TRIBUNAL Part 5 - Ballroom Blitz

Posted on Fri Jun 14th, 2019 @ 3:53pm by Lieutenant Commander Mnhei'sahe Dox & Petty Officer 3rd Class V'Nus Wil'I'Ams & Jaeih Dox-t'Aan & Captain Enalia Telvan & Commander Rita Paris & Lieutenant Commander Thex sh'Zoarhi & Lieutenant Commander Sonak & Lieutenant Asa Dael & Lieutenant Samuel Clemens XV & Lieutenant JG Rena Pacci & Petty Officer 2nd Class Ila Dedjoy & Petty Officer 2nd Class 'Big Ethel' Jablonski & Petty Officer 3rd Class S'Rina Wil'I'Ams & Death & Az'Prel & Maica III 47 & Kodria Mizu & Hera & Baroness 2nd Class Schwein von Alcott & Baroness 3rd Class Sarika

Mission: Fractured Fairy Tales
Location: Artan Family orbital Fortress Trial Hall
Timeline: 2396 - Part 4

Continued from Tribunal - Chaos Erupts...

Tapping her comm badge three times, Rita broadcast to everyone with a comm badge nearby, which included the pirates. "Protect the locals- Thex, you're on Baroness duty, port side of the hall. They're civilians and they need our help. Plus you can reach all of the balconies. Jablonski, Baroness, you two are to protect the starboard Baronesses. Chief Clemens, this would be easier if those mercenaries would stop pouring in, attend to that if you please. We'll hold this position, as it seems we have agro. Miss Dox, if your crew could help reinforce the Captain's position here?"

Tapping her comm between sword strikes, the red-headed Romulan officer replied, "Aye, Commander." Then, with a shout, she kicked off an advancing mercenary. "People. We're falling back to the Captain's position. We're adding some bricks to the wall between them and her."

In an immediate response, from the other side of the chamber, cutting through the din like a sonic lance, came a blood-curdling call, and it sounded somethin' like this: "Ah-yeeeeeeeeee-hawwwwwwwwwwuh!!!!!!", altered eerily again by Dopplerization, echoing from every surface. A flash of Starfleet White could be seen, arcing upward.

The sound of hammer to anvil rang out, again, from the peak of the chamber, and a massive, thick tapestry came down from the ceiling, right on top of a large cadre of mercs, who were making a concerted push to overwhelm the Hera crew protecting Captain Telvan.

Muffled shouts turned into terrified grunts, as Clemens dropped from above, into the trash pile that used to be the bleachers. He came out of the pile carrying long, jagged pieces of steel in his hands, which he quickly proceeded to slam with astounding force into the edges of the tapestry, pinning it down like tent stakes, methodically, quickly trapping the henchmen, turning the mass into a giant plug, stalling the influx of invaders- literally causing a traffic jam at the aft entrance.

A grinning Clemens turned toward his comrades. He laid a finger aside his nose with a wink and a nod, and turned toward the aft hatch, launching into a leap that shot him over the struggling pinned invasion force, landing in a tumble that took him to the docking ring hatch. He dove through it, body-slamming the remaining mercenaries trying to work their way into the room backward, through the hatch. He stood and kicked at someone on the other side of the hatch, before shoving his way through, yanking the hatch shut behind him with a *CLANG*.

As she spoke, Rita was planting those platform explorer's boots with the chunky heel in the faces of snarling mercenaries. While Enalia was laying about with righteous fury and terrible anger, waves of men were still rushing the pirate princess's balcony. While Rita Paris maintained the glowing energy shield and used it inexpertly, it was still doing a surprisingly good job of protecting her as the mod miniskirted mistress of trouble fought barehanded, not bothering with a sword. As a mercenary pointed a pistol at her, Rita snickered.

"Don't do it," she cautioned, then interposing the shield, stepping into the man to plug the barrel, which he proceeded to fire anyway. The impeded weapon exploded, causing him to run shrieking as a missing finger spurted blood. Somewhat sheepishly, the Starfleet siren called after the mauled mercenary. "To be fair, I did warn you..."

Moments later, another wave of mercenaries tried rushing Paris's position before a staff to the back the next took down the lead attacker. Jaeih Dox put her full weight into the blow as the massive humanoid squealed in pain. "Oh, do hush." The elder Romulan smirked as she nodded to Rita Paris. "Hello, Commander."

Breaking into a smile, the first officer of the Hera turned her attention back to their attackers. "Mrs. Dox, a pleasure to see you. Particularly considering the circumstances. How are you enjoying your assignment so far?"

