round 12 MCapt A. Somers/1stLt Donovan: Arrival

[Dizmim ChNilmani]

((USS Tomcat 1 January 2391 - Alternate Reality))

::Just over a year has passed since the Federation forces began a fighting retreat, and the Special Operations Units of the Federation did one extraction after another now those remaining forces gathered and restocked what they could out at Wolf 359. Word came in that Earth was under attack and unlike the Breen attack in the First Dominion war, the Dominion went past the ethical line and launched two Anti-matter warheads on Starfleet instillations one in Paris the other on SFA. That was last year in December and the anti-matter bombs had the explosive yield of 50 times of any Terran nuclear warhead used in their third world war and the mushroom clouds could still be seen from orbit. All this was watched via long range probes. Those human crewmembers shocked by the barbarity wept, even the aliens thought it distasteful and the Klingon’s dishonourable. Now Somers Soldiers were gathered in the Tomcats flight bay as Alex addressed them, standing beside her in a strange prototype EVA Combat suit was Donovan.::

A. Somers: Over the past months we have all trained on archaic weapons, the type my ancestors used. This was not because we were running low on Phasers, not this is because we will be reinforcing the troops defending SFA. Also the Dominion flooded the earth’s atmosphere with an altered radiogenic isotope which nullifies all but Dominion and Breen energy weapons ::she said then looked at the Klingon’s:: I know in such instances Klingon’s like to use their blades, but this ::she said holding up the weapon.:: is the Semi-automatic rifle designated the M45.

Marine: What ammunition does it use? ::one of the Marines that once served on Duronis II asked.::

A. Somers: Armour piercing 7.62mm by old school human measurements, you have all trained on these and know they kick back, also as your side-arm the L52 has .70mm armour piercing rounds. The M45 has a sixty round manual load magazine, while the L52 a 20 round manual load. These will be your weapons and for those of you who are snipers you will also carry the standard issue TR-116 rifle, they have been modified for our type of use. ::she responded and murmurs rose.:: Yes for those aliens among us, you are about to see the gritty side of us human’s and by now you have had a taste of the type of violent past we came from, we are returning to such an event.::

::She paused and Donovan took over as she removed her helmet, her hair was up in a tight bun.::

Donovan: Late last year when we returned back to the Tomcat after lifting off from Duronis II Captain Somers was called to the bridge. Here she was told about this prototype EVA suit, all of you will get one. Also it is packed with Marine gadgets along with this suite I am modelling we will be delivered down to the Academy in drop pods, make sure we take our battle standard with us. This is it people earth is where we make our last stand ::Donovan said doing a status check on her suit.::

A. Somers: Okay the fleet will be jumping off in twenty, be fully kitted out in ten and bring as many grenades as you can carry, we will not be coming back and this time is kill or be killed, DISMISSED ::Alex said and the troops moved off to get ready.::

Donovan: ::Donovan walked up to Alex as she began to get into her suit.:: Alex you look kind of pale

A. Somers: I have never liked drop pods.

Donovan: Never knew you had an issue with tight spaces? ::she asked.::

A. Somers: I did’nt until the Dominion alliance attacked and we spent six months in that [...] tight room ::Alex said referring to the mission they were on against rogue Section 31/Tal’shiar agents on planet Haven, they had just completed the mission when the Dominion attacked just two days later.::

Donovan: Take your frustrations out on the enemy

A. Somers: I intend to ::Alex said and sealed her suit up:: Okay lets stock up on ammo ::she said and both walked to the armoury.::

((Earth Orbit/San Francisco 15 Jan 2391 Starfleet Academy))

::Fourteen days later after much planning what remained of the Federation/Klingon Fleets now merged into one dropped into Sol system with Phasers firing, taking the Dominion forces initially by surprise. The enemy troop transports exploded first and flying in a V formation two Klingon Bird of Preys on her port and two Defiant classes on her starboard flank dived in at a particular point, they had a task, get the Tomcat within drop pod range. On the Tomcat the Somers Renegades waited for the word.::

J. Somers: =/\= Combat troops saddle up, drop zone in five, bridge out =/\= ::the ships Commander said.::

A. Somers: ::Whirling her hand in the air as she whistled:: YOU HEARD THEW ORDERS, LETS GO ::she shouted above the noise.::

::All troops put their helmets on and sealed them up and then entered their pods, if Alex was edgy about the things, Donovan wondered what the Klingon’s were feeling.::

((Academy grounds – Earth))

