S:5 E:12 - Dominion Rising

[Lina Knight]

Lina whilst still making sure to keep her focus on the scans gives her officer a nod tail flicking in anticipation as she kept herself as ready as possible for it. This was going to be a bit rough she could tell. Usually was mid an attack of course, but that's what training was for. Getting it drilled into your head that no matter what always prepare for the worst and keep things as they should be if you can. "all readings look clear ma'am." she says calmly as she can

[myne]

[Lt. Ruth Sigurdsdottir - Bridge, Sciences 1 - USS Challenger-A]

Ruth nodded approvingly but briefly at Melly, giviing her a knowing look, but raising her eyebrows and chin a little at the 'slave name'.  It was something they were working on, but least the Ensign had reported correctly and had got on with her duties efficiently.  A slow smile went over her face and she turned to Ian and winked with a 'we have improvement!' kinda look.  It was something to smile about at least, despite the situation.  The diaper crackle she'd heard was a concession but, unless you knew, you wouldn't.

"Do we need your theme tune yet Captain?!" she asked with a wry smile.

She heard the slight whimper and spun back to check on Melly and under the console she patted the Ensign's leg near the knee and gave it a little squeeze of encouragement.  We'd all been there, when you weren't scared in a battle it was more frightening.  The trick was to channel the fear into focus and determination.

Myne, felt the 'older' Ladies hand and looked up with a look that betrayed her percieved age rather then her true one. She was a scared girl but would try her best as she had been trained but that form of encouragement helped her greatly. As long as it was a female doing it, a male... it might trigger some trauma.

The CSO fastened her lap strap, motioning to her Ensigns to do the same, quickly.  Being trained as a Fleet pilot as per her first posting, she was more than familiar with Evasive Pattern Omega 1.  She called it the 'Stuka Dive'... only thing missing was the screaming sound the Ju87s made, but she could imagine it in her brain. "Girls, quickly.  Had one too many concussions because I didn't fasten this!" she said wryly.  "Better safe than sorry."

Myne did not wish to go tumbling from her chair, rolling across the deck or worse her tiny form flinging out and landing in the Captains lap. A number of cute jokes went threw her head she would say like telling him what she would want for Christmas or the like but this was a coping method to help with the fear she was going threw. She did up the strap but had to be sitting on her heels in the chair to reach up so the strap could only do so much.

Ruth didn't yet know the helmswoman but had to fight a grin coming to her face when the Trill Ensign cricked her neck.  'Oh, this one has fight in her!' she smiled inwardly.  She whispered to the girls either side of her "Hold on, this might get rough!"

Myne held tight as she could, her small hands gripping hard. Not her first conflict but this was her first since her shattering inside.

[Captain Galloway - Bridge - USS Challenger-A]

"Bloody good Work Ensign Pwllgwyngyll. Helm hard over, make your course 95 mark 115. Evasive Pattern Alpha Three. T'Kel, shift ta coverin' fire, photons set for proximity detonation. Let's put a wall of interference between us and those cruisers! Fernando, hail the Discovery and Valiant. Warn them of Sherem and that we are breakin' off as planned."

Myne's face was so happy. It was like back on Orion when she would win a dance competition. To be given a good girl just lit her up so much. But there was work to do. "Thank You Captain." She said meekly and went back to her focus.

"Seconded there Melly,.." she said the smile radiating from her face.  She dropped her voice conspiratorially.  "1 Jumja stick earned!"

Myne's face brightened, she was so happy. Not just for the treat but because she had done well. That was worth a thousand treats to her!

Ruth held on with one hand and put her hand on the back of Melly's chair as a precaution.
"Remind me to replicate you a booster seat and a folding box for Bridge duty when this is over, you can't bear down on your feet to brace, but a box with some traction on the bottom of it might help.  I'll get Engineering onto it.  No time now though."

It might be the fact she was in nappies on the bridge. But the thought of the booster seat made her giggle. She only wore them because she was worried. She wanted to be strong but still had doubts. The last thing she wanted to hear was the Captain screaming in his very Scottish voice, 'Don't be a piddlin on me bridge!'.

She smiled to her Department Head and nodded, "A good idea Ma'am. I think those might help a lot."

Lina whilst still making sure to keep her focus on the scans gives her officer a nod tail flicking in anticipation as she kept herself as ready as possible for it. This was going to be a bit rough she could tell. Usually was mid an attack of course, but that's what training was for. Getting it drilled into your head that no matter what always prepare for the worst and keep things as they should be if you can. "all readings look clear ma'am." she says calmly as she can

Myne turned and gave a thumbs up to her half caitian coworker. She was happy to have the support and nodded listening to her as she kept the scanners going as well getting any data she could on trnswarp signatures.

[Nira Said]

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

Ensign Myne was unsure of what would happen but she kept a grip on the chair allowing her to reach the panels. She was ready and watching the read outs to alert when a transwarp conduit opened. With a deep breath her eyes focused as she tried to not think about if Kyan might be hurt.

Then it happened.

Turning to the Captain, "Captain Galloway! Sensors just detected a transwarp conduit opening! It'll open in twenty seconds!"

She braced and wished she could have wrote the program to give longer, but she went from a five second window to a twenty. So that was progress. Now to be a strong girl and make everyone proud.