Spinning around, the elder Romulan woman brought her staff down in a low arc, sweeping the legs of two attackers rushing them from behind. As the two mercs fell hard, the gray-clad woman kicked one in the face while whipping the tip of her staff against the head of the other, knocking both out cold.

"I can't remember the last time I enjoyed my work quite this much, Commander." Jaeih replied with a wry grin before returning to said work her daughter's side.

"Okay, people. Nobody gets past us to the Captain." Lieutenant Dox shouted out as she wrapped her shielded blades around a mercenary's neck from behind, pulling on it like a noose as the stun field dropped him like a sack of wet potatoes.

Quickly the four women put their backs to the Captain's balcony and began pushing back to buttress their defense.

Death called for her pale horse, and offered her neighbor a lift, that was gratefully accepted, freeing up Hera's guardian to wreak havoc on the invaders. From there, she retreated directly with Hera in tow, having marked several of the mercs and pirates for death that night. She would be back for them soon enough.

Scrambling across the open center of the great hall to reach some of the embattled Baronesses, Jablonski lagged behind the much quicker Baroness Schwein von Alcott. Instead, she made up for it by forming a living obstacle to herd the scrambling invaders. Having snatched up a rather large 4-meter bench, she drove it before her like a snow plow, knocking down the invaders in her path.

Those that remained on their feet the burly bodyguard herded them forward until she made it to the other side of the hall, impacting the 14 men she'd trapped with a number of painful and long-healing injuries- but they would live, as would those whom she'd knocked over.

The Wil'I'Ams sisters worked in concert, switching between attack and defense fluidly. When by orders the Klingon women had begun training with shields, they had complained of the defensive nature of the weapon and shield style. With the addition of the featherweight energy shields they now wielded through miracles of interdimensional microcircuitry, the two women were taking a cue from their Commander. Both were fighting barehanded in concert with their shields, in scutum configuration to give the shield wall from which to operate in tandem as if they'd been doing it all their lives.

Disarming their opponents and using their weapons against then was a favored tactic, although occasionally they would render their opponent stunned, then take away their weapon to use it as a projectile on another approaching threat. Often the next missile hurled by one of the snarling and overjoyed security officers was the aforementioned stunned mercenary, in rather impressive displays of strength.

Hearing her friends words in her ear the Andorian nodded and took off to aid the friendly baroness. Grabbing a very confused Klingon woman merc to use as a missile the Andorian flung her into one of the crowd assaulting one of the baronesses before charging in herself.

Having heard the order, Sonak switched tactics to use his ahn woon in it's most surprising and basic way; crowd control. Swinging both ends around him like a double flail, the weighted ends struck in every direction and angle, around shields and raised parries, whipping legs and heads. The Vulcan became a tornado of whirling motion, disrupting formations and charges, dispersing and throwing down people, effectively creating a void around the captain's position wherever he moved between her and their assailants.

The twirling of his long leathery bands went so fast, it even created some sort of a shield against projectiles, striking more than a few of them in mid-flight as they entered their uninterrupted double revolution.

It could not last forever of course; but neither would this conflict. He was buying time for the security force to act and for their company to escape to safety.

Meanwhile, as the mercenaries assaulted the balconies, behind them, Petty Officer Jablonski began assaulting the roustabouts pursing Baroness von Schtupt. Mostly hiding and taking pot shots over her balcony, Jablonski scooped her up, as well as the three crewmen she'd brought with her, two of whom were wounded. Stacking them in a fireman's carry over both shoulders, Jablonski instructed them politely. "Hang on, ma'am. I'm Starfleet, and I'm going to get you to safety, so hold on."

With that, Jablonski leapt back down to the ground, landing on a climbing mercenary in the process and driving the wind from his lungs. Then she began charging like a rhino across the hall, showing men and mercenaries out of her way or simply bowling them over until she arrived below the Captain's balcony. Assisting a setup with Lieutenant Dox to make an opening, the bulky petty officer scrambled up to vault up onto the Captain's balcony. Shedding the four people she had carried to safety including the Baroness von Schtupt, Jablonski reported. "Two wounded, going out for more!"

Taking a running leap, the bulky bodyguard hurled herself at the tide of men below, the energy shield springing into place a meter radius around her writs, bright blue light flaring to light, highlighting the symbols and letters rotating on the shield as her bulk drove men to the ground in her passing, like a cannonball in humanoid form. Plowing ahead, shield held before her, she cut through the crowd just like a wedge.

