Lhandon_Nilsen Posted February 2 Posted February 2 Every diplomatic officer needs their emotional support marine. I adore the details as @Wes Greaves approaches his position, crawling through the mud, keeping low. You really feel like you're with him on this sim, you too scrumming it with him as you scramble to get to a better position. Greaves added so many awesome details to this scene, such as the node and the atmosphere that I completely forgot about, and in doing so elevated this scene to new heights. There's also the hint of tracing the figure 8 on the chest of the Zet, and even if you know nothing about being a soldier, you're given more than enough to infer, and Greaves really, really does bring you along for the ride. Greaves makes Tom Clancy seem like an enthusiastic amateur Quote ((Hilly Land, Northern Outskirts, Kaej, Koreli-Four)) The trio lay on the damp ground, speaking quietly in whispers. Their destination, a supposed planetary communication node sat just over the next rise in the wind swept hills they had been hiking. Lieutenant Saa however had fortunately sensed people up ahead, and a tricorder scan confirmed both Zet and Danni life signs. Listening closely, Wes couldn’t hear any voices over the steady wind, but Wes trusted the others. They could charge in blind, or… Greaves: We might be able to get a jump on these guys, or even talk our way out of a tight spot here. If I can get into a vantage point overlooking you two without being spotted, you both could approach and see what’s ahead. Nilsen: Let’s do that. Saa: As Diplomatic Officer it would be appropriate for you to approach first. Wes quickly agreed and motioned toward Lieutenant Nilsen with his chin. The logic made sense. If things went sideways, at least they'd have some level of plausible deniability rather than marching in as an obvious tactical force. Greaves: If things look like they’re going south, well, that’s what this is for. (motioning with his phaser for emphasis) Nilsen: You’re a very comforting person Greaves. Here take this. You need it more than me. Don’t suppose you got any more toys to share? A light toss brought the diplomatic officer’s tricorders into Wes’s hands. He flicked his wrist to open the device’s front cover and ensured it was reading appropriately. Sure enough, 150 meters forward were the lift signs, though some kind of background interference was preventing a precise scan. It was better than nothing, and he kept the tricorder open in his off hand. Glancing back to the others he caught Lieutenant Saa closing her medkit back up and sliding it over her shoulders. His eyes also caught the hypospray concealed in her hand. Saa: I’m set. Greaves: Good. You both head up. Lieutenant Nilsen, you take point. Make contact. See if you can convince them to leave. Make up something good. He paused, as if debating something, then turned to the counselor. Greaves: Lieutenant Saa, you give him some space. Try to hide at first, but stay somewhat close. They’ll likely spot you early on. That’s okay. When your adversary finds something they think you were hiding, they usually stop looking. Likely will keep them from finding my overwatch position. Wes looked up the hillside, tracing possible movement paths and cover. The terrain was a chessboard of concealment and exposure. He needed to play it perfectly. A wrong move could mean giving away their approach, and right now, surprise was their greatest weapon. Sparse clusters of twisted, gnarled brush dotted the incline, their wiry branches bent and clawing at the wind. A few weathered rock formations jutted up at odd angles, smoothed by time but tall enough to break up a silhouette. Too obvious. The smarter choice would be the shallow gullies carved into the hillside, where rainwater had eroded the earth into uneven, winding trenches. They weren’t deep enough to stand in, but crawling low would provide decent cover against casual observation. Greaves: Give me ten minutes, then go make contact. Nilsen: Yes sir, ten minutes, and then I’ll pop out. Greaves: And for galaxy’s sake, tread carefully. We’re outnumbered here. Let’s see if we can avoid a fight. Saa: Understood, sir. The trio shared one final look, and then Wes turned away, rising into a low crouch. His muscles tensed as he surveyed the hillside ahead. The terrain was a chessboard of concealment and exposure, and he needed to play it perfectly. A wrong move could mean giving away their approach, and right now, surprise was their greatest weapon. The wind carried a sharp chill, tugging at the loose robes draped over his uniform. They were an imperfect disguise—helpful in the town, but here, in the open, they were just fabric waiting to snag on something. With practiced efficiency, he cinched the excess material close to his body, keeping it from flaring out as he began his slow ascent. He moved low and deliberate, his boots finding purchase in the soft, damp earth. A misstep could send mud sliding downhill, a surefire way to alert anyone watching. He