LtCmdr Jovenan – I just don’t like being in a war, okay?
Jovenan
((Kobyar bugcraft, Galaris IV))
The orange beam spliced the air in half as Jovenan squeezed the trigger again. The drones were much too fast for her to land a hit just by hand, but with the combination of the Kobyar craft’s own guns and the Starfleet officers firing with their phasers, they had already dropped a few of their pursuers. Turning her head for a moment, Jovenan saw flashes of light being emitted by something on the ground near the horizon. Aware of their intended entry to the Grunden territory on a Kobyar vehicle, it crossed her mind that what she saw was the Grunden anti-air artillery opening fire at them. However, as much as she hated herself for thinking so, she was relieved that they were more likely the explosions caused by the drones bombarding the Grunden border town.
Jovenan: Let’s hope the Grunden don’t mind us coming to save their town…
MacKenzie: Maybe this finally be the thing that allows them to see that there’s actually common ground…
Had Jovenan been in any other situation, she might have smiled at the Captain’s optimism. However, it was difficult to concentrate enough on the thought to share the sentiment with her as the drones continued firing at them and the town.
Oolwi: ::Muttering to herself but still audible over helmet mics:: Let’s hope we don't crash into it.
Continuing to approach the town, the small swarm of drones attacking the people and buildings below became more visible. Jovenan couldn’t spend a moment longer evaluating the situation, instead turning towards their own pursuers and firing a beam at them. Her shot failed to drop one of the drones off the sky, but it adjusted its flight path at a much lower altitude, clearly damaged.
Jovenan: Should we try to lure them all after us? It’s better they don’t attack our friends, but we’d need to somehow fight them all.
The Captain didn’t respond immediately, firing shots at the few remaining pursuing drones. After she was finished, only one active drone appeared to follow them, but Jovenan couldn’t take a shot at it from this side of the craft.
MacKenzie: Take it out, Lieutenant!
LtJG Bergmen continued to fire the craft’s own gun, and although Jovenan didn’t see it directly, a bright flash indicated he had hit the target and destroyed it. Vigilant, she kept her phaser hand extended out of the craft, looking for new targets to shoot at, but for a moment, their immediate surroundings were silent. Eventually, she turned to see the Captain, ready to receive the instructions for their next moves.
MacKenzie: Major, can you get us down there? I think that will likely be far enough away from the drones that we’d be able to set down and mount a rescue…
Setting down? As in landing? And walking through the town currently under bombardment by automatic, drones that seemed to attack anything and anyone indiscriminately? Jovenan didn’t question the Captain, but she hoped that the superior officer had a plan for how they’d survive down there without having to turn from the rescuers to the rescuees.
Oolwi: Yes. But there’s a few more drones between us and the village.
Jovenan: More of them incoming!
The craft’s guns continued to fire, trying to rid them of the remaining drones after them. Jovenan wasn’t sure where they had come from, either. Perhaps some of the drones that they had shot had somehow survived and repaired themselves, or perhaps these were new drones, joining to fight the Kobyar bugcraft from the swarm that attacked the town or isolated the area. Regardless, the continued fire forced the drones to evade them, dropping down or staying behind just to arise and surprise them again.
MacKenzie: Commander, can you tell how many of our people are down there?
Turning to the Captain, Jovenan staggered a little before hastily pulling out her tricorder. Operating the device with her left hand, she withdrew her right index finger from the trigger so not to shoot their craft with a high-energy phaser beam. Trying to save time, she tried to locate the combadge signals of the teams, but there was something preventing her from getting a good reading. Something was likely interfering with the communications frequencies specifically, but she did manage to catch a couple weak signals from different sides of the town. Frowning, she supposed she could try and scan for their biosigns, but with just a handheld tricorder to use, she considered it a waste of their precious time.
Jovenan: Uncertain but several! In two groups. I can try to get a better reading.
The Captain shook her head. Jovenan turned to the town ahead of them. Despite receiving the weakened combadge signals, she couldn’t yet tell if any of her colleagues – including some of her friends – were still alive. She didn’t want to give up on them, but the destruction she saw from there, she felt uncertain of their possibilities.
MacKenzie: Then take us down, Major. We have to get our people out of there.
Oolwi: ::To Hui’Jel:: Take us in.
There was a click in the intercom, followed by what sounded like a general hail.