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

At Mel's warning, Ian felt his stomach tighten, three Breen cruisers was fair game for the Challenger and the Discovery, the arrival of Sherem however, tipped the balance far beyond what the two ships could handle, even if Discovery went Multi-Vector. The Valiant was holding its own against the Attack Fighters, but it was clearly time to break off and let the away team take over from here.

"Bloody good Work Ensign Pwllgwyngyll. Helm hard over, make your course 95 mark 115. Evasive Pattern Alpha Three. T'Kel, shift ta coverin' fire, photons set for proximity detonation. Let's put a wall of interference between us and those cruisers! Fernando, hail the Discovery and Valiant. Warn them of Sherem and that we are breakin' off as planned."

Ian only half heard the "Aye Captains" from the crew as they acknowledged their orders as he plotted their escape in his head. They'd made the attack look pretty good with the starboard shields on the Abandon All Hope were down to just 15%. It was all they could do from the outside. The rest of the mission was in the hands of the away team.

[Lieutenant Commander T'Kel | Bridge | Deck One | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

"Aye, Captain," said T'Kel. She looked up at the three Breen ships coming their way. At least, they struck T'Kel as somewhat bearing semblance to Breen ships, but as they drew closer, T'Kel can see something of a more elegant shape. That seemed to be Dominion-based through and through, the shape and design, rather than the varied clumps that made Breen ships. But the color and potentially the make of the ships seemed to be of Breen make...or rather, the Breen built them under Dominion supervision. What was surprising were the deflector-like modules under these guillotines of ships, like they were stolen from Galaxy-classes of old.

"Covering fire," she shouted just as the first of the ships opened fire.

The Challenger was being pummeled as it set course away. T'Kel could cringe if she wasn't Vulcan.

"We're catching fire. Shields are holding at eighty percent, however, Captain," T'Kel reported. "But...these new ships seem to display quite a firepower."

Challenger was certainly taking fire from the two Breen/Dominion cruisers while the third is engaging the Discovery. Once Melek Nor arrived, the new guillotine ships would be the least of their worries.

"Still, we won't have made it look easy for Cloten and his old ship," T'Kel reported. "All three of us have put quite a bit of damage on the smuggling fleet's rear shields. Cloten's at 15%...

And then, it came. Melek Nor appeared from a transwarp conduit just above the Breen station. It certainly didn't help matters look better; with that massive skull-looking station, it was easy to imagine the Nor design like a crown. A notification pulled her eyes down to her console.

"We have acknowledgements from the Valiant, they're pulling out," T'Kel called, "And the looks of things from the sensors, they're going to overtake us. We've get to hear from the Discovery."

[Lieutenant Junior Grade Zhukdra'shar Mrekrerhas, posing as Mercenary H'Riss | Cargo Bay One | S.S. Abandon All Hope | Panora System - in the Kuiper Belt | Badlands]

After three days of grueling training, with some pleasant sights every now and again within the holodeck, and difficult sleep due to the ship's conditions, Zhuk could finally see it""the Panora system's Kuiper Belt. And floating on the void of space, a juggernaut of Breen origin. Zhuk couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine as he approached, gently holding M'nia by the shoulder as he gazed at it through the bridge's main screen.

He was shocked by the sheer size and might of it, but at the same time, he was intrigued by it. By this moment, he had fully processed what had been said and realized that there was no Cardassian station here. This realization bothered him considerably, and he hoped that this would not end up catapulting the mission into failure. They would have to trust Cloten's word that it would return from its raids to Klingon space.

He got into character, offering a big smirk as he tightened his grip on M'nia's arm slightly. Just to show off. He waited for introductions to be done, and for himself to be properly referred to, before his grin widened, and he offered a respectful vow towards the Vorta and the Breen Thot that accompanied him.

"It is a pleasure to meet'cha, Mistah Neyos. But yes, I got'chu somethin' nice 'ere. Ain't that right, cutie?" He offered a cruel laugh as he pulled her forward, to show her off better, and to sell his character even further. He made a pause to let Cloten continue, changing his expression to an annoyed one as the disguised 'son of Ulises Vaughn' was brought forth by a Nausicaan.

"You kiddin'?! Them Federates are 'ere?!" Came the annoyed voice of 'H'Riss' after orders had been used to fight them and hunt them down by the Vorta. He let out an amused chuckle, though, as he rubbed a claw through her chin.

"Don't you worry none, pretteh theng. You're not goin' back with 'em. N' yer gonna sing like an Arcturian dog-bird soon enough, yes? Hehehe..."

:: S.S. Abandon All Hope | Bridge ::

Kyan made a point of offering meek resistance to the Nausicaan named Kejoligar who held him. He knew from their brief interactions before coming to the bridge that the man wasn't overly excited about helping Starfleet, which was just another reason to keep him within arm's reach.

Kyan bristled at the mention of sending ships to attack his "œdad". "œThe Valiant is gonna destroy all your stupid attack ships!" Kyan blurted out, pulling away from his "œcaptor". Kejoligar hauled him back with a yank of his arm.

"œLeave her alone!" Kyan yelled at Zhuk. "œYer gonna be sorry you ever messed with us you mangy, one eyed jerk!" Kejoligar replied by yanking on his arm again. The boy glared up at him defiantly "œGet off me ya grasshopper faced idjit!" Kyan demanded in his best "œAmerican-ish" accent as he squirmed and struggled against the Nausicaan that held his arm. "œJust wait til my dad gets done with those ships! Yer all gonna be screwed!"

"œKeep quiet boy." The Nausicaan growled, smacking him in the back of the head with an open hand. "œThe Vorta is going to see to your father."

