Nia Lemond
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Aug 11, 2019 20:06:27 GMT
Posts: 238
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Post by Nia Lemond on Jan 14, 2022 20:54:23 GMT
OOC : Posting from Pirates POV ::It went without saying that the tension and obvious mistrust between the Pirates was causing problems ..... Hovak and the Ferengi, Qal, had gone to speak with their captive while the others were discussing precisely the same issue, but from a more pivotal point of view .....
"It is clear we cannot allow him to live!" Gr'vos said defiantly.
"He 'could' prove useful," Rallos suggested, trying not to make eye contact with the Klingon, who would undoubtedly carry out his threat to kill the Yattho should he cause any further trouble.
"My associate is I believe, correct..." Balokr said, siding with the supposed leader of their group, "... The Federation will be reluctant to take us into custody if we have one of their own a prisoner,"
"I 'CARE NOT' what the Federation think they will or will not do. I will die before being taken by them...!" Gr'vos spat, turning to Rallos before continuing, "... Must I remind you ... That should anything untoward, 'happen' to me, my family will expect my full share of our spoils to be transferred to them immediately upon my demise!"
"That could be diffic ....." Balokr began, falling silent as the Klingon glared at him. Gr'vos was about to continue when Qal entered the room, and close behind him, the Intelligence Officer!
"Unbelievable...!" the Klingon commented, shaking his head as if he'd half expected the Intelligence Officer to join them, while his eyes flicking momentarily to the disruptor their 'prisoner' was holding before settling on the Ferengi.
"Where is Hovak?" he asked.
"He's resting ..... Take a seat Qal, we have some talking to do..." Clancy said jabbing the business end of the weapon in the small of the Ferengi's back, "... I take it there is no one else here, apart from you gentlemen?"
"No one else," Balokr confirmed.
"Good, I would hate to have to go to the trouble of detaining a group of subordinates ..... Now, despite a rather generous offer from our friend here..." Clancy began, motioning to Qal before continuing, "... I intend to take you all back to Starbase Forty-Seven, where you will jointly face numerous charges of murder. Please, don't mistake my demeanour as a sign of flexibility, you are coming back with me, so you can save us all a lot of trouble and cooperate, which of course will be noted for mention during your trials, or I can drag each of you unconscious onto that purloined Runabout one by one and take you back that way,"
Gr'vos laughed before dropping into one of the empty seats, Clancy was about to ask what the Klingon found so amusing when there was a loud bang, followed by a second. Clearly, the Romulan had awakened sooner than Iorte had anticipated. He motioned for the others to be seated and found himself mentally reviewing what he knew about the Romulan sidearm: Two settings, one being heavy stun, the second instantly disintegrated the recipient of a hit into so many atoms .... He glanced at the disruptor with raised eyebrows, half wondering if they had added a 'only stun a little' setting, but no, still just the two.
"I am curious as to how you think you are going to achieve this goal of taking us back...?" Rallos asked, seemingly finding part of the backbone he'd lost to Gr'vos, "... The only communications equipment is aboard the Runabout, which you do not have access to, nor will I give it to you, so ....."
"Well, I thought I would ask you to cycle the airlock to allow me to put our Klingon, and the irate Romulan aboard and make sure they are secured, then you two and our conniving Ferengi here would board," Clancy replied almost casually.
"I hate to disappoi ....." Rallos began, falling silent as the beam from the disruptor lanced across the room before hitting Balokr in the chest.
"How many times would you imagine he could safely recover from being shot with this thing before he ends up with the intelligence of a cabbage?"
"It makes no difference, kill him you can't leave, kill me, none of you leaves," the Yattho said, instantly realising his mistake as Gr'vos turned in his direction.
"Hmm... Perhaps our friendly Klingon might have other idea's about staying here indefinitely," the Intelligence Officer said as Hovak banged on the door again.
"He's tried to intimidate me..." the Yattho Leader said, bluffing his situation out, "... He now knows for sure that if he kills me he is stuck here. No one is going to 'happen' along to free you all, so do as you please!"
Clancy looked at the Yattho, then glanced at the Klingon who was eyeing Rallos darkly ..... Satisfied no one could reach him, Iorte got up and walked over to the replicator, still keeping the disruptor loosely aimed at the others. He requested food and a drink then returned to his chair. It was clear to everyone that the Intelligence Officer was, for the moment, holding the upper hand given no one could rise and cross the distance separating them without being cut down halfway across the space between them. But it seemed Clancy wanted to be more careful. He instructed Qal to get up and drag the table away from the chair Gr'vos was sat in, then to do likewise to the ones close to the two Yattho.
Seemingly satisfied with his precautionary measures, Clancy instructed Qal to sit between the two Yatto. He glanced at Gr'vos, who was still eyeing him with intent.
He placed the disruptor on the arm of the chair and picked up one of the sandwiches he'd asked for ..........
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Iorte Clancy
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Mar 9, 2016 17:58:55 GMT
Posts: 252
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Post by Iorte Clancy on Jan 15, 2022 15:08:40 GMT
Iorte sat in his chair still holding the disruptor level at Rallos and Balokr, the latter just coming around from his earlier disruptor hit, only to find the same weapon pointed in his general direction. Gr'vos was slightly off to Iorte's left, only just within his firing arc accounting for the need to make any quick adjustments in his aim.
Kidnappers and kidnapped had swapped places, with the possible exception of Qal. The pirates' leader Rallos continued to bide his time, vaguely aware that their captor was doing the same thing. Clancy was willing to wait; he felt he could sit here forever until the pirates eventually decided to go along with him and turn themselves in.
He hadn't counted on the resourcefulness of the Yattho leader while under pressure like this. Unbeknownst to Iorte, Rallos had somewhat lost his grip on the pirates in recent days, but this encounter had already given him a boost in confidence and morale; while Gr'vos was wild in temperament and Hovak had apparently made a huge mistake, Rallos believed he was making an effort to reassert himself over the pirates in front of the Intel officer, and he had something further...
Iorte saw the canister too late. Something like a grenade was pulled by Rallos from a large fold in his jacket and tossed into the air in the midst of the five of them. Beginning to raise his free arm to his eyes, suspecting the nature of the device, Iorte stood, bracing himself and beginning to back away.
The flashbang went off as Iorte's disruptor discharged towards Rallos. It caught the Yattho a glancing blow in the forearm as Rallos had squeezed his eyes shut and leapt to his left to protect the eyes of Balokr from the device. Having only had a fraction of a second to react and now thoroughly blinded, Iorte gasped at the burning sensation in his eyes; he squinted them shut and felt brief relief, and fired almost at random, hoping to hit something.
Despite the notable ringing in his ears, he could hear a Klingon weapon discharging, Gr'vos having been blinded as well but attempting to use his ears and sense of smell to take down the Yatthos as they escaped from the room. Rallos and Balokr had no other weapons and wished to escape from the wild firing of the Intel officer and of their estranged Klingon associate. The Yatthos made it clear and Gr'vos sensing this cried out in frustration, turning roughly towards Iorte and aiming as best he could.
His sight now recovering before Gr'vos's, perhaps thanks to his preemptive effort to cover his eyes, Iorte was able to see a blur of the sightless Klingon and how he was aiming incorrectly, "Don't try it, Gr'vos. I'm afraid you'll be coming with me."
The Klingon fired and the shot was slightly more accurate than Iorte had anticipated. He winced as the yellowish beam struck the doorframe behind him, where he'd previously entered. The blind Gr'vos advanced before thinking better of it, and turned on his heel to somehow find his way out of the room before Iorte could sight again down the barrel of his disruptor at the Klingon's retreating back.
Feeling nauseous and still unable to see much, Iorte secured Qal who'd taken shelter beneath a table. Studying a panel until the blurriness cleared, he discerned from the displayed map that Gr'vos had made down a random passage that led nowhere, while the Yatthos - if they'd taken the second of the three exits as he suspected - were likely making for a second docking port that he now traced with his finger. It was possible they had another craft waiting.
It was best to make for the runabout, he decided - he would find a way in. Leave Gr'vos and the sequestered Hovak here and attempt to cut off Rallos and Balokr if they tried to make an escape from the abandoned mines. Perhaps they would mend things up with Gr'vos; either way, it was time to go.
"Come on then, Qal, the runabout," he nodded at the Ferengi who squinted and led the way back down the corridor.
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David Tan
Starfleet Intelligence
Suum Cuique ...
Registered: Dec 11, 2006 10:56:04 GMT
Posts: 792
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Post by David Tan on Jan 15, 2022 19:48:37 GMT
USS El Alamein Second Day of Search ::
Over the last twenty-four hours, the Ion trail they had been following had diminished to the point that they had no real idea of which way the escapees were headed .....
"Lieutenant, drop us out of warp and bring the ship to a complete stop..." Fran Komin ordered. The Intelligence Personnel onboard all gave each other quizzical looks until the Captain addressed them, "It is obvious that we have no trail to follow, so before I turn us around I'm going to give us one last chance to come up with a viable course ..... Nico, take the core off-line ..... I want a thorough scan of this region of space, If they came this far it was because they had somewhere to go, they wouldn't have gone this far out just to shake any pursuit loose,"
"There isn't much on long-range sensors," Lieutenant Kennit informed them from the Science Station.
"Anything that could hide a Starship?" Iezelda asked.
"They don't have a Starship..." Tan began as several people looked in his direction, "... A small private warp-capable vessel, but more likely a Runabout,"
"How can you know that?" the Petty Officer newest to the team asked.
"The Airlocks on Levels 1641 and 1642 are Emergency Auxiliary Locks, they are recessed to allow vessels that have their Airlocks on the Port and Starboard sides of the vessel in line with the Cockpit, which rules out anything of substantial size, so either something private or more likely a Runabout, it would be easier to outfit with a cloak and any additional weaponry they want,"
"Just 'how' would they get their hands on a Runabout, they're hardly up for sale on street corners?"
"We've lost five in the last three years, only three of them were confirmed destroyed, one crash-landed and one simply, vanished..." Elana added, grinning as Iezelde flushed, "... Don't worry, you're not expected to know the whereabouts or condition of every piece of Federation hardware. But David is right, I'd be inclined to think it was a Runabout. One saving grace is the fact that if they have got one, they can't surpass warp four for any length of time, thus our searching here,"
"If we've been travelling faster than them, how come we've lost their Ion trail?" Iezelda asked.
"They could be dispersing it, or even masking it with other emissions," DeLuca answered with a shrug.
"Well, there are three options open to us..." Komin said, moving to the back of the Bridge, "... There is the NR-127-X Nebula, two days at high warp ... The Kla'kt IV Mines that were abandoned over a hundred years ago, again almost two days away ... Or, the T'Tsi 14 Cluster, a boiling pot of molten rock, and approximately thirty-six hours away. Sooo ... Anyone got a preference?"
"Well?" David said, looking at Iezelda.
"WHOA ..... Don't ask me, I'm the new girl, remember,"
"Which would be the least likely for them to head to?" Elana mused.
"I'd say the T'Tsi 14 Cluster," Milo Van, the El Alamein's Executive Officer said.
"Then that's where we're going..." Tan decided, receiving nods from the others, "... Captain, can we lock long-range sensors on both other locations, configure them to detect anything remotely Federation in origin, I want to know if anything tries to leave either location," Komin nodded, waiting while Ptor Kennit at Science inputted the requested settings. Once ready, she instructed the core to be brought back online, and the Defiant Class Starship jumped to warp ..........
