1 Chapter 6 ((this is when Xandra joined))

Posted on Mon Apr 20th, 2020 @ 3:30am by Commander Nikolai 'Ghost' Nechayev & Lieutenant Shaye 'Nightingale' Glymer & Ensign Troy 'Tinker' Ericson Jr & Ensign Meni 'Motherboard' Allen & Ensign Delhashi 'Wraith' Darkshadow & Ensign Alexandra Prescott

Mission: Mission 12: Listening.
Location: USS Omega (Wallace)/Vaaduar Station

As the plans were understood by all, Nik and his team boarded the Wallace again as they waited for clearance to launch, and the support fighters to be ready for launch.

Nik took his seat at pilot and watched the others take various positions. "Listen, I know Shaye and Del you woke to come rescue us and I am sorry that you have to be put into active service before you had time to get your bearings, things are quite different. Here, we are helping our fathers to rebuild there civilization, I think its worth us helping them where needed." Nik said to Del and Shaye, which was very uncharacteristic of Nik to even do to open up like this.

Shaye stood behind Nik and listened. She appreciated his efforts to help acclimate her to the current time line. She also tried not to follow Del around like a lost puppy. He was her protector or had been after Gunnar had gone. How was she supposed to help lead when she felt so very lost still. However she was doing her best to get centered enough to at let be useful.

"Nik, no matter what, you know im ready for action." Del said as he shifted Missy and his sword on his back then adjusted the bandoleer of throwing daggers on his chest.

"Ensign Prescott, I know you were just thrown in with us, I wasn't even aware, I had a new officer coming in. Do you need any questions answered while we wait to be cleared for launch?" Nik asked the young auburn haired woman.

"No,sir..." her voice echoed as she stepped back into view from behind some crates in the back of the craft. On the way to the Wallace, Xandra had slipped to her quarters and grabbed two bags. One held gear, the other, her combat uniform. She had been given a set of gear upon arrival and was now kitted out like the rest of the group. Her phaser in its holster and her long arm in her hand, she moved up to Del and Shaye handing each in turn a small bottle of water.

"You mentioned extended cryo. You need the hydration in more ways than one." Was all she said, moving to a vacant seat and settled herself in. The change into combat gear would have taken longer if her hair and such hadn't already been done 'regulation' style.

"Troy, Meni. Ship ready for launch?" Nik asked them both as they were both down repairing the ships power system.

Meni still had her gear from their jaunt down to the listening post, and was currently in the process of making sure her new dagger launcher was secured around her wrist and her phaser was close to hand. It was impossible to be sure what they would find on the station and she wanted to be prepared for anything. The launcher did feel a little like cheating, though. After a mental she straightened and checked the panel in front of her. "We're a go from my point of view, Nik." She reported.

"All shows green sir!" Troy said as a statement of fact and went back to his monitors. He was having too many thoughts hit his head and there about to go into battle and he was not remotely prepared as his mind swimmer again with the images of the Orion woman. "Get out of my mind." He whispered quietly hoping he was not overheard.

"Drink up that H2O, Del and Shaye. Tell us a bit about yourself, Alexandra?" Nik said as he waited for the signal.

Xandra looked at the Commander then the others. It seemed a bit odd to be doing her intake here, waiting on a go for a mission, but she accepted it for what it was. She just hoped he didn't decide to go around the ship and make everyone do it for her benefit. She really didn't want that pressure on them cause of her. Especially given that she had seen 'just' enough to know this team had secrets. And she was still an outsider.

“Not much to tell, really... went to the Academy when I was 18. I got stationed on Mars for a couple years for special deep space training then got tapped out for Fleet Ops. I've done more than my share of infiltrate, acqusition, demolish and rescue missions. So I can assure you all that while the rank is Ensign, it doesn't mean I'm a noob. I was a Master Chief before I went officer.” She glanced around hoping those who had been worried were less so.

After a moment to think what else was pertinent, she shrugged and finished. “I trained and experienced in recon, and cover. And my specialty is maps, schematics and terrain navigation. I can find my way around everything from a ship to a station to a planet if I am given the time and/or the necessary information.” It sounded, in her own ears, like she was bragging. But she just rattled the list off with no puffing of her chest or rise in her chin. They were going into the fire and deserved to know the assets she was able to bring to the fore.
It was easier than constantly being asked if she could do this or that.

"Good to know. Meni, once on board and you access the stations computer, transfer a map to Alex's suit computer and she will be point. We need to locate the bridge and engineering as primary targets and if needed hold both. So we will be splitting up for this one, if either of us get to either location, find a way to take down that stations shields, so we can get reinforcements from the Storm. Understood?" Nik said as a comm came through.

"Your green to launch, your fighter escort will clear you a path, God speed." Storm said over comms as he closed them.