It was about that time that Baroness Schwein von Alcott finally got spun up into the mix. For the first time, she was pissed and she had a target in front of her. Rather than one of her swords, she pulled out the slightly used cudgel that her fiance had given her. She let her rage at the Queen build for a moment, then raised it into the air and just yelled, electricity arcing from her to the nearby consoles.

Schwein then leaped down from her balcony in almost slow motion, the lightning following her and cascading across the mercenaries before her as she touched down, sending them flying backwards, stunned. She then almost casually walked over to Magnus's who was holding off a throng of attackers by wielding short swords while his crew used shields and sabers. As she walked, those brave enough to come near her, she casually swatted aside and sent flying. "Magnus! I'm getting you out of here!"

That was when Enalia called out over the throng, using the hall's PA system. "To me, my family! Form up on my position and together we shall drive these vermin back!" She then took up a random sword and raised it in the air and attempted to join in the fray herself.

Asa was holding an impromptu tourniquet closed on a downed middle-aged looking trill man wearing Artan family regalia consistent with the first officer on a smaller vessel, gripping the taut material of what had previously been the man's belt tight with their teeth while Asa worked to use their medical tricorder to heal what damage they could from a gushing wound on the mans leg.

After the tricorder whirred off, Asa spat the belt out and began tying the tourniquet off until better treatment could be provided, muttering all the while about, "Crazy ass pirates all honor bound to bleed out on the bleeding carpet instead of using energy weapons like normal freaking people."

Their work complete, Asa stood and offered a hand to the dazed-looking Artan officer, offered an encouraging smile and said, "Well, you heard her. I gotta rally. You need to find somewhere safe and hunker there until we can take care of you. Actually, you know what? " Not waiting for an answer, Asa slapped their comm badge and said, "Doctor Dael to Hera, Please beam the person I'm touching directly to sickbay as soon as possible. Dael out."

"There, now go rabbit until you are safely on the Hera." With that, the doctor took off at a trot, helping people to their feet as they went to converge on the location of their Captain.

"As they bring the Baronesses in, your team clear a path for them, Miss Dox. Looks like it's time to play 'Queen of the Mountain'. If we add more people... should we move to the queen's box, Captain?" Paris was still improvising tactics and plans on the fly, as she tended to do in her own classic style.

"Aye, Commander." Dox replied quickly as her team of herself, Liu, Az'Prel and her mother moved from a defensive line to form an offensive wedge and began pressing forward.

Meanwhile, Magnus and his crew had clambered down off of their two-meter high balcony and joined Schwein. He then pointed with one sword at the ornate chandelier hanging over the room. "The transport inhibitor is in there. Think you can bring it down with your... Uh... lightning?"

Without a reply, the platinum-tressed woman spun up her slightly used cudgel and fired a large arc directly into the chandelier, causing it to flicker and go dark, leaving the only room lighting left to the wall panels. "Done," was her only reply as she led the group onward towards the Captain's balcony, picking up several groups of Baronesses on the way.

"Captain Telvan to the Hera, priority beaming immediately. Wounded directly to sickbay regardless of alignment." The Starfleet Captain then considered something else as the sound of Starfleet transporter beams could finally be heard. "This is the center of the fortress. If they're this far in and the holomaid system is offline, then the entire security system is compromised. They're an integral part of it, after all."

"If the entire security system is down, what does that mean for us, Captain?" Paris asked, high kicking a mercenary back off the balcony even as the remaining baronesses converged on the Captain's balcony.

"I'm betting more than these mercs are on the way," Enalia explained. "I'm betting that Syndicate shit has a fleet on the way in an attempt to take the fortress whole and they're just a distraction. We need to get the security back online before they get here."

She then tapped her comm badge. "Maru, do what you have to override the fortress systems and make sure the defenses are online. There's probably another virus in place." After a soft meow and purr, the comm line went silent.

On group at a time, like a linebacker running a football but with stacks of people, Jablonski ferried the loyal Baronesses and their crews to the Captain's balcony, using the open path that was going forced wider by Lieutenant Dox's team's efforts.

The red-headed Romulan Officer had a slight smile on her face as she continued to fight her way through the oncoming waves of mercenaries. "Okay, people. Let's start pushing back. We need to give them time to get the system defenses back on-line."

Flipping her shielded twin blades backwards, Dox spun around slamming the hilt of one blade hard into the nose of an attacker, causing it to explode in a burst of red blood that sprayed across her already worn, white dress uniform. As he hunched over, squealing to grab his face, Dox kicked him over to knock down another two mercs with a loud shout and in spite of the chaos, she had the slightest of smiles on her face.