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Nia Lemond
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Aug 11, 2019 20:06:27 GMT
Posts: 238
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Post by Nia Lemond on Jan 15, 2022 23:16:43 GMT
Starbase Forty-Seven :: They had held Orpk for another two days, coming in every few hours or so to see if he had finally made up his mind ..... Intelligence knew, as did the Ferengi, that he was going to help them, but allowing him to leave the moment he agreed was never going to happen given Orpk had contacts that could undoubtedly help him depart the Starbase ..... During one of his visits to question the Ferengi, David Tan had 'let it slip' that the item Orpk had possibly been searching for when apprehended, was in fact now on the USS Raven being studied. Neither Tan nor Lemond knew if they were believed in regards to the device, nor did it matter given it actually 'was' on the Raven. It was late in the afternoon when someone came to his cell and lowered the forcefield. For a long moment, Orpk sat eyeing the Officer who eventually told him he was free to leave. Stepping out of the turbolift on Beta Promenade, he made his way back to his premises, happy that someone in authority had already been and removed the seals on both the front and side doors. He passed the large doors that opened onto the Promenade and entered through the side door, closing and locking it behind him, then entered the main bar area. The place smelled almost 'musty' though he couldn't understand why as he went over to the environmental controls to recycle the stale air... He was checking the stock on one of the screens when he thought he heard something. Raising his head he peered into the semi-dark of the bar. "Is there anyone there?" he asked, grinning when he didn't receive any reply. He continued to order fresh stock and almost jumped out of his skin when someone spoke: "Hello, Orpk," "WHO'S THERE...!" he demanded, falling silent as Mont, the former associate of Rallos stepped into the open, it took him a moment to regain his composure then he continued, "... What are you doing here?" "I would have thought that obvious. I have come for what belongs to me," the Ferengi replied. "I don't have it, search if you don't believe me!" "I already have, quite extensively as it happens, and I could not locate it..." Mont said, lowering himself onto one of the bar stools, "... I want what I gave you for safekeeping Orpk, and I want it right now," "I told you, I don't have it ..... Starfleet, Intelligence took it, they have it," Orpk said, instantly realising his mistake. "..... How may I ask, would you know they have it if indeed they do?" "Where do you think I have been for the last six days...?" Orpk asked, suddenly thinking of something, "... You got back here ..... How, exactly?" "Let's say Rallos and I have parted company, after what happened I felt it prudent to separate myself from his merry band of thieves. I believe they are now wanted for questioning in connection with two more deaths, those of two Starfleet Officers, no less. Hmm, I doubt they will be shown any leniency for their actions, such a pity Rallos became too greedy, we all like profit, the bigger the better, but not when it comes at the expense of your personal freedom, do you not think...?" Mont said, eyeing the bar as if he were a prospective buyer, "... So, returning to the issue at hand..." "I told you, I no longer have it... SEE!" Orpk said, opening the supposedly concealed partition and the empty space within. "You expect me to believe that a man of your 'talents' has allowed a priceless device to fall into the wrong hands, and has done nothing to rectify the issue?" he asked, but Orpk ignored the question, asking one of his own: "..... You never answered my question about how you managed to get back here," "Very well, if it will ease your curiosity ..... When I left the vaults on Cestos, I picked up what I thought was another of Rallos' vessels, but it was a Defiant Class Starship, they seemed intent on getting into the vaults, so much so that they either didn't see me, or thought me of little interest, either way, I took the opportunity to leave the area as quickly, and quietly as possible... I went to the Sigma Pi XII Sector hoping to trade my ship in for something less notable. Unfortunately, the exploits of the aptly-named 'Pirates' had preceded my arrival, and I was forced, at great expense, to acquire a new identity, along with a new vessel, legitimately registered under my new name. From there I took a somewhat circuitous route, picking up cargo as and when I could until I was engaged to deliver here. Then I took it upon myself to look for what I had left in your hands without troubling you," he shrugged as if the rest was obvious. "You have a vessel, docked here?" Orpk asked, suddenly seeing a way out of his predicament. "I have, and no, I will not be offering you passage," Mont replied before Orpk could even suggest it. "But, but there is nothing keeping you here now that you know the device is no longer on the Starbase!" "Listen to me Orpk, and listen well ..... I left something with you, I would now prefer that item returned. As to its whereabouts, I could not care less, but if that item is not in my possession without too much delay, I will be forced to modify our previous agreement. You see Orpk, there are other people, other factors in play here that cannot be ignored, so, if you wish to continue among the living, in whatever capacity suits you, then you will get my device back ...!" Rather than plead his case over again, Orpk walked behind the bar and selected a very old, very expensive bottle of Saurian brandy, he placed two glasses on the bar between them and poured, pushing one closer to Mont. "Well, I suggest you kill me and make yourself unavailable to whoever is going to ask for their property back because ... I ... DO ... NOT ... HAVE ... IT ...!" he shouted, before downing his glass in one and pouring a refill. For a long moment, Mont watched his associate closely before he too emptied his glass, holding it out for Orpk to refresh, "... I swear to you that if I had it, I would willingly give it to you. Believe me, I have been assured that the only way I am getting off this Starbase will be when my desiccated remains are shipped off to whatever family they can find who are willing to accept them, so please, kill me if you think it will help either of us," Mont finally realised that his plans to retrieve the device to sell to the highest bidder had been thwarted. He looked at Orpk, trying to decide whether to kill him or not ..........
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Nia Lemond
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Aug 11, 2019 20:06:27 GMT
Posts: 238
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Post by Nia Lemond on Jan 17, 2022 23:02:51 GMT
Orpk's Emporium Level 1554 Beta Promenade :: "I really don't know what to do with you Orpk," Mont said, shaking his head. "You could always leave the Starbase, go on with your entrepreneurial endeavours ....." the Ferengi said, trying to make light of his precarious situation. He knew that he was in trouble, had there been no chance of retrieving the device, he himself would never have returned to the damn Starbase at all, yet here he was, having successfully avoided Rallos and his cronies, he ends up face to face with the one person he thought he would never see again. "There's a problem with that, as you well know... I agreed to secure the device and gave it to you to do so. I really don't see any profit in going over the same thing with you again and again. So, unless you can get the Raven back here ....." Mont didn't finish the sentence, there was no need to in his opinion. "Maybe I'll just pop up to the Command Levels and ask them to bring the Raven back then?" Orpk said, the comment oozing sarcasm. "Wait...!" Mont said, choosing to ignore the cynicism, "... You told me that Starfleet Intelligence had been here and taken the device, so how did it come to be aboard the Raven?" "I don't know, it was taken there to be studied, I think," "So again, why as Starship, were they intending to take it elsewhere?" "I don't know," Orpk said, exasperated with being continually questioned. "If they take it to Earth .....!" Mont said, obviously terrified at the prospect of his not being able to get hold of it before the owners ask for it to be returned. "You never did say who entrusted you with it," Orpk said casually. "It is of no consequence as to wh ....." the Ferengi began, but Orpk realised something. "You don't know..." he said, grinning, "... Who did you deal with... How much were you paid to hide it?" "The arrangement was done through a third party, a Human, I was never introduced to the owners, and as for payment... Five thousand bars of gold-pressed platinum," Mont finally divulged, Orpk slammed a fist into the bar glaring at him: "You paid me three hundred ..... THREE HUNDRED!" but Mont could only shrug, business was, after all, business. "So it could have been Rallos?" "No, yes, I don't know. As I stated, I conducted the transaction through an intermediary," "So, let me just review our situation..." Orpk said, suddenly realising he had the means to free himself from Mont and this device, "... You were contacted and hired to conceal this device by a Human, a human who can presumably identify you. You, in turn, took it upon yourself to, what is the Human saying, ahh 'subcontract' out to someone else, presumably to prevent you having to hide the thing yourself. Now, stop me if I am wrong here, but wouldn't whoever acquired your services, be coming looking for 'you' and not someone else you decided to hire?" "It would be a simple task to inform them of my actions, and who I employed," Mont said, but it was clear to both of them that he was in trouble. Yes, he could kill Orpk, out of frustration or anger, or just for the sheer hell of it. But it didn't change the fact that at some point 'someone' would come knocking on Mont's door for his property! "Two thousand bars..." Orpk said, leaning back on the bar. Mont finally looked at him and he repeated what he had just said, "... Two thousand bars," "What makes you this ....." "Two thousand, and we will work together to ensure both of us enjoy long and profitable lives. Or kill me now and take your chances!" ..........
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Iorte Clancy
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Mar 9, 2016 17:58:55 GMT
Posts: 252
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Post by Iorte Clancy on Jan 18, 2022 17:34:42 GMT
"Let's hurry it up, Qal," Clancy waited beside the runabout while the Ferengi tried to recall the combination he'd seen the pilot enter to seal the runabout when they'd all disembarked a few hours earlier. Holding his disruptor at the ready, he was prepared for any interruption from the Yatthos or Gr'vos, or both. Fortunately it wasn't needed as Qal blurted out that he'd correctly entered the sequence and they boarded the craft.
The autopilot took them through the now depressurised mini-dock out to and across the airless rock's landscape. They gained altitude and when sufficiently free from gravity, Iorte rotated the runabout around to face the mines: he saw a speck moving across the interlinked complex of buildings below.
"Identifying another ship. Yes, that speck. It's Rallos and Balokr," Qal said from a secondary console. Iorte had previously tied the Ferengi's hands but had now undone them so he could operate the weapons systems if needed. Qal's sense of self-preservation would surely overcome any wish to try to attack Iorte and take control of the craft; the Ferengi needed a pilot, Iorte, and his own ability to fire the phasers to secure his safety.
"Are they heading towards us?" Iorte asked, not needing a response as the speck seemed to shrink to something truly minute. It'd dropped off short range scanners, he noticed; he powered up the impulse engines at a low level to shoot towards Rallos's craft before it made a warp jump. "Ok, within range... Fire now, Qal."
Two phaser beams struck out at the stern of the civilian shuttle just as it was about to engage its warp engines. The shuttle's bright-glowing drive system shut down and seemed to fluctuate in its power usage, Balokr desperately trying to provide a work-around to the severed main power conduit while Rallos waited impatiently, periodically tapping engage. Iorte increased speed to half-impulse - any more and he would overshoot substantially - and began to close the gap quick.
The runabout fired again and brought down the shuttle's shield generators, but before Iorte and Qal were able to decisively disable Rallos's craft, their main phaser bank died. "This thing needed maintenance. I should've waited a while," Iorte said dryly, "Hold on, Qal, let me unlock the torpedo launcher..."
As he was working, Balokr completed the pursued craft's repair and announced exaltedly to Rallos that he could make the warp jump. The civilian shuttle shot into the supraluminal, and shortly after the runabout did the same, but now just out of weapons range.
"They're pulling ahead. At warp 6," Iorte read off the display, shaking his head, and returned full focus to the helm controls. He certainly needed to concentrate, not having flown anything in several years.
"We can manage little more than warp 4," Qal said. Of course they both knew this. Iorte grimaced and increased to the maximum cruise speed; he meant to fall behind as little as possible. "Can we not return to Starbase 47?" Qal said, clearly caring little that the pirates should be brought to justice.
"They were foolish enough to bring me out here," Iorte replied, "Allow me to demonstrate their foolishness." He was wracked with uncertainty, though; there was no guarantee he would be able to reach the pirates. It was very likely a ship from Starbase 47 had been sent to pursue Rallos et al in their initial flight aboard the runabout.
Perhaps Iorte could return now in the knowledge he'd done his duty? He checked the heading the heading of the Yatthos' shuttle: towards the T'Tsi 14 cluster. There was a planetoid there, quite inhospitable but populated, he remembered, in what was otherwise an unremarkable collection of dead stars and uninhabited systems. He decided the runabout would hold its course in pursuit.
* * *
"What's the story with Orpk? He's still alive?" he asked Qal after several hours, dimly aware the Ferengi was Orpk's brother.
"The pirates read a report issued by the Starbase authorities. A Ferengi had penetrated Orpk's old establishment. The pirates thought it could only be Orpk. I would've thought that if he was alive, he would've contacted me," Qal seemed disappointed, "But the pirates seemed certain. You lot had the thing Orpk had been hiding, didn't you? Come on, Mr Intelligence Officer."
"The temporal rift device was being studied by engineers, scientists, other experts," Clancy said, trying to recall where exactly it'd been taken.
"The pirates were not happy with me when they raided Orpk's and were unable to find the device. That is why I am here and not on the Starbase. Orpk, and myself if I can return, would pay a grand sum if Starfleet would put the device on the market. Starfleet have studied it then? What's its nature, who made it for instance?"
"They don't know. You won't be getting it back, and neither will Orpk if he is still alive," Iorte said distractedly, "Its influence caused incidents throughout the Starbase. Now sit back down and scan for any other vessels in the vicinity. Perhaps we can call in some help."
