AT/E01 - Klingon Base

[Tyra Crawford]

== Thread for Away Team ==

[GM-02]

In what can only be described as a minor miracle, the landing went off without a hitch. Approaching from the night side, the shuttle was able to avoid the notice of the Klingon ship in orbit as it made planetfall. A line-of-sight transmission let the shuttlecraft duplicate the IFF signal and avoid the planetary defense grid. Maxas-Darl was more than up to the task of utilizing what ground cover there was to approach from over the horizon and minimize whatever warning the Klingons received.

Unfortunately, there's only so much you could do for the final approach. The shuttle landed in a rush on the far side of the half-finished building, keeping her nose pointed toward the compound, and the rear door opened to let the assault teams exit. For a moment the sound of the repulsors whining down and the sounds of the wild desert were all that could be heard, but only for a moment.

It was replaced by the yell of a Klingon voice, which was taken up by more voices shortly after. No weapons yet, and no sirens, but the element of surprise was gone.

==Maxas-Darl, feel free to elaborate on anything you wish for the descent; flourishes are allowed, just try not to make anyone space sick.==

==Everyone else, time to look alive!==

[Hallowette Maxas-Darl]

Oops. double post! Please delete this little fella!

[Hallowette Maxas-Darl]

“Acknowledged, bridge. Shuttlecraft Aura departing the bay. See you after.”

The comm clicked, and the deck beneath her feet gave that familiar, feather-light tremor as the Aura’s thrusters gently fired. Its systems responded with eager precision — the subtle whine of the inertial dampers adjusting, and the butterfly feeling in her stomach as the shuttle's grav generators replaced that of the mothership. In moments, the shuttle slipped free of the Artemis’s womb and glided into the star-washed dark.

Outside, the vast hull of the Vesta-class ship filled her canopy like a silent titan. Hallowette let herself drift along its curve, then rolled the shuttle neatly onto its side, riding the distortion of the Artemis’s EM field to mask her own signature. Ion scatter danced like blue fireflies along the Aura’s skin, briefly outlining her sleek silhouette before dissolving into the cold void.
For a heartbeat, Hally looked back — the Artemis turning away, her engines flaring gold as she arced toward the orbital defenses. Hallowette touched her fingers lightly to the console, murmuring a quiet prayer to the Prophets - not for herself, but for the ship and those aboard it — that their courage hold, that the stars remember them kindly. Then she pivoted her course towards the world below and the Aura disappeared as lingering light from the day side of the planet turned to night.

Hallowette's Tactical training had given her plentiful experience with electronic warfare, and when the time came to submit the confiscated IFF signal it was accepted without protest. Without challenge from the defense grid, the flight to the planets surface was deceptively easy. The Aura's advanced systems accounted for most, if not all, atmospheric anomalies, which granted the Trill/Bajoran hybrid ample time to plot out an approach vector. 

Diving for a nearby canyon network, the type 14 shuttle was little more than a blur - the ships holo display arcing out the flightpath before her in blue and yellow lines, the terrain bathed in a topographical luminescence that gave away all its secrets kilometers in advance. She noticed the shuttle's airspeed creeping over 1000 kph once, then again, and each time she suppressed a grin as the thrill of piloting the vessel at such speeds over unfamiliar terrain filled her with adrenaline. She wasn't sure what was to come once she left the Aura, but she knew that as long as she was here - in control of this fantastic arrow -  she was in her element.

The distance fell more quickly than the time did, and within a quarter of an hour she announced that they were approaching their target. The canyon network had dwindled and flattened some moments ago, and Hallowette had accounted for the lack of cover as best she could by flying low, subsonic and deliberate - but that could only allow for so much.

"Mara - Lieutenant..." she said, her eyes never leaving the heads up display before her, "I have the compound on my scope. There is an area on the far side that looks like it is unchanged from our orbital scans. I'll set us down there. I'll angle the Aura's shields to give us partial cover, but the terrain is pretty bare. The closest structure is a half finished building about 200 feet from the LZ." She paused, banking the shuttle hard to port. The horizon tilted, lights from the sleeping compound flashing subtlety over the console as she gained a few meters of altitude to skirt the perimeter. “Best I can tell, we haven’t been made,” she added, a faint edge of tension in her voice. “But they’ll see us soon enough. They’ll definitely see us arrive.”

The Aura came in fast and low, its hull shuddering briefly as momentum met the planets crosswinds. Then—with an errant whisper of displaced sand—it settled, graceful as a bird settling on a twig. Hallowette exhaled, turned in her seat, and shot Mara and Aeryn a quick thumbs-up before initiating the ships standby. Her fingers danced across the console, sending a compressed burst to the Artemis:

AURA INTACT. APPROACH UNSEEN. WITHIN OPERATION AREA. TEAMS DISEMBARKING. PHASE TWO IS GO.

==TAGS!==

[Mara Calleja]

Mara was so focused on the job at hand that she didn’t even notice the time slipping by as the Aura approached. It felt like they’d only just left when she heard Hally’s voice through her earpiece.

"Mara - Lieutenant. I have the compound on my scope. There is an area on the far side that looks like it is unchanged from our orbital scans. I'll set us down there. I'll angle the Aura's shields to give us partial cover, but the terrain is pretty bare. The closest structure is a half finished building about 200 feet from the LZ."

“Understood,” the Security Chief replied. She checked her rifle as the shuttle banked, made sure her blades were secure, and did one last diagnostic on her armour. Everything was ready.

“Best I can tell, we haven’t been made,” the pilot added, a faint edge of tension in her voice. “But they’ll see us soon enough. They’ll definitely see us arrive.”

“Not a lot we can do about that. Just bring us down safely,” Mara said calmly. “We’ll take it from there.”

Mentally bracing herself, the Bandaran felt her nerves settle just as the shuttle did. Responding to Hally’s thumbs up with a curt nod, she hit the rear hatch release and stepped out with Yordan right beside her. The two swept the area with their rifles, and then they heard it.

At first it was just a lone Klingon voice, and then more and more of them took up the guttural call.

Underneath her helmet, Mara bared her teeth in a feral grin.

“We are so busted,” she said. “They know we’re here so we gotta move. The shuttle isn’t defensible but that building is.” Calleja looked back into the shuttle, orders coming thick and fast. “Yordan, Coyn, double-time. Get to cover and get me eyes on the Klingons quick as you can. Heavy weapons, when you get the shout, move it and get to cover, up a floor if you can. Feels like they’re gonna come to us and I want you on the high ground.”

The two scouts were off, creeping around the side of the building.

“Everyone else, get ready to move out,” Mara added. “We get into that building. Find something to hide behind and steady yourself against. Knock out windows if you have to. If you get a clear line of sight, you take the shot. If the enemy are dumb enough to try and charge across open ground, we make them pay for every step they take.”

The plan was simple and easily conveyed. The Star Fleet team wasn’t a huge one, but they had enough guns between them to punish a headlong charge from a desperate force of Klingons.

“I’m gonna go with Vedlar and we’re gonna force entry. Count to five then follow me. Miller, get them in line, keep the Security officers between everyone else and harm. Let’s go!”

Calleja and the sapper Vedlar hit the ground running, the two scanning the building and trying to locate a way in, knowing the rest of the team wouldn’t be far behind.

== Tags all!

GM input please - what state is the unfinished building in? Are we able to gain access and find cover? Do we need to blow doors to clear the way in? Is there an ‘upstairs’ to situate heavy weapons?

Thanks! ==

[Hallowette Maxas-Darl]

==Ens. Ollie Pearson. Security NRC==

The shuttle touched down and the moment the grav generators relaxed, Oliver was unbuckled and popping open the cased weapon standing at his side. The Phaser Type III-B Enhanced Compression rifle was among the heaviest weapons available to Starfleet, and on Mara's directive (and Ollie's suggestion) each team was equipped with one that had been modified to project a wide field burst that would serve to suppress, a decision motivated to mitigate Klingon assault wave tactics as best they could. Ollie's recent brush with death had given the usually brash officer a reminder of why Starfleet discouraged hand to hand combat with warrior cultures, and he intended to give his people as much space as he could provide. 

The man stood, gave the pilot, "Flight Suit" a cheeky grin, before turning towards Svenson and nodding silently. He suddenly had a lot and yet nothing to say, only offering a quick, "Give'em hell, Ardy." Before falling in behind Miller, the leader of team two. 

"Big gun at your disposal, Boss - and I brought this phaser too."  He gave his old CO a familiar wink as he settled in, ready to throw down and do some good.

<----------------------------------->

==Mid. Hally Maxas-Darl==

Everything was moving quickly, but to Hally's surprise she was managing to keep up. She powered down the shuttle, placing it on standby mode, only briefly checking to ensure that the voice pattern recognition restart sequence was online.

She twisted quickly in her seat, wincing slightly as the unfamiliar combat armor bit into her pelvis, but otherwise pushing through, letting the adrenaline carry her past the inconvenience of the pain. The Chief had assigned her to team one, and Mara was rumored to be a fast paced combat leader, so Hallowette attempted her best to complete the tasks on the shuttle and join the cadre as quickly as possible - preferably before they all piled out and left her to catch up by herself. 

