Best Defense

Posted on Sun Oct 5th, 2025 @ 6:51pm by Captain Rueben Gregnol & Liha t'Ehhelih

Mission: Shackles
Location: Outside the coterie
514 words - 1 OF Standard Post Measure

Liha moved silently through the jungle outside the crash site, aware of Gregnol moving just as stealthily alongside her, but keen Romulan ears focused on signs of others moving ahead. By her count, there weren't all that many. She almost felt sorry for Burnie - all those IEDs and a nice rifle to show off his marksmanship might not ever be put to use. But then there was a human phrase, one of the few for which there was a direct equivalent in Romulan: The best defense is a good offense.

Gregnol stopped and glanced around as he heard something coming towards them a lot quicker and noisier than they would have been going. He glanced to Liha and indicated the direction and held up five fingers to indicate it was that many.

She nodded, confirming the count by her own hearing. It sounded like they were moving in rough line formation, so she pointed, indicating that she'd take one side of their path and let him take the other. Then she slipped behind a tree that afforded cover and a line of sight from a Y in the trunk, and pulled a throwing knife from her belt.

As the first Orions came into view, she counted a 5-beat, letting them get close enough that the rear-most would have no hope of running. In two motions so fluid they were nearly one, she threw the knife, planting it in the throat of the Orion mid-line, then with the other hand fired her disrupter, downing the first in line. Which left the one in between an easy target, his confused pivot from comrades falling before and behind giving her fire another shot before he could bring his weapon to bear.

Sadly, his twisting to find an attacker meant she only clipped his shoulder before she had to duck back behind cover as the other fired toward her shots. She smiled to herself, thinking, Two and a half left for you, Gregnol.

Rueben looked at the woman and rolled his eyes as he grabbed his boot dagger as the shot rang around them, sending birds in the distance into the air. He caught the Orion and sent him to the floor with a shout, which alerted the others around him. The Captain brought out his phaser and pointed it at the one closest as he ducked down to get his knife and fired.

Rolling back round the tree she'd used for cover, Liha saw the last standing turn his disruptor toward Gregnol. She quickly aimed and fired, dropping him which sent his shot wide - scorching a furrow barely a handspan away from the one pulling his knife.

The shot made Gregnol turn around and roll his eyes at the Orion on the floor. The one that he had shot tried to move again and tried to grab his knife, but Gregnol fired again, stopping him. "A few got through for the other groups." He said quietly as he heard a few sounds of fighting but there part of the plan was over with.