picked his way carefully, favoring the shallow gullies where the rain had carved winding paths through the hillside. They weren’t deep enough for total cover, but they kept him below the ridgelines, his silhouette broken against the uneven ground. Wes dropped to his stomach for the last stretch, crawling inch by inch until he reached a depression in the hillside, just shy of the final ridge before the node. It was the best overwatch position he was going to get. From here, he had a clear line of sight on the structure, its blinking lights reflecting against the low cloud cover. The communications node was a squat, reinforced structure, built into the crest of a windswept hill. Unlike the surrounding natural terrain, it stood out—artificial and deliberate, a remnant of the Danni’s original infrastructure now likely under Zet control. Constructed from a blend of metal alloys and native stone, its design was functional but weathered, showing signs of both time and recent activity. A narrow relay tower jutted from its roof, fitted with a cluster of antennas and blinking indicator lights that pulsed in a rhythmic pattern, a clear sign it was still operational. Power conduits, half-buried in the dirt, ran away from the base of the structure, disappearing into the landscape—likely leading to other relay points across the region. The entrance was a single heavy duranium door, set into the rock like the mouth of a bunker. A security panel was affixed to its side, old Danni engineering with possible Zet modifications. The panel’s edges were scratched and dented, as if forced open or tampered with multiple times. Slowly, Wes adjusted his grip on his phaser, his other hand steadying him against the damp earth. His breath was slow, controlled. Now, all he had to do was watch and wait—and be ready to act the second things went south. Wes had planned to get to his spot in five, but it had taken him nearly the whole ten minutes he’d allotted himself to get into position. As he survey the hillside and structure Wes could see Lhandon and Savantha moving in, Lhandon up front. At the base of the structure Wes could clearly make out figures. There was a single-flying Zet with a phaser pistol. Two Zet with dull grey skin armed with phaser rifles that were clearly and obviously Starfleet. Meanwhile, a fourth Zet—clearly a Deathless—had a side arm that looked nastier than the rest. Accompanying them, or more likely held by them, in chains with collars around their necks, were two Danni. Nilsen: Don't shoot, I have a message from Toal'Dius. At once, the Zet snapped their weapons up, aiming directly at Nilsen. Wes’s grip on his phaser tightened, though he held fire. Not yet. Gi'We'Atyu'Ka'en'Hale: And you are? Nilsen’s call out was loud enough for Wes to hear, though the response was not. He wasn’t that far. Maybe 50 meters away, but it was far enough that casual tones were lost in the light wind. There was the slightest of hesitation as Wes watched the lips of the aliens move, then waited for Lhandon’s response. When it came, he tried to make out the words but couldn’t. Nilsen: I'm Jeremy White. I was from Starfleet, but I'm working with the Grand King now, and I have a message. But I need to know I have the right person. Whose greatness stands before me? The Zet preened, shifting in a way that spoke of self-importance. Gi'We'Atyu'Ka'en'Hale: I am Gi'We'Atyu'Ka'en'Hale, the most fair and wise of all. Master of communications, networks, and the grand mysteries which are mine to exploit. What is your message, tiny? Saa: …If she considers Lhandon tiny… The Marine kept his sight moving, tracking not just the conversation but the space around it. A stray glance, a shift in formation, a hand twitching toward a weapon—any of those could be the sign that things were about to turn. The wind picked up again, rustling the dry brush around him. Wes exhaled slowly, barely moving, waiting. Nilsen: The King would like to know that you can't use that communication node—Starfleet has hacked it. In fact, your greatness, he has asked you to return the Danni to Kaej. They are needed for another task. Gi'We'Atyu'Ka'en'Hale: Has he now? Saa: She does not believe him. Wes watched as the Zet’s posture shifted. A small but telling movement—a stiffening of the shoulders, a slight turn of the head—and suddenly their attention was no longer on Nilsen. Wes adjusted his position slightly, following their line of sight. They had seen Saa. The Zet’s expression remained controlled, but something in the way they angled their stance betrayed their surprise. Not alarm, not yet, but awareness. That was dangerous. Surprise could turn to suspicion in an instant, and suspicion led to action. Gi'We'Atyu'Ka'en'Hale: And who is Jeremy White’s friend? Saa: ::quietly:: Thank you… I’ll be alright. Wes could see Lieutenant Saa straighten, and rise from her crouched hiding spot. The woman’s lips moved almost imperceptibly, as if her response was quiet. Wes mentally chided himself for not choosing a location closer