The Auction House - Gate Crashers (Conclusion)

Posted on 10/30/2020 @ 9:44pm by Lieutenant Commander Kiernan Gallagher VII & Lieutenant JG Larissa Syndel
Edited on on 03/02/2021 @ 6:28pm

Mission: S2E2: The Auction House
Location: The Auction House - Vault
Timeline: Day 41 at 1630

The cargo lift opened and guards appeared brandishing weapons while others appeared out of a side hallway and it was one of those that had taken down the ship's Chief of Security.

"Lae'Or's been hit," Niun cried out as he pivoted, dropped to one knee and fired. "Request immediate beam-out."

"Granted," Cian responded. "Stand by for emergency transport. Notify Sickbay that they have one incoming. Lieutenant Joral, the USS Santiago is here and we have moved into position. Beginning beam over security teams, all available decks." There was a shimmer and the transporter enveloped the Bajoran's still form and moved her, atom by atom, to the ship's Sick Bay.

This was not going the way that Lieutenant Jodon Joral had planned for; however, that was more often than not the case with any away mission. You could plan for several things, use previous knowledge and draw from it, assess situation and circumstances to the best of your ability, and you could analyze scenarios in your head mentally, or run them through a computer program as a simulation. Even a sophisticated computer simulation yielded a dozen or so results, worse case scenarios were typically one that everyone died and the mission was a complete and utter failure. Lae'Or being hit was not part of the plan, but it was the heinous art of Starfleet service.

J.J. could almost feel the woman's pain himself though in a phantom sense. He did not have the abilities of an empath, but it was as though the Joral symbiont curled up inside his gut. Will she make it? that was what he thought ever so briefly in the moment. It was dangerous thinking to have. Jodon of old may have dwelled too long on that grim thought and gotten them all killed. Being of a fused mind, however, Joral's past command experience kicked in and rattled the young lieutenant, snapping his free and clear from those darkly lingering thoughts that attempted to lull him to a communal death.

"Captain," he said shaking himself from the shock and bringing himself about to face the reality of the moment. "We are missing Master Chief Boudreaux. He was separated from Lieutenant Syndel," reported Lieutenant Joral. "Sir, we need to find him. I refuse to leave anyone behind here on this sordid podunk space station" added J.J.

"There was never any question of that," Cian said. "We'll take on the colonists and anyone else who has suffered at the hands of these criminals. The Santiago will take on prisoners and begin sifting through records. In the meantime, get your away team together and come home. Crazy Horse out."

Lieutenant Joral took a deep breath and looked at the trio: Gallagher, Syndel, and Niun. "I'm not ready to leave without clearing that corridor," said J.J. gesturing to a short stretch ahead. "The Master Chief has to here somewhere...nearby hopefully" added J.J.

He glanced at the comm badge that he was holding and then at Gallagher. "Lieutenant, may I" the Trill XO said gesturing to the Chief Science Officer's tricorder.

"Of course," Kiernan replied, the two words softly spoken. He held out the scanning device for the executive officer to take and waited. After a few moments, the tricorder was handed back to him, this time he didn't pocket it, but instead kept it open and scanning.

Lieutenant Joral took he tricorder and examined it for a moment. "Thank you," he added as held the Tricorder in his hand and looked Larissa. "Syndel, can you do anything to scan for the Chief's comm badge signature? If so, we may be able to use a tricorder...sort of like geocaching from Academy survival courses."

Larissa shook her head, "They took our combadges and pretty much everything off us when they captured us." She told him. "I can lead us back to where we were separated but we would have to look for human life signs and check all the holding cells."

J.J. nodded and returned the Tricorder to the science officer.

J.J. tapped his comm badge "Jodon to Dr. Richards, the king has brought his horses and men. They are storming this castle deck by deck. Lieutenant Lae'Or was shot, she's been extracted for medical care along with some rescued colonist. I believe it would prudent for you to be with the Captain right now on the Crazy Horse. He's going to have his hands full with the colonists. Have the Horse lock onto your signal and beam you out. The others and I are going to clear a corridor and try to find a missing crew member."

Siobhan was not surprised at all. She stood up, still keeping eye on the two prisoners and tapped her commbadge. "Understood." She confirmed.

Moving away, toward the other room, she tapped the commbadge again.
"Crazy Horse, this is Lieutenant Richards, please beam me up." She said and relaxed waiting for the transporter to deconstruct her body.

"Crazy Horse here, Lieutenant. Stand by for beam up." And within moments beams entwined about her and carried her to the ship.

J.J. took in Larissa's information. "They never make that easy for us do they?" the XO said in more of a matter of fact statement rather than actual question. "Can you modify the tricorder to filter out Lieutenant Gallagher? We will head to where you were separated, and see if you can find a cluster of life signs. I imagine he's not being held alone."

