AT/E01 - Klingon Base

[Tyra Crawford]

== Thread for Away Team ==

[GM-02]

In what can only be described as a minor miracle, the landing went off without a hitch. Approaching from the night side, the shuttle was able to avoid the notice of the Klingon ship in orbit as it made planetfall. A line-of-sight transmission let the shuttlecraft duplicate the IFF signal and avoid the planetary defense grid. Maxas-Darl was more than up to the task of utilizing what ground cover there was to approach from over the horizon and minimize whatever warning the Klingons received.

Unfortunately, there's only so much you could do for the final approach. The shuttle landed in a rush on the far side of the half-finished building, keeping her nose pointed toward the compound, and the rear door opened to let the assault teams exit. For a moment the sound of the repulsors whining down and the sounds of the wild desert were all that could be heard, but only for a moment.

It was replaced by the yell of a Klingon voice, which was taken up by more voices shortly after. No weapons yet, and no sirens, but the element of surprise was gone.

==Maxas-Darl, feel free to elaborate on anything you wish for the descent; flourishes are allowed, just try not to make anyone space sick.==

==Everyone else, time to look alive!==

[Hallowette Maxas-Darl]

Oops. double post! Please delete this little fella!

[Hallowette Maxas-Darl]

“Acknowledged, bridge. Shuttlecraft Aura departing the bay. See you after.”

The comm clicked, and the deck beneath her feet gave that familiar, feather-light tremor as the Aura’s thrusters gently fired. Its systems responded with eager precision — the subtle whine of the inertial dampers adjusting, and the butterfly feeling in her stomach as the shuttle's grav generators replaced that of the mothership. In moments, the shuttle slipped free of the Artemis’s womb and glided into the star-washed dark.

Outside, the vast hull of the Vesta-class ship filled her canopy like a silent titan. Hallowette let herself drift along its curve, then rolled the shuttle neatly onto its side, riding the distortion of the Artemis’s EM field to mask her own signature. Ion scatter danced like blue fireflies along the Aura’s skin, briefly outlining her sleek silhouette before dissolving into the cold void.
For a heartbeat, Hally looked back — the Artemis turning away, her engines flaring gold as she arced toward the orbital defenses. Hallowette touched her fingers lightly to the console, murmuring a quiet prayer to the Prophets - not for herself, but for the ship and those aboard it — that their courage hold, that the stars remember them kindly. Then she pivoted her course towards the world below and the Aura disappeared as lingering light from the day side of the planet turned to night.

Hallowette's Tactical training had given her plentiful experience with electronic warfare, and when the time came to submit the confiscated IFF signal it was accepted without protest. Without challenge from the defense grid, the flight to the planets surface was deceptively easy. The Aura's advanced systems accounted for most, if not all, atmospheric anomalies, which granted the Trill/Bajoran hybrid ample time to plot out an approach vector. 

Diving for a nearby canyon network, the type 14 shuttle was little more than a blur - the ships holo display arcing out the flightpath before her in blue and yellow lines, the terrain bathed in a topographical luminescence that gave away all its secrets kilometers in advance. She noticed the shuttle's airspeed creeping over 1000 kph once, then again, and each time she suppressed a grin as the thrill of piloting the vessel at such speeds over unfamiliar terrain filled her with adrenaline. She wasn't sure what was to come once she left the Aura, but she knew that as long as she was here - in control of this fantastic arrow -  she was in her element.

The distance fell more quickly than the time did, and within a quarter of an hour she announced that they were approaching their target. The canyon network had dwindled and flattened some moments ago, and Hallowette had accounted for the lack of cover as best she could by flying low, subsonic and deliberate - but that could only allow for so much.

"Mara - Lieutenant..." she said, her eyes never leaving the heads up display before her, "I have the compound on my scope. There is an area on the far side that looks like it is unchanged from our orbital scans. I'll set us down there. I'll angle the Aura's shields to give us partial cover, but the terrain is pretty bare. The closest structure is a half finished building about 200 feet from the LZ." She paused, banking the shuttle hard to port. The horizon tilted, lights from the sleeping compound flashing subtlety over the console as she gained a few meters of altitude to skirt the perimeter. “Best I can tell, we haven’t been made,” she added, a faint edge of tension in her voice. “But they’ll see us soon enough. They’ll definitely see us arrive.”

