Raid on the Outpost

Posted on Wed Oct 2nd, 2024 @ 4:34am by Lieutenant Commander Lyra Cassiel & Cerron & Lieutenant Commander Andrei Petrov & Lieutenant Dr. Daniel Brasken & Lieutenant JG Sipov Boros & Chief Petty Officer Julius Law
Edited on on Wed Oct 2nd, 2024 @ 4:34am

Mission: S1 Episode 8: Resolutions
Location: Vidiian Research Station
Timeline: Date 2371-12-31 at 1000
8043 words - 16.1 OF Standard Post Measure

ON

The Vidiian medical science lab selected for the Away Team’s beam in was dark and unused, and the only light provided was from a single small panel on the wall by the door. Five separate lights pierced the darkness in a stream of blue, and the bodies of five Terran officers appeared in the midst of the lab. Their phaser of choice was drawn and ready for whatever the darkness might hide.

When nothing happened, Andrei stepped over to the wall panel and pressed one of the few available buttons. Gradually, the light in the room increased to reveal a large medical lab which had been shut down for the evening, reckoning by Vidiian time. As soon as the five of them could see each other, Andrei pressed his commbadge.

“Petrov to Lovarr. Energize.”

The orange beams of over twenty simultaneous transports populated the room dramatically with a portion of the Kazon Century which was, itself, a part of Andrei and Lyra’s best kept secret. The dark gray body suits they wore were made of the toughest metal, and the helmets obscured their identity as individuals. The only differentiating markings were the name bars on their chests and Natalie rank indicators on their shoulders. They looked incredibly fearsome, and Andrei smiled at their arrival. He turned to Daniel, Sipov, and Julius, all of whom stood together in confusion and smiled.

“I’m sure we can count on your discretion. But, if word gets out in the Fleet about these formidable warriors, Commander Cassiel and I will know where the leak came from.”

Lyra had been surprised when Andrei had revealed to her they would be revealing their favorite pet project now, but she understood the decision. Their legion was loyal and deadly, something necessary for her beloved’s singular purpose of retrieving the cure to save his family. Again she wondered if he would have bothered had none of the Petrovs had been on the planet. She doubted it, but she was surprisingly certain that if she had been the one trapped there, he would have fought just as fiercely for her. It warmed her to him. She stepped up to their soldiers and her dark, intelligent eyes settled on them with clear appraisal. She looked beautiful and fierce as she inspected the fruits of their labors and then looked back to the group of men standing near Andrei.

Daniel's quizzical expression was mostly trying to figure out if the metal encased humanoids were actually alive or if they had attempted to create an army of automatons. Admittedly not the worst concept, but also something that had been messed around with and the lack of reliability was still something that was frustrating to the most scientifically minded, let along their esteemed second in command. Still, he schooled his features into a wry smirk and gestured around, "Doctor-patient confidentiality includes as many children as you wish to sire."

Lyra’s dark eyes shifted over to Daniel and narrowed just slightly.

In truth, SIpov wasn't entirely sure what to think, although being new to the crew he was more than aware it was best to maintain loyalties and keep low on anyone's radar to keep from risking any sort of trouble. Still, they gave him an unsettling feeling "They sound disgustingly perfect. Just the place for such alien scum to be, serving us. I look forward to seeing them in action. I'd never risk exposing such an asset and the glory of the empire." He was excited and ready now that his injuries had been properly healed.

Once that conversation had concluded, Andrei stepped out in front of the group to address them. He licked his lips and stood tall and strong.

“Our main objective is to find Doctor Pel, to get her back to Vengeance alive, and to do it quickly. The second is to execute the Prime Directive of Imperial Starfleet: Terror must be maintained. The Vidiians are hard learners when it comes to Terran superiority, and they need regular and severe lessons to establish the concept in their minds. Commander Cassiel, along with Dr. Brasken, Lieutenant Boros, and Chief Law, will download this outpost’s entire database and then locate Dr. Pel. Master Sergeant Kane and the legionnaires will join me in executing the Prime Directive thoroughly. When you locate the Doctor, call me. Any questions?”

Lyra looked at Andrei once he had finished. Her face was expressionless besides her focus and betrayed nothing to the others, but both she and Andrei knew very well that those assignments had not been the ones given by their captain. She gave no indication that she would correct him nor that she much cared about the change in the slightest. “None.”

The doctor simply shook his head. He was perfectly content with a retrieval operation and knew his place when off the ship. Keep his team alive and to be intelligent when needed. Daniel's face was flat and blank as his eyes simply scanned the rest of the away team and his hands rested on the tricorder on one hip and the phaser on his other.

