O Betazed Part II


 Episode Name:  O Betazed Part 2 - Ground Assault

   Written By:  Raijin

         Cast:  Dakin, Havaris, Haven, Leah, Raijin and Zeel.

  Produced By:  Starfleet

  Directed By:  Raijin

     Aired On:  Mon Mar 04 00:08:23 2002

     Stardate:  52201.6

Dakin carefully raises his head up out of the crater once the explosion has fully abated. He looks around to his comrades and to the Betazoid survivors. The haunted expression hasn't completely left his face. "Everyone five-by-five?"

Zeel rubs a little bit of mud off her face and smiles wryly, "Well, I'm still in one piece if that's what you mean, sir..." She peers out over the area, "We should get moving. No doubt that explosion will cause a welcoming committee to come our way."

Leah opens her eyes and turns herself over, pushing up through the dirt to look over the crater. To Dakin she replies, mumbling, "Aye, sir."

Havaris pokes his head over the lip of the crater, grinning a bit as the rubble continues to settle to the ground. Hearing Dakin's questioning order, Havaris gives it a bit more vim. "You heard the man! Hawkins, stay with the civvies. You and Kelmpa. I'll take point. Zeel, Leah, in the middle. Haven, you've got the rear. Let's move." And, naturally, Kusto's over the top.

Haven nods to Dakin then she's up, her rifle in hand, covering Kusto, just in case as she waits of the others to move out.

In the distance, the polaron cannon appears to be no further away than three football fields from the team's current location. In between the two, many craters dot the landscape.

"Aye, sir," Zeel states, rising and falling in line, hefting up her weapon, "Anyone know how much time we have to get that thing inoperable?"

Leah unclips her tricorder from her belt and begins to scan, her rifle slung. She moves to follow Havaris, ignoring the pain from her nose.

Dakin frowns to himself as he hops up out of the crater and glances out towards the landscape. "All right. Plenty of cover for us. The downside is plenty of cover for them as well. Leah, Haven, keep a constant tricorder scan going. I don't want us stepping into the wrong crater." He hefts up his rifle, nods to Hawkins, then moves out with the rest.

Dakin looks to Zeel. "We won't get an evac until after the cannon's neutralized. Still, I'd rather not tarryon this. Let's do the job we came to do, people."

Haven scrambles out of the crater, scanning the area as she moves. She keeps low to the ground as she moves.

"I was actually wondering when the Fleet expects the cannon to not be a problem, but all right," Zeel states quietly as she moves.

Havaris moves at double time over to the first crater perhaps fifty yards distant. He drops over the side and scrambles inside of the bowl and up to the lip, covering the unit as they trickle in behind him.

Dakin hops down into the crater after Havaris, saying to Zeel, "No specific timeframe, but the sooner the better."

Haven contests her Personal Equipment skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

Leah contests her Personal Equipment (Tricorder) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

Haven glancing to her tricorder, she snorts to herself then slides down the incline into the craters bowl.

Leah keeps up, though she seems focussed on her tricorder. She frowns at it, tapping some of it's buttons as she drops into the crater.

Zeel peers across the desolate landscape with a frown, "Hm. Where are they? You'd think they'd be crawling here with that explosion..."

Havaris seems nonplussed, if a little genuinely irritated. No enemies visible just means ambush. "Right. The Tricorders are useless, and they're cloaked." A glance to Dakin with a shrug of the shoulders. "We could stay here until we manage to get a bead on their location. Either way we need to flush 'em out of shrowd."

Dakin frowns to himself, gripping his rifle. He then looks to Havaris. "How far can we set the yield on our satchel charges?"

Zeel sighs softly, rubbing her shoulder lightly, "What I would give for a little wind-up ducky..."

Haven flashes a look Kusto's way and shakes her head, saying, "I don't like this."

"Sirs..... let me draw their attention." Leah says, dark eyes glittering. "I could run across their and draw them out of hiding." She points to her prospective route.

Havaris glances at Haven with a faint nod, "Steady on, Ensign." Havaris then glances back to Dakin, "Could probably rig them down to fifty yards, there abouts. But someone would have to run out there and run back." Kusto adjusts his rifle a bit. "Unless you're asking for volunteers, Sir."

Haven creeps up to the edge of the crate and pops a quick peek up and over at the area before them. "Theres a crater directly in front of use..but not much cover between." She flicks a glance at Leah, then back to Kusto, "If she can breath well enough to run, flat out, and maintain it then good.. if not, I will."

