Rescue From Hell

Posted on Saturday 19 June 2021 @ 16:20 by Gunnery Sergeant Alexander Beck

Mission: A Cry from the Darkness
Location: Sheol, Cardassian Military Colony.
Timeline: Year 2, Dominion War
1531 words - 3.1 OF Standard Post Measure

Beck sat next to the makeshift heating unit Kitten had rigged up. Sheol was a jungle world, but it got cold at night. They had been here for weeks. Of the original platoon that dropped into Sheol over two months before, only four were left alive; himself, Nut Job, Mongo, and Kitten. They were in very bad shape.

Their uniforms were in tatters.

All of them were visibly thinner due to constant activity.

They were low on rations.

They were down to the scrounged Cardassian and Dominion weapons they had gathered over the weeks.

He looked up as Mongo ran towards him, a wide grin on his face.

"We're saved, Sarge! Just got a hit on the comm uplink Kitten rigged. The Kensington's in the system! " he said.

"You sure? Could be a trick. " said Beck.

"I'm sure. Unless the Cardies managed to break our encryptions. I checked the recognition codes when we got the message. It's authentic. They said they're a few hours out and to stand by for transport. " said Mongo.

Beck sighed with relief. Was this finally over? Were they saved?

"Don't pack your gear just yet. Check the perimeter and make sure we're secure. Are we still in contact with them? " he asked.

"Yeah. They want to speak to the CO. " said Mongo.

"Let's go then. " said Beck.

They walked a few meters to where Kitten was waiting next to a Starfleet Emergency Comm unit.

"Ma'am, stand by for Sergeant Beck. " she said. Beck knelt next to the comm unit.

"Sergeant Alexander Beck, Acting Commanding Officer, Recon Platoon, Alpha Company, First Battalion. To whom am I speaking? " he asked.

"Sergeant. This is Captain Anna Kendrick, USS Kensington. Where is your commanding officer? " asked a female voice.

"Lieutenant Stratton didn't make it. Neither did Gunny Palmer. I'm in command. " he replied.

"How many are you? " Kendrick asked.

"Four, ma'am. Myself and Privates Harris, Sanders, and Gaspard. The others are all gone. " said Beck.

Kendrick was silent for a moment.

"What's your status? " she asked finally.

"We're in bad shape, ma'am. We're out of rations, losing weight, and we're down to whatever weapons and gear we can scrounge from the enemy. " Beck replied.

"I understand, Sergeant. Here are your orders. We are almost there. Your orders are to hang on and stand by for transport. We don't have much time. The Sixth Fleet drew their forces away from Sheol so we could sneak in. We need to pull you out as fast as we can so they can disengage. " said Kendrick.

"We're ready, ma'am. " Beck replied.

"We'll be there as soon as we can. Kendrick out. " she said.

TRANSPORTER ROOM TWO, USS KENSINGTON

Captain Anna Kendrick stood in front of the transporter pad as four people materialized on it. All four of them were kneeling, each facing in a different direction, weapons up and ready. She barely recognized them as Starfleet Marines. Not one had an intact uniform. One of them, the largest, stood at attention and saluted when he realized where he was.

"Sergeant Alexander Beck reporting to the captain, ma'am! " he barked.

Kendrick tapped her commbadge. "This is the Captain to all hands. Battlestations. Bridge, get us out of the system, maximum warp. " she said.

"Aye ma'am. " said a curt voice on the other end.

"Stand at ease, Sergeant. " she said to the pitiful looking specimen in front of her. He had what looked like weeks' worth of beard stubble on his face. She could tell he had once been well built, but he had lost a lot of weight and several burn marks adorned his upper body, which showed through his tattered uniform. Kendrick tapped her commbadge again. "Kendrick to Sickbay. I need a medical team to transporter room two, quickly! " she said, stepping forward to help. The transporter chief did the same.

All four Marines stepped down from the transporter pad under their own power, though it was obviously a struggle. They were clearly physically and emotionally exhausted. As if on cue, three people wearing the blue collars of the medical branch of Starfleet ran into the room led by a dark-haired man with a lieutenant's pips on his collar. After a second of looking at his new patients he looked at Kendrick.

