Lt (j.g.) Martel’s Quarters

USS Valkyrie (NCC 74877)

December 2401

Martel entered his quarters and threw himself onto his bunk with a grateful sigh. He felt like he had been moving non-stop all day, and truth be told, he had. Meeting the Captain, his physical, talking with Sil. Martel frowned slightly as he remembered his conversation with Sil.

Discussing the operation at the Thieves’ Cut, even briefly, had brought back a flood of intense memories that had lain untouched for a good bit of time. Honestly, he had somewhat understated the intensity of that engagement to Lt (j.g.) Silveira. With a discontented grunt, Martel shut his eyes and threw an arm over his face as he tried to think of anything else. It didn’t work.

Nebula SDT-1139D (The Thieves’ Cut)

Asteroid “Barnabas”

March 2400

Martel moved down the dank, grimy corridor at the point of his security team, the dim and flickering lighting causing shadows to jump and move in nerve wracking ways. His phaser rifle was up and at the ready and his breathing was quick, almost sharp as the adrenaline kicked in.

They were only five minutes into the operation and already some other teams had hit stiff resistance from the pirates on this rock. Having finally tracked down the rest and refit port run by the pirate coalition in this lightly patrolled zone, a five starship task force under Captain Maldanado of the USS Ranger had arrived and surrounded the base with a haste that had shocked the pirates as the starships quickly disabled the two picket ships that had been in the task force’s path. The other picket ships, seeing the proverbial writing on the wall, had cut and run. 

Captain Maldanado had opted on letting the small fry escape, knowing that it would be much more devastating to the pirate groups for this base to be captured, along with the several dozen criminals now trapped there. The base was primarily dug into the surface of the asteroid, with only the rather rudimentary maintenance docks and their attendant facilities being above ground. So into the tunnels the Starfleet security teams went.

The tunnels were ill lit, even worse maintained and laid out in what could generously be called a haphazard fashion. Still, while the Starfleet teams were better trained, eighty or so hardened raiders desperately trying to avoid capture was a force to be reckoned with. Martel held up a clenched fist as he approached a corner in the tunnel and heard a slight scraping noise, followed by a harsh, admonishing whisper. The other four members of the security team quietly slowed and halted behind him. Ensign Martel turned to the team commander, Lt. Watanabe in the third spot, and pointed to the corner, then his ear indicating he had heard something. Watanabe gave a curt nod and pointed at the corner with a rapid cluster of thrusts, indicating to take the corner fast and hard. 

Martel nodded, turned to face forward again, resettled his rifle tight to his shoulder and then used his non-trigger hand to reach back and lightly slap the teammate behind him, and Edoan ensign named Morax, in one of his three thighs indicating he was ready. In turn, Morax reached back and slapped Watanabe’s thigh, his Edoan physiology giving him an extra hand to do so without releasing his grip on his own rifle. Watanabe repeated the process. Once the team member in the rear had their thigh slapped he then gave a light clap to the woman in front of him’s shoulder to indicate readiness. Martel tensed as he knew what was coming. 

When he felt Morax’s hand touch his shoulder, Martel went around the corner like a shot, shooting into the gloom. A rainbow mix of disrupter and phaser fire lanced out at the team but Martel’s suppressive fire had accomplished its purpose in throwing off the pirates’ aim. There were three or four of the criminals in cover behind a makeshift barricade of crates and debris. Martel dodged to the right to take a knee close to the corridor wall allowing Morax to fire from behind him. From the corner of his eye he saw Watanabe take a knee beside him and fire. 

Martel took a breath, steadied his aim and drilled one of the pirates dead center, the Cardassian woman dropping from the heavy stun as if poleaxed. A returning shot burning into the wall above his head sharply reminded him that the pirates’ weapons were most definitely NOT set to stun of any kind. As the final pirate was knocked back, Watanabe gave a loud, “MOVE!” and the team quickly vaulted the barricade and moved further down the crude tunnel, side stepping assorted cables and boxes in their path. 

After a short time the tunnel terminated into a set of open blast doors, the noise and flashes of battle coming from inside. The team all shared quick glances with each other before Watanabe focused his hawk-like gaze on Martel and jerked his head towards the opening. Martel nodded his understanding with a crooked smile and carefully padded his way to the open blast doors. Taking cover to one side, Martel carefully peeked inside.

A shadowy, cavernous room with overhead gantries, piled up crates and inconsistent lighting greeted Martel. From the looks of things at least two other Starfleet security teams had arrived before his and he saw orange beams reach up into the gantries, with return fire a myriad of colors answering back. While the Starfleet teams were in solid cover, they were pinned and so a sort of stalemate ensued. Scanning further, he saw several more pirates up in the gantries facing the entrance he was peeking through holding their overwatch positions with uncharacteristic discipline. This would be a problem. He silently withdrew and made his way back to Watanabe.

“Big room with a lot of gantries.” Martel began without preamble, “Looks like two or so of our teams entered from the other side and are in a big scrap with the pirates on that end. There are about six of them in high positions facing us watching the door.”

“Cover for us?”, Watanabe replied.

“Some, but we’ll just end up in the same situation as our people across the way.”, Martel frowned.

“Lieutenant Velk’s team is on the way here with another, we just got to fix and hold them here.”

