Ensign T’Fearne - Panic at the Disco
teayl.thorn
((OOC: Slight edit, in previous sim I detailed the characters going towards the control room at the front of the train, but now I realise we were supposed to be heading in a different direction, towards the engine room.))
((Maintenance Tunnel, Soliton Express))
T’Fearne: Sir… aren’t we doing exactly what she expects?
She kept her voice low but firm, eyes sharp for dangers in the dim lighting of the maintenance tunnel.
T’Fearne: She knows you. She’s expecting the crew of the Ronin to come for their own. :: Referring to Tzim-Shah :: He’s bait.
The commander gave a grim nod.
Raga: More than likely, but we know it’s a trap. And our options are limited. We have to hope that she’s running out of countermeasures at this point.
Time was literally running out, the corner of her tricorder display showed the diminishing hours, minutes and seconds to impact, but rushing forward could be deadly. T’Fearne’s gaze drifted to their clearly identifiable Starfleet uniforms, lingering on her own golden and then gestured at the Commander's red Starfleet jacket.
T’Fearne: What if we confuse her expectations? We could get rid of these for a start and borrow some of the passengers' garments. If she’s expecting Starfleet officers, she’ll see us coming along these tunnels easily, but if we look like passengers, milling about, weak, dying and affected by this vapour, we might be able to get closer unnoticed and then drop down from the passenger level.
Raga: Interesting idea, but she knows my face well. And my eyes tend to give me away, especially in this lighting. It might work, but only for you.
She shrugged out of her jacket, tucking away her commbadge and rank pip. Slinging the phaser rifle over her shoulder, and pointing up with a raised, slanted brow—toward the ceiling hatch.
The commander paused, weighing her suggested action, but then reacted to a sound only he could hear. He raised a hand toward the passage ahead and tapped his ear, signalling her.
She listened intently, but only picked up the sounds of the distressed passengers above and the machinery around them.
T’Fearne: I didn’t catch it. What was it?
Raga: I heard something heavy drop..footfalls. Someone’s running, this way.
She raised her phaser, double-checking it was set to stun and followed the commander's cautious movements.
With the tricorder in her other hand, she scanned the passage ahead. They were approaching an engine room of some sort in the next passage, on the starboard side, and there were several lifesigns moving about.
Raga: Be ready. ::He whispered:: I think I hear our man. With two others.
T’Fearne: :: whispering confirmation :: Four lifesigns ahead and to starboard, one is Tellarite with a comm signal.
Following Raga’s lead, she crept along several meters behind and pressed close to the other side of the passage to keep the commander clear of her line of fire.
((OOC: Removing some dialogue as T’Fearne’s hearing is not as keen as Toryn’s. See sim by Ensign Tzim-Shah - Naughty and Nice for full tags.))
The commander stopped abruptly, and she caught a cinder flare of anger roll off him. From his reaction, it seemed like he had found his quarry. T’Fearne to move up silently beside him at his beckon.
Finally, she caught the faint babbling of voices from her vantage point, but was still trying to make the details out when a groan of metal echoed through the carriage, the deck grating thrummed beneath her feet as the train protested under some strain.
Emzai: They are trying to decouple the train.
Now that she heard clearly, along with the murmurs of others. The two vulcanoids ducked around a corner and into narrow spaces behind structural supports.
Tzim-Shah: Well, I'm sure Tuck will get to it in a minute... you've lost, you old fool.
Teelinar: Response
The commander moved, leaned out of cover to let his gaze lock onto her. The deckplating creaked beneath his step, and there she was—Emzai —T’Fearnes’ fist glimpse of the primary target, voice crackling with malevolent rage.
Emzai: Raga!
The commander flowed forward, and T’Fearne followed, his second shadow, avoiding the creaking deck revealed by his footfalls. She kept her phaser trained on the striped stranger in the room while Raga focused on the Emzai and their now found, wayward security officer, Tzim-Shah.
Teelinar: Response
Raga: Step away from my officer and surrender, or I swear by the Great Mountain I will stun you faster than you can say Kipal was a lunatic.
T'Fearne: :: addressing the Arkarian calmly :: Don’t move!
Emzai: :: snarls :: You think I can be goaded Raga. I've faced down foes that would make you weep.
Teelinar: Response
A charged silence tightened around them like a noose. Then Raga fired—precise, intentional. The phaser beam struck the burly figure’s arm, sending it clattering to the deck. Raga’s next few shots went wide, but with the purpose of encouraging the second target to back away from the group.
Tzim-Shah: OI! I needed that!!
Raga: Ensign, keep an eye on her.
T'Fearne: I have her covered.
T’Fearne switched her focus, taking several strides towards their primary target, training her phaser squarely on the woman with her arms raised in the air. The woman's empathic aura fluctuated wildly at the edges of T’Fearne’s empathic senses like the stench of burned biocircuitry.
oO This one has much internal damage. Oo
Teelinar: Response
With Emzai under close watch, Raga dropped to one knee beside Tzim-Shah.
Raga: Are you alright? ::he murmured to the Tellarite while keeping his phaser rifle trained on the Arkarian:: Can you move?
Tzim-Shah: I have been worse. I can certainly move :: Pointing to his arm::, but I would have preferred to keep that intact.
A peal of malevolent laughter rang out from the primary target. T’Fearne tried to keep the woman's attention focused on her.
T'Fearne: :: neutral tone :: Administrator Emzai! Keep your hands where I can see them. No sudden movements, or you will be incapacitated.
Teelinar: Response
Raga kept his rifle trained on her and Karai as he stood.
Raga: You have a lot to answer for, Emzai. I’d ask you to stop this, but I have a feeling you never even planned for a failsafe to stop everything, did you?
