USS PATRIOT: Bridge * Marine Mess ("Pin the Tail on the Donkey")

From: Nai Lara (nai_lara_at_internode.on.net)
Date: Sat Jun 14 2008 - 01:52:10 PDT


"Pin the Tail on the Donkey"
Con't from Erics "A Stitch in Time..."
 
Location: USS PATRIOT
Stardate: 2422 [2.7] 1406.1850
Scene: Bridge
Time Index: -00.50 - -01.00
 
The PATRIOT rocked starboard as Tanith dodged an errant torpedo.  The 
sky was lit with the enough flashes of multicoloured lights to resemble 
a respectable 4^th of July celebration.  The weapons officer had been 
aiming the PATRIOT's plethora of armament at the Dominion array and 
firing everything she had at it.
 
Phaser fire splashed over the metal hull, heating and warping it.  The 
torpedos from the PATRIOT had done more damage, but it was like trying 
to use an ice pick to chip away at a block of solid ice.
 
Add to that, the remaining Jem'Hadar ships were fighting back with a 
vengeance.  It took the PHANTOM class vessels about ten seconds of 
combined sustained firing power to destroy one Jem'Hadar vessel.  That 
left them vulnerable to the others, but the ships were well defended by 
the shields and armour.
 
So while the PHANTOM ships bloodied Jem'Hadar nose, the PATRIOT pumped 
everything she had at the array.  Once her weapon's fire vacated the 
camouflaging shield, they became visible, and gave her location away.
 
In short order, one of the surviving four Jem'Hadar ships had started 
firing blindly into the void between the PHANTOM ships...literally 
trying to pin the tail on the donkey.  They had scored a few lucky shots 
with phaser fire, but no torpedoes yet.
 
Tanith was hard pressed to keep the PATRIOT out of harm's way.  Out 
here, they couldn't afford to get seriously damaged, there was no safe 
harbour.
 
"Shields?"  Ben asked of Operations.
 
"Seventy percent and holding." 
 
They flinched as a Jem'Hadar ship went up in spectacular fashion.  The 
metal hull crinkled and warped, giving way at the seams.  The reactor 
core went up in a blaze of purple Armageddon.
 
Kenta's eyes flicked towards the small count down timer at the bottom of 
the view screen.  They had one minute left up their sleeves.  His gut 
clenched.  Was it time to release Corwin's fighters?
 
"Status of array?" 
 
The reply was instant.  "Twenty percent."  The weapons officer had his 
eye on the figures as they steadily whittled down.
 
"Give it everything we've got!"  Kenta stepped forward and touched his 
pilot on the shoulder as so not to break her concentration.  "Tanith, 
signal the other ships that we will move out the *moment* the array goes."
 
"Understood."  She nodded tightly as she struggled to keep the PATRIOT 
intact.
 
=/\=
Scene: Marine mess
Time Index: As above
 
"Scared?"
 
"No."  Catherine replied calmly as she tightened the lacing on the side 
of her black vest.  It was cinched tight around her torso like a corset, 
but the experimental boffins at Starfleet Science promised it'll take 
the bite out of a Jem'Hadar weapon.
 
Something about the metal meshing integrated into the fibres would 
dissipate the energy blast and spread it around.  An impact would hurt 
like a bitch, but just maybe, it won't be fatal.  Operation Marathon as 
a good a time as any to trial them.
 
Maverick grunted at her reply as he sheathed a knife into the holder by 
the small of his back. He moved easily as the desk swayed under his 
feet.  A quick check of the time, and he knew he had three minutes to be 
in battle readiness. 
 
Next target was a ground station.  That would be followed by two arrays 
and lastly with another ground station.  He had no idea what sort of 
thing he was going to be walking into if the PATRIOT couldn't destroy 
the station in time, but he needed to be ready for anything.
 
He opened one of the many utility pockets sewn into his vest and slid in 
a few high yield charges.  In another pocket went spare ammo packs.  
Grenades went into another one.  Maverick nodded as he ran through a 
mental checklist.  He was packed.
 
A quick check over his shoulder, he saw the marines for the first group 
ready and eager to be off.  He turned back and caught Catherine looking 
over his shoulder.  There was a flicker of emotion behind her stone cold 
eyes.
 
"I'll look after him."  Maverick promised gravely.  Daniel would be 
going down in his team.  Between the three of them, they knew it was the 
best way to do run it, but it didn't give them any comfort.
 
"Thank you."  The woman replied simply as she handed him his weapon.  
"Good luck."
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NRPG:   YAY! I posted!
 
Now where the hell is the rest of you!?!?!?
Eric - *wink* Told you I would! :D
 
Naomi Lara

Lt. J.G. Catherine Sterling-Jade
Intelligence Operative
USS PATRIOT

And

Commodore Teneill Danara-Bennow
Deputy Chief of Starfleet Intelligence


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