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Iorte Clancy
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Mar 9, 2016 17:58:55 GMT
Posts: 252
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Post by Iorte Clancy on Jan 22, 2022 16:47:59 GMT
USS El Alamein
The Defiant class had been travelling at warp factor 8 at 34 hours, and was now approaching the bounds of the T'Tsi 14 star cluster. There were two known species inhabiting the cluster, with either no other intelligent forms of life in most of its regions or no life at all. Two was quite enough however, as they were forever fighting border wars on the edge of their respective territories, that 2-dimensional surface always changing as one species made an incursion and the other countered some days later.
The Mekhlu were that species considered to have the upper hand, Iezelda understood. They had the larger territory and while they were often on the defensive, as the other species - the Hartapi - constantly tried to reclaim what they considered to be theirs by ancient right, the Mekhlu were always able to fend off their enemy and each time capture a little more of their territory.
Dominating most of the T'Tsi 14 cluster's volume and natural resources, the Mekhlu were thought to soon be able - perhaps in the next 10 years - to capture the rest of the cluster, conquering the Hartapi's pleasant and temperate homeworld. The only other planet with a - tenuous - oxygen atmosphere in the cluster was the molten hell that was the Mekhlu's own planet, hence the reason the Mekhlu themselves continued fighting.
Iezeld finished reading the report in the LCARS database as the tactical officer alerted them all, "Detecting the warp trail of a ship, smaller than the runabout..." that meant they'd been correct in supposing that the long-range sensor signal they detected from the direction of the Kla'kt IV mines had been from the runabout, Iezelda thought, "... having passed this way some 12 hours ago," tactical finished.
"Train sensors to scan for the craft itself. Can we learn who is aboard it?" Komin asked. Iezeld, Tan, de Luca and Noon turned to the viewscreen as a zoomed infrared image of the area towards the Mekhlu's host star was shown, along with the telltale sign of an ion trail that ended abruptly. Komin asked the magnification to be increased, and the ship in question became visible, receding from them.
"Detecting one Klingon and two Yattho lifesigns, Captain," Commander Ross reported.
"The pirates. Or some of them," Iezelda observed. "Who's on the other ship, the runabout then? And where is it, currently?"
"The runabout is 0.5 lightyears behind us, coming from Kla'kt IV," tactical reported with fingers dancing across the console, "I imagine Mr Clancy is aboard. Unless it's the Romulan pirate and he's travelling to this star cluster separately from the others." Perhaps there's dissension amongst the pirates, Iezeld considered (she was correct, although she couldn't have used her evidence as it was indeed Iorte and the Ferengi Qal who were aboard the runabout).
"The Yatthos' and Klingon's craft is heading for the Mekhlu's homeworld, a volcanically active planet," Ross reported.
Komin looked to Tan on the port forward quarter who conferred with the three other Intelligence personnel and nodded his assent. "Pursue them, let's see if we can't get into orbit of the world first," Komin ordered.
Runabout en route to T'Tsi 14 cluster
Taking a rest, Iorte's unconscious was fabricating images of his pretended colonial homeworld again - his true origin lying back with that species from whose demain he was an exile, forced and voluntary simultaneously, the Hybrudeans. Once more he faced the lecturer who questioned the students about determinism and conscious action, the lack of free will and the mere observational tool that was sentience.
He was brought to by a dull knocking; he rose from his bunk and made his way groggily towards the source of the sound, and froze as he realised what this was, his sleep-delirium dispelling quickly: it was the room in which he'd been shut away during the runabout's flight to Kla'kt IV. "Stop that. Who's in there?" he held a hand to the small room's door.
"The pilot. You locked me in here when you prepared the vessel for take off."
The Rutian, Clancy realised, "You'll remain in there. Qal can bring you food."
"The Ferengi's aboard?" the Rutian began laughing, and Iorte rapped his hand against the door sharply. "Don't worry, my species can last for days without sustenance. But don't you get used to what your precious replicator can offer. The pirates will find you and exact revenge for all this."
"No one is coming to rescue you. You'll face a Federation court. Your pirate employers will have that at best!" Clancy marched back into the cockpit to join Qal who'd fallen asleep at the helm - luckily the autopilot was running everything. He brought him around, "Qal, head aft and mind the Rutian pilot. Ah," he studied the displays, "I knew it. We're picking up the El Alamein on forward sensors."
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Nia Lemond
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Aug 11, 2019 20:06:27 GMT
Posts: 238
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Post by Nia Lemond on Jan 24, 2022 20:02:11 GMT
OOC : Posting from Pirates POV ::Abandoned Mining Facility Kla'kt IV Klingon Border ::Despite their efforts, their prisoner had eluded them ..... There was no real issue, given the man couldn't leave the facility without help, so while Gr'vos and the recently freed Hovak argued as to what should be done, the two Yattho remained confident. That was until they heard something unexpected ..... Balokr looked at his leader and both turned in the general direction of the airlock!
They got to their feet and ran from the room, colliding headlong with the Romulan and Klingon who it seemed had realised what they had: The Runabout was gone!
Quickly, Rallos turned and ran down a second corridor, Balokr a pace behind him. Both ignored the shouted demands as they passed through a section of the facility long-abandoned. Slowing to a stop Rallos tapped what appeared to be a rusted panel which slid aside to reveal a keypad. As Gr'vos and Hovak reached them they spun as a section of the bulkhead groaned before opening onto a launch bay. There, dust-covered and clearly derelict, was one of the mine's original personnel shuttles. Without waiting, Rallos and Balokr climbed aboard quickly followed by the others, the second Yattho tapping the control to seal the 'lock.
Within seconds the drive systems fired to life and the craft lurched off the pad and into a long tunnel, before bursting from the facility and through the almost nonexistent atmosphere into space! ..... They caught up to the Runabout quickly and a brief fire-fight ensued before Rallos managed to take the shuttle into warp. Behind them, the Runabout did likewise .......... T'Tsi 14 Cluster ::"What are you doing?" Gr'vos asked as he watched.
"... It took me some considerable time, and expenditure, to acquire the Runabout our enterprising prisoner took from me..." he said, bringing up a basic tactical overlay on the star chart he was studying, "... I do not intend for it to be returned to its former owner. So if you would stand back and allow me, toooo ....." he stopped speaking and laughed.
"WHAT!" the Klingon demanded.
"Well, it appears our friend is bringing the Runabout to us," the Yattho said, shutting down the console before standing to return to the cockpit.
"You were going to destroy it remotely?" Gr'vos asked.
"No, not quite..." the Yattho replied cryptically before sitting at the Helm, "... You should be aware, I have had no dealings with the race that resides on Makhlu, the only habitable planet in the T'Tau 14 Cluster, I do however maintain a small establishment, located deep inside one of their vaster desert regions, for, surplus goods, shall we say. Items that have nothing whatsoever, to do with our arrangement I might add,"
"..... And the Runabout?"
"Our Intelligence Officer will undoubtedly discover through their records, that the population is pre-warp, and as such he will be forced to abide by the Federations Prime Directive,"
"MEANING!" Gr'vos said, losing patience quickly.
"He cannot simply land in the town square as ask for directions ... But fear not, we will make it 'relatively' easy for our whereabouts to be discovered," Rallos said with another grin.
Had he known that the El Alamein has also picked up their flight, he may have decided otherwise ..........
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Nia Lemond
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Aug 11, 2019 20:06:27 GMT
Posts: 238
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Post by Nia Lemond on Jan 25, 2022 14:03:35 GMT
Mekhlu ... M Class Planet T'Tau 14 Cluster ::Entering the atmosphere, the aged Mine Personnel Shuttle began to fall towards the desert far below ..... Rallos had landed here on several occasions and was aware that his approach vector would ensure their arrival wasn't seen by the Mekhlui, the indigenous race of the Planet ..... The craft shook violently as they plummeted through the hot atmosphere towards the surface. Those present in the shuttle were convinced they were about to crash, when at the last moment, Rallos levelled off, flying at less than two hundred metres above the seemingly endless sprawling dunes.
To anyone watching their progress, it looked as if the Yattho seemingly picked a spot at random and began to slow the shuttle until it was barely making headway. Rallos took a small device from the pocket of his jacket and tapped a code. Far ahead, they could see a beacon that seemed to have risen from the sand. Rallos halted all movement of the shuttle then lowered the craft to the desert ..... Stepping outside he approached the beacon and activated a concealed lock. He grinned at the obvious discomfort the Klingon and Romulan were suffering as the scalding sand began to take its toll, then the looks of confusion on their associates' faces as a horizontal hatch slid aside revealing a sand-covered stairway. Without waiting for them, he began to traverse the stairway into a darkened chasm and out of sight, having no option, they followed the Yattho, the doors sliding closed above them ....
Detecting motion at the foot of the stairway, lighting sprang to life illuminating a small room with one door opposite. He moved to the console and entered a code, the doors slid aside with a gust of stale warm air. He entered what was clearly a lift and waited for the others to join him.
The 'lift dropped rapidly almost two thousand metres before coming to a halt, then the doors opened. They stepped out into a larger room, this one had tables and chairs, numerous inactive consoles lined the walls, Heavy, solid doors led off on two of the three of the walls to their left and right, while opposite was a dimly-lit corridor. Rallos made his way to one of the replicators and requested four glasses, a Romulan ale, a Blood wine, and two Saurian brandy's. Placing the glasses on a tray he returned one of the tables, waiting while the others joined him, each taking their preferred drink.
"The construction of this facility. It is clearly of Klingon design..." Gr'vos said, eyeing the Yattho with suspicion.
"You're correct in thinking the construction is of Klingon origin ..... Many years ago, a survey expedition was looking for a remote location to build a holding facility ....."
"A PRISON...!" Hovak stated unimpressed, "... How like the Klingon's to make use of someone else's home to hide their undesirable elements from view. At least the occupants here wouldn't freeze to death, as they undoubtedly would on Rura Penthe,"
"This facility has been abandoned for almost seventy years, it was purposefully constructed on the Equator of the Planet for good reason..." The Yattho said, seeming to enjoy enlightening his associates as he continued, "... It is just past dawn now, the Sun having risen less than an hour ago, but as you witnessed, the heat was already unbearable... Once their Sun is high in the Mekhlu sky, the surface temperature will rise well above three hundred degrees, thus the Mekhlui population settlements 'ALL' being close to the poles... So, as with Rura Penthe, there would be no need for fences or guards, anyone finding themselves on the surface would boil in their own skin before they managed to trek one hundred metres... Unfortunately, the Klingon's underestimated the climate, and realised the error in picking this region to construct their 'Prison' as you aptly call it, and so ....." he finished, with a grin at the Klingon.
"What about the residents of this Planet?" Hovak asked.
"They have barely reached the stage where they have mechanical propulsion, so traversing thousands of kilometres of scorching desert is somewhat 'beyond' their capabilities. Rest assured, we will not be disturbed..." Now Gentlemen, if you wish to freshen yourself, or rest, there are rooms along the corridor opposite, My private rooms are on the left, and would appreciate them remaining so, but feel free to occupy any of the others," he said, rising.
"What about those doors?" Hovak asked, pointing to the heavier doors to their left and right.
"Oh, I would avoid them if I were you," the Yattho said, leaving them to their drinks .....
In a high geostationary orbit, Clancy was scanning the surface around where the Personnel Shuttle had landed ..........
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Iorte Clancy
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Mar 9, 2016 17:58:55 GMT
Posts: 252
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Post by Iorte Clancy on Jan 25, 2022 14:10:26 GMT
"Ok, Qal, we've passed the outer asteroid belt," Iorte reduced speed to two-thirds impulse as the runabout passed deeper into the Mekhlu system; they were now on a trajectory that would take them to the fifth planet, the largely barren and very volcanic, marginal M-class world that was the Mekhlu species' homeworld.
There were a few oases at the polar regions and these, he understood, were where most of the Mekhlu lived, sheltering from the heat and choking volcanic ash that dominated the atmosphere at other latitudes.
"Detecting two ships," Qal said, before both heard a knocking from the aft compartment once more. The Rutian's activity was more an aggravation than a serious problem, something the Rutian was very aware of - it seemed to Iorte he was only doing it to try to distract them; perhaps he would succeed in Qal's case.
"Head back there," he nodded to Qal, who threw his arms up in helplessness, "Try to stop him. Talk to him about the rules of acquisition; make false promises, whatever works." Because I'm trying to concentrate on not blowing us up, he added to himself and went back to worrying over the various displays.
