Deception: The lesser part of Valour – Gate Crashing
by Captain Tasha Tahir (NPC) & Commander Rakka & Colonel James Darson & Lieutenant JG Jonathan Riley & Lieutenant JG Petro & Alderman Dorian Gabriel
Post Details
ON:
Darson silently stalked around the gantry on the upper promenade level, a long thick rifle case in hand, looking down on the throngs waiting for the Captain’s appearance. Appraising each and every person, he could find no obvious faults as of yet. He opened the secure TAC Channel for the SpecOps squad, and said, “War-dog to Viper Squad…leaders confirm readiness and position by fire team.”
The channel crackled, “Viper Team Alpha, in position around podium,” Responsible for close protection, in case the Assassin was playing the short game, Fire team Alpha was dispersed within a 5 - 10 meter radius of the podium perimeter, disguised as normal tourists, watching the people for anybody suspicious, and ready to tackle the Captain if it appeared that she was in danger.
“Viper Team Bravo, ready, and mingling…” In case the assassins had backup waiting in the crowd, Darson had sent Bravo Team to blend into the huddle of people to provide support, and in case the killer decided to lob a grenade into the midst.
“Viper Team Charlie, in sniping positions, locked and loaded with safety rounds,” Shedding their disguises for traditional SpecOps Armor, the third fire team had set up overlapping fields of fire in concealed blinds two levels above the podium.
Darson was currently several levels above the gathering, a quarter revolution from the podium, as it gave him a commanding view of the crowd. He looked both ways down the promenade. It was almost completely deserted, most of the people having gathered on the lower decks to see the Captain’s speech, “Roger that…War-dog has the overwatch. All units, standby…activate transponders.”
Set to transmit unique encrypted burst packets, each transponder marked the location of the corresponding Marine on his HUD, as well as for security personnel.
The music was getting louder on the Promenade as Tasha made her way to the podium, to announce the start of the evening’s events and the festival. She knew the security personnel were behind her, as well as Rakka and Petro. Her heart was thumping wildly as she tried her best to keep her mind on the here and now, not the possibility of what could be. She squeezed herself amongst the throng of the gathered and had to push to make the final steps to the podium. She slipped on something underfoot, instinctively grabbing at the person in front of her, who was obviously displeased at being tugged at, spinning about with fists ready, before realizing it was the commander of the station and the fist became a helping hand, pulling her upright as well as a pair of large hands grasping beneath her arms as well.
Tasha nodded her thanks and continued to the raised platform stage.
From Darson’s perch, he could see Captain Tahir ascending to the stage. He magnified the image as he triggered his COM, “War-dog to Viper Squad…’Sidewinder’ has entered the area,” he said, using the Captain’s codename, “All units, stay alert.”
From a distance, Lahy watched the small parade of individuals move through the crowd towards the podium. The Captain, dressed in the fullness of her uniform for these special occasions. Behind her were two security guards, their cadence drilled into them. Then there was that Nausicaan. She stood above all the others, no doubt her eyes watching every move every person made. Next to her was a small framed woman wearing a striking red dress that accentuated her body. She would make a nice prize were he in the market for such things.
He continued to watch them, himself unnoticed by anyone as he stood between the irons that held the station together. This was his place, high above the others, his place to watch and to plan. His eyes flowed over the crowds, noticing how each of them had their focus on something different and yet each of them watching the Captain and her entourage. As his view moved from the podium and extended outward, he could see a shadow of a figure moving to a vantage point that may better suit his needs. ~What was he up to? ~ Lahy wondered.
Petro walked beside Rakka and behind the security guards escorting the Captain. She could feel people looking at her, staring at her and could hear the whispers of some. Part of her was flattered by the attention and yet, she was frightened. She could feel herself quivering with every step and was grateful that Rakka was there.
Rakka was glad Petro was nearby. Her professional duty bound her to watch over Captain Tahir, but personally she needed to look after Petro--to have them both close at hand made her feel calm and capable. She scanned the area, taking note of every one of her officers, and trying to pick out suspicious bystanders.
Rakka knew she was doing the best she could with her department, but part of her worried that the greatest extent of her resources was not going to be enough. If anything went awry, she thought, she would make sure HQ felt her wrath after their continual neglect of her requests for more, stronger staff.
Tasha reached the stage and looked upward at the waiting faces, all smiling at her. She did her best to smile back at them and the Brandy had made her feel a little more relaxed. She made her way to the Bajoran ambassador, Lyra Annis and leant to her ear.
"Blessings. Tonight will be an admirable evening and I thank you for the invitation." She said, the warm smile on her own face in contrast to the ambassadors.
"Blessings upon you, Captain." She replied with a reserve in her voice, holding her clasped hands in front of her.
Tasha nodded and took a step backwards, spinning about on heel and facing the crowd afore her. She paused, collecting her thoughts and could not help but look around at them, looking for a sign of trouble, but with the mass of people, it was impossible to see if there was an assassin in their midst.
