Predators Part 2

Posted on Fri Jan 10th, 2025 @ 5:07pm by Captain Malcom Llwyedd & Commander Cynfor Rees & Petty Officer 3rd Class Keith Potter

1,370 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Mission 1: A Long Hard Road Ahead
Location: USS Firebird, Main Transporter Room
Timeline: 07 October, 2396 -0900

[ON]

Rees disliked the inspections but they were part of the job. Everything can't be excitement and wonder. He thought. He stepped into the transporter room eager to get this mission over with. A smile came across his lips when he saw the young transporter Chief. "Fine day for it eh Potter." His booming baritone voice could be slightly disarming.

Potter shrugged. He was used to the XO coming in and out of the transporter room. He worked really hard. Too hard in his opinion.

"I guess that depends on what it is you're doing, sir. If I were lounging on a beach in the holodeck, that would be a fine day. Where are you headed this time, Commander?"

"I am scheduled to head over to the Erksine ship for routine inspections. Not as glamorous as a beach I know, but it gets me off of the station for a time. Usually, these inspections do not take too long though." Rees enjoyed his work although some of the tasks that had to be performed here on the station were getting tedious. He missed his work aboard the Firebird.

"Easy work is the best work," Potter said. He motioned for the XO to step up on the transporter pad. Immediately after he did, there was a burst of light, which forced Potter to shield his eyes. He glanced down at the transporter console, checking for a major fault, but saw nothing. He looked up and opened his mouth to speak and was startled into silence. Standing on the pad were two Jem'Hadar warriors and they were wasting no time. They flowed down the short steps between the transporter pad and the chief's console.

Keith's higher logic centers completely abandoned him. This was actually one of his best traits. Instead of wondering why or thinking about an appropriate response, he moved on pure instinct. Because of his general paranoia, and some crazy experiences as the transporter chief, Potter always wore a phaser.

He had the weapon out and firing in the blink of an eye. He saw one blast catch a Jem'Hadar in the chest, sending him staggering.

When Potter motioned for him to do so Cyn began to step onto the pad and that was when everything happened all at once. There was a burst of light and Rees took a step back as the light emanated from the transporter pad. He shielded his eyes and when they came back into focus there were two Jem'Hadar warriors on the pad.

Cynfor wanted to know where they came from and how they got aboard the station. However, those questions would have to wait. He dived and rolled to the side as the two charged forward and Potter opened fire. Rees drew his own phaser as standard procedure dictated never boarding a foreign vessel unarmed or without an armed guard. He fired on the warrior opposite the one Potter hit. A direct hit to the Jem'Hadar's sternum. The shot caused the warrior to stagger back but otherwise unharmed. It would take a lot more than that to put the warrior down and Rees knew it.

Both Jem'Hadar responded in unison. They brought their weapons to bear, firing at one target: Commander Rees. The blasts were blue-white streaks of fire. The first one missed the Commander by an inch at most. The second one clipped him across the right side of his abdomen.

Potter simultaneously gave thanks for them not shooing in his direction and also sending another phaser shot outbound. Again his shot connected with the same Jem'Hadar and this time the fire was enough to throw the enemy down onto its back. However, Keith could still see it moving and knew it wasn't out of the fight.

"Commander! Are you ok?" Potter yelled.

The remaining Jem'Hadar slid behind the semi-wall that encircled the transporter pad, gaining valuable protection.

Cynfor felt the pain cut through him like a hot knife through butter. The blood began to seep through the wound for only a moment as the blast from the weapon cauterized the wound almost immediately. Through gritted teeth, Rees shouted back. "As well as can be expected. Man, your post I will cover you." Rees did not want to shout out his idea, so he would have to move to Potter.

Rees immediately opened fire laying down blasts that did not hit the enemy but kept them pinned in their location. He moved quickly but gingerly to Potter's location as he fired. When he arrived he slumped next to Potter. "I will cover you. I want you to attempt to lock onto these two and beam them anywhere not on the station. If you cannot get a lock we will dive back down for cover and regroup. Understand?" Rees held his sternum as he spoke. The injury would need to be attended to but it would also have to wait.

Potter scanned the situation and then looked back at the XO. "Aye, sir. I think I can handle that," he said. He carefully moved into a hunching stance, using the transporter console to shield himself. He quickly brought up the targeting system and found the two enemies right away. He tapped as quickly as he could. Just before he had a solid lock, a shot of blue-white burned by his head. He ducked instinctively but didn't fall to the ground.

"They've got some kind of cloaking system that is giving the transporter fits. This is going to take a minute, sir," he said and then snapped off a shot at the Jem'Hadar hiding behind the half wall.

"Keep working," Rees said and stood up. "Time to give them something else to shoot at." He added with a slight chuckle. Three red streaks of energy burst forth from his phaser in succession. Two hit the wall just above one of the attacker's heads forcing them to take cover again.

Cyn decided that he would have to time his shots to make sure that they could not get a shot on Potter. In fact, he moved in front of the transporter console, which was quite open. When the second soldier took aim to fire at Potter, Cyn shot first and struck that soldier directly in the neck.

The Jem'Hadar grunted and fell to the floor. It's legs thrashed against the deck as it struggled to push itself out of the line of fire while holding a hand to its neck.

The remaining Jem'Hadar smiled as it took aim at the unprotected Executive Officer of the Firebird, Their mission would be a success. The shot erupted from the weapon.

Keith watched Commander Rees run out like an old time gunfighter, mentally cursing the man for his stupidity. The transporter had a partial lock but he knew that something bad was about to happen.

"Screw it," Potter said and slid the transporter controls to full active. The result was dramatic. Neither Jem'Hadar was fully locked into the system but Potter slapped the override control and the transporter hummed. The top of both Jem'Hadar and the erupting killing shot all shimmered with golden light and disappeared. The rest of the bodies decompressed instantly, unleashing an explosion of blood and gore that splattered all over Commander Rees, Potter, and every surface in the transporter room.

Potter sighed and wiped his face.

Cynfor watched as the carnage unfolded. When the transporter effect completed he turned to face Potter his uniform covered in blood and gore. When he went to speak a small amount of who knows what fell out, he started to laugh as he walked around the transporter console. "Well done Potter, well done indeed." He tapped the transporter operator on the shoulder. "That was quick thinking. Now we should use the transporter to scan the station for any Jem'Hadar life signs. I am willing to bet that where there were these two there were more."

[OFF]
Commander Cynfor Rees
Executive Officer
USS Firebird NCC-88298

Petty Officer 3rd Class Keith Potter (NPC by Llwyedd)
Transporter Specialist
USS Firebird NCC-88298

 

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