Sipov still held his phaser tight considering the last time he'd seen serious action against an enemy, he'd been taken prisoner. "If you need any help enforcing the prime directive, let me know. Otherwise I have no questions in downloading the records. I can focusing on any sort of ship logs and manifest records that there may be copies of first."

Andrei nodded at their newest arrival.

“I appreciate your willingness to be flexible when it comes to getting the job done, Lieutenant. For now, remain with Commander Cassiel. We will go out first and clear the corridor.” Andrei said, then turned to the freakishly tall battle suits. “Legion.”

As soon as he said the word, the creepy band snapped to attention, the sound of their metal suits causing unison waves of echoes. They didn’t flinch or wave, but waited silently.

“Let’s go.” Andrei said, and then raised his rifle. Going to the door, he pressed the button to open it, and four scouts fanned out before the group into the corridor. The sound of phaser fire was accompanied by metal boots as the rest of the legion made their exit, weapons trained. Andrei turned to Lyra, his visible eye lingering on her gorgeous face. “Good hunting. Chief Law, if something happens to the commander, I’ll have them cut your balls off.”

“Roger that.” Julius said in a deadpan, though a slight smirk formed on his face. Andrei turned and exited without another word and the door slid shut, masking the sound of bloodshed.

After the door shut and the sounds of phaser and other fighting were loud enough to be heard, Daniel spoke up as he pulled out his tricorder. "So glad he feels the need to reinforce his boorish demeanor in the middle of a mission." His fingers worked the controls quickly even as he spoke, not letting his need to snipe at Andrei detract from his own duties.

Lyra glanced over at Daniel and lifted a brow, though didn’t make a comment to him directly. “Alright, gentlemen, column formation. I’ll take point, Sipov second, Daniel third, Julius bring up the rear.”

Sipov wasn't sure about Daniel being behind him as he barely knew the man, but he did trust Lyra somewhat, so there was no protest. "I've got your six covered, Commander."

Julius took up his designated position at the back of the column, his own Shadow Squad uniform making him distinct from the rest of the group. He still carried the torch for his defunct special ops team, and had kept his own personal devastation about leaving two of its members behind to himself. He was the first to sign up to Lyra and Andrei’s plan for finding the cure to this terrible disease by any means necessary, as far as he was concerned. His dedication was to his teammates and to Lyra, his direct superior. Much like Corvin, the Assistant Department Head they’d left behind, he was a trained combat artist who had spent his life involved in sport-based fighting. He was an owner and trainer, however, where the other man had been a participant and slave. Unlike the other man, Julius’ dedication to his boss was professional and undeniably healthy. That wasn’t to say he would reject anything more, but considering who she was dating, the prospect was likely more trouble than it was worth.

“What’s the plan, Commander? You have some sort of deck plan I don’t know about here?” he asked, looking over Daniel and Sipov.

“Yes, actually.” Lyra replied and pulled a small flat disc which she tapped with her thumb. Immediately, a display of the station appeared constructed from the scans the Gladius and Vengeance had taken on their scouting mission. A small red dot indicated their position.

“We’re here.” She explained and indicated the dot. “According to scans, it is likely that Dr. Pel is in this area.” She paused to indicate an area located below them in a more centralized and likely heavily fortified area of the station. “As ordered, our job is to locate her. When we do, I will attempt to convince her to willingly assist us in our endeavors. While I am doing this, Dr. Brasken you will begin a download of their medical database and a search for the cure for the disease; Lieutenant Boros, you will download as much information from their general database as you can - star charts, fleet positions, trading routes, tactical information and the like.”

She looked at each man in the eyes. “Does anyone have any questions?”

“Nothing from me.” Julius said, standing strong. He was a warrior, and he knew what his job was. Protection and looking intimidating.

“No, I’m good. I’ll pull all that I can” Sipov answered. He was itching to get to work and get the hell out of there. Part of him wanted to start going through the data as soon as possible to show his usefulness, and to better learn more about the surrounding region.

Daniel’s eyebrow quirked and he gave a soft snort of disbelief that Lyra even had to ask for confirmation. The orders were exactly what was to be expected. Still though, best to keep the chain of command as he recovered his slip up on his features and shook his head.

Lyra slipped the disc back into her belt and gestured to the door. "Let’s move."

The team formed up, their footsteps echoing softly in the now dimly lit corridor. Andrei and the legionnaires had already moved ahead, and the aftermath of their passage was clear. Bodies of Vidiians lay strewn across the floor, some still twitching, their grotesque faces frozen in expressions of terror and pain.

Lyra's eyes scanned the surroundings with a cold, practiced efficiency. Every corner, every shadow was a potential threat, and she moved with a predator's grace, her phaser at the ready and the men at her back.

