Flanking Maneuver

Posted on 03 Jul 2020 @ 1:18pm by Captain Akio Tachibana & Lieutenant Orson Beckett, Ph.D.

Mission: Ohuna - The Secret
Location: Federation Mission at Bre'el IV
Timeline: After 'Awry'

ON:

Down in the lobby, it looked like the Commander had grouped people into two fire teams of about 4 each.

"Sir, unknown number of enemy combatants, yet it looks like they're still at the gate. If we can get access to small arms, we could flank them," Boyd reported.

"Why aren't the local authorities assisting?" the Commander wondered aloud.

"Unknown, sir. It is fairly late and the city seemed quiet... they could be on their way, considering the distance," another officer chimed in.

The Commander turned to Boyd. "I don't think we can wait for them. The nearest small arms locker is at the Mission, though."

Boyd paused and swallowed. He was armed, being a Security Officer. Yet he looked around and he could tell not everyone had a weapon. Most of them, Boyd included, were here for an Academy Recruitment visit. It was supposed to be peaceful.

"We should fashion whatever melee weapons are available," Boyd suggested, looking at Orson.

"It's risky but leaving the lives of those officers to the hand of those terrorists doesn't sit well with me, we'll see what we can do." Orson didn't wait for approval before setting away to go fashion and find weapons. There wasn't much mostly long curtain rails though there had been lucky enough to find two types one phaser which had some power left in them.

Returning "We're as ready as we're ever, what's the plan?" He asked.

"We should leap frog along the road. Thankfully, the darkness will keep us hidden, yet the terrain is fairly open. Once we're closer, we should move off and creep along the side. Recon will give us insight to targets of opportunity," Boyd explained. The Commander nodded.

"You're the tactical officer with all the training, just tell me where to go and where to be" Orson commented with the antiquated type 1 phaser in his hand and the small group of science officer behind him, all brandishing their own weapons, some ranged, most melee.

"Sounds like a plan then, let's head out," the Commander ordered. "Take two vehicles, yet once we're close, turn off all lights."

There were a couple dune buggies parked outside that were used for local transportation, similar to the Argo rover, yet with more lights and no weapons. It seated four in two benches with an open canopy with a center roll bar.

The group split in two and started up the buggies. They were electric so emitted barely a sound, except for the low hum of the tires moving along the road.

Boyd hopped in the driver seat of one of the vehicles.

Orson had followed Boyd to the vehicles and rode shotgun, the buggy was small but between the two vehicles they managed to fit their little band of merry men and set of towards the fighting, Orson wasn't by any means a violent man but the thought of someone attacking a peaceful diplomatic mission annoyed him greatly.

In approximately five minutes, the buggies slowed down and turned their lights off, exiting the road and veering off into the desert.

"This is too loud," Boyd whispered.

"We could go in on foot?" Orson offered to wonder how it was too loud beside the lum hum and the sound of sand displaying under the tires cutting their path through the desert. "But it would take longer and I feel like time is of the essence here."

Boyd slowed the buggy and the trail buggy followed.

"You're right... they've probably already seen us coming anyways," Boyd said in a low voice as he sped up.

After about 5 more minutes, as the buggies approached, there seemed to be additional vehicles, at least 3 or 4, and clear disruptor fire at the gate.

The attackers didn't seem to be aware of the additional buggies. 'Did they think they were reinforcements?' Boyd wondered.

He slowed the buggies once they were in phaser range and turned the bright lights on.

"OPEN FIRE!" Boyd shouted.

The combinations of the bright lights and Boyd's shout momentarily confused their enemies and from where they stood an eruption of phaser fire with about five or six people charging forward letting off a rather impressive war cry, them with their melee weapons. Orson fired his phaser at the enemy who was crouched behind the debris of the Mission. The Phaser he was using, however, was old and wasn't zeroed to his eyesight so the blast went off to one side.

At least a couple of the attackers were hit as the phaser fire continued.

Yet in the distance, Boyd could hear the sound of sand which confirmed Boyd's earlier thought about how they were able to sneak up on the enemy.

"Incoming!" Boyd shouted, although it was too late. Another explosion rocked the gate that blew a hole in the joint with the wall.

Orson ducked behind the buggy as sand and debris showered him and the ranged attacks fo their group, around him both Starfleet personnel and the terrorist were battling either hand to hand or firing their weapons. This was not something Orson was used to and his ears thrummed with the shouts and explosions of weapon fire.

Boyd found the Commander who was nursing a wound to his shoulder. "Sir, we're about to be flanked and they're breaching the wall."

As the rag-tag Starfleet counterattack continued firing their phasers, Boyd looked around. The compound was surrounded by a continuous wall and there weren't any structures nearby.

"We should retreat or we're going to be sandwiched," Boyd urged.

"The compound" Orson shouted one ear was now partially deaf from the earlier explosion and blood was dripping down the side of his head, dust-covered his and Boyds uniforms and body. "I will stay here and cover you." Orson had picked up a disrupted rifle from a fallen terrorist its accuracy far great than the antiquated type 1 phaser which he kept hold of in his other hand.

Boyd looked around. They had lost 2 or 3 already. He grabbed Orson and pulled on his uniform.

"We gotta go," Boyd said as he pulled the Commander up who had yet to make a decision. Yet if they continued waiting, the decision would be made for them and death was not the desired destiny.

OFF:

Orson Beckett, Ph.D., LT
Academy Outreach Team (Science)

LT Boyd - Played by Akio/Jacob
In-Transit