(( OOC: Some more backstory flashbacks.. felt like spending some of this fine Saturday evening writing! ))
(( Flashback ))
(( Outside Warehouse 9, Level #20 – Khosla Commerce Outpost ))
:: Time slowed around Kalara, each instance of the flashing red alert light seemed to last an eternity and the sound of her emergency beacon sang in unison with the klaxon of the trapped alarm system. How could she be so foolish? Her drive to find and catch Karel once and for all blinded her and the excruciating pain in her hands reminded her of the price.
Her position of cover was adequate, at least. She was able to ungracefully crawl to the opposite bulkhead of the hatchway access and could clumsily fire shots from her disrupter to keep herself within relative safety. She carried some emergency first-aid supplies in her kit and relief was just a hypospray away, but she couldn’t drop her weapon. Not until Ataren arrived to provide cover fire.
It was like she willed him into existence. She could hear his voice cutting through the violent noise of weapons fire. She called out to him in reply, but he did not respond and repeated his call. The tone of his voice was off, hollow, muted.
He wasn’t here. It was her communicator. He was trying to reach her on the communicator, but she couldn’t drop the weapon to reply. ::
Avran: Please hurry.. :: she whispered to herself. ::
:: Her mind wandered amidst the thoughtless task of periodic fire around the corner of the bulkhead. Her cover wouldn’t shield her forever. It was only a matter of time before her opponents realized it was a mismatched firefight. Maybe she could take one out, but the probability of general victory was next to zero as long as she was alone. She should formulate a plan, but still, her mind wandered. The station administrators must be able to detect weapons fire onboard. “WHERE IS SECURITY?!” she thought, focusing all of her frustrations about the current predicament on the inept response from station authorities.
Suddenly, Kalara felt a familiar presence in her mind. ::
Ataren: ~ Kalara, I’m here… Opposite corridor. I assume that’s you firing from around the corner? ~
Avran: ~ Doing my best—I feel like my hands are about to melt off…
Ataren: ~ Looks like you’ve stepped into it here, but they’re distracted. I’m going to use the element of surprise and flank them. Be ready. ~
:: His tone lacked the joviality she had come to expect from him. His uncharacteristic seriousness alarmed her and Kalara couldn’t help but detect his thoughts while they communicated. His fear heightened her own. She pushed back, standing up, and steadying herself against the bulkhead. ::
Avran: ~ …. What’s the plan? ~
:: Kalara wasn’t even sure he’d be able to hear her. She felt lightheaded and the pain in her arms continued to throb, transitioning to a sharp sting each time she tried to fire her disruptor. Even holding it was becoming a chore. ::
Ataren: ~ Uh… shoot them? ~
:: Before she could react, she heard his disruptor blast- a distinctly different sound from the weapons their opponents were using. His weapons fire accompanied a sharp yelp, followed by a great deal of shouting. She shimmied down the bulkhead, aiming her disruptor into the corridor- now seeing their opposition for the first time: a Breen in an embellished refrigeration suit and two Nausicaan mercenaries.
Ataren’s weapons fire connected with one of the Nausicaans’ arms. The scene became blurry through her eyes and she felt the blood rushing from her head, her eyelids becoming heavy. She needed that stimulant. Or the pain reliever. She aimed at the Breen and missed her mark. It was enough to give them pause, however, and they began backing into the warehouse bay’s hatch.
For the first time, she noticed the Breen’s weapon as they extended it in the direction of Ataren. A simple but menacingly large rifle. Again, time seemed to slow as they fired and the blast connected with her associate- her partner. The hatch closed with a loud mechanical thud and the pressurization warning alarmed from the door panel. ::
Computer: =/\= Airlock sealed. Departure in progress. =/\=
:: That confirmed it! They were about to escape. But did Karel even work with a Breen associate? Or with the Nausicaans for that matter? She snapped out of investigator-mode and rushed to her partner, freeing the emergency first-aid kit from her pack. He was still, his wound significant. She tried to battle her own pain while pressing the hypospray against his neck. ::
Avran: ~ I’m getting help.. ~ :: she whispered the words, too, hoping he’d hear her, but he didn’t respond. ::
:: Kalara banged her shoulder into the computer access panel on the bulkhead, aiming for the com access. On her second try, she heard the tone, waiting for her input. ::
Avran: =/\= Medical emergency, my location: Level 20, Outside Bay 9. =/\=
TBC
~~~~~~~~
Investigator Kalara Avran
&
Junior Inspector Sol Ataren
Ullian Security Service
Written by:
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Ensign Kalara Avran
Engineering Officer
Starbase 118 Ops
A239312JK0
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