Lieutenant Commander Lael Rosek: Combat Mindset
Lael Rosek
((Unknown Planetoid))
::She paused for a long moment, her breathing growing shallow as the adrenaline coursed through her veins. Her lips formed a thin line, hating with a passion what she was about to do. Splitting up had been a risk before with so many enemies to fight. It would be damned suicidal now. But German was right. They needed to separate. Staying together would only make them an easier target.::
Rosek: ::exhales heavily and taps her commbadge:: =/\=Commander Tel-ar. You, Oakes, Eisley, Ensign Harkrow, and myself will lay down cover fire and try to disable as many of the pirates as possible.=/\=
Tel-ar: =/\= As you wish. =/\= :: Tal replied even as he moved quickly and silently, getting ever closer to being behind them. ::
::The weapons’ fire around her continued, her heart racing as she struggled to focus on the orders she needed to give. This situation required a combination of tactics and quick-thinking. And most importantly, she couldn’t second guess a choice once she made it. That could get people killed and she’d be damned if even she lost another person to this chaos.::
Harkrow: Response
Rosek: =/\=Lieutenant Galven and everyone else, you’ll need to find another entrance to the caves or make one. There’s no way in hell those pirates will let you through easily. Then you’re to find and get the captured Artemis crew to safety. With this many of the pirates’ number here, their camp should be relatively unguarded.=/\=
::She saw momentary confusion in his features, but if he was questioning her orders he didn’t voice it.::
Galven: Yes, ma’am.
Cullin: =/\=Yes, ma’am.=/\=
Fergus: =/\= Understood. =/\=
Rosek: ::nods:: =/\=When you give the signal, Commander.=/\=
Tel-ar: =/\= Now! =/\=
::Lael turned to German, her expression serious. There was a very real possibility that someone wouldn’t make it out of this fight. She was resigned to that fact. If a sacrifice needed to be made to ensure the others got back safely, she was willing to make it. She saw his gaze go to the crewman lying on the ground. She felt German’s concern even through her mental shields and could practically see his wheels turning. He was still so fresh as an officer...impulsive like she’d been once.::
::Before her time in the other universe, she’d been been convinced that she could save everyone. That anyone who didn’t just wasn’t trying hard enough or wasn’t willing to make the necessary sacrifices. Now as a seasoned Lieutenant Commander, she knew better. Sometimes, you couldn’t save everyone. People died out here. It was the reality they faced in their profession. The recruiters and instructors never missed an opportunity to drill that home. By the time they signed their contracts, they were well aware of the risks.::
Rosek: ::tensely:: Lieutenant, if it comes down to it--
Galven: ::murmurs:: I have to go help her.
::As he spoke, he moved toward the crewman, but Lael grabbed his arm and tugged him down to prevent the rash, possibly fatal move. A flicker of a young face in her mind’s eye made her tense, recognizing the girl even with such a brief glance as his sister, Arlil. It confused her. She was only telepathic with other Al-Leyans. Why, then, was she catching glimpses of his thoughts? Even with the extra layer of the EVA suit, his pain and anguish was magnified. She released her grip as though burned, taking a moment to sort through it and gather herself.::
Rosek: ::lips form a thin line and she barks:: No! Listen!
::At that exact moment, she was startled when German reached up, tugging on an arm she saw out of the corner of her eye. A body came flying over--a Bolian--and the pirate flew over them, landing on his back with a thud. She tensed when as she watched German point his phaser at the pirate and kill him with a shot. It caused her to freeze and took her back to her first kill.::
((Flashback))
((Unknown Ship, Temlai))
{{Time Index: Stardate 239204.09))
::She picked up the pace, all the while occasionally glancing behind her to be sure Janel was able to keep up. She heard the doors swish open behind her and turned abruptly in time to see Janel collide with a Romulan who promptly knocked Janel to the ground. Her heart clenched at the loud thud. The Romulan then began slamming Janel's head against the ground to loose the knife and her stomach twisted at both the loud sound and the blood.::
::Lael rushed forward, moving toward the disruptor, but the Romulan swiped at her with the knife he'd managed to take from Janel, then lunging forward for the disruptor. Janel grabbed him and pulled him back down even as he struggled for the weapon himself. She moved for the weapon again, but the scuffle stopped her. Just as Janel grabbed the disruptor, he was forced to lean back to avoid the knife. She grimaced as it just missed his throat. Suddenly, the Romulan started laughing.::
Tarna: Shut up!
::Feeling helpless, she watched as Janel blocked one blow only to be hit by the second as the knife was plunged into his shoulder. She reacted on instinct as Janel fell to the deck, the disruptor sliding and coming to a stop at her feet. As though in slow motion, she saw the Romulan rush toward her. She reached for the weapon, getting a grip and her finger on the trigger just as the Romulan moved to strike. A brilliant green fire erupted from the energy weapon, striking the Romulan in the chest. He stilled, his eyes going wide in shock as his body crumpled to the ground. Her gaze locked with Janel's, the disruptor clattering to the ground.::
::She opened her mouth to speak, but a sudden tingling sensation in her side caught her attention. She looked down to find a knife embedded there, blood trickling out. Her hand shook as it slid along the hilt, trying to decide if she should remove it. Before she could act, her knees gave beneath her.::
((End Flashback))
::The sound of German’s voice brought her back to the present.::
Galven: ::furrows eyebrows and breathes heavily:: I’m listening Commander.