The air was thick with the acrid smell of burnt flesh and discharged energy weapons, mingling with the metallic tang of blood. It was a scent that thrilled Lyra, but she kept her focus on the task at hand. They reached a cross corridor where a group of Vidiians had made a desperate stand. The walls were scorched with phaser burns, and the floor was slick with blood. Lyra stepped over a fallen Vidiian, her boot leaving a red print on the clean floor beyond.

“Keep moving,” she ordered, her voice low but commanding. They pressed on, the sound of distant combat growing fainter as they advanced deeper into the station.

Julius eyed the damage wrought by the XO and his alien troops. Not a single one of their own men had fallen, her, and the level of death was already staggering. Clearly, they had come through like a wave. The Vidiians were less attractive and exciting targets than some of the other races they’d encountered, and these scientists were especially feeble. It was a massacre.

Sipov was certainly appreciative at seeing less aliens alive and that the project that had been put together was so effective. Nothing like using scum to clean up scum, considering these people caused him to shudder at the thought of their technology being used on him. It was disgusting.

The doctor was making sure to be quiet as they made their way through the corridors. Having set his tricorder on auto scanning mode and holstered it to keep his hands free he did nothing more than keep up and be prepared for a fight.

Finally, they reached the entrance to a maintenance hatch that would likely lead them to a passage not unlike their Jeffries tubes . Lyra knelt beside it, her fingers tapping on the control panel to override the lock. The door slid open with a hiss, revealing a narrow, vertical shaft lined with rungs.

“This is our way down,” she said, looking at her team. “Julius, you go first. Daniel, you follow. Sipov will be third, and I’ll bring up the rear”

Julius could have commented about having to look at Daniel’s ass on the way down, but it wasn’t really in him to complain. He looked at her resolutely, without even nodding, and climbed into the tube, keeping his eyes down to track for any foes who might appear beneath them.

Daniel couldn’t argue at being kept in the middle of the formation and so simply took up his position on the climb and kept pace easily. He mildly wished there was more for him to do, but he knew that his skill set would be more useful a bit later on.

Sipov looked back over Lyra’s shoulder to watch for anything possible behind as the other two prepped and began to make their way down before finally backing himself up to find the rungs and begin making his own way down as well. While he mainly watched below to keep pace, he glanced up every so often to check on Lyra.

Lyra kept an eye out while the men moved down into the shaft and started on the ladder. Once there was sufficient space between where she would be and Sipov, she entered the opening herself and sealed it then began the climb down with the others.

The team had only been traveling down the metal wrongs of the tube for about thirty seconds before something moved in the tube below them. Julius paused on instinct, pointing his rifle downward. Whatever it was, it was gone.

His pause sent the action up the chain to Lyra who shifted to look down. Frowning, she focused on Julius. He wouldn’t have stopped just because. “What did you see?”

Julius didn’t respond to the question, nor did he move. Within a few seconds, a weapon, an arm, and then an angry face appeared in the tube as a Vidiian man leaned in, ready to kill. Julius pulled his trigger calmly, and the blast smashed directly into the man’s head. He yelped and started a long fall down the tube. Julius licked his lips and started climbing down again.

“Good work.” Lyra praised in a quiet, low voice. She glanced down to Daniel and Sipov again. “Keep moving.”

While the initial appearance of the other man below had surprised Sipov, the phaser blast and lack of reaction from his comrade, did not. He simply complied with the order given and continued with the other two below began moving again.

Daniel was uncertain what else could have happened on the encounter, but he certainly wasn’t going to comment at this time. Having had to keep his attention on Julius below him to make sure he didn’t step on a hand or head, he had seen the hesitation and paused in turn. His grip on the ladder shifting to make mobility a higher priority than stability and then back again once the phaser fire eliminated the threat.

As they continued down, the passage around them trembled as the station was hit by weapons fire. It was expected of course, the station was firing on the Shadow Fleet and the fleet was defending itself by attempting to disable the station’s weapons without endangering their away team, but there was always a risk. Silently Lyra wondered if Annalise might have designs to remove the thorns in her side given she had sent both her and Andrei on this mission, but she doubted the woman had it in her. At least not with Sipov and Brasken among them.

Sipov made his way forward with everyone else, pulling out a tricorder to help scan around them for any life signs or potential threats. He didn’t want to risk getting caught off guard again, and while he admired the efficiency of Julius, he barely knew the man and for the moment, trusted in himself the most.

Eventually, the group arrived at their destination and once everyone was off the ladder, Lyra pulled out the holographic disc to check their position again. They were on the right deck and Pel’s office wasn’t far. The station shook again though more violently and Lyra glanced up at nothing then back down to the image displayed in front of them. She allowed everyone a moment to look and get their breath then tucked it back into her pocket.

