The Release...

Posted on Sun Apr 22nd, 2018 @ 1:29pm by Captain Rueben Gregnol & Dixoho Saa (*) & Ships Doctor Luka Mahone (Mirror)
Edited on on Tue Apr 24th, 2018 @ 4:02pm

Mission: Mission 6 - Azzia
Location: The Lair
Timeline: MD 11 / 1543 hours (local)
2188 words - 4.4 OF Standard Post Measure

Quang was prepared. He thought it a wise precaution that he had held onto his protective vest from his time in service. He hadn't expected to use it in this way, but any port in a storm.

He was toting his modified antique phaser rifle from the Mary Rose's armoury. He would have preferred the model he was used to from the Dominion War, but Azzia was too far removed from the galactic mainstream to pull one of his usual connections to have one sent to him.

He had modified it accordingly. It had more punch but was definitely not going to last nearly as long. And he wasn't sure what would happen if he pushed it too far. It wasn't what he wanted, but it did do the job.

So he was ready. And definitely willing. All they had to do now was act.

Quang would not be the only one who was ready. Nearby, Luka had procured a phaser pistol from the Armory, but had also snatched up a length of sturdy tubing from elsewhere on the ship. Hanging from one side was his doctor's kit, but that seemed the least likely accessory on his person. "How did we wanna do this?"

"Kea is already on the other side," Reuben said looking at the phaser in his own hand. They had already split into teams to attempt more than one way in. Kea was going to create a distraction and he could see the man already stumbling to the door, yelling out a hologram brothel being his favourite thing. "You stay with me," Reuben said gently as they started to scoot along in the shadows.

Quang nodded silently as he held his rifle closely to his chest. It was a good plan and Reuben had come up with a good approach. Attacking from two sides at the same time. If it worked it meant a greater chance of Robertson and Saa not being hurt. Certainly worth doing.

Quietly he said, "ready when you are."

Before Kea reached the door a hologram flickered to life, "I am sorry sir, but the establishment has been closed, due to a private party having rented it out for the foreseeable future." It explained politely as its had began to glow, "I must ask you to please move along. I assure you our services will be available to the general public before too long."

"Nah man... I was told it was here." The Betazoid said with a huge drunk grin as he staggered against the door he put an electronic charge through the system and the hologram disappeared from sight. The man turned and stood up straight all the drunkenness disappearing as he unlocked the door.

From the other group, a small tsk could be heard as Luka shook his head. Leaning in toward the others, he gestured toward the door. "I don't mean to sound impatient, Sir, but if we wait too long, there's no telling what or who we'll end up finding in what state."

Before anyone could respond the area was filled with light and the sounds of laughter and music filled the air. As everyone's eyes adjusted to the light they found the drab sies of the once industrial looking building had transformed themselves into its former glory as a pleasure dome.

The pavement underneath Kea's feet now seemed to be shone like a gold mirror. Unseen hands brushed the dirt and debris away. Its walls once tagged with graffiti now glowed red bathing the air with an ethereal pink light. Silhouettes danced back and forth along the wall meeting an embracing in a moment of sensual delight before moving on to the next shadow. Up above holographic balconies along with a collection of scantily clad men and women beckoning unseen patrons to their doors with promises to delight and titillate.

Three holographic figures appeared around Kea. Two Orion slave girls an a Cardassian wearing an old circus ringmaster's outfit including a cane and top hat. "Ah excellent!" the ringmaster said, the doors swing open, "Our first guest has arrived. Welcome sir, to the newly reopened 'Carnival of Delights!' I assure you, sir, your stay here will be legendary in its proportion of libidinous satisfaction."

As the Orions guided the euphoric security man towards the door open doorway, a scanning beam swept him up and down. "Oh excuse me, sir," the ringmaster said with the utmost courtesy, "You must have been unaware of our weapons policy. No lethal weapons allowed."

Kea looked at the ringmaster and just laughed as he realised that some defence mechanism was still in effect as he pushed passed the Cardassian and the women. He was surprised with the electronic charge that the main system was up and running. "This place is mental." He muttered to himself scanning with a tricorder as the rest of the team came in behind him.

"I'm surprised they managed to get this past the Azzian customs," Luka pointed out, in awe of the sights around him. "Unless this is part of the new tourism routine they've got going on." Holograms or not, it was a sight the doctor wasn't about to forget. "What do you think, Quartermaster?"

Quang smiled a cynical smile as he replied, "In a way I'm not surprised. the Azzians preach a moral game, which means there's corruption embedded somewhere. We walked into it with their police raid and now this."

He paused and then continued, "Someone greased a variety of palms to get it through customs. And Someone uses it services to keep it going. And there aren't that many off worlders on Azzia."

As the team entered, each one lost their weapons to the building's security system. If the wanted to get those weapons back, they'd have to find the power and deactivate it. And they'd have to do it quickly. From somewhere deeper in the building, the sound of a man screaming in agony, could be clearly heard.

"That was Micheal," Leiddem said with a growl as he grabbed a chair smashing it against the wall grabbing up the legs to use as weapons. Who knew what else the programme would fling at them other than women. They should have brought Caitlyn or Jeassaho they would have been something to focus on.

Luka cared not for the projections of grandeur, tightening the grip on his makeshift bludgeon and storming toward the sound of the screams. "We best not waste time then."

