Canterra - Operation Toe Dip - Departure
Posted on 24 Apr 2019 @ 8:16pm by Major Terrance West & Lieutenant Amiri Aldana 365, D.V.M., M.D. & Lieutenant Commander Rafe Cassidy (Jan 2389 - TRNSFR After Gorn War) & Lieutenant Junior Grade Eira Cortez & Lieutenant Jinn Tevran (Jan 2389 - TRNSFR After Gorn War) & Lieutenant Junior Grade Steven Bernard, Ph.D. & Gunnery Sergeant Kyle Walken & Captain Edward Bolingbroke (Dec-Jan 2389 - TRNSFR After Gorn War) & First Lieutenant Gregor Goss (Dec-Jan 2389 - TRNSFR After Gorn War) & First Lieutenant Eleanor Hargreaves (Dec-Jan 2389 - TRNSFR After Gorn War) & Ensign Spencer Griffith-Bailey & Lieutenant Junior Grade Anyi Nila & Senior Chief Master-at-Arms Isabella Kelly
Mission:
Ka Hakaka Maikaʻi - The Good Fight
Location: Shuttle Bay & Hilo
Timeline: 1.5 Hours to Canterra
Sountrack: El Dorado (Skyworld) by Two Steps from Hell
[ON]
[Marine Training Compartment; Deck 22 – 04:45Hrs]
The Starfleet officers might have been told to arrive at 0445 hours, but 4MSOT were already there, their kit inspected as most of them buckled up and assembled their gear under the watchful eye of Lieutenant Hargreaves. Layering was the order of the day, operating in sub-zero temperatures.
Upon hearing the rustling and moving about of bodies in the training compartment, Jinn who had been taking a light rest amongst a pile of gear, sat up. It probably wasn’t the wisest decision in the world, potentially startling a room full of highly training Marines, but he had arrived some time ago after catching a quick few hours of sleep after the party and packing up his personal gear.
“Good morning,” he said by way of greeting to the group of Marines, grinning slightly. “Nice place you have here.”
Hargreaves didn’t have a face which much suited double-takes, but there was a flicker of surprise at the sight of Tevran. In the end she gave a curt nod. “It suits our purpose. I trust your punctuality hasn’t come at the expense of being well-rested, Lieutenant.”
“Remind me to tell you about the time I ended up in an air duct for 73 hours due to a faulty tip from an informant,” Jinn replied. “Or wait, I can’t: Classified. Regardless, I am rested and ready to go, don’t you worry.”
Her eyes narrowed an iota. “The reassurance without the theatrics of Intel mysteries would have sufficed, Lieutenant. But I’ll remember that you pack down small in a pinch.”
“Oh, this entire briefing period has involved you Marines showing me yours to see who can piss the longest, Lieutenant,” Jinn replied. “This is just me, joining in the fun. I’m sure we’re all fine and ready to depart.”
Hargreaves hesitated. Then, “Solid riposte, Lieutenant,” she conceded after a moment, and certainly didn’t look as if she was nursing any wounded pride of the Marine Corps. “God knows officers all have to have the smartest plan in the room,” he added, with a momentary lack of self-awareness. Deep down, she still wasn’t good at thinking of herself as an officer.
She looked up as the doors opened to let in Bernard, and she lifted a hand in brisk greeting. Hargreaves had clearly not inflicted the festivities upon herself or her sleep cycle the night before. “Gentlemen. I wanted this chance to properly gauge your familiarity with mountain environments and with the gear you’re going to be handling, as well as introduce you to the team. Soon enough we’re going to be rattling around in a landing craft a world will be trying to rip apart; it’s not an opportunity to get to know people.”
A quick set of introductions was run through of the thirteen other Marines, before she gestured to a Caitian and the tallest woman in the team. “I’m going to ask Staff Sergeant Shikar to buddy up with Ensign Bernard and Gunnery Sergeant T'Kalla to stick with Lieutenant Tevran. You’ll watch each other’s backs out there.”
T'Kalla, the half-Vulcan, looked like Hargreaves had just stuck her on latrine duty for a week at being partnered with the spook, while the Caitian Shikar looked considerably more laid-back about this prospect.
“L-T,” T'Kalla started to protest.