"Remember, we are beaming aboard, once the fighters temporarily take down the shields." Nik said as he launched the ship into space, as each screen of the console they found they were indeed surrounded by nearly 200 fighters, all sped there way towards the station, where once in range they fired there quantum torpedoes.

A massive fight began fight between the fighters and the station was going on. The fighters engaged firing there torpedoes, while the station tried to lock on with there energy weapons but something seemed to be scattering the beams, so the energy weapons missed entirely, but the friendly torpedoes did there work, forming an opening for a transporter beam.

"Everyone, lock your helmets on and get to the transporter room in the back. We go now!" Nik said as he relinquished control of the ship to the Storm and headed back, grabbing his back as he left the bridge, soon everyone else had followed him to the transporter room which was big enough for the team to use.

"Get on the pad." Nik said as he placed his pack on and stepped up onto the padd.

Xandra slung her pack and stepped up with the others, her back to the Commander so with the others in their positions, they would have a 360 degree view around where they arrived.

Del took the position to the right and a step behind Nik as he unslung Missy in a silent and well practiced move. He checked the chamber and nodded. "Locked and loaded, let rock their world!" He said with a grin.

Troy moved to the back out of the way as he settled in on the pads. He did both saying a word since there was nothing to be said. He knew they were getting ready for battle yet again.

Meni slung her pack on her back and got on the transporter pad.

As they beamed aboard the station, they were beamed into a small room with only a single door and a console nearby, from the looks of everything it was a storage room, the crates had the markings of Gorn seal while other crates had the Orion seal upon them.

Meni headed directly for the console. She had gear she could use to break encryption algorithms if necessary, but she was going to try using her own brain first. This wouldn't be the first time she had broken into an enemy computer system with nothing but her wits, and she was willing to bet with the mishmash of different technologies involved, it wouldn't be terribly difficult.

Xandra made for the door figuring the others had a system. She would be taking point so it made sense for her to be sure their exit was clear. She waited at the door, just to the side, as the others did their job. Occasionally she glanced back to see what they were doing. She was learning on the fly and she had to know who did what... and she had to know now.

Del's rifle was up and his eyes and ears scanned the room as soon as they fully materialized. He moved to the side of the room with his eyes on the door the new member had taken up position. He kept her covered as he tried to extend his mind out to feel around them but all he got was the start of a headache. He shook it away and instead relied on his other senses. "Rooms clear Nik. Whats our next move?"

Shaye instinctively stayed close to Del. Still rebounding. Everything was happening so fast and part of her was not entirely sure that she wasn't dreaming yet again. In cryo her dreams had felt awfully real at times. She tried to shake the thought away as she went through the paces of searching the room for anything useful.

Troy felt the familiar presence of the Orion Mistress again but this time it was not a memory or dream this was actually living and not a simple memory. "This is not good??" Troy said softly. As he tried harder to close his mind and lock it down.

"What isn't good, Troy?" Nik said as he opened up the crates, to find various items inside from weapons to medical supplies, to even children's toys, these Vaaduar seriously, took everything from there victims.

"Were in danger..." Troy said quickly to Nik. "The Orion Mystress is here." As a streak of terror flashed through his eyes briefly. And got quiet again since nik was speaking.

"Meni, hows that computer coming?, we need to know where we are going." Nik said as he opened another crate that carried grenades, but he didnt recognize them.

"I'm in. I've just about got the schematics of the whole place. Sending them....now." Meni replied tersely as she sent the information to Prescott. "There you are."

"Mira scan the contents and see if we can make use of any of these." Nik said to Mira who was already anticipating the request and scanned the room and the contents, as she cataloged everything.

"Del get over here and check these grenades out. Mira can't make heads or tails of them or the rifles in the other crates and shes been around." Nik said towards Del who was close by.

Del nodded to Nik. "Shaye take Missy and cover the door." He said as he handed his rifle to Shaye.

Shaye nodded as she took Missy. "Got it, Del." She trained the weapon on the door.

Del walked over to where Nik was peering into a Gorn and Orion crate. As he passed Troy he reached out and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Your safe with us. Just stay close to Shaye and I."

"Thanks Del!" Troy said half out of it now. "But who is going to protect you? You and Shaye are not up to par either." Troy said to him. "I am not either. She has been attacking my mind," referring to the Orion Mistress. As the concern did not register to Del or Shaye.

"As long as it's all right with Nik, I will." Meni replied, glancing at the Commander.

"Ill consider it." Nik said calmly.

