"Intruder Alert"
(previous post "Executive Review")
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The assembled 11 marines looked suspiciously at the EV suits that were hanging from the lockers. They were unsure of why they had been called to the base at such an ungodly hour when they knew they were expected to report for training later that morning. Most of them looked as if they would fall asleep standing up. Neither Pravat nor Tes’Karka had made an appearance and many were beginning to think that maybe they were the butt of some kind of practical joke.
"I need to get some sleep," Corporal Julia Yang said with a yawn. "How long are we waiting?”
Before anyone could answer the young Chinese computer expert, the voice of their commanding officer made the question moot.
"Sorry we're late," he said as he and his Klingon second entered the room.
The sagging marines quickly straightened up as any signs of fatigue disappeared from their faces.
"We had a few last minute preparations..." he paused as he saw the EV suits. "Ah, they did get them here in time."
"Sir?" one of the marines asked hesitantly. "Why are there Breen EV suits hanging in here?"
He turned back to the assembled marines, "I have a special mission for you."
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Everyone except Prav had donned the modified Breen environmental suits and were trying to get used to the new range of motion they would have to work with. Some marines were bent over stretching while others were twisting at the waist. It looked like a Breen aerobic session until Prav called for their attention once more.
The doors to the staging area opened and a member of the base medical staff entered and stood next to the 1st Lieutenant. Prav glanced at the man for a moment and then turned his attention back to his men. “We will all be fitted with a dermal communication device which will allow us to communicate silently with each other without anyone outside our head hearing.” The marines would be using an improved version of Dawson's creation. Although there had been some changes, the implant location and activation trigger had been modified and the range had been boosted, it was basically the same device that the crew had used on the TANGIERS ORBITAL.
Pravat saw Yang shift her weight slightly, as if she had something to add. He smiled at her and then continued addressing the troops. "By the time the crew even thinks of running any of the internal sensors that might pick up on our communication devices, we'll have everything shut down or off line."
He couldn't see through the Breen helmets but he knew they were all smiling. This definitely beat running simulated drills on the holodeck, which is what the rest of the ANUBIS’ marines would be doing while the HATHORs shakedown cruise was underway.
"The site to site transportation devices will get you on board without detection and I've already taken care of masking your biosigns so you should be able to remain undetected in the cargo bay until we reach S-7331."
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Prav was already bored of his role as aSEC/TAC. The only advantage was that he was able to keep an eye on any "odd" sensor readings that might be coming from the cargo bay the marines were hiding in and make them go away.
The Nausicaan was pouring over the targeting test results from the KARRABY CLUSTER and didn't notice the sigh from the man standing to his left. They were getting closer to their next destination which meant they were getting closer to the start of the marine exercise which was the only thing that was keeping Prav sane.
He glanced around the bridge to take a mental inventory of the personnel and was pleased to see that the bridge senior staff were all in place.
He was very interested in how they would react, especially the two warriors, Uxtar and Rostov. This would be a good drill to test what they were really made of.
He was feeling pretty good about what he had planned until his gaze fell on Maya. The good feeling rapidly disappeared and was replaced with a tremendous pang of guilt. He knew he couldn't change the operation but he also knew he could just abandon her, he would keep an eye in her and make sure she was okay.
He ran an internal scan to get an idea of the location of the rest of the senior staff. Doctor Summers, and Ensigns Mei and Halliwell were all in sickbay and as Prav expected, Elan and David were in engineering. The last member of the senior staff was also where Prav had expected; Captain Rikar was in her quarters with her daughter Talia and that suited Prav just fine.
He hadn't been expecting a child to be on board when he planned the exercise and it made him a little uncomfortable, but as long as she remained with her mother inside her quarters she would remain safe despite the drill being run throughout the ship.
Looking at the chronometer he began a mental countdown. He knew that the marines hidden in the cargo bay would starting their pre-drill check lists as the time for action was drawing nearer.
=/\= Lieutenant? =/\= Prav heard and for a moment looked around to see who was talking to him before he realized that it Tes'Karka. Even though it was his second time with the dermal communicator it still was an odd feeling to have someone talking in your head. **This is what it must feel like to have the Betazoid or Vulcan type of telepathy** he thought.
=/\= Are we ready to roll? =/\= he asked his second in command.
=/\=Alpha squad is ready on your command, Sir =/\= she said, as five Breen soldiers assembled in front of her .
=/\=I don't want any of the other squads deploying until they get word from you, understood? Timing is going to be everything in this operation and I don’t want any screw ups,=/\= he told her, though he had every confidence in the hand picked unit he had carrying out this operation.
=/\=Understood, Sir. We'll see you in engineering shortly.=/\=
Prav smiled until he saw Maya looking over at him and not wanting to make eye contact, he quickly looked away.
