Post by Scribe on Aug 29, 2009 0:05:30 GMT -5
ISHIYARA NOR COLONY
BAJORAN SYSTEM
Stardate: 017062168
“Yes Lieutenant,” Ren spoke into her communicator as she swept her gaze across the idyllic scene before her. Lush gardens surrounded her, with a manicured lawns and sweet smelling blooms. In the distance, she could see majestic looking temple structures reaching towards the blue sky. “You can tell Thing One that the place is full of gorgeous Amazon women who are sworn to celibacy but looking for just the right man to come rock their world.”
Ren exchanged a look with Cori and Mack, rolling her eyes.
The three women were conducting a routine patrol of the Ishiyara Nor colony, a sacred Bajoran commune that was female only, ensuring that the protective shield surrounding the facility was still functioning properly. Due to its remote location, the Bajoran government wanted to ensure that the commune was well guarded and had asked the Sharks to come take a look at its protective capability. Of course, this posed certain problems since men were forbidden to enter the facility and so Ren found herself leading a small team with the duo she had taken to calling 'Thelma and Louise'.
"Oh and tell him they're all wearing g-strings, too," Cori remarked, mostly for present company only and looked at Ren and her best friend over the top of her sunglasses. "Nothing but g-strings," she laughed, resting an arm on her phase rifle where it was slung around her neck. "That will get his boxers in a twist. You know, never in a million years did I think I'd be protecting a bunch of nuns. I mean, I'm surprised that temple we were shown last night didn't implode the moment I set foot in it," she said, sharing a look with Mack.
Mack laughed out loud as they walked through the topiary, surrounded by verdant animals carved out of bushes. “no kidding. Although they’re not technical nuns – they’re vedeks and they can do the nasty any time they like, they’re just here for purification purposes. I think there’s a male equivalent somewhere on the other side of the system or so Sean was saying.”
“You’re a riot Gunny,” Ren said into her communicator continuing her conversation with Derek Rickman “No I will not show them the ways of lace underwear. Look we’re going to check the defence grid and sure its secured. I’ll check in with in two hours? Okay, yes I’m terminating the channel now.” She growled. “Bye.”
Ren terminated the channel and shook her head. “I swear, as soon as men hear anything to do with women in a communal type situation the first thing that comes to their freaking mind is… harem.”
"Harem and lesbian sex," Cori reminded, shaking her head. "It's like hard-wired in their brain. I don't know why. I don't get all creamy over thoughts of two guys together," she said, eyeing Mack evilly. "You should actually pay attention when he speaks," she teased. "And not just pretend..."
“I listen to what he says,” Mack protested, “its just that he has such a pretty mouth…”
Ren rolled her eyes laughing, “thank God I’m married.”
Walking across the lawn, the three women were an odd sight carrying weapons and wearing combat armour. The Bajoran women did not speak much in their salmon coloured robes, however, bowed at the humans as they walked past in greeting. “I never thought I’d say this but I think I miss the guys,” Ren remarked. “Even Lorio and Anderson.”
"I don't like being bowed to," Cori said quietly. "Makes me feel like I should be carrying a sceptre and wearing a tiara," she said to the other women. "So have you heard from the Governor, Sarge? Kids okay? Teeth coming in the right places?" she grinned.
“Oh yeah,” Ren said breaking into a small enigmatic smile whenever it came to talk about the Governor and her children. For Ren it was still a bit different to be talking about him in public after all this time. They had kept their relationship hidden for as long as she could, well at least until Chrissie was made. “Made me read them a bed time story so I’d feel especially guilty about being here.” She joked.
“I still can’t believe you’re here,” Mack shook her head staring at the woman. “I mean two kids at home, the Governor’s wife? I’d be talking it easy.” The young woman remarked bowing at another Vedek bowing as they walked past. “Yeah I see what you mean.” She said to Cori.
"Do we have to bow to them?" Cori asked Ren out of the side of her mouth. "Bedtime stories are the best and please," she said, giving the Sarge a look. "Please don't feel guilty. They have a lot to proud of in you," she said.
“No,” Ren shook her head and instead nodded slightly toward a passing vedek in demonstration. The woman took the gesture for what it was and kept walking. “That ought to do.” She remarked before turning to her conversation with Mack.
"I do feel a little but every able bodied soldier is needed for this war. Gabe knows that better than anyone.” She explained even though there had been some interesting discussion before she had signed on again. “Okay, I think we do a walk around of the colony perimeter and make sure the shield generators are all functioning.” Unfortunately, with the power demands of the device, it could not be activated all the time and was only raised if an eminent threat was discerned.
Cori grinned at her nickname and patted the small pack around her waist. "I've got the testing unit," she said. "Are these the same types Gaia uses for the MULKs?" she asked, thinking she'd heard that somewhere. Maybe Luke..? Maybe. There were days when he talked for hours about sometimes very complicated things. "You ready, Mack?"
“These are a little more complicated,” Ren explained. “Bajoran technology is a bit further along from us. However, they’re a sheltered race with not much contact with the galactic community and largely pacifists most of them.”
Leaving behind the manicured gardens and lovely temple estate, Ren led the two across the grassy outskirts of the commune. This was a pretty world and the only reason it wasn’t more populated was because it sat on virtually the rim of Bajoran space, facing the great unknown of the Delphic Expanse.
“So Thelma and Louise,” Ren said to the two. “Either of you nailed Thing One and Two yet?” She asked with a slight smirk.
Mack burst out laughing. “Not yet, I think he’s still getting used to the idea that I like him instead of his brother." Sean had something of an inferiority complex when it came to Luke, although Mack couldn't understand why. Both were like chalk and cheese. Totally different.
"They wish," Cori answered on the heels of Mack's. "She and Sean make googly eyes at each other all day long. Mack, I'm telling you, you're gonna have to make the first move. And that means," she said for Ren's benefit. "He's off limits to me and no way in HELL on Luke." Enough said.
“Oh yeah that boy’s a handful of trouble and I thought Gunny was bad back in the day,” Ren laughed recalling Derick Rickman pre-Sloane McRae. “He had an impressive casualty rate for someone without a gun.” She smirked.
“Yeah,” Mack had to agree. “He is hot.” Hey the Lieutenant was older but he was still cute.
"Yeah he is," Cori nodded. "I swear the entire barracks building rises and falls with all the sighs once he's done with inspection," she sniggered.