“Alright, let’s press on. Original formation: myself, Sipov, Daniel, Julius. Weapons ready. Commander Petrov and the Kazon likely have the majority of the attention on them, but we should expect resistance.”

She stepped toward the door then, expecting them to fall in line, and shouldered the rifle off of her back and into her hands before proceeding out.

Sipov fell in a couple meters behind the woman, looking over her shoulder and watching his sector ahead.”Ready here”.

Daniel drew his phaser pistol from its holster on his hip. He might’ve preferred a rifle but it was a slower weapon and in the situation they were in the flexibility of the hand held made more sense to him. Thankfully he was a science officer and no one really expected much from him in this department so he took advantage of that. Pressing a few buttons to confirm the phaser was set high but not to maximum to allow a few more shots but still just as lethal he then gave a nod and followed.

Julius took up the rear once again, as ordered, but instead of proceeding forward, he turned and covered their asses while moving his ride back and forth. If someone attacked them as they moved away, he would be the first to see them.

It seemed Lyra was correct in that most of the Vidiian security forces were busy trying to deal with Andrei and the Kazon leaving their path clear. Despite her usual enjoyment of a good fight, Lyra found this to be much more agreeable to her currently. She wanted to be done with this particular chapter and bring their crew back together before Andrei lost his patience and more Terran lives were lost. If this didn’t work out, she wasn’t sure what they would do, but she chose not to dwell on that.

He wasn’t a particularly tense person or prone to anxiety like others in the more intellectually inclined fields, but even Daniel’s jaw was clenched at the station shaking around them. If they were on board a Terran ship or outpost and it was being fired on by some enemy or another it wouldn’t bother him either, but he didn’t trust his own people not to get too into their own bloodlust and push just too far. He really needed this to work out to bring back those that were in stasis so he could continue his work on replacement soldiers. Making a mental note on how their temperments should be controlled.

Sipov was ready with his phaser in hand, his tricorder in the other, scanning for any sources that appeared to be a computer core or the like. He was amped to go and download the data they needed and get the hell out of there. Maybe they could rig something to explode on the way out as well.

As they turned the corridor that would lead them to Pel’s office, Lyra suddenly slowed and frowned. While there didn’t appear to be anything amiss, her instincts were telling her something wasn’t right. They continued a few more meters in and then Lyra pulled them to a stop. In front of them, a figure turned from one of the corridors and began to move toward them. Its gait was awkward and shuffling, it jerked forward, and its torso seemed to twist and rotate as if its spine lacked the actual strength to support it. As it lifted its head, Lyra cursed softly. One look at its face and she knew she was staring at one of the Phage infected Vidiians the crew had simply started to refer to as zombies.

She shifted her rifle from her right hand to her left and opted for the quieter shot of the phaser which she discharged at the creature and watched it evaporate immediately. The air cleared, but where there was once quiet came the sounds of movement ahead - a lot of movement. Too much movement.

“We need to fall back. Julius.” She called back to her man, knowing his name would be enough to signal him into action in leading their retreat back to somewhere more defensible than the middle of a straight corridor. More of the Vidiians turned the corner, and their path to their goal was immediately obstructed.

Julius heard the message loud and clear, but stole a glance over his shoulder first to see what the problem was. His eyes went wide as he saw what looked like the living dead shuffling quickly toward him.

“Fuck me, I remember those nasty fuckers.” He said, moving to a nearby door and pressing the button to open it. As the light turned on and a large communal sink presented itself, it was clear they had found the head. “Quick, get in here!”

Daniel did as told, though as he glanced around at their surroundings he gave low sigh and moved away from the door, scanning the room for anyone they did not want to be in there.

Sipov followed just behind, making sure to cover Daniel. The idea of falling back wasn’t quite in his mindset as he would’ve preferred eliminating them altogether. The Vidiians were disgusting to say the least.

Lyra had moved with the group, sending blasts of her phaser to the lead Vidiian creatures as they moved, but the hallway just seemed to keep filling. Why did the gods always have to make things difficult? She slid into the room and immediately closed the door and locked it with an encryption. These Vidiians were mindless, they wouldn’t be able to figure out the door, but they were trapped. She turned and was about to speak when a voice cut timidly through the room.

“H-hello?” A man called out from one of the stalls.

Lyra immediately made a face and indicated with a nod to the men they should take care of that while she herself turned back to the door.