The Aura came in fast and low, its hull shuddering briefly as momentum met the planets crosswinds. Then—with an errant whisper of displaced sand—it settled, graceful as a bird settling on a twig. Hallowette exhaled, turned in her seat, and shot Mara and Aeryn a quick thumbs-up before initiating the ships standby. Her fingers danced across the console, sending a compressed burst to the Artemis:

AURA INTACT. APPROACH UNSEEN. WITHIN OPERATION AREA. TEAMS DISEMBARKING. PHASE TWO IS GO.

==TAGS!==

[Mara Calleja]

Mara was so focused on the job at hand that she didn’t even notice the time slipping by as the Aura approached. It felt like they’d only just left when she heard Hally’s voice through her earpiece.

"Mara - Lieutenant. I have the compound on my scope. There is an area on the far side that looks like it is unchanged from our orbital scans. I'll set us down there. I'll angle the Aura's shields to give us partial cover, but the terrain is pretty bare. The closest structure is a half finished building about 200 feet from the LZ."

“Understood,” the Security Chief replied. She checked her rifle as the shuttle banked, made sure her blades were secure, and did one last diagnostic on her armour. Everything was ready.

“Best I can tell, we haven’t been made,” the pilot added, a faint edge of tension in her voice. “But they’ll see us soon enough. They’ll definitely see us arrive.”

“Not a lot we can do about that. Just bring us down safely,” Mara said calmly. “We’ll take it from there.”

Mentally bracing herself, the Bandaran felt her nerves settle just as the shuttle did. Responding to Hally’s thumbs up with a curt nod, she hit the rear hatch release and stepped out with Yordan right beside her. The two swept the area with their rifles, and then they heard it.

At first it was just a lone Klingon voice, and then more and more of them took up the guttural call.

Underneath her helmet, Mara bared her teeth in a feral grin.

“We are so busted,” she said. “They know we’re here so we gotta move. The shuttle isn’t defensible but that building is.” Calleja looked back into the shuttle, orders coming thick and fast. “Yordan, Coyn, double-time. Get to cover and get me eyes on the Klingons quick as you can. Heavy weapons, when you get the shout, move it and get to cover, up a floor if you can. Feels like they’re gonna come to us and I want you on the high ground.”

The two scouts were off, creeping around the side of the building.

“Everyone else, get ready to move out,” Mara added. “We get into that building. Find something to hide behind and steady yourself against. Knock out windows if you have to. If you get a clear line of sight, you take the shot. If the enemy are dumb enough to try and charge across open ground, we make them pay for every step they take.”

The plan was simple and easily conveyed. The Star Fleet team wasn’t a huge one, but they had enough guns between them to punish a headlong charge from a desperate force of Klingons.

“I’m gonna go with Vedlar and we’re gonna force entry. Count to five then follow me. Miller, get them in line, keep the Security officers between everyone else and harm. Let’s go!”

Calleja and the sapper Vedlar hit the ground running, the two scanning the building and trying to locate a way in, knowing the rest of the team wouldn’t be far behind.

== Tags all!

GM input please - what state is the unfinished building in? Are we able to gain access and find cover? Do we need to blow doors to clear the way in? Is there an ‘upstairs’ to situate heavy weapons?

Thanks! ==

[Hallowette Maxas-Darl]

==Ens. Ollie Pearson. Security NRC==

The shuttle touched down and the moment the grav generators relaxed, Oliver was unbuckled and popping open the cased weapon standing at his side. The Phaser Type III-B Enhanced Compression rifle was among the heaviest weapons available to Starfleet, and on Mara's directive (and Ollie's suggestion) each team was equipped with one that had been modified to project a wide field burst that would serve to suppress, a decision motivated to mitigate Klingon assault wave tactics as best they could. Ollie's recent brush with death had given the usually brash officer a reminder of why Starfleet discouraged hand to hand combat with warrior cultures, and he intended to give his people as much space as he could provide. 

