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current_story:these_are_the_times_part_3 [2023/02/05 01:21] – created cromwell | current_story:these_are_the_times_part_3 [2023/02/06 01:41] (current) – cromwell | ||
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**Location: | **Location: | ||
- | Timeframe: | + | Timeframe: |
There was about two hours of daylight left in the overcast sky as the assault team from Republic beamed down to the coordinates. | There was about two hours of daylight left in the overcast sky as the assault team from Republic beamed down to the coordinates. | ||
- | In the foreground, and aligned along the periphery of the grassy field, were about twelve aerial vehicles, colloquially known as " | + | In the foreground, and aligned along the periphery of the grassy field, were about twelve aerial vehicles, colloquially known as " |
- | Three battle-suited | + | Three battle-suited |
"Good to see you again, Hendrix," | "Good to see you again, Hendrix," | ||
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It didn't take long before they encountered their first engagement with the enemy. | It didn't take long before they encountered their first engagement with the enemy. | ||
- | Their next challenge was a more sustained engagement as they pressed forward out onto a path cut into a cliff ledge. | + | Their next challenge was a more sustained engagement as they pressed forward out onto a path cut into a cliff ledge. |
- | Leon joined in this particular firefight as well, especially when the Starfleet trooper in line next to him stood up to take a clearer shot and was instead shot himself squarely in the chest, causing him to fall over the cliff to his death. | + | Leon joined in this particular firefight as well, especially when the Starfleet trooper in line next to him stood up to take a clearer shot, and was instead shot himself squarely in the chest, |
- | Again, it was a stalemate for several minutes. | + | Again, it was a stalemate for several minutes. |
" | " | ||
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" | " | ||
- | "Damn it!" hissed Hendrix. | + | "Damn it!" hissed Hendrix. |
- | A chorus of "yes sir"s followed as Cromwell pulled out his trauma kit and went to work on one of the troopers; the one who was shot in the arm. He worked to get the bleeding under control using the auto-suture, | + | A chorus of "yes sir"s followed as Cromwell pulled out his trauma kit and went to work on the trooper with the arm wound. He first worked to get the bleeding under control using the auto-suture, |
"I could use some help here," Leon addressed Hendrix. | "I could use some help here," Leon addressed Hendrix. | ||
- | The commander paused with annoyance, preparing another diatribe in his head about the doctor' | + | The commander paused with annoyance, preparing another diatribe in his head about the doctor' |
- | Silence set in as both Hendrix and Cromwell worked together to patch up the wounded. Eventually, Hendrix turned to Ensign Purcell who had pulled out a tricorder and was carefully scanning the area. | + | Silence set in as both Hendrix and Cromwell worked together to patch up the wounded. |
- | "Talk to me, Purcell," | + | "Talk to me, Purcell," |
"The path splits in two up ahead," | "The path splits in two up ahead," | ||
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" | " | ||
- | "I got some back-scattering from the walls, but there' | + | "I got some back-scattering from the walls, but there' |
"Which path looks best?" | "Which path looks best?" | ||
- | "Hard to tell," Purcell explained, studying the readings. | + | "Hard to tell. They both look like lava tubes," Purcell explained, studying the readings |
" | " | ||
- | "Or, we could take that other side tunnel," | + | "Or, we could take that other side tunnel," |
- | " | + | " |
- | "Copy that," Purcell agreed, closing his tricorder | + | "Copy that," Purcell agreed, closing |
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- | With practiced ease, Purcell and Wierzbowski worked as a well-oiled machine, slinking around corners with rifles drawn, giving each other cover as they moved smoothly | + | With practiced ease, Purcell and Wierzbowski worked as a well-oiled machine, slinking around corners with rifles drawn, giving each other cover as they moved forward in leap-frog fashion. |
- | "I don't like this," Purcell remarked as he paused | + | "I don't like this," Purcell remarked as, pausing |
Suddenly, the air went stale as Wierzbowski watched an expression of horror creep across Purcell' | Suddenly, the air went stale as Wierzbowski watched an expression of horror creep across Purcell' | ||
- | Rising behind them from the shadows was a green-scaled Tyrannosaurus-like reptilian warrior. | + | Rising behind them from the shadows was a green-scaled Tyrannosaurus-like reptilian warrior. |
True to Cromwell' | True to Cromwell' | ||
