Lost And Found
Posted on 12/22/2022 @ 4:18am by Colonel Jack Patton & 2nd Lieutenant Erin Inferson & Lance Corporal Brian Zapata & Private 1st Class Raasur & Captain Cornelius Harrington & Sergeant Audie Fitch & Captain Brina Tracy-Hall & 1st Lieutenant Anthony Hill
4,373 words; about a 22 minute read
Mission:
Mission 22: The Other Side of the Mirror
Location: Adam Banner's Hideaway
Timeline: MD005 0900 hrs
Jack had briefed his Marines and now they stood in the transporter room awaiting the arrival of Captain Harrington. Everyone stood in their MARVEL EAS on the transporter pad. Everyone that is save for Jack, he opted for a standard field uniform with a wrist mounted personal shield. Phaser at his side. Like his forefathers before him he would command from the front.
The large man that The Kingsmen called The Reaper stood toward the back of the transporter pad. His rifle was in his hands in the ready position. Something within him told him that as soon as they materialized they would be met with opposition. He looked over at Puumbaa and nodded. They would be the frontline, it would be their job to make sure that Captain Harrington reached his destination.
Raasur stood stoic as ever on the transporter pad. He adjusted his HUD to not read his team. He hated seeing the friendlies on his screen. Besides if all went well the rest of the team would be behind he and The Reaper. "You ready Reaper?" The Tellarite asked with what passed for a smile on his face. "I am always ready to kick ass and take names." Brian replied.
For her part Erin stood silently as she awaited transport. She was a demolitions expert and hated this kind of mission. This was the kind of mission where her expertise would not be needed. She was another body there to complete the mission. At the very least she thought that once this Valentine was taken care of, she could go home and get back to real business. This whole mirror universe thing gave her the creeps and she damn sure hoped that she did not run into her mirror self. That would push her over the edge of what she could handle.
"Glad we splashed out for the big transporter pad." Hill said as he stepped up. Much like Erin he wasn't front line combat, but he knew how to handle himself and would do what he could do get the job done.
Hoping that her primary expertise wouldn't be needed, Audie took deep, calming breaths, preparing herself for whatever was coming. At least, she thought, she didn't have to worry about meeting 'herself' in the fight and possibly being forced to fight, or even kill, her. The 'here' Audie was far from here, planning something bigger, helping people to freedom. Closing her eyes, she silently wished everyone good luck.
Harrington wasn't sure when he should arrive; to be honest, the team didn't need him. Jack and his men were a thousand times more trained to handle this job, and yet he wasn't going to miss this for anything. This entire situation was a result of his mistake, and even if the chance was small, he had to fix it. He had to save Ana. He stepped into the transporter room; just a standard phaser clipped to his waist.
"I trust you and your men are ready for this, Jack?" he already knew the answer. Born ready, or something like that. His thoughts drifted to Adira; this wasn't over after they rescued Ana. Next, they needed to rescue Adira. He stopped on the transporter padd next to Jack. "It's not too late to let me do this alone," he forced a weak smile. Like the Marine was going to allow the Captain to go anywhere alone.
"And miss out on all the fun?" Raising an eyebrow, Audie grinned. "No way, Buster!" Inside joke! But then she added, "Sorry...Captain Buster!"
Jack smiled ear to ear. "Magic Hands here has the right of it. We can't let you have all the fun. Add to that we cannot allow the Captain to go into something without a team of highly trained killing machines. Besides that Aer would have my hide if I allowed something to happen to my Best Man." Jack winked at Harrington it was his way if trying to lighten the mood. "Well the gang is all here and we are ready to go on your command. Shall we?"
"Wait, you mean this was optional?" Anthony popped his head out from behind the crowd. "I had plans to wash my hair and watch a holo-vid." he joked.
Harrington didn't bother to join into the current conversation as everyone was ready he simply looked to the Chief, "Energize." The sooner this part of the mission was over the better. He wasn't looking forward to meeting Ana.