She glanced sideway's, seeing Lieutenant Riley to her left, but he was not looking at her, something seemed to have caught his eye as he gazed upward.
Darson stroked the chin of his helmet with an armored hand as he gazed down at the podium. As the Captain stood behind it and conversed with the priest, he triggered the COM once more, “All units, ‘Sidewinder’ is now stationary. Operational Status is now Foxtrot-Alpha-Whiskey…repeat, Operational Status is now Foxtrot-Alpha-Whiskey…Alpha and Bravo, engage targets of opportunity at your discretion. Charlie, wait for authorization unless contact is imminent. Confirm.”
As the chorus of confirmations rang inside his helmet, he zoomed in on the podium. Glancing over all the Security officers doing their jobs, and finally settled on Lieutenant Riley, who was gazing upwards instead of at the crowds. When his attention did not return, Darson thought ~”What are you looking at, Lieutenant?”~, and shifted his gaze towards the ceiling.
Lahy watched the spectacle below. His eyes were sharper than most and he could see how every detail seemed to be coming into play. He turned his attention from the Captain and to one of the Security Guards. His focus seemed to be on something not in the crowd. Lahy turned to see what he was looking at and as he had suspected, the shadowy figure he had seen before were seen again. It wasn't much to see, merely a toe or a heel of a shoe but it was enough to know that someone else was up here in his loft. As he watched, the toe or heel slid back and vanished into the shadows.
Petro could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Was it the Irish coffee, the waiter's attention or all the commotion? Perhaps it was her trying something new and exciting. She liked the way she was given attention but was it merely a surface level admiration?
She rubbed her legs as she took her seat. The pain, though dull, present and annoying. She took a deep breath through her nose and out through her mouth trying to remember the meditation techniques she had watched but was never taught. It helped to focus her mind from the pain in her legs but only so much that she could now feel the pain in her spine. ~This is going to be a long night~ she thought.
Darson stared up at the ceiling ardently, trying to find some interesting feature that Lieutenant Riley could be engrossed with. However, it was too dark to see all the way up into the rafters. With a silent flick, he activated the thermal filter in his helmet. Suddenly, the massive struts of the station were thrown into sharp relief, as a cool un-assuming blue.
He could immediately see two things that stood out. One was a small warm figure situated almost directly above and in front of him, staring down into the crowd. But it was the other object that interested him more. Its color was blue that indicated a lack of heat, and yet it was moving around slightly.
Darson took a few silent steps down the gantry, and making sure that he could keep both signatures in view, closely examined the second one. With a flash of realization, he realized that this person had erected a sheet of some heat resistant material, probably in order to fool the very sensors he was using. He immediately set down the case and opened it, revealing a broken down sniper rifle. With smooth practiced motions, he quickly assembled it, and affixed a long black suppressor. With that done, he jacked in a cartridge, pulled back the cocking handle, and settled in the shadows to watch.
Darson saw the blue silhouette move into a position that he immediately recognized as a firing stance. One hand out, an elbow cocked out to the side, long dark object pointed down into the crowd, most likely towards the podium.
Safe in the shadows, he shouldered the rifle, spreading his legs into a half-moon for a more stable stance, and quickly acquired the target. As soon as he did, he flicked off the safety. But he didn’t fire.
Instead, he triggered the TAC channel, “Viper Squad, this is War-dog. I have preliminary target acquisition in the structural supports overhead…standby for phase two.”
Turning most of his attention to the person in the rafters, Darson thought calmly, ~”I render Judgment on you…vermin …Doing so brings me no joy, it is necessity that compels me. Understand this: the burden that you have shouldered at the request of your masters, I do rescind…with more consideration than it was granted.”~
Tasha stood in the middle of the podium, her smile wide and open. She felt honored and happy to be here as she began to flap her arms, to quiet down the crowd. She allowed them a moment, to settle as the atmosphere was electric, the preparations done and the people ready to party they were as apprehensive as she was to get the celebration underway.
"Ladies, gentlemen, honored guests and visitors to Deep space 5. I am enthralled to be here this evening, on this the 7 anniversary of the Bajoran celebration of festival." She turned to Annis, who simply nodded her head. "As you know, there is a programme of events..........." Tasha saw Riley move and other security officers dash around and from above, she saw the flash, but did not fully comprehend what it was. There were screams and shouts, but nothing was audible. The scene before her froze, suspended in that millisecond of time.
Riley 's stomach was churning, a shortness of breath, his skin crawled, a cold sweat rolled down his brow....Riley could not set at ease. He had spotted something, with a glance out of the corner of his eye. He stared at it, at where he thought it was. The glint, of.....glass? "My god," he whispered, as he began to rush to the podium, instinct in full command of his wits and he shoved her, hard to the side. The familiar heat of a disruptor blast in his chest. Then he felt nothing.....only cold....and so he fell....fell for eternity as his vision was replaced with blackness, cold....so cold.....he felt nothing.