“Oh Jeez,” Ren shook her head, chuckling at the concept when something made the hair on the back of her neck stand. “Hold,” she lifted her hand up and told the duo to stand firm.
They were out in the open, across a stretch of field. The closest object to them was a cluster of boulders, covered in green moss. Ren listened to the silence, hearing at first birds and breeze and then it came, a light drone, something not natural but mechanical. Rising in pitch….coming from above. The Xindi ship appeared from directly above, making a vertical descent until it hit the atmosphere, than angled of and started towards them, making a strafing run.
“RUN!” She ordered as the first of the blasts hit the dirt and sent soil and vegetation in all direction. “Go for the rocks!”
It wasn’t much cover but it would do for now.
Mack had never seen a reptilian ship before but she knew them by sight from descriptions. Bursting into a run, she made for the rocks, checking to see where Cori was.
"Shit!!" Cori didn't need to be told twice and broke into a run, right behind her friends. Diving nearly head first behind the rocks, Cori buried her head and face in her arms as all three women were showered in rock, sand and flowers. Her head popped up instantly as she scrambled into a position where she could do some damage. "It's the lizards, Sarge!"
There were screams coming from somewhere, Cori could hear them from somewhere over her left. She glanced over her shoulder to where a group of the Peaches had taken refuge under a tree.
The small dart continued its strafing run, chasing them into the boulders before it veered off to go after the Vedek’s at the tree. “Take cover,” Ren ordered and then strode out from behind the rock. The reptilian ship was facing away from her and Ren unslung her rifle and took aim. She took a full thirty seconds to line up the shot, the barrel of the gun following the trajectory of the ship, as she lined it up in the crosshairs before pulling the trigger.
The volley of shots hit one and twice across the hull. The third struck an engine and caused it to burst into flames, veering off sharply before it hit the ground in the horizon somewhere and exploded.
“Thelma, Louise!” She barked, check on the Vedeks. That was a dart, a short ranged fighter that was seldom alone. There were more of these.
"On it!" Shooting to her feet, she nearly dragged Mack to hers. "Come on..." Pelting across the open ground, with the confidence that her friend was right behind her, Cori came to a halt beside the small group of women. "Hey, everyone okay?" she said, shrugging out of her pack to find the medkit.
Mack followed Cori closely as they went to see after the women huddled near the tree for shelter, for all the good it was worth. The reptilian would have taken them a part in seconds. They were mostly unhurt but appeared somewhat shocked. A few had cuts and scrapes.
Meanwhile, Ren was on the communicator to Derick.
“Lieutenant,” she spoke, “we have a situation.”
Handing over some bandages and other items, Cori indicated two of the women. "Mack, can you look after them?" she asked, kneeling beside one of the Bajorans.
At the small base they'd set up outside of 'Promised Land', Derick had just sat down at the small chow hall, across from Thing One and Thing Two, Crossman and the rest. "This is Rickman, what's the problem, Sergeant? They decide they want men and are threatening mutiny?" he said, grinning across the table at the twins.
Smart ass, Ren thought. “Well we do have a male problem Gunny,” she called him that when they were joking or when she thought he was being a moron. More often it was the latter. Like now. “A Xindi reptilian problem. I just took out a dart that was about to hit the colony, I suspect it isn't alone. I think they’re going to take the colony.”
"Christ," Derick stood up immediately, tray forgotten as he motioned to the team. "Roger that, Sergeant," he replied, all business now. "See if you can't get those shields up and get someone to sound the EVAC alarm. They need to be in the temple, down in the crypts, understood?"
Frowning at Anderson, who was waving him down, Derick let off the comm unit. "What?"
"Ion storm in the atmo, L.T., everyone's grounded," he replied. "Took out flight control, ETA two hours," he said.
"Fuck and an hour on top of that to get there," Derick grumbled to himself. "Richards, flight is a no-go right now, ETA three hours at best."
“Three fucking hours?” Ren swore out loud and then didn’t speak for a few seconds because she saw more darts appearing in the sky flying towards the colony. “Then its going to be interesting. I see at least three bogeys heading in.” Taking a deep breath, she steadied and self and formulated some kind of plan before addressing Derick again. “We’ll try and do what we can; if we have to I’ll get Mack to throw her g-string at them. It works on our boys.”
Derick snorted. "Use it as a slingshot, just stay alive. Get that alarm sounded, we'll be there ASAP!" He cut the connection. "On your feet, boys. Our girls need us and not in the way you're thinking, Thing One," he said. "Anderson. Get the Major on the horn. See if he can't clear us to leave out earlier. If we stay under the ceiling, we might be able to skirt the storm and break atmo."
Ending the call, Ren strode over to the group, certain that Mack and Cori had seen what she had. “We’ve got to activate that defence shield.” She spoke, relaying Derick’s orders. To the group of women, she said, “is there anywhere you can hide out here?”
“Yes, yes, Vedek Ninan nodded. "There is an old temple two miles in that direction. It is quite remote.”
“Good,” Ren nodded. “Get over there, we…” she looked at Cori and Mack, “need to go deal with this.” She regarded the direction the darts had gone.
"Just keep pressure on that for the time being," Cori told the younger Vedek she was treating. "And get to that temple," she said, getting to her feet. Not for the first time, she actually wished Luke was here. "Where do we start?"
“You two,” Ren said to Mack and Cori, “I need you to get to the town square, raise the alarm. There are bunkers beneath the temples, get them down there and then meet me at the northwest relay. I’m going to try and make it to the security checkpoint.”
"Alright," Cori nodded, glancing at Mack. "Just be careful okay? I plan on a career as a shark," she ribbed and threw the Sergeant a grin. "Alright... Mack Attack, let's go..."
“You see a Xindi, do not engage unless you have to,” Ren replied. “I want to keep our presence quiet for as long as we can.”
“Yeah Sergeant,” Mack nodded, hip to that strategy. “Let’s go.” She replied and followed Cori as they started jogging back towards the colony proper.
The run didn't take too long and as they entered the main gate, Cori indicated the High Vedek's office. or head vedek or whatever. Women were already crowding around it. "Let's start there first, they would have heard that explosion, I'm sure," she said, heading over to it.
Mack agreed, quick timing it to the Vedek Mother’s chamber where a number of acolytes were gathered. The woman who ran the place, a weathered but somewhat knowledgeable type, saw the approach of the two Sharks and immediately pushed through. “What’s happened?”
