Uneasy Alliances

Posted on Sat Jan 31st, 2015 @ 3:30pm by Captain Tim Williams & Lieutenant Commander Horatio Hawke & Lieutenant Commander Ciaran McIntyre & Lieutenant Ethan Kessel & Chief Petty Officer Alyssa Carylon

Episode: Orphans
Location: Dreyas Four
Timeline: MD30 1100hrs

"Hawke. What's going on?" Lieutenant Ciaran McIntyre shouted, emerging into the centre of the beam-in sight out of the blinding beam of a spotlight, specially dropped to help them pinpoint the source of any movement. "I've not been able to get a straight answer from the ship."

"Then aren't you lucky I'm here?" Hawke replied, his tone walking a tightrope between his usual irreverence and one more appropriate to the gravity of the situation. "We've got a lead. There's a Cardassian ship in orbit hunting down a renegade scientist. They think he's here on Dreyas Four. The Captain's ordered us to split into search parties and find this Cardie scientist's lab."

"Cardie, Hawke, really?" Mac replied with a mischievous grin. "That's no way to speak of our new friends."

The air filled once again with the sound of a transporter beam, though this time with a distinctly different tone. The Cardassian transporters utilised a different matter dematerialisation/rematerialisation process that resulted in the visual effect of red/gold 'swirls' of energy forming the body of the individual, whereas the Starfleet technology produced a distinctive blue 'sparkle' effect. The swirls of the Cardassian transporter beam resolved into the forms of four Cardassian military officers, including Glinn Reynak and Gil Nelor. Clearly the Cardassian first officer had been designated as being in command of their own away team, whilst Nelor appeared to be the subject matter expert on the search for Entek - at least as far as the scanners were concerned.

"Commander Hawke," Reynak said in greeting, as she approached the Starfleet officer.

Hawke nodded to his Cardassian counterpart and said, "Glinn Reynak. Welcome to Dreyas Four. Shall we get started?"

"Thank you Commander. We'll follow your lead."

Hawke stepped away and raised his voice in his most commanding tone to get everybody's attention, "Right, listen up!" he began. "We will be splitting up into four teams of four. Team leaders will be myself, Lieutenant McIntyre, Lieutenant Kessel and Chief Carylon. Each team will have two security crewmen and one of our Cardassian guests." He gestured openly to the four assembled Cardassians, who had subtly separated themselves from the Starfleet personnel, but only by a half metre or so.

"We are looking for a secret scientific facility," the XO continued. "We don't know what to expect when we find it, so if you are the team who finds it, signal the rest of us so we can rendezvous before approaching. Our Cardassian friends have the scanners we need to find this lab, so they'll be guiding each team. Any questions?"

Hawke looked around and when nobody raised their hand or spoke up he nodded, satisfied. "Excellent." He looked in turn to McIntyre and then Reynak, "Lieutenant McIntyre, Glinn Reynak, deploy your people into the teams. The rest of you, check your equipment and be ready to move in five minutes."

"Nelor, you go with Commander Hawke," Reynak said, turning towards her own personnel. "Lepak, with Lieutenant Kessel, Jiron with Chief Carylon." She turned to face the Highlander security chief. "I'll go with you, if you have no objections, Lieutenant."

"None at all," McIntyre replied with a slight smile. He tried his best to seem light-hearted but having just disciplined two of his security officers for abandoning the perimeter, he wasn't feeling particularly jovial.

"Set your scanners to long-range passive scan, and make sure your frequency matches the one you were given before beaming down," Reynak continued, turning briefly back to her people. "Signal myself and your team leaders the moment you pick up a reading."

"Or when you start losing limbs..." Kessel said wryly.

"Yes, Glinn Reynak," the three officers replied, almost in unison.

Hawke watched the Cardassians for a moment, then turned to McIntyre. He leaned in close so nobody else could hear them, "We need to keep an eye on them. Tell Ethan and Alyssa to be watchful."

"Will do." Mac replied, making sure his phaser rifle was locked on heavy stun.

With all teams assigned and equipment operating, the four teams of Starfleet and Cardassian personnel set out in search of the lab. There was an air of anxiousness about them as the moved through the darkness; they had all seen what had happened to the colonists. But they knew their duty, they knew it was their responsibility to protect the colonists and that meant finding the monster behind it all.