Julius noticed Lyra’s nod and immediately got in position in front of the door. Indicating silently to Sipov that he would need his phaser, Julius lowered his own rifle to his side. When the other man seemed ready, Julius put his boot to the stall door powerfully, causing it to knock open and revealing an old and startled Vidiian man. He quickly moved aside, giving Sipov a clear shot.

Sipov had his phaser in hand and had brought it up. Once the other man moved, he swiftly placed it in front and fired at his target. Considering the short range, no real aim was required before firing. Upon the hit, the intended target crumpled in anguish. The rest of the area looked to be clear. He was glad to be rid of that disgusting being.

As the others handled the unfortunate Vidiian man, Lyra tapped her commbadge. “Cassiel to Petrov.”

“This is Petrov.” Andrei said. The sound of shouting and weapons fire in the background made him hard to hear, but his voice was calm, filled only with the silent energy of battle and killing.

There was a loud thump against the door as the Vidiians made contact with it followed by the sound of human nails on metal and more dull thumping sounds as they pawed at the door and walls; it was loud enough to carry over the commline.

“It seems the Vidiians may have been expecting us to come for Dr. Pel. We were nearly to the office, but they unleashed a horde of those Phage infected creatures on us. We’re pinned down on Deck 12 and could use some back up.” Lyra explained, her voice quite calm despite what was on the other side of the door.

“Send me your location. We’ll be there as soon as we can.” Andrei said, just a hint of concern for her in his voice.

“I’ve sent it to you. Don’t dally, Commander, or you may have to fish our remains out of Vidiian mouths.” Lyra offered with just a slight hint of amusement in her voice.

“I would have to set this entire damnable quadrant ablaze if that happened.” Andrei said over the comms, his voice as resolute as it was calm. “We’ll be there soon. Petrov out.”

Shaking her head and ignoring the increasing sounds against the door, Lyra walked back to the trio of men and glanced in the stall where the Vidiian man had been. She shrugged mostly to herself and then turned back toward the door. “Commander Petrov is on his way with the legionaries. The door is encrypted and these creatures shouldn’t be able to get in, but prepare to defend yourselves just in case.”

Julius frowned as he approached the door, hearing the scrapes, scratches, and poundings against the metal surface. He wasn’t afraid, and had faced death a thousand times, but he knew they wouldn’t last long if the door failed.

“How do the Vidiians control these creatures? Seems like this tactic would backfire more often than it works.” he said, placing his hand on the metal of the door; greeting death.

“I’m not sure there is much of a tactic behind it other than desperation. The healthy ones hide while they let their infected thralls rove about like this.” Lyra moved up behind Julius, eyeing the door. If it was Terran made, it certainly wouldn’t give, but she had no idea how well these animals knew how to build.

“Considering their medical technology, it is entirely possible that they know of a way to subdue or direct them once the threat is no longer.” The room being clear, Daniel holstered his phaser and pulled out his tricorder instead. He stood near the bulkhead near the door and scanned the creatures on the other side, taking advantage of the time they had to get some more in depth analysis while the creatures were alive.

Sipov on the other hand had decided he’d be damned if he was gonna let one of those things take him out. He kept his phaser handy but also tried to assist in scanning, and also checked around for a way out, maybe through a duct or otherwise. “Maybe an alternate route is our best choice. Now that I’m more able bodied, even if we have to climb out of this place, I think we all could make it. Is anyone finding another option we could all fit through? Anywhere has to be better than here.”

After a few beats, Lyra looked around and then looked at Julius. A coy smirk curled onto her lips and she moved her head in a way that just made her hair shift over her features attractively. “Jules… next time could you maybe find a more glorious place to make a last stand? The head really isn’t doing it for me.”

“Must be the rank. Think you’re too high and mighty to die in a toilet, Commander?” he asked, raising his brows. He didn’t return her smile, but there was a definitive sense of levity in his tone.

“Do you really want everyone to remember you as the one who got eaten alive in a toilet?” Lyra asked, shaking her head and smiling. “I surely don’t.”

“You can’t tell me it would be the first time you’ve been eaten in a toilet.” he said, the statement even more playful than before, but still the laughter didn’t come. When a loud bang on the door moved against his hand, he turned his eyes to it. “I don’t care how people remember me. All that matters to me is how I live now. Hard as iron; a master of fighters. I’m not all complex like you, ma’am.”

While many women might have demurred at the comment, Lyra’s eyes simply glinted with mystery and amusement. “The care doesn’t need to be complex, Jules.”

She stepped closer to the door and looked up and down. “I’d have you remembered as a great lanista. It was what you wanted, was it not?”

“Yeah but, out here…we’re a little bit past that, aren’t we? There’s no point in holding on to old dreams until they’re close at hand again.” he said, as if his resignation to his own fate was normal and natural.

