McMillan meets Mason

Col. Auer sat at his console chewing on his long extinguished fat cigar end, slowly grinding his teeth on it from side to side and suckling on it occasionally, the sound of it could be heard just above the low whirr of the many bionic servos that were dotted around his body, most having replaced limbs and parts of limbs that had been cut off, shot off or blown off in combat. "I have a location for Mason if you are interested," he said in a dry raspy voice without even lifting his eyes from the screen as his fingers continued to tap. "And there is something else," continued Auer. "Bekkers’ location and assignment details have recently been accessed, along with the files of the rest of the Carolina crew. Take a look." he muttered as he stabbed his cigar stub towards a screen.

“Interesting…” murmured Arado as he looked over the Colonel’s shoulder. “Helm, how long till we reach our destination?”

"Entering standard orbit now" came the announcement from Miral, her fingers flying across her consol with a satisfied flourish.

"Very well, a full scan of the planet..." started Arado.

"I am picking a distress signal. It's on Starfleet frequencies. Looks like there's another away team down there" interrupted Auer.

“Let’s hear it,” said Arado sitting quickly back in the Captains chair.

"This is Captain McMillan to all who can hear this. This is a general distress call. My team and I were ambushed, I am the only survivor. I'm held up at what appears to be a gas station. Repeat... this is a general distress call. My team and I were ambushed, I am the only survivor. I'm held up..."

Auer tapped a few more buttons. "Scans reveal two human life forms. One is stationary on the surface, the other seems to be in flight over the planet. I'm guessing that the former one is McMillan and the latter Bekkers. I am also picking up hundreds of unidentified objects on the surface. They seem to be swarming around the human on the surface,” he jammed the cigar stub back in his mouth and chomped down upon it.

Arado stood up, "We don't have much time before McMillan gets overwhelmed. Colonel you run things from here I’ll take as many as I can, tool them up with whatever we can find on this ship, and get down there."

The hurriedly put together team of three Security officers and Lt Arado beamed down to the surface, almost immediately a flurry of chaotic chatter came through the comms.

"This is Captain McMillan to all who can hear this. This is a general distress call. My team and I were..." The automated distress call continued to repeat, as a second message came over the top of it.

"This is Petty officer Bekkers, last surviving member of Marine Fire Team Charlie to any Federation Forces I repeat this is the remnants of Fire Team Charlie to any Federation Forces. Be cautious of any seeming inhabitants they are not what they appear, they have wiped the unit out and there are only two of us left. If you can reach the large tower near the fire station extract is available upon call out. Just get to the roof and a Valkyrie dropship will come for you."

No amount of training could have prepared Arado for what he was to face. Fortunately, the other three crewmen were veterans with a lot of combat experience. One, a corporal, was a natural, moving from parapet to parapet, taking cover, and laying down covering fire for the team to advance. These were no idle shots. He made every burst of energy from his weapon count, as did the others and one by one the hostile humanoids and unidentified animals fell, or rather disappeared, vaporised by their weapons. Arado was a good shot himself, but he had to acknowledge the team's specialist training. Slowly they made their way through the destroyed streets of what had once been a pre-warp civilisation, now completely wiped out. Arado did not see the small, black beast holed up in the rubble, well under his firing line until it was in the air, jumping at him. A burst from Kit's weapon put it out of its misery, but not before it gauged at his thigh with its claw.

The fire fight slowly moved towards McMillan's location. They found him desperately trying to hold his position behind a low wall with the bodies of his team mates scattered around him.

“What happened here captain?” asked the crewman who reached him first.

“I wish I knew,” said Captain McMillan as the others made their way over the rubble. “I was ordered here to find a Mason Bekkers. Starfleet want to ask him a few questions.”

“You’re looking for Bekkers?” said Arado looking closer at the other man. “Wait…I know you…Captain McMillan of the Gibraltar isn’t it?”

“Do I know you?” queried McMillan.

“If you are here on Carolina business you should know me,” scowled Arado.

Just then a voice boomed through their comms. “This is Valkyrie 197, I’m orbiting in the cloud cover. I can’t see you. You need to get to the tower for extraction.”

“Sirs, with all due respect,” said the corporal, “we need to bug out…now”

“We can do introductions later,” said Arado, “Let’s move.”

“After you,” agreed McMillan, “I not letting you out of my sight.”

The team fought every inch of the way to the extraction point. They quickly scrambled to the top of the tower and watched with relief as a ship dropped out of the clouds and hovered just long enough for them to tumble aboard.

“Good job,” said Arado as he limped aboard and clapped a hand on the pilot’s bulky shoulder. “Thanks Mason.”

McMillan raised an eyebrow. “Mason Bekkers?”