The transporter effect finished and Jack and his team found themselves at the junction of five corridors. It was indeed the beginning of a labyrinth that they would have to navigate. Jack knew that Neil had the overall command here, however, he knew how to command Marines in this situation and began to get them organized. "Right standard box formation. Puumbaa, Reaper, Songbird take point, myself and Captain Harrington in the middle, Sparks, Spitfire, and Magic Hands that leaves you the rear guard. Call out any sightings and do not fire unless fired upon. I don't want to alarm them if I don't have to. Use heavy stun unless otherwise needed."
Raasur and Brian immediately moved toward the front as ordered. They had their rifles shouldered and in the ready position. Both men moved a small dagger toward the front of their belts for ease of access. This was due to the fact that they both knew that close combat could be needed and they wanted to be ready.
Erin for her part took up her post to the rear. She hated being rear guard as that meant she had to back pedal to keep up with the rest of the team. But she knew that there was no argument. She had a case with some low level explosives as a if needed precaution. Her hand phaser was leveled and ready for anything.
Nodding, Audie checked the setting on her phaser, then fell into one of the rear positions, ready for what might come and hoping that would be nothing. Of course, there was little chance this would be a quick in and out, so she'd likely have to settle for minimal casualties, should they be so lucky.
Anthony took up position at the rear with Erin by his side once more. They were becoming inseparable, or so it would appear from the outside looking in. He began checking his gear as the group formed up and focussed on what was to come.
Once the team was formed up and ready Jack turned to Neil. "Well Top it is up to you. Which way do we start? Scans are showing that once we venture into these corridors we will be cut off from communications and may lose transporter lock. It seems to be caused by the shield that encases the installation."
"Jack," Neil had to admit, "this is your area not mine. I am here to talk Commander Valentine into returning with us; nothing more. I am not a Marine, and situations like this are best left to the professionals." He smiled, "since we don't have any of those, I'll settle for you all."
"Lead the way, Colonel," Neil nodded. Neil wasn't turning over control, but these people were Marines, and Jack understood them. Neil was the oddball that didn't fit into the group. They would respond better to Jack, Neil felt.
"Reaper find me the door most traveled to kick in." Jack said to Brian. Patton knew that Zapata would do what he did best which is kick in the door. Brian tossed his rifle to Raasur and engaged the search and destroy (SAD) feature of his heads up display (HUD). This enabled him to see the tracks that had been made by the nearly thousands of boots that travelled these corridors. Raasur placed Brian's rifle on the ground and shouldered his own rifle to cover Brian.
Brian could see that the prints in the outer corridors seemed to be leading out of the labyrinth and behind the Marines, so he eliminated those corridors. The next two that he checked had a myriad of prints but in Reapers opinion they were old and outdated. Only the center corridor had fresh prints. In about a total of five minutes he returned to the group and took his rifle back. Zapata knew that while on mission the honorariums for officers should be suspended as per Jack's standing orders. So he used field names. "BlackJack it seems that up the middle is the way to go." Jack nodded, and the group proceeded into the central corridor.
Neil watched the interaction, Jack's people were professional and he was glad they were here. Even if he didn't understand Marine culture, they were still the best out there. If they were to have any measure of success, it would rest on the Kingsmen. "It would seem you have your door, Colonel." Neil unclipped the phaser from his belt, hoping he wouldn't have to use it. "Let's get going," he paused, "Blackjack."
Brina aka Songbird was quiet, she had taken her position having a slight smile when she heard Audie's comment of Captain Buster towards the captain. Would Captain Harrington pick up on Buster's name and make a remark? In the meantime it was business time, her smile slipping away. Brina felt a slight chill wash over her, causing her to shiver. Was it from a possible momentary insight of something evil they were going after? She could feel the blood rushing through her veins, as she had her head on a swivel. They couldn't let anything happen to Captain Harrington.
Brina glanced at both Raasur and Reaper, her own blades in reach much the same as the two with her. The blades she had one was something she had inheirted and the other was one she had forged herself, both honed to the sharpest they could be.
"Right gang lets take a walk." Jack followed close as his team began to walk through the central corridor. For his part Jack kept his weapons holstered.