The woman waved in a casual gesture of dismissal.
Emzai: I wouldn’t suppose you’d understand my plan, Raga. Your eyes might shine like a bright moon but I suspect your mind isn’t quite so vibrant, is it? :: baby voice :: Did Niac lace up your boots when he sent you off to catch the bad lady? :: deadly :: Leave the thinking to those of us who are capable, if you know what's good for you.
Tzim-Shah: ::To Teelinar:: Come on, be a good boy and pick up my arm... no sudden gestures, you don't want to make my pointy-eared friend nervous. You know how these Vulcanoids are, permanently trigger-happy.
Teelinar: Response
She didn't let herself become distracted by the other security officer's speciesism, realising he was likely trying to strengthen some connection he shared with the stripe-faced man. With herself and the other security officer covering the two targets, the commander was free to let his rifle hang from its strap, flashing two sets of restraints at them.
Raga: Under the authority of the United Federation of Planets and Starfleet, I’m placing you both under arrest for terrorism, attempted mass genocide, assaulting multiple Starfleet officers, and who knows what else. Turn around.
The woman extended her arms, seemingly compliant.
Tzim-Shah: ::gesturing for Karai to put his hands in front of himself:: Come on kiddo, you know how it goes.
Emzai: I have some charges of my own to assign, Commander. I’ll discuss those with the Captain :: eyes T'Fearne and Tzim-Shah :: Not this team of inadequates you've gathered. I'm sure he’ll be very interested in what I have to say?
Teelinar: Response
T'Fearne: :: cautioning :: We should double-check she’s truly unarmed. :: she flicked her gaze to the Arkarian :: He seems nervous, he might be planning to bolt.
Raga: Response
Tzim-Shah: Boss, the hoodlum here could be of use to us, he knows the hag's plans and could help us solve this whole mess, you know, make things easier for the grease monkeys... but he wants to make a deal.
Emzai: :: disgust :: She’s not even cold yet.
The comment seemed to be directed to her compatriot. The one that Tzim-Shah seemed to be developing a rapport with. She caught an odd surge of emotion from his direction.
Teelinar: Response
T’Fearne raised her phaser, she didn't trust either of the targets, not one iota.
T’Fearne: Perhaps it’s best to quiet her. Her words are laced with ill intent, she’s trying to provoke and set things off.
Raga: Response
The Tellarite shrugged.
Tzim-Shah: I mean, I want to beat his butt more than anyone else, but the greater good and all that crap, right? It's better to have an ally, maybe we can make a good NCO out of him, if he proves he knows how to play nice.
Emzai: They want to make you a slave, Karai. Is that all you will be now? A cowardly servant. You've seen how I treat those who've wronged me. The Grus Betans live in the shadows and one day they'll come for you. That's a promise.
Teelinar: Response
T'Fearne: :: warning :: Her words are laced with ill intent; She’s trying to provoke and set things off.
Raga/Tzim-Shah: Response
They began to make their way back along the maintenance corridor towards the docked shuttles, with Emzai making demands and demeaning comments.
Emzai: I'd like to negotiate with Captain Niac.
Teelinar: Response
Raga/Tzim-Shah: Response
Emzai: What I have to say is a matter of great importance. You don't think I planned this all on my own? Take me to Niac and maybe I'll let you sit in the corner like a nice puppy. I'd ask you to take notes but we might use words with more than two syllables.
Teelinar: Response
Raga/Tzim-Shah: Response
The Soliton Express's internal comm cracked to life, and Chief Tucker's familiar voice boomed over their heads unexpectedly.
Tucker: =/= Attention old hag! You really shouldn’t use your husbands name as the final step in your encryption, damn sloppy for you. Great for me. Take that as you will, Commander Tucker out. =/=
oO What the great fire? Oo
Emzai: Response(?)
Tucker: ::trying to not be too loud::=/\= Commander Raga, I’d grab hold of something if I were you. =/\=
Raga: Optional response
WHOMP
The train lurched violently—like a titanic chrome serpent recoiling from an unseen strike. The floor beneath them spasmed with unnatural force. Overhead lights flared—too bright—then sputtered, extinguishing into a suffocating darkness.
A fraction of a heartbeat later, gravity vanished.
T’Fearne’s next step launched her into nothingness. There was no footing—no control. She twisted in a graceless spin, her body weightlessly flailing. Something hard—elbow, bulkhead, maybe a limb—cracked against her phaser, and it spun from her grasp, lost to the dark.
T’Fearne: The train—gravity’s out!
Tzim-Shah/Teelinar/Emzai: Response
The corridor became a chaotic spin of bumping limbs and curses. T’Fearne crashed into what she thought was the ceiling with a yelp. Her hands shot out, catching the cold cylinder of a service pipe. Pain jolted through her shoulder, but she held on. Her head spun with the disorientation—floor and ceiling were meaningless now.
Her sharp hearing picked up various sounds through the void.
Raga/Tzim-Shah/Teelinar/Emzai: Response
A pulse of red flashed in her vision. The dim red glow of the emergency lighting pulsed dimly through the corridor, illuminating the scene below/above her vantage point, clinging to the ceiling.
She hooked a boot under a service pipe and caught sight of the Arkarian, drifting close. T’Fearne reached out, fingers catching his sleeve to halt his drift, steadying his spin until a terrible realisation struck—he had slipped his cuffs.
She reacted, trying to grab his wrists, but his reach was longer than hers, and a large hand clamped down on her wrist like a vice.
T’Fearne: Don’t resist. You are under arrest!
[Tags, You're it! / TBC]
((OOC: Hey Keric, I’m happy for our characters to have a fight or otherwise. I’ll leave it in your court.))
===============================
Security Officer
USS Ronin - NCC-34523
R240107T14