Re: Chapter VIII - Contact
One thousand three hundred and sixteen. That was the exact number of rungs they had climbed to get from where they had been to where they were now. Nora had counted every single one of them. The journey had taken them forty-three minutes, at least ten times longer than it would have taken by turbo-lift. Nora hadn’t minded much, in fact she appreciated the work-out, it kept her mind sharp and she knew she would have to keep all her focus under the circumstances. Not all members of their party could say the same however.
Besides her only Xylion showed little signs of fatigue. The others were all in various stages of exhaustion. Hopkins and Deen had both collapsed onto the floor of the maintenance hub they had arrived in and Edison and Owens were breathing hard, half leaning against the bulkhead. Jana Tren, the Betazoid, seemed to fight the urge to do the same but sweat was covering most of her face.
“I suddenly wish I had said no to that extra portion of Bolian jelly desert,” Hopkins complained as she removed her uniform jacket and dropped it onto the floor next to her.
Deen was in agreement. “I don’t think this dinner prepared any of us for this.”
“To think that I actually looked forward to coming here,” the chief engineer mumbled.
Jana Tren looked over the worn out Starfleet officers before turning to Owens. “We cannot afford to sit here. We have to get to the control center.”
Eagle’s captain gave her a look as if she had just lost her mind. The last thing his body wanted to do was to move again. But he was unable to ignore the concern in her eyes. He knew she was right. Their priority had to be to find out what had happened and reestablish communications with his ship. He nodded slowly and took a reaffirming step away from the wall, his body quickly punishing him for that move.
Edison noticed his captain’s intent and followed suit. He turned to Eagle’s officers. “Alright people, let’s get ready to move out. Contrary to popular believe we’re not here for a picnic.”
Hopkins groaned. “Great, now you sound just like my drill instructor at the Academy,” she said as she worked herself back onto her feet.
“If we take this Jeffries tube,” Jana explained and pointed to one of the many intersecting maintenance shafts. “We should come out close to the control center’s main entrance.”
Owens nodded and looked at his security chief.
“I’ve got point,” she said as she made her way towards the shaft. She slowed down somewhat as she passed by Edison. “I happen to like drill instructors,” she said very softly before she stepped head-first into the Jeffries tube.
The others followed.
They didn’t have to go far. When they stepped out of the constricting shaft and set foot onto the much wider corridor again they found that the gas had completely cleared. However a persistent smell still lingered in the air and its sharp taste gave proof that this section had also been flooded. Main power had not been restored, leaving the corridors in a ghostly red glow.
Deen spotted an unconscious crewmember and quickly dropped to his side to check his vital signs. She looked up at Owens. “He is alive.”
The captain spoke to Jana. “What is happening here?”
“The gas is supposed to be part of a station wide defensive system to be activated in case of attack,” she explained. “I do not understand why it has been released on us.”
“Let’s get to that control center and get some answer,” Owens said.
“It’s not very far,” Tren said and began to lead the way.
They walked down mostly empty corridors, coming across a handful of unconscious crewmembers on their way. They didn’t have the time to check on them all.
After a two minute power walk and just before Jana Tren was about to round another corner she was suddenly stopped by a gentle hand on her shoulder. She looked around to see that it belonged to the strawberry-blond Bajoran. Her facial expression was dead serious as the security officer gestured her to be quiet.
Irritated the Betazoid looked at Owens for answers. Like all the others he had stopped as well and kept his eyes on Nora as she sneaked up noiselessly towards the edge of the corridor. With her back flat against the wall she ventured a careful look around the corner.
“What’s going on?” Tren wanted to know after she had approached the captain. “What’s happening?” she whispered.
“Trouble,” Edison replied for Owens.
“Laas has somewhat of a sixth sense when it comes to this. Let’s let her do her job,” Owens explained softly.
Tren nodded slowly and then turned back to look at the Bajoran officer.
Not a moment later she turned back to face the waiting party. She raised one hand and began to communicate her report with gestures. A technique she was an expert at, first learned during guerilla warfare on Bajor and later perfected as a Marine.
Owens wasn’t as skilled at the sign language as his security officer but Edison understood instantly. “Three hostiles, less than two hundred meters,” he translated.
Tren’s eyes widened in horror. “Hostiles? What kind of hostiles?” she blurted out slightly louder than was appropriate for the situation.
Nora shot her an icy stare.
Owens grabbed her and moved her away from the corner, gesturing his other officers around him to follow as well. They retreated just far enough to be out of potential earshot of the enemy but still in visual range with Nora who had kept her look-out position.
“Whoever they are,” Edison began and mirrored Nora’s chastising glance towards Tren. “We cannot engage three armed hostiles without weapons.”
Owens nodded. “Can we get around them?”
But Tren was completely lost in thought now apparently not even listening to the conversation happening around her.
Commander Xylion decided to answer for her. “We have to assume that the enemy has taken the control room. I suggest a withdrawal from this level until we can establish the precise number and position of the enemy.”
“I agree with Xylion,” Edison said.
Owens looked at the Federation agent. “Jana?”
She was still not paying attention.