He briefly saw stars, and almost forgot his role for a moment, turning to face the man. A Gaelic curse died on his lips and a stiff front kick was halted when the ship rocked violently from the Challenger's "œtoo close for comfort" torpedo misses and subsequent phaser shots. Kyan briefly made eye contact with the Nausicaan, who looked down at him with a smug "œWhat are going to do?" expression. So he decided to get into the part himself.

He gave the ne'er-do-well a cheeky grin as if to say "œTwo can play this game." Then he bit the arm with which the Nausicaan was holding his.

Surprised, he let go and cursed loudly. Kyan made use of the opportunity and bolted for the door. Nevermind that he didn't have anywhere to go. It was all a show anyway. He didn't make it far. Suddenly he was whiplashed back when the man grabbed the back of his shirt collar and yanked him back. The shirt ripped along the shoulder seam almost to the top of his left sleeve, but the Nausicaan was able to pull him back and grabbed him a little more forcefully by the arm again. Kyan thought he might hit him again, and made a show of flinching and covering up. But the Nausicaan didn't.

"œYou're not going anywhere boy!" he growled instead. "œAnd if you try anything else I'll tie you up."

Another goon piped up. "œMight be a good idea anyway."

While Kyan had no intention of letting himself get tied up, he wasn't in much of a position to DO anything about it. Luckily another phaser hit rocked the ship and the matter was dropped for more pressing concerns.

"Oh you guys are real brave! Picking on a little kid! And you H'riss are a disgrace to Caitians everywhere!" she looked over to Kyan, "you ok kiddo?" So far so good. Everyone was playing their part. Now if they cold convince the breen. She knew a lot was ridding on this. Zhuk was really hamming it up. She had to remember  not to smile. She wasn't supposed to be having fun. Still she would be glad when this is over. She really didn't like Nausicaans much but they really haven't given her much reason too. They had a bad reputation, a well earned bad reputation. As for the Breen, well who knows! Easily one of the most mysterious races. not much was known about them!
Her tail flicked back and forth, more out of nervousness than anything else but they didn't need to know that. Still she would carry on and hope that it all worked out ok.

[Commander Nira Said | Bridge | Deck One | S.S. Abandon-All-Hope]

Nira was certainly surprised at the sight of Melek Nor arriving. She felt uneasy as Melek Nor directed a massive disruptor beam at the ships' direction. A moment later, two hails coming in from the Breen station and Melek Nor came in simultaneously.

"Looks like I came back just in time," Gul Sherem said, leering at the crew. "Now what's all this, Cloten?"

"Some extra gifts, according to Mister Cloten," Neyos said. "Headed by an exceptionally whimsical Caitian traitor."

"Is that so?" said Sherem with deadpanned interest. "Did that have to do with the Valiant, the Challenger and the Discovery chasing you?"

So he seemed to have taken time to find out the names of those particular ships, Nira thought to herself. Chances are, he could've briefed them and figured the Challenger could be the most dangerous, hence why it seemed to be taking fire more, she added to herself, recalling watching the battle and seeing how Challenger was taking on more fire from the three cruisers.

"They claim they have a Caitian ambassador with fleet movements," Neyos said, "along with Ulysses Vaughn's son."

"His...son?" said Old Man Sherem, narrowing his eyes, whether suspicion or befuddlement, Nira couldn't tell. "I wasn't aware Captain Vaughn had children."

"Regardless, we think we can get in a little bonus in addition to the usual price for the salvage," Cloten said. "And Mister H'Riss had backing from Breen mercenaries for extra help. The hostages are yours."

"Fine," growled Sherem. "I will be expecting Mister H'Riss and his little gang shortly at our Ops."

"And you will pay us," said Cloten. "Transfer the usual at the same time."

"Plus how many for the hostages?"

Cloten named a figure, enough for the Cardassian officers in the background to balk in surprise.

"That much for a boy and an ambassador?" sneered the old man.

"The kid deserves as much as the ambassador, the son of a prolific officer as he is," said Cloten, taking his willpower from grinning maniacally at the potential scam he was going to pull. Nira, taking care to make sure "Hubs" was looking astonished, turned to him, though under the helmet...it was a good thing she was wearing a helmet, because if looks could kill...

"Third of what you asked for for the boy," demanded Sherem.

"Deal," said Cloten. Now it was Sherem's turn to be surprised. Nira wondered if the old man was expecting to haggle, though Nira had a good idea why Cloten wasn't haggling: The moment the old man found out he had been had, Cloten will want to get the hell away as fast as possible.

Once the two transmissions were shut off, Cloten said, "Okay, the next step is that we dock with the Breen station and unload. Anybody meeting with the old man will need to head for the transporter room."

"Just the one lone transporter room," added Nira, remembering the layout; after all, Strider-classes, like the starships of their day, had only one transporter room. "Good luck, Commander," she added to Rayek with a nod. Then, getting out her comm badge, she clicked it and said, "Said to Challenger Away team, assemble at the transporter room. It's time."

[Aarwendil Cheizex]

[USS Challenger-A - Deck 4/ Corridor close to the Main Viewer]

Aarwendil had been busy organizing his files when the red alert sounded through all the parts of the Challenger. Soon, several members of the crew moved through the corridors to prepare for the combat that was going to begin. The young Betazoid blinked, trying to process what was happening. He had learned at the Academy what this type of alert meant and what he should do in these circumstances. However, being in the situation was completely different from the theory.