::The defenders looked up as sonic booms were heard, this was followed by what looked like meteors, but they could not have been as their descent was controlled. Shortly a loud thud was heard as the Pods hit. The defenders looked behind them at the smoke rising and there was lights in it and like green and grey wraiths forty-eight suited figures emerged, weapons firing, the defenders who were not looking returned to firing on the charging enemy as an enemy energy plasma cannon fired at their direction.::

A. Somers: ::activating two way links so others could hear her and she them:: Okay MACOs set up a defensive perimeter and show the colours ::Alex said.::

::The leader of the beleaguered defenders saw the SAS emblem on the suits and the name and rank, then looked up at the Units banner flapping in the breeze. Unlike the new arrivals the Academy defenders did not have EVA suits.::

Jansen: Commodore Jansen, you are? ::the leader asked.::

A. Somers: ::she turned her whole body to face him as the enemy in an uncharacteristically move retreated for now.:: Marine Captain Alexandria Somers, 2nd SAS MACO, pleased to meet you and we are your reinforcements ::she said.::

Jansen: Only four dozen of you!!! ::he exclaimed.::

Donovan: First Lieutenant Donovan ::S’arila said introducing herself as she spoke:: we have been fighting retreat battles a long time there was a lot more of us, but attrition, those of us that remain are worthy of any regiment and we have nothing to lose ::she said.::

Jansen: Your lives, you want to die? ::he asked surprised.::

Donovan: Death comes to us all Commodore ::pause:: and if ones stares to long into the abyss, the abyss stares back ::she said using an edited quote of Friedrich Nietzsche .::

A. Somers: Ahem… ::clearing her throat:: Please our arrival startled the enemy, it is probably our reputation, but they will be back and in greater numbers ::Alex said and as if on cue Jem’ hadar and Breen began a renewed attack.::

Jansen: FIRE!! ::he ordered and all the defenders opened fire.::

::By this time the enemy had gotten used to the combustible weapons Starfleet used, but the MACOs used different weapons. Where the defenders all used TR-116 rifles, these used more powerful weapons.::

A. Somers: One shot kills people, conserve ammo ::Alex ordered this meant headshots.::

((Space – USS Tomcat))

::Jasmine’s ship acquitted itself well, after its initial task it joined the rest of the fleet along with its wingmen, all four had went the way of the warrior, now the Tomcat was alone and badly damaged, when a call came in.::

Donovan: =/\= Second SAS to any ships need artillery taking out =/\=

J. Somers: =/\= confirmed, send cords =/\= ::Jasmine said as the helm officer broke off from the assault and headed planetward.::

::The Tomcat was in bad shape, most of her bridge crew were dead, all that remained was the helm, Tactical and Comms Officers with Jasmine in the center.::

Comms: Coordinates received Captain

J. Somers: ::Looking at the Tactical Officer:: target that location ::she said.::

Tactical: ::The officer looked back apologetically:: Weapons are gone, no torpedoes remain ::he said.::

J. Somers: ::Leaning forward:: Fleet status?

Comms: All destroyed Sir.

J. Somers: [...] ::pause:: Okay all power to shields and impulse engines, take from all systems life support and weapons and give me ramming speed ::she ordered making a grabbing gesture as she pulled a closed fist back towards her.::

Helm: Aye Captain.

J. Somers: Comms open a Starfleet wide hail and give me full voice ::she ordered as the ship began to enter earths atmosphere, Jasmine began to recite a poem called Invictus by William Ernest Henley.::

=/\=Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the Pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance

have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate:

I am the captain of my soul. =/\=

((Starfleet Academy – Same time))

::The defenders during a lull looked up to see a streaking comet, they knew who it was as the flames vanished to show a battle scarred Akira hull and all heard the poem and knew which ship it came from as the Akira Class rammed the Dominion assault battery, taking out a good portion of the enemy force too, the Communications cut out followed by static th3e same time the explosion happened.::

A. Somers: Rest in peace Cousin, you fulfilled your duty ::Alex said then quoted a prayer in her native tongue, the Commodore spoke.::

Jansen: An enemy Command post has been located near here, its has Communications and sensors ::he said handing the padd to Alex who looked at it and passed it onto Donovan.::

A. Somers: Take six men and take it out S’arila ::she said.::

::Donovan nodded and took six troops two of which consisted of Klingon’s and two from Duronis II Embassy, the rest remained to defend.::

A. Somers: Ammo status? ::she asked.::

::All replied anything from six mags to four, so they were low on ammo. She watched as Donovan’s team moved off.::

A. Somers: Okay people remove EVA suits, we will die where we stand ::she said as a battle torn Unit banner still flapped in the wind.::