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First, two figures materialized in the upper main engineering room followed closely by 4 more one deck down. For a moment, no one noticed the intruders but when the first engineer to see the frightening visage of the Breen soldiers let out a cry, he was taken down before the sound was heard by the others in the massive room.
Corporal Yang quickly moved toward a computer terminal and began initiating the incursion program and its first task, that of shutting down internal communications.
It should have been an easy task securing Engineering but David Dawson was having no part of easy. When he saw Elan go down after being hit by fire from a Breen weapon, David raged toward the nearest intruder he could reach. Not expecting the massive engineer to initiate an attack, the young marine inside the Breen EV suit was easily seized by the rampaging engineer who stripped him of his weapon and tossed the man haphazardly across the room like a rag doll. Seeing the Breen at the computer terminal, he made towards her but found another Breen standing in his way.
Tes'Karka leveled her weapon at Dawson as he raised his at her locking them in a deadly standoff. Seeing two more Breen on the upper level with their weapons pointed at him, David Dawson realized he had found himself in a precarious position.
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Prav watched the internal sensors with anticipation. Hoping that they could seamlessly take communications offline and install the ghost program that would mimic a working communication system before anyone was the wiser. Unfortunately, Dawson's one man stand would keep that from happening.
"Communications just went offline," Ensign Carft reported with surprise. Before anyone could react he announced, "Wait a minute, they’re back online."
"Run a level one diagnostic," the Romulan hybrid ordered. "Let's hope this isn't going to be another serious glitch like the one with the power transfer."
Kea complied and began the diagnostic but Prav knew that it would come back showing no problems whatsoever, at least until they attempted to use it.
He had taken his mind off his own sensor readings a moment too long and didn’t mask the read out of weapons fire in engineering before Rostov saw it.
"Sir," he said with urgency. "I have weapons fire in engineering."
Serena spun around in her chair to face the Nausicaan. "What!?" she exclaimed.
"Wait a minute," Nico said, quickly tapping keys on his consol. "It's gone," he said confused as all record of the reading had disappeared.
"What do you mean it's gone?" Serena asked. "The weapons fire has stopped?"
"No, I mean, I may have been mistaken." He looked over at Pravat. "Did you see that reading?"
Prav shook his head and appeared to be running scans of engineering. "No I didn't and the sensors aren't picking up any residuals of weapons fire. Another glitch?" he asked as innocently as he could.
Serena's eyes narrowed on him for a minute before tapping her comm. badge. "Bridge to engineering?" she called out.
There was no answer.
Nico began to walk away from his station. "I'm on my way Captain," he said as he moved toward the turbolift.
"Captain, don't you think that it would be better to keep the Chief of Security and Tactical on the bridge?" Prav said quickly.
Serena was really eyeing him suspiciously now. She knew the exercise had begun but if she hadn't been the one to order it she wouldn’t have been suspicious of Prav's motives so she knew she had to ignore the fact that she knew what was really going on. "I agree," she said as Nico stopped. "Ensign Rostov, I think it would be prudent to send your assistant instead. Please return to your station."
Not quite sure how to take the Captains order, Nico complied and returned as Prav rushed off the bridge.
Expecting that engineering would have been cleared of all HATHOR personnel, Prav quickly made his way to deck 3. As he made his way he could hear reports of the other squads deploying. The ordinance team was on their way to the antimatter storage chamber on deck three while two others had locked the mess hall down, turning it into a holding cell for any captured crew.
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David was beginning to wonder if he was going to get out of this predicament alive. After everything he had gone through, to die like this was almost an insult. Figuring that he could at least take out one, maybe two of the Breen before they got him he was about ready to make his move but before he could the door to engineering opened.
Not thinking he'd ever be this happy to see the Marine Commanding Officer enter a room he let go of the breath he had been holding as he watched with much relief the entrance of an armed 1st Lieutenant Pravat. As another of the Breen intruders stepped in behind Pravat, David called out a warning to the Enaran but instead of seeing Pravat take evasive actions he continued walking toward David and the Breen holding the weapon on him.
"There are at least 5," David said quickly watching with growing dismay Pravat's less then urgent manner. "What are you…" Dawson began as Pravat stepped next to the Breen and looked at it with dismay. Silently he asked Tes =/\= What is he still doing here? =/\=
But before he let her answer he aimed his weapon and fired at the engineer, hitting him square in the chest.
The Klingon, dressed as a Breen, spun toward her commanding officer. She didn't have to ask, Prav knew what she was thinking.
=/\= I had to, he would have figured out it was a training exercise. I don't want him in with the other prisoners. Secure him down here and keep someone on him, I don’t want him alerting the rest of the crew.=/\= Prav said as he turned to walk over to Yang.
=/\= Should we have a medic standing by? =/\= Tes asked silently.
Prav glanced back at the collapsed engineer. =/\= He'll be fine, sore but fine. I want him tightly secured, if he escapes, I'm holding you personally responsible. =/\=
He walked over to Yang who was still working at the terminal.