Rakka was up and moving in an instant, carefully avoiding stepping on Petro in her haste to get in the middle of the scene. Everyone was moving in different directions all at once; she wasn't sure if she could control the chaos.
"GET BACK!" she roared to the bystanders who were hurrying forward to get a closer look at what had happened. They parted to let her through. The sight of Ensign Riley lying there looking far too still wrenched her heart to pieces, but she had a higher duty. Quickly she knelt over Tasha, keeping her down and shielding her body in case any other shots were imminent. She trusted, however, that her officers, or the marines, or both, had already moved in to take down the shooter.
"Are you all right? Are you hit?" she yelled over the noise of the crowds.
Shock had taken control already. Her eyes were fixed on the legs of Lieutenant Riley, the first things she saw after the flash, was his body shooting across her view.
"I....I think so....." She stuttered, the only thing that she felt at the moment, was the pain in her shoulder where she had hit the floor, but she was more concerned for the security officer who now lay prone behind Rakka. Her hand slowly raised as her finger pointed with a shake at Riley.
"Is.....Riley.....alright?" Finally her eyes came up to meet Rakka's and she could tell by the look in her eyes, that Riley was not at all, alright.
"Never mind Riley," Rakka said numbly. "He's done his duty. Let's get you out of here."
Petro sat frozen. It was happening again. An attack, the crowds, the mobs. She could see people running around, yelling, frantically moving with no real destination. Her heart pounded in her chest as the memories of the last time overwhelmed her.
Back up on the gantry, Darson saw the man fire, and the disruptor beam flash out down towards the podium. Not unduly worried, he focused in on the person on the strut, and as soon as its head was in the middle of the cross-hairs, calmly pulled the trigger.
A mercury-tipped bullet, specially designed for special situations like this where over-penetration could be a problem, left the barrel of the rifle, travelling at almost 2,000 meters per second. It crossed the relatively small distance in a heartbeat, whistled through the narrow passageway granted by the architecture, and slammed into the would-be assassin’s head, killing him instantly, and knocking him from his perch.
A shout was heard as something fell from the upper gantry, followed by a scream. Somebody crashed to the floor!
People scattered, some stared at the mangled body and the rifle that was partially hidden by his body.
Rakka fought the urge to get to the centre of this new commotion, but she knew her officers were already moving in. ~They can handle it, ~ she told herself, and kept her focus on her greatest duty. "We need to get you to sickbay," Rakka said. It didn't look like Tasha had been hit, but she ought to have look-over anyway. "Can you walk?"
She blinked a few times, trying to understand what was happening, to collate her thoughts and make sense of current condition. She looked at Rakka, when suddenly, she came to her senses.
"Yes. I don't need to go to sickbay, just a little shocked." She swung her legs beneath her and with a hand from Rakka, stood on her feet. Glancing at the fallen security officer, her hand slammed to her chest, dismissing the pain in her shoulder.
=^= "Sickbay, lock onto Lieutenant Riley's comm and initiate emergency transport, code 1." =^= She yelled, ensuring her voice was heard above the clamour of the crowds
People were scared, chatter had ceased and the stage had cleared. Tasha looked around at the disarray and felt saddened.
"Commander, get yourself to sickbay, look after Riley. He saved my life and I am sure you want to make as sure as I he is taken care of. Get security to take that body away too." She said, pointing at the mangled mess on the floor, "and get me report as soon as your able." Tasha turned back to look at Riley's shimmering body as her hand came to Rakkas arm.
"Rakka, I am sorry." She said, her voice lowered. "I know how well you two worked together and how you trusted him." She felt herself shiver and felt the bile rising up her throat and swallowed hard. She took a deep breath stepped forwards on the stage.
"Folks, good people of DS5. Please do not let this spoil your evening. Give us a few minutes to clear up and the festival will continue." Tasha shouted, her voice strong and sure.
Somebody clapped, slowly and others joined in and with a few seconds, everybody was clapping and cheering.
Tasha felt a surge of pride as she turned to Rakka, who had already lifted the body of Riley and stood watching the crowd.
Petro heard the clapping. It sounded like thunder in her ears and only served to raise the apprehension within her. She stared straight ahead, seeing nothing but the crowds of people, and the memories of being trampled.
As the amazingly still alive Captain spoke reassuring words to the crowd, Darson was still on alert. With most two person teams like this, one would take the shot from far off, and another would be on the ground to confirm the kill. However, in the case that the first shot missed, it was the person on the ground’s duty to finish the job.
Having already briefed his team on what to do in either situation he swept his gaze over the crowd, finally finding his target. A woman, plainly dressed, making her way urgently towards the podium, through the applauding crowd. He spoke to his squad, “Target acquired, moving towards the podium from your 3’oclock Alpha. Prepare to retrieve.”
He shouldered the rifle again, looking through the scope at the woman moving determinedly through the crowd. With its magnification, it was if he was standing right next to her. As she reached the perimeter, she stopped and began to pull out what Darson recognized as a small disruptor pistol.