The two detected ships were the El Alamein and the mining station's rust-bucket which had at least three of the pirates aboard, perhaps Hovak, too, if the sensors were playing up again and had not only failed to register the Klingon initially but the Romulan as well. The El Al was approaching the Mekhlu's world perpendicularly to the runabout and the pirate's craft was directly ahead of him. He squinted and looked again: the pirates had disappeared from scanners - it seemed they'd made planetfall.
Unperturbed, and unable on his own part to contact the El Alamein owing to interference from flare activity of the host star, Iorte's commandeered runabout entered orbit of the Mekhlu homeworld.
His hand hovered over the comm-panel but he hesitated to make contact with the surface; would it even be possible? Subtantial sections of Mekhlu civilisation were pre-warp, and those that had the tech guarded its secrets closely. Sensors were detecting a radio transceiver at the planetary coordinates immediately beneath him; he could contact if he wished, but such equipment indicated pre-warp advancement. Even contacting more advanced Mekhlu societies would obviously upset the balance on the world, giving an advantage to someone in some sphere.
Instead he scanned the surface for the mining station's shuttle but found nothing within sight of the sensors. The El Alamein, he noticed, was entering orbit the other side of the world. Frustrated at not being able to contact them due to the solar flares, he realised that the computers on the two ships weren't bound by the same constraint: he could tap into the El Alamein's sensor data remotely. For the first time he was thankful the craft he'd taken was of Starfleet origin, as he had the runabout's computer communicate with the El Alamein's. Sensor data was fed to him - the El Alamein crew would be aware - and he found hints of the pirates' shuttle in the driest, most inhospitable desert on the planet, in the equatorial zone north of several chains of volcanically-active mountains.
"Computer, land 50 metres from the following coordinates on suitable relief," he stated the coordinates of the reading of the shuttle and the computer acknowledged, beginning to take the runabout down through the atmosphere.
He stood and readied himself mentally. Out the forward viewer he could see the chain of volcanoes rise up on the horizon, fuming gently. In the foreground was a vast desert. He fetched the stolen disruptor pistol from the floor and turned to the hatch.
"Captain, someone has attempted to access our sensor grid. Ok, they've ceased. Note they may have stolen information," Ross reported.
"Only another Federation starship would be capable of such a thing," Komin protested.
"Or a runabout," Iezelda said, turning to the viewscreen which showed a view of the Mekhlu homeworld, an orange and crimson mass with four or five substantial patches of green in the polar zones - the inhabited areas, she knew.
"Reading the runabout. It's preparing to land. Mr Clancy appears to be aiming for a desert close to the equator." Why? Iezelda thought. They dare not contact the Mekhlu, but they had to have some way of both recovering Iorte and finding the pirates. Perhaps Clancy had already found them?
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Iorte Clancy
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Mar 9, 2016 17:58:55 GMT
Posts: 252
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Post by Iorte Clancy on Jan 25, 2022 22:39:16 GMT
Iorte climbed out of the runabout instructing Qal to remain where he was. It seemed important in this sandblasted hell to have someone by the ship - it might well be buried by the dunes and in short order if there wasn't someone to activate the engines every so often, perhaps have the craft levitate now and then to shed its new skin of particulate matter.
The mast that constituted the beacon had just been disappearing beneath the sand as Iorte had first glimpsed the landing site. Standing over the place where the mast had reconcealed itself, he noticed a patch of sand more level and uniform than the undulating dips and rises lying round it. He walked over and kicked at some collected sand blown by the insufferably hot wind that came from beyond the volcanic mountains far distant; two slabs of duranium-like substance were revealed. Clearly these formed a hatchway and should part, but how to activate it?
Unable to tell how to raise the beacon mast, he tried using the disruptor pistol on highest setting against the hatchway, to no effect. Not willing to lose the pistol by letting it overload next to the hatch, he strode towards the runabout.
Qal having stepped aside and resumed watch on the Rutian in his effective cell, Iorte positioned the runabout over the site of the beacon. The phasers were targeted and the hatch was blown to pieces in a fiery sandstorm kicking up duranium and some of the rock that lay beneath the sand.
Back out on the surface with the dust having settled, Iorte descended onto broken steps where the hatchway had been, noticing streaks of glass that'd been scored into the dunes round about, lightning forks jagging out from the malformed centre.
He was confronted with a panel in a small room, a door the other side of the space from the steps he'd descended. Being quite at a loss how to operate the panel, he turned to the door with his disruptor ready, but decided against blasting everything in sight. It was certainly a good way of declaring his presence, but it didn't seem advisable to do so vis-a-vis the pirates.
Once more he returned to the runabout, albeit reluctantly, and attempted contact with the El Alamein; by now he reckoned it would be overhead, thus simplifying communications which before had been impossible due to the solar flare activity.
The screen above the forward viewer wasn't functioning, so any comm would be audio-only. "Open a channel, Qal, to anything that might be within this hemisphere. I'd say the El Al should be in high orbit our side of the planet now." The Ferengi worked the controls and nodded. =/\=USS El Alamein, this is the runabout... Houdini. USS El Alamein, this is the runabout Houdini, come in please. Iorte Clancy. I could do with some help down here.=/\=
There was no response. He tried again 10 minutes later and infuriatingly the comm indicated the El Alamein was receiving but unable to respond. As he tried once more, a signal began coming through, and he was relieved as the voice of one Intel colleague and then another was heard breaking through the static,
=/\=... We rea- ... Houdini... we've had some trouble cutting through EM interference from flares... You shou-... be receiving now.=/\=
=/\=I am, it's good to hear your voices,=/\= Iorte said.
=/\=Likewise. Are you well? Uninjured?=/\=
=/\=Yes. I tracked the pirates from Kla'kt IV and apparently you've done something similar. Look, there are some rooms under the surface down here; judging by an entrance I've found, it's been used recently. I've broken through to a room immediately beneath. There's a panel down there; I could do with a systems expert, Engineering or Ops.=/\=
=/\=The whole Intel team is here and will join you. We'll bring Chief Engineer Carre,=/\= Tan replied.
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David Tan
Starfleet Intelligence
Suum Cuique ...
Registered: Dec 11, 2006 10:56:04 GMT
Posts: 792
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Post by David Tan on Jan 26, 2022 0:25:41 GMT
USS El Alamein T'Tau 14 Cluster :: David had been getting more and more frustrated with their lack of progress ..... They had been searching for any signs of the Pirates, and their colleague, Iorte Clancy, for almost three days now, and had finally found something worthy, in Captain Komin's words, of further investigation. Truth be told he wholeheartedly agreed, they had heard nothing from Clancy and were justifiably concerned! They had locked sensors onto the two vessels hand had been following at the very limit of their long-range sensors so as not to reveal their presence in the Sector ..... As the first vessel approached a barely M Class Planet, designated Mekhlu on Federation star charts, they had risked closing the distance to the second vessel, now confirmed as a Danube Class Runabout and further scans indicated that there were three on board. Mekhlu was something of an anomaly as far as Planets go ... The poles were ice-covered vistas. There were two rings of volcano's that almost completely circumnavigated the planet along latitudes 25°N and 25°S, so on Earth would approximate the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere, and the Tropic of Capricorn in the South, while the vast swath between was a lifeless desert where temperatures soared past the four hundred degrees mark during daytime. As the runabout also began to enter the atmosphere the El Alamein turned and closed the distance before establishing a geostationary orbit above the two vessels. "There's a substantial structure beneath the sand down there," Lieutenant Piotr Kennit informed them from the Science Station. "Who the 'HELL' would build something there?" Elena asked rhetorically. "Not the locals, that's for sure..." Kennit expanded, putting a detailed scan of the structure which included both now stationary vessels, "... "But whoever did, wanted to make sure they didn't bake. The majority of the structure is approximately two kilometres beneath the surface. It would be relatively cooler down there," On the surface, Clancy had been trying to contact the El Alamein at regular intervals before venturing further into the structure, and likely giving away his presence in the process should he need to burn his way in: =^= .. We rea .. Houdini .. We've had some trouble cutting through EM interference from flares .. You shou .. eiving now =^= =^= I am .. It's good to hear your voices =^= Iorte replied. =^= .. .. Likewise .. Are you well? .. Uninjured? =^= =^= Yes .. I tracked the pirates from Kla'kt IV and apparently you've done something similar .. Look .. There are some rooms under the surface down here .. .. Judging by an entrance I've found it's been used recently .. I've broken through to a room immediately beneath .. There's a panel down there.. I could do with a systems expert .. Engineering or Ops =^= =^= .. .. The whole Intel team is here and will join you .. We'll bring Chief Engineer Carre =^= Tan replied before closing the comm. "It's well over one hundred degrees on the surface David, I'd like to transport you directly into the uppermost chamber," Demik said from Tactical. "Contact Clancy..." Tan said as the group headed off the Bridge, "... Tell him we'll meet him there," ..... Klingon Gulag Planet Mekhlu :: The Away Team materialised into a furnace, the air so hot and clammy you thought it was about to spontaneously combust! ..... They heard footsteps and Clancy appeared. "Long time no see..." Tan said with a wry grin before motioning for Carré to check the door Iorte had referred to earlier. "It's a shaft. A deep one at that..." the Engineer informed them, "... I've scanned the sand dragged in here when the outer door was opened, there's some crystalline, almost metallic substance, interlaced with the sand granules, I doubt the Alamein's transporters can safely get safely to the bottom, so it's climb down, or try to bring their 'lift back up here," "The panel I referred to is here," Clancy said, pointing to the wall. Carré got to work and had it open quickly. Inside was a numerical pad with a single illuminatd=ed button beneath, he looked at Tan who could only shrug, not relishing a two-kilometre climb by rope, but knew that bringing the lift back up could alert the people they were looking for. Carré turned back to the open panel and tentatively placed a finger on the button, which began to blink on and off... He moved back to the doors of the shaft and listened intently before turning to the others: "It's coming up," the El Alamein Chief Engineer confirmed. David looked at the room and realised there was no cover save for the single console. "Up the stairs... NOW!" he ordered. Everyone moved quickly while Tan lay beside the still-closed doors waiting for the 'lift to arrive ..... Two long minutes passed before the doors creaked open. David got to one knee, his phaser still aimed at the doors. Relatively confident no one was going to step off the 'lift, he inched forward to look inside: "Clear...!" he said, waiting as the others returned from hiding on the stairs in the scorching heat. "Oh, I have a prisoner, aboard the Runabout, I believe he's the Pirates' Pilot," Clancy said. "Iezeld, remain up here, go back to the Runabout and report our progress to the ship, and keep Iorte's prisoner locked away, just in case," he ordered as he stepped into the lift, the other following him. For a second nothing happened and Tan wondered if there was a fault, but the doors suddenly clanged shut and the 'lift began to fall. Kneeling to the left and right sides, the Intelligence Officers readied their phasers ..........
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Nia Lemond
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Aug 11, 2019 20:06:27 GMT
Posts: 238
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Post by Nia Lemond on Jan 27, 2022 13:40:32 GMT
Klingon Gulag Mekhlu ::Having entered his private quarters, Rallos opened a concealed panel and activated numerous security protocols ..... Now, anyone already inside the disused Klingon prison couldn't leave, nor could anyone enter.
After showering, he changed into fresh clothing, thankful to be out of the sand-filled garments from earlier. He poured himself a drink and checked the security footage prior to their arrival. Not that anyone, apart from the Klingon's he supposed, would accidentally come across the buried facility, but it never hurt to be too cautious. He checked the area's that contained hundreds of cells, each fitted out to hold four individuals, they had come in useful for storing item's he had acquired long before his association with the current group, some purchased since their association.
He checked the large recreation area where the others were talking... He was leaning forward to turn off the monitors when he was sure he had seen something out of the corner of his eye. Frowning, he backed the recording up several minutes then watched again, more attentively this time 'YES' there it was again. He magnified a quadrant of the screen, and watched for the third time, his heart racing as he realised what he was seeing: The small indicator for the only lift to the holding area beneath the surface was blinking steadily, on and off!
Jumping to his feet he ran for the door and began to shout a warning to the others, but they already knew they were having visitors.