Dakin shakes his head to Havaris. "No, actually, our grenades... I think we have enough to set for wide yield and plow ourselves a route there by lobbing one before each set of movements... hit and move, hit and move."

Zeel frowns at Haven, "You're the only medic we have. You're two valuable." She sighs, "I'll go..."

"She's the only medic and your arm is busted." Leah says, "I can breathe fine... I can keep ahead of them, faster than you think."

"Nobody's going anywhere! Stand! Down!" Kusto hisses that to each and every as Dakin gives his plan. Havaris nods once and reaches to his belt for a second grenade. "I like this plan. More things explode, and we all stay together." Kusto edges up to the lip, peering over quickly before dropping back down. "It's about two hundred yards and a sprint from where we are. So make them count." A glance back to Dakin. "How you want to do this, sir?"

Haven just falls silent as she peeks up and over the lip of the crater again. Keeping a watch.

Dakin peers out towards the landscape. "Straight enough that we won't waste our ordnance. Random enough so our pattern isn't predictable and we don't give away our position. We've got what, nineteen grenades amongst us?"

"Eighteen, Sir. Fifteen, since we left Hawkins with the Civvies." Kusto's reply.

Leah frowns as she falls silent and tries for another scan, lifting her tricorder.

Haven edges her tricorder over the lip and does a quick scan before dropping back down.

Haven contests her Personal Equipment skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

Leah contests her Personal Equipment (Tricorder) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

Dakin thinks for a minute. "Morgan, see if you can get a telemetry and positioning on all the craters between here and the cannon and plot us a course that'll be random enough to confuse them but short enough a shot that we don't run out of grenades before we get there."

Zeel glances over at the other two women and shrugs. One more scan won't hurt. She unholsters her own tricorder and peeks over the ridge scanning.

Zeel contests her Personal Equipment (Tricorder) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!

"Can't see a damned thing..." Leah taps her tricorder a few times, nodding at Dakin's order. She works for twenty seconds and when she's finished holds out her tricorder to Rann.

Haven sighs and slips her tricorder back into her pack. "Nothing from mine either."

Zeel peers at her own tricorder and frowns, "Sir! Life signs approaching from the right, heading up fast. Not sure how far away, but they're not in weapons rage... but they will be soon. If we do something, we gotta do it fast."

Dakin takes Leah's tricorder and looks it over. "Okay, Morgan, you'll be our navigator. Once we're ready to move to new cover, point us in the right direction. The rest of us are on explosion detail. When we move..." He looks to Zeel. "Okay, we move now." He looks towards what is the next crater on Leah's map and nods towards it to Havaris. "You're up, Kusto. Fire in the hole."

"Blast!" Kusto looks to Dakin, torn, and actually laughs for a moment. It's funny, if you let it be. Pressing the primer on his grenade, the Bajoran scrambles up over the lip, and throws his grenade to the -right- rather than ahead. Give the Jem'Hadar something to think about the next time they try to flank them.

The grenade explodes against the ground to the team's right, but at best it slowed the Jem'Hadar down long enough for a head start.

Dakin sighs, smiles, and shakes his head, up until the sound of the explosion. "Keep suppressive cover on all flanks! Go, go, GO!!" And with that, he scrambles out of the crater in the direction of their next crater, rifle in hand."

Leah follows Dakin out of the crater, tricorder in one hand and her rifle in the other.

Haven maintains her position, rifle raised in the direction of the Jem's ready to lay down suppressive fire as the others move out.

Havaris dives ahead into the next crater, head first. One of those moves where you're more concerned with not beind shot than landing comfortably. He tumbles down and pops back up, adjusting his helmet a bit before scrambling back to the side of the basin. A second grenade is grasped. "Zeel! Position!"

Zeel contests her Personal Equipment (Tricorder) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

Dakin leaps into the crater after Havaris. Once in deep, he calls out, "Leah! Next movement!"

Zeel dives into the crater herself, pulling up her tricorder and fiddling with the dials, eyebrows knitting together, "I... I can't get a lock on it, sir. I've got some readings from the right and slightly behind our position, but I can't pinpoint anything..."

Leah contests her Personal Equipment (Tricorder) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

"We're going to get ourselves pinned down..." Leah comments, then points towards the next crater.

Havaris screams out a nice litany of invectives in Bajoran as he flings a second grenade blindly out in the rough direction Zeel indicated. He shoulders his weapon and seems intent on guarding the rear. "GO! NEXT POSITION! MOVE!"

