Star Trek: Starbase 777 - highsplint-mine

Approaching from the back would lead the away team to an emergency exit shaft out of the mine, in the event of a collapse.

Aoife inspected the exit shaft, how hard would it be to get down without altering the people inside the mine?

Not too hard. The group would just have to be as stealthy as they had been.

"-not our fault, they-" A masculine voice sounded far away, before getting cut off abruptly.

4

“I said pipe down!” Cut off by the tell-tale voice of the good foreman!

5

Upon hearing the sound of one of the missing officers Aoife began making her way down the shaft as stealthily as possible, hoping the rest of the team was following her down.

Vara'l, once he overheard the sounds of the people too, pulled out his tricorder quietly and one handed. He then scanned for lifesigns, did so and hoped that perhaps he might also detect their combadges, though that wasn't something he happened to hold out hope for. He just wanted, as he continued to quietly follow along, to try and work out where the officers happened to be being held. So he scanned ahead with his tricorder.

Three comm badges, and multiple life signs. Like Kix and a few of the townsfolk had said, all of those who wanted to join the Federation are stuck in here!

Allan was indeed following, not speaking a word, holding his bag close to him as to not make any weird rattling noises with the equipment inside. Stealth mode!

T'She was concerned, concerned about what the foreman might do, and concerned about the state of those who wanted to join the Federation (and the other away team too). They were silent the whole time.

The away team approached what seemed to be some kind of forcefield gate. A security measure? Either way, they’d have to find a way past it!

Aoife began to look around for any kind of access point or power source that powered the forcefield.

There was a console on the other side of the forcefield, which could maybe be shorted out if they trace the wiring.

Vara'l snapped his tricorder shut after he'd finished his scan and gripped his rifle in both hands. Once he'd joined the others close to the forcefield gate he turned and looked to Allan and moved to make room for them.

Console, yay! Allan took out his tricorder and stepped up to the wall near the forcefield, attempting to send a transmission signal to trace the wires.

The wires moved through a pipe that had been drilled into the stone wall. Get through the rock, and they’ll be able to access the wiring!

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Could one drill through the rock with a phaser perchance?

One could, but that might put an abrupt end to your stealth mission unless you can find a way to cover up the noise. Otherwise, be prepared for getting noticed!

How solid does that pipe look, Vara'l wondered as he looked over the situation. Wondered as he moved, crouched down near the forcefield gate and raised his phaser rifle, readied for if they were discovered and someone attempted to come on through.

"Anyone got a quieter way to get through this pipe then a phaser?" Aoife whispered to the away team in an uncharastiacally low tone compared to her usual 'away mission bellows'.

Vesta had come along, but she had not brought any rescue equipment. She would need to keep in mind for next time to bring supplies, including more discreet cutting equipment. She looked around at everyone and the mine. "Does anybody have any type laser drill?"

The android took a glance around the emergency shaft, “Might be a locker in here somewhere…”

Aoife began to look around the shaft got any kind of locker with mining tools, a phaser would be the last resort, she didn't want to risk the foreman executing people when he heard a phaser shot.

"Laser drill- oh, shit, yeah, I've got-" Allan whispered, getting out the laser cutter thingy that engineers had on them, "one of these, yeah, I can try it," he looked at the scan again to see where the wires were, and then turned on the laser cutter and put it as close to the rock as possible to lessen the noise and hopefully cut out just a little section to access the wires.

Zzzzaaaaaap…the little laser cutter that Allan had brought managed to cut out just enough stone and pipe to access the wires, and burn through one of the wires in the process! With that, the forcefield short-circuited and shut down quickly and quietly. (edited)

3

The voices are a bit closer now. Another older masculine voice spoke, “I really think you should listen to us-”

“I told you once, and I’ll tell you again,” A punch! “Pipe down!”

4

At the sound of someone getting punched Aoife raised her rifle to her shoulder ready to fire and pushed on further into the mine.

Senang followed, rifle raised and ready to shoot.

