Humanitarian Aid

Posted on 23 Apr 2025 @ 3:07am by Lieutenant Commander Joey Geisler & Lieutenant Commander Camila Di Pasquale & Lieutenant Commander Kennedy Monroe M.D. & Lieutenant Ranul Frex & Lieutenant JG Kemm

2,838 words; about a 14 minute read

Mission: Bait and Switch
Location: Launch Bay
Timeline: June 30, 2390 || 1515 hours

It hadn't taken long for the alien craft to be tractored into the launch bay. The runabout-sized vessel now sat alone in a private section of the launch bay, one normally reserved for the runabout Kwando. Smoke whispered out from the scorch marks spread out throughout the hull, as did several engine gases and helium storage tanks. The craft was still sealed, just waiting for the Black Hawk teams to arrive.

Joey was the first to arrive in the launch bay and approached the shuttle cautiously given its current state. The shuttle definitely looked as though it had seen better days, and found herself wondering if those on board were in a similar state. Once the others arrived, there would be an answer to that, but until then, the Intelligence Chief moved around the shuttle to assess the damage.

Ranul wasn't too far behind Joey and saw the same thing that she did. It wasn't hard to jump to several conclusions with how the ship looked. However, for this species, this might've been a normal for them and the likes of the Black Hawk was totally alien.

Ranul had called in some of the engineers up to the shuttle bay that he knew might be able to have a good crack at the runabout sized ship. Until then, he wanted to see for himself what he could help to find out about the ship. Placing his engineering kit onto the nearby table, Ranul grabbed a tricorder out and started scanning.

Looking over at Joey, Ranul asked, "Anything of interest to note thus far?"

Ensign Thi Ng, the Brikar from Security, entered the bay, his custom tactical belt hung around his waist and a modified Type II phaser rested in the holster. "What have we got, Commander?" he asked.

Kennedy entered, a nurse in tow. She didn’t know what to expect, and she wanted to be prepared to act quickly with the right support on hand. Still, because she had no idea what they were going to encounter, she didn’t want to jeopardize too many of her staff. Naturally, she was eager to get to anyone Who might still be alive, but she also knew she had to temper her impatience with consideration for safety. Rushing in without knowing what they were facing could endanger everyone, No matter how compact the team.

Joey came around the shuttle and looked towards the Engineer, Security officer and Doctor. "Nothing to note just yet aside from what we can see on the outside," she said. "Based on the condition of the hull, we know there was some kind of attack. We need to look for evidence to determine who might have done that. Also, Counselor Rael sensed life inside. How many individuals and current condition are unknown until we open her up."

Beeping came from Frex's tricorder as he found something resembling a hatch. Pointing to the hatch, Frex said, "I think I've found the hatch into the interior of the ship. Mind helping me with getting it open?" Frex walked up to the hatch and he looked back at Joey. Frex pointed to one of the devices that the engineering crew had laid out and said, "Mind handing that over?"

Joey couldn't help but arch a brow. Was he talking to her? It didn't matter, honestly. She needed the shuttle opened up, and if he could do it, then she would comply. Grabbing the device, the Intelligence Chief brought it over. "Try to open it up as fast as possible. We need to make sure whoever is inside isn't seriously injured."

Just then, Lieutenant Kemm arrived in the launch bay with several engineers and tool kits in tow. It did not take long to spot the new Chief Engineer near what appeared to be the access hatch. "Sanchez, T'Prel, assist the Chief." As both of the specialists rushed over to aid Lieutenant Frex, Kemm nodded to the Brikar security officer before directing the Bolian to follow him over to the warp nacelles to check for plasma leaks.

Frex saw Kemm and the rest of the engineers walk into the shuttle bay. He took the device that Joey got for him and thanked her for it before turning to the various engineers to guide them to their various assignments. Turning back to the hatch, Frex looked at Kemm and asked, "Mind helping me with this really quick?"

"Absolutely," the lanky Kelpien replied, setting down his toolkit beside the hatch. He opened it up and withdrew a couple of tools, one that would remotely manipulate the hydraulics, and a spanner. He offered both to the Chief Engineer, prompting him to select one.

Frex looked at the options really quickly before picking up the spanner. "We've got to repair the system connections before we try busting them out. It shouldn't take more than a minute or two, hopefully. Kemm, I want you to stand by with the other device for hydraulics. Once we get everything back in order, we'll need you to open the hatch up."