The man stood, gave the pilot, "Flight Suit" a cheeky grin, before turning towards Svenson and nodding silently. He suddenly had a lot and yet nothing to say, only offering a quick, "Give'em hell, Ardy." Before falling in behind Miller, the leader of team two. 

"Big gun at your disposal, Boss - and I brought this phaser too."  He gave his old CO a familiar wink as he settled in, ready to throw down and do some good.

<----------------------------------->

==Mid. Hally Maxas-Darl==

Everything was moving quickly, but to Hally's surprise she was managing to keep up. She powered down the shuttle, placing it on standby mode, only briefly checking to ensure that the voice pattern recognition restart sequence was online.

She twisted quickly in her seat, wincing slightly as the unfamiliar combat armor bit into her pelvis, but otherwise pushing through, letting the adrenaline carry her past the inconvenience of the pain. The Chief had assigned her to team one, and Mara was rumored to be a fast paced combat leader, so Hallowette attempted her best to complete the tasks on the shuttle and join the cadre as quickly as possible - preferably before they all piled out and left her to catch up by herself. 

Her heart beat in her throat as she heard the sound of Klingons beyond - it wouldn't be long now before the shooting began.

==Tags==

[Aeryn Miller]

<< Shuttlebay <<

Time held no meaning for Aeryn as she remained alert yet in her own world while Hally expertly took them from the safety of Artemis and into the unknown. This was the first time she had been in a shuttle for a while, knowing what potentially awaited the away team on the surface below, the redhead was content to let the plan play out silently, almost as if it became a mantra of sorts, quiet contemplation combined with the emotions the former security officer associated with getting prepared for every possible outcome. The journey from the ship hadn't taken that long, or so it felt as Hally announced their descent. The hybrid pilot guided them down with relative ease; her warning about the enemy seeing them soon enough only served as a reminder that they weren't about to go into this lightly.

The thumbs up that she offered once they had safely landed brought out a smile from the CSO, likely the only time that would happen until they returned to Artemis. Hally then contacted the ship, and Aeryn knew it would only be minutes until they exited the Aura. Sure enough, Mara was up first, releasing the door mechanism before she and Yordan exited the shuttle. What happened next, and the orders that came with it, had Aeryn up and ready to go on the five count, her mind already forming how she would utilise the remaining security officers to give the rest of the team under her charge plenty of cover. With Yordan and Coyn sent out as scouts, and Mara taking Vedlar, it would be easy enough, as she acknowledged her friend.

" Understood, we'll be right behind you both".

Before Aeryn could start the count, Pearson was beside her, informing her of the weaponry at their disposal. While he was a bit of a character, the CSO appreciated having him there. " Okay, listen up, Pearson, you stay up front with me, Partik takes the middle while Svenson and Howland cover the rear, everyone else gets in between the security teams, and have your weapons at the ready".

Her order given, and upon reaching five, Aeryn then spoke once more. " Move out".

Taking the lead and with her weapon aimed right, Aeryn let her security training take over, trusting the others to do their job and ensuring that no one was left behind.

== Tags ==

[Ardanna Svenson]

<< Shuttlebay <<

Travelling by shuttle seemed a little surreal to Ardanna; however, the freighter kid within found it exhilarating, as if she were reliving her childhood. A feeling that comforted the brunette, who was quite aware that moments like this didn't often happen, but it was welcomed, especially with what they were about to do. As their pilot began their descent to the surface, Ardanna thought back to what she had said to Ollie back on the ship, and in that instant, she knew that what was meant to be something light-hearted and serious at the same time was perhaps deeper than she had anticipated. She hoped there would be a chance to discuss it properly later, as the shuttle reached its destination, and the adrenaline started to take over, all other emotions, the type that needed to be squared away quickly and efficiently.

Ardanna was able to do this by taking a deep breath, preparing herself once more to make a move, and getting ready to do her job. Yordan and Coyn were sent out first to act as scouts, and with good reason, considering the element of surprise had firmly been tossed out of the airlock. Chief Calleja was next alongside Vedlar, but not before the Chief had given them a plan, leaving Chief Miller to follow them out after a suitable amount of time. Ollie appeared and offered words of encouragement, ones that the brunette would certainly use. " You too," she replied before he was off to join Miller at the front.

