USS PATRIOT: DOMINION BATTLESHIP: Corridor * Shuttle ("Turkey Shoot")

From: Nai Lara (nai_lara_at_internode.on.net)
Date: Wed Feb 20 2008 - 03:32:36 PST


"Turkey Shoot"
Con't from Rahul's "Bait and Switch"

Location: Dominion Battleship
Stardate: 2424 [2.8] 0402.1524
Scene: Corridor


Maverick jerked his head back in time as the corridor lit up with the 
light of a few dozen pulse beams. He responded with a few shots of his 
own. He and his small strike team were pinned down in a junction, and 
their target was within sight, but tantalising of reach.

"We're going to get slaughtered." Tam hissed as she kept a watch on 
their backs so none of the Jem'Hadar could sneak up behind them. She 
didn't see much point in this current exercise. Ten people taking on a 
Jem'Hadar battleship. It was brazen, and crazy. And more then a little 
suicidal. They were outnumbered a hundred to one.

"We just have to get inside that room." Kyle replied as he backed up the 
rest of the marines and they unleashed their own barrage of fire.

"The longer we're pinned here, the more backup will be coming." 
Catherine pointed out, as she aimed and picked off one soldier after 
another methodically.

"So we make a move." Maverick snapped, his temper running as short as 
his power supply.

"We're going to get slaughtered." Tam insisted, her head turning from 
Maverick to the stretch of corridor behind them. If they got flanked 
here, they would be trapped between two forces and with nowhere to hide.

"Would you rather surrender again?" The marine commanding officer fired 
again into the crowd of Jem'Hadar, whose numbers had gotten so large 
they were hindering themselves when they ducked for cover. "We got this 
far, don't you think we can go a few extra feet?" He demanded.

"You're assuming that's a transporter room." Tam gestured towards their 
goal – the doorway was just within reach.

"All the maps indicated that it was, Counsellor!"

"If we're wrong?"

"Then we take as many of them out as we can." Maverick roared and 
gestured for two marines to get ready. "Ready to lay down suppression 
fire? Calhoun, Morris. Make a run for it." He ordered. Fluidly the 
marine unit moved and got themselves ready for the last-ditch attempt 
for freedom.

"Now!" At his cry, the marines laid down blanket fire. They fired with 
little thought to aiming, but just to pin the Jem'Hadar down. Kyle and 
Morris darted forward, keeping themselves under the height of the 
weapons fire as they made a run for the door. They had barely made it 
when the Jem'Hadar began to fall under a hidden assault. They turned 
their attention to another direction.

Caught in an intense crossfire, they didn't really stand a chance. They 
fell like poppies in a storm.

"Need a hand?" A familiar voice called out as he rounded the corridor, 
picking his way among the Jem'Hadar. With him was the almost fifty odd 
marines totting a couple of dozen rifles. The rest of them were 
relieving the Jem'Hadar of their weapons and power supplies.

"Clarkson!" Maverick smiled as he surveyed his executive officer. He was 
looking a little battered and bruised around the edges, but the young 
man was walking tall, and leading his marines. It was a happy day in 
Maverick's book.

Catherine raised an eyebrow as they exchanged gazes. Her heart gave an 
odd flutter when she saw him, and she breathed a sigh of relief. At 
least he was alive and doing well.

"Time for a reunion later. Lets get off this boat." The Founder 
masquerating as Daniel said with a smile and gestured for Kyle to get 
into the transporter room before following him. They really didn't have 
a lot of time to play catch up.

=/\=
Scene: Interior of Dominion Shuttle
=/\=

They had done it. They had accomplished the impossible. After finding 
the transporter room, it was easy for them to arrange a few trips to a 
shuttle in the battleship. Once safety aboard the now-cramped shuttle, 
they had managed to sneak out without arousing too much suspicion.

The moment they had cleared the battleship, the small Dominion shuttle 
disappeared into the vaporous mist of the nebula. The Patriot was hiding 
in here somewhere...now they just had to find her.

Once they were safe, the marines found a seat to relax in the back of 
the shuttle and tended to themselves. Clarkson was showing the marines 
how to handle the Dominion weaponry safety, as they had no inbuilt 
systems. While he was doing that, Catherine was sitting in the back 
corner with another of the medics getting tended to.

She listened quietly to Daniel and the marines as they talked, barely 
taking any notice of the doctor dabbing at the blood on her face. The 
team dynamic was bouyant, and most of it was being led by Daniel.