The group walked for what seemed about thirty minutes with no actual contacts. They made minor stops here and there to check for enemy contacts and the like. Reaper kept his eyes on the tracks as they went. Everything he saw told him that this was still the correct path. At the end of the thirty minutes the group came to an intersection of corridors. They could continue straight for what seemed like thirty feet and then it disappeared into darkness. There was also a corridor to the left and to the right that read the same way. "The trail is gone Top..." Reaper spoke up as he wheeled his rifle around. "Right! Songbird set a perimeter I want to know if anything so much as squeaks." Jack said and in that moment he realized that it was eerily quiet. He whispered to Harrington. "Thoughts?"
Bringing up the rear with Anthony and Erin, Audie turned her back on the rest of the group as they paused, keeping an eye out behind them, alert for any trouble looking to cut them off. So far so good, but this was the escape route, so they had to keep it clear...
Neil wasn't sure what to do honestly. If he had his way, he wouldn't have come in here. He would have sent Jack and the team to drag Ana out. However, he knew better than anyone that if Ana wasn't walking out of here. "I don't like the idea of splitting up, there is too much unknown here. Yet, a place this large it will take forever to search if we stay together," the Captain spoke.
Brina looked at Harrington, "Yes we are going to have to go separately in different directions." she then looked at Jack, "Blackjack, I suggest that Reaper, head to the right hallway, and I'll go with Raasur ahead and check it out if there is another passage way, if so I'll separate from him and move forward even more. You, Top, Inferson, Hill and Fitch head to the left?"
Before Jack could express any thoughts on the matter it seemed that their enemy answered for him. Five guards approached at a jog from the groups left, five approached from a corridor in front of the group, and six approached from the right. All were screaming variations of intruder alert, freeze, drop your weapons an the like. "Right Kingsmen hold the line. Hold fire until fired upon." Jack called out the orders and in an instant placed himself back to back with the Captain.
Audie tensed at the sudden appearance of guards, and moved in closer to her companions. A quick glance toward the front of the line, and then she turned her attention behind them...that was what they'd been assigned, and right now seemed possibly the only route of retreat. Gripping her phaser, she peered down the corridor that they had just came through, hoping that path remained clear.
"Drop your weapons. On your knees hands behind your head." The orders came fast an furious from the attackers. Jack had no intention of following those requests. "Hold your fire." He shouted as the adrenaline began to course through his veins. He did so love being on the front line with his men.
Anthony's finger hovered over the trigger, the waiting was always the worst part.
Brina growled back at those who came out of the woodwork. "I don't think so, you put your weapons down and you'll not get hurt." keeping her rifle at the ready. To her, it seemed like it was going to be a bit of a stand off. Jack's people, who were worth three times more than those here vs these men.
Jack evaluated the situation, and it seemed for the moment to be a standoff. The only open route to the Kingsmen was the way they came, and that would lead to losing the objective. Jack noticed behind the group across from them a tall human, bald with one eye that seemed to be sewed shut. A snarl was across this man's face, and his skin seemed purple. Jack could sense that this man was about to end the standoff. In a swift motion he ducked into a crouch and pulled Harrington down. In unison with the bald individual Jack yelled "Fire!"
Neil picked up his weapon and fired it at the guards, in that moment he remembered why he never worked in Security or Marines. He was a diplomate and nothing about this situation was diplomatic. For just a brief second Neil saw a figure at the back of the room. There was something about him that didn't settle right.
Upon hearing the order Brian Zapata and Raasur opened fire. Brian lived up to his name. His shots were quick and on target and two guards dropped. Raasur's normally mangled face pulled into a full snarl as he opened fire as well. If one did not know any better one may have thought that the Tellarite rather liked what went on.
Brina's shots were sure and concise as the enemy headed their way. While two more were dropped two more seemed to appear. "These guys are as bad as roaches right now." she groused. "Well they are worse as the darned people won't stop coming. "Okay lets clear the way for Jack and Top to get out of the way!!" Brina ramping up her attack and moving forward to where she wsa standing shoulder to shoulder with Zapata and Raasur.
"Maybe we need to utilize some bang on this to clear the way. Just to flush the rats out more!" Brina slinging her rifle to one side and palming a grenade. "Fire in the hole! she took aim and sent it flying to where it landed behind the incoming people. The idea was to have the small explosion be absorbed by the incoming foe.
