to be believed, we can identify three of our people from the safety of orbit. Are transporters an option?” he wondered, stepping next to Gilroy to regard the scans.

“The Borg shield frequencies are rotating too fast to get a lock on anyone down there from here,” Jackson answered. “Marines are standing ready to give us a way in.” There was a bitter edge to his voice. “They’ll be on the ground in ten.”

To some degree, Awf had actually shared a bitter edge with Jackson, in spite of the fact that he was so seldom known for any real negative emotions. Nevertheless, he just remained silent for the time. Perhaps later he would have had to ask if anything weird was going on.

“We have a containment field set up in cargo bay three. Once our people are tagged, we can beam them there,” Gilroy said. He opened a channel to the Marines, “We’re a go. Remember that this is a rescue mission. Lethal force only if absolutely necessary. Also, don’t shoot the spider; even a stun might kill her.”

Soon enough that had prompted Awf to make a gesture, indicating that he had wanted the other to mention again that they should have used lethal force only if absolutely necessary. He'd seen plenty of times where that sort of emphasis didn't get appropriately followed after all.

“Very well. Mr. Awf, Mr. Peluj will take over the conn. We will assemble in the transporter room to beam down,” Sakkath ordered. “Lt. Gilroy, inform the Marines we’ll be on the ground immediately.”

USS MONTEZUMA

Lorenz looked at the information passed on by the Hammond and smiled. Sixteen humanoids detected. Time to put the plan into action. “Captain Franklin, you’re with me. Advise landing parties that the mission is a go. Launch CSAR and hold at the designated outer perimeter. Have Harrison’s team beam in once we have engaged the Borg.” Lorenz headed for the turbo-lift, feeling the familiar adrenaline rush in his veins. Time to put it on the line again! he grinned as the doors shut.

TRANSPORT 06

Lorenz, now dressed in his combat armor was the last man into the transport, slapping the shoulder plates of his armored Marines as he made his way to the cockpit and the right-hand seat. He picked up a headset and spoke. “Let’s do this thing! Montezuma, lock phasers on the Borg and lay down some covering fire as we approach.”

=/\= Roger, copy, Major. =/\=

Lorenz nodded and the pilot smoothly lifted off, the other five transports following suit. In no time at all, the Marine force was streaking towards the Cube impact site.

=/\=Lorenz, Montezuma, you are being scanned by the Cube. They know you are coming.=/\= The mother ship’s controller told Dave via his headset.

“Good, that’s what we want! All transports, alter course to 036 mark 141, maintain descent. JD, keep your eyes on the prize, boy!”

The transports roared into the planetary atmosphere, causing heavy sonic booms and setting off avalanches on the nearby ridge of ice and snow. The lead transport with Lorenz was almost directly over the wreckage. Dave looked out his window and whistled, “Damn, it’s a miracle anybody survived! Lorenz to Hammond, there’s enough of the Cube intact to give us problems with our search plans. I’m eyeballing what looks to be Borg drones trying to repair as much of the damage as possible. We will draw them off and you guys can go in when Quentin has disabled the central processor core. We are .05 minutes from touchdown. Good luck, Starfleet.”

The transports touched down with gentle thuds and the Marines came spilling out, each unit rushing to their ordered positions. Lorenz and Captain Franklin walked over to the makeshift CP. “Give me a report, Gunny!”

“Borg drones inbound, bearing 035. I make infantry and light artillery, no heavy weapons.” Gunny Woodard reported.

“Light ‘em up!” Dave said tightly. “Signal Montezuma to open fire on predesignated coordinates and targets.”

The ground suddenly erupted with intense quantum phaser fire, flinging drones and parts of advancing Borg drones in multiple directions. Some drones made a feeble attempt to adapt their personal shielding to the frequency of the Marine barrage, but were unable to complete the adjustments.

“Harrison, beam in now!” Lorenz ordered. “Stay frosty, guys!”

Unseen by the Marines rushing towards the cube ship and ignored by the ship’s sensors because she lacked normal biosigns, a lone figure scrambled towards the transport ships, determined to complete the one task she’d been given: infect the ships. Feeling vibrations behind her, she turned and saw a large Marine bearing down on her. Augh!, she cried and fired on him. And Ignatius scores!, she trumpeted as the big guy dropped to the snow.

She hurried back to the prone body and felt for a vulnerability in the man’s armor. Her fangs, even without Borg enhancement, could penetrate bones, but she doubted that they’d stand up against the armor plating. Finding a weak spot, she bit the man, sinking her two-inch long fangs into his skin and depositing both her own venom and the Borg’s nanites. She backed off and hurried on her way towards the closest of the transport ships.

***************
Warrant Officer Awf
Jackson Banning V (LTC)
Lt. Gilroy
Commander Sakkath
Major Dave Lorenz
Ignatius J. Reilly