Star Skipping
Posted on Thu Apr 24th, 2025 @ 3:42pm by Ensign Gazo Daw & Lieutenant Owen Woodhouse & Ensign Emilynn Dove & Cadet Senior Grade Abigail Gordon & Ensign Gianna Djokovic
3,215 words; about a 16 minute read
Mission:
Mission 1: A Long Hard Road Ahead
Location: DS18
[ON]
Lieutenant Woodhouse and Ensign Dove had just arrived in Airlock 5L and removed their EVA suit helmets. "Well, thank goodness for gravity," Owen commented as he turned off the magnetic boots to be able to move freely. "But don't get comfortable, we need to go back out."
Owen accessed the set of lockers as he looked for supplies and started loading a bag.
Emilynn, following Owen’s example, removed her helmet and let fresh air fill her lungs. The sudden rush of oxygen helped her regain focus and eased the dizziness that had taken hold.
She watched as Owen moved methodically, his body language exuding a calmness that hinted at a wealth of past experiences.
Realizing that her lack of action was making their critical situation worse, she quickly took initiative, working alongside him to collect necessary supplies.
Owen attached the phaser rifle he'd gotten from the secure locker to the holster slot in his EVA suit. He was worried about Emilynn, but he needed her for this. He passed her a hand-held phaser. "On our way here, I got a strange reading coming from the direction of dome three, and something about it isn't sitting well. We're going to go investigate."
Emilynn fixed her attention on Owen, analyzing his expression for clues. The crease in his brow suggested he had a great many thoughts going through his head. She felt the need to apologize for her lapses in professionalism, but recognized that this was not the time. She contemplated whether his concerns stemmed more from the anomalous sensor readings or from her capacity to manage the situation competently.
“I’m ready, Lieutenant,” she stated, making an effort to instill a sense of assurance in him while conveying a strong sense of confidence through her tone.
Owen gave a singular nod. "Let's do it then."
Gia paced the office that they'd been locked into, from what she could tell they were inside one of the storage structures inside the farm dome. There was no computer access, no terminal, port, PADD, or desk to be found, and it made her nervous. The only thing that brought her some comfort was the flashing red alert panels that indicated that someone had initiated a red alert already and help would be on the way soon.
Daw watched Gia pace back and forth, considering how much she reminded him of a hara cat he'd once seen back on Bajor. His head still hurt, but he knew they couldn't sit still forever. He forced himself to get up and walk over to the door.
"Don't worry, Gia. We're going to get out of here. We just need a break," he said and began running his hands over the wall near the door.
Abigail rose from where she had been sitting, doing some stretching to get rid of some of the stiffness. "Hey, do either of you see my gardening tools? Are they in here?" Looking about for her toolbelt. Spotting something against the far wall, what looked to be a pile of debris, Abigail went to investigate, digging through it.
She felt a tiny bit of elation after digging through, she found her belt lying against some parts of what used to be a desk with some other odds and ends. "Oh! My rake and trowel are here!" picking them up with triumph. "Sadly, they took my weed hook and my pruners. Do you think we can use these somehow?"
Gia was annoyed that Abi was looking for her gardening kit and gave her a skeptical look as she showed off her tools. She was feeling sour, and the acidity came across in her words. "I can't imagine how. There's a half-inch of duranium between us and anyone I could bash over the head with that thing." She shook her head, realizing her own attitude was not helping. "Sorry, it's not your fault. We'll figure something out."
Abi just shrugged at Gia's comment, trying to hide her own concern, "Gia, the edge of the trowel could be used as a makeshift screwdriver, and perhaps we can find something we can loosen, a weak spot like what I think Daw is looking for. There is also a ventilation unit to bring some air in here. But I don't think I am small enough to squeeze through there, and definitely not tall enough to reach it," She said, in a calm voice. "I am just trying to think outside of the box."
"I'm thinking of getting out of this box," Daw said. "I don't know if you two remember, but I am a certified genius when it comes to propulsion systems." He tapped on a section of the metal doorframe. It made a solid sound. "Which you might think, Daw, what does that matter? Well, I'll tell you. Energy systems. If you hold your hand against this doorframe like I did, you'd feel a slight buzz. Those red lights? They need power, and some of the power systems are running through this." He knocked against a different section, and it made a hollow sound. "Right here. Abi, hand me the trowel."
Abi's eyes lit up when she heard Daw's words. What he said made sense, and he was a genius where the systems were concerned.
"That's right, you are a genius," Abi said, giving a quiet squeal of excitement. She moved over to Daw, holding out her trowel, handle first. "Here you go." Then moved back in order not to get in the way.
"Well, I won't deny you're a genius," Gia said quietly as she watched him work for a second. "So if you can short out the grid in at least part of this sector, then what?" She was already looking around. "We need to be ready when they come in."
Daw took the trowel and turned back to the door. "If I can short out this sector, the door should open. It is a magnetic power lock. They used to be very common but fell out of use because of the major flaw." He took the trowel and lined it up with the spot that sounded hollow. He placed the front edge against a spot on the side and then hit the pommel of the tool with his hand. There was high high-pitched ping sound, and a small square of metal popped out, revealing a nest of wires running vertically. He used his fingers to fish out a couple of the wires and started examining them.