“The Xindi are here,” Mack declared not mincing words because they needed to know how bad the situation was to move their asses. “Raise the evacuation alarm and get to the bunkers. We’re going to have company soon.”
“They have come for the Orb of Destiny,” Vedek Mother Kira declared. “We cannot allow them to have it.”
"Oh great," Cori remarked dryly. "Those Orbs are nothing but trouble," she grumbled, having sent pictures of the thing to Luke when she discovered one here before turning back to the Vedek Mother. "Well, get the orb and let's..." A deep bass concussion rocked the entire building, shaking down dust onto the women like a salt shaker.
Coughing slightly, Cori glanced from the ceiling to Mack worriedly. "Vedek Mother, " Turning her attention to the older woman."She's right, we saw the dart. Please, you and the others have to get into the bunkers. Seal the blast doors, we've got a message to our people but they're delayed," she told her. "Now, I'll apologize later, do hail maries or something but you've got to start giving orders to these ladies or I will. Get the alarm sounded, now." And they said she shouldn't be so bossy.
Well, Luke said. And like she'd told him, she'd rather be bossy than dead.
The woman was somewhat shaken by what was transpiring and was grateful to take the instruction, "yes, yes," she nodded and looked to one of her acolytes. "Mysa, Winn, please, please get your sisters to the bunkers."
"Yes Vedek mother," the woman answered obediently and some quickly mobilised herself and her sisters into action, "the Orb of Destiny lies in the west wing. Will you be able to find it?"
Mack glanced at Cori, "You know what this things looks like?"
"Unfortunately." Great. The Orb of Destiny? Why couldn't it be an Orb of Warm Beach or Orb of Jack Daniels?? Forgetting that for now, Cori squeezed the arm of the acolyte speaking to her. "We'll make sure it's safe, okay? Just get everyone into the bunkers and get those alarms sounding!" she said. The young woman nodded and turned her attention back to the Vedek Mother.
Turning to Mack, Cori rolled her eyes. "I'm so glad you, me and the Sarge aren't the only ones with balls. Come on," she said, heading off at a brisk pace. "It's in a carved box. I think we can move it but whatever you do, keep the lid ON," she said as they approached the large intersecting courtyard of the temple. The west wing was all together too sacred for Cori's liking. The one time she'd gone in there, it was like the eyes of all of those statues and paintings of past Vedek Mothers were staring at her. Like they knew something she didn't and god, she hated that. "I think I know where it is in that wing. We'll need to hide it and go find the Sarge. I don't like leaving her out on her own."
"Cool," Mack replied, happy to take Cori's lead on this. She knew something of the Orbs, having heard the details of Cori's last encounter with one. "So why are they coming here?" She asked as they ran through the halls, leaving the Vedek Mother's chamber behind just as a loud braying sound was heard throughout the place, the evacuation order being given.
Glaring at the ceiling in general, Cori gave Mack a disgusted look. "That is the worst alarm ever," she griped, hurrying them both across the courtyard. Once on the other side and through the heavy wooden doors, Cori hurried down the hall to the first door. "I don't know. Luke said something once about how those stupid things generate tons of juice. What I want to know," she said, trying the handles. "Is how the Vedek Mother knows they're after the orb? Here, I think this is where I saw it."
"Oh I can't figure out these Bajorans," Mack explained. "Its like they've got some kind of special radar about things. They're always talking in riddles." It was downright creepy.
Across the courtyard and down the hallway being framed by ornate arches and columns, Mack felt like she was running in church and really should be more polite about it. Through a window, she saw at least three reptilian darts coming over the skies. "Christ..." Mack replied. "We are so screwed."
Following her gaze, Cori groaned. "And how much you want to be they won't buy dinner? Come on," she said, hurrying into the room. "I think it was near..." Studying the paintings, she spotted the one in question. "That one. Vedek Mother Supreme Kisma or something like that." Cori just wasn't good at translating crap like that. All she knew was that this Kisma looked at her... well, it wasn't smug but it still unnerved her. Like this woman from four hundred years ago could see right into her. Kind of like the twins' mom did. That, she saw everything Cori was and had been... and could be. And now that she knew this woman's photograph hung over the Orb of Destiny, well that weirded Cori out in all kinds of ways.
A shudder swept through her and Cori shook it off, pointing to the ornately carved box under it. "That's it. With the exception of some of the pictographs, it looks just like the one Luke found on Ravenor."
"God I wish he were here," Mack replied, "because then he'd be stuck with those bastards and we would be somewhere else." Of course, she wouldn't wish that on anyone but this was the first time, she'd come face to face with Xindi and Mac didn't deny she was maybe a little frightened.
*******
Meanwhile Ren had quick timed it to the first relay and realise that what the reptilians had been trying to do was to knock out all the relay posts before they could activate the shield. Without the posts, the protective net around the commune could not establish itself and upon seeing the first one destroyed, no doubt the handiwork of the ship that had tried to take them out earlier, Ren raced towards the secure bunker where the net could be activated. The immense power output it utilised meant that it could not be turned on or even left idling. Whenever it was turned on, it was via a cold start method.
Racing at top speed, she saw the darts heading towards their targets and almost skidded through the door of the bunker. The evacuation signal had started screaming throughout the colony so Ren knew Thelma and Louise had made it. Heart pounding, she got into the bunker and ran to the console. The automated machinery showed her that a third of the relays had been knocked out. However, shield integrity could still be maintained. At the console, she worked rapidly, punching in keys, all three of them had familiarized themselves with the system before this, Ren activated the shield.
"Deflector shield initiated."
****
"Okay, we need to put it someplace that will stifle the energy signature, like... dilithium," Cori told Mack, looking up at her. "Mack?" Calling her name softly, Cori reached out to grab her friend's arm. Her best friend that she could read like a kindergarten primer. McKenzie, who went headlong into everything right along side Cori and who hardly ever showed fear outside of her presence. Her friend was scared and rightfully so. Reaching out, she put an arm around her shoulders. Mack never had to ask, Cori never guessed, the two women were that close. More than blood, they were two parts of the same soul. "We'll make it, okay?" she smiled encouragingly.
Mack nodded, trying not to be nervous. In truth, Cori was a MACO only a little longer than her but Mack hadn’t shot anyone or seen any real action. “I’ll be fine, just give me a nudge if I drag my heels okay?”