For a second, he couldn't quite accept what he was seeing ..... Gr'vos, Hovak, and Balokr were sat at a table, their hands on the surface. Meters away stood five people: Four dressed in all black, trousers, crewneck jumper, boots, were: David Tan, Iorte Clancy, Elana DeLuca, and Rosa Noon. The fourth, Lieutenant Commander Nico Carré, was in gold Starfleet uniform, he had his back to the others as he spoke.
"Their security protocols snapped into place as the doors to the lift opened, locking us in," he said.
"Can you override them?" one of the others asked as four phasers aimed steadily at the group at the table, one woman holding hers on Rallos himself.
"Given enough time, yes, though it would be much easier to ask for the codes," Carré commented with a shrug.
"WHO ARE YOU!?" the Yattho leader demanded.
"We... Are the people who are taking you all back to Starbase Forty-Seven to face charges," Rosa Noon replied.
"Really?" Rallos said darkly ..........
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Iorte Clancy
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Mar 9, 2016 17:58:55 GMT
Posts: 252
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Post by Iorte Clancy on Jan 29, 2022 0:57:05 GMT
In the sepulchral space that seemed to have been little used in the last century let alone the first years of this one, Clancy - with his disruptor to the back of Hovak who sat fingers splayed at the pirates' shared table - listened to the back and forth between Carre and Tan regarding the security protocols. So they were all locked in?
This place was seeming even more of a forsaken hellhole than the locale he himself and - separately - the pirates had recently departed from. Why exactly had the latter chosen this place, of all the centres within the Alpha and Beta quadrants to which they might flee? Were they merely - having been caught in headlong flight - alighting up on the first reasonably secure place within reach? Or were there links between the Mekhlu system and some or all of the pirates which Iorte had been unable to learn?
Rallos entered and began making his demands. de Luca's phaser swung up to the Yattho mercenary leader, Iorte still held his disruptor to Hovak, tapping it against his back every so often, while Tan and Noon covered Gr'vos and Balokr respectively.
"... Really? And you honestly think you have the upper hand here?" Rallos warned, taking a sideways step, showing he wasn't advancing on them, yet nevertheless imperceptibly circling the room to where he - and only he - knew there was a blanked out display which on being tapped anywhere would raise one of his defensive measures.
Sudden aural assault did no good to Klingons (why they were installed - to impede Klingon prisoners) and they were particularly susceptible, but Yattho physiology and to a lesser extent that of Romulans was not as debilitated. Humans, well, not as bad as Klingons' reactions to sonic torture, but quite sufficient for Rallos's purposes here.
"You want to escape, Rallos?" de Luca said, who'd been aiming at the Yattho and now tracked his movement round the room's circumference; Rallos had been nearing the corridor entrance that led towards the 2km lift.
"Naturally, and so do you... But allow me to demonstrate how the odds - as you may have seen them - have been substantially reversed," in a rapid motion Rallos flicked at the blank panel that now passed behind him in his circumferential motion.
Perhaps in another universe with different physical laws it was possible for such a sonic assault to rip apart the spacetime continuum. What'd now started up was a sheer cacophony, piercing their ears, their psyches: Clancy (despite antiquated, shattered Hybrudean mental architecture that nevertheless gave him some advantage couldn't allay the assault), Tan, de Luca, Noon, Carre and Gr'vos.
The six above writhed on the floor of the main lounge area, Clancy knocking a table and chairs flying as he crashed into them holding his ears. Was he screaming? He didn't know; he couldn't hear a thing except the screeching sonic torture device.
Rallos, Balokr and the Romulan Hovak looked at one another, still discomfited by Rallos's sonic defences but to a much lesser degree. Clancy dully saw Rallos and Hovak scampering towards the lift doors (finding them unbudging as the El Alamein's Chief Engineer had indicated) before taking off at a sprint out of sight down another dark, dank passage, perhaps hoping for another exit.
Just recovering as the sound subsided, but finding his weapon now taken from him, Clancy saw that Balokr, having been left behind, had taken up guarding the six others: the Intel officers (minus Iezelda on the surface), Nico Carre... and Gr'vos. "You really think you could hold off us all?" Iorte asked.
Gr'vos snarled at the Yattho, for the first and perhaps only time in agreement with his and his fellow pirates' former captive.
"I don't have to," Balokr said indiffidently, now holding two phasers at them dropped by members of the Intel team, "I've got these on wide-beam. Gives no kill function wide-beam, so I understand, but I also have this," and he gestured at the blank panel his fellow species-member Rallos had been happy to use to assault their ears a moment ago.
* * *
Runabout, newly christened, the Houdini
Iezeld sat the cockpit with Qal who - much to her relief, if slight unease - had learnt how to operate some of the runabout's basic systems as well as defensive measures. The Ferengi still couldn't fly to save his life, though - Iorte had told her -, thus she needn't worry that if he managed to wrest the helm away from her, he wouldn't be programming a course out of here. On the other hand, she suspected her piloting skills were barely more commendable than Qal's - perhaps worse.
=/\=Runabout, this is the El Alamein. How are you reading?=/\= Iezeld replied Komin was coming through well, =/\=Good to have continuous contact once more. Listen, a ship is entering the Mekhlu system, sensors read it's of small displacement, limited offensive and defensive capabilities; they've sent us a brief one-way communique. They say they're former business partners of Rallos during his last set of ventures and know that he is on the surface of Mekhlu with his new associates. This group say something about unpaid commissions, undistributed shares of the spoils... claiming Rallos robbed them after several successful but dubious transactions they carried out while Yattho was still part of their group. They're here to recover due payment from Rallos, they say.=/\=
=/\=I would warn my colleagues, sir,=/\= Iezeld replied, =/\=But I haven't been able to make contact with them since - I believe - they descended the shaft leading 2km below the surface.=/\=
=/\=Acknowledged. We'll keep them at arms' length. Starfleet business here first; as you say, we have our own people beneath the surface. The newcomers can take up their matter with Rallos during his trial...=/\=
The channel closed. Iezeld hoped this third party - skeletons in Rallos's closet? - didn't find a way to interfere before the Starfleeters could fully apprehend the pirates. She thought about attempting contact with Clancy, Tan et al again, but the planet's geological properties warded this off... She was though able to detect faintly something like weapons fire... Yes, it was emanating from about 2km directly beneath the surface. Very eager to join the team down there, help in whatever way she could, she held off for now; how much longer would she feel able to wait?
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David Tan
Starfleet Intelligence
Suum Cuique ...
Registered: Dec 11, 2006 10:56:04 GMT
Posts: 792
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Post by David Tan on Jan 31, 2022 14:18:27 GMT
The pain burned into David's mind like a physical assault ..... He, like the others, hadn't realised that the Yattho had access to anything not held by them, so were confident they held the upper hand, how wrong they had been!
After what seemed hours, but was, in reality, less than a minute, the onslaught ceased, but by then they had been relieved of their weapons and were now seemingly at the mercy of the Pirate Group Leader. His eyes moved to Balokr, the other Yattho, who was now grinning in triumph, pleased they had made their inevitable capture very uncertain.
"You really think you could hold off us all? Iorte was asking as David clambered to his feet, wiping at the trickle of blood following the likely puncture of at least one of his eardrums.
" ..... Gives no 'kill' function on wide-beam, I understand, but I also have this..." Balokr said, raising his hand until it was a centimetre from the panel, knowing none of those present could reach him, "... Now, I think it only prudent, given our relationship, that we ensure you are held at arm's length, so to speak. So, if you would ....." he motioned with the phasers towards the corridor now to his right. Without a word, they followed his instruction as Rallos began working at another of the consoles. As they reached the first of the doors on the right of the corridor, the Yattho instructed them to enter the room and move to the far wall.
"Now, I am sure you will undoubtedly wish to find a means of escape, but I warn you, the first person to show their face, will feel first-hand what one of your weapons can do... Oh... I almost forgot, I require the assistance of one of you..." he seemed to mull over his selection options for a few seconds before aiming one of the phasers directly at Carré's midriff, "... You, I think, please come with me,"
"Why him?" Tan asked, but received no reply save for one of the weapons flicking briefly towards the door. Reluctantly, the Engineer walked forward as Balokr stepped to one side allowing him to pass, he could do nothing but comply given the distance between them, so he stepped into the corridor before being prodded further away by one of the phasers.
"Please make yourselves at home..." he said to those in the room as he closed and locked the door before urging Tan back into the main room, "... Are communications ready?" he asked Rallos.
"Yes ..... But I have picked up another vessel approaching the planet,"
"Federation?" Balokr asked with a glance at Carré.
"I do not know," the leader of the group replied as he too looked at the Starfleet Officer. As Nico watched, Balokr changed the setting on one of the phasers then pointed in in his general direction. After a second he fired... The beam lanced across the room missing the Engineer by a centimetre before hitting the wall behind his head with a shower of splatter and molten metal.
"Impressive weapon," the Yattho said, turning the phaser set to its maximum output over in his hand before handing it to Rallos as Gr'vos, and Hovak watched on.
"You will contact my Runabout and instruct the person there to enter the lift and come down here," Rallos instructed.
"Not a chance," the El Alamein Engineer replied.
"You will do so, now. Or I will open the door to the room holding your friends and kill the first person I see within..." Rallos countered with a shrug, "... You doubt my resolve ..... Very well,"
Rallos headed into the corridor and stood in front of the room holding the others. After a look at Carré, he reached forward and unlocked the door before pushing it aside, firing into the room at the same instant.
"WAI ....." Carré heard Tan begin to shout as the door closed. He returned to the Starfleet Officer and raised his eyebrows.
"Let me make myself perfectly clear before we continue ..... I believe, rightly or wrongly, that your colleagues have left their least experienced associate on the surface to guard my Runabout. My friends and I will have no difficulty in reaching the surface to deal with them, but not before I have tested your willpower in allowing the deaths of the remaining two people... So..." he began walking towards the corridor once more, but this time Carré called out.
"I'll contact the Runabout," he said, ashamed at his collapse, but knowing he couldn't allow another death.
"Good... Good... I knew you would see sense..." Rallos said with a smile, "... Now, I urge you not to do anything other than assure whoever is in the Runabout that everything is under control, and for them to call the lift and join us,"
"..... And what if they refuse?" Carré asked.
"Than another of your friends will perish," the Yattho said matter-of-factly ..........
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Iorte Clancy
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Mar 9, 2016 17:58:55 GMT
Posts: 252
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Post by Iorte Clancy on Feb 2, 2022 15:15:15 GMT
Iorte looked about the room in which they'd been placed. Nothing presented itself that would put them at any advantage for an escape, except perhaps the door to the room itself which was of an old-fashioned kind with hinges and a sliding bolt for a lock. Any attempt to make egress would surely be heard by their captors though.
Captors indeed, he thought. It wasn't for the first time that the tables had been turned in the kidnapping by and pursuit of the pirates. First, Iorte had managed to escape from his cell on Kla'kt IV, Rallos had scattered all parties this way and that with the deployment of his flashbang grenade and Clancy had commandeered the runabout with the pirates being put on the run. Now, from a position of utmost strength, almost the whole Intel team had been imprisoned and were seemingly at the mercy of Rallos and his vagabonds.
The door was unlocked and in stepped Rallos, firing immediately. Flinching away, it took a moment for Iorte to register that he'd been hit. He clutched his upper arm, the weapon having toasted that part of his uniform and caused something like a third degree burn. Dimly perceiving the door being swung shut again, he saw the other Intel officers gather around him.
"Now why on Earth did he do that?" he gasped with the pain.
"... There's no way Nico can know what just happened," Tan observed after a moment's thought. de Luca and Noon nodded, Iorte still too blinded by the pain to make any useful deductions.
* * *
=/\=... And Tan wants me to explore the level below as well? Did I get that part right?=/\= Iezeld asked over the comm, unaware that any reason she may give to convince Carre she should remain on the surface would result in another apparent death in the Intel team.
A hardness had entered Commander Carre's voice, =/\=Yes, and hurry on down... Or do I have to give you a direct order, Petty Officer?=/\=
Iezeld acknowledged, stating she'd be descending in the lift shortly, and closed the comm. She sat there for a moment frowning. That'd been most unlike Nico. According to him, the pirates' threat had been neutralised and they were now under guard, so why the insistence, the strained tone of voice?
