The Upper Hand
Posted on Tue May 16th, 2023 @ 8:19am by Captain Maho Takahashi & Commander Minna-Dietlinde Wilcke & Lieutenant Commander Tristana & Commander Ichika Misono & Lieutenant Commander Brandon Pratt & Lieutenant JG Jane Sinclair & Lieutenant JG Connor Talmage mr & Master Chief Petty Officer William Pitsenbarger & