The Rescue Mission - Part One

Posted on Tue Mar 17th, 2020 @ 2:36am by Commander Autumn Yamaguchi & Commander Saia Azuresteel & Lieutenant Commander Selgae It'kla & Major Massi Sh'zaleern & Lieutenant Colonel Kell "Cyclops" Tainer & 1st Lieutenant T'Kera "Demolitions" Duval & Commander Noq't, Son of Gedlr

Mission: Mission 98: Building Our New Home
Location: USS Coral Sea - Low Orbit over Utgarde IV
Timeline: 0915Hrs - June 6th, 2393

Commander Kell Tainer, wore the callsign of 'Cyclops' proudly most days, he was addressing a half dozen of his guys, these were all of his squadron commanders. "Alright guys, we know that these missing marines are somewhere below us on the planet, we've been asked to sweep the entire depression around Mesquite Station, apparently the guy who dropped these marines off in the middle of nowhere and left them there." he paused a moment. "As to what end?, we can only speculate," Tainer explained with a sigh.

The door to the main hanger opened and in walked a Caitian female, with a phaser rifle and a large medkit, followed by an Andorian female, a Shen by the look of her. Two human females, one of them was almost child-sized but Tainer knew better than to say that around Autumn Yamaguchi. "Ahh ladies, you're all just in time." Tainer addressed the four woman before him as a full-sized medical team of over two dozen strong likewise entered the hanger.

Autumn Yamaguchi looked up at Tainer but then she looked up at almost everyone so she was used to it. "Just in time to go locate our lost lambs?"

"Something like that," Tainer answered in a cool tone, he did not wish to anger the Andorian present.

Major Massi Sh'Zaleern gave the small human female a rather evil glare. "I do not care for your tone Doctor," she growled at the small human female present.

"I do not care for the hostility Major," Yamaguchi answered in the same tone as she adjusted the large pack on her back, as she looked up at the Andorian Shen before her.

"Ladies, enough please." interrupted the taller human female with long azure colored hair. There was no mistaking Saia Azuresteel in a crowd, with her dark skin and blue hair, she did tend to stand out a lot. "You two can resolve your issues later, right now we have other things to deal with."

"Yes," Yamaguchi answered. "In the meantime, we got work to do." she turned as she began directing her medics to the assigned Runabouts. Selgae went with her in silence. Saia Azuresteel sighed softly as the personnel gathered did not need a dispute breaking out. "Major. Can I have a word?" she said to the Andorian shen who looked downright angry.

"What?" the Andorian snapped back at the counselor.

"We'll be right along Cyclops. Give us a minute would ya?" Azuresteel smiled before she took the Andorian Shen by the arm, as she would an unruly child. "Look, we need to work together on this, we can't start fighting with each other," Azuresteel commented in a low tone of voice. "Our people are counting on us to find them and bring them home okay," Azuresteel said in a soft tone. "I know you and your guys have been through a lot recently but deal with this issue another time. Let it cool."

"Alright." the Andorian answered quietly, the two returned to the group, the door opened and in walked a large Klingon male wearing a red shirt and the rank of commander. The Executive officer for the USS Coral Sea had arrived in the hanger.

"Commanders, good to see you assembled. Now, I know I do not need to emphasize the urgency of this mission. Investigate any clue, no matter how trivial or unlikely. Stay in touch as much as possible. If you find any survivors use flash messaging propriety. Are there any questions?" Noq't asked.

The various assembled people held their silence, indicating nobody had any questions. Tainer nodded as he tapped his combadge. "Cyclops to Tower, launch Hardpoint squadron immediately, the runabouts will follow shortly.." before he turned, in silence, he boarded the lead Runabout.

"Willdo sir." came the response.

Noq't silently waited in the runabout as it prepared for take-off. There was really nothing more he could do now except wait and react to anything that happens.

"Alright guys lets mount up," Tainer commented. Within moments everyone had boarded their runabouts and were busy getting set for launch. Tainer was driving the lead runabout. He tapped the display off to his left. "Tower, do you copy?"

"Confirmed Cyclops, Hardpoint is heading to waypoint one." came the answer.

"Understood, we're ready for departure. permission to get underway." Tainer responded, in a flat even tone of voice, now he was all business and nothing could dissuade him.