"You bet I'll kick your ass," Cori grinned and grabbed up a handle on the box. "Come on, let's go catch Sister Mysa Hazel or whatever her name is."
The box was heavy but not so much the two young women couldn't manage to tote the thing out into the hall and out into courtyard. Looking up, Cori let out a triumphant whoop when she saw the shimmery glean against the sky. "Sarge did it!" she grinned.
Just as a dart zoomed by overhead.
"Oh shit, let's go!"
*******
Ren was still in the bunker when the shield generator activated with a hum, sending the force field rising around the commune. She let out a sigh of relief at least that was one thing when suddenly she saw an explosion on one of the screens. A dart had been sliced in half by the force field, being unfortunate to been in its path during its ascension. However, it appeared that three other darts were still inside the force field.
Trapped.
“Oh crap.” She muttered.
This was going to be a long three hours.
Ren stared at the screen and saw three reptilian darts moving within the confined space of the commune, seeking a way out and upon discovering there was not, had activated landing struts. Shit, those things were going to be on the ground in a matter of minutes. Trying to decide a course of action, Ren contacted Derick again, needing him to be aware how dire the situation was. However, she had a plan, such as it was.
“Lieutenant,” she spoke into the communicator, “we’ve raised shields but there are three bogeys trapped in here with us. They’re coming in for a landing. They’re almost certainly going to try and lower the shield to rest the others in so me, Hartwood and Brook are going to have to hold the bunker until you guys get here.”
*******
Out on the landing tarmac, waiting for Tom to argue his way into getting the clearance, Derick frowned as he received the message, loud and clear. "Roger that," he answered, face hardening, wishing they'd had been able to fortify that damn place. The Bajorans had ruled it out. Well, that was a real smart decision, wasn't it? "We'll be there as soon as we can," he told her. He cut the connection then and immediately raised Tom. "Colonel, the situation just went from bad to worse. We need that clearance!"
*******
"Vedek Mysa!" Cori called once the two girls had brought the Orb into the hall. Further down, the young woman turned and Cori continued. "Here, get this down in the bunker with you," she ordered and pulled her communicator off her belt. "What's your status, Richards?" she called, not using rank. Better not to give anyone ideas.
Ren switched to a secure channel to address Cori, just in case the enemy was picking up their transmissions. “The shield is up but we’ve got three ships trapped in here with us. They’re about to land so very soon this place is going to be ugly with fucking lizards. Secure the Peaches in their shelter. Those blast doors are five inches thick, the enemy is not going to be able to cut through in three hours and our boys will be here by then. Secure them and head towards the bunker, bring every bit of ordinance you can carry.”
"Roger that," Cori answered, glancing at the last of the 'Peaches' hurrying down the narrow, curved stairwell that disappeared under the temple to a passageway that led to the crypts. Hurrying down the stairs, Cori motioned to Mack as she continued talking to Ren. "The Orb is being secured as we speak. Be there shortly." She closed the unit and turned to Mack, just as the last of the young acolytes rushed up behind them. "Alright, you all know the drill," Cori said loudly addressing the women. "We're shutting the door and we have backup on the way. They'll know where to find you, okay?"
"Of course," the one called Mysa replied, reaching a hand out to both women. "May the Prophets protect you and guide you," she said.
About to say something, Cori stopped, honestly surprised to see all the heads nodding behind the Vedek's assistant. "Uh..." She looked at Mack, slightly unnerved by the attention. "Thanks. Now come on, in you go," she ordered, waving the women back as Mack took the one door and she took the other.
Together, they pushed the massive doors shut and Cori waited long enough to hear the massive locking pins sliding into place from the inside wheel. "That was weird," she told her friend and checked her phase rifle. "You ready?" she asked. "Our quarters are on the way, we can get everything out of there. If those ships are darts, they crew up to five apiece so we're already talking 10 maybe 15 lizards, so I'm talking everything," she said, already heading back toward the stairs. "If they're bigger, well... We'll need it anyway. They could already be on the ground so you know the rules, okay?" she smiled at Mack encouragingly.
“Yeah, shoot to kill and don’t spare the change,” Mack nodded as the door slammed shut and the two of them jogged towards the guest chambers where they had been bunking since arriving here. The ordinance that the Sarge spoke of were power packs and concussion grenades. Like Cori, she was already thinking on Ren’s words. Fifteen lizards on the ground with only one thing on their minds, getting that shield down to let the rest of their buddies in.
This was not good.
Arriving at the chamber, neither wasted time in gathering the equipment needed. Time was of the essence, it was likely the Reptilians knew that not all of Ishiyara’s residents were pacifistic because someone had to be responsible for bringing down that dart. However, whether they knew it was MACOs, remained to be seen. The reptilians in particular, like most Xindi had a particular dislike for humans and they were not going to take prisoners so for Ren, herself and Cori, it was due or die.
In a few minutes, everything was collected and Mack looked at Cori. “Done!”
"Same here, awesome." Cori slung the strap of the bag she'd filled over her head and across a shoulder. "Alright, let's go..."
Heading back out the door, she led the way towards the bunker. Inside the compound, that trip meant ducking down this alley and that one, one of several routes to the bunker the three women had made themselves familiar with. Both Mack and Cori were on high alert, stopping at each corner to peer around it, providing cover for each other when they broke out across a larger expanse. As much as they were talkative, even gregarious spirits, the only communication between them now were nods of the head and hand signals.
Almost fifty feet from the bunker, Cori edged up to the last corner, one of the last obstacles. Her turn now, she would check and if clear, Mack would go and she would cover her friend. Her back against the brick, she held her rifle at the ready and leaned forward, peeking around the corner. "SHIT," was the only warning Cori had time to give as she nearly fell back against Mack, right before a sickly green plasma volley impacted against the opposite wall of the alley. "Go!!" she hissed, shoving at Mack. "Find cover, they're coming!"
The friendship they had shared most of their lives had allowed for Mack and Cori’s non verbal communication to become far sharper than most and even as Cori felt back, almost tagged by the plasma bolt, Mack was already moving to cover her. Fortunately, Cori’s instruction of a tactical retreat was something Mack was not going to argue with.
