Too Many Objectives, Not Enough Man Power
Posted on Mon Jan 20th, 2020 @ 12:30pm by Captain Winfield Hood
Edited on on Tue Jan 21st, 2020 @ 1:42am
1,899 words; about a 9 minute read
Mission:
Episode 9 - Empok's End
Location: Promenade
Timeline: MD001 1530 hrs
The security teams were starting to loose control over the stations vital areas. They did not have the man power, to stop the overwhelming troops from attacking. Several power generators, started to go offline. Elloma head the call come in from operations personal to head out to the generators, and repair them. She knew they would need help. She really did not have the extra officers, to protect them.
Elloma was really close to one of the generators. This generator was keeping the power grid online, and the stations crew compliment, in the emergency shelters and out of the reach of the fighting. It was clear to her, that the enemy was trying to get to the crew, but she wondered why. Surely they could wait, till they secured the area. In a way, the enemy was fighting a two front attack. Attacking the generators, and attacking the security officers. This could be their undoing.
The weapons fire, coming down hard, when Nassie heard the commotion. She could hear a voice calling out to her, as she pulled out her tricorder, and started to work on a panel.
"What in the hell are you doing here?" Elloma asked, as she went on. "You are to exposed, trying to get killed?" Elloma asked, with a concern look on her face. This was not the way, she wanted to meet her sister on the station.
"If I do not fix this console, the shielding around that shelter is going to fail. Cover me Elle." Nassie asked her, as she started to get to work on pulling off the panel.
Talas saw the two women and headed over. “Ensign Ruhrie from Engineering, you look like you could use a hand. “He waved to the man with him. “He is Lieutenant Smith from counseling.”
Weapons fire shot over there head. As Elloma called out. "Keep low." She said, as she returned weapons fire.
"I can, can you handle the relays, while I replace the chips and route the power spikes?" Nassie asked.
“Yes,” Talas headed over and went to work on the relays. He could hear the weapon exchange but concentrated on the task at hand. It was too important.
Jack headed over where Elloma was, phaser in hand. “I’ll help keep them at bay.” He offered.
Elloma just nodded at Jack. "We can't hold them forever, work smartly." Elloma called out, as she continued to provide barrage of weapons fire against the intruders.
"Working on it, Lieutenant." Nassie called out in annoyance. She did not need her older sister whining to her about the urgency of the situation. She was right here, living it with her.
"How you doing over there Ensign?" Nassie asked Talas, as she continued to replace the chips and handle the power spikes as she had promised. They were running out of time. And she knew it. She knew that Elloma, would not be able to hold the position for long.
“I’m almost done,” Talas replied. “Taking a little longer than I thought it would, it was a mess!” Talas was working as fast as he could on the relays and still get it done right.
"Hurry up, I dont want to get shot at." Nassie said, a little annoyed. As she completed her task, and started to look at his task. Making sure to keep her head low.
Jack was careful with his shots, just working at giving Jack and the other engineer some cover so they could get the job done. “We’re hoping your going to be successful shortly,” he called out to the two of them. He fired again, hoping they’d be able to keep them at bay.
"Were almost there." Nassie called out as she looked to Elloma and Jack.
“Get a move on it!” Jack yelled in return and then fired.
“Easy for him to say,”’Talas grumbled. “Done!” He said to Nassie. “Relays are complete.” He was glad they’d been able to help them out.
"Help me with this panel." Nassie said, as she reached for the panel to put it back on.
Talas grabbed one side and helped her put it back into place. The firing was getting closer, Talas was worried they might not make it out of there.
"Get us out of here, Elle." Nasie said in a scared voice. She said, as she pulled out her phaser to help.
"I'll lay cover fire, you three start a tactical retreat over there." Elloma said, as she started to fire more spardically to keep the focus on her, she watched Nassie and the two men start to with draw.
“Come on!” Jack yelled back to Elloma. “We’re not leaving without you!” He tired from the distance they were, giving Elle a chance to catch up with them.
Elle started her tactical retreat, and headed towards her sister. After a few short minutes, they made it back to the defense line. "We should try to contact operations." Elloma said, as she looked over to Jack. She was not asking him, she was telling him.
“I’m on it,” Jack replied. He gave it several tries. “I am getting no one.” He informed her. “I will keep trying.”
"Comms is down, we are going to have to crawl through the tubes." Elloma said, its how she got down to this level in the first place. Elloma looked to see what the others were going to say.
“Agreed,” Talas nodded. “And the sooner the better from the looks of things.”
