Away Mission (USS Essex)

Posted on Mon Feb 24th, 2020 @ 1:15am by Company Sergeant Major Jeffery "The Mountain" Duval

Mission: Mission 9: Interference
Location: Planet Surface
Timeline: 0900Hrs - April 23rd, 2389

The scanners were reading all sorts of hostility, though luckily not at them. So far, so good, the cloak held. But she was not about to bet the farm on the contraption. One minor leak, and the ship would lose it's stealth.

With deft precision, Phoenix began to maneuver the ship around the flak. The Runabout silently approached the landing area unseen and unscathed, but a vibration in the engines told Phoenix she would have to look inside the girl while the boys played.

"Gears are down," Phoenix announced to the crew, then reached under her seat for a small repair kit, and the flyer's operations manual. "Mission's yours, Admiral."

Bremer looked up from his console for a moment, "Thank you Phoenix, nice flying." He flashed a smile before looking over sensor readings again. At the same time, the Marines came up and forward from the rear section.

"There's an air raid inbound on the facility we're heading for. It's about ten minutes out...we'll use the confusion after the raid as cover to get close." Bremer added.

"What kind of aircraft?" Lennox asked.

"Piston driven propellers, four engines each, carrying 3,200 kg of high explosive bombs each." Bremer replied.

"Similar to World War Two B-17s on Earth...so far it seems the initial Intel of their technology level is accurate. Lennox added.

After a moment, Coleman spoke up, "I've located the tetryon source. It's in a centralized building of the facility, about ten meters under ground."

Bremer stood up, checked his phaser and tricorder, and put them back into his pockets. "All right, let's move. Once we're close to the facility, we'll split into groups...we have less of a chance of being watched or suspected in smaller groups that all together. Phoenix, we'll check in with you before entering the facility and set up additional check ins at that time."

Coleman then glanced at the sensors, "Area is clear, there's no one around."

Bremer walked over to the door and tapped the button to open it up. From the outsides, it looked like a magical door opening out of no where with the Runabout still cloaked. The six Starfleet Officers looked around a moment, then quickly made their way into the woods as the door closed back.

Duval knew that this mission was now time critical as a enemy air raid was approaching, he stuck close to Solomon as he had been assigned to the other man. "after you sir." he said quietly to Solomon.

Jack nodded back at Duval as he took a step out of the Runabout and made it outside. "Thanks...and call me Jack," he said as they moved out.


USS Essex

Lt.(JG) Billy Keikeya was assisting with monitoring the primitive planet's military frequencies as his usual Diplomatic skills weren't going to serve that well on the mission at hand. He felt pride that he was picking up bits and peaces of their language even without the help of the Universal Translator. Words and phrases mostly. But he was focusing on listening anything that sounded like the Away Team had been spotted so that he could give them as much of a heads-up as possible.


Surface

The Away Team had made it about half way from the landing zone to the facility, then they started to head the rumble of hundreds of propeller engines coming overhead. There was a small depression in the ground, and the team ducked into it to watch the raid.

After a few moments, they heard the sound of heavy guns shooting from the ground up at the incoming aircraft from all around the facility, inside its parameter and out. All kinds of weapons, from smaller rapid firing automatic anti-air to larger slower firing anti-air artillery. Then suddenly to the group’s left, they heard people running and shouting, then one of the smaller automatic anti-air weapons started firing.

Without a word, Bremer motioned to the group to stay low as they moved to another depression a few meters to their right, about the same times as the bombs started to hit the target area.

Lennox leaned closer to the Admiral, “Looks like they are either off their mark, or tried to target the facility’s airfield instead of the facility itself.”

Bremer nodded, then looked back at Pepper, “Scan the area, find us a way closer in without us being spotted.”

Duval watched and listened in silence, he was actually starting to enjoy this assignment as he turned his head to look for anyone approaching their position before nodding to Pepper. "Clear."

Bremer waited for Pepper to move, then motioned for Solomon to follow, then Lennox, himself, Coleman, and Duval bringing up the rear.

Jack took the signal from the Admiral and moved forward, following Pepper as she moved as instructed. Secretly, Jack was feeling pumped about being on the away team and was happy being in the field again, something he had missed doing.

In the distance, fires and explosions lite up the night, but only providing enough light to the away team to outline the trees and buildings ahead but not enough to give away their location.

Lennox paused for a moment as he took a quick glance at this tricorder. “There’s a breach in their security fence, looks like a truck of some kind drove through during the air raid.” He showed the location to Bremer and Pepper, and the Admiral nodded to Pepper to make for that opening.

Duval listened to the conversation in silence as he kept watch for any sign of the natives, in truth the vehicle was a concern to him as he would have done the same, use an air raid to pull of a heist, he found himself admiring the guts of whoever was willing to attempt such a thing, if that was what was going on.

Pepper lead the group forward, toward the breach in the fence. After a quick look around, they spotted a small single story, four room ‘house’ outside the fence, about ten meters from the breach. Not seeing anyone, the Away Team broke away from the tree line and into the open.

“Remember, act like you belong here.” Bremer reminded everyone.

As they stepped closer, a female voice called out from the building’s doorway...

“Hey baby! You got girlfriend?”

The voice startled the group, not just because they had been spotted so fast, but because it was a female and the question she asked. But before anyone could reply, a man came out the door and pushed the female back in, saying “Te-te-tee”. He then looked at the six and said, “Any you wanna numwa one fu-ey?”

The away team members looked at each other, then back to the man.

“Fifteen Elors each.” When no one replied, the man continued on, “Boom boom long time.”

“Boom boom?” Coleman asked quietly, to no one really.

“Uh, no...not now, we need to get back inside to help with damage.” Bremer finally replied to the man.

At the same time, the woman came back out, pushing past the man, “Ok ok! Ten Elors each...me sucky sucky!”

Lennox and Bremer shared a glance at each other, trying not to laugh, as the Away Team continued walking through the breach in the fence and into the base.

“Prostitution, I guess it is the Galaxy’s oldest profession.” Lennox finally said.

“All right, let’s split up. We know the building the device is being stored in. We’ll meet up there. Duval, y’all go left. Pepper, y’all go right. Lennox and I will go up the middle. Keep an eye out for anything that might help us learn where the device came from on the way. Let’s go.”

Bremer and Lennox started straight for the building, which was on the other side of the base from their current location. After a few steps, Lennox turned to Bremer, “Y’all?”

Bremer smirked, “I was born and raised in South Carolina.”