Nonetheless, the Ensign didn't stay frozen in his place for more than a few seconds. He shouldn't stay here like an idiot while the ship was going to engage in combat. The young Betazoid wasn't a cadet anymore, he should find a way of being useful in face of the situation that was going to unfold in front of them. Perhaps he could help at the bridge.

Besides that, if he stayed here without doing anything, Aarwendil could end panicking and given his telepathic abilities, the Ensign could end up making the entire crew around him enter in panic too.

While he rushed there, the entire Challenger was shaken and Aarwendil was thrown to the floor. Turning around, the young Betazoid saw that he wasn't the only one, with the other members of the crew that, like him, weren't able to reach their stations at the right time were now also lying on the floor. Some weren't lucky like him and their fall ended causing some injuries.

The Ensign decided that before going to the bridge, he could verify if some of his coworkers needed help. It was a long path to the Sickbay.

[Ian Galloway]

[Lieutenant Commander T'Kel | Bridge | Deck One | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

"Aye, Captain," said T'Kel. She looked up at the three Breen ships coming their way. At least, they struck T'Kel as somewhat bearing semblance to Breen ships, but as they drew closer, T'Kel can see something of a more elegant shape. That seemed to be Dominion-based through and through, the shape and design, rather than the varied clumps that made Breen ships. But the color and potentially the make of the ships seemed to be of Breen make...or rather, the Breen built them under Dominion supervision. What was surprising were the deflector-like modules under these guillotines of ships, like they were stolen from Galaxy-classes of old.

"Covering fire," she shouted just as the first of the ships opened fire.

The Challenger was being pummeled as it set course away. T'Kel could cringe if she wasn't Vulcan.

"We're catching fire. Shields are holding at eighty percent, however, Captain," T'Kel reported. "But...these new ships seem to display quite a firepower."

Challenger was certainly taking fire from the two Breen/Dominion cruisers while the third is engaging the Discovery. Once Melek Nor arrived, the new guillotine ships would be the least of their worries.

"Still, we won't have made it look easy for Cloten and his old ship," T'Kel reported. "All three of us have put quite a bit of damage on the smuggling fleet's rear shields. Cloten's at 15%...

And then, it came. Melek Nor appeared from a transwarp conduit just above the Breen station. It certainly didn't help matters look better; with that massive skull-looking station, it was easy to imagine the Nor design like a crown. A notification pulled her eyes down to her console.

"We have acknowledgements from the Valiant, they're pulling out," T'Kel called, "And the looks of things from the sensors, they're going to overtake us. We've get to hear from the Discovery."

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

The Challenger rocked again confirming T'Kel's comments about the firepower of these new cruisers. If not for the Point of Impact shields, they would be in trouble, but even they could only take so much and were much less effective in multi-ship engagements.

"Helm. Evasive Pattern Beta One ta port. Ops, route available power ta structural integrity. T'Kel, continuous proximity photon fire. Keep their targetin' sensors scrambled. Hang onto your knickers everyone, it's about ta get interestin'!"

Pattern Beta was typically reserved for smaller ships, consisting of two rolls on a course away from the enemy ship, then hard turn. Rolling a ship of more than three million metric tons put enormous strain on the the hull and even more on the inertia dampeners.

"Dashlish is goin' ta have a fit."

Ian murmured as Ensign Amaya began the maneuver.

[AmatsaKitsune]

[Ensign Amaya- USS Challenger Flight deck]

She knew the situation wasn't going exactly as planned the ship taking a few hits as they were attacked. However this wasn't going to damper her spirits as they knew they had to make sure they did the captains orders to the T. Her movements were graceful across the controls snaking her hands against them as she would start turning the ship to port. She'd watch the readings and made sure everything was all in order knowing that the ship could take a little bit more of a risky one. Improvising her own evasive movement based on the captains request.

The ship swerved and turned towards port sharper than they had been asked for as they had watched the new firepower of the ships. "œDeffinetly much more dangerous than we expected but that won't stop me." Rin muttered under her breath as she had much more to continue and live for as everyone on this ship did too. Her risky movement would be more evasive in nature but faster than expected too probably learnt a bit from her time in the holodeck. Whether it'd pay off would be another question.

[Kinley Garrison]

[USS Discovery - Deck 1 - Main Bridge]

Nevir gripped his chair as the bridge shook.  Dem was handling combat very well, and it made leading a bit easier.  Especially for what was quickly becoming a more serious issue than just a faux chase.  The Breen ships were never something to scoff at, and it would appear that the Breen have only continued to progress.

"We'll hold off on the MVA for the time being.  One solid target right now is better than three smaller targets.  Remember we are here to get the away team on board."

"Find that weak point and target it, Mr. Broadshire. Let's try to bat these ships away.  Miss Garrison, do we have an update from Challenger or other sources?"

[Bridge: Discovery]
Kinley nodded and brought up a hailing signal to the Challenger . "œChallenger. This is Lieutenant Kinley Garrison on behalf of the Discovery. What's your status? Do you have any updates on your situation?

[Kyan Mackenzie]

:: S.S. Abandon All Hope | En Route to the Transporter Room ::

Kyan was uncharacteristically quiet as the away team made their way to the transporter room. He had been replaying the interaction with Sherem in his head since leaving the bridge. It felt off. Before coming back to the fleet proper with his stint on Katra, he'd spent a few years working for the fine folks at Starfleet Intelligence. Given his unique physiology, he'd gone undercover most of the time. And he'd developed a pretty fair sense of when he was made.