They were in something of a courtyard with two points of entry and Mack hurried back they way the came, preparing to take the alternate route out to the bunker when suddenly a blast of energy whizzed past her shoulder, so close it almost singe the shoulder pad of her armour. The reptilians had apparently scouted the location. “Cori, watch out!” She shouted as she raise her weapon to fire, laying down a series of blasts that allowed the both of them to take refuge behind the thick columns that ran across the courtyard.
Another round from the approaching Xindi pockmarked the column Cori was behind. Glancing past it, she dropped to one knee and opened fire on the advancing reptiloids. Four of them... make that three... "Nice shot!" she called, digging into the rucksack. "I'm letting loose!" Cori called, popping the primer on the concussion grenade. "Cover me!" Hours spent with the twins ensured she didn't throw like a girl anymore and the grenade went straight and true, exploding practically above the heads of the Xindi.
The enemy went down in a heap; send them about being swatted away like flies by the power of the blasts. As the smoke cleared only bodies remained but their margin for getting to the bunker was narrowing, the others would have surely heard that commotion and were on their way, if not already. “Come on,” she called to Cori, “we’ve gotta go!”
Running up the way they came, Mack heard Sarge on the communicator. “Mack! Cori! What the hells going on!”
“We’re on our way!” Mack shouted into it, “and we’re coming in hot!”
Ren’s voice was very calm. “Acknowledged. See you in two.”
"Hot my ass!" Cori said, levelling her rifle in the direction of the dead Xindis. "Backup's here!" she said, opening fire on the fresh faces running into the clearing. One of the reptilians pointed at her and his weapon followed real shortly. "Shit!" Ducking from the heat that she swore singed some hair; Cori was forced down another alley by a barrage of shots that never quite hit her. And not, Cori realized, because the alien was a bad shot. He was herding her.
Shit. Shit... SHIT.
*******
Ren set the authorization code for the bunker entrance and headed out, plasma rifle in hand, ready to engage. She honed in her tricorder in on the location of that last signal and saw that there were at least four life signs shooting the hell out of a courtyard where her two charges were. They didn’t call her Den Mother for nothing and like the She-Wolf she was ready to kill.
*******
Mack saw that Cori was being driven and in a blind surge of panic tried to cover her friend, aware what the tactic was attempting to do. They would be waiting for her. Flinging a grenade in the direction of the Lizard driving her, he wasn't in range but the blast shattered a window sending glass in all directions, forcing to fall back.
"Cori, get out of there!"
"What about my hair??!" Cori shouted from across the way, unable to really hear Mack over the second explosion. What in the hell about her hair?? Still, she wasn't stupid to the advantage she had now and broke cover for Mack's position.
Just as she did so, several blasts trailed her feet in rapid succession, spraying up dirt and grass everywhere, all over Cori. "Come on!" she yelled, pointing down the opposite alley.
Mack rolled her eyes and came out of her hiding place, providing cover for Cori who for some damn reason was shouting about hair? At a time like this? She couldn't care less if she died with bad hair, dying with doing Sean once... now that would suck.
As soon as her friend was by her side, they started running for the opening, almost crossing the distance when Ren stepped out and started volleying shot past them, providing cover fire to the reptilians to cover their backs.
"Damn glad to see you, Sarge!" Cori called as she joined the redhead, opening fire on the advancing
Xindi. Something caught the corner of her vision and she turned, automatically opening fire on the Xindi she could see creeping through the tree line. "Contact left!" she hollered. Another blast hit the wall behind her, spraying bits of molten steel across Cori's back. Cursing, she opened fire again. "We need to get inside Sarge!!"
"No shit," Ren snorted, lifting her plasma rifle to unleash another barrage, waving the two young women past her, "head towards the bunker. Authorisation Code to enter THRICE!" With that she began firing, sending volley after volley at the advancing Xindi, driving them back into the alley from which they were attempting to emerge.
"THRICE?" Mack asked, "what is it with that number?"
"Apparently, it's her favourite!" Cori retorted. "SARGE!!! Move your round the world ass!!" she
bellowed back at Ren. "Come on," she told Mack. "Let's give her some cover."
"WHAT?" Ren looked over her shoulder before a shot from a plasma gun had her running. As Thelma and Louise lay down suppressing fire, Ren caught up with them and it was a running battle all the way to the bunker which was fortunately still secured. Reaching the door, she stabbed at the key pad, entering the authorisation code which made the doors slid open. "Get in there!" She ordered the two as she stood at the door way, firing.
Mack didn't waste time, dragging Cori along as they entered the bunker, escaping the furious shots. Once inside, she yelled at Ren, "Sarge!"
"That includes you, Sarge!"
Cori retorted, running back for the redhead. A noise from above caught her attention and she looked up. Whatever it was, it wasn't big... but it was armed. "Ren!" One hand in her friend's harness, Cori yanked her out of the path of the incoming volley and slammed a hand on the door controls. The heavy steel blast doors slid shut immediately, leaving them in very loud silence. "What the hell was that thing? Looked like some kind of rat!"
Ren shook her head as she stumbled back into the bunker. "I have no fucking idea, never seen that before. Then again, after Kilshara, Christ knows what they got."
As the doors were closed they could hear it shudder and shudder, the enemy trying to breach it. "That' should hold them for awhile." Ren told Cori and Mack.
"I don't think for long," Mack declared, still staring at the door.
"It'll hold," Cori nodded with determination, as if will power alone could make the door stronger. "We should get a status on the guys though, just in case," she said, looking at Ren. "WHOA!!" Nearly jumping, Cori whipped her sidearm out of its holster. Behind the sergeant was another of those mini-bugs. "How the hell did it get in?!" she griped, arm not wavering.
"Bugs," Ren cursed. "The Xindi used some of these things to breach contained areas, we've been seeing it more and more since Kilshara...quiet." She said holding her hand out for them to be silent. "Hear that?"
Despite the thudding at the door, there was something else. Something skittering across a hard surface. On the roof, in the walls. "Oh hell..."
Ren reached for her communicator and contacted Derick again. "Just so you know...they've got bugs so to not put a finer point to it, GET THE FUCK HERE!" Ren hollered.
That noise was horrible, right out of a horror vid. The one Cori held her phaser on just sat there, watching them as they watched it, little feelers twitching the only sign of movement.
Like it was waiting for backup, too.
