| ???? 21:15 SET 2186 �Get him out of there!� exclaimed Lieutenant Commander Casey Ames, flinching as a bullet flew past. �Someone give him cover!� Mansel took a quick peek from his hiding spot to see a young Lieutenant firing wildly, trying to get himself out of crossfire. Bullets whizzed by as the Captain attempted to lay down cover fire so the Lieutenant could crawl to a safer location. �He�s not gonna make it!� exclaimed a young Ensign that had taken cover close to the Captain. The whole mission had been blown to hell from the beginning, Mansel thought, taking another quick glance at the situation. Snapping off a quick shot at two guards, he succeeded in downing one and making the other duck for cover. Fishing his communication device out of his pocket, Mansel thumbed the �ON� switch and held it to his ear. �Vaughn here,� came the voice on the other end. �TJ, we need to get those transporters working and soon!� cried Mansel into the palm-sized communicator. �We lost Jones, lost Shivangi. You gotta get something cooking.� �I�m trying everything I can sir!� came Fleury�s voice. Either Fleury was on the bridge or Vaughn was in Engineering. �We�re taking some heavy hits up here sir,� Vaughn reported. �These guys are tough.� �Hold �em Vaughn, don�t scratch my ship!� the starship commander exclaimed. �If you do, I�ll have your rank.� �Let me keep my dignity sir,� Mansel�s Executive Officer�s disembodied whined on the miniscule speaker. �Listen Captain, I gotta go. Hang tight.� �Captain!� called Lieutenant Commander Ames�s voice from over the fire. �We can�t hold up like this much longer! We have to fall back!� �Fall back to where!?!� exclaimed Mansel. �They have us blocked in.� �Mansel we got new problems!� came Vaughn�s voice over the communicator. �More ships just came in the sector. They�re attempting to box us in.� �Then get out of there,� Mansel ordered. �Come back for us later.� �Captain, I don�t know if we�ll be able to�� Vaughn�s voice cut off as the communication went out. Either the Explorer�s communications array had been blown out or one of the ships was jamming them. Either way, the situation was getting worse by the second. Mansel was brought out of thoughts by a wailing sound. He risked a glance to see the trapped Lieutenant clutching his left thigh. Blood streaked from between his fingers. Two more shots, one to the chest and one to the stomach, and the nameless Lieutenant was dead. �I�m losing men fast sir!� yelled Ames, crawling over to where the Captain was. Looking over, Mansel saw tears streaming down his cheeks. Ames had never lost this many men at one time. Mansel knew that if he didn�t do something, and fast, his Security Chief was going to snap. �We�re gonna have to fight our way out,� Mansel decided, looking to the east. �The east is the less guarded way to get out,� he mumbled while reloading his gun. �Therefore, they�ll be expecting us to go that way.� �So we don�t,� Ames responded, reaching from his cover and snapping off a few shots. �How about we go west?� �The way we came?� Mansel asked, looking over to the west. �If I were them, I�d expect them to go the way they came in.� �But it�s guarded kinda heavy,� Ames argued, checking his ammo. �My professional opinion is exit west.� �I�ll take your opinion then,� said Mansel, glad to see that Ames had regained some sense of command. �How many men do we have left?� The Chief of Security risked a few look around. �Looks like four,� he answered finally. �You, me, Lauros, and Gyne.� �Something�s happened to our ship-to-surface communication,� Mansel told him, downing another guard. An explosion blew Gyne�s cover; the fur faced critter quickly scuttled to another cover. Mansel jerked instinctively as a few bullets peppered the ground beside him. �Let�s see if we have surface-to-surface communication.� Ames, who already had his communicator out, handed it to Mansel. The captain flicked it on and prayed it would work. �Lauros, you there?� After a burst of static, the Neptunian came across. �Barely. I�m close to Gyne. He�s hurt real badly, captain. They got him in the side. If we he doesn�t get medical attention soon, he�s not going to make it.� �We�re getting out of here Lauros,� said Mansel after a quick glance at Ames, who appeared to be unshaken by the bad news. �We�re going to the west. Clear a path for us; me and Ames will go first, then we�ll lay some cover for you two.� �I copy, Captain.� �Are you going to be able to move with Gyne?� �I�ll be able to move sir,� came the harsh voice that was commonly associated with those from Saal. Gyne had been able to move next to Lauros without taking any more shots. �Just have a path clear.� |