“That means,” Hargreaves pressed on, “that you’ll be with the HQ Element with me and Master Sergeant Knorr, as default. Questions on that? And before you ask, T, the answer is, ‘because you gave me crap for volunteering us for this mission,’” she told T'Kalla with a rare hint of good humor.
Jinn gave T'Kalla a wink. “I’ll do my best to try and keep up.”
“‘Course, sir,” said T'Kalla, nose a little wrinkled. “I’ll keep you all safe. Bundled up.” She sounded like she might be satisfied with bundling Tevran so safe he was gently smothered, but the short laugh this won from Master Sergeant Knorr stopped there being any sting in the Marines’ collective attitude towards the Starfleet officers.
“That sounds absolutely delightful, Sergeant,” Jinn replied, smiling earnestly.
Bernard was decked out with his flak vest and a cross slung phaser rifle. He had a small ration pack and the weight of his gear actually made him chipper. He smiled at Hargreaves, Tevran and the Shikar: “Good morning, ma'am. Sir, Gunny T'Kalla and Staff Sergeant.” Marine units say that they are all the same, but he knew the truth: each one had their own SOP. He was going to piss someone off with his loadout, and someone was going to be in a bad mood. He was committed to his good mood though.
“Ensign.” Hargreaves crossed the training yard to Bernard, reaching out without asking to conduct a none-too-gentle inspection of his flak vest, and then holding out a hand for the rifle for her own examination. “Lighter equipment than we wear,” she observed. “Are you familiar with anything more heavy duty or is that going to slow you down? I need you in the best gear, but more importantly I need you operating at peak efficiency.” Behind her, Staff Sergeant Shikar gave a small sigh at the team leader’s brusqueness.
Bernard snapped his weapon open into Inspection Arms and held it out for Hargreaves from a tight and perfect attention. “ENS Bernard, Steven J. GAMMA QUAD, MORT AFFAIRS!” He yelled. He had his kill-face on.
Her eyebrow quirked, but she took the rifle without a word and conducted a more thorough inspection than she had of the team’s equipment.
“The vest is mine ma'am. They wouldn’t let me keep my heavy. If you have an extra. I’ll take it. I can handle anything you’ve got.” The black and white man stood statue still, burning a hole in the bulkhead his Attention stare. Civilians might take his display as odd, or aggressive toward Hargreaves. It was not, this was the correct way to speak to Marines before battle.
“At ease,” said Hargreaves without missing a beat, examining the weapon. “You may be used to infantry outfits, Ensign, but this is a special operations team. More pertinently, this is my special operations team. Follow orders, treat your comrades with respect, and listen to the experts when they know what they’re saying, but we’re going to be in ice and blood down there together. Leave standing on ceremony on this training ground.”
Bernard was more than satisfied by Hargreaves’s response. “Aye, ma'am.” He said, quieter than before. He took his rifle back and relaxed his body. He had to stifle a smile. This is going to be awesome! He thought to himself.
[Shuttlebay Hanger 2; Deck 7 - 1.5 Hours to Canterra]
The Hilo was the focus of activity. Pulled out from her hanger, the Arrow-class was being given a final check over by the maintenance crews.
Both doors were open wide and a stream of Second Team Marines under the leadership of Sergeant Walken were unloading sleds of supplies as soon as they were delivered by the Quartermaster’s staff and checked off.
Bolingbroke had sent Second Team down to help out while Third and Forth completed their mission work-ups and when he arrived, he went over to see how they were doing.
“How’s it going Sarnt Walken?” He asked.
Walken handed off the crate of emergency food he was carrying to one of the other marines, “Things are going smoothly Cap, we are just about finished loading up. Orders for once we finish?”
“Gear up and have Team Two ready to support Security in Counter Boarding, should the battle get rough and the Gorn try to punch a hole in the hull again,” Bolingbroke said grimly.
“Got it Cap.” Walken answered, remembering his time as a POW and not wanting that to happen to others on board the ship.
“Good work” He turned to the Operations Officer. “You manage to find everything they requisitioned?” Bolingbroke asked the Quartermaster.
“That we did Captain, stuck to the list no more or less than what your officers requested.” The Quartermaster informed the Marine Captain.
“Then I hope they remembered everything” Bolingbroke replied with a wry smile. “Better toss on an extra box of toilet paper while you’re at it, they usually forget that.”
“I will go run down and grab another box each.”
“Good choice,” Bolingbroke nodded with a grin.
