Tactical Retreat

Posted on Sun Jul 30th, 2023 @ 7:33pm by Ensign George Paxton & Lieutenant Didrea Zade & Ensign Rimal Iska

Mission: Wrath of the People
Location: Deck 4 :: Primary Computer Core
Timeline: MD8 :: After "Alpha Section Mission"
1990 words - 4 OF Standard Post Measure

Iska was standing out of the way in the room that housed the primary computer core when the attack began. He was able to use the wall to steady himself as he watched the engineers scramble about, but the last jolt was stronger. The fight must not be going in their favor. Not expecting the powerful jolt, Iska got thrown into a nearby workstation before ending up on his back. He shielded his face when some sparks went flying, then scrambled to his feet. Gently pressing his hand over his right eye in an attempt to ease the throbbing pain from the console, he looked around to assess the damage.

George stumbled into the room as the ship lurched. Pirates were everywhere so the computer core seemed the next logical place to go to lock down systems and prevent them from taking over. "Are you ok?" He asked, noting the golden uniform with a hand over his eye. He wasn't an engineer, George determined. "Security?" He asked.

Turning, Iska spotted a young man in a yellow uniform. "Yes," he replied to both questions, carefully removing his hand and blinking to make sure he didn't lose his eye. It was blurry, and sore, but still there. "That last big jolt knocked me over, but I'll be fine." The sound of an intruder alert sent a chill down his spine, and he pulled out his phaser, just in case.

Boy, was that a good decision.

Not long after Iska decided to hold his weapon, five pirates appeared in a shimmer of light. The second they appeared, they spotted the two officers and drew their weapons, a combination of energy weapons and knives. Moving the engineer out of the way to protect him, the Bajoran aimed and fired, hitting one in the chest. The pirate's energy weapon clattered to the ground, and Iska shot at the pirate that tried to pick it up.

George internally chuckled at Iska's protective instinct. For whatever reason, everyone's natural instinct was to assume that George wasn't capable but he had wrestled plenty of gators and enemies in his time. Though he couldn't entirely blame them either with his nervousness in certain situations or claustrophobia, it didn't exactly incite a picture of bravery. Regardless, George decided that today wasn't a day that he'd let his faults get the best of him. He quickly grabbed a phaser from the room's weapon locker and returned fire.

The two struggled, seriously outnumbered. "We need to get out of here, there's too many of them. Maybe if we get back to engineering, we can keep hold of the ship's systems from there," George suggested.

While he knew that the crew had basic weapons training, Iska was a little surprised at the engineer's aim, watching two pirates get shot down. The brief moment of feeling like they could win with the remaining two quickly diminished when four additional pirates stepped into view of the control room's doorway, probably hearing the commotion. They made no sign of entering, rather they watched with grins of varying creepiness. "I agree."

[[ Zade... Iska, Harrison, and Kivel. ]]

His communicator chirped, and Iska kept firing as he answered it. "Little busy right now, chief." He frowned at how much static came through, hoping that communications would stay intact.

[[ Same for us, Lieutenant, ]] came the reply from Kivel. Weapons fire came through their connection, much like how Iska's connection probably sounded.

[[ I know. Deck four... about eighteen and increasing... Malone is coming down... -rison, Kivel... -k your way up... four. Iska... -group with Mal... ]]

Iska's frown deepened as he tried to understand what was coming through, the orders suddenly being replaced by static. Eighteen pirates on deck four was a lot more than he thought, and nine of them were right in front of him and George. He knew Mason was on the bridge, and the choppy message sounded like he was making his way down to help. What were the orders for the other two? Hopefully they could figure it out-

His thoughts were interrupted when Iska found himself airborn as a Gorn thundered by and pushed him aside. He hit the nearby console hard and doubled over, trying to recover the breath that was suddenly stolen from him. Glancing up, his eyes went wide when he saw the lizard close in on George.

The Gorn pirate had his eyes on the larger of the two uniformed humanoids. That one looked like he had more meat on his bones, whereas the other one looked like he would be too chewy. The pirate swung at the human in front of him, only being careful enough to keep him in one piece. For now.

George ducked and narrowly avoided the reptile's fists before swinging himself around in a full spin and jumping on top of the Gorn's back. It wasn't exactly the soundest tactic, but it's exactly how he wrestled gators back home and instinct just took over. He held on for dear life as he wriggled one arm around the alien's neck. He twisted, tightening his grip before being thrown across the room by his enemy's powerful shift of weight.

One hand was at Iska's side, protecting the developing bruise from the console, as he tried to find an opening to take out the Gorn. He was a bit surprised when the engineer found his way onto the pirate's back, but then suddenly George was flying toward him. Without time to react, the Bajoran took the engineer's full weight, which knocked him off his feet and onto the floor, his phaser falling out of his grip. The impact forced the air out of his lungs for the second time in five minutes, and for a moment it felt like he was suffocating.