It felt kinda like this.

There was always a tip off. A tell, if you prefer the poker parlance. The mark, in this case Sherem, would give a look, act a certain way, or in this case make some remark. "I wasn't aware Captain Vaughn had children." In Kyan's estimation, there was a very slim chance that Sherem, being a spook himself, was "unaware" of much where it concerned prominent Starfleet officers in his area of operation. And if that were true, then they were walking into a trap.

In Intelligence, there were built in plans for when marks got smart; a codeword, or a signal, or a plan B. He'd brought along a contingency for himself in the form of a palm phaser disassembled and hidden in various places on his person. It could be assembled in under twenty seconds if he had to. The emitter crystal was part of his necklace, tucked into his shirt... or would be if the collar hadn't been ripped. Now it was hanging out. It looked like a Bajoran charm necklace though, so he wasn't worried about that. What did worry him was that he was unaware of a broader contingency for the whole team should plan A fail.

"I think Old man Sherem is onto us," he said to Nira as they walked. "D'ya want me tae come up with a backup story if he ain't buying this one?"

[ShranLahr ch'Verret]

CPO ShranLahr ch'Verret
[USS Challenger - Deck 2 - Observation Lounge]

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

The Challenger rocked again confirming T'Kel's comments about the firepower of these new cruisers. If not for the Point of Impact shields, they would be in trouble, but even they could only take so much and were much less effective in multi-ship engagements.

"Helm. Evasive Pattern Beta One ta port. Ops, route available power ta structural integrity. T'Kel, continuous proximity photon fire. Keep their targetin' sensors scrambled. Hang onto your knickers everyone, it's about ta get interestin'!"

Pattern Beta was typically reserved for smaller ships, consisting of two rolls on a course away from the enemy ship, then hard turn. Rolling a ship of more than three million metric tons put enormous strain on the the hull and even more on the inertia dampeners.

"Dashlish is goin' ta have a fit."

Ian murmured as Ensign Amaya began the maneuver.

With the call to Red Alert, Lahr had immediately headed to his rally point - the Observation Lounge on Deck 2.  This was where Damage Control Team One met.  The team was lead by Ensign Kasey Jones and consisted of her, himself, the Vulcan petty officer T'roth and the Caitian crewman Maranxx-ii.

Lahr was watching Challenger's attack on the Antican's ship... and couldn't help but grin.  It was no less than the smuggler deserved - at least to his thinking.   That the Away Team was on that ship was the only reason Lahr wasn't cheering.  Then the ship began a roll and the inertial dampener vibrated the ship as they struggled to maintain 'gravity'.

Lahr had performed rolls like this in the Captain's 'Flying Tigers' holodeck program but hadn't thought he ever see it done with a ship this large.  And there were reasons why.   Alarms began to sound and Dashlish's voice over the comm directing DCT1 to a weak point in the hull.  Air was being vented.  Jones responded and directed the team seal their EVA suits and make for the deck below where the stress fracture appeared.

Lahr donned his helmet and followed the Ensign out. Time to go to work!

[myne]

"Helm. Evasive Pattern Beta One ta port. Ops, route available power ta structural integrity. T'Kel, continuous proximity photon fire. Keep their targetin' sensors scrambled. Hang onto your knickers everyone, it's about ta get interestin'!"

Pattern Beta was typically reserved for smaller ships, consisting of two rolls on a course away from the enemy ship, then hard turn. Rolling a ship of more than three million metric tons put enormous strain on the the hull and even more on the inertia dampeners.

[ Ensign Myne - Bridge - USS Challenger ]

Ensign Myne had strapped in, however as she was sitting on her knees in the chair the strap could only do so much. She reached and grabbed the panel sides to no avail but instead gripped the sides of the chair glad that the magnetic seals kept the chair in place. But she did get tossed hard in the chair with the ever so slightly whimper as the belt dug in. But better then the alternative.

[Zhukdrashar Mrekrerhas]

[Lieutenant Junior Grade Zhukdra'shar Mrekrerhas, posing as Mercenary H'Riss | Cargo Bay One | S.S. Abandon All Hope | Panora System - in the Kuiper Belt | Badlands]

"Oh you guys are real brave! Picking on a little kid! And you H'riss are a disgrace to Caitians everywhere!" she looked over to Kyan, "you ok kiddo?" So far so good. Everyone was playing their part. Now if they cold convince the breen. She knew a lot was ridding on this. Zhuk was really hamming it up. She had to remember  not to smile. She wasn't supposed to be having fun. Still she would be glad when this is over. She really didn't like Nausicaans much but they really haven't given her much reason too. They had a bad reputation, a well earned bad reputation. As for the breen, well who knows! Easily one of the most mysterious races. not much was known about them!
Her tail flicked back and forth, more out of nervousness than anything else but they didn't need to know that. Still she would carry on and hope that it all worked out ok.

A boisterous laugh escaped 'H'Riss's' muzzle as he picked up on 'The Ambassador's' comment about him. So delightfully evil, he expected this to make his act even more convincing. A grin was offered to her, "Ah, ah... that is not what me ladies say~ A shame I has no time t' convince'cha I'm not all bad, hehe..."