=/\= Have you locked down all personal quarters? =/\= he asked. He had added this protocol to the program for the sole reason of keeping Talia out of harms way.
=/\= Yes, Sir, =/\= she replied. =/\= I have also locked down all science labs, offices and sickbay. =/\=
=/\= Very good, =/\= he replied as he wondered how Lea, Susan and Elizabeth would react when they finally realize they are locked in that tiny sickbay together.
Prav looked around the deserted engine room and then at the chronometer. They were right on schedule despite the difficulties created by Dawson.
=/\= Gas the bridge and place all bridge commands under encoded access,=/\= he ordered as he turned to leave. =/\=I want two of you to stay here and make sure that Dawson doesn’t interfere, the rest of you pick up any stray crew and get them to the mess hall. I want that place locked up tighter than a drum. =/\= Without looking back he strode out of engineering. =/\=Tes, Yang, you are with me. =/\=
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When the doors to the bridge opened, the three Breen who entered found the crew incapacitated on the floor.
=/\=I want everyone transported to the mess except the Captain and the FCO =/\= Prav ordered as Tes’Karka moved through the fallen bodies attaching the devices for a site to site transport. He saw her moving towards the incapacitated First Officer.=/\= Wait, I want the XO to remain on the bridge as well.=/\=
He wanted to keep Serena on the bridge and separated from the majority of crew, never provide your enemy with a leader and because he had no one trained to pilot the HATHOR he needed Uxtar. Everyone else would go to lock up in the mess hall except Maya. He knew if the XO had been anyone else he'd be doing this differently, he just hoped that keeping her under his watchful eye on the bridge wasn't a mistake that he would regret later.
As the rest of the bridge crew disappeared Prav turned to Tes, =/\=How long until they come to?=/\= he asked.
=/\= Should be any minute now,=/\= Tes replied.
=/\= Good,=/\= Prav said as he looked over at Maya laying against her station terminal. He only hoped she would understand that he was ordered to do this.
As Serena began to come to, the realization that something bad had happened hit her like a brick. She sat up and looked around. The only members of her bridge crew still there were a groggy Shillian who was just lifting her head off her console and a still unconscious Hirogen. The most disturbing sight she saw was the three Breen spread across her bridge.
One Breen was sitting at the COO station, inputting some kind of command and a second Breen was standing at the Tactical station, leaving the third Breen standing barely two meters from her chair.
"What do you want?" she asked, trying to mentally remind herself this was just a training exercise.
Not only had the EV suits been modified to warm-blooded humanoid environmental conditions but they had also been fitted with a translator that would convert each marines Federation Standard into Breen so it could be re-translated by the ships universal translator.
"From you, we want nothing," Prav said as the Breen was translated into Federation Standard. "We already have what we want, we have your ship. Now, he" Prav indicated Uxtar by pointing his weapon at the Hirogen's head, "needs to pilot the ship to the coordinates that have been entered into the navigation system."
Uxtar had finally woke, only to find a weapon at the back of his head.
"Set the course and engage," Prav said, pushing the tip of the weapon into the back of the Hirogen’s head.
Uxtar did nothing.
"Do it!" Prav yelled.
"And if he doesn't?" Serena asked calmly.
Prav turned toward the Romulan/Human. "Then I will kill him," Prav said menacingly.
"Serena!" Maya yelled, startling Prav who had momentarily forgotten the Shillian was still on the bridge.
Serena just cast a stern look toward her XO who shrank back but kept the frightened look of concern on her face.
Prav tried not to look at her but the minute he did, that deep pang of guilt ripped through his stomach again. Trying to stay focused on the Hirogen and Romulan hybrid he turned his attention back to the CO.
"And if you kill him, then who will pilot the ship for you?” she asked satisfied that she had him over a barrel.
He silently cued Yang to put up video of the antimatter chamber on the main view screen. Prav didn't even turn to look but he could tell by the expression on the Romulan hybrids face that she was seeing exactly what he wanted her to see.
"Then we will destroy your ship!" Prav snarled.
**This may be check Mister Pravat,** Serena thought, **but it isn't mate.** "Ensign Uxtar," she announced.
"Sir?" the Hirogen answered, hoping that she wasn't giving into the Breen threat.
"Set course and engage."
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Writing for:
1st Lt. Pravat 2005 post #560
Stardate: 60329.0200 (note: this is Day 3)
Setting: NEW ALEXANDRIA: Marine Staging Area
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30 minutes later
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Stardate: 60331.1730
Setting: USS HATHOR Bridge
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Stardate: 60331.1825
Setting: Main Engineering, Decks 2 & 3
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Setting: Bridge
Time index: Simultaneously
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Setting: Main Engineering
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Setting: Bridge
Time index: 10 minutes later
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Matt Kelly (downwitmal@yahoo.com)
MCO
USS ANUBIS
