Captain MacKenzie - Shoved...Into an Airlock
Addison MacKenzie
((Betazoid Shuttlecraft — Cockpit))
With everyone on the team now in their EV suits, Addison made her way back up to the cockpit where the others were, just in time to see the beautiful sight of the Artemis come into view. It was alarming to the commanding officer that for as much activity as there was on the surface, there was a scarce number of Dominion ships near the planet. Also, the fact that they’d managed to get this far without drawing any attention.
Surely their luck wouldn’t hold.
MacKenzie: Certainly they’ve spotted us by now…
Yellir: Those scanners are way too advanced to not see us.
Silveira: Remember that our true enemy doesn't need sensors. Whatever they are planning CloQ might be giving us a hand if it suits them.
Kel: Response
MacKenzie: Either there’s no one on the Artemis to notice us, or whoever is still on the Artemis don’t have the ability to notice us.
Yellir: Unless someone onboard is running interference? Sabotage maybe?
Addison nodded slowly. It wasn’t outside the realm of the possibility, but the lack of equipment, and outdated equipment, at that, meant that they had no easy way to tell whether someone was providing cover for them, or if something else was at work.
Silveira: Could be.
Kel: Response
MacKenzie: Hallia, bring us up near one of the starboard airlocks and see if we have any tools at our disposal to mask our approach. I don’t want to take any chances.
Yellir: There’s a blindspot in the scanner grid right between the nacelles, we’ll use that to hide our approach.
Hallia leaned right over Sil and quickly plotted a course for the starboard airlock.She practically leaned over ‘Sil and very quickly moved to plot a course for the starboard airlock. Slipping between the nacelles of the vessel, the engineer maneuvered the Betazoid craft as close to the hull as she could.
MacKenzie: Alright, everyone - helmets on. Let’s move out.
Addison joined the others in putting on and securing her helmet, offering up a silent prayer that the seal was good on all their suits… She’d hate for them to have gotten this far only to fall victim of the bleakness of space.
CloQ would certainly be disappointed.
Yellir: Ensign, if you’ll do the honours ::gesturing to the door control.::
Silveira: I will go last.
He nodded as he gestured to Addison, who assumed the lead.
Kel: Response
With Hallia on the controls and the strength offered by Ensign Kel, the door opened and they were ready to make for the ship.
((Secondary Hull, Starboard Side – USS Artemis-A))
The crew held on to various pieces of the craft as the artificial gravity was disengaged, which would allow them to move out of the Betazoid ship with greater ease. As they got a better look at the Artemis, the hull was a dulled silver, colored only by directional markings and specks of grey. From what they could tell, the airlock appeared to be intact. Hallia moved forward into the nook formed by the airlock’s exterior and began looking around for loose panels and anything she could pry open.
Yellir: This part of the ship seems remarkably undamaged, I’m wondering if they just kept firing until the shields were down.
Silveira: I think they would try and board the ship, so it's possible. Drop the shields and beam inside. I don't see any damage from here.
MacKenzie: It’s also possible that there was no need to damage the ship. Remember, that CloQ enjoys making things as complicated as possible. There may not have even been a need for a firefight – he could have just put Jem’Hadar on the ship.
Kel: Response
Addison watched as Hallia continued to push and pull at various places on the hull before she eventually found and pried off a panel, which she firmly placed under her knee when she knelt down. As she watched the chief engineer make several attempts to enter the commands on the console, including several audible groans, she couldn’t help but think how good it felt to be able to watch the Yelikan in what seemed, for her, to be a natural environment.
Yellir: Just about ready to pull on the manual release lever. We’ll need to work quick, cause opening an airlock might set off some alarms.
Silveira: Ready to go.
Kel: Response
She looked to the others, then back to Hallia.
MacKenzie: Do it.
It was only a matter of seconds between when Hallia opened the airlock, and she felt a shove from behind, accelerating her movement through the airlock and onto the ship. Before she knew it, Hallia and Vitor were already back to work on the interior airlock handle.
Silveira: Let’s close it quickly.
MacKenzie: We don’t have much time. An alarm will just have been triggered on the bridge.
Kel/Yellir: Response
With some effort, the pair got the airlock closed. Vitor tipped his head, a devilish grin on his face.
Silveira: Sorry Captain, I wasn't tossing you inside the airlock or anything like that.
MacKenzie: The irony did not escape me, Mr. Silveira.
Kel/Yellir: Response
A hopeful glimmer shone in her eyes as she quickly looked each of the others in the eye.
MacKenzie: Computer, voice authorization MacKenzie-7-4-Beta-Echo.
The computer chirped in response. Addison offered a smirk to the others in response, thankful that their luck hadn’t yet managed to run out.
Computer: Authorization recognized.
MacKenzie: Computer, what is the current position and status of the Artemis?
Computer: The USS Artemis is currently in orbit of the planet Betazed. It is under the control of hostile forces.
Addison raised an eyebrow as she looked at the others. Perhaps their luck had run out.
MacKenzie: Computer, how many Jem’Hadar and Cardassian life signs are aboard?
Computer: There are forty-seven Jem’Hadar and zero Cardassians aboard.
MacKenzie: Forty-seven to four… I don’t like the odds of that. What’s say we try to leverage the home-field advantage a little?
Kel/Yellir/Silveira: Response
MacKenzie: Computer, erase the commbadge signatures and biosigns of Captain MacKenzie, Lieutenant Silveira, Lieutenant Yellir and Ensign Kel.
The computer chirped in response.
Computer: Commbadge signatures and biosigns erased.
She looked to the others and pointed to one of the jeffries tubes. She tapped commands into the panel on the wall, and the hatch slid open.
MacKenzie: Let’s go. We’re somewhere on Deck 16 or 17, which means the only way to go from here is up…
Kel/Yellir/Silveira: Response
One by one, they climbed into the hatch. Addison took the lead, Hallia and Kel behind her, and Vitor pulled up the rear.
MacKenzie: Vitor, seal that hatch.
Silveira: Response
With the hatch behind them secure, they had very few directions in which to go, and it likely wouldn’t be long before the Jem’Hadar caught up with them.
MacKenzie: Masking our biosigns and commbadge signals hopefully bought us some time. They haven’t figured out how to lock down the computer yet, so hopefully we can use that to our advantage.
Kel/Yellir/Silveira: Response
MacKenzie: First things first. We need to get out of these suits and to find a change of clothes. Strategically, what makes the most sense? Main Engineering isn’t far, but we may also want to try to climb higher and try to get to the Armory on Deck 8…
Kel/Yellir/Silveira: Response
Tag, and TBC!
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Captain Addison MacKenzie, M.D., Ph.D., FASFS
Commanding Officer
USS Artemis-A
Captains Council Member at Large
V239601AM0