The door seemed to shudder, drawing Cori's attention. "Shit." She looked over to Ren, meeting her eyes just before she looked up. "Above you!" Swinging her gun around, she fired at the bug poised
to jump onto Ren from an open ceiling tile. The blast disintegrated the little fucker into chunks? Cori
didn't have time to elaborate though because two more appeared in it's place. "Oh fuck, we're in trouble," she said, as the three air vents in the room popped open and a ceiling tile or two burst into pieces.
Chunky bits splattered but instead of remaining a stain, but these things kept coming. Like a hydra, the more you blasted them, the more they came. The thing were small highly manoeuvrable and no doubt deadly, they sprung at Mack who immediately ducked, firing at it as it flew above her. It rained fragment all across the floor and Mack skidded away to get out of the way.
Ren looked around, seeking something to block one of the vents, trying to prevent the things from pouring through the openings. "Try and seal the vents" She shouted. Easier said then done since she was stuck between that action and keeping the things from leaping at her.
"Maybe we can melt 'em?" Cori said, setting the charge on her phaser to full. "Melt the grate, seal it to the wall?" she asked Ren and yanked open the nearest cabinet.
Nothing. Going into the nearest one, she found... "Office supplies? What am I supposed to do, write 'em a memo?!" she griped.
"Ask them real nice to go away!" Ren retorted, as she blasted another one while looking for something else to brace against the wall. "Good idea!" Ren shouted, "keep your phaser setting low so we can get a controlled burn! Mack, you deal with strays while she's doing that!"
"Right," Mack made her way to Cori's side as one of the things sprang, she slammed the butt of her rifle at it and flung it against the wall, before firing. "We better do this fast!" She said as more of them came in.
Changing the phaser setting, Cori aimed it at the closest vent. "I knew I should have taken welding in school," she told Mack, lowering the steady beam to see if it was working. Thankfully, it was. She could already see the metal starting to waffle. "I need another phaser, so I can do this double barrel!" she told the other two.
"Here," Mack handed her the small hand phaser she had tucked in her kit, "it's the best that you can do in a pinch..!" One the things skittered across the floor at her and Mack turned away long enough to have the phaser bolt flatten it across the floor in a big gooey splat. "Oh so gross!"
Ren was standing in front of the vent now, trying to keep pace with killing them as soon as they climbed out, spindly legs emerging like a hand with too many fingers. "Those guys had better get here fast!" She grumbled, noting the energy settings on her phase rifle. It was slowly decreasing.
"Well all you had to do..." Cori growled, shifting to get a better angle on the now sealing grates. "Was tell Luke you'd blow him, Sarge. He'd be here already," she said, lowering the phasers again to check her work. "That one's done," she said, glad she had gloves on. The heat from the phasers could already be felt.
"Oh I don't think it's me he wants that from!" Ren shouted. As one of the thing dropped onto a console and Ren had little choice but to cross the floor and swat it away. She couldn't risk opening fire on the creature while it was on the floor. "These are like those shredders we got on Gaia!" She said before blasting the thing to bits.
"They have these things on Gaia!" Mack exclaimed. "Where!"
Going to work on the second grid, Cori just didn't want to know about big bugs on Gaia. She'd never sleep outdoors again. Even with a rifle and a squad of big, burly men. Near her, the big door shuddered and Cori glanced over it, not liking the way the metal seemed striated along the edge. "Uh...Sarge?! We're gonna have company sooner than later, I think..."
It took a second for Ren to realise what they had been doing. "Shit," she cursed. "They're trying to distract us with these things while they cut through! Mack take over here!" Ren ordered, hurrying towards the door. She thought quickly about what to do and then remembered something Major Merrick had done. Smashing at one of the panels near the door, she dug her fingers into the mess of wires and performed a bit of surgery, using a field knife. Hissing at points when her gloved hand touched open wires, Ren ignored the pain that was reflected by slight twitches and fused wires that were never meant to me together.
The noise at the door stopped abruptly.
"Electrified the door," she replied. "But that's not going to hold them for long. An hour maybe."
"That's something," Cori replied. "Used to be, an hour suited me just fine," she threw a smirk at Mack. "I'm halfway done on this grate, Sarge," she added.
"Thank Christ!" Mack declared, continuing to fire at the orifice Ren had vacated in an effort to fortify
the door.
Ren took over and gestured to Mack to join Cori, wanting that second grate sealed as soon as possible.
"Here, careful it's hot!" Cori said, returning Mack's phaser to her. "You finish that one; I'll get to work on the third one... Sarge, behind you!!" she called out, firing above and to Ren's right where one of the critters looked poised to ninja the red-head.
Ren swung around and without missing a beat, took aim and shot it to hell while the thing was still in mid air. Goopy muck splattering against the floor.
"You okay sarge?" Mack asked, taking up Cori's place to seal the grate.
*******
"Thing Two! Anything from the monastery?!" Derick called out, nearly wearing a hole in the tarmac outside the troop shuttle as he paced back and forth.
"No sir!" Sean returned from the cockpit of the shuttle where he was attempting to raise the sergeant on the comms. "Nothing but static... I can hear something, like shouting but can't make out the words," he told his brother, who stood next to him, fully kitted out as he was.
"Goddammit," Derick growled, snapping open his comm device. "Major, we got an ETA on lift off yet?"
"Yeah," Tom Merrick said from his office where he had been yelling something fierce at the Bajorans, telling them if he didn't get clearance, he was going to go up to the guy holding it and rip off his sac. Strangely enough after that, they'd been quite helpful. "You good to go! Get your bloody arse in the air."
"Its damn orb," Luke grumbled, recalling the pictures that Cori had sent him a few days ago. "Ten to one, that's what they're after!"
"Roger that, sir," Derick replied, turning on his heel. "Let's rock and roll!!" he bellowed, jogging up the ramp. That shout, as it was supposed to, got the rest of the squad on their feet. None of them wanted anything to happen to their girls of course so the wait had every one of them jumpy and ready to go when Derick yelled. The pilot was ready to go too, evidenced by the jet turbines roaring to life even before the ramp was fully shut.
The lieutenant's heavy footfalls prompted Sean to get out of his seat but as Derick strode into the cockpit, he waved him down. "Sit. Try and get them on comms. Thing One, find a place and park it. I'm sure your girlfriends will be fine." Yeah, he just needed to believe that too.
"Right," he nodded, going to the nearest com port on the shuttle and started trying to increase gain. With a burst of static, the only sounds they could hear were gunfire, loud staccato rhythms that masked the voices. "Got them…" he started to say and then suddenly there was nothing. A complete black out. "Sarge!" he shouted. "Sarge!"