This time, he didn’t wait. He immediately centered the cross-hairs on her chest, tracked right slightly, and fired. The woman clutched her shoulder and fell backwards, as if swooning, right into the arms of one of Fire-team Alpha, who, after assuring a concerned bystander that his wife had just fainted from all the excitement, proceeded to pick her up, and carry her unnoticed out a side door.
Darson lowered the rifle and triggered the COM, “All units, confirm any more possible targets?”
“Viper Charlie reports all clear, nice shooting sir.”
“Viper Bravo, All clear down here.”
“Viper Alpha, one down, but no complications, clear.”
Darson nodded to himself and started back around the gantry, “Roger…all clear, for the moment. Everybody stay alert.” He gazed down towards the podium, and saw the Captain standing proudly at the podium. Coldly staring at her for a second or two, he reverted his attention to where it was needed, watching the crowd, making sure that a third person didn’t try to kill the precious Captain, especially the 2nd person he had seen in the rafters before.
Lahy watched the commotion from his perch. He remained there throughout the ordeal, comfortable in knowing that though he may have been seen he was not made out. Besides, he hadn't been doing anything illegal. When the shots fired, he watched with interest. It was a short lived battle and the station crew had been the victors. He watched and listened as the Captain gave a reassuring speech and smiled. She was a good Captain and had long since earned his respect for her fairness.
Rakka tried to keep track of what the marines were doing; it all happened very quickly. It didn't go down smooth that the marines were the ones taking down the assassins while her officers were the meat shields, but what could be done now? Riley had kept Tasha from getting shot, and that meant her department had done its job.
She had a hard time trusting that everything was over now. She would have preferred to stay nearby her Captain, but her Captain had made a request and she would abide by it. Rakka gestured three nearby officers to stay close to Tasha, and two others to take care of the assassin's body.
Swallowing hard, Rakka left the scene, torn in two directions. She hated to leave Tasha's side after what had just happened, but she wanted more than anything to look after her fallen officer right now. Silently and alone, she stepped onto the nearest lift and headed for sickbay.
The J'naii remained still, her face vacant of emotion and her mind trapped in the past. She could no longer feel the pain in her legs and back. She could no longer focus on the events as they unfolded. Despite everything going on around her she sat frozen in time. Unaware that her shoulder was bleeding. Unaware that Rakka had left.
Chaos . . .pure and simple chaos erupted within the crowded area. Gabriel knew of the assassination attempt, however he also knew that the Calina Consortium had put forth a lot of time, effort, and resources into this operation. They would not be dissuaded simply by canceling the Captain's schedule speech. They would find someway to get to their objective.
Gabriel knew that sometimes the best way to catch a criminal was right in the middle of the act. He knew the risks of allowing the Captain's life to be forfeited, however, capturing members of the Consortium was a priority for Starfleet Intelligence, considering their risk in statute since the decline of the Orion Syndicate. A captured member would lead to their superior contact, and so on and so forth. It was a pragmatic view, but that was the risk of being an officer of the Federation.
Gabriel looked from across the promenade and watched as the Security officers swarmed over the Captain. He diverted his eyes from Riley's prone body towards the rafters as a figure fell rapidly to the ground. He knew that the Consortium would not send just one assassin to complete the task. Within moments his hunch was proven correct as he saw the body of a second individual fall into the arms of a Marine.
"That damn Jarhead" Gabriel said thru grit teeth. He knew that Darson had taken the initiative and executed both assassins, however it was exactly what Gabriel DIDN'T want to happen. You can't interrogate a dead body, despite what he had witness during his time on Qo'Nos. He shook his head as he made his way across the promenade towards the same side-door that the Marine and would-be assassin had disappeared through.
Lahy departed from his perch in silence and stealth. Sometimes the best times for a thief were in the midst of chaos. It didn't take him long to liberate some of the wealthier attendees of some of their trinkets and vanish once again into the shadows.
Darson frowned slightly as the second blob of heat moved from his perch before he could identify it. He tracked it long enough to ensure that it wasn't going to make a move towards Tahir, and then let it go. He broke down his rifle, and packed it up carefully. Then he moved quickly towards the turbolift. He had an assassin to greet.
Petro closed her eyes, hearing voices around her and trying to regain herself. The past was gone and she remembered where she was. Still sitting. Still motionless. Still full of fear.