"Understood, Chief," said the Kelpien, moving into position near the hydralic pumps. Before he did, however, he did pick up a tricorder in order to run a quick scan of the system. The last thing he needed was for a pump to be cracked and explode in his face.

Joey tried to hide her impatience at the situation before her. Time was not on their side presently, and this was already taking far too long for her liking. Still, safety was also a priority. "Can we maybe speed this up just a touch?"

While Frex and Kemm worked on the internal systems and the hydraulics, Frex heard Joey say something behind him about getting into the ship sooner. Frex understood what was at stake and wanting to get the pilot out before something negatively happened to them. But, Frex was also an engineer and knew that if him or anyone on his team misstepped along the way, the pilot was sure as dead anyways.

While working on unlocking the craft, Frex looked back at Joey and said, "Believe me when I say that I want this pilot out of here before something happens to them, I also don't want to be the cause of their ultimate demise. It shouldn't be more than another minute before I get past their security system and Kemm gets the hydraulics up and running."

Getting back to work, Frex was true to his word. Within a minute, the door to the craft slowly hissed and opened up. Frex pointed to Kemm and asked, "How are we doing on those hydraulics? Are they up and running or are we going to have to open this bad boy manually?"

Kemm closed his tricorder and powered up the tool he was holding. "Hydralics look good. It'll be ready to open once you've finished with the security system."

Ensign Ng stood by to provide security in the event that he was needed, but stood out of the way of the others and silent.

Frex jumped down and finished with the security system before inputting the codes to allow the Black Hawk crew access to the inside of the ship. The hydraulics opened the door and Frex held his breath as he waited to see if anything came popping out of the ship.

The crew did not have to wait long for anything to escape. While there was not a single person who staggered, much less ran, out of the open hatch, they were all greeted by dark, billowing smoke.

Joey fanned a hand in front of her face and coughed as the smoke made its way to her. Whoever was trapped inside there had been subjected to that for longer than they needed to be. "Ensign Ng... do you think you can retrieve anyone inside? They need to be brought out here to be assessed properly before we can start our investigation."

Kennedy resisted the urge to rush into the craft, an instinct that was tempered when smoke came billowing out. Instinctively, Monroe put her arm against her mouth and nose but worked hard to keep her eyes open to determine who might need help.

Ensign Ng pulled the modified face mask off his tactical belt and secured it to his face, then adjusted the strap. He gave a nod as the filters engaged, then headed in with his wrist lights on his left wrist leading the way and his right holding his phaser as he entered the shuttle. "Can anyone hear me?" he called, his voice muffled as he probed ahead slowly.

No recognizable sounds answered Ng, at least nothing verbal. If one listened closely over the crackling wires, one could hear a soft groan like one struggling to keep conscious.

The Brikar Ensgin went towards the sound, pushing things aside or stepping over them as he crossed paths with it until he came to the source. He brought his wrist light up and shined it towards he had thought the sound was coming from.

In front of the Brikar was the form of a Tosk, doubled over a crate. Beside him, on the ground were two bodies, both Wadi, their faces an ashen color. Behind the Tosk, almost concealed under a collapsed ceiling hatch and wires was an arm belonging to another person, its species unrecognizable.

"We have a Tosk and a couple deceased Wadi in here," Ng called out. "There's an a collapsed hatch here I see an arm in." He called again as he began to pull what debris he could away from the Bosk.

Ranul looked back at Ng and said, "Wadi? Aren't they the species that the DS9 crew encountered years ago that were almost like game makers?"

A medic rushed inside with a dedicated tricoder and began to scan the bodies. "The Wadi are indeed dead, but they also look like they've been dead for a couple of hours." He pointed at the arm. "Paradan, she said, "and he's still alive. I'm also picking up another lifeform. I think it's Tosk, and it's in the rear of the craft."

"Assess their conditions quickly, then transport them to sickbay under Doctor Monroe's care. The Wadi can be removed after. No proper investigation can be made until the shuttle is clear," Joey said. "Doctor Monroe, I want a full report on any findings our new friends or the bodies of the deceased might have to offer."

Ensign Thi Ng looked up. "I'm here with the Tosk. He seems stable, but wounded."

Kennedy nodded to Joey before making her way into the craft, too, conduct her own scans on their live, but wounded patients. The nurse she had brought with her was eagerly beginning preliminary scans, just to make sure it would be safe to move their charge, but Monroe didn’t want to take any chances. “Understood.”

"Can't say the same for the space craft," Kemm said within earshot, standing just inside the doorway with his tricorder out. "There's a plasma fire near the cockpit that we're going to need to put out, otherwise the explosion will take out half the flight deck."