"The question is, what do we do when the door opens?" Daw asked.
"If they aren't there in front of the door, can we sneak out? If someone is there, blind them with dust? From what I have seen, their hides are rather tough. So a blinded Jem'hadar would make it so we can get away maybe?" Abi frowned. She was ill-prepared for situations such as this. Too bad she didn't have a sling to try to attack the Jem'Hadar. Like the one David used against Goliath, a supposedly unbeatable foe.
"Uh do either of you know how to use a sling to throw rocks? Or something of that nature? Or even make one? " Abi rubbing her right arm with her left hand.
Gia shook her head at the question and looked around at the office for something that could be wielded as a blunt weapon, but the options were not great. There was, however, open shelving containing various substances for farming applications and she ran her fingers along cases as she read the labels. "Chemistry is not my wheelhouse, but I know a little something about improvised explosives.... maybe...." she got to the end of the shelf and shook her head. "I don't think we have what we need, it was a long shot," she added, somewhat disheartened.
"Well anything amongst those items that are caustic in nature? Something that can be flung in someone's eyes to temporarily blind them? Like a pepper spray? We'd have a better chance to get away if they are blinded. I know sounds harsh from someone in medical but this is an emergency. It is coming down to us taking them off the board, incapacitating them, " Abigail said.
"You two can figure out how to blind them, explode them or whatever you think is best," Daw said. "I've got this set up to open when I tie these two wires together. Let me know when." He tried not to show the fear that he felt. Their first encounter with the Jem'Hadar hadn't got well and now they were less armed and had no idea what they were facing. He looked at his friends. But they did have each other.
Abigail went back to rummaging in the debris pile, She found a bottle that was mostly empty, from what Abigail could tell it had liquid fertilizer inside Something that can be splashed in the Jem'Hadar's face, Abi was trying to think outside of the box, Abi took out the hair bands that held her braid in place taking the bands cinching the fingers together, making a make shift bag.
She filled the areas where the rest of the hand would go with fine dust and debris. "Okay we've got liquid fertilizer, not much but enough to blind someone and two bags of debris to try to give a chance to run, just in case we are caught sneaking away. I don't know about you but I am really wanting to get out of this shed. Who wants the bag of dust and who wants the liquid fertilzer?" Abigail moving towards the door, ready to crawl out if need be, just as long as they can get out of here and away from their captors.
Gia took the bottle of liquid fertilizer from Abigail, gripping it tightly as she steadied herself. "I'll take this," she said, her voice quieter now, more focused. The reality of what they were about to do was settling in. She glanced at Daw, then at Abi. "No matter what happens, we stick together. If we get separated, we meet back at ..." She hesitated, realizing they didn’t have a safe place to fall back to. "—just don’t get separated, alright?" Taking a deep breath, she moved to the side of the door, ready to spring into action. "Daw, do it."
He nodded at pressed the two wires together. The door sprang open, revealing a standard gray hallway that extended in front of them. Daw could see two other doors, one on either side, about ten meters down the hallway. There were no enemies in sight. He felt the fear in his chest grow but forced himself to step out. "Well, we didn't explode. Or get attacked by a Lorcan. Yet."
Abi stepped out as well, happy to not be inside that storage area. She moved a few feet away from the door, feeling nervous, but wanted to get out of this place. She kept close to the wall as if it would give her some invisibility. "I'm glad we didn't explode, just, hope we can get out of here without meeting up with any of our captors."
Gia stepped into the corridor right behind Abi, heart pounding against her ribs like a warning drum. The cold, recycled air felt sharper outside the storage office they had been in. She held the fertilizer bottle tight against her chest, fingers slightly sticky with sweat. No sign of the Jem'Hadar -- but that didn't mean they were safe. She motioned silently for the others to follow as she passed Abi and Daw to take the lead position. Every nerve in her body screamed move fast, but stay quiet.
Owen and Emilynn had entered through a service airlock in the agriculture dome. The airlock service area was tucked away far enough from the main entrance and growing fields that Owen was relatively sure they had been undetected. Once the airlock had been re-pressurized, Owen began to remove his helmet and suit. "We need to find out what we're dealing with here. Tricorder readings?" he asked the ensign.
Emilynn quickly followed Owen’s lead by removing her suit, feeling relieved to be free from its confines. She activated her tricorder. A soft glow illuminated her focused expression. “I’m detecting three human life signs coming from a small structure located about 280 meters in that direction,” she said, pointing in the direction of the signal. Her brow furrowed as she continued, “However, it appears we have more unwanted company—three Jem'Hadar soldiers are also stationed in that area.”
Owen exhaled sharply, his expression hardening. "Three humans and three Jem'Hadar. That’s not a coincidence." He glanced in the direction Emilynn had indicated, his mind already working through the possibilities. "If those humans were here willingly, they wouldn't need an armed escort."
He nodded toward the small structure. He looked at Emilynn. "We need to pull the other two away and incapacitate them without drawing more of them." With that, he held the phaser rifle he'd brought from the weapons locker at the ready and looked around for cover.