“Perhaps they might be closer than you think, Jules.” Lyra smiled at him, mysterious and full of knowing. “Don’t close yourself off to possibilities.”

“Who said I was?” He asked, looking at her, practically unreadable, as she was. But, certainly for different reasons. “I’m just being flexible. Maybe the Gods want me to get eaten alive in a toilet.”

---

Several decks above, Commander Petrov and Staff Sergeant Kane stood with twenty unidentifiable devotees of the Shadow Legion, there dark metal suits of armor, and their short swords all twinkling with bright red Vidiian blood. They stood with hand-sheils in their hands which projected green force fields, and all of them were side by side. It had been an unquestionably one-sided masacre, and hundreds of Vidiians lay dead in piles at their feet. The helmets the Legionaries wore perfectly obscured their face, making it impossible to tell who or what they were.

“Alright, let’s move. Stay in formation.” said Lucas Kane, his sunken eyes showing a vacant, positively creepy indifference to the carnage around him. He looked to Andrei. Both men wore uniforms dotted with blood, and in Andrei’s hands were his two extend-swords, Shiver and Moan. “After you, sir.”

“Let’s make this quick.” Andrei said through perfect white teeth as he stepped out in front of the others and walked over dead bodies through the main corridor of the deck. As he proceeded forward, his eyes cast down indifferently at the dead and his heart racing from the bloodlust, he heard the loud clanking of the two contubernia at his back marching in perfect unison. These master slave killers were a work of art. It was a shame the scientists and grease monkeys they found on the outpost posed no challenge whatsoever. The group made their way to a large lift and Andrei stepped inside first. After the rest of the men were in, he maneuvered through the tight fit to the front of the lift where he would be the first to exit.

When the doors opened, they were greeted with the awful sound of the sick and deceased Vidians, not dead, but so rotted in their mind that they were less than animals. Andrei wrinkled his nose at the smell and stepped out first but held a hand out for the Legion not to follow quite yet. He turned to the Centurion and extended an open palm.

“Grenade. Quickly.”

The Kazon man complied immediately, producing a glowing cylinder which he handed to Andrei without a word before taking up his defensive posture with the rest of the men.

Andrei looked down at the device, not bothering to look at the Kazon creature who had once taken his pride, his dignity, his ship, and his eye. He was nothing now, and Andrei was pleased to see him serve so automatically, so mindlessly. His devotion was now complete. He almost grinned as he pushed the activation button, and then gave it a toss into the ground of Vidiians. The explosion was devastating, and as the deck shook, chunks of Vidiian and a shocking flash of blood pulsed out like a wave. Licking his lips, an amused smile on his face, Andrei proceeded forward with the Legion at his back. Stopping in front of the door, standing in the puddle of blood and guts, he pressed the chime.

“Open up, I need to use the facilities.” He said, his voice like music.

Within, the sound of the explosion and the immediate sound of devastation hitting the walls had made Lyra smile. She stepped to the door without hesitation and when Andrei called, she opened it. She did not greet him with a smile, however, and instead looked rather cross.

“This is the ladies room.” She protested in a playful huff, then finally smiled at him. “Well met, Commander. Have you been enjoying yourself?”

“There are no ladies in battle, Commander. Only the strong and the weak.” Andrei stepped into the room while the Legion and Kane remained outside. His visible eye landed on Lyra, looking her up and down shamelessly but not acting on the obvious look of desire he displayed. “I’ve been proving which ones we are.”

He stepped past her, his natural eye now falling on the other men in the room, but not lingering. He walked over to the open stall to look inside. When he saw the Vidiian dead on the seat, he grinned and looked at Daniel.

“Doctor, you’ve got to start watching your diet. Far too much protein, I think.” Andrei said, then promptly unzipped his pants, pulled out his notable manhood, and stepped forward to relieve himself despite whatever creature might be in his way.

Daniel smirked politely at the crude joke from Andrei, choosing not to antagonize the man who was in the middle of an adrenaline fueled rampage. Instead he turned and stepped towards Lyra and drew his phaser pistol as he expected they would be continuing through the halls once again

Sipov was thankful for the rescue and understanding of the other man in need of relief. Battle did strange things to people. He had an ensign that flew right seat in a small marauder that would crap himself everytime they got into a skirmish. It took almost two months for him to get over that habit.

Lyra didn’t react visibly when Andrei simply dismissed her quip and then ignored her question, but she had very much noticed it - he seemed to enjoy doing such things and she wasn’t sure if it was done to show his dominance or why given he certainly had no problem making light of a situation in general. She didn’t spare him another glance and instead stepped out into the hallway. The carnage didn’t bother her, and she turned to look down the hallway where they originally had been heading. More of the infected Vidiians came around the corner and she scowled. With a slight turn of her head, she looked back to the legionnaires.