OFF:
Captain Tasha Tahir
Commanding Officer - DS5
Warrant Officer Petro
Quartermaster - DS5
Major James Darson
Marine Commanding Officer - DS5
Lieutenant JG Jonathan Riley
Security Officer - DS5
Lahy Sen'shuhs
Civilian - DS5
Lt. Cdr. Rakka
Chief Security Officer - DS5
Lieutenant J.G. Dorian Gabriel
Chief Intelligence - DS5
by Captain Tasha Tahir (NPC) & Commander Rakka & Colonel James Darson & Lieutenant JG Jonathan Riley & Lieutenant JG Petro & Alderman Dorian Gabriel
Post Details
| Title | Gate Crashing | |
| Mission | Deception: The lesser part of Valour | |
| Author(s) | Captain Tasha Tahir (NPC) & Commander Rakka & Colonel James Darson & Lieutenant JG Jonathan Riley & Lieutenant JG Petro & Alderman Dorian Gabriel | |
| Posted | Wed Nov 05, 2008 @ 8:24pm | |
| Location | Promenade | |
| Timeline | 17:55 |
ON:
Darson silently stalked around the gantry on the upper promenade level, a long thick rifle case in hand, looking down on the throngs waiting for the Captain’s appearance. Appraising each and every person, he could find no obvious faults as of yet. He opened the secure TAC Channel for the SpecOps squad, and said, “War-dog to Viper Squad…leaders confirm readiness and position by fire team.”
The channel crackled, “Viper Team Alpha, in position around podium,” Responsible for close protection, in case the Assassin was playing the short game, Fire team Alpha was dispersed within a 5 - 10 meter radius of the podium perimeter, disguised as normal tourists, watching the people for anybody suspicious, and ready to tackle the Captain if it appeared that she was in danger.
“Viper Team Bravo, ready, and mingling…” In case the assassins had backup waiting in the crowd, Darson had sent Bravo Team to blend into the huddle of people to provide support, and in case the killer decided to lob a grenade into the midst.
“Viper Team Charlie, in sniping positions, locked and loaded with safety rounds,” Shedding their disguises for traditional SpecOps Armor, the third fire team had set up overlapping fields of fire in concealed blinds two levels above the podium.
Darson was currently several levels above the gathering, a quarter revolution from the podium, as it gave him a commanding view of the crowd. He looked both ways down the promenade. It was almost completely deserted, most of the people having gathered on the lower decks to see the Captain’s speech, “Roger that…War-dog has the overwatch. All units, standby…activate transponders.”
Set to transmit unique encrypted burst packets, each transponder marked the location of the corresponding Marine on his HUD, as well as for security personnel.
The music was getting louder on the Promenade as Tasha made her way to the podium, to announce the start of the evening’s events and the festival. She knew the security personnel were behind her, as well as Rakka and Petro. Her heart was thumping wildly as she tried her best to keep her mind on the here and now, not the possibility of what could be. She squeezed herself amongst the throng of the gathered and had to push to make the final steps to the podium. She slipped on something underfoot, instinctively grabbing at the person in front of her, who was obviously displeased at being tugged at, spinning about with fists ready, before realizing it was the commander of the station and the fist became a helping hand, pulling her upright as well as a pair of large hands grasping beneath her arms as well.
Tasha nodded her thanks and continued to the raised platform stage.
From Darson’s perch, he could see Captain Tahir ascending to the stage. He magnified the image as he triggered his COM, “War-dog to Viper Squad…’Sidewinder’ has entered the area,” he said, using the Captain’s codename, “All units, stay alert.”
From a distance, Lahy watched the small parade of individuals move through the crowd towards the podium. The Captain, dressed in the fullness of her uniform for these special occasions. Behind her were two security guards, their cadence drilled into them. Then there was that Nausicaan. She stood above all the others, no doubt her eyes watching every move every person made. Next to her was a small framed woman wearing a striking red dress that accentuated her body. She would make a nice prize were he in the market for such things.
He continued to watch them, himself unnoticed by anyone as he stood between the irons that held the station together. This was his place, high above the others, his place to watch and to plan. His eyes flowed over the crowds, noticing how each of them had their focus on something different and yet each of them watching the Captain and her entourage. As his view moved from the podium and extended outward, he could see a shadow of a figure moving to a vantage point that may better suit his needs. ~What was he up to? ~ Lahy wondered.
Petro walked beside Rakka and behind the security guards escorting the Captain. She could feel people looking at her, staring at her and could hear the whispers of some. Part of her was flattered by the attention and yet, she was frightened. She could feel herself quivering with every step and was grateful that Rakka was there.
Rakka was glad Petro was nearby. Her professional duty bound her to watch over Captain Tahir, but personally she needed to look after Petro--to have them both close at hand made her feel calm and capable. She scanned the area, taking note of every one of her officers, and trying to pick out suspicious bystanders.
Rakka knew she was doing the best she could with her department, but part of her worried that the greatest extent of her resources was not going to be enough. If anything went awry, she thought, she would make sure HQ felt her wrath after their continual neglect of her requests for more, stronger staff.
Tasha reached the stage and looked upward at the waiting faces, all smiling at her. She did her best to smile back at them and the Brandy had made her feel a little more relaxed. She made her way to the Bajoran ambassador, Lyra Annis and leant to her ear.
"Blessings. Tonight will be an admirable evening and I thank you for the invitation." She said, the warm smile on her own face in contrast to the ambassadors.
"Blessings upon you, Captain." She replied with a reserve in her voice, holding her clasped hands in front of her.