No one was listening.
"Fuck... Lieutenant," Derick said, worriedly glancing at the now silent comms.
"I'll get us there as fast as I can," the pilot said with a nod.
Sean glanced over at Luke, worry written all over his face. He couldn't be certain but that last shout sounded a lot like Kenzie.
"Hey, don't you worry, Randolph." Sean looked up to find Lorio giving him a thumbs up from the back. "Sarge won't let anything happen to the girls."
Luke didn’t comment but he did wonder who was going to keep anything from happening to the Sarge?
*******
"You okay sarge?" Mack asked, taking up Cori's place to seal the grate.
“I’m good,” Ren looked over her shoulder. “How’s that grate going?” She asked.
"They're going," Cori replied, glancing back at her. On the other side of the grate, she could hear the things going frantic to get in. She almost sighed in relief. Almost, because as she started to, the phaser in her hand sputtered out. "Crap. Power pack's gone," she said, ejecting it and reached for the bags she and Mack had brought. "Is it me or these new power packs short-timing on us?" Loading up the second one, Cori went back to work on the third grate. Catching Mack's glance, she threw a wink at her friend.
Mack smiled back, feeling grateful that at least she had her friend here. With two grates closed, Ren hollered at the two. “I need another power pack.”
"Heads up!" Cori replied, digging one out of her pack and tossing it over to Ren. "How long did you say the door would hold? Can we get a signal through it?"
Ren caught it with one hand and slapped it into place, sighing with relief when she saw the energy readings go back up on her phase rifle. “We should.” Ren replied. “It was only supposed to electrify the door.”
"Good," Cori replied, nodding. "Too much stuff about EM running around in my head," she said.
*******
"Any signal yet?" Sean asked, though he'd sat right next to his brother the entire five minutes that had lapsed since he'd asked last. Kenzie was a big girl, she could take care of herself but that didn't mean he wasn't worried. This was a new situation for Sean, having a girl in harm's way like that and all he could think about was that breathy, girly little voice she'd used earlier and that smile that could power the galaxy. Or how his mom had so cryptically told him that she was glad Mack had found her boy. On one level, Sean realized that yes, he would have to get used to Mack being in danger... and on another, he knew he'd always dislike it when she was.
Luke glanced at his brother, noting for the first time how much Sean was worried about Mack. Well they had set off fire alarms when they first met with the heat they had generated, what his mom affectionately called ‘love at first sight’ – what Luke thought to be smoking hot girl lust but then he and Sean were wired that way. Unlike him, Sean wasn’t a discard type and Mack, well; Mack didn’t strike Luke as the kind to give her affections easily. Sure the girl could flirt like no one’s business but Luke sensed sincere affection when she was with Sean.
It was good, Sean needed that. Needed to feel not less thanks to Ron’s crap over the years. Luke didn’t want to see that taken away from his brother.
For his own part, he tried not to think of Cori and those luminous eyes and that smile that could just kill when she sent it his way. Sure she gave him crap but she was the only woman with whom he shared a strange kind of equality. IQ wise he was smarter but she matched his will with a formidable one of her own and that’s just something he didn’t see all the time. It was rare that you came across a woman who could give as much as she got and yet there was vulnerability there too.
“Not yet,” Luke replied, shaking his head not just at Sean but at Gunny too. “Could be interference.”
He lied.
"Uh huh." Sean knew better but appreciated the effort Luke gave him anyway. Brothers were like that.
*******
The banging had started again. And not your orgy type banging. Noisy banging and not your roommate and her boyfriend in the bed noisy.
Christ, Cori grumbled to herself as she replaced another power pack. She needed to get laid. Hell, she actually wanted to! Didn't want to die not having had any in a while. Not like she would get born-again virgin status in heaven.
A loud thump against the door snapped her head up. Staring at the main bunker door, she turned her gaze to Ren. "I think we just lost our one paddle," she told her. Checking the gun one more time, Cori nodded to the other two women. "We can do this," she said solemnly, jaw clenching shut on anything else.
They had sealed the grate; the swarm of bugs was under control. She checked her watch, two hours had ticked past. They had held up well but crunch time was approaching. Taking a deep breath, she faced the possibility that the enemy would soon breach those doors and the three of them would have to hold them off.
“Distribute what ordinance we have left, power packs and concussion grenades and then find your sweet spot,” Ren ordered, gazing around the room. The main entrance spilled into a narrow hall way of about three meters long that would lead directly into the bunker proper. “That hallway, that’s our kill zone. When they come in here, we take them down in there.” She didn’t say ‘if’ she said when.
"Yes, Sarge." Cori replied almost on autopilot, her face set, the dark look in her eyes when she knew that the only option left was to climb into the lion's cage. Her mother, boot camp, hell, growing up. Upending her pack, Cori dumped the things she'd brought on the floor. "Here," she said, handing off items to Mack quietly and went back to the 'loot'. "What about a booby trap?" she asked, eyeing the concussion grenades. "You know, like the old pail of water on the door trick?" Not for the first time, she wished Luke... and Sean...were here. Luke would know how to rig what she was talking about.
“Good idea,” Ren said but was shaking her head. “Blast radius is too close to the machinery,” she indicated the controls they were trying to keep from the Xindi. “We can’t afford to let it affect the shields. There were fifteen of them, we took down at least six,” Ren counted. “So that leave nine.”
“Nine,” Mack calculated in her head. “If we can get at least three or four of them when they break through, that will bring us to at least closer odds.”
"I'm with that," Cori nodded to Ren. "I'm glad you're here," she offered a smile."I'd blow us to hell and back."
Ren gave Cori a little wink “nothing wrong with a little blow Thelma. Gives the boys something to write home about.” It was a bit of levity in a grim moment as she turned to the door. The metal was turning red in a corner, indicating the door panel had been seared off and they had no more than a few seconds before this was going to turn into a shit fight.
“Hey,” Mack said quickly. “Drinks when we get back to ship? I think we need to get totally hammered.”
“Right there with you.” Ren replied.
As if each one were contemplating, prepping for the upcoming fight, Cori and the other two women fell silent, watching.. waiting...
With a loud groan, a large rectangular section of the blast door seemed to punch out from the main door and from her viewpoint, Cori could see that the only thing holding it seemed to be physics and a few bits of metal missed. In the gap, long, spindly fingers slid through to get purchase on the piece, to push it down.
