[BACKSIM] Ensign T’Fearne - Express Boarding Pass [Part 2]
teayl.thorn
((OOC: No tags in this one, just catching up and slightly out of order so posted as a backsim.))
((Airlock Access, Soliton Express))
T’Fearne: Clear! Come up. Watch the gravity shift—it flips starboard once you cross the threshold.
Ian climbed through, then Alyndra, both adjusting to the sideways pull with varying degrees of finesse. T’Fearne took point, leading them quickly into the narrow, silent corridor toward the next carriage, sidearm steady, all senses razor-sharp.
Somewhere ahead, Raga would be moving toward them. And beyond him—the missing engineers, the other passengers and Emzai the target... and whatever plans she had in motion.
A short while later, at a sealed hatch, T’Fearne placed a hand over the control, ready to trigger it open—but paused. A faint murmur filtered through the bulkhead to her ears from the other side. She tensed, but thought she caught the tone of a familiar voice.
Raga: =/\= Glad to hear your voice, Chief. What’s our status? Where’s Emzai? =/\=
Tucker: =/\= She’s down in the maintenance tunnels, same place I am. However, I’m headed aft to the secondary control room. I want to set up shop in there and see if we can get this train stopped. She’s got Tzim-Shah commander. He was unconscious the last I saw, but I am unsure of his current status. =/\=
O’Connor: ::mumbling more to himself:: He’ll be fine. He’s too stubborn to die. We’ll all be fine.
The hatch slid open. A rifle pivoted into the room, levelled at Ian’s chest.
T’Fearne was already pressed to the wall beside the door, phaser raised to cover—until she saw the face behind the weapon. Commander Raga. She exhaled, lowered her phaser when it was clear it was him and nodded a greeting.
Syrex: It’s nice to see you again, Commander. Small heart attack and all.
Ian gave a relieved exhale, lowering his phaser.
O’Connor: Sorry. Good to see you.
T’Fearne: Any complications, Sir?
Raga gave a brief nod as the three officers gathered in at his side, alert in this hostile territory, ready to follow orders, equipment checked and ready. He continued his comm conversation with Tucker.
Raga: =/\= Understood. We have a lot to discuss. Can you meet us in the airlock access hatch three? Use the maintenance walkway under the train to reach us. =/\=
Tucker: =/\= Aye, Aye XO, Tucker out. =/\=
The security officer continued to listen to the sounds of the passengers and life teaming in the carriage and passages around them as they waited in their empty airlock compartment. Phaser pistol lowered but ready.
T’Fearne: Clear for now. But our position is exposed if a passenger or a hostile comes down that passage.
O’Connor: Looks like we’ve got a minute before Tuck gets to us. Any adjustments to the plan sir?
As Commander Raga adjusted his weapon, turning his gaze to encompass everyone in the room. Alyndra had her medical tricorder out as Ian leaned on the back of a seat, looking attentive while T’Fearne adjusted the rifle strapped around her torso and re-checked her T2 pistol. The team took a rare moment of downtime aboard the Soliton Express.
Raga: Alright, first thing’s first. We’ll regroup with Tuck’s team, then split up once we have a better idea of the situation. If we can find where Emzai is holed up, we’ll know where to deploy that sedative. Will it work on Tzim-Shah as well, without any medical complications?
Syrex: There aren’t many Tellarites onboard, so I don’t believe there’s a gas in the mix that’ll affect him. For the rest of you, I’ve replicated some rebreathers, so even if there’s a species match, you’ll be immune.
T’Fearne checked her rebreather, already clipped to her belt.
O’Connor: It would probably require an extra dose of almost any gas to knock Tzim-Shah out anyway, but if it does knock him out, I call dibs on reviving him.
At that comment, the Vulcazoid glanced curiously at Ian out of the corner of her eye, one slanted brow raised a fraction.
T’Fearne: Do you need the medical field-training practice? Or…
Ian seemed particularly amused at whatever he was thinking, but before he could clarify a sound and vibration clanged from the floor beneath them.
Alyndra jumped and leapt to the side as the commander, Ian, and T’Fearne trained their weapons on the deck flooring.
After a few shakes and shimmies, it popped open, revealing the head of chief engineer Marty Tucker facing an array of phaser muzzles.
Tucker: ::bringing his hands down, smirking:: Throttle back, sparky…
Raga: Sorry, Chief. Just being careful.