Tasha nodded and took a step backwards, spinning about on heel and facing the crowd afore her. She paused, collecting her thoughts and could not help but look around at them, looking for a sign of trouble, but with the mass of people, it was impossible to see if there was an assassin in their midst.
She glanced sideway's, seeing Lieutenant Riley to her left, but he was not looking at her, something seemed to have caught his eye as he gazed upward.
Darson stroked the chin of his helmet with an armored hand as he gazed down at the podium. As the Captain stood behind it and conversed with the priest, he triggered the COM once more, “All units, ‘Sidewinder’ is now stationary. Operational Status is now Foxtrot-Alpha-Whiskey…repeat, Operational Status is now Foxtrot-Alpha-Whiskey…Alpha and Bravo, engage targets of opportunity at your discretion. Charlie, wait for authorization unless contact is imminent. Confirm.”
As the chorus of confirmations rang inside his helmet, he zoomed in on the podium. Glancing over all the Security officers doing their jobs, and finally settled on Lieutenant Riley, who was gazing upwards instead of at the crowds. When his attention did not return, Darson thought ~”What are you looking at, Lieutenant?”~, and shifted his gaze towards the ceiling.
Lahy watched the spectacle below. His eyes were sharper than most and he could see how every detail seemed to be coming into play. He turned his attention from the Captain and to one of the Security Guards. His focus seemed to be on something not in the crowd. Lahy turned to see what he was looking at and as he had suspected, the shadowy figure he had seen before were seen again. It wasn't much to see, merely a toe or a heel of a shoe but it was enough to know that someone else was up here in his loft. As he watched, the toe or heel slid back and vanished into the shadows.
Petro could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Was it the Irish coffee, the waiter's attention or all the commotion? Perhaps it was her trying something new and exciting. She liked the way she was given attention but was it merely a surface level admiration?
She rubbed her legs as she took her seat. The pain, though dull, present and annoying. She took a deep breath through her nose and out through her mouth trying to remember the meditation techniques she had watched but was never taught. It helped to focus her mind from the pain in her legs but only so much that she could now feel the pain in her spine. ~This is going to be a long night~ she thought.
Darson stared up at the ceiling ardently, trying to find some interesting feature that Lieutenant Riley could be engrossed with. However, it was too dark to see all the way up into the rafters. With a silent flick, he activated the thermal filter in his helmet. Suddenly, the massive struts of the station were thrown into sharp relief, as a cool un-assuming blue.
He could immediately see two things that stood out. One was a small warm figure situated almost directly above and in front of him, staring down into the crowd. But it was the other object that interested him more. Its color was blue that indicated a lack of heat, and yet it was moving around slightly.
Darson took a few silent steps down the gantry, and making sure that he could keep both signatures in view, closely examined the second one. With a flash of realization, he realized that this person had erected a sheet of some heat resistant material, probably in order to fool the very sensors he was using. He immediately set down the case and opened it, revealing a broken down sniper rifle. With smooth practiced motions, he quickly assembled it, and affixed a long black suppressor. With that done, he jacked in a cartridge, pulled back the cocking handle, and settled in the shadows to watch.
Darson saw the blue silhouette move into a position that he immediately recognized as a firing stance. One hand out, an elbow cocked out to the side, long dark object pointed down into the crowd, most likely towards the podium.
Safe in the shadows, he shouldered the rifle, spreading his legs into a half-moon for a more stable stance, and quickly acquired the target. As soon as he did, he flicked off the safety. But he didn’t fire.
Instead, he triggered the TAC channel, “Viper Squad, this is War-dog. I have preliminary target acquisition in the structural supports overhead…standby for phase two.”
Turning most of his attention to the person in the rafters, Darson thought calmly, ~”I render Judgment on you…vermin …Doing so brings me no joy, it is necessity that compels me. Understand this: the burden that you have shouldered at the request of your masters, I do rescind…with more consideration than it was granted.”~
Tasha stood in the middle of the podium, her smile wide and open. She felt honored and happy to be here as she began to flap her arms, to quiet down the crowd. She allowed them a moment, to settle as the atmosphere was electric, the preparations done and the people ready to party they were as apprehensive as she was to get the celebration underway.
"Ladies, gentlemen, honored guests and visitors to Deep space 5. I am enthralled to be here this evening, on this the 7 anniversary of the Bajoran celebration of festival." She turned to Annis, who simply nodded her head. "As you know, there is a programme of events..........." Tasha saw Riley move and other security officers dash around and from above, she saw the flash, but did not fully comprehend what it was. There were screams and shouts, but nothing was audible. The scene before her froze, suspended in that millisecond of time.
Riley 's stomach was churning, a shortness of breath, his skin crawled, a cold sweat rolled down his brow....Riley could not set at ease. He had spotted something, with a glance out of the corner of his eye. He stared at it, at where he thought it was. The glint, of.....glass? "My god," he whispered, as he began to rush to the podium, instinct in full command of his wits and he shoved her, hard to the side. The familiar heat of a disruptor blast in his chest. Then he felt nothing.....only cold....and so he fell....fell for eternity as his vision was replaced with blackness, cold....so cold.....he felt nothing.