Vara'l raised his rifle slightly from his position crouched near the now inactive forcefield gate. As soon as Aoife started to move further into the mine Vara'l rose up and followed phaser rifle raised and readied to shoot.

Further into the mine. Eventually, the away team would enter into a large chamber where the main mining facility was.

The moment Vara'l reached the entrance point he moved in and started to sweep the room with his phaser rifle raised. Better cautious than phasered, he reckoned.

"Don't hurt them!" a third voice, with a startled note that broke the sentence in half, "Come on, there is no need to-"

“You Fed types just don’t know when t’quit, do ya? You and them others that came rolling into town. Y’all’re making me madder than a mosquito in a mannequin factory!” The foreman ranted!

"Mad as in angry, or mad as in crazy? 'Cos I'll tell you what it looks like from here," the first voice commented sarcastically.

Could Aoife get a look at the foreman and the starfleet people from where they were standing?

Peeking around a corner, Aoife could see the three away team members tied up in one of the alcoves in the mine, and the foreman standing in front of them. Nearby, and trapped behind a few more forcefields, were the townsfolk!

“That’s all of ‘em,” The android said quietly (and angrily) to the rest of the away team.

Could she get a clean shot on the foreman from here?

Vara'l joined Aoife near the corner and proceeded to peak around briefly as well. He attempted to gauge if the Foreman had anyone else with him from the Loyalist lot who'd seemingly captured all the people.

A clean shot, yes, but Vara’l could see that there were a few more loyalists lazing about in the mine as well. They might be in for a firefight!

"I'm dialed in sir, I can drop the foreman before we engage the rest of em." Aoife spoke in a whisper not wanting to give away their position.

Vara'l murmured to Aoife then. "You take the foreman and I take a shot at one of the others?" The Romulan inquired as he also glanced over to the others in the away team and discretely gestured for someone to join them.

Aoife nodded waiting for permission to fire.

One foreman, five loyalists.

"I'll aim for one of the others. Let's get this done swiftly and cleanly." Senang was already aiming to shoot, waiting for the signal.

T'She was not armed with a phaser, well, they could be if they felt like it, no, they were ready to rush in at any second to help anyone who got injured.

“And ANOTHER THING-” MacArthur began to reel back to punch one of the officers again, and presumably to start ranting about the company once more!

Phaser locked and loaded, waiting for the green light...

Vara'l nodded slightly then and proceeded to say, as the Foreman clearly started to prep for another punch. "Fire." Before he then popped out, sighted on one of the loyalists and fired his phaser.

Aoife took the shot aimed squarely at the foreman's back at maximum stun.

"We get it, asshole, you don't like the Federation! Can you shut up?" This guy was clearly getting very tired of MacArthur.

Vesta held her phaser, she wasn't a great shot, so she'd let others handle most of it. She could however handle cover fire if needed.

"Good shot," Senang said as he stunned one of the loyalists.

His rant was cut off before it even began as Aoife dropped him like a sack of bricks!

The five loyalists suddenly got up from where they were and began panickedly reaching for their own phasers, but not before Vara’l and Senang took out two of them!

Aoife got a second shot off after dropping the foreman aiming for one of the other loyalists. "I've always been good" Aoife said in response to Senang.

He was a steady-handed helmsman, sure, but knowing how to handle a phaser was quite literally the mandatory part of Starfleet's curriculum. So off his shot went, aiming for another loyalist's chest, while they were busy fumbling with their own weapon.

Vara'l sighted in again as he aimed for one of the other people who still stood. Fired and idly noted the fact that the person who'd tried to ask if the foreman could shut up had kind of just had that wish of theirs granted quite handily.

"Oh, the Prophets heard me!" The first voice sounded upbeat as he looked for the source of the shots, lighting up at the sight of fellow Starfleet officers.

4

“Gah!!” One shouted as he fell from Syrax’s shot. The two remaining started scrambling, trying to avoid Vesta’s cover fire and walking right into Aoife and Vara’l’s phasers! (edited)

“There’s a bit of optimism!” The Orion officer said to the Bajoran with a grin.