“We can meet and greet later,” growled the man at the controls. “Safety first, we are almost out of gas.” He continued to concentrate on the panel before him as he piloted the ship towards an orbiting platform. Once they were safely docked he turned to face his passengers. “Nice to see some friendly faces,” he said looking around at everyone, then he spotted McMillan, “Ah the Giblets captain,” he sneered.

“That’s Gibraltar, Mister Bekkers,” said McMillan with emphasis as he took a step towards the pilot. “Starfleet wants to ask you a few questions,” then he looked around at the others, “and I think he’s not the only one Starfleet will have questions for.”

“Captain McMillan,” said Arado with forced politeness, “I don’t think Starfleet is in any position to ask any questions of anyone.”

McMillan stiffened his back and tried to make himself look a little taller. “I’ve got specific orders to bring back anyone who can tell Starfleet anything about the location of the Carolina,” he said with as much authority as he could.

“Well they just saved you ass, captain,” said Bekkers with a smirk.

McMillan bit his lip. “I cannot disagree with the fact that you got me out of a tight spot...” he stammered. “And I'm grateful for that,” he paused as he reassessed his situation. “Perhaps we can work something out...".

"Yeah, we can work out that you go back and forget the Carolina even exists and we get on with finding OUR ship and OUR captain..." came Arado's reply. “But I guess that you won't give up that easily."

"You guess correctly, mister... Arado isn’t it?” said McMillan. “I remember now. Last time I checked, you weren't Bajoran."

"Well, these nose ridges aren't mine,” said Arado rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Long story... but let's just say I had to lay low for a few years." He was not sure how much he should tell the man.

"Lay low is right,” said McMillan. “You were once a proud officer... and now you've thrown that life away. All of you... stealing a Defiant class starship to get to the Carolina? Didn't you think Starfleet would notice?"

"Steal is such an ugly word", said one of the listening crewmen.

"How would you call it then?" retorted McMillan, visibly annoyed at the crewman's apparent lack of respect.

"It was a gift," interjected Arado. "A certain Captain Seelowe gave us that ship... but ok, so we liberated a ship in order to search for our own... It's our mission, official or not."

"Look. Believe it or not, Starfleet wants to find the Carolina as much as you do. That's why I'm here. Well, that and to stop you from going any further..." replied McMillan with a sigh. "Still... my guess is that Starfleet would want to find the Carolina more than they want you in custody, since I doubt you'd tell them anything anyway.... how about this... I have a ship in orbit. We use the Gibraltar to get you to your ship... in exchange for some information. It'll give you a head start... I can't promise I'll stop chasing you, but... well, you saved my life. That counts for something in my book."

McMillan's speech was interrupted by Bekkers. “Starfleet busted me to Chief Petty Officer and essentially banished me, why would I tell them anything.”

Arado stood next to Bekkers and squared up to the captain, "Starfleet only want two things with the Carolina... Lobotomize her and effectively kill her, or destroy her.... that is why she's disappeared."

McMillan raised his hands in front of himself and took a step away from the other two. "I can't imagine what you're going through, being cut off from your ship like that,” said McMillan with a touch of sympathy in his voice “If it was the Gibraltar, I'd probably do the same as you... But I have my orders... still, I can bend them, just a bit, enough for you to get on your way again."

"Yeah,” growled Bekkers. “I want to get back to the old girl, she and I have some catching up to do."

"She will not reveal herself to anyone but her crew. Lock us up, and she'll simply keep evading you forever," said Arado.

"Which is why I have no intention of locking you up,” said McMillan. “As you said, that'd be foolish.”

"What do you intend to do then?"

“I intend to let you go,” replied McMillan."I probably will continue chasing you to find the Carolina though... that's my job. I'm sure you understand.” He paused for an instant to allow his words to filter through, then he continued. "It's up to you. Either I contact the Gibraltar to just beam me up, or to beam all of us up"

"Does that mean that we can expect you to stay two steps behind us as we search for our ship?" asked Arado.

"Well... perhaps not two steps. I'd like to give myself some credit. One step, perhaps," replied McMillan with a faint smile. "The point is I'm letting you go. Consider it payment in full of the debt for saving my life."

One of the control panels gave a series of beeps and Bekkers turned toward it with a satisfied grunt. “My parting gift is ready for delivery. I suggest we contact your ship McMillan and get out of here fast, before I turn this demon world in to an actual hell.”

So...” asked McMillan reaching for his comm badge, “we have a deal?"

Arado half smiled and nodded. "One step behind is fine... but do not interfere again. We are still looking for some of the crew, and I don't need to worry about your crew as well as mine.”

"You won't even know I'm there..." smiled McMillan mysteriously.

"Oh, I'll know...” said Arado confidently, “or rather, Auer will know."

McMillan smiled again but this time his eyes remained hard. “We shall see Mister Arado…we shall see.”