The two Starfleet engineers were helped up. The space was getting tight, made tighter by the arrival of others behind him. Two unfamiliar civilians. Train employees?
In her capacity as security officer, T’Fearne eyed the two strangers with caution.
Tucker: ::looking at Raga:: Commander, I want to get aft to the secondary control room. We can set up shop there, and you can go looking for our wayward Tellarite and that old crone.
Syrex: I hope you’re both alright? Any injuries I need to know about? ::Looks confused:: What’s a crone?
O’Connor: Hag, harpy, witch, shrew, xanthippe, cranky old bat, or just b!+(h might suffice.
The Chief Engineer chuckled at that.
Tucker: I’m fine, ensign. Not to defend the battle axe, but it’s not entirely her fault. The things that her husband did to her brain are unfathomable and highly illegal. Sadly, she’s past saving at this point. I just want justice for these people who didn’t survive Grus Beta Three.
There was an odd emotional weight to the way the chief talked of the planet. T’Fearne had read some of the reports of that mission and was aware that this Emzai was attempting to double her feat of destruction, first one world, Grus Beta III and now the Soliton Express and the lives of the twin Sigma colony worlds. Raga finally spoke, voice low.
Raga: Agreed. Our priority is to stop her, stop this wave and save the people on this train and both colonies. But if it helps to think and focus smaller, save the people on this train and stop her. The Ronin and the rest of our people are working to save the bigger picture.
Then, unexpectedly, one of the newcomers stepped forward.
Ru: Ex-cuse Me! Do any of you have tickets? You can't be here without tickets.
T’Fearne faced the shorter man in some sort of conductor's uniform.
T’Fearne: :: neutral tone :: Have you not been paying attention? We are Starfleet officers from the USS Ronin. Our aid has been requested by the governing powers of Proxima Sigma IV, and we have been given leave to assist in any way we can to prevent this train from causing planetary destruction, which includes boarding and taking action aboard this vessel. Is that a satisfactory exemption?
She thought about presenting the business end of her phaser in lieu of a ticket to the small man, but from the others’ reactions, she needn’t bother.
The new engineering ensign she hadn’t had the chance to meet yet rubbed his temples, as strong emotions radiated off him like steam before he seemed to gain composure.
Nakada: Ignore him, he’s inebriated. :: to Nelv :: Mr. Ru, please handle your … companion. :: to everyone else :: Yes, they’re the conductors.
Nelv: ::putting a hand on Ru's shoulders:: I think we're well past that.
O’Connor: Ok, Tuck, the doc and I are with you. Can we get to secondary control through the maintenance walkway?
Tucker: ::to O’Conner:: Yeah, that’s where we were headed before ya’ll showed up. Just pull the schematics up on your tricorder. I’m just hoping for little to no surprises.
Raga: Same, but this is Emzai. It’s safe to assume there will be at least a few more before this is through. Be wary.
T’Fearne pulled up the schematics again for the train, plotting both the route to the engine room that the engineers and doctor would take and the path to the auxiliary control room, as a possible location of Emzai.
The two train employees whispered far more audibly than they knew, seemingly wary of Alyndra.
Ru: ::quietly to Nelv:: Is she a doctor? Let's keep away from her
Syrex: ::To Nelv and Ru:: Gentlemen, can I help you?
They said nothing. T’Fearne threw a suspicious glance at them, not liking how they were handling the situation.
The engineers, doctor and train employees started climbing back down into the maintenance level. Just before Alyndra started to slip down, T’Fearne gave her friend's arm a squeeze and murmured a warning to her.
T’Fearne: Watch out for yourself— :: quiet murmur :: and watch those two. Something about them doesn’t sit right. Stay safe.
Ian was the last to drop into the shaft. He paused just long enough to glance back up.
O’Connor: See ya soon. Good hunting, Commander.
Raga: You too, Lieutenant.
As Ian disappeared into the dark passage, Raga turned to T’Fearne.
Raga: Alright, Ensign. It’s time we find Emzai and put a stop to this. Are you ready?
She flashed him a quick grin.
T’Fearne: Let's go get her!
The pair of vulcanoids made a loud clang as their boots struck the lower deck flooring as they dropped into the maintenance shaft below, weapons ready and sights set on tracking down their target.
[No Tags / TBC in part 3]
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Security Officer
USS Ronin - NCC-34523
R240107T14