Haven tucking her rifle, she comes up out of the crater, moving toward the others. She drops to the ground as Kusto tosses another one. After the explosion, she's up and running for the crater they are in.

Dakin waits for the explosion, then hefts his rifle and scrambles out of the crater, leading the others towards the next crater. "Move it out, people! GO!!"

The Prophets must have smiled upon Havaris, as the explosion makes four Jem'Hadar visible while they fall back from the impact.

Dakin dives deep into the next crater and looks back. Seeing Haven is behind the rest, he calls out in a tone mixing desperation and authority, "Haven! Move it, Ensign! COME ON!!"

Oh, so they are visible, eh? Zeel grins viciously and quickly hurdles one of her own grenades towards the shaken Jem'Hadar before turning and running off after Dakin.

Zeel (claiming advantage) contests her Athletics skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!

The poor bastards didn't have much a clue as to what hit them the first time. The bits and pieces left over certainly don't know right now.

Haven slips over the edge of the crater the other just left. She pops up to check her six and takes a quick scan.

Haven contests her Personal Equipment skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

Dakin grins as he watches from his crater. "Nice one, Zeel! Leah, Havaris, give Haven some cover!"

Havaris has another grenade. And they're right there in a big fat cluster. On the ground no less. But as he rises to lob his own, he sees Zeel's trail in and land amongst them. That causes him to to wave Haven forward and skitter a bit to the side as the blast pushes him down into the crater a bit. "We gotta move, Haven." He smacks the back of her helmet lightly, moving to the opposite end of the crater. "We're coming over!"

Leah follows after Dakin again, dutifully checking her tricorder. She points towards the next crater, then nodding at Dakin's order, leans up against the lip of the crater and brings her rifle to bear.

Zeel winks impishly at Dakin, "I aim to please!" She quickly peers towards the Polaron Cannon then back at her tricorder.

Zeel contests her Personal Equipment (Tricorder) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

Leah answers, taking a quick glance at her tricorder before resuming her covering action. "One hundred seventy-five yards."

Dakin sighs and nods. "All right, when everyone's caught up we'll continue moving." He grips his weapon tightly.

Haven jams across the bowl of the crater and pops over the lip. After a quick glance, she halls ass for the next crater. Hitting the edge, she slides down into the crater with the others. "175? Good."

Havaris pops over the edge on Haven's heels, sweeping their six as they scoot. He doesn't dive in this time, picks his way down nice and careful like. "Leah? I'm down to one grenade. Share the wealth?" The one he's still holding is reclipped to his belt as he settles down onto his rear to catch his breath.

Leah slips back down over the lip of the crater and starts pulling grenades out, handing them one by one to Havaris. She manages a faint grin, "I hate these things..."

Haven contests her Personal Equipment skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

Dakin nods. "All right. Everyone go after the big boom. Maintain flanking cover. Morgan... fire in the hole."

Havaris has Morgan's grenades. So. Shrugging, he takes the new number five, depresses the primer, stands up, and flings it towards the next crater over, ducking back down when that is done. He asks aside of Leah, "What's not to like?"

"Too messy." Leah replies with a smirk, the blood caking her upper lip making it a little ghastly. She waits for the explosion, then hauls herself up and over, rifle up.

Dakin also waits for the explosion before hauling himself rapidly after Leah, rifle in a sweeping motion.

Havaris pops up, ambling ahead of Haven, letting Dakin cover point with Leah. On a whim, he tugs out his tricorder to take a reading. Stranger things have happened, of course.

Havaris contests his Personal Equipment (Tricorder) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

Haven contests her Personal Equipment skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!

Leah hops down into the next crater and waits, peering at her scanner for directions. She points out the next crater, "There..."

Haven scans over the lip of the crater. "Heads up! 4 jem's 100 yards away, at the base of the Cannon!"

Dakin nods and unclips two of his grenades, handing one to Havaris. "Shall we, Mr. Havaris?"

Dakin nods and looks among the assembled. "All right, ladies and gentlemen, rifles on setting eight." He steels himself then moves to the lip of the crater and fires towards the incoing troops. "LIGHT 'EM UP!!"

Three Jem'Hadar exit the base of the cannon just in time to receive a volley of phaser fire...

Dakin (claiming advantage) contests his Energy Weapon (Phaser Rifle) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

Dakin's bolt of phased energy lances left of center and impacts the base of the cannon. Two bad things, as A: He missed the enemy and B: It's going to take a lot more than that to blow up the cannon anyway.