[Lieutenant Commander T'Kel | Bridge | Deck One | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

"Aye, Captain," said T'Kel. She looked up at the three Breen ships coming their way. At least, they struck T'Kel as somewhat bearing semblance to Breen ships, but as they drew closer, T'Kel can see something of a more elegant shape. That seemed to be Dominion-based through and through, the shape and design, rather than the varied clumps that made Breen ships. But the color and potentially the make of the ships seemed to be of Breen make...or rather, the Breen built them under Dominion supervision. What was surprising were the deflector-like modules under these guillotines of ships, like they were stolen from Galaxy-classes of old.

"Covering fire," she shouted just as the first of the ships opened fire.

The Challenger was being pummeled as it set course away. T'Kel could cringe if she wasn't Vulcan.

"We're catching fire. Shields are holding at eighty percent, however, Captain," T'Kel reported. "But...these new ships seem to display quite a firepower."

Challenger was certainly taking fire from the two Breen/Dominion cruisers while the third is engaging the Discovery. Once Melek Nor arrived, the new guillotine ships would be the least of their worries.

"Still, we won't have made it look easy for Cloten and his old ship," T'Kel reported. "All three of us have put quite a bit of damage on the smuggling fleet's rear shields. Cloten's at 15%...

And then, it came. Melek Nor appeared from a transwarp conduit just above the Breen station. It certainly didn't help matters look better; with that massive skull-looking station, it was easy to imagine the Nor design like a crown. A notification pulled her eyes down to her console.

"We have acknowledgements from the Valiant, they're pulling out," T'Kel called, "And the looks of things from the sensors, they're going to overtake us. We've get to hear from the Discovery."

[Commander Nira Said | Bridge | Deck One | S.S. Abandon-All-Hope]

Nira was certainly surprised at the sight of Melek Nor arriving. She felt uneasy as Melek Nor directed a massive disruptor beam at the ships' direction. A moment later, two hails coming in from the Breen station and Melek Nor came in simultaneously.

"Looks like I came back just in time," Gul Sherem said, leering at the crew. "Now what's all this, Cloten?"

"Some extra gifts, according to Mister Cloten," Neyos said. "Headed by an exceptionally whimsical Caitian traitor."

"Is that so?" said Sherem with deadpanned interest. "Did that have to do with the Valiant, the Challenger and the Discovery chasing you?"

So he seemed to have taken time to find out the names of those particular ships, Nira thought to herself. Chances are, he could've briefed them and figured the Challenger could be the most dangerous, hence why it seemed to be taking fire more, she added to herself, recalling watching the battle and seeing how Challenger was taking on more fire from the three cruisers.

"They claim they have a Caitian ambassador with fleet movements," Neyos said, "along with Ulysses Vaughn's son."

"His...son?" said Old Man Sherem, narrowing his eyes, whether suspicion or befuddlement, Nira couldn't tell. "I wasn't aware Captain Vaughn had children."

"Regardless, we think we can get in a little bonus in addition to the usual price for the salvage," Cloten said. "And Mister H'Riss had backing from Breen mercenaries for extra help. The hostages are yours."

"Fine," growled Sherem. "I will be expecting Mister H'Riss and his little gang shortly at our Ops."

"And you will pay us," said Cloten. "Transfer the usual at the same time."

"Plus how many for the hostages?"

Cloten named a figure, enough for the Cardassian officers in the background to balk in surprise.

"That much for a boy and an ambassador?" sneered the old man.

"The kid deserves as much as the ambassador, the son of a prolific officer as he is," said Cloten, taking his willpower from grinning maniacally at the potential scam he was going to pull. Nira, taking care to make sure "Hubs" was looking astonished, turned to him, though under the helmet...it was a good thing she was wearing a helmet, because if looks could kill...

"Third of what you asked for for the boy," demanded Sherem.

"Deal," said Cloten. Now it was Sherem's turn to be surprised. Nira wondered if the old man was expecting to haggle, though Nira had a good idea why Cloten wasn't haggling: The moment the old man found out he had been had, Cloten will want to get the hell away as fast as possible.

Once the two transmissions were shut off, Cloten said, "Okay, the next step is that we dock with the Breen station and unload. Anybody meeting with the old man will need to head for the transporter room."

"Just the one lone transporter room," added Nira, remembering the layout; after all, Strider-classes, like the starships of their day, had only one transporter room. "Good luck, Commander," she added to Rayek with a nod. Then, getting out her comm badge, she clicked it and said, "Said to Challenger Away team, assemble at the transporter room. It's time."

A gleeful look was on his face as he saw the battle unfold, seemingly glad that them 'Federates' had been repelled. Deep down, and suppressed due to the situation, however, Zhukdra'shar was worried about the Challenger, the Discovery, and the Valiant. Things could go wrong quickly if they did not escape from the general premises promptly. Especially with the arrival of the Cardassian space station. A gasp of sheer surprise was given, though inside, he felt a twinge of fear as Melek Nor unleashed a ray of green energy towards the ships.

He hoped that they had been able to clear out on time. Else Chloe, Lahr, Myne, Captain Galloway, would most likely not come over to pick them up.

Clearing his mind, he gave a step forward as he was introduced by Neyos, offering somewhat of a polite bow towards Gul Sherem on screen. He waited to speak, however, not wanting to be seen as overly eager. Or impolite. Especially to a man like Sherem.

Still, he couldn't help but offer an added look of incredulity, and then a grin, over as Cloten made an offer to be paid more for his services. A snicker then followed as the figure was more than generous. The transmission soon stopped, and 'H'Riss' couldn't help but offer Cloten a pat on the shoulder as Nira called for the away team to be assembled in the transporter room.

