[IRW Endless Sky]
"Gods dammit," Brent muttered under his breath before he drew his rifle up, holstering the disruptor. "Covering fire!" ee called out to his men. The hail of kinetic shots and phaser pulses filled the air around the Captain, slamming into the incoming Gai'shian. The marines advanced steadily behind their Captain, keeping them from taking too many shots at her as she engaged them in melee combat.
"Now you know how we feel sir," one of the Marines behind him said before the firefight overwhelmed any other sounds.
Am I insane? Shiarrael wondered with half-amusement as she pummeled the closest Gai'Shian into the far wall and then slammed her elbow into another. The boldness of her attack had seemed to catch the ill-trained Gai'Shian off-guard. They fumbled for their blades as she meticulously disarmed and disabled them- at least the few that the Marines had left standing with their cover fire basically blanketing her on either side. Part of her held pity for the poor soldiers. Most were hard working people- but still peasants and field workers not fit to hold a combatants sword. They dwindled with such ferocity that Shiarrael stumbled forward nearly tripping when she reached the end of their lines- by the time she twisted around the Marines had scatted the remaining Gai'Shian to the depths of hell.
She leaned forward bracing herself against her knees and took a moment to catch her breath- hearing boot steps she looked up at the approaching Marines, her eyes holding the viciously triumphant look of a thrai having successfully slaughtered its prey "you were slow" she commented dryly between breaths "I am surprised none of you accidently shot me." She smirked at them and then pushed herself back to a full standing posture "we seem to have dispatched them easily enough." She casually walked over to one of the wall consoles and tapped on it. Her eyes reflecting the green characters that scrolled across the obsidian screen "yes- it seems all remaining soldiers have been dispatched to the weapons bay. Good. We are near the bridge." She pointed down the corridor "twenty meters."
"There's still time for that captain," Brent said as he reloaded his clip of kinetic rifle, before he shouldered it and withdrew his PPPe. "So. Bridge is likely to be lightly guarded? Alright then. I have a hard time believing that but I'll take your word for it ma'am." When all was said and done and the other Marines were ready, Brent nodded to the Captain as they started to walk down the corridor that was eerily empty. "May I recommend Captain that you let myself and another Marine take point on this insertion here?"
Shiarrael nodded towards the pile of dead Gai'Shian behind them "lightly guarded?" She let out a sarcastic breath and checked her disruptor pistol setting "if you insist- however, Itsak is my cousin and I will end this blood feud- so it will be wise to keep out of my way."
Brent didn't respond. If this Itsak was the one that took Sakarra from him, then Brent would definitely intervene in this little fight. He counted to three with his fellow Marine up front before they burst into the room, the Captain and the other five marines right behind them. The first thing that Brent saw was the tactical officer and another Romuland going for their weapons, one a sword and the other a disruptor pistol. Brent took down the Romulan with the disruptor before his Marine comrade took down the Tactical officer with the sword.
It was then that he saw it. No one could see it but the color drained out of his face as he saw it. There she was. Barely clothed... And bleeding. Bleeding out. The rage that Brent had so carefully packed away, kept under control since he had broken down crying in the darkened junction on the Charon came back with a vengeance. "No... NO!" he yelled out across the broken bridge. It was him. Him. He immediately saw the Vaek'Riov, holding her. No. NO. He would pay. He held nothing back, and charged at the Romulan as fast as he could.
Time seemed to slow to near standstill as Shiarrael's eyes found Sakarra's lifeless form. In the microcosm of the moment she turned and looked at Brent who stormed towards Itsak full fury while in the periphery of her vision she could see the crude and disheveled form of Hanaj leveling his disruptor at the Marine Lieutenant. She gritted her teeth- it was a mistake to bring Brent...but Sakarra? Itsak...How could he? How could he? "Brent you fool!" She shouted at the Marine and then lifted her own weapon charging at Hanaj as time surge forward "Fvadt au!" She screamed at Hanaj grabbing his attention. A malicious smirk crossed his expression as he twisted around and pulled the trigger.
Shiarrael's eyes widened as a stream of smoke seared past her face filled with the acrid smell of seared flesh. Her quick steps broke and she released her grip on the disruptor stumbling forward into Hanaj. Itsak's second in command caught her by her arms and looked down on her "the mighty Riov Yhisu is not so mighty after all." He released his grip and kicked her to the floor. As Shiarrael hit the deck she felt incredibly numb- her eyes were facing Itsak, Sakarra's body limp in his arms.
Shiarrael gently nudged her Starfleet rulebook out of sight, trying to remember every nuisance of Starfleet regulation was driving her towards madness "I know you are young and you are inexperienced. However, you have shown me that you possess great ability and the clarity of mind attributed to your people." She smiled and slid a small velvet box across the table; it was obvious what was inside of the box "I hope you will accept this."
Sakarra felt her eyebrows rise in surprise before she had a chance to control herself. Primary shift? Ensign? She'd been prepared to discuss the ship's current situation and felt slightly disoriented for a split-second. Steepling her fingers, she quickly pulled herself together and looked at her CO "Certainly, commodore. I shall endeavor to perform adequately." She cautiously eyed the velvet box, wondering how much trouble she might just have gotten herself into and then, remembering her manners, she added "Thank you."
The memory flashed into Shiarrael mind and with it came anger. Her body ached but her anger dulled the pain to mere nuisance as her hand fell upon the weapon which she had dropped. As Hanaj took final aim at Brent Shiarrael managed to lift her disruptor, take aim at Hanaj's head, and pull the trigger. "I am not dead yet" she mused in half-whisper as brain matter slid down the far wall.
[To be continued...]
Captain Shiarrael t'Rehu
Commanding Officer
USS Charon
&
First Lieutenant Brent Warren
Acting Marine Commander
USS Charon