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Purcell gave a blood-curdling scream as the Jacob' | Purcell gave a blood-curdling scream as the Jacob' | ||
- | The air went stale again. | + | The air went stale again. |
Purcell open fired once again. | Purcell open fired once again. | ||
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- | Back at the squad, everyones' | + | Back at the squad, everyones' |
After finishing with the trooper' | After finishing with the trooper' | ||
- | " | + | " |
- | " | + | There was no answer. |
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | As before, no answer. | ||
" | " | ||
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For Purcell, the last of the Gorns went down easily. | For Purcell, the last of the Gorns went down easily. | ||
- | At his feet, a few dozen of these pineapple-sized objects peeled themselves open from the top: Some of them one-after-another, | + | At his feet, a few dozen of these pineapple-sized objects peeled themselves open from the top: Some of them one-after-another, |
Putting all the pieces together, Purcell now understood. | Putting all the pieces together, Purcell now understood. | ||
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"Aw, hell!" Hendrix exclaimed as he saw Cromwell bent over the the still form of a Starfleet hazard trooper, scanning him with a tricroder. | "Aw, hell!" Hendrix exclaimed as he saw Cromwell bent over the the still form of a Starfleet hazard trooper, scanning him with a tricroder. | ||
- | " | + | " |
- | For his part, Hendrix was so thrown by Wierzbowski' | + | For his part, Hendrix was so thrown by Wierzbowski' |
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It was then that he saw the pile of bodies. | It was then that he saw the pile of bodies. | ||
- | Words have trouble describing the maelstrom of instinct and emotion that surfaced in Leon Cromwell at that moment in time. His prejudice towards the Gorns was deeply-seated in the death of his own sister and mother during the Cestus Three incident of stardate 57502, where they were vaporized by orbital bombardment from Gorn battlecruisers. But now, as he saw the hundreds of dead Gorn hatchlings strewn among the equally dead corpses of their mothers -- each with a Starfleet phaser | + | Words have trouble describing the maelstrom of instinct and emotion that surfaced in Leon Cromwell at that moment in time. His prejudice towards the Gorns was deeply-seated in the death of his own sister and mother during the Cestus Three incident of stardate 57502, where they were vaporized by orbital bombardment from Gorn battle cruisers. But now, as he saw the hundreds of dead Gorn hatchlings strewn among the equally dead corpses of their mothers -- each with Starfleet phaser |
Purcell watched on while Leon's half-digested morning rations splashed around him. In his psychotic state, the ensign reflected on his disdain for the physician/ | Purcell watched on while Leon's half-digested morning rations splashed around him. In his psychotic state, the ensign reflected on his disdain for the physician/ | ||
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Purcell was not about to give him that chance. | Purcell was not about to give him that chance. | ||
- | In a swift martial arts maneuver, Purcell kicked Leon in the face, knocking him back to the ground, his head impacting the rocky wall once again, with unconsciousness once again befalling upon him. Raising his rifle to target Leon anew, the ensign locked the doctor in his sights and pulled the trigger. | + | In a swift martial arts maneuver, Purcell kicked Leon in the face, knocking him back to the ground, his head impacting the rocky wall once again. |
The rifle sputtered dead with a static hiss. It's energy pack had been fully depleted. | The rifle sputtered dead with a static hiss. It's energy pack had been fully depleted. | ||
- | Angrily, Purcell threw his empty phaser rifle at Leon, and grabbed the one on the ground, which had a near-full charge on it. He aimed Leon's rifle back at the doctor and immediately pulled the trigger. | + | Angrily, Purcell threw his empty phaser rifle at Leon and grabbed the one on the ground, which had a near-full charge on it. He aimed Leon's rifle back at the doctor and immediately pulled the trigger. |
" | " | ||
- | "What happened?" | + | "Sir, what happened?" |
For a split second, Purcell felt as if he had been caught red-handed, but then realized his own empty phaser rifle was lying on the ground... right next to Leon. He realized the scene could easily be seen from a completely different perspective... | For a split second, Purcell felt as if he had been caught red-handed, but then realized his own empty phaser rifle was lying on the ground... right next to Leon. He realized the scene could easily be seen from a completely different perspective... | ||
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"It was Cromwell!" | "It was Cromwell!" | ||
- | " | + | " |
"What. The. HELL..." | "What. The. HELL..." |