Kea frowned as he moved through a room that held things that he had only ever seen on Risa and he would never ever tell Caitlyn he had seen them either. "Let's just find the backup power." He said hearing another scream.

"Oh Capital!" said another copy the ringmaster, this one in a set of coveralls "You must be the engineer we sent for. I am this establishments Facilities Interface. You have no idea how gratified I am to see you." he added with overbright eyes and smile, "Two of our VIP suites' safety protocols are offline. Management absolutely forbid me to correct the problem, insisting that I wait for you. You have no idea, the sounds coming from there. I can only imagine the clean-up.'he added shaking his head. "But I'm sure you don't want to hear my problems. Please follow me, I will show you the location of the powergrid so you can lockout and tagout those sections."

The Cardassian led them into a basement area which had the fetid smell of urine and feces. The smell was coming from the bucket sitting on the corner of one of the chain link storage cages that lined the far wall. In the dim light a form could also be seen curled up on the floor on a dirt blanket. It was a little girl who was staring wide eyed at them, her green eyes full of fear.

"The kid," Reuben said shocked as he crouched down to her taking off his jacket wrapping her up in it. She had to be about the age Alexis would have been. He couldn't believe she was alive. "It is okay. We are here to rescue you." Would she even understand them?

The girl shook her head, weakly trying to scurry away into the corner, "Krpaya. mujhe chot na pahuchaaye, (Please don't hurt me)" she croaked through cracked lips, "Main bura nahin tha! (I've been good!)" she cried, tears flowing down her cheeks "Main bura nahin tha!!!(I've been good!!!)"

"Ah-shaanty, Ah-shaanty, (Calm, Calm)" a voice next to Reuben whispered, as a hand was put on his shoulder, "Daro mat, daro mat (Don't be afraid, Don't be afraid)" it insisted as another hand past in front of Reuben palm up. The little girl latched onto the hand like a drowning man grabbing for a lifeline. The hand belonged to SO Ambika Mawah who had been tracking the Rosie's crew since they beamed down. The Special Officer brought the little girl to her chest, eyeing Reuben.

"I thought it was understood that you'd contact me if you found anything, Captain," she said rocking the girl back and forth in her arms. She knew she had no real reason to be mad at the human, and Gregnol had less of a reason to trust her, sighing she tossed him a packet of papers. "Anyway, you and your crew are now duly deputized members of the Regional Guards." she added thanking him with her eyes.

The Captain wished he had a weapon but stopped himself from just punching the woman for her sneakiness. It was easy to know where this chaos was once they realised it would be easy just to scan for one Trill life sign. "Get her out of here." He hissed shoving the papers inside of his vest before disappearing into the darkness of the place.

Within minutes Kea set up another charge and the holo scenes around them vanished leaving them in darkness with only the makeshift bludgeon. "I've found where they are," Reuben said softly returning as quickly as he had vanished and shoved the taken weapons into peoples arms. Kea wasn't going to ask or complain.

Luka ignored the exchange, as he had little desire for the inner workings of Azzian politics and the like. "Lead the way, Captain." His tone was grim, but his gaze stuck forward, eager to see this to its end.

Reuben nodded and indicated for them all to be silent. It wasn't going to be pretty he had seen Dixoho and Micheal from the platform above and it wasn't good. It was barely moments later they got to the area where the pair were being held now in semi-darkness with the person who was holding them mocking.

Reuben wasted no time in jumping into the light and pointing his phaser at the person who looked like he was pressing controls on the device that Saa was in.

The Cardassian smiled as he raised his hands, it was that same face, that same smile that the ringmaster and half a dozen other characters in this mad house of fun wore, "Ah, now enter our salward heroes breaching the gates to save our tragic couple. How absolutely Homeric." he said looking at the last wall of the cargo hold fade as the simulation to a close.

"But I have something to tell you my very large Slavic friend, and his assorted colorful characters, my tastes have always been much more lowbrow." the Cardassian continued as the decompression chamber faded like mists in a forgotten dream, "I always loved those cheesy television serials your lovely planet produced. You know the ones where the writers would never let that one villain die." he added as he sat in the wooden chair as the Cardassian started to decompile.

Looking now a Dix, Không ai's expression turned to one of pure love, "So you see my lovely Ms Saa our story is not at an end, just put on hold for now," the projection said its voice sounding tinny and hollow, "So until we meet again my beautiful sister of my so,,,," but the voice cut out when the emergency batteries finally quit.

Outside in a long burnt out building across the street from the brothel a skell who'd been perched next to barrel fire sighed as he took the holoremote out of his ear and tossed it into the fire, "Oh well that was probably for the best," he said to a rat looking at him from a window ledge, "Monologuing always catches the villain up you know," shrugging his shoulders she bowed to the rat, "Well I have a rather corrupt homicide detective to meet my verminous friend. So I bid you goodnight." she added as she disappeared into the darkness lurching with the best junkie shuffle she could muster.

OFF::

Rueben Gregnol
Captain
SS Mary Rose

Leiddem Kea
Weapons Master
SS Mary Rose
(PNPC Gregnol)

Không ai
Bounty Hunter
(NPC Kane)

Luka Mahone
Doctor/Passenger
(NPC Uhin)

Quang Tran
Quartermaster
S.S. Mary Rose