Havaris paces along, examining his tricorder before abandoning the whole pretense. Never cared for them much. He slips down into the newest crater, moving to Haven's side to peer down at her tricorder, brow knitting. He turns about to lie on his back, glancing towards Dakin. "Lighting them up, Sir." He smiles a touch, shoulders his weapon and sends a volley or two down range. Calm as can be.

Havaris contests his Energy Weapon skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!

Zeel contests her Energy Weapon skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Dramatically Fails!

And the photonic death doth rain down upon...nobody. The phaser rifle sparks, cracks, and gets overwhelmingly hot before Zeel drops it on instinct.

Havaris, however, has better luck and takes down one of the Jem'Hadar, leaving 2 left.

Leah (claiming advantage) contests her Energy Weapon (Phaser Rifle) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!

Another beam of phased energy lances out and solidly hits the second Jem'Hadar in the chest. He slumps down beside Havaris's opponent and lies still.

Haven contests her Energy Weapon skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

Haven isn't as accurate as Leah or Havaris, though close. Her beam strikes the ground directly in front of the last Jem. Seeing that as he greatest and most immediate threat, he pulls back on his polaron rifle and fires a bolt at the medic.

The polaron beam clips Haven's side, searing away combat armor and leaving the stink of burnt flesh.

Dakin frowns as Haven takes a hit and fires his rifle once again at the remaining enemy soldier.

Dakin (claiming advantage) contests his Energy Weapon (Phaser Rifle) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

This isn't Dakin's day, as the second beam he fires also goes wide and arcs over the Jem's head.

Havaris glances aside as Haven takes a shot, glancing back forward with a hiss of sound. "Haven's hit!" Kusto looks a lot less happy than he had been as he takes aim on the final Jem'Hadar. "Piece of..." his words are drowned out by the whine of his weapon.

Zeel mutters out a few Orion curses as her weapon is rendered inoperable. She dives for the ground and crawls her way over to Haven, inspecting the woman's wound.

Havaris (claiming advantage) contests his Energy Weapon skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!

The final Jem'Hadar falls back as the crimson beam hits him squarely in the face, ending his breathing days.

Haven falls back into the crater, landing hard on her side. A deep grunt of pain squeaking from her lips. Slowly she pulls herself up and looks at Zeel. "That stung!" She shakes her head and looks around quickly, "Where's my rifle?"

Leah heads to Haven as she's injured, setting down her weapon. "Haven... don't move, let me check your wound."

Dakin grabs Haven's rifle and hands it to her. "Leah, you've got medic training, right? See what you can do to patch her up."

Havaris straightens his weapon up as he watches the Jem'Hadar topple to the ground, smile satisfied. He nods aside at Dakin and paces down into the crater to fetch Haven's rifle, pressing it into her hands. "Right here." He smacks her helmet again as he crouches over her, smiling crookedly. "I got him for you. Lie back. Let Leah patch you up." He dips his chin and rises back to his feet, moving back towards Dakin, weapon balanced across his arms, waiting.

Leah does a quick appraisal, fingers moving as gently as possible. She looks to Zeel, then back to Haven, "Bandages?"

Haven blows out a held breath and nods to the kit. "I'll be ok.. really. We have work to do, so lets go!"

Dakin walks over to Haven's kit and opens it, removing a container of bandages and a dermal regenerator. He hands both to Leah, "Get her patched up as best and quickly as you can manage, then plot us a new movement."

Leah nods to Zeel, "Right... Don't know where my head is." She reaches for the kit and pulls out the equipment she needs. "There's only skin damage... you'll be fine." Working quickly she patches the medic up and grabs for her rifle, eager to be on.

Haven blinks at Leah's departing form, "I already said that?" Then she shakes her head and comes to her feet, again. Taking her rifle in hand, she moves out.

Dakin clambers out of the crater after the others. "Okay, let's keep it going, people..."

"Patients... sheesh..." Leah follows Dakin out, rifle at the ready again. Her tricorder has been slipped back onto her belt.

Havaris watches Haven as she rises up, shoulders twitching once at her words. His head shakes a bit as he turns back to the crater's edge and moves up to take a position. "It's a hundred yards, Chief. We took out the four inside the door. Figure the way is clear?"

Haven contests her Personal Equipment skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

Dakin nods. "Confirmed. The subtle approach isn't getting us anywhere fast and we're running out of time and grenades. All right, double cover as Havaris said. Let's go." And with that, he heads out of the crater and on to a further one, sweeping his rifle.