Oolwi: =/\= This is Kobyar Defense Service Bugcraft A-7D-HG9, on route to Tevire Village with intent to eliminate the drones currently attacking the area. We carry Federation personnel on a mission of rescue. Repeat: Mission of rescue. Do not fire upon us. We come in peace. We mean no harm to Grunen people or property. Please respond. =/\=
Jovenan realised she was holding her breath, expecting a response. For a moment she thought one had already come but didn’t get relayed to the intercom, but the continued lack of confirmation revealed the truth to her.
Bergmen: ::whispers:: Ra jan, drone. Ra jan…
Jovenan didn’t quite catch what Lieutenant Bergmen was saying.
Bergmen: ::intercom:: Rockets in the air!
The newest set of evasive manoeuvres almost caused Jovenan to drop the tricorder and the phaser as she grasped for support. The craft responded to the fire with appropriate countermeasures, but Jovenan could hear the shrapnel to rain against the hull of the craft. The awful sound made her grind her teeth together; she had heard something similar way too many times.
Oolwi: We need to lose that tail before the drones up front redirect to us.
Jovenan: Lieutenant, keep firing! We need to get rid of these drones!
MacKenzie: Response
Jovenan holstered the tricorder again and extended her phaser hand out. At first, there was no response, and the guns controlled by the Lieutenant had fallen silent. After firing a few more beams at the drones, Jovenan tried to lean in towards the Lieutenant’s station. Had… Is he okay?
Bergmen: ::happy in voice:: =/\= Bergmen to MacKenzie, Jovenan. I’m ok, alive - but the intercom cable is cut and the electronics got messed up. But don’t worry, working on it! =/\=
Deciding to save her prayers to thank for his survival for later, Jovenan continued to shoot. Tapping her combadge, she spoke to the Lieutenant.
Jovenan: =/\= Good, but try to get the gun back up! We need to get rid of these drones! =/\=
MacKenzie: Response
More drones had abandoned bombing the town and were now laying fire on the craft, forcing the pilot to execute further evasive manoeuvres. Jovenan had to cease firing for a few seconds at a time, grasping onto anything for support before resuming. Although her heart was racing, she found no second to waste on thoughts of despair or fear; the action had rendered her mind almost blank, and besides the attempts at balancing herself, only drones, gunshots and phasers were occupying her attention. The craft rocked as something hit it despite the evasion.
MacKenzie: Response
Oolwi: ::Airsacs inflating:: We can’t take many more hits like that one!
Bergmen: ::intercom:: W-ar-stil-irborne! W-hav-it!
Jovenan: There aren’t many more! Keep going!
MacKenzie: Response
A drone fell down in a fireball, and Jovenan tried to find a next target, but to her surprise, a relative silence followed. The craft was smoking, and the engines had an unwholesome cough to the earlier smooth roar, but no further missiles were coming as far as she could see or hear. Looking out to the empty sky, the unwelcome thoughts became rushing into Jovenan’s mind. This was war, genuine, terrifying, lethal war. Breathing slowly, she tried to steady her racing heart, turning back to her colleagues inside. Lt Bergmen had climbed out of the gunhouse and back to one of the seats, seemingly in a jovial mood. His expression didn’t change much when he revealed his blood-soaked arm.
Bergmen: Upsy… ::chuckles::
Jovenan: Lieutenant, you’re… Try to hold on for a bit longer, we’re landing.
MacKenzie/Oolwi: Response
The pilot did his best, Jovenan was sure of that, but with all the damage the craft had taken, it was impossible to land softly to the Grunden ground. Without the harness or her holding on, the motion might have thrown her across the craft, but even still, the sudden jerk shook her on her seat and made her wince. However, the craft steadied itself, and she could once again look at the injured Lieutenant.
Jovenan: Lieutenant, what’s your status?
MacKenzie/Oolwi/Bergmen: Response
Opening her harness and the door, Jovenan jumped out. The firm ground made her footing unsteady for a moment after the long and wild ride on the craft, but eventually, she managed to aim her phaser again, seeking anything that would attack them. She only found the trails of smoke coming from the town nearby, and from behind them, no doubt from the destroyed drones. Soon, she pulled her tricorder out again. Making the assumption that the teams in the town had remained in their respective shelters, she could better triangulate their positions, comparing the new data with that she got from above during their flight.
Jovenan: Captain, I have the teams’ rough position. Some of them are near the edge of the town, in a building I think, the others are, uh, across the town in some kind of structure. There’s a lot of interference.
MacKenzie/Oolwi/Bergmen: Response
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Lieutenant Commander Jovenan
Chief Science Officer
USS Artemis-A
E239911J11