"Easy enough." Larissa remarked after tapping at the tricorder for a few seconds. "We came from back that way, past a shower block."

Before Kiernan could answer, Larissa sided up to him, tapping away at the tricorder he held. The parameters were changed and the screen changed to looking for life signs as opposed to passive scan. Kiernan looked to the XO and added, "the readings are a bit muddled, I won't get a clearer picture until we get closer."

"Then, keep your wits about you and be alert" replied Jodon. He nodded at Larissa and Niun. "Syndel, phaser ready and take point. Lead us there."

"This way." Larissa took off down the corridor back the way the group of guards had led her and the other colonists.

"Niun, on our six. I don't want any surprises from behind" Jodon commanded, ordering the Intel officer to cover their backs. "Gallagher, eyes on the tricorder. We will keep you safe" added J.J. as he readied his phaser and took position at Gallagher's side.

"Aye, Sir," Niun said quietly as he dropped back enough so that he could cover the group and hear anyone approaching from behind.

"Aye, sir," added Kiernan.

As the quadruple moved in unison down the corridor, moving closer and closer upon the location where Lieutenant Syndel had been separated from the Chief. They took a left down a connecting corridor and not too long into that leg of the journey did J.J. quickly respond to the increased chirping of Kiernan's tricorder. Has to be a cluster of life signs thought J.J. "What is it, Lieutenant?"

"I'm detecting lifesigns," Kiernan said, addressing the XO but not looking up from his readings. He tapped slim fingers against the scanning device to get clearer, more specific readings. "Bajoran and human lifesigns to be specific."

"Now that sounds promising," replied Jodon who scooted up on the heels of Larissa Syndel, offering the lieutenant fortification at the front as they proceeded toward the room where the tricorder was increasing it's detection. "Gallagher, silence it" J.J. said not wanting to alert any potential guards that they were approaching.

All Kiernan could do at the order is nod and then start inputting the command to keep the tricorder silent as it continued it scans.

They reached the point of the life signs and J.J. rounded the corner into the room at the heels of Larissa Syndel. The room wasn't much. It clearly was a holding place with nothing more than a few blankets and tattered cloth strewn about. Two armed guards and a batch of people who looked in malnourished state, probably not prized commodities.

There was no time to announce their identity as Starfleet. The two armed guards raised their weapons. J.J. trusted Lieutenant Syndel could take the one whole he took the other. His phaser on a heavier stun setting took aim mid chest and fired away, the ember beam of energy hitting the guard square on. He dropped quickly.

Not letting anger get the better of her now she had the chance for retribution Larissa calmly shot one of the guards in his chest, the guard crumpled, his weapon clattering to the floor.

J.J. saw him. In the corner of the room, lying on the floor in a disheartening shape, motionless. "Gallagher," J.J. quipped as the science officer approached the XO. It was the Chief, and Lieutenant Joral had a chill run down his spine. That was not how he wanted to remember the Chief. J.J. watched as Lieutenant Gallagher with tricorder in hand approached the Chief's remains confirming Jodon's fears.

After the the XO and the operations officer stunned the two guards, Kiernan zeroed in on who the officers were looking for. He didn't need the tricorder what he suspected. He approached, slowly, his fingers inputting another command. The chief laid there, prone, and the tricorder didn't show any signs of life. He breathed out slowly as he looked to Lieutenant Joral. His head shook before the words even left his mouth. "I'm sorry, sir, he..." his soft voice hitched slightly and he cleared his throat to hold back the emotions he was feeling. "Chief Boudreaux didn't make it."

"What?" Larissa said as she ran over to where Henri lay pushing Kiernan out of the way to get to him, he looked completely fine, no sign of any injuries. "Why kill him, he would have been useful." She said angrily, turning back slightly she looked at the stunned guards. "You bastards" She called out in Orion and turning her phaser to a lethal setting blew a hole in the chest of the closest one.

The First Officer immediately offered a hand to Lieutenant Gallagher in order to help the Chief Sicence Officer off his ass which Larissa Syndel had caused him to land on. J.J. was appalled, not solely by the disregard of the Chief's life, but also by the excessive response by Lieutenant Syndel. "Lieutenant?!" shouted Jodon Joral as the XO quickly drew his phaser on the Chief Operations Officer. He didn't want to harm her.

"THAT is NOT our way," J.J. reprimanded her. "Hand over your phaser, lieutenant." he said to her very sternly. It was not a request. It was a demand. "I will deal with you back on the ship" added the Trill crisply.

Larissa looked at J.J for a second before looking back at what her moment of uncontrolled anger had done; instantly regretting it. Holding her phaser by its beam emitter she offered it to J.J.