Goddamnit Jana, this is not the time for deep thinking! Owens’ thought boomed through his mind with such force that the Betazoid had little difficulty to sense its intensity.
Almost as if slapped in the face she came out of her reverie and looked angrily at Owens. “There is an auxiliary control room two levels below. If main control is compromised it is imperative that we get there.”
“What makes you think our enemy has not already occupied that as well,” Edison inquired.
She shook her head. “Unlikely. It was conceived for just such an event. Nobody knows about it but me,” she replied quickly and then faced Michael Owens again. “I cannot stress how important it is that we get there quickly.”
Before the captain could speak he was interrupted by his first officer. “Sir!” he said and directed Owens’ attention back to Nora.
She was giving another signal, waving her hand in front of her eyes as if she couldn’t see. Owens understood instantly this time. She had lost visual contact with the enemy.
Edison said what everyone was already expecting. “It’s an ambush.”
“We need to move now,” Owens urged and turned to Xylion. “Commander, take Ms Tren and the lieutenants and reassemble in the maintenance hub.”
“Wait a minute, what about you?” Tren protested.
“Commander, now!”
Xylion pushed the Betazoid forcefully back down the corridor, giving her no more chances to object to the captain’s decision. Deen and Hopkins followed closely.
“Sir, I must agree with Ms Tren. You should go as well,” Edison said as he watched the foursome’s hasty departure.
Owens allowed himself a small smile. “I didn’t think I would see you and Agent Tren see eye on eye on anything.”
“You know your safety is always my paramount –“
The captain cut him off. “Gene, we don’t have time for this, the odds are already against us,” he said and headed towards Nora, his first officer staying close at his side. “We need to buy our people some time to get out of here.”
Nora spotted Owens and Edison heading her way and instantly cursed their decision. Of all the people in the away team those were the two she least wanted in a fight with the fierce Jem’Hadar soldiers she had spotted only moments earlier only to see them disappear again. Not because they were bad fighters – in fact she knew that they both could handle themselves in battle – but because the captain and the first officer were the two most precious parts of the team. She didn’t like to prioritize lives but she had come to learn that it was a necessity when engaged in uncompromising battle. Michael Owens was her captain and she would give her life to protect him and Eugene Edison, she wanted alive for an entirely different reason.
The sudden whirl in the air in front of her caught her utterly by surprise as she contemplated fighting side by side with the man she loved. She had been distracted just a few seconds and it had been enough. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed a figure materializing out of thin air. Something struck out for her and a powerful blow connected with her stomach.
The grey-skinned Jem’Hadar had used the blunt end of his kar'takin – a short polearm – to deliver the first blow. This had been a mistake. While Nora doubled-over in pain she was still aware enough of the next strike. She reached out with lightning fast speed, reached out for the weapon’s upper handle and stopped the razor sharp blade mere inches from dissecting her head. She was currently no match for the Jem’Hadar soldier however, her strength was fading quickly and the blade was inching towards her. She had merely bought herself time.
Enough time as it soon turned out. Edison tackled the Jem’Hadar to the ground causing the warrior to lose his grip on the melee weapon.
“Are you alright?” Owens asked out of breath as he arrived just a few seconds after Edison.
Nora nodded slowly, still visibly in pain. She wanted to respond, say that she was just fine and that he should get the hell out while he still could, but she didn’t get the chance. She pushed Owens aside, lowered her shoulder and bulldozed forward and into the midsection of another, just materializing Jem’Hadar.
The first solider who had been thrown to the floor by Edison wrapped his fingers around his polaron pistol and brought it up to deliver a point-blank shot at Eagle’s first officer. Owens saw this and without delay kicked the weapon out of the soldier’s hand. It went flying through the air and clattered loudly against a wall.
After being successful the first time around Owens decided to try another kick, this time aimed right at the Jem’Hadar’s head. But this one was anticipated. The Jem’Hadar’s hands intercepted Owens’ foot and twisted it. Owens suppressed a gasp of pain but couldn’t avoid losing his balance and smashing face first into the floor.
Edison went straight towards the clear plastic tube sticking out of the Jem’Hadar’s jugular, feeding his brain the vital ketracel-white drug which all of his species required to live. But the move was easily predicted as well and the Jem’Hadar used the opportunity to reach out for Edison’s chest, finding purchase in the uniform and the flesh beneath it he began to squeeze with all his might just where Edison’s heart was located. Eugene’s eyes widened as he felt the sudden pressure build up in his chest. The pain was intolerable and second’s later he felt his blood circulation drop sharply, losing all control in his extremities.
And then the pressure was gone. Instead he heard a gurgling sound followed by silence.
Nora knelt by the Jem’Hadar’s head. Grasped firmly in her hand was a large steak knife which was now buried to the hilt in the former soldier’s throat. Edison slowly turned his head to look at the other Jem’Hadar Nora had engaged moments earlier. He sat collapsed against the wall with a deep bloody cut across his neck.
When he glanced back at Nora he felt the life returning to his arms and legs. He also watched as she slowly removed the blade out of the Jem’Hadar’s gullet. A sudden sickness overcame him when he realized that he had used that exact same knife to cut a large slice of turkey breast earlier.