Her heart beat in her throat as she heard the sound of Klingons beyond - it wouldn't be long now before the shooting began.

==Tags==

[Aeryn Miller]

<< Shuttlebay <<

Time held no meaning for Aeryn as she remained alert yet in her own world while Hally expertly took them from the safety of Artemis and into the unknown. This was the first time she had been in a shuttle for a while, knowing what potentially awaited the away team on the surface below, the redhead was content to let the plan play out silently, almost as if it became a mantra of sorts, quiet contemplation combined with the emotions the former security officer associated with getting prepared for every possible outcome. The journey from the ship hadn't taken that long, or so it felt as Hally announced their descent. The hybrid pilot guided them down with relative ease; her warning about the enemy seeing them soon enough only served as a reminder that they weren't about to go into this lightly.

The thumbs up that she offered once they had safely landed brought out a smile from the CSO, likely the only time that would happen until they returned to Artemis. Hally then contacted the ship, and Aeryn knew it would only be minutes until they exited the Aura. Sure enough, Mara was up first, releasing the door mechanism before she and Yordan exited the shuttle. What happened next, and the orders that came with it, had Aeryn up and ready to go on the five count, her mind already forming how she would utilise the remaining security officers to give the rest of the team under her charge plenty of cover. With Yordan and Coyn sent out as scouts, and Mara taking Vedlar, it would be easy enough, as she acknowledged her friend.

" Understood, we'll be right behind you both".

Before Aeryn could start the count, Pearson was beside her, informing her of the weaponry at their disposal. While he was a bit of a character, the CSO appreciated having him there. " Okay, listen up, Pearson, you stay up front with me, Partik takes the middle while Svenson and Howland cover the rear, everyone else gets in between the security teams, and have your weapons at the ready".

Her order given, and upon reaching five, Aeryn then spoke once more. " Move out".

Taking the lead and with her weapon aimed right, Aeryn let her security training take over, trusting the others to do their job and ensuring that no one was left behind.

== Tags ==

[Ardanna Svenson]

<< Shuttlebay <<

Travelling by shuttle seemed a little surreal to Ardanna; however, the freighter kid within found it exhilarating, as if she were reliving her childhood. A feeling that comforted the brunette, who was quite aware that moments like this didn't often happen, but it was welcomed, especially with what they were about to do. As their pilot began their descent to the surface, Ardanna thought back to what she had said to Ollie back on the ship, and in that instant, she knew that what was meant to be something light-hearted and serious at the same time was perhaps deeper than she had anticipated. She hoped there would be a chance to discuss it properly later, as the shuttle reached its destination, and the adrenaline started to take over, all other emotions, the type that needed to be squared away quickly and efficiently.

Ardanna was able to do this by taking a deep breath, preparing herself once more to make a move, and getting ready to do her job. Yordan and Coyn were sent out first to act as scouts, and with good reason, considering the element of surprise had firmly been tossed out of the airlock. Chief Calleja was next alongside Vedlar, but not before the Chief had given them a plan, leaving Chief Miller to follow them out after a suitable amount of time. Ollie appeared and offered words of encouragement, ones that the brunette would certainly use. " You too," she replied before he was off to join Miller at the front.

Their former DH was quick to give instructions of her own, and knowing where her place would be, Ardanna got into position. " Aye, Commander," she acknowledged, waiting to move once everyone else was off the shuttle safely.


== Tags ==

[Robin Mayfair]

And they were down. Hally had gotten the team as close as possible, but there was no missing the shuttle landing and within moments a cry went out. They'd been made.

Mara ordered the team to move out. “We get into that building. Find something to hide behind and steady yourself against. Knock out windows if you have to. If you get a clear line of sight, you take the shot. If the enemy are dumb enough to try and charge across open ground, we make them pay for every step they take.”

You don't have to tell me twice.

The medic had been in several firefights at this point. One of the first rules she'd been taught in her admittedly rudimentary combat training at the Academy was "Be in cover. If you're not in cover why aren't you in cover?" More than one cadet who'd thought that life was like the holomovies had gotten stunned by standing out in the open like a moron, guns blazing. They'd gotten a talking to... when they woke up. 

And the Klingons weren't going to be using the stun setting. 

“I’m gonna go with Vedlar and we’re gonna force entry. Count to five then follow me. Miller, get them in line, keep the Security officers between everyone else and harm. Let’s go!”

Mara wasn't listening, but Robin gave a "Right, Lieutenant" anyway. This was the Security Chief's area of expertise, and Mara a lot more than others. 

As Robin was on Aeryn's team she got ready to move. She'd spent the shuttle ride making sure her gear was ready, partly to ease her nerves. Phaser on belt and checked. Hypos of wound treatments and sedatives on her belt (not just in her bag) as well as her medical tricorder, and another in her kit. The colony-born nurse was a big believer in the rule 'Two is one and one is none.' Always carry a spare. 
 
As Mara and her squad hit the ground Aeryn was ready to go. "Okay, listen up, Pearson, you stay up front with me, Partik takes the middle while Svenson and Howland cover the rear, everyone else gets in between the security teams, and have your weapons at the ready."

"Yes, Commander." The CMO took her position in the squad, and the Science Chief (and former Security Chief) gave the order to move. Robin took a nervous breath, blew it out, then pulled her phaser and followed.

Here we go. Two hundred feet. Just move.

== GM Input: Assuming Robin makes it to the building she'll grab whatever cover is available and then do a life scan to try and pin down how many Klingons are nearby. ==

[GM-02]

==All==

The building, unfinished as it was, was not secured very well. After all, this was a base hidden in the middle of a nebula on a planet no one knows about except for them, so there wasn't much incentive to do so. The windows had no glass of any kind, and the vast space was yet to be subdivided into rooms, though there were several prefab panels stacked inside and outside, ready to be used for that purpose. There were several locations that would be ideal for setting up firing lanes against Klingons.

==Mayfair==

A lifesign scan was able to pinpoint several dozen people - most of them thready, and most of them not Klingons. There were only about a dozen Klingons, all apparently advancing towards the Starfleet team. The remainder of the lifesigns were clustered in the other buildings, and most of them were weak.

[Mara Calleja]

Mara was almost disappointed when the amount of force needed to access the building amounted to a couple of well-placed kicks to crash down a half-mounted door. Quickly she swept the open space with Vedlar, finding it unoccupied.

“OK, building secured,” she said into the comm as the rest of the team arrived. “Heavy weapons, that window and that window,” she ordered, pointing to the ones nearest to the front door. “Partik, watch the back door in case they try to flank us. All other Security officers, find a window, they’re all empty. Get your rifle settled and open fire the moment you see a Klingon target. I’ll cover the front door with Yordan. Anyone tryin’ to force their way in gets to deal with us.”

Calleja looked around as her officers moved into position, unsheathing her machete and drawing a type II as she looked through one of the forward holes where a window was supposed to be, taking up a position next to Pearson as he aimed the heavy rifle.

“If anyone can get a fix on the enemy numbers, that would be great,” she said to the rest of the team. “Otherwise, stay down. I can’t see this takin’ long one way or the other.”

== Tags all!

GM input please - can Mara see the oncoming Klingons? How long until the shooting starts? The moment the enemy appears, the Security officers will be opening fire. ==

[Robin Mayfair]

Made it!

As she reached the building Robin flattened herself against the thickest wall she could. She'd scrambled behind Aeryn, her feelings mixed about what basically amounted to using her friend as cover, but that was what the Science Chief wanted and she was an expert. Security teams were trained to protect the softer, squishier members of away teams like medics, and it made sense... but that didn't mean the nurse liked it. Regardless the CMO now had some real cover. She pulled her advanced medical tricorder and thumbed a quick life scan.

The readings weren't as pinpoint as she would have preferred. There were about a dozen Klingons in range, several dozen other lifesigns further out and somewhat vague. The tricorder was having trouble picking up exact numbers further away, but it was good enough for the moment. What wasn't good enough was the number of Klingons advancing on the team. All of them.

“If anyone can get a fix on the enemy numbers, that would be great,” Mara's voice came over comms. “Otherwise, stay down. I can’t see this takin’ long one way or the other.”

She tapped her badge, solely to open the link that was built into her helmet mic. "Mayfair to away team. Reading approximately one dozen Klingons, all advancing on our position. Tricorder is having a hard time pinning down the exact number. Several dozen non-Klingon lifesigns further out, all weak. I'll keep scanning to give you more info." 

She cut the link and adjusted the settings on the device, trying to pin down where the Klingons were coming in. The other lifesigns weren't important for the moment, just the large and angry warriors that were coming to kill them. 