Clemens had been steadily working down in the docking bay area, after dispatching the few left on what was, for them, the very wrong side of the hatch. After confirming that the mercenary crews, having been invited in, after all, had simply locked up their ships and disembarked to the Tribunal area willy-nilly, he made great sport of the project of quickly slapping deadlock seals on each of the hired guns' ships, so they couldn't be used for escape or mischief. He then headed back to the Tribunal area at top speed.

After a text few moments as the mercenaries continued to push back against the Hera officers defenses, there came a soft purr and a meow over the comm frequencies. Captain Telvan flashed a crooked grin as she realized that it meant that the Maru had completed their task.

A second later, a phalanx of the stations holomaids reappeared. Surrounding the mercenaries, now with swords of their own drawn and clearly programmed in exactly how to use them. It was enough to give the hardest mercs pause as the violence stopped for just a moment. But a moment was all that Enalia Telvan needed.

"Gentlebeings! You're obviously in a bad situation! Your employer has been branded a traitor by this family and you are now fighting a decidedly losing battle where you will lose to the last man! On top of that, your employer will no longer be able to afford to pay you as her assets will shortly be seized by the Federation!" Enalia paused for just a moment for her words to sink in. "Join me for double the pay and help defend this fortress or take your chances with her!" With that, she pointed to the Baroness von Alcott, whom still had some sparks sizzling off of her slightly used cudgel.

"Wha' abou' our wounded you done beam'd away?" one merc asked boldly.

"They are being treated with the finest medical services Starfleet has to offer and will be returned to you regardless of your decision," declared Enalia, trying to sweeten the deal.

One of the other mercenaries near the front of the group, with Lieutenant Dox's twin blades crossed in a defensive posture towards him, sneered and spat on her blood splattered white Starfleet uniform. "Screw off, 'Fleeter scum!"

All Dox did was smirk lightly and wait as one of the other mercs grabbed the surly man, pulled him into the center of the cluster and threw him to the ground. "Quiet, fool! A Princesses latinum is just as good as a Queen's!"

Sheathing his sword in his belt, the larger man put a foot on the other man's neck. "I can't speak fer no one but my crew, but for that price, you've got our swords."

Sonak moved besides his commanding officer and nodded.

''Mercenaries do not fight out of cause or loyalty, only for personal profit. Your logic is impeccable, Captain; and admirable, as it shall minimize and end all this violence all the more quickly.''

"Well played, Captain," Paris clapped the Starfleet captain on the shoulder in congratulations, then, as Paris was wont to do, she asked the question that needed to be answered most. "So what now? The Queen Regent and her crew are on the run. What's our plan to bring them to justice, Captain Telvan?"

Magnus was the next to interject with an idea before Enalia could. "Princess, if I may." With her nod of approval, he continued. "We have the assembled ships of all the Baronesses here, as well as the home fortress fleet. Give the word and we will gladly handle Garan, Tethis, their assets, and Arenara's Assets. That would leave going after your mother to you and your crew."

Enalia nodded solemnly, knowing that it would be seen as dishonorable if she didn't do this herself. Besides, Arenara Artan was now a wanted Federation fugitive, and as a Starfleet Captain, she had a responsibility to fulfill. "That sounds like a good plan to me, Captain. Commander Paris, we launch in the Hera to track down the Bloody Rose. She can't have gotten far. Schwein, will you man the Manticore and act as backup for us?"

"It would be mein honor, prinzessin," the electric Baroness replied with a bow.

Once pristine uniform now covered with various hues of blood from helping downed mercs, Artan's, and security personnel alike, Asa went to where Commander Paris was standing, not wanting to interfere with the Captain's dramatic moment, and said softly, "Permission to return to the Hera? I have a feeling Sickbay may need me...."

“We’re all beaming up in a moment, Doctor. Prepare Sickbay… I have a distinct feeling that you are going to be very busy in the coming hours,” Paris muttered grimly, knowing this would not be solved bloodlessly, although she was determined to do her best to prevent bloodshed.

The invincibly armored Thex landed beside her shipmates, covered in blood and other fluids of half a dozen species. Taking off the helmet she smiled at her family. "The friendly Baronesses made it to their ships. No injuries that can't be dealt with in the medical bay."

"Then we have a course and a plan. Let's get moving!" Enalia pointed off in the imaginary distance with the random sword she had picked up dramatically.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewFBuYHldeY

Continued in Tribunal - Operatic Space Battle...