=/\= USS Gott, Deck 5 =/\= A volley of phaser fire went off from the point team, followed by human screams. Andy grimaced, knowing the worst, as he saw Petty Officer Williams and only two of the four marines that had accompanied him return. “What is the problem petty officer?” said Andy, keeping his voice low, wondering in retrospect if the bugs even used a sense of hearing. “Sir," replied Williams, "there are 30 contacts heading this way. We are about to be attacked.” Andy frowned. He'd hoped to snake his way up to the bridge without contact, but the liklihood of that seemed nil at this point. “Is there any other way?" he asked, grasping at straws, "Can we avoid them?" “No sir the only two Jeffries tubes that head up are in that direction. If we stay here we can catch them in a bottle neck, and if needed can fall back to the shuttle bay,” said Williams. More than willing to acceed to the tactical recommendations of a trained marine, Andy agreed, and instructed Williams to have the rest of his team prepare for attack. Andy stayed put while Williams made a complex series of hand signals to the rest of the ODA group, and was impressed by how quickly and efficiently the marines set up position in front and behind. Several tense moments passed, as the X'Chi closed on their position, when Williams, bearing a PADD, hurriedly made his way back to Andy. “Sir," he said, "I know we are to take the bridge but what if we can accomplish our goals with out going to the bridge?” Andy asked what he had in mind, and Williams went on to suggest that they take the aft Jeffries tube down to engineering, saying not only would they meet up with Walsh's team, making safety in numbers, but it'd be safer for the group not having to travel up five decks, but down only two, also noting that engineering was much easier to defend than the bridge. Andy was still a little preoccupied by the impending attack, when he felt a slight lurch. Were they moving? He didn't at once grasp Williams' suggestion, and asked him to clarify -- it sounded like he was suggesting heding to engineering rather than follow their objective of taking the bridge. “Aye sir," countered Williams. "But what could you do on the bridge you cant do in main engineering?" He went on, outlining the functions of engineering configured as an auxillary bridge ... internal sensors, force fields ... the petty officer started talking more rapidly, trying to convince Andy, who was working through the logistics himself. "The mission has already started off with everyone n the wrong place," said Williams in conclusion. What would it hurt to make another change?” It was absoloutely true. The objective wasn't necessarily to take the bridge ... that was simply the easiest tactic to meet their objective -- to regain control of the ship. "Right," said Andy, relieved at the prospect of not getting into a firefight where the opposition had them outnumbered at 3:1. "Engineering it is, then." Williams appeared both elated and relieved, instructing everyone to fall back toward the Jeffries Tube near the rear of the hallway, "Go, go, go!" he said hustling two privates into the hatch before grabbing Andy by the arm and thrusting him into the aperature. He began to make his way down the ladder when his comm badge chirruped. "Lieutenant Foster," came the General's agitated voice. "Status! Are you on the bridge yet?” Andy signaled to Williams, who was the last marine to enter the tube, to shut the hatch, but stay put. “No sir. We are on deck 5, outside the main shuttle bay.” Andy heard Bretam mutter something angrily, but didn't understand it. He could imagine the general gritting his teeth and counting to five before answering. “Okay, Foster, listen up," he growled. "Head down to Main engineering. Walsh is one deck below you so you should be able to meet up with him soon in engineering. Once there find out why this ship is moving. Also start erecting force fields up on all the decks to contain the X’chi .” he ordered back angrily. “Aye sir, we are heading down there now,” replied Andy with a nod, signalling to Williams that they should start heading down the shaft. It wasn't until they were almost down to deck 6 when it occured to Andy what the General had said. 'Find out why this ship is moving.' The General confirmed it. They were moving. But how? Andy hardly had time to process this information before he heard two phaser shots ring out from above, and Williams scream out in anger, "Hold your fire! Hold your fire, dammit!" From above, a shaky feminine voice called down, "You're Federation? Oh, thank the gods!" Humanoids, thought Andy wildly. Survivors? After six months? "Identify yourself!" he called up. From the distance, Andy estimated that the woman was on Deck 4, and must have heard them enter the tube below her. "Ensigns Velore Valfour and Anita Sheperd, USS Gott. Who are you?" By all that's holy, they are survivors! "Lt. Andersen Foster, USS Chimera. I'm here with an Operational Detatchment team." Andy's mind raced. "You've been hiding in jeffries tubes for six months?" he asked incredulously, as the women made their way down to join their team. "Of course not," replied one testily. "We've been in suspended animation in the biocontainment area. Our pods must have failed when you boarded. There were three others, but they didn't make it." "Alright, ladies," said Andy, nodding. "That man over there you nearly shot is Petty officer Gary Williams, my tactical advisor. We're making our way to engineering. Stay close, and do what he says," said Andy. "Hopefully, we can get you back to the Chimera safely." "Gladly, sir," replied the other woman with relief. Andy glanced at Williams who didn't seem terribly happy to be caretaker of a couple of Gott crewmen. Andy held up his hand to Williams, instructing him to stand by, and he tapped the commbadge embedded into the white plastic of his EVA suit. "Foster to General Bretam," "Bretam here." "Sir, we've found two survivors of the Gott crew. They're in fair condition, and we're planning to take them to engineering with us." "Stand by, Foster," replied the General, and Andy overheard him contact somebody else. After a brief pause, Bretam came back. "Foster, I've sent Lt. Scott, and LCpl. Tremain to intercept those two -- we found them on scanners a few minutes ago. What's your current location?" "Deck six, jeffries tube 8 beta 3," replied Andy. "Allright," said Bretam, after another brief pause. "Scott and Tremain are on deck four, heading down a different jeffries tube. Stand by and wait for them, then proceed to engineering. They should be at your location in less than five minutes." Wait, thought Andy uncomfortably. There are twelve people here balancing on the steel rungs inside a jeffries tube, crowded uncomfortably together. Spiffy. Tense moments passed, and finally a hatch opened next to them, from deck 6. Andy looked up to greet the Assistant ODA commander, when he heard a scream directly above him, and felt a warm splash of blood across his cheek. Private Gorkin's leg, severed through the tibia, clattered down beside him to the bottom of the jeffries tube, four floors below. "Shoot it!" cried Williams, grabbing the unfortunate private under the arm, pulling him up as the others opened fire through the hatch. The bug took several hits to the head and thorax from different ODA members, which seemed to only deter it momentarily. At least two X'Chi were snapping and clicking their way into the shaft, backing up occasionally when they recieved a hard hit with a phaser blast, while Williams and five others scrambled up, and Andy, the two Gott crewmen and three other ODA hurried down to get out of the way of the razor-sharp insectoid appendages. Suddenly, a bright light came through the hatch, with a rush of hot air, and Andy heard a series of high-pitched inhuman screams, followed by several heavy thuds. As the team medic hastily tried to keep Gorkin from going into shock, Lt Scott, toting a flamethrower, still hot from recent use, poked his head into the hatchway. "Anyone need a hand here?" Lt. Andersen Foster Operations Officer USS Chimera