== Tags ==
== GM Input: Can Robin determine anything about our new friends? Where they are heading, if they're split into groups, or anything else that's useful for the team? ==

[Aeryn Miller]

Moving quickly and quietly came naturally to Aeryn, almost like breathing, as she scoured the area, following the path that Calleja and the other security officers had taken. The adrenaline had already kicked in, and the redhead wore it like extra armour, while still being realistic about the situation. When the unfinished building came up ahead, she could almost feel the disappointment of it not meeting further resistance from the away team, the kicked-down door the only evidence of what Mara had done to gain entry, before the Security Chief announced that the building was secure.

There was more information from her friend, as she directed the team to where she deemed it necessary to defend themselves. Watching as the security officers took up their positions, Mara took out not only her Type II but also her faithful machete. " I'll take one of the windows nearest the door," Aeryn replied, moving into the position and aiming, ready to take on the enemy. Her breathing was calm and collected. After all, she had trained for situations like this, and hell would burn if she didn't do her job right. Confidence borne from years of experience aided the former security officer as she waited for the Klingons to find them.

Mara was right; this shouldn't take long, as she addressed the others. Once they had a number, the Klingons would get a fight. Robin, who had been right behind Aeryn, was able to pinpoint how many Klingons the team would have to deal with. They weren't the only life signs that her friend was picking up, and Aeryn could hazard a guess as to who they belonged to. Depending on how this fight went, they would no doubt check them out as Robin continued her scans. The word clones remained in the scientist's mind, more as a reminder while she kept her weapon aimed.

== Tags ==

[Ardanna Svenson]

Ardanna might have waited until the rest of the team had departed the shuttle, but that hadn't stopped the brunette from keeping up a steady pace as she protected the rear alongside Howland. However, once they arrived at their destination, Chief Calleja began issuing instructions specifically to her officers, and Ardanna knew where she would be going. " Aye, Chief," she replied after Chief Miller had spoken, and moved to one of the windows nearest to where the door had been.

With her rifle firmly in her grasp, Ardanna hustled over to one of the other empty windows, taking up her position with ease while Calleja spoke to the rest of the team. Focused and alert, Ardanna kept watch, waiting to fire as the CMO confirmed what the Chief had asked of her, and while there was some curiosity about the other life signs, it wasn't their priority right now with twelve Klingons headed their way. The math was also easy enough to comprehend, and Ardanna remained confident of the away team's chances because this time she wasn't going to let one single Klingon get the drop on them, and she owed those still in Sickbay that much, as well as Ollie, who was back to fighting form.

[Hallowette Maxas-Darl]

==Ens. Oliver Pearson, Security NRC==

The rush into the building was controlled, yet frantic—every officer diving for what cover they could find or make.

Pearson stayed glued to Calleja, his physical conditioning as sharp as his confidence in himself and his team. He dropped to a narrow, pane-less window, pressing the modified compression rifle’s muzzle just to the edge of the frame. The pip on his collar might have read Ensign, but his movements spoke of hard-earned experience. Ollie knew that the less of his weapon he exposed, the lower his profile—and the longer he’d live to crack wise.

“Full field of fire, Boss. Bludgers aren’t showing themselves yet,” he muttered through steady breaths.

Behind him, a noise—someone stumbling to the deck, hard. He glanced back just enough to see the hybrid pilot pushing herself up from the steps, face flushed with exertion. “You’re a right battler, Flight suit—up and at ‘em!” he called, already turning back to his sights. He paused a moment, checked his sector  and yelled out, “Hey, Svenny!” he chuckled at himself as he continued, “Try not to swoon too hard over how handsome and heroic I’m lookin’ in battle here, yeah?”

His boyish grin widened. He fully expected Mara to bop him for it—but, he figured, a little flirting was worth the pain.

---

==MDM. Hallowette Maxas-Darl==

 Hallowette was several steps behind the main group as they all left the safety of the shuttle. One of the team leaders, a pretty human Ensign was covering the rear and to her credit she waited on her before she cleared the area too.

"Sorry...I was powering down the..." Hally managed to say before the adrenaline hit her like a sledge. She hit the open door then bounded up small set of steps inside, but between the blood rushing in her head and her being more focused on finding cover than her footing, she took a bad step and slammed hard on her already injured wrist. Pain shot up her arm and her fingers went numb, but thanks to adrenaline coursing through her lithe body, she was up and moving again before she acknowledged it.

"You're a right battler Flight Suit - up and attem'!" yelled the muscled human security officer that had helped her don her armor. He had barely glanced back at her as he shouted the encouragement, and seemed dedicated to the overwatch before him - or at least she had thought before he blatantly flirted with the officer who had escorted her to the building. He either was supremely confident, super into her, or simply kind of dumb - she figured it was a little of all three.

The move from the shuttle to the building had taken very little time, but still, Hallowette felt weak in the knees. It wasn't based so much out of fear but awe - she could fly a ship at incredible speeds just meters off the surface of a planet or asteroid, but here on the ground her brain seemed to struggle with the pace - and to her horror, the shooting hadn't even started yet.

She managed to tuck herself inside an alcove near Mara and Pearson, and as she ran her arm down to her side to draw her phaser, she yelped with pain. Immediately she grasped her wrist in an attempt to alleviate the sharp jolting electricity shooting up her limb, but as she did so, she realized that between already having hurt it on the Artemis, and her fall, it more than likely was broken. She held the arm to her armored chest, heat radiating from the center of her torso and up her neck into her face. She couldn't shoot, not like this - not at least with her dominant hand.

Her eyes searched the room, but she didn't immediately see Robin or any other medical personnel.  She struggled to control her breathing, but after a couple of deep breaths, things began to come more into focus.

"Uh..." she managed to croak out before she quieted herself. She might not be able to fight - at least until she got this looked at - but she could at least be a useful set of eyes. She forced herself to peak out from the recessed wall she was hiding in and looked out both towards the front, then looked hard towards the rear. She realized that there were already countless eyes watching the front, so she would do her best to watch their back.

Though dry, her voice rang out loud and clear, though she still cradled her damaged arm against her, "Rear entrance is clear for now, Lieutenant!"

==TAGS==

[GM-02]

The twelve Klingons advanced through the nearest gate, leaving both the inner and outer gates open, and began to fire. Most had pistols, though there were still about four disruptor rifles among them providing heavier firepower. They may have been blood-thirsty Klingons, but they were still soldiers, and they took cover behind several pieces of construction equipment, building supplies, and the omni-present barrels, advancing in groups as the others covered them.

There were five groups of twos and threes, spread across the building's frontage and peppering the building with fire. At intervals they were advancing, but as of yet they weren't quite able to close to melee.

Mayfair was able to pinpoint each of the Klingons, and those with tricorders or other displays could tie into her scans for more accurate locations. Anyone without the equipment or patience could still generally find them by the wild and mostly inaccurate fire they were laying down. The rifles made it dangerous to stick your head up, as they were more accurate, but the amount of pistols made it difficult to tell which Klingons, precisely, actually had the rifles.

[Mara Calleja]

“Try not to swoon too hard over how handsome and heroic I’m lookin’ in battle here, yeah?”

Pearson’s helmet rattled as Calleja cuffed him sharply round the back of the head.

“Focus!” she barked, her irritation clear. “Klingons first, gettin’ your balls wet later.”

"Rear entrance is clear for now, Lieutenant!" Maxas-Darl called.

“Good job,” came the curt reply as the Security Chief returned her own attention to the incoming defence force.

Mara pulled her teeth back in a feral smile as the locations of the enemy appeared on the inside of her helmet, the data fed back from a tricorder.

Gotcha.

The initial impetus seemed to have replaced itself with a more cautious advance, and now the attackers and defenders were trading fire across what was rapidly becoming a no-mans-land.

The obvious call is to dig in and wait for them, but if I do that I risk us gettin’ encircled. Also, I don’t like waitin’ for my violence to come to me. I’d rather go face it down.

“OK, we’re not gonna sit here, we’re gonna go and get ‘em,” Calleja said into the comm. “If you’re comfortable with your gun, get up to the window and give me suppression fire. Accuracy is useful but not required. Weight of fire is what matters. I want those Klingons duckin’ and divin’. Miller, call the shots. Mayfair, you’re my eyes. Omdor, Han, use some of these materials to barricade that front door. Svenson, support Maxas-Darl as a rear guard in case this goes wrong.”

She looked around.

“We’re goin’ out the back door, 2 teams of 3. I want to pin ‘em in a crossfire and take ‘em out. Watch your aim. Yordan, Partik, Coyn, you’re goin’ left. Vedlar, Howland, you’re with me, we’re goin’ right. Get as wide as you can so you got time if those mad fuckers try and charge. Hold fire until I give the order or you come under fire yourself. Let’s go.”

There was never a question of Calleja sending anyone else out to lead the flanking forces. She led by example and that meant putting herself squarely in the line of fire, and typically enough she was the first one out of the back door, sticking close to cover as she moved.

Her plan was clear. Whilst the weight of fire from the building kept the Klingons focused sharply on where they thought the enemy were, Mara and the Security officers would get alongside and cut them down from the flank as they sheltered from attack from the front.