As the team approaches the base of the cannon, the last presumed Jem'Hadar does not exit as expected.

Haven comes up beside Zeel slinging her rifle in favor of her phaser for close quarters work.

"If we're sure he's in there.. why not lay the charges outside and run?" Leah suggests as she moves next to Dakin.

Dakin shakes his head. "Assuming he's not shrouded and waiting out here to pounce."

Kusto jogs up to the building, hands on his hips, gaze flitting over the building with a rather amused sort of expression. "I like the way you think, Leah." A glance her way. "Even if you don't like grenades." He paces back a step or two, reclaiming his weapon, laying it across his arm. "Get some scans. If he's in there, alone, let's bury him in it."

Nearing the base of the cannon, the outline of the door the 3 previous Jem'Hadar exited becomes visible.

Leah operates as ordered, shouldering her rifle and bring out her tricorder once more.

Haven contests her Personal Equipment skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

Zeel contests her Personal Equipment (Tricorder) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

Dakin nods to Kusto in agreement. "Agreed, and if he's not alone, same tactic as with the shield generator. Grenades on stun, destroy from interior." He frowns and mutters to himself, "Won't have another innocent life on my hands..."

Getting only faint signals on her tricorder, she shakes her head as she moves in. "I'm only getting faint signals.

Getting only faint signals on her tricorder, Hav shakes her head as she moves in. "I'm only getting faint signals.

Leah contests her Personal Equipment (Tricorder) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

"Nada..." Leah frowns at her tricorder, "Maybe mine's busted?..." She shrugs and clips it back to her belt, taking the time to get her type-2 out.

While they wait, Kusto ambles off to the side of the group, shoulders his weapon, and draws out a knife from his boot. He stabs it into the ground, amid a patch of grass, and begins sawing up a square of the grass. He takes out a rather large sample container, transplants the soil and grass into the sample container, and returns the stuff to his gear pack. Knife is returned to his boot. That done, he straightens up and pads back towards the group, hopefully never missed. "I do." A glance back to the door. "Think we can get passed the interlocks? Take her from the inside."

Havaris never gets an answer, save a polaron rifle beam from the roof of the base of the cannon. The now deshrouded Jem takes aim at Kusto and fires.

He never even saw it coming. The polaron beam hits Havaris squarely in the chest, knocking him to his back and sending him from the conscious world.

Dakin growls as the polaron beam strikes Kusto down, "SNIPER!" He aims his rifle towards the roof and opens fire...

Havaris broke his first rule. And he paid for it. Let your guard down and that's what happens. The amusing part is that he doesn't look the least bit surprised as his breastplate erupts and he flies backwards to land in the dirt. One leg curls up to try and get back to his feet as his breath weezes, but that's about all the further he gets as his eyes flutter shut and he slumps back to the dirt.

Haven perks a brow at Kusto's actions but says nothing about it though she answers his question with, "Better get Zeel up..." Her voice is drowned out but the phaser blast. She drops down beside Kusto, yelling, "Give me some damn cover!" A shove of her hand into her pack puts her tricorder away. Pulling a medical tricorder free, she scans him quickly.

Dakin contests his Energy Weapon (Phaser Rifle) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Fails!

Leah raises her weapon as well, cemented where she is, and takes a shot with her type-2 phaser (it being the one that's in her hand currently).

Haven contests her First Aid (Combat Medic) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!

Leah (claiming advantage) contests her Energy Weapon (Phaser) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Fails!

The Jem'Hadar ducks the first beam from Dakin and barely manages to avoid the second beam from Leah. He brings his polaron rifle up for another shot...

Dakin (claiming advantage) contests his Dodge skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!

Haven works quickly, her mind -only- on what she is doing as she stabilizes Kusto. Shaking her head at the tissue damage, she presses a loaded hypo to his neck, injecting him with medication. She spins away from him, covering him with her body as she pulls a grenade free, pulls the pin and counts to herself, waiting until the last moment before throwing it at the Jem's location.

Havaris is a lump of pale Bajoran meat, cooked nice and rare, lying in the dirt. He aint moving.

Dakin sidesteps just as the polaron beam chews the dirt as his former position then opens fire once again.

Haven's grenade sails too far over the Jem'Hadar, blowing up on the other side of the cannon.

Dakin contests his Energy Weapon (Phaser Rifle) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!

The Jem'Hadar stiffins as Dakin's phaser burst hits him in the chest. Croaking audibly, he falls forward and tumbles off the roof to land at the team's feet, dead.