"Permission granted, find our people and bring them home skipper." came the response from the tower, and its personnel.

"We're on it." he tapped the display as he activated the engines and within moments, the inside of Coral Sea's massive hanger bay was replaced with the sight of the orbital space over Utgarde Four. "Alright, Crescent flight. Let's get this show on the road," he commented.

There were a dozen or so responses over the comm-net. "Lead, six. I'm picking up scattered lifesigns, they are fading in and out. Its the rocks around them."

"Nice work six, take seven and eight, then go investigate," Tainer commented with a smile. Before he turned to Noq't "Our first catch of the day."

Noq't nodded. "Indeed, I hope this bears fruit. I would not mind if our mission was short."

Autumn Yamaguchi tapped her display once. "I think you're speaking for all of us Commander," she said in her usual gentle tones.

"We're ready to start the sweep Commander. From northwest to southeast." Tainer explained.

Noq't smiled at Tainer. "Commander Tainer, you don't have to explain things to me or ask permission to do your job. Just have your people do there work. Report to me if you find something or need guidance."

Tainer nodded, a smile gracing his lips, in truth he had heard that Noq't was not the atypical Klingon, now he was proving it. "Willdo." he tapped the display once. "Crescent Flight, start your sweep, let's go find our people, sound off if you see anything then land and check it out, I want to bring everyone home, even half-buried bodies in the sand," Tainer commented as he dished out his orders.

The comm-net came alive with the usual responses. "Lead, Six, I'm detecting something unusual in my area, I'm going to check on it."

"Proceed, keep me informed six," Tainer answered, he tried not to smile but he was getting a good feeling about this development.

Crescent Six slowly flew among the craggy rocks when the pilot suddenly found several of the marines. "Pilot, land quickly, I have lifesigns. Guys lets go." the co-pilot called loudly, the four medics all came up front quickly with all of their gear while the pilot landed, they opened the aft hatch as they began moving towards the six marines, one of them was a Vulcan-looking female.

T'Kera slowly blinked her eyes as she regarded the Runabout. "am I seeing things.... has help arrived?" she whispered as her throat was dry, she blinked slowly as she was unable to move, a moment later, the medics reached her. "Don't try to move ma'am, let us check you guys over."

Tamara tried to explain to the medics that she had been bitten by some of the local wildlife. As she talked, she made no noise as her throat was too dry. She almost passed out from fatigue when she tried to explain the situation to the medics.

The medics checked the wounded. "Alright, we need to get some fluids into these guys stat." and with that the medics went to work on the half dozen or so wounded located here before they began evacuating the marines to the runabout, while they were moving the first marine, a female by her long blonde hair, a second runabout landed and disgorged its own medics who came to assist with the recovery efforts. "Some of these guys have suffered puncture wounds, consistent with bites from something. keep your eyes peeled and let's load these guys up. I don't like this all of a sudden." the lead medic ordered.

His medics went to work with the grace of a well trained and well-oiled machine.

Tainer smiled. "Fine work six. Well done." he grinned. "They are recovering eight marines, all in bad shape but they are alive," he commented to Noq't. "Lead to flight, anyone else got anything.?" he half didn't wish to know the answer.

"Lead, this is nine. I recovered two bodies, both look like marines but I'm not a hundred percent sure, they are dead." came the half expected and half dreaded report. "I'm sorry sir."

"Not your fault Nine. At least we can give them a proper burial and send them home to their families." Tainer sighed softly.

"Understood, we're resuming our search." came the response.

"Commander, I apologize for interrupting but did they have any of their gear on them? I ask because the phasers should have a transponder on them unless for some reason they turned them off." Noq't asked.

Tainer paused, he had not considered it. "I have no idea." he paused as he relayed the request to the rest of the squadron. "Lead, four, I'm detecting something out in the open, I'm flying over it now. I'll keep you posted." came the response over the comm-net

Crescent Four landed near what looked like a large area that had been disturbed, the guys inside went to check it out. Tainer had his answer a few minutes later. "Lead, four. looks like a lot of equipment that's been abandoned, mostly bags and rifles, anything with any weight they didn't think they needed sir, they dropped everything except food and water." the runabout commander reported. "They knew they were here for the duration sir, I don't like this.."