== Tags all! GM input please. How does the flank attack go? ==

[Aeryn Miller]

From her vantage point, Aeryn was able to see the Klingons begin their advance, noting how they left the inner and outer gates open as they started to fire, primarily using pistols with at least four rifles, a fact that the Science Chief took immediate notice of, as they split up into groups of twos and threes. They also, as Aeryn observed, were being sensible about how they approached the away team, taking cover where appropriate, and advancing while others laid down cover for them. As for their targets, they mainly peppered the front of the building, but not quite close enough to engage the fleeters in the kind of fight Mara was likely hoping for.

Aeryn, however, realised that despite the enemy using wild and inaccurate fire, it didn't stop those using the rifles from being more precise, and it was better for the away team to keep their heads down, as much as possible, if they didn't want to meet the end of one of those. Though that in itself proved tricky to pinpoint who had the rifles, given the amount of pistols in play, and it wouldn't surprise the redhead if that were on purpose, especially if the Klingons were trying to confuse them, either that or they didn't have a clue. Whatever their plan was, the fleeters would be smarter and were far from the type to admit defeat.

So when Mara spoke into the comm, laying out what she intended to do, it made sense to Aeryn, better to take the fight to the Klingons than sit about and wait. While she would have happily joined her friend and the security officers whom she picked to go with her, Aeryn understood the reasoning, what her part would be, and how it would be carried out. " Understood," Aeryn acknowledged, from her spot near the window. With Svenson aiding Hally, that left Pearson and anyone else who was capable with a weapon, and Aeryn knew what to do.

" You heard the Chief, let's lay down some suppression fire, and see if we can't take out a couple of them in the process".

Focused on her task and trusting the others to follow her lead, Aeryn began to carry out her part of the plan.

== Tags ==

== GM, how does the suppression fire go? Is Aeryn able to take out any targets? ==

[Ardanna Svenson]

Ardanna tried not to shake her head at Ollie's perfect timing for such a comment. Then again, it shouldn't have surprised the brunette that the man who hadn't quite admitted his feelings couldn't resist a little flirting before they engaged a group of blood thirsty Klingons. Now she had to hope that this fight would be quick and clean, so they could accomplish their mission and return to the ship, allowing her and Ollie to talk properly. At least it gave her something to hold onto as the Klingons finally made themselves known and started their attack, even if she couldn't respond to him.

The ensign carefully watched as the enemy split into five groups, using cover tactics while focusing on the building itself, even if they were using inaccurate fire to try and draw the fleeters out. Whatever plan or tricks they were putting into practice, it didn't seem that clever until those with the rifles showed their true colours, and Ardanna made a point to keep her head down between shots, because even at this range, such weapons could do a lot of damage. Then the Chief changed the plan, and rightly so, given what the Klingons were doing, and that meant moving away from her current position to assist their pilot in protecting the rear entrance. " Acknowledged," she said into the comm, before Calleja and five of her colleagues used the very same entrance to carry out their plan.

With Miller calling the shots from the front and focusing on suppression fire, Ardanna moved quickly so she was beside Maxas-Darl, weapon aimed, ready should the Klingons manage to get past the others. " Stick with me, and be ready to alert the rest of the team if we need to," she assured the redhead.


== Tags ==

[Hallowette Maxas-Darl]

==Ens. Oliver Pearson, Security NRC==

The first real pulse of disruptor fire slammed into the building, cutting through the noise like thunder. Bits of plascrete spattered across Ollie’s shoulder as a shot took a bite out of the window frame.

“Ah, bloody hell,” he muttered, as he grinned with self satisfaction at his flirting. “And here I was thinkin' they'd..." He began to add in Svenson's direction before taking quite the cuff across the dome from Calleja. He couldn't say he didn't expect it - he absolutely did - but the violence of the smack followed by the castigating remark caused the big Aussie to laugh aloud. He spared a glance at Mara, his CO and someone he really did respect, and he offered in his usual style, "Sorry Boss, my heroic charms sometimes get away from me, I'll do my best to keep'er under wraps. Sorry, Svenny, the inadvertent seductions will have to wait until later!"

He braced for the next bop across the helmet that was sure to come, but the teasing of his mates would have to wait as he announced, "Lieuy! We got movement!" A hairs breath later he cursed as a green energy flare demolished the masonry inches from him. "Dag!" He yelled as he recovered and returned fire. 

Meanwhile, Calleja dictated her plan and began to move out. Miller moved up near the heavy phaser toting muscular blonde, "You heard the chief, let's lay down some suppression fire and try to take out couple of them in the process."

Pearson nodded, firing multiple bursts before reporting, "Movement, middle lane, right flank and another tryin' to be clever on the far left, Commander." Despite it all the chaos was familiar, almost comforting to the big Aussie. "Ey' Miller, if they are trying to dance with us, I gotta say, it's a piss poor effort." He grinned at his old Commander before noticing Svenson join the pilot, who most definitely didn't look great.

"Oi, Ard, Flightsuit is lookin' a bit crook..." He said, concern lining his tone, "Flightsuit, jus' keep your head down and your eyes up, yeah? If they swing round back, just sing out and we'll be on 'em. Svennson there isn't just a pretty face, she's one of the fiercest Sheila's I've had the pleasure of knockin' about with. You'll be ok, just do as she says."

He grinned, but concern rimmed his eyes, "Our Pilot is still in the fight, but she isn't lookin' so great Aer."

Seemingly, the knowledge that the young Middle was rattled seemed to focus the Aussie in a way he hadn't been before. He narrowed his view towards he incoming klingons, firing off a series of bursts - his skill finally surpassing his mouth. "Alright Klinks, Foreplay is over, time to shag."


==MDM. Hallowette Maxas-Darl==

Hallowette flinched as the first wave of disruptor bolts screamed against the structure, the vibration running up through her boots and into her bones. She pressed herself tighter to the wall, every nerve alight, eyes darting between readouts on her wrist display and the darkness beyond the rear door.

Ollie’s voice cut through the noise—half command, half reassurance. "You’re lookin’ a bit crook. Keep your head down and your eyes up". It helped. Somehow, it helped.

Her wrist throbbed in time with her pulse, and she could feel the cold sweat slicking her gloves. She took a steadying breath and switched her phaser to her off-hand. Awkward, but manageable. She’d trained for worse.

From her angle, she could just see Calleja’s team moving outside, flashes of gold and blue against the dust. “Rear still clear,” she murmured, mostly to herself. Then louder, as Ardanna joined her. “Ensign—still no sign of movement here.” She shifted again, grimacing at the sting in her wrist. Another volley hit the wall beside her, sending sparks across her field of view. T

The fear was there—sharp and bright—but beneath it, something steadier. Duty. Grit. That same quiet stubbornness that had gotten her through flight school. “Don’t you dare let them through this door,” she whispered, tightening her grip on the phaser.

Svenson acknowledged by stating steadily, "Stick with me, and be ready to alert the rest of the team if we need to."

Hallowette felt the trickle of perspiration trickle down her temple as she locked eyes with the security officer. She was glad she was there. She didn't know her, but she was glad she was with her. "Yes Sir." the young pilot said, "Don't worry, if they come this way, I'll make sure and remind them that Starfleet isn't just really really super duper at flying." She didn't know if the joke would land or not, but she laughed at the absurdity anyway. 

Outside, the firefight roared. Inside, her resolve became a bit more like steel.

==Tags==

[Robin Mayfair]

Mara had already figured out a plan of attack. “OK, we’re not gonna sit here, we’re gonna go and get ‘em. If you’re comfortable with your gun, get up to the window and give me suppression fire. Accuracy is useful but not required. Weight of fire is what matters. I want those Klingons duckin’ and divin’. Miller, call the shots. Mayfair, you’re my eyes. Omdor, Han, use some of these materials to barricade that front door. Svenson, support Maxas-Darl as a rear guard in case this goes wrong.”

"Understood, Lieutenant. Updating the scan now. " While some of the team had been trading quips (or even flirting), Robin was all business. In dangerous situations she tended to be completely focused on the job, and in this case that job wasn't to try and trade shots with the advancing Klingons with her small phaser. The nurse flicked the scan dial on her tricorder with her thumb almost casually, narrowing the range as the enemy moved up, then fed the information to the team's HUDs. At this distance picking their opponents out was much easier and the device mapped out exact locations for the team. The Security Chief would know exactly what to do with it.

Even to the CMO's untrained eye the advance seemed haphazard. Not without some basic tactics, but only basic. The Klingons advanced in small groups, with a few laying down covering fire with rifles, and the group taking cover. Mara assigned team members to her flanking attack and moved out, the first in as always. 

A stray shot (likely from a disruptor rifle) blasted a chunk of wall out of the edge of a window about two feet from Robin. She gave herself a brief bit of self-congratulations that she didn't yelp. 

Am I starting to get used to this sort of thing?

But it was the interaction between several of the team that did concern her. At these distances the Augment didn't need coms to hear the interaction. "Maxas-Darl, report. Are you injured?" 