"How did you get out?" Morris was asking as he gingerly surveyed the 
Jem'Hadar rifle and tried to figure out its configurations. He 
definitely couldn't see a stun setting on it anywhere.

"The Jem'Hadar tend to be a little…lax when they are over confident." 
Daniel replied with a faint shrug of his shoulder and showed Morris how 
to check the power level status indicator. "They presented an 
opportunity and I took it, freed the marines. We heard that you were on 
the ship somewhere and decided that we had better save you from 
yourselves."

"Good work, Major." Maverick smiled, he was standing by a bulkhead.

Daniel nodded modestly. "Thank you, sir."

They talked for a while longer, exchanging war stories and experiences. 
Catherine listened to it all. She only half heard her doctor warning her 
about the broken ribs, and the torn ligaments. She knew what to 
expect,and so just dutifully nodded. Once released from the woman's 
tender care, Catherine slowly rose onto her feet and walked over to 
where Daniel had found a space by the bulkhead by Maverick.

"It's good to have you back." Catherine murmured softly as she hugged 
him. She felt his arms wrap around her. "Did they hurt you?" Sterling 
asked with concern, she opened her tri coloured eyes and turned her head 
to survey him. Indeed, there were a few bruises making their mark on his 
face, but he seemed to be fit and well. He had his stolen rifle slung 
across his chest, his fingers lightly carressing it.

"A lot less then they did you." His eyes reflected a ghost of sympathy 
as he looked down at her. The Founder wanted nothing more then to 
destroy the abomination in front of him, but he had a larger stake. So 
instead, he pretented and empathised. And when that wasn't quite going 
as well as he wanted, he changed the topic. Daniel turned his head and 
glanced at Calhoun who was flying the Dominion shuttle. "How long before 
we get back to the Patriot?" He asked with a frown. Let them think that 
it was the medical concern for the health of this hybrid. They couldn't 
know his eagerness was more about locating the ship and brining the 
Dominion down upon it.

"Navigating this pea soup, flying blind, in this piece of trash, oh I 
suspect an hour or so." Kyle called out from the pilot's seat.

"Daniel." Catherine whispered.

"I'm fine." The man distractedly assured her with a brief smile.

"Daniel." The name was uttered more strongly. He turned and glanced at 
her, and found himself caught in a kiss. Through the Great Link the 
Founder knew enough about human relations on the technique to kissing, 
but it had caught him unaware. He elt the woman pressing herself against 
his body, and with an internalised sigh of disgust he allowed her to 
kiss him. After a moment, she withdrew and placed her head on his 
shoulder so she could nuzzle his neck. Daniel hugged her back, allowing 
her to relax in his arms.

Sterling gazed deeply into the man's eyes. "You may look like him. You 
may act like him. But you definitely don't smell like him." She 
whispered slowly as she tightened her grip on the weapon between them. 
At least he couldn't reach it and use it with her so close. "Chang..!!!" 
The alarm bellow was unmistakable. It cut through the din of the 
marines. The Founder morphed in a flash, throwing her off with such 
force that she hit the opposite wall and crashed down to the ground like 
a rag doll. But at least the Jem'Hadar rifle was in her hands.

"Clarkson?" Maverick gasped and pivoted, as he and three marines almost 
simultaneously fired at the changeling impostor. The Founder had a brief 
moment to scream before vapourising into black powder.

With that threat, came the spectre of an even lager problem. The marines 
immediately snapped-to their weapons at each other.

"What if there are more…" One of them asked out loud the question that 
was running through everyone's mind.

Catherine raised herself up slightly, coughing violently, gasping for 
breath. Her long fingers were clinging onto the Jem'Hadar rifle like it 
was a life-line. The metal grating was splattered wtih blood. "We have 
to go back, Daniel is back there!" She cried out imploringly, lest the 
marines loose their heads and start shooting each other.

"Ease up people." Maverick gestured for them to relax, but asking them 
to lower their weapons would be ignored. He had to gain their trust and 
respect, and deal with this quickly. "We're not going anywhere. Not 
until we've figured out who's legit or not."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NRPG: Shoot 'em up :)

Nai Lara

Lt. J.G. Catherine Sterling Jade
ILO
USS PATRIOT

and

Commodore Teneill Danara-Bennow
Deputy Chief
Starfleet Intelligence

From HyperNews_at_youth.net 


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