Ensign T’Fearne - Pew Pew Pew Pew…Pew!
Teayl Thorn
(( Warrior Sports, Promenade, Commercial Sector, Beta Module, DS33))
The tension in the room was palpable as Chief Kiran and Commander Raga called the teams focus. Kiran’s voice cut through the murmurs with the weight of experience, setting the tone for what lay ahead. Raga added Ronin’s own mantra to the cause.
Kiran: Listen, folks, we’ve got a job to do. It’s time to stay frosty and watch your teammates back. Most enemies don’t fight fair and don’t expect the Alliance to be any different. Remember your training, it will serve you well in the hours to come.
Raga: This isn’t a fight to the death. We’re not there yet. Our strength lies in each other. Never forget, we’re Ronin strong but it’s more than that. I mentioned it not long ago to our colleagues from our sister ship and the station’s CO. Today, we’re Starfleet strong.
Raga rounded the room, making eye contact with each of the team. When he came to her console, T’Fearne held his luminescent gaze steadily. Taking a measure of reassurance that he offered and prepared herself to follow him into battle. This wasn’t her first conflict, but it was the first time she faced it with her eyes open and her rifle charged, knowing that what they did here could save the station or at least buy civilians and personnel time to escape.
A faint smile tugged at her lips as her keen hearing picked up on the old Earth tunes coming from Kiran’s earpiece. The catchy rhythms brought a flash of nostalgia from the Academy, where she had occasionally heard the like. She let it be a rhythmic pattern to let her surface thoughts relax as she settled her deeper emotions.
Kiran: ::turning to T’Fearne and Valo:: You kids alright? Just remember your training. Oh, and remember center mass. ::he gave a devilish grin::
T’Fearne::: with a determined nod:: Got it, Chief. We’re ready. :: lying through her Vulcazoid teeth and causing ancestors on two worlds to roll in their graves. She glanced at Valo:: By the way, I’m T’Fearne. I think we’ve both been recently assigned to the Ronin. I didn’t catch your name, Ensign?
Valo: RESPONSE
Just as T’Fearne was about to ask further, the command console let out a sharp chirp, catching everyone’s attention. Raga moved swiftly to the console, his expression serious.
Raga: Good news and bad news. Good news, Commander Stregis just sent a distress call and the Ronin and Khitomer have turned around and gone to warp. They’re on the way here.
Kiran: ::grumpily:: Great, they’re hours out if my math works right. I’m sure the commander will verify, but they’re a long way out. ::he gripped his phaser rife:: time to, what’s the saying?::smirking:: Lock and load?
Valo: RESPONSE
Waiting for the others to comment on the good news, she took the bait Raga had left in his sentence
T’Fearne::: quietly:: And the bad news, Commander?
Raga: It’ll take them several hours to get here at maximum warp. Until then we hold the station. Buy as much time for the civilians to evac. You can do this. As the Chief said, trust in your training and trust in each other.
Kiran: ::nodding:: Watch your six at all times; both races are sneaky bastards.
She glanced sharply at Kiran as his comment poked at a suspicion that had been growing in her mind.
T’Fearne::: musing quietly:: If the Lattice Alliance ships arrive within the hour, it seems unlikely this is a mere coincidence that at the same time we launched a ruse, they’re acting against DS33. Did they have a warning that we were attacking?
Valo: RESPONSE
((Timeskip - Forty Minutes))
Raga: They’re late. It’s almost insulting.
On the monitors, the stygian expanse of deep space around DS33 began to light up as Lattice Alliance starships dropped out of warp, the number of flaring signatures overwhelming.
Kiran: If there’s one thing I hate, it’s tardiness..::a grin growing from the corners of his mouth::
T’Fearne::: pointing at the screen:: They’re closing in fast.
Valo: RESPONSE
The station shook violently as the enemy ships started firing. Disruptors and torpedoes hit the shields, while the station’s defenses return fire with varying degrees of success. Cheers erupted in the FOP as Snowball’s pilots and an assortment of shuttles crewed by starfleet’s brave engage the enemy with their full arsenal.
The impact from a major hit caused the lights to flicker, and T’Fearne steadied herself, her grip firm on the console as the station shook. The distant sounds of impacts reverberated through the deck.
Raga: Damn, they’re not wasting time. =/\= All teams, enemy transports are inbound to docking ports one and two. Prepare to repel boarders! =/\=
Kiran: ::clicking the safety off his rifle:: It’s go time kids…
This was T’Fearne’s area of responsibility. The Commander had assigned her team to fortify the ports and set up barricades. Now was the moment to put their preparations to the test.
T’Fearne: The ports are as secure as we could make them. Time to put it to the test.
Valo: RESPONSE
Rork joined Raga by the viewscreen, analyzing the scene with a grim expression.
Raga: Looks like the larger transport is heading for docking port 2, so that’s where we’re going. ::He looked back at the lone Kzinti in gold within the room:: Breeze, I need you.
Briza-Kar: Response
Raga: You’re going to be our eyes. I keep hearing about how observant you are and we’ll need that. Let me know where the threats are boarding and moving to if they can’t lock them down quickly enough.