Leah moves past the creature's corpse and heads for the cannon. "I'll cover while you set the charges?" She asks Dakin.

Dakin nods to both Leah and Haven and sprints for the cannon's base. "Get Havaris ready to move on my mark!" Once there, he removes his satchel charge and sets the timer.

Haven calls Zeel over and hands off her extra equipment. Once that's done, she preps Kusto's body for quick moving, glad he is still out cold. "We'll have to hump him out, for now."

Dakin calls back over towards the others. "Haven, grab everyone's charges and hand them to Leah! Leah, get over here and spread these out along the perimeter! Set timers for linked timed detonation at 45 seconds!"

Leah checks all the corners, "Let's hurry this up and go home." Does she sound a little agitated?

Haven blinks then hustles to gather the charges. Once done, she hands them up to Leah then moves back to prep Kusto for travel.

Leah nods and takes the satchels from Haven. She sets each carefully on the ground, programming them as she goes along until she is finished. Once she is finished, she stops by the one nearest the door. "Everybody ready to haul it out of here?"

Zeel moves to go help heft the prone form of Havaris with Haven. "I think so," she grutns with a wry smile, "Ready when you are."

Dakin slaps the last of his charges on the cannon's base and then opens his tricorder, calling up a remote detonation protocol. He brings up the countdown timer and thumbs the big red button. "FIRE IN THE HOLE!! GO, GO, GOOOO!!!!" he calls out as sprints for a deep crater.

Haven nods as she takes her side. On Dakins shout, she halls ass to the crater, using Zeel to help her move him.

The team reaches the crater and waits roughly ten seconds before all the charges go off simultaneously. There is a flash of light and an eruption of noise that shakes the very ground. As the team glances up, the ruined base of the cannon crumbles and melts while the cannon itself falls over like timberwood until it slams in to the ground. A moment later, everyone's commpin chirrups. The signal is fuzzy and not easy to make out, but it is recognizable as Ensign Kentoz. "Kentoz to Dakin, sensors detect the cannon has been dismantled. Confirm?"

Once in the crater, she drops over his body moving to inject him again with meds. Once the BOOM sounds, she pulls back and touches her fingers to his temple, "Kusto, come on.. wake up.. "

Dakin slaps his combadge. "That's an affirmative, Ensign! Request immediate dustoff! We've got wounded, so redline that runabout!"

"Hawkins is separate from the group and guarding a group of civilians... locate and beam them out!"

"Aye aye, sir. ETA five minutes. Kentoz out!" In the distance, Starfleet troop transports can be seen against the sky, beginning the invasion.

Havaris flutters his eyes open slowly, glancing around without moving his head. "This doesn't look like the Celestial Temple." He sniffs once, glancing up at Haven. "How bad?" And then he gathers a breath and barks, "What's the status? What'd I miss?"

Dakin takes Leah's hand and squeezes it. Looking over to Havaris, "The one thing you probably didn't want to miss, Lieutenant."

Haven flashes a fast grin at Kusto, "It's not pretty but you'll live. Come on, get up and watch, the runabout is on it's way."

Zeel looks up, a grave smile spreading over her features as the invasion transports begin to land. She grunts once, then falls back against the side of the crater, rubbing her shoulder again, "Well, we did it. Damn."

"You guys got married when I was out? That's cold, Sir, even for you." Kusto offers a hand to Haven, since he doubts he can get up under his own power. With help, he's on his feet, weapon in hand, wince firmly in place. "Betazed. It's a nice planet, but I wouldn't want to live here."

Tears come to Morgan's eyes when she spots the transports, "For the Federation, right?.... For Betazed...."

Dakin looks over to Leah with a soft smile. "We did it, nulara." He looks away from her slightly, and the smile fades, an unpleasant thought forming in his mind. "We won..." he says, slightly crestfallen.

Zeel lets out a deep sigh, "Thank goodness it's the Federation. If I was fighting for another side, I'd probably end up being charged for that phaser rifle that I... I mean, that happened to malfunction."

The sound of shouting and marching feet can be heard not too far away. In the distance, roughly twelve Jem'Hadar are running towards the cannon ruins. They haven't even bothered to shroud and charge with pikes and rifles at the ready.

After Hav helps Kusto up, she turns to watch the sense. A gleeful light brightens her eyes seeing the fleeing Jem's and she response but hefting her rifle.