"Well done, Cloten~ 'Tis was a nice deal you got goin'. Well, gotta deliver the package, eh?" He let go of M'Nia, just to not make his presence unwelcome, though it seemed that he was set on maintaining character. His pace as he made his way to the room was much more casual, tail swishing from side to side, compared to the usual neutral and serious expression that he had while serving on the USS Challenger. That, and some whistling. Something like this:

[Lieutenant Junior Grade Zhukdra'shar Mrekrerhas, posing as Mercenary H'Riss | En route to the Transporter Room | S.S. Abandon All Hope | Panora System - in the Kuiper Belt | Badlands]

:: S.S. Abandon All Hope | En Route to the Transporter Room ::

Kyan was uncharacteristically quiet as the away team made their way to the transporter room. He had been replaying the interaction with Sherem in his head since leaving the bridge. It felt off. Before coming back to the fleet proper with his stint on Katra, he'd spent a few years working for the fine folks at Starfleet Intelligence. Given his unique physiology, he'd gone undercover most of the time. And he'd developed a pretty fair sense of when he was made.

It felt kinda like this.

There was always a tip off. A tell, if you prefer the poker parlance. The mark, in this case Sherem, would give a look, act a certain way, or in this case make some remark. "I wasn't aware Captain Vaughn had children." In Kyan's estimation, there was a very slim chance that Sherem, being a spook himself, was "unaware" of much where it concerned prominent Starfleet officers in his area of operation. And if that were true, then they were walking into a trap.

In Intelligence, there were built in plans for when marks got smart; a codeword, or a signal, or a plan B. He'd brought along a contingency for himself in the form of a palm phaser disassembled and hidden in various places on his person. It could be assembled in under twenty seconds if he had to. The emitter crystal was part of his necklace, tucked into his shirt... or would be if the collar hadn't been ripped. Now it was hanging out. It looked like a Bajoran charm necklace though, so he wasn't worried about that. What did worry him was that he was unaware of a broader contingency for the whole team should plan A fail.

"I think Old man Sherem is onto us," he said to Nira as they walked. "D'ya want me tae come up with a backup story if he ain't buying this one?"

'H'Riss's' sensitive ears pivoted towards 'Vaugh's son' direction, and he proceeded to move in closer. Almost if wanting to pounce on him. Kyan then could feel his hands on his shoulders, and his breath against his ear, "Hey, hey, kiddo. Don't salt dis. But what story you have?" He asked, in character, wanting to see if maybe he could be privy to what his idea was.

"Purrsonally, if things go South, I was plannin' on revealin' I realize the whole plan n' kick Nira in the chest. I unmask 'er n' I gain Sherem's trust. No offense, missus." He glanced over to Nira with a bit of an apologetic look. "That, or we do the inverse, n' you break me character. Not directly outin' me as a darn officer, but yes as someone who wantid to trick the ol' man. N' that way, 'Hubs' keeps its cover. Either way, I's feels we gotta maintain our illusion for as long as possible to be able to mess with the station. Fightin' so many Cardassians ain't gonna result well."

He let go of Kyan, and straightened up. He believed he could hear both Nira's and his' responses when they offered them up.

[Ian Galloway]

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

Ian heard the ship groan in protest at the extreme maneuver, but it worked. The Breen's fire was scattered and what few disruptors that managed to hit were complete ineffective against the point of impact shields.

"Captain! With as little respect as is required, if you try something like that again, you'll find my biggest spanner across your skull!"

Ian winced as the chief engineer berated him for his actions.

"I know Dashlish, I know, but you would have liked what those Breen cruisers had planned even less."

As stressful for the ship as the evasive maneuver had been, the Challenger had evaded the firing envelop of Melek Nor and was free to go to warp as soon as the order was given. Ian however, had one additional surprise ready for the Breen.

"T'Kel, Amaya, let's make them think that last shot did summat. Amaya vent some plasma from the port nacelle. T'Kel, only fire with one of the aft photons. Have the other launcher release the torpedoes unguided and unpowered. With any luck, the unguided torpedoes will act as mines."

Ian smiled ferally and hoped the fall back order would come soon.

[Bridge: Discovery]
Kinley nodded and brought up a hailing signal to the Challenger . "œChallenger. This is Lieutenant Kinley Garrison on behalf of the Discovery. What's your status? Do you have any updates on your situation?

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

Ian gritted his teeth as Catalan at Ops relayed the message from Discovery.

"We're just bloody loverly. There's a right fine bird I was thinkin' about chattin' up. How do you bloody think we're doin'? What are you waitin' for, it's way past time ta do a runner!"

He growled, not in anger, but wondering why the order to fall back was waiting on him, he was the junior captain in this party.

[AmatsaKitsune]

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

Ian heard the ship groan in protest at the extreme maneuver, but it worked. The Breen's fire was scattered and what few disruptors that managed to hit were complete ineffective against the point of impact shields.

"Captain! With as little respect as is required, if you try something like that again, you'll find my biggest spanner across your skull!"

Ian winced as the chief engineer berated him for his actions.

"I know Dashlish, I know, but you would have liked what those Breen cruisers had planned even less."

As stressful for the ship as the evasive maneuver had been, the Challenger had evaded the firing envelop of Melek Nor and was free to go to warp as soon as the order was given. Ian however, had one additional surprise ready for the Breen.