“Kill them.” She ordered, her voice quiet, commanding, and immediately setting them to task as they marched past her to meet the Vidiians.

Sipov didn’t need any further direction and began opening fire to comply with the command and assist the others with the handful of shots he could. It was his pleasure.

Andrei returned and, despite the grime already on him, he took the time to wash his hands in the sink. When he was done, he returned to the door and walked up to Lyra.

“Have you located Doctor Pel?” he asked, studying her features and trying to read her answer before she gave it.

“Just ahead.” Lyra replied, her eyes still forward and her focus on the backs of the Kazon. After a moment, she looked up at Andrei. “Perhaps while you and the rest of the away team go to her, I take the legion and continue what you started?”

Her desire to do so was clear in her eyes. He’d taken her fun and she hadn’t protested in the slightest, but now she wanted to have a turn for a while. There was also of course the benefit that Andrei would be able to use his… charms… on the woman and she wouldn’t have to stand there and bear it.

Andrei smiled darkly, his eye finding her lips for a second before it drifted up again.

“Jealous, are we?” he asked in a mirthful tone. “By all means. There’s no challenge to be had, by the way. Just bones, blood and screams.”

He didn’t stay it as if it were a bad thing at all. He turned to the rest of the group until his gaze settled on Jules. “Chief. You’re with Commander Cassiel. The rest of you are with me.”

“You can keep the Chief, Commander. I have Sergeant Kane with me and I’m sure he will look out for me just as well.” Lyra reminded Andrei quietly so only he could hear her.

“I hope he will. After all, I’ve grown fond of the man.” Andrei said, seeing the logic in her suggestion and not resisting her. He turned back to Julius and shook his head. “Belay that.”

Jules licked his full lips and crossed his huge arms over his chest. Things always got complicated when soldiers hopped in bed together, and he knew that. He provided no protest or commentary.

“Enjoy, gentlemen.” Lyra offered in quick farewell and walked away from the group of men to join the Kazon contingent.

The group watched as Lyra left the head and proceeded down the corridor at a rapid pace. As soon as she had joined in with the action, Andrei turned back into the room and faced the group.

“Our mission is still clear. We’ll get into the Doctor’s office and Sipov and Daniel will work on downloading records while I attempt to engage with her. No deadly fire; I don’t want to risk harming Pel while she still has the information in her brain that will help us cure our people.” He said, speaking clearly. “I’ll head out first. Jules, you take the rear.”

The four men left together, moving fifty paces down the wide corridor through the carnage and toward a door which looked much like any other. As soon as they arrived, however, Andrei’s leather gloved hand found the lock pad and moved meticulously.

“Computer, override security lockout.” He said, and the image on his eyepatch corresponded with the activated program. After almost ten seconds, there was a click and the office door slid open. Andrei tossed in a flash grenade and closed his uncovered eye as it began to spark.

The yells from inside signaled that Pel wasn’t necessarily alone, but no hostile fire met them in retaliation for the flash grenade. No one was immediately in their sights when they entered, but the presence in the air seemed to indicate they were hiding.

The group swarmed into the office, weapons raised, and their eyes went to the structures and doors that each could conceal an assailant. When the light show settled and all seemed calm, Andrei smiled.

“Dr. Pel. Come out, wherever you are. The Empire requires your assistance.” He called in an almost sing-songy voice, pacing slowly, his hand on the hilt of his extendo-dagger, Whisper.

At first there was no answer, the tension and fear hung in the air like a physical fog but the Vidiians were wisely hiding where they had been. Finally, after a few tense beats a woman stood from behind one of the consoles. She was attractive, probably in her mid to late thirties, and was dressed in a burgundy uniform with her dark hair pulled back from her wide, alien forehead. She was wearing a brave face though her eyes told a different story.

“I am Dr. Denara Pel.”

As soon as Andrei saw the woman rise from her hiding place, his smile grew. They had done it. They had found the elusive scientist who would finally be the one to help them liberate their people from the planet.

Once Dr.Pel had been located, Andrei turned to Brasken and Boros, silently pointing toward a series of science and systems panels along the back wall. From there they would be able to access the outpost’s files and fulfill their part of the mission. He then looked to Jules.

“Secure the room, Chief.” Andrei said, lowering his rifle and pulling it onto his back again.

Julius had already started the process of checking every nook and cranny for additional lurkers. He didn’t confirm the order verbally, but merely intensified his search.

