Darkness pt 1

Posted on Tue Jan 21st, 2020 @ 9:17am by Lieutenant Commander Ariana Monroe-Wayne & Brigadier General David Hurd Sr & Brigadier General Kaden Ross

2,701 words; about a 14 minute read

Mission: Episode 102 - The Rising Tide of War
Location: Marine decks, Starbase 400
Timeline: MD03 1000 hrs

She had watched those Marines lead her partner away, but it was of no consiquence. They had been briefed before this mission that may happen. She smiled though, as none of these idiots had any idea what was about to happen.
Slipping into a little used part of the massive base they had previously identified, she walked to a computer terminal and pulled a isolinear data rod from her pocket, twilrling it in her fingers. She chuckled as she inserted it and went to work. The rod contained a virus so powerful that, within 2 minutes, had shut down the station's weapons, shields, main lighting, replicators, turbolifts, communications, and docking bay doors. Working the console, she then locked the systems out, stepped back, and smiled. She waited, in darkness, with a smile on her face, both for her chance to strike her targets and to see how long it would take those Starfleet idiots to see that something was seriously wrong.

Ariana had been on her way from the station nursery, having dropped off Stacie she was on her way to see her father when the lights flickered and suddenly went out, she knew Stacie would be safe but right now she was in pitch darkness and would be until the emergency lights kicked in. For now all she could do was stay where she was and wait.

The Operative decided to move on her first target, Hurd's Daughter. After crawling through access shafts and Jeffries tubes for 15 minutes, she popped out on the deck where she knew she was. Walking in the dark, she rounded a corner, and there she was, standing like a moron, a helpless sheep waiting for the lights to come back in. A wicked smile spreading across her face she walked just within striking distance and said, in a very mencing voice, "Hello Ariana, are you ready to pay for you Father's Crimes?"

Ariana spun round just as the emergency lighting kicked in, the corridor was dim but at least she could see. “Who...are you?” She looked at the female before realising. “Ohh you must be Gabe’s replacement, or are you the main section 31 operative?” She needed to reach her comm badge but she daren’t try to do so for the moment. “I don’t think 31 would be very happy with you killing one of their creations somehow!” Ariana studied her foe. “Isn’t that what I am? Or what I’m becoming?”

The Operative shook her head as she lunged forward, seizing the woman before she could scream or flee. Pulling out a hypospray, she injected her with it, and whispered in Ariana's ear, "Tell your dad I'm coming for every one he cares about, everyone he loves, and everyone he calls a friend". With those words she took Ariana's head and slammed it into a bulkhead, watching her fall to ground whimpering in pain. Laughing, she walked off, searching for her next target.

Ariana lay on flat out on the floor, her head was bleeding from a deep cut as she reached a shaking hand to her comm badge. =/\= Monroe...to Hurd. Dad...help me!! =/\= It didn't take long to realise that comms were down. Dragging herself to her feet she staggered along the corridor, knowing she wasn't that far from her father's office.

There was a sudden noise outside the office door, Ariana had made it to the door but had finally collapsed outside. "Dad! Are you...in there?"

Hearing his Daughters muffled cries from the Darkness beyond the door sent his blood running ice cold.. Running to them, he grabbed her with the strength of man possessed. Below him lay the broken body of his Daughter, crying and whimpering. Gently picking her up, he ran back into his office and lay her down on a couch. ""Baby, Baby, what happened, are you ok?" While he waited for the answer he ran back to still open office doors and started screaming "MEDIC!!!" at the top of his lungs.

Ariana lay on the couch, her head was spinning, but her heart was racing. "There was a...woman, section 31...She said she's...coming for...everyone you care for!!"

"I know baby, I know, just lay still. Switching voice,Hurd started to yell for Ross and Freya, in hopes they would hear him sooner.

~ Colonel Ross Office ~

Kaden approached Freya holding a gift he had made of a display case containing the gun he was unaware of Hurd giving Freya when she first met him. He had come across it one night completely surprised thinking at first Freya was getting in the hobby of collecting antique firearms like him. "You don't like it? I had the case made for it so you can display it here at your new desk."

"Of course I like it!" Freya smiled as she rested the light she'd lit on the table. "I'm just wondering what's going on with the lights!" She shrugged. "It's a lovely gift, thank you!"

Kaden set the gift down before taking a seat hoping Freya would join him. "You know, our last post didn't have so many technical issues those lunkheads in engineering probably goofing off again." He said looking at the lights.

