Bridge Battle
Posted on Sun Aug 29th, 2021 @ 7:15pm by Lieutenant Leah Bailey & Lieutenant Xavier Leiko & Lieutenant Ausra Danton & Ensign George Paxton
Mission:
By Artemis' Bow
Location: USS Cavalier
Timeline: MD04
1401 words - 2.8 OF Standard Post Measure
After Finn and Li headed towards the jefferies tubes to make their way to Engineering, the others decided to head to the bridge to try and retake the ship from the mutineer starfleet officers and the unwanted mercenaries. A lot of the Cavalier crew were either securing important sections of the ship, like the secondary systems or the armory, injured, attending to the injured, or making their way to the escape shuttles to be picked up by the Athena. So the 'combat team' consisted of Commander Taeler, Lieutenant Leiko, Lieutenant Danton, Lieutenant Bailey, and two of the Cavalier security officers. One was a human female with bright red hair that had clearly fallen out of its tidy bun during the events of the day, the other an Andorian male, his antennae waving wildly with all the excitement and threat of pending doom.
The group had decided that the best way to penetrate the bridge was by using the transporters. A quick site-to-site beam in, each of them in different locations around the command centre would be their best method of attack. The chances of taking out the people up there would be greatly increased this way. They couldn't use the transporter in the cargo bay due to Xavier's trick of blowing the EPS relays a few moments ago, so they had to make their way to the deck above and access the transporter room there.
"We're going to have to climb the jefferies tube up one deck, are you going to be okay?" Xavier asked Ausra, quiet enough so the others couldn't hear. He could tell she was still in pain from the blow to the stomach she received earlier.
"Yep, just don't ask me to dance or bend over and I think I'll be fine." She grimaced. At least she was confident that she could grip things and climb with her legs.
Leah put a hand on her shoulder as comfort. "It'll be okay, we just need to stay out of the line of fire and support the others," she explained. "Try not to think too hard about it." She gave Xavier a nod to indicate their readiness.
Xavier nodded back and then the group, led by the female security officer, made their way up the jefferies tube, the Andorian security officer bringing up the rear. Xavier was surprised how easily they had made their way to the transporter room and even more surprised that it was left unattended. He guessed that the Athena was giving the mercs enough to deal with, that guarding key areas just wasn't a priority. Or maybe they just didn't have the manpower, which would work out well for the two groups.
"Everyone on the pad," Xavier said as he manned the console that activated the device. He set the co-ordinates and made sure that each pad had a different beam-in location on the bridge. He made his way over to the empty pad as the countdown started, "10 seconds," he warned the group. He pulled his phaser out of his holster and checked that it was set to stun, heavy stun. He turned to look at Ausra who still looked like she was in pain, she should have sat this one out in his opinion but she was adamant, and who was he to argue. Before he could give it another thought, a familiar sound started whining in his ear and he was surrounded by a dazzling white-blue light...
The bridge only held about half a dozen of the mercs alongside Commander Jeron. The Nova-class was fairly small by Starfleet standards, and their bridge was indeed quite minimal in size too. Manning the key stations, they weren't aware of the freed prisoners positioning themselves in different corners, ready to coordinate their strike.
Xavier materialised near the front corner of the bridge, near the conn station. The Klingon sitting at the station had the reaction time of an android and managed to draw her weapon before the group had fully materialised on the bridge. Luckily the Betazoid managed to duck in time, as her precise aim would have connected with his head, hitting the viewscreen instead. Xavier didn't give her another chance to get him, he discharged his phaser directly into her chest and she slumped in her seat.
Jeron was part-way through barking orders when the transporter beams chimed and his people started dropping. He dived for cover near the helm console himself, having had little cover. He turned to take aim at the yellow-shirted starfleet officer in the front corner, only to be struck by a paralysing stun beam from behind, and he sagged to the deck.
"That was easier than I thought..." Leah gasped, recovering from the momentary rush of events. "I hope they're doing okay in engineering..."
Xavier studied the Bajoran who had just nearly shot him. He wanted nothing more to fire his own phaser at the man's head, just for safe measure. It was hard to believe that only a few hours earlier, he had been flirting with Jeron, the mere thought of it made him sick to his stomach. His recent luck with guys was definitely taking a turn for the worst. He fought the temptation and holstered his phaser.
Xavier looked around the bridge and saw that their entire team had come through pretty fine. The Andorian security officer was cradling his arm, but apart from that it appeared their plan had worked. He made his way over to the Ops console and pushed the mercenary who was slumped in the chair roughly onto the ground. "Secure these scumbags," he said to the security officers, who were only happy to oblige. Xavier sat at the console and ran a scan of engineering, he was eager to make sure they were okay too. "I'm only detecting three life signs in engineering, two humans and an Andorian, looks like our people," he reported to Commander Santu. "Wait, I'm also detecting..." He stopped mid sentence and tapped his combadge. "Xavier to Keating, everyone okay down there? We're reading a coolant leak up here?"
"A coolant leak? What?" Finn chuckled through the com line. "We caused the leak as a distraction. It's been taken care of. The affected section is sealed off and the coolant has been rerouted. You should have full engine capabilities restored. I assume this means you were successful in your endeavors?"
Xavier breathed a sigh of relief, after everything they had already been through he didn't want to have to deal with a potential warp core breach too. "The bridge is secure, thanks to my heroics," he added with a laugh. "Once we have full engine control we can rendezvous with the Athena. We also need to get internal sensors back online and external comms, it would be good to-" his voice trailed off.
The two Cavalier security officers, who had been securing the mercenaries, came through the door at the front of the bridge, that Xavier assumed led to the Captain's Ready Room. In tow, they were half dragging, half carrying the limp body of Captain Rodriguez. Rodriguez had clearly seen better days, he was bleeding from the back of the head, his face was bruised, and his breathing was sharp, as though every breath was like a dagger to the chest. At least he was breathing, Xavier thought optimistically.
"Lieutenant," the red headed woman said after making eye contact with Xavier. "We found the Captain, he's in a bad way."
Xavier had to think fast. He pressed a few buttons on the console in front of him and ran a quick scan. "I'm going to beam you all to sickbay. My scans say there's no one in the area, but be prepared just in case, I might be getting false sensor readings. Activate the EMH and get the Captain the help he needs, and see to your arm too," Xavier added to the Andorian officer. He pressed a few more button and was about to initiate the transport when he thought of something. "Wait, any sign or Professor Quill?"
The officers both shook their heads, as though they weren't even sure who Xavier was talking about.
"Dead," said the faintest voice, so faint Xaver barely registered it and it took him a moment to realise that it had come from Rodriguez himself.
"Energising," was Xavier's only reply and within a few seconds they were gone.