Martel nodded and looked back at the open blast doors. Watanabe tapped Martel, who glanced back and saw the team leader point to Morax and then to Martel. Without a word Martel and Morax took positions on either side of the opening, Martel on the left, the Edoan ensign on the right. Watanabe held up three fingers and silently counted down. As the final finger tucked in, Morax and Martel shot through the opening like a pair of lightning bolts, looking for cover in their respective directions. Martel found a conveniently placed large shipping crate while Morax crouched behind a generator. Both began to engage the pirates in the gantries above them.

Under the covering fire of their comrades, Watanabe and the two remaining members of the team charged in and found their own bits of cover and began firing upwards themselves. Martel took aim, fired and missed a purple skinned humanoid that was firing downward, causing them to quickly drop out of sight. Martel took another shot at a shadowy figure and missed again.

“Velk’s force got tied up.”, Martel heard Watanabe grind out amidst the din of battle, “We’re on our own for now. Commander Th’zhelron is asking for a status report, give me a moment.” Watanabe began to talk with the Callisto’s Tactical Officer in clipped tones.

Martel took another shot, this time striking his target and causing the pirate to drop bonelessly out of sight. Return fire caused Martel to duck back behind the crate. Taking a steadying breath and looking around, he noticed a set of metal stairs about fifty meters or so away further to his left, leading to the gantries. Most importantly, they were out of the line of fire….if he could get there. Martel’s mind worked rapidly. He would be protected by the angle of the gantries if he could get there without getting killed. He could break the stalemate on both sides if he could disrupt the pirates’ firing line. 

Well there’s no present like the time, Martel thought almost mechanically and then before he could think himself out of it, rose and pounded towards the stairs.

One.

Behind him, Martel heard Watanabe shout his name. Martel focused on the stairs, everything around him turning into an almost indistinct haze as his legs pumped as fast as he could make them, moving in a zigzag pattern. The stairs had become the most important thing in his life.

Two.

At least a few of the pirates had noticed him and streaks of ravenous color began to reach out towards him, striking the ground around him. Adrenaline coursing through his veins, Martel had become an automaton whose only reason for existence was to reach the metal stairs in front of him.

Three.

Martel was almost there. He vaulted….something, like a hurdler and he’d never remember what it was. He’d also never really realize how close to death he came as a blue beam passed scant centimeters from his head, close enough to half blind him in the dimly lit environment.

Four.

Martel almost slammed into the stairs and scrambled his way up the stairs, almost tripping twice. As he reached the top he was startled by an equally startled pirate who apparently hadn’t realized Martel was as close as he was. At such close proximity, Martel did the only thing he could do and kept going, the pirate giving a startled shout as he was bowled over.

Wasting no time Martel shot a nearby pirate that was turning towards him and the female Nausicaan was pitched over the rail and Martel imagined he heard an audible crunch as she hit the deck below. A small, detached part of his mind hoped it was imagined anyway. Wasting no time Martel shot the pirate he had bowled over, pitching him down the stairs and then knelt and began to engage every pirate he could see on the upper gantries.

Before Martel realized it, he was joined by Watanabe, Morax and the rest of his team and they quickly cleared their side of the gantries and soon the sounds of weapons fire slackened then ceased as the remaining pirates were overrun by the security teams on the other side of the cavern.

“Ensign Martel!”

Martel snapped his gaze over to Watanabe, who was giving him a hard look.

“Sir?”

Watanabe stared at Martel for a long moment and then stated, “Next time you get a flash of tactical brilliance could you do the rest of us a favor and maybe WARN us.”

“I, uh-I mean-”, Martel began to stammer.

“You didn’t think it entirely through is what you mean to say.”, Watanabe growled, then his demeanor softened a little, “Still, it worked beautifully so I can’t fault the results.”

Martel had the decency to look a bit shamefaced. Watanabe gave a smile of amused annoyance and shook his head. He then raised his voice slightly, “Alright people, we still have work to do. They might be down for a few hours but let’s secure the prisoners and get back into the fight.” The team began to restrain the unconscious pirates. At one point Martel looked over the rail and down at the female Nausicaan he had shot earlier. She had landed badly, breaking her neck and her glazed over, sightless eyes stared up at Martel accusingly. Martel couldn’t look away and didn’t until Lieutenant Watanabe touched his shoulder. Martel jumped. Watanabe was looking over the rail, then gave Martel’s shoulder a comforting squeeze.

“It happens, Ensign.”, the team leader said gently, “Fighting is a contact sport after all. Get back to it, we aren’t done yet.”

Martel nodded and forced himself to look away, but the Nausicaan’s eyes were burned into his thoughts.

Lt (j.g.) Martel’s Quarters

USS Valkyrie (NCC 74877)

December 2401

Martel gave a start. He sat up on his bunk. He must’ve dozed off. He had been laying there for about an hour according to his desk mounted clock. He gave a slightly ragged breath. He hadn’t thought about the operation at the Thieves’ Cut in a long time.

He moved to the bathroom and splashed his face with cold water from the sink. He looked into the mirror and for a split second it wasn’t his eyes that stared back, but the dead, glazed over, accusatory eyes of a long dead Nausicaan pirate. Then the thought faded and Martel grunted a quiet curse as he left the bathroom to grab a cup of coffee.