Their former DH was quick to give instructions of her own, and knowing where her place would be, Ardanna got into position. " Aye, Commander," she acknowledged, waiting to move once everyone else was off the shuttle safely.


== Tags ==

[Robin Mayfair]

And they were down. Hally had gotten the team as close as possible, but there was no missing the shuttle landing and within moments a cry went out. They'd been made.

Mara ordered the team to move out. “We get into that building. Find something to hide behind and steady yourself against. Knock out windows if you have to. If you get a clear line of sight, you take the shot. If the enemy are dumb enough to try and charge across open ground, we make them pay for every step they take.”

You don't have to tell me twice.

The medic had been in several firefights at this point. One of the first rules she'd been taught in her admittedly rudimentary combat training at the Academy was "Be in cover. If you're not in cover why aren't you in cover?" More than one cadet who'd thought that life was like the holomovies had gotten stunned by standing out in the open like a moron, guns blazing. They'd gotten a talking to... when they woke up. 

And the Klingons weren't going to be using the stun setting. 

“I’m gonna go with Vedlar and we’re gonna force entry. Count to five then follow me. Miller, get them in line, keep the Security officers between everyone else and harm. Let’s go!”

Mara wasn't listening, but Robin gave a "Right, Lieutenant" anyway. This was the Security Chief's area of expertise, and Mara a lot more than others. 

As Robin was on Aeryn's team she got ready to move. She'd spent the shuttle ride making sure her gear was ready, partly to ease her nerves. Phaser on belt and checked. Hypos of wound treatments and sedatives on her belt (not just in her bag) as well as her medical tricorder, and another in her kit. The colony-born nurse was a big believer in the rule 'Two is one and one is none.' Always carry a spare. 
 
As Mara and her squad hit the ground Aeryn was ready to go. "Okay, listen up, Pearson, you stay up front with me, Partik takes the middle while Svenson and Howland cover the rear, everyone else gets in between the security teams, and have your weapons at the ready."

"Yes, Commander." The CMO took her position in the squad, and the Science Chief (and former Security Chief) gave the order to move. Robin took a nervous breath, blew it out, then pulled her phaser and followed.

Here we go. Two hundred feet. Just move.

== GM Input: Assuming Robin makes it to the building she'll grab whatever cover is available and then do a life scan to try and pin down how many Klingons are nearby. ==

[GM-02]

==All==

The building, unfinished as it was, was not secured very well. After all, this was a base hidden in the middle of a nebula on a planet no one knows about except for them, so there wasn't much incentive to do so. The windows had no glass of any kind, and the vast space was yet to be subdivided into rooms, though there were several prefab panels stacked inside and outside, ready to be used for that purpose. There were several locations that would be ideal for setting up firing lanes against Klingons.

==Mayfair==

A lifesign scan was able to pinpoint several dozen people - most of them thready, and most of them not Klingons. There were only about a dozen Klingons, all apparently advancing towards the Starfleet team. The remainder of the lifesigns were clustered in the other buildings, and most of them were weak.

[Mara Calleja]

Mara was almost disappointed when the amount of force needed to access the building amounted to a couple of well-placed kicks to crash down a half-mounted door. Quickly she swept the open space with Vedlar, finding it unoccupied.

“OK, building secured,” she said into the comm as the rest of the team arrived. “Heavy weapons, that window and that window,” she ordered, pointing to the ones nearest to the front door. “Partik, watch the back door in case they try to flank us. All other Security officers, find a window, they’re all empty. Get your rifle settled and open fire the moment you see a Klingon target. I’ll cover the front door with Yordan. Anyone tryin’ to force their way in gets to deal with us.”

Calleja looked around as her officers moved into position, unsheathing her machete and drawing a type II as she looked through one of the forward holes where a window was supposed to be, taking up a position next to Pearson as he aimed the heavy rifle.

“If anyone can get a fix on the enemy numbers, that would be great,” she said to the rest of the team. “Otherwise, stay down. I can’t see this takin’ long one way or the other.”