"T'Kel, Amaya, let's make them think that last shot did summat. Amaya vent some plasma from the port nacelle. T'Kel, only fire with one of the aft photons. Have the other launcher release the torpedoes unguided and unpowered. With any luck, the unguided torpedoes will act as mines."

Ian smiled ferally and hoped the fall back order would come soon.

Rin had a bit of a sheepish and nervous smile hearing the ship groan and creak as she took the risk. She kind of had the habit of doing some dumb but surprisingly effective things. However was relieved and even had a slight chuckle and sigh of relief. She'd probably never do it again considering hearing the shouts from the engineer. It wasn't really the captains fault rather than hers putting a bit more excessive force than she needed to. She heard the captains orders though and did as was told venting some plasma as expected making sure to make a show of it. "œAye captain."

[myne]

[USS Challenger-A - Deck 4/ Corridor close to the Main Viewer]

Aarwendil had been busy organizing his files when the red alert sounded through all the parts of the Challenger. Soon, several members of the crew moved through the corridors to prepare for the combat that was going to begin. The young Betazoid blinked, trying to process what was happening. He had learned at the Academy what this type of alert meant and what he should do in these circumstances. However, being in the situation was completely different from the theory.

Nonetheless, the Ensign didn't stay frozen in his place for more than a few seconds. He shouldn't stay here like an idiot while the ship was going to engage in combat. The young Betazoid wasn't a cadet anymore, he should find a way of being useful in face of the situation that was going to unfold in front of them. Perhaps he could help at the bridge.

Besides that, if he stayed here without doing anything, Aarwendil could end panicking and given his telepathic abilities, the Ensign could end up making the entire crew around him enter in panic too.

While he rushed there, the entire Challenger was shaken and Aarwendil was thrown to the floor. Turning around, the young Betazoid saw that he wasn't the only one, with the other members of the crew that, like him, weren't able to reach their stations at the right time were now also lying on the floor. Some weren't lucky like him and their fall ended causing some injuries.

The Ensign decided that before going to the bridge, he could verify if some of his coworkers needed help. It was a long path to the Sickbay.

[ Ensign Seyefa - Deck 4/ Corridor - USS Challenger-A ]

The Ekosian Ensign, human technically was unprepared as the starship decided it was a starfighter. At one moment she was running to her tasks heading to Engineer, but then she was staring up at the corridor lights as everything blurred. She had hit her head hard on the floor but nothing 'else' got hurt. Too bad she was Engineering not Security. She needed that brain.

Laying there a moment she couldn't focus her vision and let out a pained 'help' unsure if it was loud enough to be heard. Although in her head everything was so so loud and ringng. Her blonde hair was strewn behind her as a bit of red could be seen in the hair.

"Help!", she whimpered out again as she hurt to move, but her toes and fingers worked, so progress!

[M'Nia]

[Lieutenant Junior Grade Zhukdra'shar Mrekrerhas, posing as Mercenary H'Riss | Cargo Bay One | S.S. Abandon All Hope | Panora System - in the Kuiper Belt | Badlands]

A boisterous laugh escaped 'H'Riss's' muzzle as he picked up on 'The Ambassador's' comment about him. So delightfully evil, he expected this to make his act even more convincing. A grin was offered to her, "Ah, ah... that is not what me ladies say~ A shame I has no time t' convince'cha I'm not all bad, hehe..."

A gleeful look was on his face as he saw the battle unfold, seemingly glad that them 'Federates' had been repelled. Deep down, and suppressed due to the situation, however, Zhukdra'shar was worried about the Challenger, the Discovery, and the Valiant. Things could go wrong quickly if they did not escape from the general premises promptly. Especially with the arrival of the Cardassian space station. A gasp of sheer surprise was given, though inside, he felt a twinge of fear as Melek Nor unleashed a ray of green energy towards the ships.

He hoped that they had been able to clear out on time. Else Chloe, Lahr, Myne, Captain Galloway, would most likely not come over to pick them up.

Clearing his mind, he gave a step forward as he was introduced by Neyos, offering somewhat of a polite bow towards Gul Sherem on screen. He waited to speak, however, not wanting to be seen as overly eager. Or impolite. Especially to a man like Sherem.

Still, he couldn't help but offer an added look of incredulity, and then a grin, over as Cloten made an offer to be paid more for his services. A snicker then followed as the figure was more than generous. The transmission soon stopped, and 'H'Riss' couldn't help but offer Cloten a pat on the shoulder as Nira called for the away team to be assembled in the transporter room.

"Well done, Cloten~ 'Tis was a nice deal you got goin'. Well, gotta deliver the package, eh?" He let go of M'Nia, just to not make his presence unwelcome, though it seemed that he was set on maintaining character. His pace as he made his way to the room was much more casual, tail swishing from side to side, compared to the usual neutral and serious expression that he had while serving on the USS Challenger. That, and some whistling. Something like this:

"Youuu!" pretending to be outraged she clawed at H'riss while hissing at him. "How dare you! I would never let you lay a hand on me if I could help it!" Of course she knew he was only acting but so was she. She had to make it convincing although Zhuk almost had her fooled. Of course she didn't really want to hurt him. She liked him.he was hat good. Kyan was doing a good job too. However they had to convince their soon to be host. She wasn't 100% sure they could, especially as she heard Kyan's misgivings about walking into a trap but she would preservere.