Diversion & Deception - Part 5

Posted on Tue Jun 9th, 2026 @ 7:10pm by Captain Daegan Baas & Commander Jerome Hunt Jr. & Lieutenant Darius Korveth & Lieutenant Ayumu Tanaka & Lieutenant JG Christian Rogers & Lieutenant JG Ryan Kellerman & Ensign Marcus Chen & Ensign Josiah Lambert & Chief Warrant Officer 3 Talon Yamaguchi-Hunt & Petty Officer 1st Class Corvus Hannah & Petty Officer 2nd Class Hunter Kawolski
Edited on on Tue Jun 9th, 2026 @ 7:51pm

1,736 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: What was Lost is Found
Timeline: MD 7 - 1320

"Go ahead, you son of a bitch," Doctor Tanaka hissed. "It's not going to change the fact that you're a wanted man."

"I don't wish to kill you," Dareem whispered sharply. "But if your colleagues refuse to listen, your life is forfeit."

"Enough," the old Romulan shouted. He hoped all eyes were now on the ship's doctor, and with Dareem having murdered two others less than an hour before, perhaps the Orion and his friends might comply. He would not hesitate to kill the Trill doctor if it meant keeping order.

Picking himself up, Hunt moved forward, stepping in between Dareem and the other man. Pushing Dareem, the Commander clearly had seen enough. "This plan of yours is completely falling apart. Ending this now is what's for the best of everyone."

Kawolski gave a glance to Baldwin, who frowned but only gave a quick shake of his head. Kawolski lowered the rifle to low ready, but kept his gaze on the others in the room, but keeping an awareness of Hunt. If the Romulan so much as sneered at the XO, Kawolski intended to drop his disrupted atoms to the winds. He had a better understanding of the old disrupter now, and his next shot wouldn't miss.

Hannah was conflicted, but he too lowered his rifle to the low ready position. Baldwin looked at both his compatriots with a tinge of envy, with both of them holding weapons and him without. But he made his choice to protect his XO, and he didn't regret it in the slightest. Though it seemed to do little good when officers decided to just go up and antagonize gun toting psycopaths. But replacing an XO was much easier than replacing a doctor, so in the end, maybe it averaged out.

"IT'S OVER," Darius shouted with more confidence than he felt, "REINFORCEMENTS ARE COMING LAY YOUR WEAPONS DOWN!"


[At the same time - Outside the Council Building]

The other settlers were becoming more and more agitated and aggressive towards those standing guard outside and preventing anyone's access to the chamber.

That they were holding those who had offered to help them and asked for nothing in return was obvious. They had heard the earlier blasts and now surged even closer. As soon as some where within range, several of the guards struck the other with whatever they had in hand.

The more adamant and daring of the settlers clashed with those securing the entrance. Eventually, a cry went up over the other shouting.

"ENOUGH!" came the loud but raspy voice of the hybrid counselor, followed by the hard rapping of her walking stick on the chamber floors. "ENOUGH of all of this!" Yuvana glared at those with weapons. "Is this how we've come to be? The moment there is a chance, we all revert to old prejudices and political lines? Does the last hundred years mean NOTHING?" she screeched, her voice old but commanding. "The times we have put each other's lives into the other's hands is as nothing?" She turned on the younger of the invaders. "IS this what you call Romulan honor? The killing of hostages. Unarmed hostages? UNARMED HOSTAGES WHO WORKED TO BETTER OUR LIVES WITHOUT EVEN REQUIRING SO MUCH AS A THANK YOU?"

She began moving forward, her walking stick striking heavily on the path leading to the Council building. Around her the young who gathered in protest of this 'invasion' of Dareem's were joining her in moving forward. It wasn't long before her stick struck the wooden surround and she stood at the top of the low set of steps leading to the huge doors.

Tears fell from her eyes. "You make me ashamed of my mother's people as I've never had to feel before. If this is your way, if this is what you think makes you strong and proud members of Romulus, then kill me now!" She raised her hands to her side, letting her walking stick clatter to the wooden floor beneath her. "For I will not live being any single part of that kind of people!" Her eyes glared directly at Dareem. "I will not live as what you believe to be the Romulan way."

"NANA!" Thibald cried, startled at her words. Yuvana gave her grandson a sharp glare, silently commanding him into silence. He and his cousin both moved closer to her, to provide protection and cover for their Nana.

The doors were opened and the others ready to rush in. Yuvana gripped one and shook her head. This, for now, was as far as they would come. Violence of settler to settler would not win this day and allow them all to move forward.