Over on the other side of the shuttlebay Bolingbroke could see one of the Doctors and a couple of Nurse’s setting up a table and laying out hyposprays. He went over.
“What cocktail are they getting this time Doc?” He asked.
Aldana was also busy checking off supplies as the nurses were busily setting up. Meanwhile Sombra lay under the table, patiently waiting. S/he looked up from hir PADD. “Oh, hello Captain, did you draw the short straw to be the humanoid pincushion?” S/he smiled at hir own joke.
The PADD in the doctor’s hand made a distinct chirp-y-beep as s/he scrolled through. “Let’s see, Hyper Malaria, Gojira Encephalitis, Green Fever, and something new, Type II Dino-Rabies.” S/he held up a bottle of chewable gummies. Each Away Team member will also be getting a ninety-day prescription of an anti-parasitic.”
“Sounds like a lovely mix, particularly the anti-parasitic” Bolingbroke replied wryly, “and that’s a No on the pincushion, at least not today. But I’m sure I’ll be down there soon enough. Ah, but here come your… patients now!”
The door slid open and Operation Toe Dip members began to arrive. None looked too worse for wear Bolingbroke thought, if they had attended the party a few hours before.
“Step right up. Doctor Aldana has been expecting you” He waved the arrivals over.
Aldana stepped forward. “Good morning everyone. Most of you should have met me by now, but if not, I am Doctor Amiri Aldana 365, I am the chi-… er… Assistant Chief Medical Officer. Today you’ll each be required to take a series of three injections and a bottle of a ninety-day supply of an anti-parasitic. All injections will need to be administered into either the posterior or the deltoid.
I will need access to bare skin, so if you could all please form an orderly line, my nurses will check you in and hand you a bottle. You’ll find the ingestible anti-parasitic is in the form of an easy to chew pleasantly flavored gummy. Please take one immediately and follow the directions on the label precisely in the coming months. Once you get to me, please have your uniforms open in the previously mentioned manner so we can get through this smoothly. Any questions?
Cortez was the first to walk over, even though she absolutely hated any form of medicine or vaccinations. She was sporting a different look for the mission: her braided hair was colored a deep brown almost black – because white would stand out too much in the jungle. “What am I taking?” She queried.
“Vaccines for, Hyper Malaria, Gojira Encephalitis, Green Fever, and Type II Dino-Rabies. The gummies are an anti-parasitic.”
Spencer waited patiently behind her, sipping on the customary tea he always had in his hands.
With her team’s impromptu briefing done, Hargreaves led them down into the hangar bay, and clocked that it was time for the doctor’s assistance and drugs. The Marines were rapidly lined up, any good-natured belly-aching swatted aside by the team-leader, and they were all set to wait patiently for their shots.
Jinn lines up behind the Marines. He could sense mild apprehension coming from the group, but this was pushed aside by the strict sense of duty they all felt. Once again, he reminded himself that despite the blunt nature of their thoughts, he thoroughly enjoyed working with Marines. They were uncomplicated.
Hargreaves made sure she went first of her Marines. While she respected her people, there were times the officer had to suck it up and do the unpleasant thing first. That was rarely going into battle or throwing one’s self on a grenade; no, Marines usually wanted their officer to do paperwork first, therapy first, or unpleasant medical procedures first. That was one of the real roads to respect.
She loosened her collar and rolled up her sleeve, because the real road to respect did not include an injection in her posterior before an op. The injections she cooperated with, and she took the gummi chew without complaint or comment before ushering the rest of her team on.
Bernard submitted his arm to the doctor – rolling up his sleeve while wearing the flak vest was a chore – and opened his mouth for the gummi chew. He chewed and turned to Trevan. “The flavor is not unpleasant. I’ll need to replicate a bag of these minus the medicine when we get back.”
“Good morning Doctor,” Gregor greeted, stepping up to the head of the line with the rest of 3MSOT in tow behind him. He moved to accommodate the injection and popped a gummi floret into his mouth once the hypospray had done its work. “Thank you,” he offered dutifully. He looked back and noted that Corporal Coso was looking distinctly uncomfortable. He kept an eye on the man, in case an issue should arise.
When Coso did come to the head of the line, he didn’t speak, he merely stood there, a slight sheen of sweat on his brow.
Concerned Aldana hesitated. “Are you alright crewman?” S/he found a medical tricorder and brought it out, opening it up and beginning a scan.