== Tag Hally ==

== GM Input: Robin will maintain scans, and if she can gather any further info she will. Would it be possible to use the tricorder to locate which Klingons have rifles and mark them for the team in their HUDs? ==

[GM-02]

In general, Klingons are excellent warriors. Centuries of martial tradition, honed not only against each other but against the galaxy at large, helped them to learn how to fight better than most other species were capable of. That was on a species-wide scale, however. When it came to individuals, of course, your results may vary.

The dozen Klingons attacking the Starfleet team, while formidable as any other Klingon would be one-on-one, were not the best and brightest of the Klingon Defense Force. Attacking a defensible position manned by professionals, they weren't able to gain much in the way of traction for their attack. The suppressive fire laid down by the away team kept them pinned in place, while the flank attacks were able to get in beside them and take them down one by one. The last few in the center tried to make a break for it, assaulting the building with a defiant roar that petered out as the hail of phaser fire cut them down several meters from melee.

Mayfair's scans would show that there were no Klingons left in the kilometer or so range of her tricorder, while the lifesigns remaining in the compound - Cardassian and Vorta - were diminishing.

==Apologies for the delay; had a vacation last week and had intended to post before hand, but life got in the way.==

[Robin Mayfair]

The charge of the Klingons wasn't glorious, at least to Robin. It was suicidal. Not one of the warriors made it to melee range, and the last of their bodies hit the dust. The nurse forced down a surge of bile. So pointless... but maybe charging into certain doom wasn't pointless for them. She was human and no warrior. She'd never really understand.

"Lieutenant Calleja, no more Klingon lifesigns within a click. Cardassian and Vorta lifesigns are diminishing. Suggest we move; something's going on there and I need to get there now."

What are they doing to those people?

== No worries, GM. Life happens. I've gotten hit hard with it recently. ==

== Robin will follow the team and use her tricorder to try and find the largest concentration of remaining life signs. ==

[Omdor Jaein]

Jaein often discussed his life during the Dominion War, and all of the things he saw during it. He had seen several battles, fought several times both then and on patrol duties around Bajor afterwards while part of the Militia. However, now that he was in the thick of it again, he was realizing several different things.

First, those experiences were more than twenty years ago. He had lived a lot since then, raised a family and settled into a comfortable life of building starships. He wasn't exactly prepared to be thrown into the thick of things.

Second, there was a major difference between ship-to-ship engagements and battles on the ground. While he had been in fights on the ground, it was only once or twice; most of his experience with battlefields was with their aftermath and cleaning up afterwards.

Third, even if he had been in a stand-up phaser fight yesterday, every one is different.

He followed the instructions of the security team as closely as he could, taking his position and opening fire when directed, but try as he might Jaein wasn't really able to get a good image of what was going on. Instead he simply tried to fight off the Klingons as best he could, and was almost surprised when they fell silent.

"Lieutenant Calleja," Mayfair called to the COS, "no more Klingon lifesigns within a click. Cardassian and Vorta lifesigns are diminishing. Suggest we move; something's going on there and I need to get there now."

Jaein simply stood, catching his breath for a moment as he gathered up his engineering kit again and looked around for Han. Odds were that their services were going to be needed in the next few minutes. Once he spied her, he nodded to the security team. "Engineering ready to move when you are."

==Tags Han and Calleja==

[Mara Calleja]

As her flanking team quickly covered ground, Mara’s attention was on the Klingon forces. She knew she was taking a risk by leaving a defensible position and potentially moving into range of a Klingon charge, and whilst the Security Chief herself had little to fear from a melee, the rest of the team was not as comfortable as she was with a blade. But the reward of a swift end to the fight made the gamble worth it.

With the teams in position, Calleja raised her own rifle and braced it against her shoulder.

“Single shots, mark targets. Fire!” she ordered.

Focused, precise volleys from the flanking officers brought the Klingon attack to an end that was so painless for the Artemis crew it left Mara feeling almost cheated. She’d accounted for the nearest enemy fighter as the more capable marksmen in the teams scythed down the rest of them, but it was pretty clear that this bunch were a bunch of enthusiastic amateurs.

What’s the old sports sayin’. Can only beat what’s in front of you. Guess that holds true in combat as well.

[Lieutenant Calleja, no more Klingon lifesigns within a click. Cardassian and Vorta lifesigns are diminishing. Suggest we move; something's going on there and I need to get there now.]

“Away team, cease fire. Safeties on,” Mara said into the comm, as Robin’s words confirmed what she saw. “Regroup at the perimeter fence.”

As the officers gathered together, Omdor caught the Bandaran’s attention.

"Engineering ready to move when you are," he said, and she acknowledged him with a nod.

"Good job everyone, but now we gotta move. I’m makin’ a change to the initial teams, swappin’ Mayfair and Eun. Robin, you’re with me. Han, you’re with Miller. Stick to the plan. Team 1, we’re checkin’ out the holdin’ pen and lookin’ for a command centre. Team 2, check out the clonin’ facility itself. Be careful. We’ve taken out the garrison, such as it was. But the clones themselves could still be plenty hostile.”

She looked around, making sure everyone was still upright and unharmed before she gave her next order.

“OK. Move out,” Mara said, letting her officers take point.

== Tags all! GM, are you able to set the scene for us on the two buildings we’re going to investigate please? ==

[Aeryn Miller]

Pearson was quick to identify potential targets, allowing the pair to fire in sync before the Aussie Ensign dropped the formality of rank to make a more personable comment regarding the Klingons, one that Aeryn had to agree with. While this was the first time she had come across a bunch of Klingons who didn't want to get her drunk on blood wine and share stories of battle, they were, to put it simply, not the brightest, confirming her earlier thoughts about their capabilities when faced with those from Artemis. " I agree," she replied, as the combined efforts of those in the building continued to make their mark against those not currently occupied by Calleja's team.

There was also a moment of concern from the man next to her regarding Hally, and if anyone could help the pilot right now, it would be Robin, before Ollie reassured her friend. " She'll be okay, Robin will check her over".

The next words out of his mouth almost caused Aeryn to laugh; however, they had more important things to deal with, because the fight wasn't over just yet. They may have pinned some of the enemy in place, but it didn't stop the last few in the centre who attempted to make a run for it by rushing toward the building. " Not on my watch," the redhead muttered, and sure enough, between her and those capable, they stopped them before they could get very far.

"It's over," Aeryn said, feeling a mixture of relief and adrenaline still coursing through her veins, before Mara's voice echoed through the comm, acknowledging her friend, Aeryn made her weapon safe. Once everyone was back together, Mara laid out the next phase of the plan, returning to their original objective with one slight personnel change.

" Acknowledged", Aeryn replied, moving out after Team 1, keen to investigate the cloning facility properly now that they didn't have the Klingons to worry about.


== Tags ==

[Ardanna Svenson]

Instead of his usual bravado and cheekiness, Ollie showed his softer side by raising his concern for the pilot, while also reassuring her at the same time. It wasn't often that people got to see that aspect of her friend's personality, but it was always there, and she liked that show of vulnerability, of being aware of others' feelings. Of course, there was still that grin of his, a hint of subtle flirting without saying out loud, before their pilot informed her that there was no sign of movement. She also locked eyes with Ardanna, finding some inner humour to share with the security officer, which, in itself, was reassuring.

" Exactly," she quipped before the CMO approached to check on Maxas-Darl.

While this was happening, the fight continued raging behind her. Naturally, the brunette wanted to know what was going on until the sound of rapid fire disappeared, and everything around them fell silent. Commander Miller then confirmed that it was over, and even though she was no longer a part of the fight, it was still a victory for the away team, and that's what was most important. Chief Calleja then gathered everyone, complimenting them on a job well done before revealing that they would be returning to the original brief, except for swapping Commander Mayfair for Ensign Han. Given what had happened, she understood why it might be necessary to do so, as the order was then given for them to move out, which meant checking out the holding pen and trying to locate the command centre.

" Good luck out there, Ol", she said quietly to her friend, moving ahead to join the rest of her team.


== Tags ==

[Hallowette Maxas-Darl]

==Ens. Oliver Pearson, Security NRC==

The last burst of green fire fizzled out across the horizon, leaving only the sound of cooling weapons the slight buzz of phased energy residue that was one of the signatures of the newest compression rifles. Ollie kept his sights up for another few seconds, then exhaled hard, letting the rifle dip.

“Well,” he muttered, voice echoing slightly in the sudden quiet, “that was about as coordinated as a dingo on skates.” He cracked a grin. “Not that I’m complainin’.”

He popped the diminished power cell from his rifle, slid in a fresh one, and glanced toward the rear alcove. Svenson was there—steady, professional—and next to her, Hallowette. The pilot looked rattled but still upright, her phaser arm trembling slightly.

Ollie keyed his comm. “Boss, window’s team is clear. Klinks are down. Still got all me parts - far as I can tell.” He paused. “Assumin’ that crack you gave my helmet didn't knock something loose."

He laughed, his eyes carrying a self satisfied twinkle that was there more often than not.

Miller’s voice carried from across the room, confirming what he already saw through the haze. “It’s over.”