Rosek: ::rasps:: If it comes down to it, the Artemis crew is your priority. Get yourselves and them out. Let me and Commander Tel-ar worry about the others. ::lays a hand on his shoulder and squeezes:: Your team will be looking to you for leadership.
Galven: ::nods:: Of course, Commander. I have full confidence that we’ll find the crew.
::She opened her mouth to speak again, but a large explosion near the caves that sent debris flying had her ducking for cover. Chancing a glance from behind her cover, she saw through the dust several bodies strewn unmoving on the ground.::
Rosek: ::murmurs:: Well, that’s one way to even the odds. =/\=Rosek to Tel-ar. We should act while the pirates are still confused.=/\=
Tel-ar: =/\= Go. I will keep them occupied while you get the rest of the crew to safety. =/\=
Rosek: ::scowls:: o0 Like hell. 0o
::She peeked out from behind her cover, firing off a couple of shots, one of which hit its mark, before she was forced back behind the rock as more weapon’s fire came her way. The fire was more sporadic now than it had been, indicating that the explosion earlier had taken out a good portion of their enemies. German and his team now stood a better chance so long as her, Tel-ar, Harkrow, and the two Engineering crewmen laid down cover fire and none of them were taken down in the process.::
::Out of the corner of her eye, she saw German and those that were supposed to be headed for the caves all rushing to help the downed Padix. She grunted in frustration, returning her attention to the battle at hand. At the rate they were going, the rest of the pirates would be taken out before they even began moving toward the caves...and likely one or more of her team in the process. Due to her sensitive hearing, she could discern the conversation clearly, even at this distance, but chose to focus on the battle being waged with the pirates.::
Harkrow / Elzizabath /Tel-ar / Oakes / Eisley: Response
::She saw all but Cattan and German moving toward the caves. Her momentary distraction caused her to duck out of the way just in time to avoid getting shot in the shoulder. The near miss caused her heart to skip a beat. Adrenaline was surging through her veins like liquid fire now, keeping her alert to the danger of the world around her. She paused, listening to the battle, using her hearing in an attempt to determine how many pirates were left.::
::There was a slight discrepancy in pitch, tone, and duration of weapons fire from Starfleet standard equipment and the weapons the pirates were using. In her mind, she counted.::
Rosek: o0 One...two...three...four…five...six...seven...eight...nine...ten... 0o
::Her count was momentarily interrupted by another pirate coming seemingly out of nowhere. On instinct, she dropped her weapon, striking first the pirate’s midsection before twisting his firing arm until a sickening crack filled the space between them. The pirate screamed in agony, the sound piercing her sensitive ears as she used his momentum to flip him over her shoulder and to the ground. She was on top of him in the blink of an eye, her hand shaking as she aimed her retrieved weapon at his chest and fired.::
::She watched the shock cross his features, the life draining from his eyes, with detached disinterest, her only focus on survival as she dropped back into position behind the rock to avoid becoming a casualty of the weapons fire still being exchanged.::
Rosek: ::taps her commbadge:: =/\=Rosek to Tel-ar and Harkrow. Let’s see if we can’t finish these bastards off. We have ten, if not more, to deal with.=/\=
Tel-ar / Harkrow / Oakes / Eisley: =/\=Response=/\=
((OOC: Jumping this ahead a bit to get them to the caves. Feel free to write the battle to get there between.))
::At last, they’d managed to reach the entrance to the cave. It looked like they’d gotten all of the enemy combatants and were in the clear to proceed through the caves to where the prisoners were being kept. Though they seemed to be through the worst of it, they were by no means done. They still had prisoners to rescue.::
Rosek: ::to Tel-ar:: Take Harkrow and scout ahead. Make sure we’re not falling into another trap.
Tel-ar / Harkrow: Response
Rosek: ::taps her commbadge:: =/\=Rosek to Galven.=/\=
Galven: =/\=Response=/\=
Rosek: =/\=We’ve cleared the entrance. Have your team circle back and meet us here so we can head toward the pirates basecamp and rescue the prisoners.=/\=
Galven: =/\=Response=/\=
Cattan / Fergus / Elzizabath: =/\=Responses=/\=
Rosek: ::nods:: =/\=Understood.=/\= ::pauses and her voice softens:: =/\=Be careful, Lieutenant.=/\=
Galven: =/\=Response=/\=
Cattan / Fergus / Elzizabath: =/\=Responses=/\=
::The comm line closed and she entered the caves behind Commander Tel-ar and Harkrow, her phaser in hand. They couldn’t afford to take anymore risks. One crewman was dead. That was more than enough.::
Tel-ar / Harkrow / Oakes / Eisley: Responses