“I’m fine, physically,” Coso Grunted. “Just get it over with as fast as you can, please.”
Aldana smiled as hir tail wagged a bit. “Don’t worry, this won’t hurt a bit.” Then pressed the hypo to the bare skin of Coso’s exposed shoulder. “Thank you for your cooperation crewman.”
“Yes,” Coso managed, stepping quickly on to the next part of his preparations.
Isabella had been in the bay checking her gear and signing for her stuff, as she wore green top with brown pants, a belt with pouches that held small objects that might come in use from time to time. “You say that all the time Doc,” replied Isabella as she rolled up her sleeve as she knew that it didn’t hurt.
All of a sudden, a marine shouted “ATTENTION ON DECK!”
Sombra perked up and sat up straight, then lifted his front two paws off of the deck in a Canid-attention.
~Not you silly, but Good Boy, keep it up.~
West strolled in, decked out in full battle rattle. “At ease, you apes,” he smiled and was a bit concerned at some of the more frightened faces of the junior enlisted.
Her team done with their medical go-over, Hargreaves had snapped to parade-ground attention, then relaxed at West's words, hands coming behind her back. “I mean,” she muttered to T'Kalla, beside her, in the rustle of Marines rearranging themselves, “apes beats gentlemen.”
“I'm one of those things,” T'Kalla agreed as silence fell and they both soundly shut up.
[Hilo]
“She’s good to go Sir” The Maintenance Chief reported to Griffith-Bailey as the pilot came over to the Arrow-class. “We gave her a full once over, tuned the warp core settings and plasma flow coils to keep her energy signal as low as possible. Shield generators are checked, and phaser targeting is dialed in tight. Lieutenant Cassidy sent down a flight plan and we’ve got that uploaded into the navigation system. Anything else you need?”
Spencer looked up at the Arrow-class and then back to the chief, “Just as a precaution, I want you to give her another quick going over. Can’t be too careful.” It was his chance to show what he was made of and he didn’t want to ‘ef-it-up.’
The Chief checked the time. “Ensign, we just spent the last five hours prepping this ship. It’s good to go. Your departure is in twenty-four minutes; you’ve got your own pre-flight checks to do and your Marines to load and settle in, so we don’t have time to go over the whole craft, what systems do you want me to recheck in the remaining five or six minutes?”
Spencer put his hands on his hips as he thought. “Make it the backups on the maneuvering thrusters, and power relays in case I need to do some emergency reallocation,” he decided at last. “You know, whichever of the two you can at least give a final look-over before it’s too late. Thanks, Chief.” The Maintenance Chief was given a brisk thumbs up as Spencer jogged aboard, heading for the cockpit.
Pre-flight checks were important. But they were also like riding a bicycle, and it was tiresome to do something that felt like clockwork, where muscle memory took over, and still have to care about every piece of minutiae. Because if something went wrong it needed noticing, and if something went wrong it could make the difference between life, death, and his being taken seriously.
Fifteen minutes later, once everyone had been processed through medical the Shuttle Bay Manager called out “Let’s get everyone embarked. We’re getting ready to launch!”
The rear doors started to open, beyond the forcefield lay cold dark space, rushing by at Warp speed.
In the Hilo’s cockpit the comm channel chirped =/\= Shuttle Bay control to Hilo, standby for launch. We will tractor you out to the edge of the warp bubble, once you engage your engines and deflector we’ll let you slip free.=/\=
Launching auxiliary craft at Warp was not customary. It was simple in theory, tractor beam the shuttle out, so it was just inside the host ship’s warp bubble, let it match speed with the ship, both warp bubbles merged. Then release the tractor beam, the shuttle eased back on speed and slid out of the back of the warp bubble.
Easy in theory, dangerous in practice and guaranteed to be turbulent for the shuttle, it’s crew and passengers. But it was the only way to ensure the Arrow-class’s launch was not detected by letting the Gorn see the Battle group slow and stop.
Spencer flicked the comms switch above. =/\=Control, this is Hilo,=/\= he said cheerfully. =/\=Getting the green packages aboard and then we will be good to go in five.=/\= He twisted around to look at the rear of the ship, where the Marines were starting to hop aboard.