Del smiled to his old friend before he finished the distance to the crates. He peered into the Gorn crate first. He instantly recognized the grenades. Zelarkian thermal detonators. "We don't want to mess with those on a space station. They're thermal detonators and just one can vaporize 10 cubic meters of material." He explained as he looked in the Orion marked crate. More Zelarkian weaponry. "These are Zelarkian as well. Some kind of energy rifle i think but I'm not familiar with this model." He reached in and pulled one out. After examining it for a moment, he flips a small switch on the butt and places his index finger on a small finger shaped spot on the sight. There is a beep and a slight wince as the weapon tested his blood from the pin prick he received. The rifle powered up as he looked through the scope.

With the door still closed, Xandra got a chance to glance back and watch the others. Del's shake of his head like he was either in pain or upset, bothered her. But since no one else reacted, she decided she'd wait to ask him about it. They had things to do.

She also noticed the way Shaye seemed to defer to, and remain close, to Del. There was something there she wasn't sure of, but as long as they could work apart when necessary, she had no problems. At one point in her life, she had been like that with someone. A mentor and lover who taught her what she knew. It pleased her to watch Shaye take the long arm and assume Del's watch on her back, though. And she nodded to the woman with a smile that conveyed a thank you, as well as trust in her having Xandra's back.

The discovery of a crate with grenades and weapons was two edged. On one hand, that gave them a bit of knowledge of what they may be up against, as well as potential additional gear. The downside was, as they moved away from this room, they were leaving an arsenal of weapons at their back. Both say equally uneasy with the Ensign.

"Maybe we should consider taking the items for future use on Storm." Troy suggested trying to keep his mind off the situation he may not be able to avoid.

Xandra made sure she knew the door control well enough to open it in a moment's notice. As she stared at the panel, pretending it was more fascinating than it was, she listened to the others talking in the small space. They must be used to talking to freely because no one warned anyone else about the 'stranger' in the room.

Two things of note hit like red beacons in her mind. The first was that someone was messing with Troy's head. It concerned her because, even if no one else commented, she worried he could be tracked, or even manipulated, if the mind touch was strong enough. The second concern was Troy's comment that Del and Shaye were not up to par. Whatever had happened before her arrival had rattled this team. She knew part of it was cryo for at least two of them. But the rest... well she would keep an eye on them all. It apparently never occurred to them, which was fine with her, that they had a fresh body, one not ravaged with the trials they had been thru, covering their backs. And no one knew to what lengths she would go to do just that.

"Alright, here is what we will do. We will split up into two teams. Alex, Shaye, Troy, you head to engineering. Alex, I am putting you in charge of the two, so they are now your personal responsibility. Ill take Meni and Del, and head to the Bridge." Nik said dividing up the teams.

"Del take the rifle and the grenade. Mira, take a detailed scan of both items and put the grenade into the replication system on my armor." Nik said as Mira confirmed the command.

"Del, I'll take a rifle and a grenade as well, but the rest of these will have to remain here. Now lets get going." Nik said as he nodded to Alex confirming she was in charge of her group.

Del hands a grenade and a rifle to Nik. "Flip this switch here and place your finger here for a blood sample then look through the scope for a retinal scan. This links the weapon to you and only you." He pointed to the stitch then the finger spot above the trigger. "The grenade I
really think is a bad decision. Those can vaporize up to four inches thick Tritanium in a 10 meter radius. It explodes in a supernova like fusion based fireball."

Nik followed his direction as he DNA locked the rifle to himself, then thought for a second. "Del, we need to take a sample grenade back with us, the more diverse our armory, the more likely we can defend ourselves, after all. These would make for excellent remote detonators if we need to blow something up, the way you describe them, we don't have such grenades at our disposal and now we do." Nik said as he dropped a grenade into his transporter buffer on his waist.

Del grabs an extra two rifles and walks over to Troy and Shaye. "Take these and stay safe. Both of you." He showed them how to use them and took Missy away from Shaye. "You watch his six ok Shaye?"

"Always." Came the only reply in the universe to such a request. "There's something wrong. He says that there is someone here. Can you detect anything? I'm worried about him. Something isn't right." She wished she had her friends special gifts. She felt blind to the danger Troy was speaking of.

Del shook his head. "I can't read anyone's mind or really sense anyone right now. I can't even move a bullet." He said with a look to Troy. "I'm worried about him too, that's why I told you to watch his six."

"And you watch Nik's." She returned as she moved away to join Alex and Troy to begin their journey.

Del nodded to Alex "And take care of them ya hear Alex? I'm counting on you." Then he took a position next to the door opposite Alex with a nod to Nik.

Alex watched everyone gear up and get ready to go. She looked at Del and gave a nod and a reassuring smile. "I promise." She glanced at Troy and Shaye and nodded as well, her smile still on her face. "We all go through this together, yes? And come out the other side so we can get a drink and laugh about it. Deal?" She took a moment to focus just a moment longer on Shaye. She wanted the woman to know she was taking this seriously. And that Shaye could count on her to keep her safe.

((Cont in ENGINEERING))