Owens stumbled back onto his feet. “Is everybody alright?” he asked as he sat up against the wall, still feeling the pain in his ankle.
Nora nodded but kept her eyes on Edison as if to tell him how foolish he had been for trying to help her. She cleaned the blood soaked knife on the Jem’Hadar’s uniform and then helped Edison onto his feet.
“We’re fine. But there was a third one,” Edison said slowly and began to gently massage his chest. It still felt has if the Jem’Hadar had torn right through flesh and bone.
“We can’t stay here and wait for another attack,” Nora stated quickly. “We need to rejoin the others. Can you walk, sir?”
“I think so,” he said and grabbed the hand Nora offered him. A sharp pain shot up his leg as soon as he put weight onto his injured ankle. “Just not very fast.”
Edison stepped next to the captain to steady him as they proceeded down the corridor.
Xylion, Tren, Deen and Hopkins had almost reached the Jeffries tube access they had come out of earlier when Tren suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. Her face turned into a grimace.
Hopkins looked back. “What’s wrong?”
“They’re fighting,” she said slowly. “They’re in pain.”
The others had stopped as well. Deen looked at the Betazoid and then at Xylion. “We should go back and help them.”
But the Vulcan shook his head. “We have our orders.”
“We can’t just let them die!” Deen nearly shouted at him.
Xylion did not react to the sudden emotional outburst. He held Deen’s insisting look for a few moments before he suddenly turned around to look back in the direction from which they had come.
Hopkins stepped up next to young Tenarian. “Dee?”
The golden-locked women looked at the engineer and Hopkins was certain that she could see something in her eyes she had never seen there before. While she understood that Deen was not a physical fighter – in fact she was probably the exact contrary – she had witnessed this once seemingly delicate girl transformed into a woman of courage. Courage she knew she herself lacked. Right now however all that courage seemed gone and replaced by something else. Utter terror.
“We should go,” she said softly not at all proud of the words coming over her lips.
Tren nodded. “She is right,” she said after a moment’s worth of contemplation. “It is absolutely imperative that we get to the auxiliary control room.”
Deen threw her an angry look. She wanted to yell at her. How dare she wanting to abandon him? The one person who had stood by her side when nobody else would. The only person who seemed to have trusted her. And what had she done with that trust? She had let them into a deadly trap with little chance of survival. And now she was more than willing to make Michael Owens their first casualty.
Tren felt the spite coming from Deen and broke eye contact. “Commander Xylion, are you coming?”
But the Vulcan was still turned away from them, spying into the empty distance. “Go ahead I shall follow shortly.”
“What’s wrong?” Hopkins wanted to know.
“We are being followed,” he replied sharply. “Go now!”
The three women rushed for the Jeffries tube access hatch not far down the corridor.
Xylion could feel a presence. He could smell a distinct odor and then moments after it had appeared he sensed a faint breath of air against his skin. He whipped around as he realized that his enemy had just passed by him.
The three women were just in the process of opening the hatch when the Jem’Hadar un-shrouded directly above them. He reached out for Deen’s shoulder and yanked her backwards. He ignored Hopkins and instead grasped for Tren’s throat, lifting her off the ground.
Hopkins charged the Jem’Hadar in an effort to free Tren out of his deadly grip but didn’t even notice the hand that struck out for her head. The blow was forceful enough to send her tumbling to the floor.
Tren dangled in the air as the Jem’Hadar solider held her tightly by her neck. She tried to land a kick against his legs but remained entirely unsuccessful.
The reptile-faced Jem’Hadar suddenly cocked his head with recognition. “Jana Tren, special agent in service of the United Federation of Planets. You will accompany me without resistance.”
“I rather die before I go anywhere with you,” she spat.
“That is not an option.”
The Jem’Hadar sensed a presence behind him but before he could turn he felt a hand on his neck, applying pressure to a very specific spot. He slightly turned his head to see the Vulcan behind him. “I am not susceptible to this form attack. Surrender now and you may not be –“
Xylion shifted all his strength into his firm grip, resulting in a sickening crunch. The Jem’Hadar collapsed to the floor taking Tren with him.
“Every neck can be broken,” Xyilon commented dryly as he looked down at the Jem’Hadar’s corpse.
Tren pushed herself franticly away from the dead Jem’Hadar breaking out into labored breathing.
Xylion in the meantime checked on Hopkins and Deen, finding both of them bruised but without any major injuries.
Moments later Owens, Edison and Nora joined the scene. Owens spotted the dead Jem’Hadar and Tren tending to her throat with a look of panic still writing on her face. He quickly knelt next to her. “Are you ok?”
She nodded slowly but didn’t speak.
Xylion turned to the captain. “I recommend that we leave this level at once.”
Owens helped Tren up from the floor. “Agreed. Are you able to show us the way to the auxiliary control room?”
She nodded, opened the hatch and climbed inside without speaking a single word.
Owens threw a look at Deen. Something in her eyes told him that more had happened here than a Jem’Hadar attack but at the moment he didn’t have time to consider what that could have been.
“I’m glad you’re alright,” Deen said to him and then followed Tren into the hatch. The others followed quickly.
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