Dakin blinks. "Damn it all to the Pah-Wraiths... we're not out yet..." He grips his rifle and slaps his combadge. "Dakin to Kentoz! Emergency beam-out! We got company!"

Kentoz's voice calls out through the fizzle, "No good, sir. The shield residuals are garbling your signals. Hold out for a couple more minutes!"

"Bastards don't know when to quit..." Kusto hobbles up to the rocks, leaning back down to reach for a grenade. "On the line! Suck it up!" He presses the primer, waiting to depress the primer until they're in range. He pushes up to a knee, screams through the obvious pain, and hurls the grenade over the top, flopping back with a pant, not really even caring where it lands.

Zeel lifts her head to gaze over at the advancing troops, the Orion groaning. "Wonderful. Don't they have a home to go to?" She picks up her last two grenades and lobs them at the advancing Jem'Hadar.

Leah grits her teeth, then pulls out her last grenade. She turns to get a good view of the creatures, thumbs the release and tosses her grenade in sync with Kusto.

As spread out as the Jem's are, accuracy with a grenade was not really an issue. Two take a lethal hit, while a third falls down and gets back up.

Dakin unclips one of his own grenades and tosses it. "They've got a home, Zeel, straight to the Fire Caves!"

As Zeel and Leah toss their grenades in to the fray, a few more go down only to be replaced by comrades from behind. In the sky, a flaming streak arcs down towards the cannon. It's the runabout going at high speeds through the atmosphere, but it's not in range yet.

Havaris beats a balled fist against the rocks, pushing back up again to reach for another grenade. Similar results. Presses and depresses the primer, pushes up to a knee with a gasp, blinks twice a bit blindly, and once more hurls the charge over the rim at the enemy. Flops back down again, already reaching for another.

Dakin grumbles into his combadge. "Dakin to Kentoz, we're pinned down out here..!" He then hefts his rifle in one hand, resting its length along the crater's edge and takes out his Type-2 with the other, firing both weapons at the attackers.

Only one thing left to do. "All right. I guess we have to form a defensive line here and hold out until the transport can arrive," Zeel states, pulling out her hand phaser and bowing down over the rim to fire at the advancing hordes, "I hope this one doens't blow up on me."

The Jem'Hadar decide that perhaps a frontal assault is a bad idea and they all scramble for various craters, creating an arc of defended emplacements to fire from.

Leah brings her phaser to bear now, "God-damned Jem'Hadar..., aims at the closest of the Jem'Hadar and thumbs the firing stud.

Havaris (claiming disadvantage) contests his Dodge skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Succeeds!

Dakin (claiming advantage) contests his Dodge skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Succeeds!

Zeel (claiming advantage) contests her Dodge skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Succeeds!

Zeel contests her Energy Weapon (Phaser) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

Dakin (claiming advantage) contests his Energy Weapon (Phaser) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

Leah (claiming advantage) contests her Energy Weapon (Phaser) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!

Polaron beams slam in to the ground around the team, churning up dirt. One hits Haven in her shoulder, crisping away at more flesh. The team returns fire at the Jem'Hadar, desperate to reduce their numbers if at all possible.

Havaris slumps back down the bowl of the crater on his back, holding on to his last grenade. He's out of the fight, to look at him. He crawls over to Haven's side as she takes another blast to her shoulder, and slumps down onto his knees, one arming his rifle to point it up at the rim, keeping his grenade in his off hand. Likely for them. Doesn't say a word, otherwise.

Dakin grits his teeth before firing another two-pronged attack towards the attacking hordes.

Haven sprawls back in the dirt with a loud grunt. A string of not very nice things come from her mouth as she uses Kusto to pull herself up with her good arm. Using her right hand, she pulls a grenade and lobs it toward a crater protecting the Jems.

The grenade keels off center and impacts the earth off to the side of the Jem'Hadar's crater, scattering more dirt in the air.

Dakin (claiming advantage) contests his Energy Weapon (Phaser) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

Leah aims for the next closest Jem'Hadar, the light of the energy weapon's beam flickering in her eyes.

"Ensign. Can you get us up to the rim?" Kusto's faint, pale, not looking good. But he'll be damned if he goes out on his knees in the bottom of a blast crater, too.

Haven nods, "I think so, yea.." She moves up the towards the rim then drops her good hand down to Kusto, "Come on.. use your legs to help me pull you up!"

Havaris wraps his arm about Haven's waist as he puts one foot under him, pushing up to his feet. With Haven's help, they navigate up to the rim where Kusto slumps onto his stomach, tilting his weapon over the rim to add to the rather fruitless return of fire.