"We should restore communications, it's not to far away." Nassie said. She did not like the idea, of crawling through the tubes, when people were out, and ready to kill her.
“That will help greatly,” Jack nodded. “Without contact everyone is blind.”
"Fine lead the way Nassie." Elloma said, as looked to her younger sister.
"This way." Nassie said, as they started to walk into a small room, with only one way in and out.
"I don't like this, only one way in or out. We could get trapped in here." Elloma said, with a concerned look on her face. She did not want to lead them into a trap, and she did not want Nassie leading them into a trap.
"Your thoughts?" Elloma asked, as she looked to Jack.
“What other options do we have,” Jack asked. “I don’t like the thought of being trapped. They could be hoping that is what we do.”
"Get comms back up." Elloma naturally ordered.
Nassie was a little annoyed, but Elle was the senior officer of this group. She nodded as they headed over to the station. With the help of Talas, they got communications back up.
"Nicely done." Elloma said, to the both of them. She had a big grin on her face.
"Lieutenant Essu to operations, please response." Elloma called out, hoping to hear from someone in operations.
Empok Nor was in the midst of taking perhaps the largest beating of it's lifetime. The station was barely holding together and it rocked with each attack volley. Hoods eyes and ears perked up as a crackled message came through on the internal comm channel. It was from the Assistant Security Chief, he smiled relieved that she was still alive. "Lieutenant, this is Captain Hood in Ops..."
Jack was relieved that they had contacted someone. The station was taking a beating and he was concerned for everyone. “Let’s hope we can get some direction here.”
“If not,” Talas spoke up. “We will do what we have to do.” He didn’t relish what that might be but they needed to get where they could be the most help.
"Things are pretty dire here sir, what are you orders. We have re established internal communications." Elloma called out, hoping Captain Hood, would give them a new focus. Down the corridor, there was still a fire fight going on.
Hood wiped the sweat from his brow and looked around at Ops. His crew, his family was tired, sweaty, and in some cases bloody and dead. He imagined that it was not much better elsewhere on the station. He nodded and sighed heavily. "Lieutenant use what internal communications that you have to send the order to evacuate. We are going to evacuate Empok Nor." Winfield regretted and didn't regret giving that order at the same time. He hated the idea of leaving his home, but a Captain had to recognize when it was time to save his people.
Jack knew the gravity of that decision. It would impact and effect the crew in both mental and physical ways. He would have to be prepared that he may be quite busy and in some instances keep an eye out for those in distress.
“We can help with the injured,” Talas spoke up. He wasn’t about to just run, there would be some who needed help.
"You heard the Captain, we are evacuating. We will coordinate with security, and get the pods jettison. We are leaving Empok Nor." Elloma said, as she looked over to Nassie and then the two men.
Nassie nodded in agreement. "We have our orders." She said. She was like Jack, not happy about them. But orders were orders.
“Understood,” Talas said one agreement. Things had to be dire to give those orders but they needed to go while they still could. Otherwise there would no one left.
Jack, like Nassie nodded. “Let’s evacuate then.” He couldn’t help the sour taste this left in his mouth nor the concern he felt.
Hood hoped that someone, anyone out there would get the final message he sent before the communications systems fried. He hoped that reinforcements would come to help evacuate and take the station back. He activated the internal communications one final time. "Attention all hands, evacuate the station. This is Captain Winfield in Ops. Repeat evacuate the station..."
"It's official, lets get out of here." Elloma said, as she started to head to the first life pod. It was at capacity. She helped eject it. Then looked at the group. "We need to find a shuttle or a pod, and get off this station." She called out to the group.
"Agreed, I have no intentions of being a prisoner of war." Nassie said, as she started to scan for a pod or a shuttle. "We have a pad 3 up head, and a shuttle avaialable. Let's make a run for it." Nassie called out.
"Lead the way." Elloma said, as it did not take her long, to find the pad launch bay. And as she described, the shuttle was sitting in the lower bay. "Nassie, start pre-flight, and you to choose from tactical station, and sensors and communications. We need to depart asap."
A joint post by,
Lieutenant Junior Grade Elloma Essu
Assistant Chief Security/Tactical Officer, Empok Nor
Lieutenant Junior Grade Jack Smith
Chief Counselor, Empok Nor
Ensign Nassie Essu
Operations Officer, Empok Nor
Ensign Talas Ruhrie
Communications Specialist, Empok Nor
Captain Winfield Hood
Commanding Officer, Empok Nor
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