Recon Mission - Let's find a spot
Posted on Thu Nov 20th, 2014 @ 10:23pm by Commodore Kathleen O'Shea & Commander Eliana Masters & Commander Andrew Matheson & Lieutenant Commander Adria "Tempest" Desoro & Petty Officer 1st Class Arianna D'Tal
Mission:
Bloodpath
Location: Taranok IV
Timeline: After Extraction
ON:
The runabout shook as it took some fire from the enemy forces, but it was nothing that Buren couldn't handle. His flight group had been tasked with finding a usable part of the planet as a staging ground for them to dig in, and get a foot hold.
=A= Tin Six - One I think we may have found a usable spot. Circling around for another look =A=
=A= Copy that, Iron One =A=
The spot he'd found was nothing more than a clearing, surrounded by forest. It would give them plenty of cover, and advanced warning on the ground, and it provided at least some cover overhead. He circled around once more, before deciding it wold work, and landed the runabout there.
=A= Iron One to Phoenix Lead I've located a usable place to use as our forward base at my current location. Tin Squadron is already landing, and setting up. =A=
=A= Roger that. See you shortly on the ground. =A= Maguire commented. They'd keep an eye the others then land themselves.
=A= We'll see you when you land. Iron One out. =A=
Buren made his way back to where the others were in the runabout. "Ok. We've landed at the place we're going to use as our forward base of operations." He explained. "There's going to be a lot of activity going on here, while we set up. Try to make yourselves useful."
"I think we can handle it." Arianna replied simply. "Look what we've been through so far."
In her current state Gabriel knew she wasn't going to be much help. But she'd do what she could. For the moment she stayed silent.
"Fair enough." Buren said, then moved to open the hatch.
As they stepped outside, the group noticed that the remainder of Tin Six Squadron had landed, and was beginning a quick, and dirty setup.
Before Arianna could make it out of the hatch, Buren stopped her, turning her to face him.
"Now that you've been recovered, I have strict orders to keep you safe." Buren told her. "To that extent, I'm going to have to confiscate your weapon."
"Over my dead body you will." Arianna replied, as she pulled her arm away from him. "With as much as I've been through here, I'm not letting go of this weapon, until I'm standing safely on the decks of Starbase 80."
"Ma'am-" Buren started, but was interrupted by one of the others.
Jim stepped forward, a disarming smile on his face. "With all due respect, you're probably keeping the rest of us safer letting her keep that weapon. It hasn't been an easy day for any of us, and adding additional stress isn't improving that."
Gabriel allowed Jim to intervene regarding the status of the weapon. There were far more critical things on her mind. Shifting her attention to Arianna, "I need to speak with your Commanding Officer as soon as its feasible."
"My orders came from the XO of Starbase 80." Buren replied. "Letting her keep that weapon runs the risk of her becoming a target of attack, and it's my job to make sure she returns alive."
Arianna was distracted for a moment by Gabriel, but as soon as she heard Buren's reply, she sighed, shaking her head, as she addressed Gabriel. "As soon as things calm down here, I'm sure I can arrange something." She explained. "With all the interference around here, you'll have to come back with me to Starbase 80 for it though. Is that ok with you?"
With a nod Gabriel responded, "That's perfectly fine with me." Overall that happened to be a better place for the conversation she needed to have.
Arianna gave Gabriel a smile, then turned back to Buren, and Jim. "Look..." She started. "I know you want to protect me, and I know you think having this weapon is a bad idea, but trust me when I say that taking this from me will significantly increase the chance of you failing to follow those orders, if we get attacked here."
"Fine." Buren said in frustration. "But if something happens to you, Mr. Denova here takes responsibility."
Arianna turned to Jim, with a questioning look. "That work for you?" She asked him.
Jim nodded to Arianna before addressing Buren. "I was about to make the same point. I'll take any heat for things going wrong." He chuckled. "Let's hope this is the worst things get until we get back to the starbase, all right?"
While Gabriel couldn't openly voice it she was glad Buren had relented on the weapon. "So how can I make myself useful at least in part."
Arianna let her weapon hang by the strap, as she turned back to Gabriel. "Let's get the other members of your team." She told Gabriel. "You guys can keep an eye on me for him, while we secure the perimeter."
Buren just shook his head, as he stepped out of the shuttle to help the rest of Tin Six squadron setup.
Gabriel nodded. She could do that easily enough. It helped to stay busy. "Works for me. I'll meet you outside." With that Gabriel made her way to the shuttle's hatch then exited.
Arianna watched Gabriel leave through the hatched and sighed. "Kathy is not going to be happy with me..." She muttered to herself, before following.