Haven drops beside him in the dirt and uses her uninjured hand to fire off her rifle, a grunt using forth as the kick pushing into her shoulder.

A large beam of phased energy flashed down from the sky and tears in to the craters near the team. Looking up, they can see the runabout swooping in with a combat manuever and firing a wide beam. The craft lands, with Kentoz rushing out the back screaming, "Get in! More are coming!"

Two survivors from the assault dash up behind the Napean and prepare to open fire.

Dakin looks over towards the runabout and mutters, "Prophets bless you, Kentoz... Leah, give me a hand with Havaris..!" He goes over to scoop up his wounded XO, calling out to Kentoz, "If you've got help in there, we could use it..!"

Dakin looks over towards the runabout and starts to smile, that same smile fading once he sees the Jem'hadar sneaking up. "Kentoz, watch out!" He lifts his Type-2 and fires at them...

Dakin contests his Energy Weapon (Phaser) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!

Don't have to tell him twice. Kentoz ducks and covers while Dakin's burst of firepower hits the first Praetor, knocking him to his back.

"Kentoz!" Kusto croaks the Napean's name as he pushes up to his feet. He shoves his rifle out and fires at the remaining Jem'Hadar, still a bit wobbly with the thing. He stumbles forward towards the Runabout, unwilling and unable to stop his progress just because the enemy is about. Maybe precisely -because- the enemy is about. Chestwounds and painmeds don't mix well.

Havaris (claiming disadvantage) contests his Energy Weapon skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Fails!

The beam of energy flies wild and slams in to the ground next to Kentoz. The Napean yelps and keeps his head down.

Haven takes off after Kusto, her phaser bucking in her grip as she fires at a Jem.

Haven's phaser beam also arcs off target and scrapes aside the runabout, bouncing off. And we just got it waxed!

The Jem'Hadar grabs Kentoz by the neck and presses the polaron rifle against his back. "Drop your weapons," he barks out in order while the Napean freezes in fear.

Dakin clenches his phaser keeping it aimed. "Let him go! He dies, you die too, and I will make DAMNED sure it's slow!"

The green skinned beast bears his teeth and snarls, "The Napean dies if I die! Drop your weapons NOW!"

Havaris still has his grenade. He eyes it, eyes his rifle, shrugs, and drops his rifle to the dirt whilst thumbing down the grenade to stun and pressing the detonator while Dakin keeps the Jem'Hadar distracted. He casually underhands it at the feet of the Napean and the Jem'Hadar, returning his hands to the air afterwards. Is he smiling?

The Jem'Hadar grins at his victory over Havaris...right up until the point that the grenade goes off. Both Kentoz and the Praetor's eyes roll up in their heads after the BOOM. Everyone else remains conscious due to their distance from the blast and receives a mild shockwave.

Dakin holsters his phaser and rushes for Kentoz and the runabout. "Everyone get aboard! Leah, Zeel, take suppressive positions!"

Haven goes to her knees from the mild shockwave. With a grunt, she is on her feet, hauling Kusto to his then is off, heading to the runabout.

"Prophets, are they stupid. Almost makes me pity them." Kusto bends down to take up his weapon, hobbles over to the downed Jem'Hadar and levels his weapon over the creature's chest. Then raises it to the face. "Almost." As he had before, Kusto blasts the stunned Jem'Hadar at point blank range to the face before he's hobbled aboard under Haven's assistance.

Dakin grabs and hefts the unconscious Kentoz and fireman's-carries him into the back of the runabout. "Everyone aboard and SOMEONE get us spaceborne..!"

Dakin carries Kentoz into the cockpit after Haven and sits in a chair, strapping him in. "Sorry about this, Ensign." He then makes his way to the tactical station and works on getting weapons, shields and targeting powered up.

Havaris finds himself a seat in the belly of the craft and slumps down in it. He unclips his breast and back plate, slipping it away from his torso with a wince, what with the melted armor sticking to his uniform and skin. Once it's off, his coloration worsens and it's all he can do to strap himself in and prepare for take off.

Haven moves to the helm console and moves through the dustoff checklist in her head. "Closing the ramp," she shouts back, "Hurry up!"

Haven taps a console button and the ramp closes with a thud and a hiss. "Launching!"

With the ramp up, the runabout slowly rises and arcs towards the sky and out in to the atmosphere under Haven's guidance. As far as Dakin's team need be concerned, the battle is over.