"Then let's get it put out," Joey ordered, making her way over to Kemm. "We need this shuttle, and the ship, to remain intact if we're going to find out what the hell is going on."

"Here! I've got something that might help with the immediate issue of that plasma fire," Ranul said as he came back around from the side of the flight deck with a few plasma extinguishers that the flight crew used just in case. Ranul had three of them and he handed one to Joey and one to Kemm.

"Can someone give me a hand here?" Ng asked as he worked to free the Tosk with Monroe.

"Just a second," Joey called to the Brikar as she accepted the fire extinguisher. She removed the pin and pointed it toward the fire before squeezing the discharge lever. "We have a plasma fire that not only put us at risk, but a good bit of this deck."

Ranul popped the pin on his own and started to help Joey with spraying the plasma fire. "Well, we should try and get it out, as I'm sure the Commodore would love to know more about the G90B's technology. Assuming that this is one of their ships."

Now that she had wounded beings to attend to, Kennedy’s attention was laser focused on them. News of the fire reached her ears and she continued to work with Ng to quickly but carefully worked to free the Tosk with the security officer and continue to keep him stable as best she could, but she also knew enough to trust the people around her to take care of the immediate threats. The voices around her carried an understandable level of urgency, but not panic, which Kennedy knew meant she still needed to work quickly, but things were well in hand.

Ranul helped to get the fire contained enough that it didn't cause any further issue to the vessel or crew, both Black Hawk and alien. Ranul looked at Kemm and Joey as he said, "I think we've got the fire under control. I'd like to get in there to see what we're dealing with. With your permission, of course, ma'am."

"The fewer people we have inside, the better. Just until everything can be properly assessed," Joey replied, setting the extinguisher she'd been holding onto the ground. "At least, for the time being. Besides, the information that this shuttle can provide isn't in the structure itself, but within, and that's where my expertise comes in to play. You have my word that you will have your chance to learn more about it."

"True, but with with the structural fire, there might've been damage to the computer core. If there's anything Kemm or I can do to help out, just let us know. Otherwise, we'll let you take lead from here on out," Ranul told Joey, wanting to make sure he didn't step on any toes with gathering information. He was excited to just learn more about the people that have become known as the G90B and their technology.

Once the Tosk was free, Ensign NG turned his attention to the arm that he had seen and worked on quickly freeing the alien. It was a species he didn't recognize, but it was alive. He carried the alien out of the shuttle and set it down with the wounded Tosk by the other medics. "This is the last one."

Adrenaline and a sense of urgency could do wonders when strength was required, and with one last tug, Kennedy and Ng were able to free the Tosk. Now the fire was out, there was nothing to do but get her patients to sickbay. Offering a nod of thanks to Ng, she turned her attention to the nurse who also nodded. "We'll get out your hair now, so you can investigate your mystery." Monroe's call for a transport to Sickbay was swiftly answered, and the medical team and their patients, both dead and alive, soon disappeared in a swirl of particles.

Due to the tight space, Lieutenant Kemm had elected to vacate the spacecraft and stand by for assistance if needed. As he did, he watched the senior officers work to quickly free and rescue those trapped within the small vehicle. The Kelpien also had an open tricolor, scanning the vessel. "It's remarkable," he said aloud, not sure who was listening though there were many in earshot. "The spacecraft looks worse for wear than it actually is. The plasma fire is the worst of the damage. The rest of it is very easily reparable."

Joey looked to the four individuals, two still alive, two dead. "Let me know when they're stable and able to talk. I want to interview them as soon as possible. Ensign Ng, if you wouldn't mind, escort our guests and Doctor Monroe to sickbay. See to it they remain under guard. We have no way of knowing who they are or what their intentions may be. No one questions them without me present," Joey said, then looked to the engineers. "You two have done well, and it's appreciated. I'll comb over the shuttle and see what it has to offer. We'll see about you looking things over, Lieutenant Frex. For now, you're all dismissed."

"Yes, Commander," Ensign Ng said. With the medical team and patients already beamed to Sickbay, he gave a small sigh and headed out of the shuttle bay to join them.

Frex nodded his head and gave Joey a little smile before replying, "If you need anything, I'll be down in Main Engineering." With that, Frex headed out of the shuttlebay.

Once the others had managed to clear the area, Joey turned toward the shuttle. "What are you hiding?" She asked out loud before she made her way inside.

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