While trying to keep an eye on the path behind them, Audie occasionally turned to take shots at the incoming enemy, taking a couple out before Brina called out that she was going to throw a grenade. That was liable to be messy, but the Starfleet crew would have to be ready to take advantage of the confusion to take out as many targets as they could.
With about half of their numbers dropping from well placed hits by the Marines. The attackers pushed their onslaught. They charged toward the intersection which gave Jack and the others one egress. It was not the best strategy and Patton knew it but if he wanted to keep his team alive he would have to proceed down the corridor and away from the attackers. He hoped he would be able to bottle neck them up at some point. "Keep firing and backpaddle. This way" He fired twice hitting the ceiling and hoped that the debris would slow the attackers down.
Raasur and Zapata held the line for the rest to retreat. Just as they were about to follow the rest of the team a shot hit Raasur in the shin and fell in pain. "Puumbaa you don't get out that easy..." Zapata said as he picked up his friend. "It is time for master blaster. I carry you shoot." Zapata handed the Tellarite his phaser. Raasur snarled and foamed at the mouth as he fired at the oncoming enemy.
Neil continued to fire, as he tried hard to keep up with the orders given. He found himself suddenly thinking that maybe this was a mistake. Perhaps it would have been better to just deal with Thorrin. He wasn't a Marine and he knew that he didn't belong here. He looked at Jack, "This is nuts," he told himself as he continued to fire, hoping he was making a difference.
Jack glanced at his friend as he fired a great shot which hit one of the guards in the head. "It always is nuts, it always is. We have to figure out a way to slow them down or bottle them up. I just wish I knew what direction to go. This place is a labyrinth."
Things were moving fast, and controlled chaos coursed through the corridor, but that was what Marines trained for, and Audie centered herself, focusing on the scene as a whole, so when Raasur went down, she made her way to him and Zapata, holstering her weapon for now as she shifted into 'medic mode'.
"Didn't anyone tell you to stay out of the way of phaser fire?" she quipped over the noise around them, moving with them as she slapped a pressure bandage over the open wound. It would do for now, and leave both men in the fight until there was the luxury of actually treating it.
Raasur roared at the enemy as he fired on full spread. The laugh that escaped his lips was maniacal. It could be said that the Tellarite either enjoyed himself or had gone somewhat insane. When the bandage was applied he gritted his teeth and spat. "Come on... I take your fire, I take your fire..." He screamed.
Brian kept his friend upright until Audie could get the job done. "Thanks Magic Hands. He is a lot heavier than he looks." Zapata leaned up against the wall to catch his breath. Sweat dripped down his head.
The blast from her grenade did send those that were impacted by it straight to Hell where they belonged but that wasn't stopping the onslaught of the other foes. Brina layed down a piercing hot range of shots mowing down a few, "Get a direction for us to go. We'll hold them here." She noted the area where Jack had fired, noting something else besides part of the ceiling having been done damage. There was a fracture that ran from Jack's first initial attack on the ceiling, if there were more attack on it, could bring down more of the ceiling cutting off more of those coming to kill them. She aimed and with the precision of a diamond cutter, Brina brought down more of the ceiling.
Once Raasur was taken care of for now, Audie pulled out her scanner, searching the areas around them for indications of Human life, when she got a hit.
"Hey!" she shouted, "I got something...that way!" She nodded in the direction they were already moving...
Brina turned to glance in the direction that Audie had indicated when she noticed something that looked like the barrel of a rifle, pointed towards someone! It was a quick reaction the sharp report of a weapon being fired, and a yelp of pain. The yelp came from Brina, who was clutching her side, a blossom of red forming beneath her fingers.
"Blast it I forgot how much that hurt!" Brina growled out through gritted teeth. "Someone shoot that jerk will ya!" Brina wasn't certain who the attacker was aiming for, whether it be Jack, Harrington or any of the others. She just had to stop it to get in the way of the shot.
"Great work Magic Hands. Fall back, repeat fall back. Magic Hands has the location. Keep it tight and make sure no one gets by you." Jack called out the orders to his team. This had gone from a break in to a war zone in a hurry. Jack followed the gaze of his XO and caught her idea. "Reaper take down the ceiling."