Ollie gave a small nod to himself, then a quick glance toward the alcove where Svenson was still standing guard beside Hallowette, the young pilot looking pale but unbroken. He felt a flicker of pride, then that familiar, weary fondness. “Flightsuit, you did bloody brilliant,” he said, voice softer now, almost warm. “Could’ve fooled me you weren’t born with boots on the ground. You alright there, love?”

“Think it’s broken,” she said, short and breathless.

“Yeah, it sure looks it,” he muttered, shaking his head with a crooked grin. “You pilots and your dramatic landings. You can fly a shuttle through a needle’s eye but can’t manage three steps without breakin’ somethin’.”

The pilot looked as amused as annoyed. This made him grin even wider.

As Calleja gave the next set of orders, Ollie strutted over, winking at Svenson as he did so. “You did bloody brilliant, Flight. You kept your head, proper like, even with a busted wing. That’s more than I can say for half the blokes I trained with.”

He grinned at Svenson, that familiar twinkle in his eye as he peered down at her, "You did pretty good yourself there lady. And you did it all pretty too." He bit his lip, nodded and added answering her luck wish, "Yeah, you too sweetheart. Keep it intact, eh?" Then gathered up his phaser and set off, only stopping to turn once more to Hallowette, "Look afta' her, will ya? Might be a strikingly handsome bloke with plans to wine and dine her, should she get out of this mess."


==MDM. Hallowette Maxas-Darl==

Hallowette exhaled through her nose, forcing her breathing steady. The fight had ended minutes ago, but the pounding in her chest hadn’t caught up yet. Her wrist throbbed like it had its own heartbeat, each pulse sharp and insistent beneath the brace of her armor.

She activated her comm, voice taut but controlled. “Robin - Doctor Mayfair—this is Maxas-Darl. Yeah, I’ve sustained an injury. Suspect fracture, right wrist. Stable, but mobility’s limited.”

Her thumb released the comm switch, and she rested her head briefly against the wall. The air smelled of dust and ozone, the kind of scent that clung to combat zones long after the firing stopped.

Pearson’s words reached her a moment later, rough-edged but kind. You did good, Hally. She managed a small, pained smile. The human was loud, uncouth and full of himself, but it was obvious he had a big heart. His fancy for the other security officer, the one that had stood by her was sweet, and seemed genuine. She wondered how long that had been brewing, and if she liked him in the same way.

The romantic drama was an odd companion during a battle, but she had to admit that it was kind of a nice distraction. The shooting had been terrifying - a mix of awe and fear that only her duty and training had seen her through. For some reason she kept thinking back to her Starfleet ethics class, the words of an old Human Captain named Kirk who once recounted being told:

How we face death is at least as important as how we face life.

She looked down at her wrist—angry, swollen, trembling faintly inside her glove—and adjusted her stance. Then she drew relifted the phaser with her off-hand, setting her sights toward the rear access.

The ache was there, and the fear lingered, but beneath both was something stronger. Determination.

“Rear’s still clear,” she muttered to herself, standing straighter. “Let’s make sure you make it to that awful date.” she said Svenson with a mischevious grin.

==tags==

[Robin Mayfair]

"Good job everyone, but now we gotta move. I’m makin’ a change to the initial teams, swappin’ Mayfair and Eun. Robin, you’re with me. Han, you’re with Miller. Stick to the plan. Team 1, we’re checkin’ out the holdin’ pen and lookin’ for a command centre. Team 2, check out the clonin’ facility itself. Be careful. We’ve taken out the garrison, such as it was. But the clones themselves could still be plenty hostile.”

Robin stood up from her crouch, legs burning a bit, and acknowledged the Security Chief's order, but first she had to attend to someone.

[Robin - Doctor Mayfair—this is Maxas-Darl. Yeah, I’ve sustained an injury. Suspect fracture, right wrist. Stable, but mobility’s limited.]

The CMO responded, activating her headset. "On my way, Midshipman. Team, I'm on medical duty, so someone else will need to maintain the life scans. I'll join you in a minute, Lieutenant Calleja."

The CMO moved over to where the second team was reorganizing, thankfully only a short trip. Hally was there, looking pale and in pain but still in good spirits, with a few of the team trading banter but clearly looking a bit concerned. She understood, having been in the same position more than once. She sometimes felt like a burden to Security teams, someone they had to protect rather than commit to a fight, but it was just a feeling. The truth was that everyone was necessary for these missions, and the Security teams were more than happy to make sure the less combat-oriented team members made it through. Mara herself had made that clear after a couple of brutal fights.

“Rear’s still clear,” Hally muttered to herself, standing straighter. “Let’s make sure you make it to that awful date.”

The nurse popped the medical tricorder's probe as she approached. "Hey. Let's take a look at that wrist." To Robin's experienced eye it was obvious. The upper hand swelling alone was enough, and the armor's compression couldn't be helping with the pain. She swept the sensitive device over the Midshipman's right arm.

Extra-articular Colles fracture of the upper right radius, and a serious one. Looks like some previous damage too.

She gave the Middie a sympathetic smile. "We're going to need that glove and armor off. Sorry, this will hurt a bit." She needed access to the break, and while a hypo was designed to easily go through clothing that didn't mean armor. The nurse reached down and popped the forearm attachments as gently as she could. It was going to be painful, and there was nothing to be done about it. Further up and the armor might have actually made a half-decent splint, but with Hally's break all it would do would be to grind the fracture together, doing more damage... perhaps to the point that it would need surgery. 

The armor section came free and the CMO handed it to the waiting Pearson, who despite his generally cocky and flirty attitude was clearly concerned. 

Reaching into her kit the purple-haired nurse took out one of her hypos, this one filled with various painkillers. She set it for Terakine, a fairly effective analgesic that would take care of most of the pain without causing the pilot to lose feeling in her hand. She gently pressed the hypo to the swelled spot on Hally's arm, then counted down mentally from 5. "That should take care of most of the pain, but there's still going to be a little. I don't want to hinder your dexterity more than I have to." She carefully worked the glove off and inspected the damage visually. 

Yep. That's serious all right. 

Robin was impressed. Hally had fought through it and kept her focus during the fight, her first real fight. That was always a sink or swim moment with fresh-out-of-the-Academy rookies, and she hoped the pilot wouldn't end up with nightmares or PTSD. The Augment still woke up in the middle of the night sometimes screaming, her enhanced memory replaying a scene on a run down Kazon station... seeing charred and melted bodies reduced to the consistency of burned pizza, smelling them even through her filter mask. Even tasting it. All of it in perfect detail. 

Sometimes being an Augment sucks.

"You did great during the fight, Hally. It's always rough but you held it together, you didn't panic, and you did your job even with an injury." The CMO was only a few years older than the redheaded Middie and was hardly a veteran, but she wanted to make sure that the new Tactical officer knew that she was appreciated. 

She held the arm up for a moment as she spoke, examining it, then reached into her kit for a different hypo. "This will reduce the swelling" she said as she applied the medication. "We need to move out so I don't have time to directly treat the fracture with an osteogenic stimulator. That'll take a few minutes and I should be able to take care of it on the shuttle once the mission's over." 

Another item from her seemingly endless custom medkit was a roll of what appeared to be thick orange foam tape. The nurse pulled a strip of it, eyeballed the measurement, then cut it with a pair of scissors. Looking a bit like a sculptor working with thick clay she formed the aluminum/foam "tape" into a splint that would cover the upper part of Hally's arm, then shaped the upper section to immobilize the lower part of her hand. She would have the freedom to use her fingers and thumb but she wouldn't be able to bend her wrist, and holding things wouldn't be easy. 

The nurse carefully put it in position and bent part of the contraption to fit over the pilot's lower hand. The tape was designed to make temporary splints and could be custom-formed in the field, very useful in a galaxy full of beings with all sorts of interesting shapes. A trauma medic simply couldn't carry everything that would be needed in the field, so they brought items that were adaptable, and the foam tape certainly fit the bill. With that done Robin wrapped the whole thing in a bandage and tape to keep it firmly in position. 

"There you go, it'll protect your wrist until we can fix it up for real. I don't think I need to give you the obvious warnings, right?" the CMO said with a grin. "Oh, and I'm not a doctor, so you don't have to call me one. I'm a nurse, so I guess 'Commander' or 'Chief' is fine." She examined her work one last time. 

Oddly enough I think I needed to be here. This is the first time in a while I haven't felt like a bureaucrat. 

"Ready to move out?"

== Tag Hally ==

[GM-02]

The holding pen was easiest to get to, not being too far from the entrance to the facility. It was going to be the hardest location to forget. The Klingons had left the Cardassians and Vorta in there with little in the way of anything that could be called an amenity - beds and other furniture was conspicuous by their absence, and toilet facilities were absent by what could be noticed everywhere else.. Lighting was difficult to come by, only partially working in the giant, unpartitioned room. There were a good number of bodies more than could be accounted for by the weakened lifesigns, as well. As the Starfleet team entered, three people huddled closer together against one wall, a few others scattered elsewhere in the room flinching at their entrance. One of them, a Vorta, spoke hoarsely, "Please, don't hurt us."