He saw the dome's power distribution panel a short distance away. "Can you create a distraction with the power systems and then when they come to investigate, I'll hit them from behind?"
“Yes, I’m on it.” she said thinking to herself how this would be the easiest thing she had done today. She moved deliberately toward the control panel. She had a clear plan to disrupt the power systems just enough to draw the Jem’Hadar's attention. Stepping lightly, she approached the panel, her senses on high alert.
She took a moment to assess her surroundings, with a steady hand, she removed the outer panel, the soft clank echoing in the quiet space as it detached. Emilynn winced at the noise, momentarily halting her actions to listen intently for any approaching footsteps. Her gaze darted around, and she caught a fleeting glimpse of Owen in the distance. Their eyes met for a brief moment, and his reassuring presence strengthened her resolve. He gestured for her to continue her task.
Working quickly, she bypassed circuits and severed connections with precision, aware that every second mattered. Once satisfied, she replaced the outer panel with a soft click and quickly moved away to take cover and arm herself. Suddenly, in the distance, there was shouting. Emilynn looked in Owen’s direction and waited for what was to come.
The moment the lights flickered and a low hum stuttered through the dome’s systems, Owen moved. He slipped from his cover like a shadow, low and fast, keeping to the curve of the irrigation tanks that lined the far wall. The shouting grew louder -- Jem’Hadar voices, sharp and clipped, reacting to Emilynn’s handiwork. Just as he predicted, two peeled away from the structure, weapons raised, converging on the power panel. Owen steadied his breath, raised his phaser rifle, and waited for the angle. One step closer… now. The first shot dropped the lead soldier, vaporizing him instantly; the second barely had time to turn before Owen stunned him mid-stride. No time to celebrate, he checked the path was clear and said, "Good work, Ensign. Let's go rescue some people."
Gia approached what was clearly the external door leading from the ag facility to the main fields. She knew there would be at least one of them on the other side. She glanced back and nodded to Daw and Abi.
Here they were, it was now time to get out. She could feel her stomach tighten as her adrenaline pumped through her veins. Abi took a deep breath, trying to calm her fast beating heart. "Fertilizer first, dust next, Daw want to return the favor by doing a shoulder ram into the Jem Hadar's stomach?" Maybe that was a foolhardy suggestion but to Abi the Jem Hadar might be off balance if he couldn't see.
"Okay? Ready?" Abi having her dust bag in hand. "Go!"
The door opened, no engineering required, letting in the familiar rotting plant and dirt smell. They immediately spotted a single Jem'Hadar, who raised a weapon as the three of them surged forward. Daw followed Abi's suggestion since he had no weapon. He was not a stout person but he threw himself forward, adrenaline pumping, and slammed into the Jem'Hadar before it could bring the weapon to bear on his friends. The collision rocked the enemy backward and sent Daw flying. He landed in a clump of vegetation, wondered if this was going to be a continual thing with him and sprang back to his feet.
Abi was quick to follow after Daw, throwing the dust like debris she had into the supine Jem Hadar's face, it entering into his eyes and that stuff being breathed in would cause anyone to choke.
The Jem'hadar's hands went up to clear his eyes, his hands free as the weapon he had been holding had been dropped when Daw slammed into him. There it was not too far away, in the vegetation. Abi dove for the weapon, grabbed it, and threw it towards Daw. "Catch!" She didn't know how to use this weapon at all, as she scrambled to get out of the way, she felt a hand reach out and grab her foot. Oh crud...
The weapon slammed into Daw's face, and he let out a cry of pain. But he also reflexively grabbed at what had hit him and was surprised to find himself holding the Jem'Hadar rifle. He saw the Jem'Hadar reaching out for Abi and pulling a wicked knife as well. He gripped the rifle. brought it to his shoulder and pressed the firing stub. A beam of green light erupted from the weapon and slammed into the Jem'Hadar with a crackle. The green beam tore through armor, flesh, and bone. It left a large circular hole from the front of the enemy soldier, to the back and it vaporized the blood. The knife fell from its hand and it slumped to the ground.
Daw went to one knee, still shaken from the battering he had just experienced. He glanced at Abi and Gia and was happy to see they were both fine.
"We gotta get outta here," he said in a low voice.
"That's the plan," a voice said. Daw smiled as he saw Lieutenant Woodhouse and Ensign Dove appear. Things were going to be alright after all.
A loud klaxon sounded.
Battlestations! Battlestations!
They were probably going to be alright.
[OFF]
Lieutenant Owen Woodhouse
Chief Operations Officer
USS Firebird NCC-88298
Ensign Gianna Djokovic (NPC by Woodhouse)
Tactical Officer
USS Firebird NCC-88298
Ensign Gazo Daw (NPC by Llwyedd)
Propulsion Specialist / Security Officer
USS Firebird NCC-88298
Ensign Emilynn Dove
Operations Officer
USS Firebird NCC-88298
Cadet Senior Grade Abigail Gordon
Nurse
USS Firebird NCC-88298
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