07 - Zero Hour Takes Flight
Posted on Mon Oct 28th, 2024 @ 11:38pm by Commander Jenna Ramthorne & Remal Kajun & Captain Rhenora Kaylen
Mission:
The Beginning of the End
Location: Bajor
Timeline: Current-ish
Mountain path
Half the way up the path, Zio was making good time when a noise to her left caught her attention. First, a faint beeping garnered her attention and stopped her in her tracks. She immediately took on a defensive position, not knowing what to expect. Then another series of beeps surrounded her on all sides before a loud pop. Blue energy erupted from a series of traps, stunning Zio. She fell to the ground, unable to move, barely able to breathe as her muscles spasmed.
" Alpha team, we have one" the leader of the men guarding this region of forest announced. " She is unconscious, we will move her to the secure area"
Faro looked pleased " and so it begins. We will pick off their friends one at a time." She looked at her timepiece and paused. " Soon, her progression will begin. Most Bajoran women will move through the first phase in 12 hours. After that, as the moon nears its quarter point, the second phase will begin. The Fa will shift his attention entirely to her at this point as the active portion of the labour. We will have a window of 3 hours until the Emissary is born. This is the time when we must strike."
Un-Ceremonially dragged back to a holding area in the forest, her hands and feet were bound and her weapon removed. Zio woke minutes later to shouting and taunting along with a pair of guards standing over her. She quickly took in her surroundings, and her options for escape only to find them lacking.
"Oh look, she's awake. Just in time to see the end of her way of life." Laughed a foot soldier. Another laughed right along with him.
Non-gagged, she replied under her breath, "Don't you mean the end of all life?" They stopped laughing and she followed up with, "Oh, you didn't realize did you? If a Pah' Wraith takes their place in the Celestial Temple it will spell the end of not only Bajor's way of life, but likely half of the known galaxy?"
Their silence spoke volumes to what they did not know.
Shuttle
Jenna brought the Rubicon in low over the waters, heading straight for the cabin's location. She was monitoring the sensors, scanning ahead for a location to set down. A blip lit up the screen, and then thousands of individual life signs appeared before suddenly disappearing from the scanner. She hit the console expecting a glitch in the system. "Ugh, I can't get a lock. It's like a large bubble just surrounded the cabin. No transports, like an energy-dampening field of some sort. Whatever just went up is masking a small army and..." She reported. "I don't think we can land. I'm going to have to head for the village."
"Sounds like someone is planning a siege" Kira said dryly, slamming her console when the weapons went off-line with a spark.
" First rule of planning a raid, no-one gets in and they can't get out. Old school but very effective. Looks like their fears were right"
"Put us down in the village. We'll take them all out one at a time if we have to." Patin said, eager to begin the fight while already on the edge of her seat. "I'll take the center group while the two of you flank, no sweat."
Jenna tossed her a dirty glance, "Maybe in my youth. If there really was that many, we need help and you know it. "
"You two scout ahead, I'll head to the village and get whoever I can to help us. We need more intelligence on their numbers and their cause." Kira decided. Jenna would provide a little levity to Patin, who seemed just itching to blow something up.
Jenna nodded her agreement to the plan as she swung the shuttle around and eased her down on a Pad just on the edge of the village. A foot from the ground the shuttle suddenly dropped with a thud, exhausted from the trip.
Patin, to her credit, was already unbelted and standing, ready to bolt from the shuttle and get started. She moved to the exit door and commented aloud, "Try and keep up."
Jenna stood and gave Kira a look of concern before hilting her weapon and lowering the hatch, ready to run just as Patin.
"You can bet you're ass they've scrambled comms as well. Don't stop till you get to the cottage. I'll get there with as many hands as I can get as soon as I can." Kira nodded as they waited for the ramp to lower, her own weapon lowered and ready. "Good luck."
The ramp had not yet hit the ground when Patin leapt from the shuttle. Her foot barely hit the ground when she turned towards the hills, the forest and beyond, running like there was no tomorrow. Jenna, her enhanced muscles, found it was not difficult to catch up or maintain pace with the mighty small thing leading the charge. She admired Patin, for even in her old age, she ran like Jenna had done in her younger days. There was clearly something driving the woman, pushing her on.
The fight ahead would clearly be a difficult task. For Patin, the fight was a life long endless struggle for survival. Man versus man had become man versus self in the long run. For Jenna, she was born to endure struggle. Life was one conflict to another and she had grown familiar. Her last five years however, had been spent in solace reflecting on loss. Only muscle memory now could potentially save her. Together they were a formidable pairing and may the Prophets help anyone who stood in the way.
TBC
Captain Rhenora Kaylen
Commanding Officer, USS Sunfire
Commander Jenna Ramthorne
Chief Flight Control Officer & Mission Advisor, USS Sunfire
Remal Kajun
Counselor Aide, USS Sunfire
Husband of the Captain
Played By Commander Jenna Ramthorne
Patin
Friend of the Captain, USS Sunfire
Played By Commander Jenna Ramthorne