The team going to the other location was spared such sights. The facility once had been antiseptic and maybe even sterile, though it was still in decent shape. It was filled with machinery, ranging from small desktop items to tubes large enough to hold a person. None of them appeared to be working, and most had panels opened and components carefully removed. There were other tools and components strewn about, as well, that didn't seem to match the ones that the lab equipment needed, and were being handled much less gingerly as a result. Two large doors led from the main room - one to a command/control post, and the other locked, but it appeared to be to some kind of refrigeration unit.

[Aeryn Miller]

Aeryn's first thought upon arriving at the cloning facility was how it was still in fairly decent shape, even without the lingering scent of antiseptic that she often associated with a clean and sterile lab. While it wasn't a place that she was used to seeing, or working in, for that matter, the scientist within her could put that aside so they could investigate it properly. The other side of her, the one that used to be a fully trained security officer, hadn't left her either, as the redhead took a good look around. The fact that none of the machinery appeared to be working didn't surprise the team leader, or how some of the components had been carefully removed from the panels that had been opened.

In her opinion, it had been done deliberately, as she also took notice of other tools and components that had been strewn about, as if they didn't quite fit where they were supposed to. While Aeryn wasn't an Engineer, she understood that these hadn't been handled properly, almost like they hadn't been given a second thought. She didn't know what had gone on here, or why it had been left like this, although she was hopeful that her team would be able to get some answers.

" Okay, team, let's be careful while we're in here".

Turning her attention to the two large doors that led from the main room, Aeryn approached the first one, finding that it led to a command/control post, the very thing Mara had been wanting to find. The second door was locked; however, Aeryn was able to figure out that it might be some kind of refrigeration unit. If she were to guess, it likely held specimens or supplies related to the cloning process, especially after already noticing the tubes where the clones must have been kept until they matured.

First things first was to report in to Mara, looping the rest of both teams in on the call as she activated an open comm link. " Miller to Calleja, the lab appears to still be in decent shape, but we have non-functional machines, components removed, and other equipment strewn about, we've also found the command/control post and a locked door that possibly leads to what might be a refrigeration unit, will keep you updated".

Leaving the link open for the time being, Aeryn decided on a plan of action. " Han, Devereaux, check out the machines and equipment, see if you can get them working and salvage what information you can, while security keeps an eye on the exit. Commander Omdor, Pearson, you're with me to check out the command post, then we can check out the locked door after".

== Tags ==

[Mara Calleja]

Mara took the opportunity presented by the brief delay to treat Hally to report back to the ship.

“Calleja to Artemis. Contested landing but we’ve neutralised the garrison. One minor injury, to Maxas-Darl, but looks like Mayfair has it in hand. About to investigate the base itself. Lifesign readings are dropping off everywhere so something’s happened. Will report once we know what that is.”

With the teams reformed and reassembled, the Security officers led the way as they passed the perimeter fence. The Security Chief hadn’t relaxed at all even though the base’s defenders lay face-down in the dust. She still expected vigilance until the moment everyone was back aboard Artemis and this whole debacle was behind them.

When her team entered the building, Mara slung her rifle across her back and drew her type II, keeping a hand on the hilt of the machete at her belt. It was an old habit - she was just more comfortable with lighter weapons at close quarters.

It didn’t take long to find the holding pen itself. The scene itself was one that the Security Chief knew was going to haunt her for some time. The Klingons had, as far as she could tell, abandoned the clones and left them to die, and they’d done this some time ago. There were bodies everywhere, a few survivors clustered around the edges of the room and warily watching the new arrivals.

"Please, don't hurt us." The speaker was an emaciated Vorta.

“All personnel, do not cross the line into that pen. Robin, that’s a direct order, and I will drag you back by your belt if you make me,” Mara said sternly into the comm. “I know you want to help but we need to make sure this is safe first. Tell me what you can of their condition from here. Svenson, check for weapons with Howland, improvised or otherwise. Vedlar, watch the door. Omdor, do we have any functional systems here? And Maxas-Darl, contact Artemis, advise them of the situation.”

[Miller to Calleja, the lab appears to still be in decent shape, but we have non-functional machines, components removed, and other equipment strewn about, we've also found the command/control post and a locked door that possibly leads to what might be a refrigeration unit, will keep you updated.]

“Noted. We got survivors here, looks like the Klingons left them to their fate. Calleja out.”

Having issued her orders, Mara took a deep breath of her suit’s air supply before reaching up and removing her helmet, leaving her earpiece in place. The smell hit her like a full-blooded uppercut to the nose, but she made absolutely sure that her expression didn’t so much as flicker, even as mentally she recoiled from the stench of rot and waste.

It didn’t even smell this bad at home…

“We’re not Klingons, we’re Star Fleet. I’m Lieutenant Calleja of the USS Artemis,” Mara said, making sure the survivors could see she was human, even though the fierce Bandaran wasn’t exactly a friendly face. “Pretty sure I can guess what’s gone on here. But tell me anyway. How long have you been here? What happened to the rest of you?”

Dark eyes constantly moved from clone to clone as the Security Chief waited for an answer, from friend or potential foe.

== Tags all! GM input please on the clones’ response? ==

[Ardanna Svenson]

Upon arriving at the holding pen, Ardanna didn't think she would ever be able to forget what she was witnessing. They may be clones, but they didn't deserve to be left to suffer and die. Nor did the brunette blame the survivors for being wary about the team from Artemis. If the roles were reversed, then the security officer would have reacted the same way. When one of them, a sickly-looking Vorta, spoke, it took all of Ardanna's resolve not to offer words of comfort, as the anger and injustice joined the other emotions she had been experiencing ever since they had landed.

It was perhaps fortunate for the Klingons that they had already been taken care of, as Chief Calleja made it clear that team 1 weren't to cross the line, and with good reason, because she wouldn't put it past the Klingons to make things difficult when it came to rendering aid and rescuing the unfortunate souls standing before them. With her specific order, Ardanna quickly acknowledged Mara. " Yes, Chief", she replied, before signalling for Howland to join her in the search for weapons, while the Chief finished giving out orders and responded to a call from Chief Miller.

" Wonder what we'll find", remarked Howland once he caught up with Ardanna.

" No idea, but I don't blame the Chief for being cautious".

" Agreed, this is a Klingon base after all".

" Exactly", Ardanna agreed as Chief Calleja approached the Vorta sans helmet to gently begin questioning them.


== Tags ==

== GM Input, do Ardanna and Howland find any weapons, improvised or otherwise? ==

[GM-02]

==To hurry things along, I'm going to drop a few bits that haven't actually been asked for yet. Players, react to the appropriate information that you need.==

==Clone Holding Pen==

The clones shrank back as Calleja came into the room, though they didn't actually move from where they were. Some were sitting, some were standing, others were propped against the wall. They were almost as strewn about as the dead ones were.

The Vorta who spoke, however, stepped forward - shakily, nervously, and only a step or two. A Cardassian followed him, though the look on his face said that he really didn't want to be doing so. "I..." the Vorta started, but stopped, his eyes widening as he swooned for a moment. The Cardassian held him up, and he recovered quickly with a shake of his head, dislodging the oddly long hair, clumped and tangled as it was. "I'm Wen," he said, "what passes for a, well... a leader here." He looked around at the room sadly before continuing. "This is Dat," he introduced his companion. "Can you help us?"

As Mayfair scanned, the truth would become clear: there wasn't anything the Starfleet team would be able to do. The clones were suffering from a degenerative disease of some kind which, while with research she might be able to classify, was obviously already in its last stages. Whether it was a deliberate disease, a lack of some kind of protein their bodies couldn't produce, or a mistake in the cloning process, right now she couldn't be sure, but every clone in the room was dying, their organs dissolving, and there wasn't anything they could do. Whatever it was, it likely was accelerated by the poor conditions they were living in.

The room was bare, with no computers or other equipment, and barely even any lights that worked. There were no weapons, not even a utensil for food. However, as the Vorta and Cardassian stepped closer to Calleja and the team, those who had studied their history - or lived through it - would recognize the pair, no matter how corrupted their names were. Weyoun and Dukat.

==Laboratory==

The machinery that was torn apart appeared to all be for the cloning process - genic manipulators, bioacceleration devices, maturation chambers, the works. From what could be seen, none of it was in working order. Accessing the working consoles, they were able to work out that the Klingons were attempting to at least get one set of working gear so they could restart the cloning process, but the closest thing to experts they had were the clones themselves. One device that was definitely broken, however, was a memory implantation device. According to the notes, it had been broken long ago - none of the clones had ever used it, and its memory banks were empty.

The command post was fairly standard - status relays for power, water, and other utilities around the facility, along with video feeds of important locations. None of it was anything terribly shocking.