Briza-Kar: Response
The Commander smiled at Breeze and then turned to Rork, T’Fearne, and Valo.
Kiran: After you Commander. ::he swept an arm towards the door.:::
T’Fearne::: smoothly following out the door:: Let’s make them regret trying to take this station.
Valo: RESPONSE
(( Outside Docking Port 2, Deck 6, Main Compartment, DS33 ))
The team dashed towards the docking ports. The sounds of heavy weapon fire grew louder, and the acrid smell of burning electronics filled the air. Upon arrival, they saw security personnel engaged in a fierce fight. Wounded were being triaged to the side.
Raga and Kiran immediately dove behind cover, joining the fray as they traded party favours with the Lattice Alliance with practiced efficiency.
Raga: We’ve got your backs! ::He announced to the defenders:: Keep them pinned and bottlenecked by the docking port.
Kiran: ::pointing to Valo:: Ensign, lay down a suppression fire over there::pointing off to the right of the bottle neck:: As for you ::looking at T’Fearne::Fire into that bottleneck,
Valo: RESPONSE
T’Fearne::: Ducking behind a barricade, her phaser rifle switching to burst mode with a satisfying zip:: On it.
She quickly assessed the chaotic battlefield, her gaze flickering to her allies before unleashing a barrage of pulse shots into the Tholian positioned at the head of the narrow entryway. Her weapon’s bursts cut through the air, striking armor-clad figures emerging from the cramped corridor. They had joined the fray.
Raga/Valo/Briza-Kar: RESPONSE
As she ducked back, the veteran security chief, popping up from his cover, engaged in a fierce exchange of fire with the Tholians and Sheliak. The enemies' armor was proving tough, but he pressed on, determined to bring them down.
Suddenly, the familiar hum of a transporter beam caught her attention. The hairs on the back of her neck bristled as new threats materialized behind them. She turned to look and instantly knew in that moment that she should have used that precious moment's advanced warning to move towards cover. A split-second decision caught her in a spine tingling spin of vulcanoid reflexes as hot bolts of energy zipped past her. She used the adrenaline and momentum of the turn to fling herself sideways behind a sturdier barrier.
Kiran: ::to the XO:: Remind me to suggest transporter inhibitors next time. Also bad news, they’re coming up behind us now, via transporter. ::he fired a couple of shots taking down a Sheliak enforcer::
T’Fearne: oO Ouch. Oo :: grimacing as she called out belatedly:: Hostiles at your aft.
Hearing the others calling a warning of the intruders behind them, she crawled back to her original position, reluctantly shifting her focus away from the immediate threat behind. Trusting her fellow officers to cover her, she resumed pinning a sheliak in the bottleneck to the bulkhead with precise phaser fire.
Raga/Valo/Briza-Kar: RESPONSE
T’Fearne had just ducked back for cover when a loud WOMP punched her sensitive ears and she was glad her head was behind cover for whatever that was. The acrid scent of burnt flesh and the haze of electrical smoke filled her nose, pointy ears were ringing and retina searing flashes of energy weapons zipped across the battle zone as the deck beneath her bucked.
Kiran: ::to Raga:: Sir, I don’t know how much longer we can hold this line, with them pinching us. And I have a limited number of those grenades, but I have a few tactical EMPs. ::he took one off his belt and handed it to Ronin's XO: : Here, take this. Choose wisely.
T’Fearne crouched behind the barricade, bracing for the next wave as through the promenade Starfleet officers fought the intruders for every inch of cold hard deck-plating to defend the station. As she popped a fresh power pack into her rifle, discarding the spent one she caught Rork saying something to Raga about grenades and made a mental note to hit the deck if Rork threw anything else. Focusing her battered hearing she tried to pick up any approaching enemies, but the weapons fire around them covered the details she was looking for. She risked a quick glance down the passage and ducked back feeling the heat of returning fire skimming close to her skin. But she had the information she needed.
T’Fearne::: calling out:: New wave incoming! They’re pushing hard at the center.
Raga/Valo/Briza-Kar: RESPONSE
The battle around the docking port raged on, the crew from the ships and defenders from DS33 fighting tooth and nail to hold their ground. The Tholians and Sheliak continued to press from both directions, making the barricades increasingly ineffective. The angle of the fight was dire, their position was close to being compromised.
T’Fearne::: shouting to Kiran:: I can reposition the barricades if you cover me.
Kiran: RESPONSE
Waiting until he gave her the go, T’Fearne easily dragged the heavy weight of the barricade, her rifle hanging from its strap as she dragged cover into a better position to shield Seiuri Squad.
T’Fearne: Barricade moving now.
Kiran/Raga/Valo/Briza-Kar: RESPONSE
T’Fearne::: turning back to the bottleneck, redoubling her efforts to fortify their position:: oO We can’t hold this if they keep transporting in… Oo
Kiran/Raga/Valo/Briza-Kar: RESPONSE
TAGS/TBC!
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Ensign T'Fearne
Security Officer
USS Ronin - NCC-34523
R240107T14