"Copy that, document everything, assume you are a crime scene and plan accordingly," Tainer responded. "Fine work guys. Call home if you need anything else. I suspect that Commander Selgae will be highly interested in seeing what you have found for herself." he commented evenly.

The response was almost instant. "Selgae here, I've been monitoring and I'll have my runabout drop me off at those coordinates." came the female Caitian voice. "I would very much like to see what you have found for me guys." the female Caitian sounded really happy.

"Copy that," Tainer answered in his usual flat tone of voice, neither getting excited or depressed. His guys needed him to lead and he would do so, he would mourn and celebrate later after the mission was concluded.

"Your teams are performing well Commander," Noq't told Tainer. "I have a request, on a display, draw a line from the original landing site to where your pilots found the casualties. See if they were indeed heading to Mesquite Station. That will give us a more narrow corridor to search in."

Tainer nodded as he pulled up a display, then after he marked the location of Crescent Four, then he marked Mesquite station. "Nine, ten, eleven and twelve, new assignment guys. search grids seven through eighteen only," he commented, the Executives officers logic was impeccable and it made sense.

"Willdo sir. Three flight, on me." came the response. Tainer then turned to Noq't. "This is the area you asked for Commander. There is some extremely rugged terrain in that area," he commented. "What do you think?" Tainer perused his lips as he considered it. "I'd hide somewhere out of direct line of sight from the sun," he added.

Autumn Yamaguchi smiled. "Its really hot outside, the temperature in the various exposed areas is heading towards fifty degrees Celsius." the small female explained. "Three days of this insanity. I doubt I'd last three hours.." she sighed softly. "Some good locations here and here," she added as she tapped the display in two locations. "

Tainer nodded. "Lead to all units, guys keep a sharp eye out for hidden locations, Craggs, escarpments, mountainsides. Our guys will be holding up out of the suns light and heat."

The various responses came back when suddenly Crescent Six commented. "Wounded are loaded, heading back to homeplate."

"Fine work six. Take our guys home." Tainer commented. "Get em offloaded then get back down here. We're gonna need you for this," he added, a gentle smile playing at his lips.

"That's affirmative sir, we'll be back before you know it. Six out." as Tainer looked at the display. "Ballard, take over flying, would ya?"

"Roger skipper. I got this." the younger man responded. "See something?." Ballard inquired with a smile.

"Maybe." Tainer tapped the display once as the two-dimensional display became a three-dimensional display. "Ballard, head towards the north face of mountain two six. Humor me will ya?" Cyclops commented.

"On our way skipper." the young man responded. "Anything.?"

"I'm picking up a lot of sensor clutter but its been like that since we got here."

As Unx kept moving forwards he rubbed his eyes in disbelief. In the nearly cloudless sky, he thought he saw contrails. "It could be my imagination but I need to be certain." He then drew his phaser pistol. He set the weapon to wide-angle stun. It didn't use much power but made an impressive light show. He then fired straight into the air several times.

"If they are real, I hope they saw that," he told himself.

The pilot turned his head. "Skipper."

"I saw, did you catch that?" Cyclops responded, a wide grin on his face.

"I did." the sensor officer responded. "Pilot, come left forty and land near that escarpment," he commented.

Autumn turned and departed. "Guys, let's get ready, we might have found our marines." the small human female commented, she couldn't however, keep the smile off of her face.

Ballard noticed one larger marine. "Guys, right there," he commented as he brought in the runabout for a landing. "Lead to Crescent flight, form up on me as soon as you can, we might have found them."

The comm-net came alive with the usual responses. "Lead, this is six, we've dropped off our care packages and are on our way back to you now."

The door opened and out went Autumn Yamaguchi, medkit on her back, she picked her way over to the large marine who was nearby. "Hey buddy, we're here to rescue you, and your guys, are they with you?" she said to Unx.

Unx shook his head. "No, they are a day's march back." He turned and pointed his finger to the footsteps leading back into the desert. "They are in some small rocky outcrops. They need help, please find them."

Yamaguchi nodded. "Alright, let's get you out of this heat. Then we'll go find them." she paused. "We did find the first group, they are all alive but we found a couple of lost stragglers, but those are dead," she explained while they boarded the Runabout. "Pilot, take off and head." Yamaguchi turned her head. "Heading one one two and fly slowly."

"roger that, ma'am." Ballard didn't argue with her.