Rakka was up and moving in an instant, carefully avoiding stepping on Petro in her haste to get in the middle of the scene. Everyone was moving in different directions all at once; she wasn't sure if she could control the chaos.
"GET BACK!" she roared to the bystanders who were hurrying forward to get a closer look at what had happened. They parted to let her through. The sight of Ensign Riley lying there looking far too still wrenched her heart to pieces, but she had a higher duty. Quickly she knelt over Tasha, keeping her down and shielding her body in case any other shots were imminent. She trusted, however, that her officers, or the marines, or both, had already moved in to take down the shooter.
"Are you all right? Are you hit?" she yelled over the noise of the crowds.
Shock had taken control already. Her eyes were fixed on the legs of Lieutenant Riley, the first things she saw after the flash, was his body shooting across her view.
"I....I think so....." She stuttered, the only thing that she felt at the moment, was the pain in her shoulder where she had hit the floor, but she was more concerned for the security officer who now lay prone behind Rakka. Her hand slowly raised as her finger pointed with a shake at Riley.
"Is.....Riley.....alright?" Finally her eyes came up to meet Rakka's and she could tell by the look in her eyes, that Riley was not at all, alright.
"Never mind Riley," Rakka said numbly. "He's done his duty. Let's get you out of here."
Petro sat frozen. It was happening again. An attack, the crowds, the mobs. She could see people running around, yelling, frantically moving with no real destination. Her heart pounded in her chest as the memories of the last time overwhelmed her.
Back up on the gantry, Darson saw the man fire, and the disruptor beam flash out down towards the podium. Not unduly worried, he focused in on the person on the strut, and as soon as its head was in the middle of the cross-hairs, calmly pulled the trigger.
A mercury-tipped bullet, specially designed for special situations like this where over-penetration could be a problem, left the barrel of the rifle, travelling at almost 2,000 meters per second. It crossed the relatively small distance in a heartbeat, whistled through the narrow passageway granted by the architecture, and slammed into the would-be assassin’s head, killing him instantly, and knocking him from his perch.
A shout was heard as something fell from the upper gantry, followed by a scream. Somebody crashed to the floor!
People scattered, some stared at the mangled body and the rifle that was partially hidden by his body.
Rakka fought the urge to get to the centre of this new commotion, but she knew her officers were already moving in. ~They can handle it, ~ she told herself, and kept her focus on her greatest duty. "We need to get you to sickbay," Rakka said. It didn't look like Tasha had been hit, but she ought to have look-over anyway. "Can you walk?"
She blinked a few times, trying to understand what was happening, to collate her thoughts and make sense of current condition. She looked at Rakka, when suddenly, she came to her senses.
"Yes. I don't need to go to sickbay, just a little shocked." She swung her legs beneath her and with a hand from Rakka, stood on her feet. Glancing at the fallen security officer, her hand slammed to her chest, dismissing the pain in her shoulder.
=^= "Sickbay, lock onto Lieutenant Riley's comm and initiate emergency transport, code 1." =^= She yelled, ensuring her voice was heard above the clamour of the crowds
People were scared, chatter had ceased and the stage had cleared. Tasha looked around at the disarray and felt saddened.
"Commander, get yourself to sickbay, look after Riley. He saved my life and I am sure you want to make as sure as I he is taken care of. Get security to take that body away too." She said, pointing at the mangled mess on the floor, "and get me report as soon as your able." Tasha turned back to look at Riley's shimmering body as her hand came to Rakkas arm.
"Rakka, I am sorry." She said, her voice lowered. "I know how well you two worked together and how you trusted him." She felt herself shiver and felt the bile rising up her throat and swallowed hard. She took a deep breath stepped forwards on the stage.
"Folks, good people of DS5. Please do not let this spoil your evening. Give us a few minutes to clear up and the festival will continue." Tasha shouted, her voice strong and sure.
Somebody clapped, slowly and others joined in and with a few seconds, everybody was clapping and cheering.
Tasha felt a surge of pride as she turned to Rakka, who had already lifted the body of Riley and stood watching the crowd.
Petro heard the clapping. It sounded like thunder in her ears and only served to raise the apprehension within her. She stared straight ahead, seeing nothing but the crowds of people, and the memories of being trampled.
As the amazingly still alive Captain spoke reassuring words to the crowd, Darson was still on alert. With most two person teams like this, one would take the shot from far off, and another would be on the ground to confirm the kill. However, in the case that the first shot missed, it was the person on the ground’s duty to finish the job.
Having already briefed his team on what to do in either situation he swept his gaze over the crowd, finally finding his target. A woman, plainly dressed, making her way urgently towards the podium, through the applauding crowd. He spoke to his squad, “Target acquired, moving towards the podium from your 3’oclock Alpha. Prepare to retrieve.”