[Robin Mayfair]

In her time as a Starfleet officer Robin had seen some terrible things. They sometimes kept her up at night, with crystal-clear memories sometimes popping up as if her brain was playing sadistic pranks on her. Bodies burned and mutilated. Officers kept in absolute squalor. A starship filled with dead, frozen corpses. But the conditions in the slave pen were at the top of that list. The few survivors lived in appalling conditions and obviously hadn't been fed in a long while. Bodies were everywhere. The odor was indescribable, especially to her enhanced sense of smell. She could taste it and it took every bit of her self discipline to keep from retching. She relied on a Vulcan technique she'd learned during nurse's training at the Academy, one that had kept her from vomiting on more than one occasion. 

One approached the away team, an emaciated Vorta. "Please don't hurt us."

“All personnel, do not cross the line into that pen. Robin, that’s a direct order, and I will drag you back by your belt if you make me. I know you want to help but we need to make sure this is safe first. Tell me what you can of their condition from here."

The nurse felt a flash of anger, the emotion mixing with her horror. 

An order? Yeah, I wouldn't want to violate one of those. What do you take me for, Mara, a fresh-out-of-the-Academy middie? I'm not about to go charging in before Security checks the place. But I'm getting really tired of you not taking me seriously as an officer. 

She shook the irritation off and focused on the job. It simply wasn't important right now. She pulled the tricorder off her belt and began scanning the poor souls. The sensitive device immediately began giving a list of problems starting with the obvious... malnutrition and dehydration. Several had infections and open sores. But that wasn't the worst of it. Their bodies were breaking down. Robin's eyes went wide for a moment at the tricorder's display before self-discipline reasserted itself. It wasn't the same condition that had nearly killed her as a child, but it was similar enough to bring back feelings of helplessness and pain. 

But this is worse than Turean’s Syndrome. That took years to do its damage. This is killing them quickly, and based on preliminary scans there's nothing that can be done. 

Based on her own life she knew full well what was required. A proper DNA resequencing to that level took months of careful work in a top genetics hospital like the one on Adigeon Prime. They didn't have months. They didn't likely have days. 

To her credit Mara had removed her helmet's breather and addressed the leader, the Vorta who called himself Wen. That was good. No point in showing horror at the conditions even if it was natural. History buff that she was, the Augment instantly recognized the two clones approaching despite their condition. Wen was a clone of Weyoun and Dat was Dukat. 

"Can you help us?"

Robin gave a sad smile. "We'll do everything we can." She hated the emptiness of her words. It was the sort of thing she'd had to say to dying people more than once, especially after the Megasphere battle. They wanted hope and she had none to give, but she wasn't going to lie to them. 

The Artemis CMO waited for Mara to complete her job of securing the room and giving orders to her team, saying nothing but giving the Security Chief a discrete glance to the side and tilt of the head to indicate that she wanted to talk to her away from the ears of the Klingons' victims. When the Bandaran was free Robin talked to her in a side room, far enough away that the Vorta (who had excellent hearing) wouldn't pick up the words.

"Those two are Weyoun and Dukat clones. Their bodies are breaking down." She swallowed hard, then continued. "I'll need to do more detailed scans, but honestly it doesn't matter. There's nothing that can stop it." There was obvious moisture in her eyes but she kept her professional demeanor. "Recommend we provide what material comforts we can outside of this hellhole. Maybe secure another room in the facility and use it as triage. We can get food and water from the shuttle. If we can find some living quarters that would be best. I can clean them up." 

She wanted to beam them to the Artemis and at least make sure they were comfortable and clean in their passing... but she couldn't. Compassion had to be controlled. 

"I'll also need to make sure they're not carrying any kind of disease that could be transmitted to us... and I'm not talking about the sniffles. Entire ships have been lost to this sort of screwing with genetics when it creates diseases accidentally. You know, like the Brittany." Not that Mara needed the reminder of that horror show. She sighed. "We'll just have to do what we can here. I just wish we'd taken a prisoner, as unlikely as that was. We still don't know why the Klingons were doing any of this." The anger in her voice was uncharacteristic of the gentle nurse. She felt cold hatred for the Klingons, and wasn't trying to hide it.

== Tag Mara ==

[Ardanna Svenson]

Whether they stuck together or not, it was becoming obvious that the search for weapons was going to be a relatively short one. Between Ardanna and Howland, they covered every aspect of the holding pen, exchanging silent looks and whispered conversations, until both security officers were satisfied that the area was safe for Team One. The brunette would admit that the accommodation provided for the clones, in her opinion, was bleak, especially with the lack of computers or food utensils. Worse still, there wasn't any other equipment or even sufficient lighting. If anything, it made the Ensign feel more sorry for the clones, who had clearly been left to die, given the lack of provisions or appropriate medical care.

Sickened to her stomach with how they had been treated, Ardanna had to try and maintain her objectivity as she prepared to give her report to the Chief. Not an easy task, however, there was a moment where she had to stop and pause, particularly upon seeing the two clones who had engaged in conversation with Calleja. There was no escaping who they were, as memories of her Academy classes came to the forefront of her mind, until her surprised brain reengaged and brought itself back to reality.

It was at this point that the CMO requested Calleja for a private word away from the clones, and so Ardanna held back until it looked as though the CMO had finished speaking, and activated her comm.

" Chief, there are no weapons present, not even any utensils for food. We can also confirm that there are no computers or other kinds of equipment".

As she spoke, she couldn't help but feel the shiver down her spine, before quickly pulling her emotions back where they belonged.

== Tags ==

[Robin Mayfair]

== GM Input, please: When Robin takes her more detailed scans is there any sign of anything that could cause trouble for the away team? Transmittable diseases, conditions, etc.? ==

[Aeryn Miller]

[Noted. We got survivors here, looks like the Klingons left them to their fate. Calleja out]

The response from Mara sent an uncharacteristic chill of fury coursing through Aeryn's body. It was one thing to find the clones, but to hear that they had been abandoned, to face whatever fate awaited them, felt inhumane and evil. However, she shouldn't be surprised, given the Klingons' concerns. Naturally, it led to questions as to why the clones had been cast aside like a child would when they became bored with a certain toy; however, the scientist wasn't sure they would get the answers they needed. Then again, both teams could get something other than what they were witnessing.

As for the command centre itself, Aeryn found it to be pretty standard, not sure what she should have expected, given the state of the lab she had just walked through. Aside from the usual status relays, for power, water and other facilities, the only thing Aeryn spotted was the video feeds..

" Looks fairly standard, although in better condition than the lab it seems", Aeryn remarked, before moving towards the video feeds to get a proper look. Once there, nothing was particularly shocking about them, other than their showing important locations. " Let's see if we can get any useful information from them".

With the others in the lab doing a similar job, Aeryn thought it made sense to recover as much as they could.


== Tags ==

== Gm Input, is Aeryn able to access any other useful information from the video feeds? ==

[Omdor Jaein]

Jaein followed his team into the holding area, tricorder in one hand and phaser held low in the other as they moved. There wasn't any expectation of imminent violence, but he was on edge and couldn't help but feel like he should be ready for anything. After all, he remembered too many people lost in areas that were supposed to be safe and cleared during the War; he didn't want to see that list added to, especially if it was him.

As they walked through the open area, Jaein couldn't help but think back to the labor camps on Bajor. While he hadn't been in one, growing up off-world, several had been preserved. The structures still stood as monuments to the fallen and reminders of the past, and holorecordings gave images of the way they were upon liberation. This place wasn't as bad as those were, but he got the feeling that was only because it was new. If it had been given a few more years, he was certain it would have been worse.

No one deserves this, he thought, looking around as they entered the room. The stench was overpowering, and he couldn't help but see just how many more bodies there were than there were people still moving. He felt his gorge rise, and held himself back from vomiting only through an effort of will. Mara spoke to them briefly, and then two of them stepped forward into what little light there was, and he felt his heart freeze.

For years, he'd wondered what he might do if he ever wound up face to face with some of the blackest villains he'd ever known. There were nights back during and just after the war when he'd pictured it vividly. Usually he was using a knife or even just an engineering tool. Rarely was an energy weapon involved, as he'd considered that to be too mercifully short.

It was probably only that dreamlike familiarity that kept him from raising the phaser and shooting them both on the spot. Instead, his own thoughts of just a moment ago played back in his head - no one deserves this - and his hands dropped his tools with a loud thud on the floor.

He turned and ran from the room, pushing his way past the rest of the team and vomited just outside the door, falling to his knees and trying to catch his breath. Visions of childhood friends swam before him, calling for revenge for the lives they lost during the occupation. Colleagues from when he was young, who died at the hands of the Jem'Hadar, spoke to him. Instead, he wept a silent prayer to the Prophets and tried to banish the ghosts he had long thought quiet in the graves.

[GM-02]

==Mayfair==

Closer scans both of the living and deceased clones showed no transmissible diseases. There appeared to be several specific protein sequences that were breaking down, none of which appeared to be natural, and there was no apparent cause. Given the Founder's precedent of using Ketracel-White to enslave the Jem'Hadar, it's likely there was something that the clones needed that wasn't being supplied. More research would be needed to see how long they had been without to produce this effect, but it appeared to be cascading.

==Miller==

The video feeds were quiet. There were cameras in several locations, including the barracks, but they were deserted other than where the clones were corralled.