“Play nice, kids,” Hargreaves told her team with her usual wry flatness. “Let 3MSOT board first and get the good seats, we have to disembark before them.” When it was their time, 4MSOT boarded and, like it was routine, Hargreaves and T'Kalla did the rounds to make sure everyone was properly strapped in. They were all going to need it.
“You heard the Lieutenant, climb in,” Gregor directed waving his team on board. He was last to take a seat, after he had helped to check the safety harnesses of his charges and checked what he could of their supply load. “All settled Hargreaves!” he declared at the end.
Bernard felt cozy in the tight straps that held him in. He wrapped the sling of his phaser rifle around his left leg and rechecked to make sure the rifle was switched off. He cradled it and looked around at the faces of his team, then promptly rested his chin on the inside of his flak vest and closed his eyes. Lovely day he thought and tried to drift off to sleep.
West entered the Arrow-class before 4 MSOT as he was going with Goss’s team.
Bolingbroke stopped West as he was getting aboard.
“Any last Minutes instructions sir?” He asked, it was not often the unit Commanding Officer was one of the first people on to the battlefield.
“Yeah, maintain radio comms and make sure Captain Tachibana doesn’t screw up the battle plan too much,” West smirked before returning to a straight face. “I’m sure we’ll do fine, Captain. You sure you don’t want to come with us?”
“Seems somebody has to stay behind and keep an eye on the 'fleet!” Bolingbroke replied with a grin. “Good hunting sir!” He stood back as the hatch swung closed.
=/\=Bringing in Bridge Flight Control=/\= The Manager announced once the Arrow-class’s hatch was closed and sealed =/\= Activating tractor beam!=/\=
The Arrow-class was lifted up by the docking tractor beam and moved steadily out through the doors, to a point near the rear of the Hawaii’s nacelles.
=/\= Arrow-class is in position. Handing over to Bridge Flight Control to match speeds and coordinate launch =/\= Shuttle Bay control reported.
Within a moment, Cassidy’s voice came through the comms. =/\=Hilo, you are in position and within our warp bubble. Engage warp engines to match our field.=/\=
=/\=You got it, Hawaii.=/\= Spencer’s hands drifted across the controls, the Arrow-class now generating its own warp field but not yet breaking loose from the ship, catapulted through space by the Sovereign-class. =/\=And we’re good, humming along at our own pace, Hawaii. Let a little birdie fly the nest.=/\=
There was only the faintest hesitation from Cassidy’s end. =/\=Acknowledged. Your warp field is stable and you’re looking good this end. Fly sharp out there. Letting you lose in 10…=/\=
Despite the circumstances, Spencer gave a pleased, crooked smile as his hands settled on the controls. This was the moment. He keyed the control for the comms to the rear of the vessel. “People, we’re launching, and it’ll get a bit bumpy, so stay buckled up. Consider this some intro turbulence ahead of the main event.”
It went like clockwork. But clockwork still included a rumbling of the deck, a bucking of the ship when the Hilo was freed from Hawaii and catapulting herself through space of her own accord.
A stomach-churning lurch meant that the impossibly complicated calculations were precise to at least four decimal points. Which was good, because the margin of error was such that to be off by much more would have instead ripped the hull apart. There was a reason launches didn’t usually happen like this.
Risky clockwork was sort of a pilot’s bread and butter.
“See?” Spencer said cheerfully over the comms. “That wasn’t so bad. We’re footloose and fancy free, now, people, so you are safe and swift aboard the 0530 to Canterra. This is a direct flight, and we apologize, but the dining cart is out of action for this mission, so keep your arms, legs, and telepathic powers inside the hull, and enjoy the ride.”
[OFF]
Terrance "Terry" West, Maj, SFMC
3MRBN/CO
Edward Bolingbroke, Capt, SFMC
BMSOC/CC
Kyle Walken, Sgt, SFMC
2MSOT/EL
Gregor Goss, 1LT, SFMC
3MSOT/TL
Ellie Hargreaves, 1LT, SFMC
4MSOT/TL
Rafe Cassidy, LT, SF
CONN
Spencer Griffith-Bailey, ENS, SF
FCO
Anyi Nila, ENS, SF
OPS
Bernard, Steven J., ENS,SF
TAO
Isabella Kelly, MACS, SF
TACSECLCPO
Jinn Tevran, LTJG, SF
INT
Eira Cortez, LTJG, SF
AINT
Amiri Aldana 365, D.V.M., M.D., LT, SF
ACMO