With Qal promising sleepily to keep watch on the Rutian - sequestered in any case in one of the living quarters - Iezeld made her way from the runabout and across the brief stretch of sand dunes to the beacon and subterranean access. Riding the lift and having become quite bored by the slow descent through two kilometres, she was taken by surprise - as the door to the lift drew back - at the sight of three pirates aiming weapons her way. Behind the trio, she could see Carre seated at a table with the fourth pirate pressing a phaser to his temple; Carre looked her way briefly, lips pursed and his eyes silently pleading an apology.
Understanding what'd happened and in any case having been prepared for something untoward, Iezeld's own phaser was now levelled at one of the Yatthos - Rallos or Balokr, she didn't know which. The pirates had evidently brought her down here to facilitate their own escape - it seemed that once the door to the lift was closed, there was no getting out.
She aimed her phaser right between the Yattho's eyes, "You'll have to come through me." A crackle came from her commbadge.
=/\=Iezeld... this is the El Alam-... -'re being routed through the ...-unabout... -he Ferengi had to be woken up. The unknown ship is approa-... =/\= Komin's broken transmission went on to convey to those in the stand-off that the previously detected vessel had entered orbit of the Mekhlu homeworld, =/\=... Iezeld?=/\=
Moments later, it seemed as though an earthquake was rocking the subterranean prison. In fact, the mass of bedrock above and around them was under bombardment by the newcomers. With a particularly violent vibration, Hovak and one of the Yatthos were knocked off their feet.
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David Tan
Starfleet Intelligence
Suum Cuique ...
Registered: Dec 11, 2006 10:56:04 GMT
Posts: 792
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Post by David Tan on Feb 3, 2022 19:19:57 GMT
USS El Alamein In orbit above Mekhlu :: "It's a Bok'Nor Class Freighter ..... Still no reply to our hails," Demik informed Komin. "Bring us about, let's get in their way," the El Alamein's Captain ordered. The Defiant Class vessel turned almost on her own axis and powered away from the planet below... Within minutes they were within weapons range and Komin ordered the Tactical Officer to fire a warning volley. The aged freighter altered course but continued its approach to Mekhlu. Despite further warnings, the unknown vessel seemed determined to continue its headlong rush, seemingly ignoring the fact that there was a Federation Starship ahead of them, then, without warning, the freighter changed course, effectively moving away from the planet in a wide arc ..... Komin had no option but to allow it to leave. ~~~~~ As the El Alamein took up her position above the underground facility, Demik suddenly informed them that the vessel was back, quickly Fran opened a comm to the Runabout: =^= Iezeld .. .. This is the El Alamein .. Our comm is being routed through the Runabout .. The unknown ship is approaching and is arming weapons .. We will intercept =^= Komin had no idea how much, if any, of her communication had got through to the Intelligence Officer, and she didn't have time to wonder about it as the Freighter, directly astern of the El Alamein, began to open fire on the surface! "Raise shields, bring weapons online... Lieutenant, move us into position between them and their target," Komin ordered. "Captain, that's going to put us dangerously close to the thermosphere!" Sharon Yip replied from the Helm. "I'm aware ....." Komin confirmed, watching as the firing continued. She was hoping that whoever was aboard that vessel wouldn't be stupid enough to fire on a Federation vessel, alas she was wrong. The ship shook as it was hit several times in quick succession, but at least they were ignoring the subsurface facility. For fifteen minutes they played 'cat and mouse' as the freighters' direct line to the surface was blocked, but then it began to drop lower and lower until the El Alamein couldn't remain between them and the surface, and the bombardment recommenced. With no other option open to them, they opened fire on the freighter, disabling their weapons and shields, Komin ordered a comm opened: =^= Cardassian freighter .. This is the Federation Starship El Alamein .. You will return to high orbit and prepare to be boarded .. .. =^= "Even though they didn't reply, the freighter appeared to be complying with instructions and began a slow climb into a higher orbit, but then fired a full volley of torpedoes at the surface! "Lieutenant Demik... Photon torpedoes... FIRE!" Komin ordered. With no shields, the torpedoes slammed into the freighter and exploded in a spectacular shower of light! ..... Klingon Gulag Two Kilometres Beneath the Surface of Makhlu :: In the Administration Area of the Prison, there was a standoff ..... Iezeld had done as instructed, showing no signs that she was concerned. Now, she was stood approximately three metres from the closed doors of the lift, the only way to the surface, holding a phaser on the Yattho ..... Unfortunately, they were holding weapons too, both on her, and the El Alamein's Chief Engineer. She instructed them to drop their weapons, receiving a chorus of laughs in reply, a Klingon was threatening Carré's demise should 'she' not throw her weapon towards them .....Everyone heard the dull 'thuds' high above them through countless tonnes of rock and sand, then a second later felt the ground reverberate as the shockwave reached them. Iezelda wasn't sure what made her move, but a fraction of a second after she stepped away from the lift doors they heard what sounded like a building collapsing, the sound growing louder and louder! She jumped as the lift doors burst apart, flying across the room followed by tonnes of rock, sand and debris. Everyone in the room was choking as the dust-laden air entered their lungs, it was impossible to see anything the ashes and remnants of the destroyed lift shaft swirled around the room ..... It seemed like hours until the air began to clear, everyone was coughing, choking, vomiting grime and rubble from their tortured lungs in an effort to take the next life-giving air. Lighting flickered in some bizarre strobe effect as Iezeld felt someone take her arm and helped her to clamber to her feet. Finally, the dust and grime began to settle ..... Elana was holding onto her, having escaped the room she David and the injured Iorte was being held in as the wall containing the doorframe had fractured almost to the point of collapse. They looked at the area where the Yattho had been standing, now a pile of rubble, remnants of crushed tables and chairs poking through the debris. Rallos had jumped aside, as had Carré and Gr'vos, seemingly having been propelled across the room as the bulkhead behind them had exploded. But there were no signs of Balokr or Hovak. No one spoke as they turned to what had once been the lift. Now, rock, sand, and rubble extended eight to ten metres into the room. David quickly realised this had now become a rescue mission ..........
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David Tan
Starfleet Intelligence
Suum Cuique ...
Registered: Dec 11, 2006 10:56:04 GMT
Posts: 792
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Post by David Tan on Feb 4, 2022 16:24:06 GMT
USS El Alamein Geostationary Orbit above Facility :: Having confirmed that there were no survivors from their encounter with the Cardassian Bok'Nor Class Freighter, they took up a stationary orbit directly above the location of the Klingon Prison ..... "..... And you scanned the whole area?" Fran Komin asked, her frustration mirroring that of the other Officers. "You can see for yourself..." Tom Demik replied, everyone could see the two hundred fifty metre diameter crater, almost one hundred metres deep, on the screen, "... As you can see, the entrance has gone, as has the Runabout and the Mine Shuttle. The shaft, presumably containing one or more lifts has collapsed, so we're looking at approximately eighteen to nineteen hundred metres of rock and sand between the underground facility and the surface," "Lifesigns?" Milo Van queried. "Nothing conclusive, the scans are being fragmented the deeper they go. I'm almost certain there are four, possible up to eight individuals still alive down there, but what state tha=ey are in is anyone guess," Demik confirmed. "Can't we use the ship's phasers to bore a shaft parallel to the lift shaft and get to our people that way?" the Science Officer asked. "The ground would simply fill any shaft at the moment we disengaged the phasers. There's plenty of bedrock, but the upper six to seven hundred metres is all sand," the Tactical Officer replied to Piotr Kennit's suggestion. "What about getting partway, then using transporter enhancers to get everyone out, a wide enough shaft cut using the phasers couldn't fill itself completely?" the Doctor asked. "We'd need to burn away tens of thousands of tonnes of sand before we reached the bedrock," "..... And we still can't make contact with the survivors?" Komin asked. "Still trying... I'd like to take a communications relay to the surface, piggyback through that to see if they can respond," Alan Ross said from Operations. "It's almost sunset, agreed, take a shuttle to the surface..." Komin ordered, falling silent as her Officers began to work, "... Remember ..... In sunlight, it's almost four hundred degrees on the surface, and well below zero after the Sun sets. You will have a very narrow window to work with. Land as the sun falls below the horizon, set the relay, and get back up here before you freeze to death," She sat back, eyes on the planet below, hoping silently, that there were survivors to rescue .......... < Tag :: Away Team / El Alamein >
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Iorte Clancy
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Mar 9, 2016 17:58:55 GMT
Posts: 252
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Post by Iorte Clancy on Feb 8, 2022 22:30:59 GMT
Having placed the comm relay, Ross began returning to the shuttle Tian Shan. Demik, another security officer and the missing Nico Carre's Assistant Chief Engineer nodded to him as he became visible within the encroaching gloom of the increasingly frigid Mekhluan night, and the latter three climbed into the craft.
About to board the shuttle himself, Ross cursorily checked his tricorder which had been drawing the topology of the system of tunnels, shafts and other underground spaces that made up the abandoned prison and its various access routes. He paused in the Tian Shan's port-side hatch - according to the tricorder, about 700 metres down the main shaft (well below the crater caused by the Cardassian torpedoes) there was an open space, approximately 30 by 20 metres in length and breadth and about 10 metres in height.
"Wait a moment, Lieutenant," he said to Demik who'd taken up the navigation console, "I believe I've found a set of coordinates where we may be able to set up pattern enhancers, to the side of the main lift shaft, 700 metres down. Apparently it hasn't been completely filled in. If we can get down there..."
"Positive readings of lifesigns; transporter locks, too, probably," the Assistant Chief Engineer finished.
"How do we get down there? I'm not fond of the idea of climbing, not in this weather," Demik said.
"Hmm, we may be able to focus our own transporter and the El Alamein's to increase the coherence of our matter streams. The combined transporters might just place us in that open space. Let's ask permission and have a breathing apparatus beamed down for each of us."
* * *
Iorte raised himself onto his haunches, surprised to find that he was still conscious after the sudden tumult. It had all come without warning, the faint thudding that'd ultimately come from the surface having been too indistinct to identify with a bombardment. The room came into focus and he found that he was alone in it, though the space could hardly be described as a room any longer as the wall adjacent to the corridor beyond had collapsed.
Lights were flickering above him and in the corridor, threatening to blind him again as they seemed only to illuminate the motes of dust and suspended ultra-fine sand particles that still hovered in the air, in spite of which he still made out the boots of a Yattho as this particular surviving pirate made his ragged way out of the main room. In the mad strobing lightshow, Iorte rose to his feet and dashed out of the room through the collapsed wall in pursuit of the pirate.
The Yattho half-turned in the dust-filled corridor, having heard the sound of Iorte's footfalls some 20 metres behind him. They could just about make each other out; Iorte saw that it was Rallos. Thinking at first to abandon the chase and turn left to head into the ruin of the main room next to the filled-in lift shaft, he instead made the decision to pursue the pirate leader - he had the feeling, for some reason, that if Rallos wasn't halted in his activities now, it would be some months or even years before he could be captured and brought to justice.
He ran on after the Yattho deep into the recently bombarded, long-abandoned prison. Rallos came upon an intersection and entered through an open doorway into another corridor, encouraged, as he was able to activate the antiquated motors of the sliding door and have it close behind him.
Iorte was delayed for some 30 seconds before he was able to unlock the door. Somehow, despite the ache in his legs and the realisation that he had a bloodied and broken left foot, he picked up the pace, successfully fighting through the pain by demonstrating to himself how it made little difference if his foot was further ruined or if he was buried here forever - in the likely event neither the El Alamein nor anyone else would be able to rescue them.
Clancy collided with the Yattho, having thrown himself a final few metres to prevent Rallos from passing through the next doorway. The Yattho was bundled to the floor and the two rolled until they were nearly in the doorframe, beyond which Iorte saw most unexpectedly was a giant chasm or ravine, a great fissure within the Mekhlu earth, uneven rockfaces lining either side and another ajar door opposite.
The two rolled one more time and Clancy was pinned down, his head well within the doorframe and virtually over the chasm. He managed to wrench his right hand out of Rallos's left and gouged at the Yattho's left eye. As Rallos shouted out, Iorte was able to untrap himself from under the pirate. "It's the end of the road, Rallos! Give it up now; face a Federation court and plead guilty, you may find the judge is kind."