== Tags all!

GM input please - can Mara see the oncoming Klingons? How long until the shooting starts? The moment the enemy appears, the Security officers will be opening fire. ==

[Robin Mayfair]

Made it!

As she reached the building Robin flattened herself against the thickest wall she could. She'd scrambled behind Aeryn, her feelings mixed about what basically amounted to using her friend as cover, but that was what the Science Chief wanted and she was an expert. Security teams were trained to protect the softer, squishier members of away teams like medics, and it made sense... but that didn't mean the nurse liked it. Regardless the CMO now had some real cover. She pulled her advanced medical tricorder and thumbed a quick life scan.

The readings weren't as pinpoint as she would have preferred. There were about a dozen Klingons in range, several dozen other lifesigns further out and somewhat vague. The tricorder was having trouble picking up exact numbers further away, but it was good enough for the moment. What wasn't good enough was the number of Klingons advancing on the team. All of them.

“If anyone can get a fix on the enemy numbers, that would be great,” Mara's voice came over comms. “Otherwise, stay down. I can’t see this takin’ long one way or the other.”

She tapped her badge, solely to open the link that was built into her helmet mic. "Mayfair to away team. Reading approximately one dozen Klingons, all advancing on our position. Tricorder is having a hard time pinning down the exact number. Several dozen non-Klingon lifesigns further out, all weak. I'll keep scanning to give you more info." 

She cut the link and adjusted the settings on the device, trying to pin down where the Klingons were coming in. The other lifesigns weren't important for the moment, just the large and angry warriors that were coming to kill them. 

== Tags ==
== GM Input: Can Robin determine anything about our new friends? Where they are heading, if they're split into groups, or anything else that's useful for the team? ==

[Aeryn Miller]

Moving quickly and quietly came naturally to Aeryn, almost like breathing, as she scoured the area, following the path that Calleja and the other security officers had taken. The adrenaline had already kicked in, and the redhead wore it like extra armour, while still being realistic about the situation. When the unfinished building came up ahead, she could almost feel the disappointment of it not meeting further resistance from the away team, the kicked-down door the only evidence of what Mara had done to gain entry, before the Security Chief announced that the building was secure.

There was more information from her friend, as she directed the team to where she deemed it necessary to defend themselves. Watching as the security officers took up their positions, Mara took out not only her Type II but also her faithful machete. " I'll take one of the windows nearest the door," Aeryn replied, moving into the position and aiming, ready to take on the enemy. Her breathing was calm and collected. After all, she had trained for situations like this, and hell would burn if she didn't do her job right. Confidence borne from years of experience aided the former security officer as she waited for the Klingons to find them.

Mara was right; this shouldn't take long, as she addressed the others. Once they had a number, the Klingons would get a fight. Robin, who had been right behind Aeryn, was able to pinpoint how many Klingons the team would have to deal with. They weren't the only life signs that her friend was picking up, and Aeryn could hazard a guess as to who they belonged to. Depending on how this fight went, they would no doubt check them out as Robin continued her scans. The word clones remained in the scientist's mind, more as a reminder while she kept her weapon aimed.

== Tags ==

[Ardanna Svenson]

Ardanna might have waited until the rest of the team had departed the shuttle, but that hadn't stopped the brunette from keeping up a steady pace as she protected the rear alongside Howland. However, once they arrived at their destination, Chief Calleja began issuing instructions specifically to her officers, and Ardanna knew where she would be going. " Aye, Chief," she replied after Chief Miller had spoken, and moved to one of the windows nearest to where the door had been.

With her rifle firmly in her grasp, Ardanna hustled over to one of the other empty windows, taking up her position with ease while Calleja spoke to the rest of the team. Focused and alert, Ardanna kept watch, waiting to fire as the CMO confirmed what the Chief had asked of her, and while there was some curiosity about the other life signs, it wasn't their priority right now with twelve Klingons headed their way. The math was also easy enough to comprehend, and Ardanna remained confident of the away team's chances because this time she wasn't going to let one single Klingon get the drop on them, and she owed those still in Sickbay that much, as well as Ollie, who was back to fighting form.