To Cori, the dull, ugly scales looked less like flesh and more like a disease. "Door's breached." She relayed that quietly, with zen-like calm.
Ren nodded, seeing it herself. "Short controlled bursts, conserve as much of our power packs as we can. Adjust your discharge settings," she offered her last bit of instruction.
"Done," Mack answered, watching the door sliding open.
"Let's kick some ass girls." Ren almost smiled. Almost.
The door open and the reptilians burst in, firing, shots went directly into the room, impacting on some surfaces.
"NOW!" Ren barked and opened fire before they even got two steps in. Her first shot hitting the reptilian soldier square in the chest. Downing him immediately.
Mack did the same, firing at the small space, hoping that she'd hit one of them. She was aiming but there were a lot of bodies trying to get through that space.
Another Xindi went down, a head shot because Corine Sarah Hartwood wasn't messing around. Goo and whatever splattered the wall and the ceiling but Cori was already taking her next target. The shot didn't go though as she ducked behind the cover she'd chosen, as the other side of it was peppered with plasma blasts.
Ren took out another, his body joining the dead on the floor and Ren thought they'd changed tactics now and try and come at them another way unless they were totally stupid. She wondered what was coming and braced herself.
The Xindi had stopped advancing and for a few seconds, nothing happened.
"Are they gone?" Mack asked.
"I wouldn't count on it…" Ren said, tense.
In the silence, Cori peeked out above the cabinet she'd chosen, suddenly spotting a greyish looking ball lofted in the air in their direction. "Take cover!!" she yelled, just one second before her world turned into a blinding, deafening flash that seared right through her retinas. Even through closed eyes, Cori felt half-blinded, half-dizzy and the only thing she could hear was her own heart beat.
If it was a concussion bomb, it wasn't a very good one, Ren thought, blinking the spots out of her eyes. MACOs' recovered from this type of attack quickly, Boot was designed to throw every manner of physical abuse at you. If you couldn't take it, you were out on your arse. Cori and Mack had made it.
Suddenly, the reptilians entered the room and Ren lifted her weapon to fire. Nothing happened. She pulled the trigger again. Still nothing. The Reptilians had cleared the kill zone but were not carrying either. It took but an instant for Ren to realise what they had done.
"KNIVES!" She barked. "NOW!"
Ren emerged from behind the machinery she was hiding, plasma rifle still in hand. The first Xindi reptile that came her was got slammed in the jaw with the thing, followed by another jab to the gut. To finish off as he staggered, she threw a powerful side kick, causing him to stagger. Having taken him off balance, Ren advanced upon him, preparing to bring down the butt of the weapon down on his head. When another tackled her to the ground, causing her to drop the weapon, the rifle sliding out of reach.
"Just a female," the Xindi Reptilian snorted, looking down at her. The word was said with such disdain it sent a surge of fury through her and Ren snapped a foot out and connected with his knee, bringing him down to the floor. As he lowered, she locked her legs around his neck in a scissor movement and with a sharp twist, snapped his neck there and then. Flipping onto her back, she saw that Cori and Mack were in trouble and moved to engage when the reptilian she had fought earlier was back for another round. Taking advantage of her distraction, he punched her…hard. Ren saw stars and but shook it off and then returned with a balled fist across his jaw, followed by a lower cut and another right cross.
Either thy had counted wrong or there was more than five of them, Mack thought as she was beset upon two Xindi. Blade brandished, she noted their scepticism as they closed in. She had never seen one of them face to face but something in their manner indicated that they were underestimating her. That made her mad and she lashed out with her blade, digging through the armour they were wearing. The other lunged at her then, slamming into her shoulder so that Mack dropped the knife. Landing hard on her side she swung her leg out and swept him onto the floor, before rolling around to pick up Ren's discarded rifle. Swinging around she landed the barrel in the Xindi's gut, making him double over before bringing it up across his jaw.
Moving to intercept one of Mack's, Cori was tackled to the floor, going down with a grunt that turned into an indignant yell as her attacker crawled over her. Instinctively, she covered her face to avoid the boot that shoved against her shoulder but had the presence of mind to grab at the foot. Her attacker splayed out in front of her, one arm reaching for the console. Instantly, Cori knew his purpose and she scrambled, yanked, pulled, whatever she had to get up and over him. Dropping her knee onto his spine, the move immobilized the bastard long enough to give the Shark the advantage.
"Sergeant Richards, Private Hartwood, Private Brook!"
With a surge of elation, Cori recognized the Lieutenant's voice. She scrambled for the comms relay, coming up short when that fucking lizard grabbed her ankle.
"Anyone, got your ears on?"
With a scream, Cori rolled onto her back, planting boot tread into the ugly's face in a nose-shattering kick. Above her, she could hear the Lieutenant still trying to hail them, saying something about turning on the porch light. The shield... oh shit!! Just managing to haul herself to her feet, Cori punched in the release code for the shields, hoping beyond hope it was just the guys out there. Tackled just as she finished, Cori's momentum dragged her hand across the panel to release the shields. Slammed back into the floor, Cori gasped, the air knocked right out from her. Like her limbs were moving on their own accord, she moved by reaction, legs wrapping around the Xindi bastard. Hauling herself upright, on top of him, she snatched the knife tucked into his armour and slashed it across his throat.
Ren heard Derick's voice through the sound of punches and turned sharply, allowing the Reptilian to grab her and slam her face first against the wall. Her knees buckled under her from the pain as his fingers latched onto her back. Gritting her teeth in anger, she snapped her head back, her helmet making contact with something hard enough for his grip to be released. She spun around and but her anbo-jitsu to good use, throwing a side kick, one after the other until he was against the wall instead. Then she pummelled him one after another with repeated blows, each one connecting to the side of that tough reptile cranium. She didn't stop, one after the other until there was blood on her fists.
In the meantime, Mack's opponent jerked up his head suddenly, connecting with her chin hard enough for Mack to fill blood in her mouth as she staggered back. He was on her in seconds, grabbing her by the hair and punching her again, sending her against the console. Feeling her face flare in pain, she slammed hard against the metal and saw a the handle to something, she didn't know what it was. Body partially covering it, Mack wrapped a hand around it and yanked powerfully, snapping it lose. When he came at her again, she stabbed the thing right in his throat. He wasn't even able to scream, just gurgle.