"It's not possible," Rallos managed to say, the pirate himself now having been forced partly over the subterranean abyss, "If I am put in a Federation prison, my people will bargain for me. If they forsake me or your authorities decide upon the depraved course of action and ignore them, Gr'vos or his family will have me killed, and there'll be nothing you can do to stop it."
Fighting with his ethical standards, Iorte's immediate instincts won out, "Then I must put an end to you now!" As he began to stand and push under Rallos's armpits to force him headfirst into the abyss, the Yattho took violent hold of Iorte's broken left foot. Too much in pain to try to kick the Yattho free, Iorte was dragged into the chasm by Rallos and the two fell with muted cries into the darkness.
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David Tan
Starfleet Intelligence
Suum Cuique ...
Registered: Dec 11, 2006 10:56:04 GMT
Posts: 792
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Post by David Tan on Feb 10, 2022 18:52:14 GMT
USS El Alamein :: "..... And from there you're convinced you could use pattern enhancers to get the rest of the way?" Fran Komin was asking. "Pretty confident, yes Captain," Demik replied. "But what about getting back?" Massa asked. "Same way. We take two sets of enhancers, set one up in the cavern, and take the second down to the location of the away team, then we just reverse the transport process, piggybacking on the midway point to the ship," "..... What if this 'cavern' you are talking about isn't large enough to accommodate someone?" Komin insisted, clearly hesitant. "Scans show it's approximately twenty by thirty metres and ten metres in height, there should be enough oxygen in there to allow me to work," the Tactical Officer replied. "You?" Nate Massa asked. "I'm the logical person to go," Demik said with a shrug. Reluctantly, Komin agreed and two sets of pattern enhancers were sent to the transporter room one... Demik, now in climbing attire carrying everything he may need should he have to move outside the cavern, stepped onto the transporter pad, then with a nod from Komin, vanished from sight ..... =^= Demik to El Alamein .. I'm in the cavern .. Stand by to transport down to secondary location .. Ready .. .. .. =^= he felt the tell-tale caress as the transport began .......... Reception Area Klingon Gulag Two Kilometres Beneath Surface of Mekhlu :: It was clear to everyone that their only means of escape was now ruined ..... The Romulan, Hovak and the other Yattho, Balokr, were dead crushed under the rubble from the collapse of the far wall. Elena was lying against the far wall, blood had been running freely from a wound in her side, David and Rosa had stemmed the flow caused by a half-metre long section of cable that had entered her side, and was protruding from her lower back... David wrapped the cable in the sleeve from DeLuca's jacket, then both he and Rosa quickly padded the entry and exit wounds, but it was clear she had lost a lot of blood, he instructed Rosa to keep Elena conscious to hopefully prevent her from going into shock. One exit deeper into the complex had been crushed, but they had watched as Rallos, recovering fastest, had taken the opportunity to flee, though to where no one knew. Clancy had clambered to his feet and with a glance at the others, had climbed through the ruptured doors into the second access tunnel in pursuit of Rallos. Elena was trying to get to her feet but David and Rosa were too intent on keeping her prone and she finally gave up, then out of the corner of ers eye he thought she saw something, motioning, the others turning to see a transport in progress, but something was wrong! ..... But whoever was trying to reach them was having problems, cohesion was fluctuating as the transport fought to reestablish the physical form of whoever was in the beam. Finally, someone materialised. He looked at the three, then at Elena's wounds and gave Rosa Noon a medkit, then tapped his commbadge: =^= I'm down .. DeLuca is seriously injured shes coming up first .. Stand by .. .. =^= "Commander?" Nate Carré said, genuinely happy to see the man. "Good to see you all..." Demik said as he began placing the pattern enhancers in a triangle, "... That was WAY TO CLOSE!" he said, wiping sweat from his brow. "How did you get down here?" Carré asked. "There's a void, thirteen hundred metres above us..." he said by way of explanation as he walked back to the injured DeLuca and the protruding cable, "... You first I think," he said, instructing Noon to help carry her across the room, Rosa kelt between the pylons, cradling Elena's head in her lap, talking to her all the while. Blood from the wound was already spreading out in a dull red arc on the dust-strewn floor. He slapped his commbadge again: =^= Demik to El Alamein .. Two to transport .. NOW! =^= he stepped back as the transport sequence began, and a second later the two women were gone. David, now free of giving aid to DeLuca, stood as they disappeared, he looked around the room almost confused then recalled Rallos fleeing the room. "Where is everyone?" Demik asked. "Hovak and Balokr are under there..." Tan replied, pointing towards the pile of rubble that had been the far wall hours earlier, "... Rallos, he's gone into the tunnels, Clancy was following him!" "Readings show massive ground shifts, whatever is down there is collapsing under the weight above," Demik informed them. David slapped his chest before realising he no longer had a commbadge, he stood in front of Demik and hit his: =^= Tan to El Alamein .. Two people have left this room and are in the tunnels to our West .. Scan for life signs =^= =^= Readings are sporadic at best .. Numerous large voids .. Possibly sections of the tunnel .. I suggest you transport to the ship and we'll continue the search from here =^= Alan Ross answered from Tactical. =^= NO .. .. Stand by =^= David ordered, snatching the commbadge from Demik's jacket, "You two take our Klingon here back to the ship, I'm going after Clancy and Rallos," "I'll come with..." Demik said, pointing to the impressive amount of climbing and rescue equipment at his feet, he turned and handed Carré a phaser, "... Lieutenant, take Gr'vos up to the El Alamein, inform the Captain we're looking for Mister Clancy and our wayward Yattho. Carre turned and pointed the phaser at the Klingon's stomach, but he walked into the pattern enhancers with no trouble and remained silent as they transported off the planet. David picked up half of the equipment and ropes, then waited for Demik to do likewise ..... They walked to the ruptured doors and peered into the darkness ..........
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Iorte Clancy
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Mar 9, 2016 17:58:55 GMT
Posts: 252
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Post by Iorte Clancy on Feb 12, 2022 18:19:02 GMT
Ross reported that the sensors were now seeing a little further down the surviving tunnels than they had earlier, owing to the computation and increasing resolution of the topological scans he'd taken earlier while still on the surface. As the El Alamein's sensor grid illuminated for them a new network of virtual catacombs and then lit up a surprising crevice of some sort, pre-existing within the buried passages, cells and administrative centres, the grid seemed to uncover a couple additional lifesigns.
"Captain, reading new biosignatures... One appears to be Yattho, the other, unknown... Potentially human, if so genetic profile must be human colonist."
"Can you get them up here, Commander, via the pattern enhancers?"
"Negative... Well, ok, we're trying. Tenuous lock on the Yattho is established at least. Ok, energising."
A flickering transporter lock took hold of Rallos as he nursed a broken arm at the surprising low depth of the ravine or pit within the subterranean prison. The depth of it would cause one wonder for only so long, as one realised on looking up that the doorway through which the two combatants had fallen was near the very bottom of the gap in the earth.
At least a kilometre of the crevice lay above the door, extending well towards the surface of course and seemingly having suffered little in the bombardment. The sides of it were well-reinforced, duranium and tritanium bulkheads making up a substantial portion of the walls facing the giant hollow.
Rallos was taken in delayed fashion, the Yattho getting to his feet and darting about, as if he thought this would weaken the transporter's hold on him or shake off its tenuous link altogether. Picking out the Intelligence officer in the gloom at last, Rallos had charged towards him and then thrown himself forward headfirst with the intention of attacking him as he recognised that the transporter had locked and begun to dematerialise his Yattho form, although it still juddered as its focus was periodically lost owing to the nature of the crystalline growth in the rock and sand.
Iorte was still unconscious, and still untaken by the transporter of the El Alamein, acting through the pattern enhancers located only some 250 metres above the top of the gap in the Mekhluan crust and some 100 metres towards the east.
He awoke from another dream of his adopted colonial homeworld and its spectacular research facilities in the time before the Reavers had come, and found himself within the abyss, now realising that he'd fallen only a little way - and yet large enough to have hurt something badly, as he found it very hard to move let alone stand. My leg, he realised, is broken in at least two places. Memory struck at him. Where was Rallos, unconscious elsewhere in the pit, or had he already escaped?
He squinted into the gloom. All would be completely indiscernible if it wasn't for a very distant blue-white light emanating from what must've been the top of the open space just over a kilometre away. The place was a pit that served the prison in some way, not merely some inconvenience for the jailors, and as he looked around at the space extending away to featureless walls some ten metres to one side and thirty to the other, he saw abandoned equipment, tips of assorted articles, even some skeletons of probable animals - perhaps targs - here and there.
On the ship, Rallos was taken to the brig where he was treated by a medic to mend the broken arm on which he'd landed in the pit. Komin had decided to refuse him the more competent attentions of the CMO, as the doctor had better things to be doing, such as seeing to the health of the El Alamein crew.
Not being able to see him but knowing he was there, having seen the Klingon still alive in the immediate aftermath of the apparent bombardment, Rallos began speaking with Gr'vos, the two pirates falling to inevitable bickering over the two remaining vault worlds as Komin and Van entered.
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David Tan
Starfleet Intelligence
Suum Cuique ...
Registered: Dec 11, 2006 10:56:04 GMT
Posts: 792
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Post by David Tan on Feb 13, 2022 16:13:30 GMT
USS El Alamein Geostationary Orbit above Klingon Gulag :: Doctor Samantha Ademe was already waiting in Sick Bay when Rosa Noon materialised with the seriously injured DeLuca ..... She knelt, placing a hypospray against the Intelligence Officers' neck to administer a strong sedative, then quickly ran a medical tricorder the length of the woman body before instructing two of the crew to 'carefully' lift her to the biobed. After cutting away the sleeves of Elena's jacket, Ademe inserted two intravenous drips, one in each arm to force fluids into her bloodstream to hopefully make up for the massive blood loss from the wound. Satisfied she turned her attention to the piece of cable, approximately forty centimetres long by three centimetres diameter, its very presence was actually hindering even more blood loss. She instructed one of the Medic's to replicate enough blood to replace that lost, then scanned the section of cable ..... Thankfully, despite passing through her just above the pelvis, and protruding out of her left lower back, the cable hadn't severed any major blood vessel, how, Samantha wasn't sure but she silently thanked whoever was listening for the good fortune. "Computer scan the metallic substance penetrating patient," she ordered, looking at one of the screens to see what she was dealing with. Both ends, having been severed in the destruction to the shaft, had splayed outwards, each individual strand trying to unravel itself from its neighbour, so pulling the cable out through DeLuca's back was out of the question. Ademe considered cutting the cable as close to the skin as possible but realised it would just unwind further and possibly into the wound itself. Elena had been miraculously lucky thus far, so she wasn't about to tempt fate! Lieutenant Ria Kirkham, the El Alamein's Chief Nurse looked at the cable then turned to Ademe: "Could we beam it out?" she suggested. Ademe remained silent for a moment then realised it was possibly the best option given its location and the lack of blood vessels severed. "Have the blood ready for transfusion..." Sam said, grabbing as many wads of cloth she could before resting them on DeLuca's chest, she looked at Lieutenant Jan Ward, one of the medically trained Security Officers, the other, Lieutenant Don Finch was in the Brig treating one of the injured, "... Be ready to put these pads front and back, I'll begin sealing the ruptured blood vessels the second the cable disappears," everyone confirmed their readiness. "Computer lock onto the metallic item piercing the patient," 'Ready' the computer confirmed neutrally. "Initiate transport," Ademe instructed. She and the others watched as the transporter began to dematerialise the section of cable... 'Transport complete' the computer confirmed. For a fraction of a second, they could see 'into' the void left, before Jan Ward and Ria Kirkham applied the pads to stem the sudden rush of blood. Samantha worked as fast and as precisely as she could until she stepped back and instructed the Chief Nurse to apply padding and bandages ..... Wiping the sweat from her brow and eyes she checked the reading from the bio-scanners set into the bed, and although Elena had effectively lost almost seventy percent of her blood, it had been replaced with plasma and freshly replicated blood. "Make her comfortable, I'll go inform the others of her condition," Ademe said, leaving Sick Bay with a glance at her patient .......... Klingon Gulag :: David Tan and Tom Demik peering into the dust-filled darkness of the corridor beyond the Reception Area. Tom was about to step through the ruined doors when his commbadge chirped to life: =^= El Alamein to Away Team .. .. =^= =^= Demik =^= the Tactical Officer confirmed. =^= Tom .. David .. We managed to transport one Yattho from your location but we're having trouble locating Mister Clancy =^= =^= He chased Rallos into the cells =^= =^= We're aware .. I am preparing to send additional personnel down to aid in your search .. .. We managed to transport Rallos because of his proximity to the pattern enhancers at your position though due to him not being within the field we almost lost him .. Lieutenant Kennit believes you will need to take the pylons with you and set up again once you locate Mister Clancy =^= =^= I'm not sure that will work .. .. =^= Demik replied, glancing at Tan who was already shaking his head. =^= Suggestions? =^= Komin asked from orbit. =^= These corridors seem to have communal area's along their length .. Readings show several have already collapsed and large sections are unstable .. I suggest we don't risk anyone else at this stage .. We think Rallos and Clancy were both hurt .. It's possible Clancy fell further into the tunnels than the Yattho thus you being able to get enough of a transporter lock .. He isn't answering our calls so it's possible he's lying unconscious deeper into the corridors =^= =^= I'll have Security and a Medic transport to the Reception Area and await instructions from you .. El Alamein out =^= The coom closed and the two men looked at each other, David turned and shouted into the darkness, listening intently for any signs of a reply, but there was none, but for a split-second, he was sure he had heard scraping. He waited a moment then called to Clancy's name yet again, but this time there was nothing but silence. Knowing that their tricorders were functioning below specifications due to their surroundings, they stepped over the ruined doors and set off down the pitch-black corridor ..........