"Now that's not nice!" Freya shook her head. "I suggest you don't get saying that infront of the station engineering crew."

Kaden grabbed Freya by the hand and pulled her to him. "Hey now, I don't hate Engineers..." He kissed her on the lips.

"I didn't say you did!" Freya returned her husband's kiss and smiled. "Perhaps we, or rather you, should find out what's going on?"

"And ruin this tender moment?" Kaden wrapped his arms around Freya pulling her down on his lap. "Maybe in a bit..." He kissed her again.

"Oh you!" Freya grinned as she returned his kiss before pulling away. "Something's not right, there's a lot of high emotion on the station, there could be something wrong." She tapped her comm badge but it wasn't working. "Comms must be down too!"

Kaden learned to trust Freya's senses and any signs of strange activity since living on Starbase 400. "Come with me, Freya." He sat up taking her hand leading Freya to the hidden weapons locker they had in their quarters. Both had agreed to put one in their room for storing their personal phasers for self-defense. Entering the code Kaden opened the locker and handed Freya her phaser and holster before removing his. "Just like we discussed remember?"

Freya took her phaser and nodded. She'd had one in the field before during her time as a medic but she'd never had reason to use it. "I'll use it if I have to. I have our baby to protect."

~ Marine briefing room ~

Christina was just entering the Marine briefing room, when the lights had gone out. Normally the emergency lights would have kicked in but nothing happened which left her in the dark in an unfamiliar place. She remained where she was figuring she'd be safer where she was.

The Operative had silently slipped in behind her. Her eyes perfectly adjusted for the dark, she was waiting for her chance. As soon as Christina turned her head slightly, the other woman sent out a jagged punch to her jaw, knocking her off balance. Before she could recover, she sent her knee slamming to the woman's ribcage, clearly breaking several of them. Kneeling down, she pulled the woman's head up said, "Tell your Husband this only the start". Then kicking her once more, the woman slipped back into the silence and walked away.

Christina lay on the floor gasping for air, her jaw hurt like hell and she could barely breath. She hit her comm badge but nothing happened. Her worry right now was her baby more than herself, so she tried dragging herself to her feet but didn’t get very far.

~ Corridor, Marine Country ~

Freya and Kaden had made their way to Marine country in one piece, Freya heard Hurd yelling from the end of the corridor. As they arrived at his office she and Kaden stepped inside. “General...” She saw Ariana in what dim light Hurd had in his office. “What happened?!”

The Anger in his voice prevelant, Hurd said, "The main S31 operative did this, and she said, and I quote, "Everyone you love, care about, or call a friend is next".

Freya settled beside Ariana with her field medic supplies to check her head wound and do a medical assessment. She quickly replaced the temporary dressing on Ariana’s head wound and gave her something for pain. “Stay right there and rest.”

Getting up she walked over to Hurd. “That’s a deep head wound General, my dermal regenerator is missing so I can’t heal it right now, Ariana’s also got a concussion so I’ve given some pain relief.” Freya frowned Her senses picked up on someone else nearby that was in pain too. “Is your wife nearby?”

"Dammit!!!", Hurd roared pulling his .45, "She was in the Marine Briefing Room doing something" Kaden, get in my weapons case and grab the Glock 40 and as much ammo as you can carry"

Kaden hated the idea of using an antique and normally he give Hurd lip about it. But maybe just once he cut him a break and use the bloody thing but he was so going give the man crap later when this was over.

“Both of you go” Freya looked to Hurd and Kaden as she pulled her phaser. “I’ll watch Ariana.”

"Freya, I'd advise you to grab something out of there as well, that crazy but put a dampning feild on the station, Phasers or directed energy weapons won't work."

Freya pulled out the gun Hurd had given her the first time she’d met him. “I have this one remember?” She smiled warmly.

"And start spreading the word anyway you can, we have a confirmed hostile aboard, and I want our Marines armed with projectile based Weaponry out hunting for him or her".

Kaden groaned really fighting the urge to give Hurd lip but kept silent.

Taking one last look around the room, Hurd said, "Let's saddle up Marines, we got a job to do.

~ Marine briefing room ~

Christina was lying on the floor, the pain from her ribs was excruciating but luckily her lungs were undamaged. Her jaw was swollen where she’d been punched. As the doors opened she was relieved to see her husband’s face.