"I got this, Captain. " he said, turning to his two assistants. "Sickbay, STAT! " he barked. Then he looked at the transporter chief. "Chief, you mind giving me a hand? " he asked.

"Yes Doctor. " the chief replied. Doctor Bedan Tore, the ship's Trill Chief Medical Officer, wrapped Beck's arm around his shoulders and his own arm around Beck's waist. The assistants and the transporter Chief each did the same with the other three Marines and they left the transporter room. Kendrick followed them out a second later, heading for the bridge.

SEVERAL HOURS LATER...

Kendrick strode into Sickbay. Doctor Tore was in his office and she headed for the small alcove in the corner of the room.

"What's their status, Doctor? " she asked.

"They're in bad shape, but the prognosis is good, Captain. Frankly I'm surprised they were even standing when we got to them. All of them are suffering from severe malnutrition and they've all got a lot of injuries, ranging from plasma burns to cracked ribs. Whatever they went through down there, they'll all need extensive medical leave when we cross back into Federation space. " said Tore.

"We did that five minutes ago. " said Kendrick.

Tore nodded. "The sergeant there, " he said, nodding his head to the bio bed where Beck was resting, " is the worst in the lot. From what one of the others told me he refused all but life saving medical care, saving their medical supplies for the others. He's one tough son of a bitch. " he said.

"Can I talk to him? " she asked.

"Yes, but can it wait? He hasn't slept much for weeks. " said Tore.

"My orders are to debrief them as soon as we were out of Dominion territory. " said Kendrick.

"Captain, I'm going to have to override you. As their doctor, I can't let you talk to them until they've rested. Give him a few hours. Please. " said Tore. Kendrick looked at her ship's doctor. Normally the man was very stoic. For him to be so protective of his patients spoke of the ordeal they had been through on that planet. She nodded.

"Very well, Doctor. I'll come back in a few hours. " she said.

FOUR HOURS LATER.

Beck opened his eyes to see the ship's captain looking down at him. He tried to get up, but she gently put her hands on his shoulders and pushed him back down onto his bed.

"At ease, Marine. You're safe. " she said.

"Where are we? " he asked.

"On board the USS Kensington. We're light years away from that armpit of a planet Starfleet dropped your unit on to. " she said. Beck nodded and sighed with relief.

"Are you up to answering a few questions? " she asked.

"Yes ma'am. " he replied.

"I realize you were a recon unit, so I won't ask too many details until I'm sure I have the proper clearances. Once you're back on Earth Intelligence will no doubt give you a full debriefing. What was your mission? " she asked.

"We were to observe Dominion troop movements and ascertain whether Sheol was being used as a staging area for their Tenth Order. The day we dropped in one of their patrols stumbled across our position. It was a running fight ever since. Lieutenant Stratton was wounded in the first firefight. He took his own life rather than slow us down. Gunny Palmer ran the platoon until about two weeks ago when he bought it. " said Beck.

Kendrick nodded.

"Did you manage to gather the intel you were sent to get? " she asked.

"Yes ma'am. I had a PADD in my backpack with what we have. The Cardassians we saw were definitely Tenth Order. We also observed several brigades' worth of Jem'Hadar and their support personnel. The numbers and troop dispositions and locations are on the PADD. It's all there. " Beck replied.

"Sounds like you've been through hell. " Kendrick observed.

"We're Archangels, Captain. Our motto is "Feet First Into Hell." That's our job. " said Beck. Kendrick smiled. Typical Marine.

"Can I ask you a question, ma'am? " he asked. She nodded.

"What's a grunt got to do to get some food around here? It's been weeks since we've eaten anything but roots and whatever animals we could trap down there. " he said. Kendrick laughed out loud.

"You'll have to talk to the doctor, but I'm sure we can arrange something. " she said.

"I've already entered meal parameters into the replicator here in Sickbay, Captain. He can eat as much as he wants, but don't overdo it. " said Tore.

"As soon as you're able, I want you to see the Ship's Counselor. No doubt you'll all need her services, at least until we can arrange transport home. In the meantime, rest, eat, and don't overexert yourselves. That's an order. " said Kendrick.

"Aye Captain. " said Beck, leaning back.

((>>> Gunnery Sergeant Alexander Beck
Marine Sniper
USS Merlin