The human was more resistant than he thought. Once the Gorn shook him off, he hacked up a raspy cough now that the pressure to his throat was relieved. Perhaps the human would be better in pieces, after all, but he needed his breath back first.

"You... alright?" Iska wheezed, rotating just enough to slide George off of him so he could breathe. He filled his lungs with air, then winced when pain suddenly shot up his side, the same side with the bruise from the console. Between being thrown into the console and catching George's fall, something was definitely broken. He tenderly covered the area with his hand in a poor attempt to ease the pain as he forced himself to sit up. He looked across the room, seeing the Gorn also trying to catch his breath, then to the pirates watching the show at the door. This was bad. "We need to... retreat... somehow." Come on, what would dad do? Iska thought.

George pushed himself up from the ground, a little stunned but more angry than anything else. He'd wrestled plenty of gators back home in Louisiana, how had he lost to this humanoid version of one? He almost launched himself back at the creature before registering that what Iska had said was true. They needed an exit. However, the only readily available option that he could think of was through the jefferies tube. "The hatch, over there," he motioned towards the small door across the room with a resigned sigh. Today was certainly not going the way he had hoped.

Iska's eyes followed the engineer's gesture toward the wall, where he spotted the hatch, and nodded his agreement. If they were to make it, they needed to be quick and efficient. Short of breath from his injuries, Iska looked around for his phaser and clenched his teeth through the pain as he reached for it. "I'll seal the doors... you get to the hatch," he panted, pushing himself to his feet. If they were quick enough, they could make their escape. Increasing the power on the phaser, he aimed at the door's access panel for the room and fired. The panel exploded, prompting the doors to abruptly hiss shut and lock the other pirates out of the control room. He then moved as fast as he could to the room's weapons locker and pocketed his phaser so he could grab one of the rifles. There was an opportunity, and he wanted something with more energy if the rest of the ship was like this.

Now recovered enough, the Gorn hissed as he turned his attention to the two uniformed officers again. A toothy smirk slid onto his lips when he saw the Bajoran close the only door into the room. They were stuck in here as much as the Gorn was. His superior hearing picked up on the faint thuds of the other pirates trying to get the door opened. His tail did a slight flick, a sign of his excitement to hunt, as he thundered toward the two again.

George eyed the recovered lizard. "Grab a weapon for me and get in the jefferies tube, I'm right behind you," he said to Iska just before pouncing on the leathery back of the intruder. I won't be so easy to throw this time, he thought as he muscled an arm around the pirate's neck and sunk his knees around his body to grab a better hold. He was sure that the Gorn would soon pass out from the chokehold, but instead, he just kept whipping back and forth in an attempt to throw George back to the ground. Clearly, his strategy wasn't working, so instead, George took a deep breath and released his grip on the creature. Then the second his feet hit the ground, he shoved him toward Iska, hoping the security officer had his phaser at the ready.

Not one to argue, Iska grabbed a second rifle for the engineer and got moving to the hatch. Once he opened the hatch, he tossed the spare weapon in before daring to look back toward George. His eyes went wide when he saw the engineer on the Gorn's back again. What was he thinking?? Knowing this could turn deadly for George at any moment, Iska readied the rifle and looked for a window. He didn't have to wait long, as he saw the engineer suddenly let go and push the lizard toward the Bajoran.

Iska fired, hitting the Gorn in the chest, and frowned when the pirate didn't go down. The pirate wasn't moving, however, which made him think that he was just momentarily stunned, so he upped the power on the rifle before firing again. It took two more shots to get through the lizard's thick skin, and the thump of the pirate's body on the floor made some PADDs strewn about the control room rattle. He stared at the creature for a moment before looking to George. "Prophets... that thing could have... killed you!" he exclaimed, still panting from his injuries.

"You might not be wrong. I knew the Gorn were incredible fighters, but because they resemble the gators from back home, I guess I just assumed that the same wrestling techniques would suffice, but it appears that assessment wasn't quite accurate," he grabbed the rifle that Iska had acquired for him and crawled into the tube. "I...um, should warn you. I've never been much of a fan of the jefferies tubes. Ironic coming form an engineer, I know," he chuckled nervously.

Iska had crawled in and given George enough space to get in as well, and he turned back toward the engineer with nothing short of disbelief in his expression. The idea that an engineer could even be timid of the tubes wasn't processing in his mind. "Seriously??" To emphasize the lack of time they had to even debate the impeccable timing of George's warning, a thud came from the door that Iska had sealed shut. The pirates were trying to get in. "You're not alone... you'll be fine. Come on!"