where he could hear better. Gi'We'Atyu'Ka'en'Hale: (Optional) Response Saa: ::quietly:: A-anderson… I-I’m just a doctor. Nilsen: Response Gi'We'Atyu'Ka'en'Hale: Response Saa: I.. was just following orders to stand back… ::exhaling slowly:: H-he is my superior officer. Savantha was closer to Wes than the others. Maybe 30 meters. Her response was a bit louder, as if reassuring herself of something as she spoke. Regardless of the reason, it was loud enough for him to make out the words. Nilsen/Gi'We'Atyu'Ka'en'Hale: (Optional) Response Wes silently watched, a sentinel and guardian angle over his pair of officers. The tip of his phaser pistol slowly moved as his aim traced back and forth between the armed guards, yet his eyes tracked the lips and positions of Nilsen and Saa. Despite the distance Wes could see Saa’s eyes turned to the shackled Danni as Nilsen steered the conversation once more with the Zet. Slowly, Lieutenant Saa moved forward, toward the chained Danni, and ne of the Zet guards armed with the Starfleet phaser rifle moved to block her. Instantly Wes’s aim shifted. One eye closed, his breathing slowed, and he began tracing a figure eight with his aim on the Zet’s chest. Saa: ~Greaves… This might get hostile soon.~ The woman’s words coalesced in his head and it sounded as if she were whispering directly in his ear. It wasn’t that common to be spoken to with telepathy, but it was far from rare in his experience. The suddenness of it barely shifted his focus and he continued to steady his aim. Rehan: She’s armed. Saa: T-they’re just doctor tools. Nilsen: Response More words were spoken that Wes couldn’t hear, but he watched as Lieutenant Saa subtly shifted something in her hands as the armed Zet finished closing the distance with her. Roughly, the Zet grabbed and raised her arm, exposing an empty hand. Rehan: Where is it?! I saw it and what are you?! I felt you in my- The Zet was agitated, and his voice rose sharply as he attempted to impose his will on Savantha. It rose loud enough for Wes to hear. A stiff breeze picked up and blew into his shoulders, shifting his aim off target as the Zet grabbed Saa’s cloak. Wes pulled into the wind and brought his aim back true, though now his target was obscured as Lieutenant Saa jerked her off hand suddenly toward the Zet’s neck. Saa: ~Sorry.~ Wes understood instantly what was happening as his eyes finally found the hypospray in Saa’s hand. She’d drugged the guard. As quickly as he could, Wes shifted his aim toward the other guards. If only he’d known what Savantha was about to do, he’d have been aiming at a different target. Too late now to consider what could have been. The other Zet with a rifle snapped the weapon into his shoulder and aimed toward Saa and Wes loosed a snap shot at the guard. It was rushed, with a pistol, and 50 meters, and thus missed, though not by much. The beam struck the wall of the structure just behind the alien and showered him in sparks. The Marine’s follow up shot was not nearly as sloppy. Two more rapid fire beams caught the Zet in the thigh and in the upper chest near the collarbone and sent it tumbling head over heels. The sudden escalation turned the scene below him into chaos. The drugged Zet twitched slightly on the ground, as if a dog chasing something in its sleep. The other guard lay still where he’d fallen, rifle still clutched tightly in his grip. The Deathless and the flying Zet on the otherhand were shouting and moving. Nilsen: Response Gi'We'Atyu'Ka'en'Hale: Response Saa: Response The flying alien dove on Nilsen, shooting as it flew and sending sparks and molten bits of mud flying through the air. The Marine did his best to return fire and cover Nilsen, but the alien was just too fast. A trio of shots missed narrowly and caused the flying Zet to zig out of the way, buying Lhandon some breathing room, though Wes couldn’t see if the man had been hit or not. Nilsen/Saa/ Gi'We'Atyu'Ka'en'Hale: Response Too far away to offer more than shouts and phaser fire, Wes could at least now clearly hear the voices down the hill below him. The intensity of the shouting was climbing, and he loosed another pair of shots toward the flying Zet to keep spoiling the alien’s aim, though none landed. Nilsen/Saa/ Gi'We'Atyu'Ka'en'Hale: Response Tags/TBC 3 Quote
Samuel Woolheater Posted February 3 Posted February 3 It's all in the little details isn't it? I like this too; when writers put in all the nitty and the gritty: The Marine kept his sight moving, tracking not just the conversation but the space around it. A stray glance, a shift in formation, a hand twitching toward a weapon—any of those could be the sign that things were about to turn. The wind picked up again, rustling the dry brush around him. Wes exhaled slowly, barely moving, waiting. Like this excerpt. That bit about the wind just adds extra dimension to it. And, I rather think, helps build up the tension and ratchet up the drama-rama. Neatly done! 3 Quote
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