::Somers Renegades removed their EVA suits and resituated their bladed weapons, she looked over at Jensen with a look of fatal certainty, as the Jem’ Hadar troops charged again.::

A. Somers: You want to live forever Commodore ::she said and stood, then shouted:: FOR THE FEDERATION FIRE!! ::hearing someone with confidence the troops too heart and fired with renewed vigour.::

((Enemy Comms Centre))

::Donovan’s team approached the building taking out the Jem’Hadar and Breen guards before entering, this was a simple sweep no prisoners and doing so they swept through each level planting spatial charges. On the top floor was a Vorta looking in the direction Donovan sent half her squad as a distraction, as agile and as quietly as she could the blade hidden in her EVA suit silently extended, she put her gloved hand over the surprised Vortas mouth and gave him a Sicilian necktie, he was dead before he hit the ground.::

Donovan: ::Signalling her team to advance forward, they met up with the distraction team.:: Okay every room get the doors open and lob in your grenades, lets make this a clean sweep.

::With that the Marines moved across the top floors taking out all hostiles and planting explosives, while this was going on Donovan looked out the window and saw Alex and her troops ditch their EVA suits and fight off another wave of hostiles, she took two troops and went down to the basement and found a door that was well and truly sealed, scanned it, then pulled out their most explosive charge and connected it up to the ODN cables in the nearest wall and set the timer.::

Donovan: Everyone out ::she ordered and the team left.::

::They got a safe distance and felt the ground shake then heard the explosion which moved up and out. The building bulged like a bloated balloon before flaming chunks of composite material was thrown in a wide radius and the troops ducked and covered their eyes as the explosion was bright, all hit the deck as the blast wave followed by the sonic boom, which shook their bones.::

Soldier: Dammit El tee what was in that basement bomb? ::a Marine asked.::

Donovan: It was something Captain Somers made as a side hobby ::she said and the Marines looked incredulously at her:: The woman likes things that go boom, c’mon lets get back I will bring up the rear.

((SFA Grounds – Defence site – 0200 - 0550 hours))

::All combatants on both sides paused as they felt heard and saw the explosion, now the Jem’Hadar in fury gave up all pretences as there were a lot of Founders in that building and their gods just died.::

A. Somers: I am out of main ammo, switching to Pistols ::Alex said, unlike her troops she used two Desert Eagle Pistols with extended mags and she was a crack shot with them.::

::All too soon the other troops had switched to their Side arms, the troops that returned from their mission joined in. Too soon Alex had expended all her Pistol ammo as did the others and all switched to blades.::

A. Somers: ::Looking at the Klingon Commander:: Now we melee and die like warriors of old ::she said.:: It has been an honour Commander, today is a good day to die ::she said.::

Klingon Commander: ::giving her a smile that said “at last”:: It was an honour to fight by your side these many days Captain, I shall look for you in Sto’vor’kor, Kapla ::he said and charged in.::

::Alex shook her head in wry amusement and pulled out her shortened Katana blades and staying under her Units banner she fought charging Dominion troops the Commodore had fallen before they had run out of ammo, she did not have time to wonder about Donovan as she was in the zone.::

::A lull in the fighting and she found herself looking down at the Klingon Commander a satisfied smile on his face. Panting like an old Nag she looked around and found that she alone survived and the Jem’Hadar troops out of respect paused a moment, she egged them on and on they came. Finding energy from somewhere she sliced into the enemy with wanton abandon and she held her own, by the time she stopped she was the only one left standing, she did not see a large Jem’Hadar standing behind her.::

A. Somers: I am getting too old for this… urgh! ::she said and looked down to see a Jem’Hadar blade sticking through her chest, with life ebbing she twists to look at the First and shoves one of her blades into his neck, both fall.::

::Laying on her back with the blade showing clearly though her chest.::

A. Somers: Today was a good day to die ::she said as the life left her eyes as they closed.::

::As the smoke cleared around 0600 hours a Vorta and escorts arrives to see the sunlight, while not as bright due to the radioactive particles in the atmosphere, was still bright enough to silhouette the 2nd SAS MACO banner and below it the beam of light slowly crawled over the body of Alexandria Somers.::

((Back at the enemy base site 0600 hours))

::As she sent her men back to the defence line, Donovan did a combat roll to avoid a projectile, what she did not see was a spatial anomaly, how it got there no one would know or care. She rolled into it and vanished, the anomaly closed.::

Simmed by

Lt. Cmdr Paul Sharpe

Chief Tactical Officer

USS Thunder-A/Duronis II Embassy