[Within the council chamber]

"Do you see now?" Ayumu remarked, glancing over at Dareem. "You don't speak in the interests of the Star Empire; you're just a stone cold killer."

He lifted his disruptor once again, pointing it directly at Tanaka, a response and a dare tied together.

Dareem watched Yuvana hold her stance, the walking stick smacking the floor as it came to rest next to her. He took stock of the situation: Posrun and some of the others had abandoned him. Others were still grappling with the Starfleet hostages. If only his people understood...

"I did not come here to be judged, Yuvana," he spat. "Kurul stands with me. Sokah stands with me. L'ena stands with me. The weak words of some half-breed won't sway me."

"I do not speak to you, Dareem," and here Yuvana spat a gob of thick, gooey phlegm to the ground indicating she was trying to clear her mouth of the foul taste of his name, "nor the other fools who followed your toothless reminisces of honor," another gob, this one landing very near on the toe of Thibald's boot, "glory," a deep sound from her throat and a third gob of phlegm joined the other two on the ground, "and Romulus. You are already dead to us, as are all fools who have shown themselves worse than the creatures that created this half-breed colony." She turned to others, the younger followers. "Those of us that have been family, friends and equals in building what neither the Federation nor Romulus could. We have built peace and fellowship here. All who would so easily throw such aside are as dead as Dareem and the rotting creatures of which he has become."


[Shuttle Bay]

Baas watched as everyone finished boarding his shuttle before boarding himself. The pilots had been briefed and knew what to do.

There was a latecomer to the mix, it was Josiah Lambert, quietly sliding onto the shuttle, moving to sit next to Garath. He wasn't authorized, well, not by Rogers, that is. Taggart had done so; he held a finger up to his lips, giving a quick smile, his face going into a firmer expression. He was in his tactical gear.

Garath watched as Lambert had scrambled aboard at the last minute. He said nothing but dropped a fist on his shoulder. Eventually, there would be hell to pay, but Lambert needed to face his fears. Whispering, “Stick with me, stay quiet, and watch my back.”

Ryan performed one last check of his equipment before pulling up the layout of the colony one more time on the PADD the Captain had given him earlier. He hoped there wouldn't be too much change between the latest intel and what they'd actually be walking into.

Talon loaded up and took a seat on the shuttle, Taking a deep breath, she mentally prepared for what she would find on the surface. Last things she wanted was to have kill all of these people. But if that's what it took to recover the away team and her husband then so be it.


[Enroute to the Administrator's Quarters]

The door opened to his glorified cell. Kurul paced the quarters he had been taken to and had once again been taken back by the ship's features. Wonder what level of crew these would be assigned to. After some time the door to the room parted and an officer entered explaining the situation and what they were to do.

"A bold plan, I take it you are not only my guard buy but my protector?"

Chen pulled out his phaser from its holster, checked it, and put it back. "Aye, sir," he said, his voice calm. "I've got your six."

"Very well."


[Shuttle flight]

The flight of shuttles entered the atmosphere as Baas rose from the seat next to the pilot. After rechecking the the charge on his phaser rifle, he hailed the other two shuttles. "Baas to landing parties. You all know what to do. Keep you weapons set to stun, lethal force only if needed..."

"Sir we are approach the coordinates."

Nodding he finished his address. "Stand by... Energize."


[Planet's surface]

The three teams materialized and moved on their objectives. Hunt and her team move quickly to restore the transport enhancers.


Chief Warrant Officer Hunt along with her team moved towards to the transport enhancers. There were two Romulans who stood in place watching over the area. Without hesitation both men were stunned and dropped to the ground. Looking around, ensuring that no one noticed, Talon motioned for her people to get the enhancers up and running. Maintaining cover with their weapons at the ready, they watched for any incoming threats.


Even as the site was being brought online Baas and his team move in from one side as Rogers and his team close on the council building from the other. Hugging the wall of a structure they neared the edge of crowd and it would soon be impossible to remain unseen they would have to move fast.

As he watched event unfold he saw that Yuvana entering the building. Was she with them or was she with the those gathered to oppose Dareem and his group of thugs?


[Transporter room]

The operator monitoring thing looked up with a grin. "The transport enhancer stie is back online."

Kurul nodded form the Transporter padd, standing next to his escort. "Get me to the surface." The operator looked to Chen but Kurul was not about to wait for permission that might come too late. "Get me to the surface now! Before someone else gets killed!"


TBC...

 

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