"I think that's the last of them!" Aoife said raising her voice as the last one went down like a sack of potatoes.

"Oh??" the Betazoid's shoulders sagged with relief upon realization, a tight smile appearing on a slightly bruised face. "Oh, there we go. I've never been happier to see our uniforms..."

Vara'l peeked out of cover to confirm that the loyalists all infact happened to be down stunned. He then broke from cover as he started to move into the room. "Lets get these weapons secured and safely away from them." Vara'l stated as he moved and started to do so himself.

"My friends! Get us out of here please, my arms are starting to go numb, and so is my butt," the Bajoran pleaded from his spot on the ground.

5

Okay, it might be time to assess how these three were immobilized, and try to get them out...

They’re tied up pretty tight, but it’s just rope!

Aoife headed down and went to remove any weapons from the foreman's body, before tying him up with some of the rope in the room, she didn't want to risk someone who was that sturdy shrugging off a stun. (edited)

MacArthur’s down for the count at the moment, but if he did end up waking up, he wasn’t getting anywhere now!

Vesta holstered her phaser and chuckled at translation she was given from the Bajoran man. There were plenty of people here to help their fellow officers, so Vesta looked for how the townsfolk were being kept here.

Getting some ropes untied was pretty familiar to him, so he started untying them, starting with the guy who said his butt hurt.

3

Once Vara'l had relieved the other loyalists of their weapons he, after he glanced to the Foreman, elected to take a page out of Aoifes book. So he located some of the other rope in the room and started to restrain the other loyalists, just in case any of them shrugged the stun blasts.

"Thanks, bud. I was starting to think Starfleet was leaving us to our own devices out here, so thank the Prophets you guys came," he said as Allan worked to free him.

"Okay, give me a moment - it might be a bit uncomfortable..." those wrists were sore, no doubt. He scooted behind the Orion officer to begin his work.

“Appreciated, Lieutenant,” The commander said, and when they were released he rubbed his wrists gently, “Lieutenant Commander Rikuv,” He offered his hand, somewhat limply, “Wish it were under better circumstances, but nice meeting you.”

"No problem at all, nah, we don't do that shit - or I mean, not that I know of, at least," he said as he finished untying him, taking the rope and handing it over to the others to tie up the unconscious folks with.

The android beelined to the forcefields holding the other townsfolk, and punched in a few commands into the console to try and release them. After failing, he just…fully punched the console. There are a few sparks, but the forcefield released!

3

"Is anyone injured?" T'She called out to the room, holding up their medical bag to show that they were a medical professional.

Senang would have done the same thing. He was hanging back though, covering the exit and making sure everyone was safe as they worked to free everyone.

A few injured townsfolk step up, expressing a lot of thank yous to the away team.

Well that worked. Not exactly what Vesta had in mind but still, it worked. "Does anybody need assistance in leaving the mine?" Vesta signed to the group, looking for anyone who appeared to be too weak of frail to exit the mines unassisted.

"Hey, no problem, just-- same wish, to be honest," the offered hand was not taken by the palm, but gently grabbed by the elbow instead. "Lieutenant Syrax tr'Morvar, sir. Do any of you need help standing up?"

"Does having a shiner count?.." it was an attempt to sound light-hearted and jokey, promise. Unfortunately looking like a pathetic mop dampened the intended effect. "Take care of others first, please."

“I’ll be alright to walk, but we could definitely use some emergency rations when we get back to your ship. We haven’t exactly gotten much in the way of a full meal lately…” He said with a sigh, “And- Nealla, please, let them take a look.”

Now finished trussing up the foreman she stood and tapped her comm. "We should probably let the ship know where still alive."

With Aoife’s comm message, the Eventide got ready to beam both away teams and the townsfolk up to the ship, including Kix and the others still in town. With that, the day was saved, and Starfleet had successfully helped out prospective citizens. Though they had made a new enemy, they had no doubt dealt a heavy blow to the Breld Company! (edited)

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