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Nia Lemond
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Aug 11, 2019 20:06:27 GMT
Posts: 238
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Post by Nia Lemond on Feb 15, 2022 17:51:02 GMT
The Oberth Class, USS Roger B Chaffee docked on time... Those arriving, and those departing for other destinations were being processed quickly... Attracting no attention, he approached the officer at the desk, who asked for his identification card... He handed it over, waiting patiently while she inserted it into the reader, glancing pleasantly at him before reading the information on her screen: N: KYDSON. Jacob B: 2368.1005 S: Human R: Earth ..... Satisfied, she retrieved the card before handing it back with a smile. "Welcome to Starbase Forty-Seven," the woman said. "Thank you," the man replied, looking every inch the tourist. Once through customs, he made his way to one of the large information screens in the Arrivals Lounge and began looking for what he needed. He inserted his card into the designated slot: HILTON HOTEL Alpha Promenade Level One Five Five One Room 228 The screen helpfully indicated how he reached the location. He took the card back and headed for the turbolifts ..... At the reception desk, he confirmed his reservation... Once in his room, he locked the door, then threw his bag on the bed before retrieving numerous items of clothing. He sat on the end of the bed facing a set of drawers, and took a piece of paper from his wallet, reading the cypher '228R2BL' before he stood and approached the drawers. Opening the second drawer down on the right, he reached in, feeling along the back, grinning inwardly as a concealed panel slid aside allowing a 'Type One Phaser' to fall into his hand. Checking the weapon was fully charged, he slipped it into a pocket of his trousers then reached in to close the panel. He filled the drawers with his clothing and stored his case in the corner of the room. Back in the living area, he asked for a large whiskey from the replicator then sat at the small desk, requesting the Starbase directory ..... Orpk's Emporium Level 1554 Beta Promenade :: For the last week, Orpk had opened the bar, as usual, hopefully giving no outward sign that he was terrified. Mont had remained in the private quarters above the bar most of the time, venturing out only briefly to check the customers frequenting the establishment, and even then he only stayed movements, no longer. Orpk was somewhat enjoying the man's discomfort but also knew that his enjoyment could be extremely short-lived, should Mont decide to act, or run! As the last of the nights' customers left, Orpk locked the doors and walked back behind the bar to begin tallying up the day's profits. He heard Mont coming down the stairs from the upper level and grinned. "Well?" Mont snapped, eyes darting to the now locked doors before turning back to Orpk. "Like I told you yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that! ... NO ... No one has asked about you or your whereabouts Mont," the Ferengi said, still counting the profits from the Dabo tables. "Someone will come, it is only a matter of time before they require the return of their device," "Well, until they do, I suggest you try to calm down..." Orpk said with a wry smile, "... The last thing I need is someone else dying on my premises," "You forget Orpk, that you are at as much risk of harm as I am," Mont said defiantly. "Oh, I don't think so ..... You see, I am very careful when it comes to my associates... All I will need to tell them is that you came here and demanded at gunpoint that I allow you to conceal something. You didn't say what it was, you just asked for a secure location and sealed the locker yourself, and I have the surveillance footage to prove it..." he said, placing the bars of latinum into a bag before walking away and turning off the lights, "... Oh and I suggest you don't stand in the middle of the bar too long, you never know who may be watching," Orpk said, hoping his own fear wasn't obvious ..........
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Iorte Clancy
Starfleet Intelligence
Registered: Mar 9, 2016 17:58:55 GMT
Posts: 252
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Post by Iorte Clancy on Feb 16, 2022 16:59:22 GMT
Iorte had worked out a way to stand and not put too much or ideally any pressure at all on his broken right leg. It'd been immensely difficult to stand in the first place, and he didn't like to think about attempting it again should he fall to the ground involuntarily before reaching his goal.
The only apparently sealed hatchway drew steadily nearer as he dragged himself sideways towards it. His eyes having finally adjusted, he'd made out the duranium/tritanium near wall's finer details and had recognised the rhombic doorway's outlines as well as the hatch's control panel - either dead or purely mechanical with no electric, positronic or other circuitry - beside it.
He thought about his westward flight through the half-collapsed passageways, trying to recall or deduce for the first time how long he'd been in pursuit of Rallos through that dusty labyrinth. It'd seemed to go on for hours, but he suspected his perception of it was greatly dilated, and that perhaps 20 minutes was more like the true pursuit time. It hadn't all been a straight line, the path through the corridors and occasional ruined series of cells having seemed to turn back through 180 degrees every now and then, but if he did indeed have his bearings the two had still been running roughly due west.
They had actually only travelled about 100 metres west as the crow flies, and then after the fight had fallen nearly 50 metres over the edge of the pit.
Now he reached the hatchway and propped himself against the wall, reaching across for the control panel. There was a mechanical latch within; he pulled at it, finding he had to use both hands, and with incredible strain he was able to lift the metal door out of its resting groove and push it inwards, into the pilfered and forsaken tunnel-like passages beyond.
He'd found some articles, including an equipment belt, that'd been lost to Rallos as he'd fought with Iorte and as both had fallen the rest of the way to the bottom of the crevice. Of the four items remaining on the equipment belt - the rest having been jarred loose - one was a small palm light which he now lit, and forced his way through the now slightly ajar hatch, now unknowingly some 50 metres below the others and about 80 metres west.
* * *
Restless at the thought that Iorte was still below the planet's surface, and believing her fidgeting was irritating the bridge officers, Iezelda asked permission to head to the brig to interview Rallos and Gr'vos. She was given leave to do so, as long as a security officer accompanied her.
Rallos had already told Komin about the chase but wouldn't reveal what'd happened that had caused him to be brought to the ship with a broken arm. The El Al crew were aware of the crevice from Ross's topological scans, but how the two lifesigns - Rallos and someone who could only be Iorte, as everyone else was accounted for - had got down there they didn't know. Surely they hadn't fallen? Either way, the other lifesign was still being displayed, and so Rallos's attempt to convince Komin and Van that he'd killed the Intelligence officer had been dismissed out of hand, though the tale had still unnerved them.
After 15 minutes of renewed talk, Iezelda was at last able to have Rallos admit that the two combatants had fallen into the pit and that Rallos at least had in the process been knocked unconscious. "You'll come down there with me. You'll help direct us in finding him," she said.
"Gr'vos must come, too," Rallos said after an initial silence.
"He'll be remaining here," Iezeld decided, Rallos shaking his head. =/\=Captain, I have Rallos's agreement that he'll assist and direct in the search.=/\=
=/\=Very well,=/\= Komin responded, =/\=Please note, Iezelda, that the lifesign appears to be on the move: Clancy has left the hollow in the ground and has moved off to adjacent spaces; we're on the verge of losing his signal.=/\=
Iezelda acknowledged and Rallos was brought out of his brig cell; his wrists and ankles were locked in magnetised binds, the ankles only loosely so to allow him to walk. She and the prisoner, as well as the security and medic promised earlier, joined the two personnel still deployed on the surface - Tan and Demik - via the pattern enhancers. de Luca remained on the ship watched by Noon.
Iezelda, as Rallos signalled the way unhappily with his bound hands, caught up with Tan and Demik along the short way the latter had advanced through the passages. Tan reacted on sight of the bound Yattho, Iezeld replying, "He's here to show us the route he took through the destroyed tunnels."
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David Tan
Starfleet Intelligence
Suum Cuique ...
Registered: Dec 11, 2006 10:56:04 GMT
Posts: 792
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Post by David Tan on Feb 17, 2022 19:42:34 GMT
Klingon Gulag :: Knowing that their tricorders were functioning below specifications due to their surroundings, they stepped over the ruined doors and tentatively began to move down the pitch-black corridor when David heard someone calling his name, The two men began to backtrack towards the buckled doors they had passed through a moment earlier, four people stood silhouetted against the strobing reception area lighting. David looked from the Intelligence Officer to her charge, then back, both Security Officers and trained Medics, Finch and Ward, remained silent: "He's here to show us the route he took through the destroyed tunnels," Iezeld said by way of explanation. "..... And Komin agreed to him coming back down here?" Tan said, glaring at the woman. "She believes he's our best option to find Clancy!" Without replying David stepped forward and took the remote that controlled the callipers Rallos was bound in, he flicked a switch and the two sets of manacles around his wrists and ankles snapped together so fast the Yattho fell in a heap his hands and feet bound fast. After a moment David released the lock and Rallos rubbed at the throbbing pain. "No warnings ..... You make 'ANY' attempt to escape or lead us down some unending tunnel, I'll use this and leave you where you fall ..... Is that understood?" Rallos nodded, not trusting himself to reply verbally as he scrambled to his feet. "Which way?" Demik asked. "Along there..." the Yattho said, glancing at Tan for a fraction of a second before returning his gaze to the pitch-black tunnel, "... There should be emergency lighting," he said, moving to the cracked wall before felling along for what he was looking for, finally, flickering, lighting sprang to life every ten metres along their route. There wasn't much illumination, barely enough to see by, but at least enough so none of them would unintentionally step over some bottomless crevasse! After five minutes Demik estimated they had moved less than fifty metres, having to constantly clamber around or over fallen rubble. Rallos was giving more attention to the wrist manacles than their traverse through the tunnels so Tan punched the man in the back and pointed ahead. Several minutes later he paused, here the main corridor separated, left and right, Rallos was trying to see down each in turn. "Left ....." he said finally. "You're sure...?" Demik asked, holding his tricorder in front of him before shaking his head in frustration, "... I can't tell one way or the other, these walls are playing havoc with the scans, he could have gone either way," "He followed me ..... I went left and fell as the ground above suffered a partial collapse, he fell further than I, and I can only assume was too injured to climb back up," "It didn't occur to you to help him?" Iezeld asked, almost embarrassed she had brought him down here much to the annoyance of Tan and possibly the others too. "He was gone, why would I put myself at risk?" Rallos said with a sickening grin as Tan pushed him forwards once more. "Wait...!" Demik said suddenly, moving the tricorder in smaller and smaller sweeps before lifting his head, "... I'm picking up something, it could be a life sign, below and, west of us, approximately sixty metres to our right, fifty below us ..... That way I think," he said, motioning towards yet another darkened corridor. Tan shouted Clancy's name several times, waiting to hear any reply, but none was forthcoming. Rallos was shaking his head as if the Engineer was wrong, which only made them more determined to check. Again the Yattho was forced to walk ahead until one of the two Security Officers, Don Finch, walking behind the others, shouted. They backed to his position, he was looking into a large room filled with Federation type cargo containers, dozens were spilt all over the floor. "What's in those?" Jan Ward asked. "My retirement," the Yattho said cryptically. "Let's go, we'll check those once we have Clancy back aboard the El Alamein," David said, staring expressionlessly at Rallos, who walked off ahead ..........
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