"With pleasure!" Zapata made the final shot that caved in the ceiling and cut the attackers off. At least now they had some breathing room.
Moving up beside Brina, Audie shook her head. "Can't trust any of you in a good fight!" she muttered with a grin. She'd stay near the Captain, knowing the only way Brina would step away from the action was if she physically had no choice, but Audie wanted to be close, just in case.
"Down that corridor," she called, "and then the first right." Hopefully, there was enough chaos that they could reach their target and get out.
"Say, Magic Fingers care to work your magic with me?" Brina giving a sort of grimacing smile, not daring to move her hand from hanging onto her side where she got hit. "It might be a through and through but it hurts like crazy." Brina whispered to Audie.
"Don't need you losing any stuffing!" Audie pulled a dermal scanner from her kit, then stopped beside Brina. "Let me at it...this'll keep anything important from coming out, but you'll need to get it taken care of once we're done here."
It only took a few seconds to run the device over the wound to seal it, then Audie asked, "You want something for the pain, too?" There would be some sedative qualities, so it was a matter of weighing which was worse -- pain or mild sedation...
"The pain will stop soon enough, I just didn't want to leak anymore." Brina giving a wincing smile. I need to still be in the game, don't want the pain killer to get in the way of that." She looked at Audie, then at the patched up wound "Thanks, we'll take care of the rest later on, and catch up with the others. Its feeling better now that the air's not making contact." Brina squaring her shoulders. "C'mon lets go."
Neil couldn't help but look down the corridor in the direction the Marine had indicated. For a brief second, he swore he could see a figure. Neil tucked in behind some sort of panel as the Marines went to work keeping their position safe. He was able to make out some of the details of the figure.
He could tell it was a female, but not much more. Fear took over for a second, as he realized he could be looking at Ana. Neil grabbed the closest functional tricorder and made his way down the corridor; leaving the Marines behind. If he was reading this correctly he wouldn't be alone too long. He tucked into an open doorway, hearing voices coming from the other side of the room. He suddenly regretted not bringing Jack with him.
Brina noticed that Harrington went slipping away disappearing out from her view. She moved in that direction, and growled, "Son of a- BlackJack where the hell did Harrington go?"
She remembered hearing about what happened earlier.
Jack ran his hand through his hair. Operations like this can never go according to plan, can they. he thought. "Right! Magic Hands lock on to the Captain's communicator and lets find him. Everything else will have to wait. Keep a tight perimeter and call your targets." Jack fell into step behind Audie and after a pause continued to speak. "Someone get a bell and put it around that man's neck."
"When we get back to the Herodotus I'll design one just for him" Brina groused slightly, feeling just a tad miffed. "Commander Letsul isn't going to like the fact that he's disappeared again."
"I got him," Audie declared, watching her PADD as she tracked the Captain. "Buster has a collar with a bell I can donate to the cause! He's that way." She nodded, then added, "Looks like he's maybe tracking someone?"
"Alright everyone follow Magic Hands. Reaper, you and Puumba take the rear and cover our tracks. Make sure no one gets the drop on us." Patton said and he fell in step behind Audie.
As they followed after Audie, Brina couldn't help thinking that she'll be glad when this is over and they were back to where they belong.
Lieutenant Colonel Jack "BlackJack" Patton
Commanding Officer, The Kingsmen
Strategic Operations Command
Poseidon Station
Second Lieutenant Erin "Sparks" Inferson
Platoon CO, "Swords"
Demolitions, The Kingsmen
Poseidon Station
Lance Corporal Brian "Reaper" Zapata
Rifleman, The Swords
The Kingsmen
Poseidon Station
Private First Class Raasur "Puumbaa"
Rifleman, The Swords
The Kingsmen
Poseidon Station
Captain Brina "Songbird" Tracy-Hall
Marine XO
The Kingsmen
Poseidon Station
Captain Neil Harrington
Commanding Officer
Poseidon Station
Sgt Audie Fitch
Medic, The Kingsmen
Buster's Mom
Poseidon Station
First Lieutenant Anthony "Spitfire" Hill
Platoon CO, The Castle
The Kingsmen
Poseidon Station
RSS Feed