As Arianna stepped out of the shuttle, she saw that Tin Six squadron had finished unpacking their supplies, and were well underway setting up. She also noticed that several other vessels were landing. With them setting up a base, and more and more ships moving here to land, she figured Kathleen must have known what was happening here before she'd ever sent her message. SHe paused for another moment to watch, before walking up to Gabriel, Durion, and the other members of the Prepheradus Militia.
As she approached, they were talking among themselves, so Arianna put a hand on Durion's arm to get his attention.
The big guard had been one of the first to run into Arianna and Jim what seemed like days ago. In reality, their sense of time had been warped by the extraordinary circumstances they found themselves in. Durion averted his gaze from the horizon and gave his full attention to whomever had touched him.
"Ok here's the deal..." Arianna said simply. "Apparently my direct superior has given orders that I'm to be protected. To that end, the two of you are with me for now." She said, pointing to Gabriel, and Durion. "We've been asked to put ourselves to use, so our job is to secure the perimeter, until some proper base defenses can be put in place. Any questions?"
"Understood. No questions," Durion replied simply.
Jim did what he usually did in the absence of other instructions from Arianna, which is to say he stayed two paces behind her and one step off her right shoulder. Since he was the one who had decided to take responsibility for keeping her armed, it seemed a wise idea to keep an eye on the weapon in question and the person it was assigned to.
Suddenly two craft appeared overhead that nobody, including Arianna, recognized at first, causing them all to crouch for cover. Then one of the Marines stood and spoke up. "Those are the new Type 14s. Wonder where they came from?"
The thought was short lived as gun fire broke out near the west perimeter. Arianna, and those guarding her turned to see Buren collapse to the ground, before two of the militia took out the assailants.
"Man down!" Arianna called as she rushed over to where Buren lay on the ground. She tore his uniform tunic open to reveal multiple bullet wounds, and massive bleeding. "Get me a med kit!" She ordered, not caring who it was that followed the order, as she applied pressure to his wounds.
"Looks like you're the one... protecting me." Buren said as he looked up at Arianna.
"I need you to lie still, and don't talk." Arianna told him, giving him a quick once over. She knew that there was no way he was going to live through this. She would end up giving him enough pain killers to put him out, and that would be it. "You're going to be ok." She told him, even though she knew it was a lie.
Nothing else was said, and nothing else could be said, as Buren took his last breath. Arianna sat there in stunned silence. Not only was he dead, but there had been no chance to even make him comfortable. As one of the Marines returned with the med kit from the shuttle, Arianna simply sat back onto the ground, and broke into tears. "He's dead..." she finally said through her tears.
Phoenix Squadron came in for a landing plane by plane. Caitlin Macguire was the last fighter to land. At the same time Gabriel did her best to provide cover and protection. Holding back her own emotions regarding the sudden change in events.
Durion ran back to the group from his position on the west flank. He and another member of the militia were effective in eliminating the threat, but it had not been in time. Reaching in his pocket, he retrieved an unmarked set of militia dog tags, laying them on his motionless chest.
"I am sorry for your loss Starfleet. May he rest in peace."
"I didn't know him, but I couldn't save him either." Arianna said, looking up at Durion. She got herself up off the ground, looking at Buren's blood on her hands as the reality of the situation finally hit her. "Is war always like this?" She asked Durion, looking back at him.
"Those whose seek war are foolish. Anyone who has experienced it firsthand wants nothing more than to never experience it again," Durion replied. The moment and the question must have caught him off guard - he moved away from the others and gazed out at the horizon.
Jim stood in a crouch, keeping his eyes moving and being ready to attempt to move people out of harm's way if another round of fire got exchanged. The cavalry can come over that horizon any old time now., he thought grimly, wondering how much worse this was going to get before it got better.
Arianna watched Durion for a quiet moment, then turned to look at the Marine who had brought the med kit. "I need to get myself cleaned up." She said somewhat absently. "Could you get a medic to take care of his body?"
"Yes, Sir." He replied, then ran off to do as she asked.
Arianna glanced around at the others working to begin setting up the buildings for the forward base, then headed for the runabout they had arrived in. She would clean herself up as best she could, and try to get her emotions in check.
Jim kept an eye on Arianna. It seemed clear to him that she needed a bit of space to pull herself together after what had just happened. He could sympathize; he was still a bit shocked by how this had gone. Looking over at Buren, he offered up a silent prayer to whatever powers may have been watching that the bloodshed would be over sooner rather than later.
Gabriel respected Arianna's need for space things were difficult and complicated. For now she did her best to stay alert guarding the others as promised.
PO1 Arianna D'Tal
Executive Officer's Yeoman
Academy Cadet
Lieutenant Jim Denova (NPC)
Simmed by: Lt Cmdr Matheson
Durion (NPC)
Prepheradus Seventh Militia
Written by: CDR Masters
Gabriel Zavala (NPC)
Simmed by: Lt Cmdr Desoro
Colorful Additions courtesy of:
Commodore Kathleen O'Shea