It didn't take much to push Kiernan out of the way, and he found himself tumbling backward, landing hard on his backside. Any other time, his anger would have flared but he tempered it because he knew Larissa didn't mean to do what she did. She was hurting, he needn't be an empath to feel the pain she was feeling. However, as he was getting up, his eyes went wide as he saw the Orion lieutenant use her phaser to blow a hole in one of the guard's chest. He gasped in shock as he watched the scene unfold before him. The situation was starting to devolve into chaos, but Lieutenant Joral took immediate control and a hush fell around them until the XO started speaking again.

Tapping his comm badge J.J. called for additional security. "Have the nearest security move on our location in the vaults" he directed.

Williams and Mac'Kensey arrived. Mac'Kensey had a bit of blood on her. "Orion came at me with a blade--I'm all right, but I'd recommend we move... You called for backup, Sir?" she asked Joral.

"I'm glad to see you are alright," replied Lieutenant Joral. "Please, do not come any closer. I did call for security, but not as back up. I need you to secure this area and keep our personnel away from this room. The Chief did not make it, and I am suspicious in regards to his death."

Lieutenant Joral crouched down at the Chief's body. "There's no signs of visible trauma, no energy weapon burns, and no signs of puncture wounds" he said aloud. "Lieutenant Niun, escort miss Syndel and Lieutenant Gallagher out of the vaults and find an area suitable for transport. Make contact with the ship and have them transport you to Sickbay AFTER Doctor O'Hamlin has erected a medical quarantine field" Jodan instructed, providing no further reasoning.

"Aye, Sir," Niun said. By sheer force of will he kept the shock off his face. Among his people, such things were dealt with later when it was possible to do so without an audience. If he had remained on his own world, he would have lived his life veiled among strangers, saving his face, access to his inner thoughts, for times along among his own. And so, he kept what he felt from his face, kept the thought of witnessing a murder from his expression. Execution of a defenseless individual. "If you'll come with me?"

Lieutenant Jodon Joral took a deep breath as he contemplated how to proceed. He checked the man's body more closely, and his suspicions were warranted. He could not be entirely certain, not then and there, but with what little there was to go on, he had to do it. The First Officer immediately left the vault and made his way towards a lesser guarded area, one that was not shielded and in which he could contact the Crazy Horse. He tapped his comm badge "J.J. to Crazy Horse," he began and when the link was established he continued. "Captain, the Chief is deceased. I assume you've heard by Niun by now and they are securely aboard in Sickbay under quarantine?"

"They are," Cian said. "Do you have any idea what happened to him?"

"I do not have anything to work with except suspicion, but the Chief's body shows no signs of external harm. No weapons fire, burns, or wounds of any sort. There was upon closer inspection foaming of the mouth which is indicative of some sort of toxin. Lieutenant Syndel, Gallagher, and I were those who have gotten closest to the body. They and the colonist are potentially at risk; however, I suspect the transporter's bio filters would have eliminated the common toxins we are aware of. Though I cannot say for certain the Chief was killed in such a manner, I could not take the risk. Have Doctors O'Hamlin and Ruseka check the away team."

J.J. cleared his throat. "If there is some sort of toxin at play and it can be transmitted by physical contact, air, or what have you, I may have placed myself at heightened risk of exposure and potential infection. I would recommend that you dispatch a shuttle with a pilot in a hazard suit. They can transport myself and the Chief's body aboard the shuttle, bring us into Crazy Horse's shuttlebay where I, the Chief's corpse, and the shuttle should be placed under medical quarantine until we know for certain that I am of no risk to the rest of the crew" explained Jodon. He then sighed. "If Lieutenant Syndel is determined to be safe and of no risk, place her under arrest and hold her in a holding cell...believe me, it is a long story and there's a nightmare of paperwork ahead."

"Understood," Cian said. "I'll be waiting for your report. Crazy Horse out." He began to issue orders. O'Hamlin and Ruseka to examine the away team and upon arrival, Lieutenant Joral, the shuttle, and the Master Chief's body. He dispatched Security to Medical to keep Lieutenant Syndel under observation and, once cleared, remove her to the brig. And then he settled in to wait for the Lieutenant to return.

A Post by

Lieutenant Jodon Joral
First Officer
USS Crazy Horse

Lieutenant JG Niun
Intelligence Officer
USS Crazy Horse

Lieutenant Kiernan Gallagher VII, Ph.D.
Chief Science Officer
USS Crazy Horse

Lieutenant JG Lae'Or Tahlin
Chief of Security
USS Crazy Horse

Lieutenant JG Larissa Syndel
Chief of Operations
USS Crazy Horse

Lieutenant Siobhan Richards
Ship's Counselor
USS Crazy Horse

Captain Cian D'Anvers
Commanding Officer
USS Crazy Horse