Having to kick in the doors because the power was cut, What Hurd saw made his blood run cold. "Ross guard the door", Hurd said as he rushed to his wounded wife. Cradling her head in his arms, tears began to fall as he said, "Oh my God Chrissy, I'm so so sorry, what happened?"

Chrissy looked up at her husband. “I was...ambushed. A woman! She said...to tell you, this is...only the start!” She cradled her broken ribs. “She’s brutal David...she doesn’t care...who she hurts!!”

"I know hun, I know, try to stay still, we don't know how bad you are hurt yet"

“David...it’s you she’s trying to hurt.” Chrissy sucked in a deep breath as she tried to sit up using her husband's arm as leverage. “She wants to hurt...everyone you care for!”

"Baby, that bitch is going to die for this". Turning to Ross, Hurd said, "Help me get her back to my office so Freya can take a look at... Oh shit Kaden, Freya's alone back there with Ariana, hurry up and help me get Chrissy back there before that nutjob shows up to get her as well!!!!"

Kaden nodded as he followed Hurd shaking his head at the gun in his hand. "General, when this over we need to discuss your need to use antiques."

~ Hurd’s Office ~

Freya sat in Hurd’s Office keeping a check on Ariana, she had to admit she was nervous and afraid. Whatever was going on this hostile enemy didn’t seem to care who he, she or it hurt, which made the danger all the more real. Being pregnant she felt all the more vulnerable and her recent stabbing made her all the more aware of how easily she or anyone else could be hurt or killed. She was ready to fight and she wouldn’t hesitate to shoot if she had to.

The operative had doubled back, seeing Mr Ross with Hurd meant Mrs Ross was alone somewhere and bring a medic she'd most likely be with Hurd's daughter. Creeping into the room she could see Freya was armed, caution was warranted, she took the advantage of Freya not being able to sense her and struck out, knocking the weapon out of Freya's hand and kicking it aside.

Freya wasn't going down easily she grabbed for the foot of her enemy pulling her down to the floor. She was about to lash out but the woman took her by surprise. There was a resounding crack as she kicked out and broke Freya's arm.

"Did you think it would be that easy?" The operative smiled. "I've read all about you." She grabbed Freya by the hair. "All I'd have to do is strike just in the right place and you could say goodbye to that baby of yours." She grinned. "But no...I'll save that one for Hurd. I'm going to make him suffer. Tell him it's just a matter of time, he'll lose his baby, his wife, his daughter and then all of you. Tell him that!" She slammed Freya's head against the coffee table leaving her flat out on the floor before disappearing into the darkness with a laugh.

Kaden entered the office glock in hand as he took a quick scan of the room before sticking the antique in the waistband of his trousers. He helped Hurd place Chrissy on the floor so Freya could look her over.

Freya was sprawled out on the floor reeling from the blow, a descent sized cut on her forehead nursing her shattered arm, hearing voices she dragged herself up against the sofa where Ariana was lying. She breathed a painful sigh of relief as Kaden came in the door with Hurd, supporting a wounded Christina.

It was at that moment Kaden saw Freya against the sofa holding her arm. "Freya?" He rushed to her side moving her raven black hair from her eyes. "What happened are you and the baby okay?"

"The baby is fine..." Freya offered a brief smile. "I'm not...great, ive got a concussion and my arm is pretty much useless at this point!" She looked at Hurd. "She told me to tell you... She's coming for your wife, your baby, Ariana and all of us! She wants you to suffer general."

Grinding his teeth, the anger welling up inside of him, Hurd said, "The hell she is, she's the one that's gonna suffer".

"Help me..." Freya looked at Kaden as he finished putting a dressing on her head wound and sorting a temporary sling for her broken arm . "I need to get across to Christina."

Kaden helped Freya over to where Christina was he hated seeing Freya and Ariana banged up from the attack. Whoever the assailant was he going to make em pay for harming them that was of course if Hurd didn't get to them first.

Moving beside Christina, she gently checked her over. "We all need to get to Sickbay! Ariana has a severe concussion, and Christina...from what I can tell, has several broken ribs besides her head wound. Last thing we need is for any of those broken ribs to puncture a lung, if they do, without medical care it could kill her. She's pregnant isn't she?" She looked at Hurd for confirmation. "Then the urgency is all the greater. There's no sign of any injury to her lower stomach from what I can see but best checked in Sickbay." Her own head was pounding and she felt sick. "I don't feel too good myself either. "We need to get out of here General, the sooner the better."

[TBC]

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