The doctor waited for a console to be cleared by their security before taking his place. Again swapping his phaser for his tricorder he went back and forth a few moments as he accessed the terminal and started recording. He knew what he was here for, but admittedly had some interest in the exchange with the alien doctor as well and so his eyes bounced occasionally up and to Pel as he sifted through the database for interesting and useful information.

Sipov moved over next to the Doctor and accessed the system as well, running a basic search and decryption algorithm. He wasn’t familiar with the systems and hoped the doctor might give him a pointer or two. Otherwise it was his standard search procedure. “If you have interest in conversation, now is probably the best time to do it while it’s still quiet” Sipov noted. He’d caught a look or two over.

Andrei approached Dr. Pel, his visible eye twinkling and his strong body erect and imposing, like the noble he was. Stopping in front of the woman, he saw the fear in her eyes. That pleased him. The truth was, he would get what he wanted out of her any way she required; easy or hard.

“We have been searching high and low for you, Doctor. Your people haven’t made it easy, and that was folly on their part. Many people had to die for us to get to you. Why is that?” He asked, and his gloved hand moved swiftly up to her temple. “What secrets does your mind hold that your people would risk so many just to protect you?”

Pel flinched from his hand raising and immediately pulled away from it when he moved it to her temple. Licking her lips nervously, she briefly glanced up at Andrei and then she looked around at the other Vidiians sitting quietly on the ground. None of them were looking around, their heads were lowered and they were silent. They just wanted to survive.

“I really don’t know” she replied and it seemed to be the truth from what Andrei could tell. “I’m considered to be one of the brightest minds of our people and they can be… stubborn and possessive.”

“And stupid.” Andrei added. He allowed her to step away without protest, but regarded her with passive interest. There was no reason to be nasty with her unless she forced the issue. “We require your service. Several months ago, one of our away teams landed on the second planet in the Gamma Eridine system. They were bitten by insects and have contracted a rare disease. Try as they might, our doctors haven’t been able to cure it, but we know you have.”

The Vidiian woman frowned in thought for a moment, and then suddenly her brow lifted. “Yes, I know the one you speak of. It is a simple enough cure though it was difficult to find.”

“Our people are bound to the planet until they receive this cure.” Andrei said, then folded his strong arms under his chest and lifted his head. “You are going to come with us and render assistance to us in delivering this cure. If you succeed, you will be rewarded and brought back here to resume your life as before.”

“I don’t need to come with you, I’m happy to give you the cure. I’m sure your medical staff is perfectly able to see that it is indeed the cure before you go as well.” Pel pointed out but didn’t seem overly insistent on the point; her preference to not leave was clear though.

“Dr. Pel…thousands of people have died to bring us to this moment. Our most prudent course is the have the expert close by just in case something goes wrong.” Andrei said, his tone sounding quite reasonable, but his words communicated the fact that she wasn’t going to be staying no matter what. “And the gods only know how hard to find you will be after we leave you.”

Pel frowned, but unlike the majority of her people they had encountered thus far, she seemed to actually understand her predicament better than most. The cruelty of these people was becoming quite widely known, and they rained death down on their enemies. She was a scientist and she had no interest in games of power.

“Very well.” She agreed without more protest.

Andrei smiled, and it seemed quite genuine considering the circumstances.

“I cannot tell you how glad it makes me to hear you say that.” Andrei said, and then turned to the consoles on the other side of the room.”Dr. Brasken, Lieutenant Boros, are you quite finished?”

Daniel could spend more time digging through their database, the conversation with the Vidian doctor having been much more direct than he was expecting. Though given the circumstances and the fact that his data finding mission was a bit superfluous with the agreement for Pel to join them he would be content with the overall data dump he had copied. Sifting through it would have to come later, he smirked just slightly to himself as he amused himself with assigning it to his new assistant chief.

“Aye, sir. Quite finished,” Daniel responded as he disconnected his tricorder from their systems and holstered it back to his hip.

Sipov followed suit, he had everything he could find for the time being and was looking to get going once more. “I think we’ve got all we’re going to skim from here without better algos and an engineering team. I’m all done here sir.”

Andrei tapped his commbadge. “Petrov to Cassiel. We’re finished with our mission here. What’s your status?”

“Excellent timing, Commander. I do believe we have run out of Vidiians to play with.” Lyra’s voice was lyrical and heady; obviously she had been enjoying herself.

“Hopefully there are a few survivors huddled in their quarters who can spread the tale of this day. Perhaps the Vidiians will remember this one, if nothing else.” Andrei said with a smirk, noting the tone in Lyra’s voice. “We’re initiating a beam-out, Commander. You do the same.”

"Aye, Commander." Lyra replied with sadistic sweetness.

Their mission had been very successful.

END