He shouldered the rifle again, looking through the scope at the woman moving determinedly through the crowd. With its magnification, it was if he was standing right next to her. As she reached the perimeter, she stopped and began to pull out what Darson recognized as a small disruptor pistol.
This time, he didn’t wait. He immediately centered the cross-hairs on her chest, tracked right slightly, and fired. The woman clutched her shoulder and fell backwards, as if swooning, right into the arms of one of Fire-team Alpha, who, after assuring a concerned bystander that his wife had just fainted from all the excitement, proceeded to pick her up, and carry her unnoticed out a side door.
Darson lowered the rifle and triggered the COM, “All units, confirm any more possible targets?”
“Viper Charlie reports all clear, nice shooting sir.”
“Viper Bravo, All clear down here.”
“Viper Alpha, one down, but no complications, clear.”
Darson nodded to himself and started back around the gantry, “Roger…all clear, for the moment. Everybody stay alert.” He gazed down towards the podium, and saw the Captain standing proudly at the podium. Coldly staring at her for a second or two, he reverted his attention to where it was needed, watching the crowd, making sure that a third person didn’t try to kill the precious Captain, especially the 2nd person he had seen in the rafters before.
Lahy watched the commotion from his perch. He remained there throughout the ordeal, comfortable in knowing that though he may have been seen he was not made out. Besides, he hadn't been doing anything illegal. When the shots fired, he watched with interest. It was a short lived battle and the station crew had been the victors. He watched and listened as the Captain gave a reassuring speech and smiled. She was a good Captain and had long since earned his respect for her fairness.
Rakka tried to keep track of what the marines were doing; it all happened very quickly. It didn't go down smooth that the marines were the ones taking down the assassins while her officers were the meat shields, but what could be done now? Riley had kept Tasha from getting shot, and that meant her department had done its job.
She had a hard time trusting that everything was over now. She would have preferred to stay nearby her Captain, but her Captain had made a request and she would abide by it. Rakka gestured three nearby officers to stay close to Tasha, and two others to take care of the assassin's body.
Swallowing hard, Rakka left the scene, torn in two directions. She hated to leave Tasha's side after what had just happened, but she wanted more than anything to look after her fallen officer right now. Silently and alone, she stepped onto the nearest lift and headed for sickbay.
The J'naii remained still, her face vacant of emotion and her mind trapped in the past. She could no longer feel the pain in her legs and back. She could no longer focus on the events as they unfolded. Despite everything going on around her she sat frozen in time. Unaware that her shoulder was bleeding. Unaware that Rakka had left.
Chaos . . .pure and simple chaos erupted within the crowded area. Gabriel knew of the assassination attempt, however he also knew that the Calina Consortium had put forth a lot of time, effort, and resources into this operation. They would not be dissuaded simply by canceling the Captain's schedule speech. They would find someway to get to their objective.
Gabriel knew that sometimes the best way to catch a criminal was right in the middle of the act. He knew the risks of allowing the Captain's life to be forfeited, however, capturing members of the Consortium was a priority for Starfleet Intelligence, considering their risk in statute since the decline of the Orion Syndicate. A captured member would lead to their superior contact, and so on and so forth. It was a pragmatic view, but that was the risk of being an officer of the Federation.
Gabriel looked from across the promenade and watched as the Security officers swarmed over the Captain. He diverted his eyes from Riley's prone body towards the rafters as a figure fell rapidly to the ground. He knew that the Consortium would not send just one assassin to complete the task. Within moments his hunch was proven correct as he saw the body of a second individual fall into the arms of a Marine.
"That damn Jarhead" Gabriel said thru grit teeth. He knew that Darson had taken the initiative and executed both assassins, however it was exactly what Gabriel DIDN'T want to happen. You can't interrogate a dead body, despite what he had witness during his time on Qo'Nos. He shook his head as he made his way across the promenade towards the same side-door that the Marine and would-be assassin had disappeared through.
Lahy departed from his perch in silence and stealth. Sometimes the best times for a thief were in the midst of chaos. It didn't take him long to liberate some of the wealthier attendees of some of their trinkets and vanish once again into the shadows.
Darson frowned slightly as the second blob of heat moved from his perch before he could identify it. He tracked it long enough to ensure that it wasn't going to make a move towards Tahir, and then let it go. He broke down his rifle, and packed it up carefully. Then he moved quickly towards the turbolift. He had an assassin to greet.
Petro closed her eyes, hearing voices around her and trying to regain herself. The past was gone and she remembered where she was. Still sitting. Still motionless. Still full of fear.
OFF:
Captain Tasha Tahir
Commanding Officer - DS5
Warrant Officer Petro
Quartermaster - DS5
Major James Darson
Marine Commanding Officer - DS5
Lieutenant JG Jonathan Riley
Security Officer - DS5
Lahy Sen'shuhs
Civilian - DS5
Lt. Cdr. Rakka
Chief Security Officer - DS5
Lieutenant J.G. Dorian Gabriel
Chief Intelligence - DS5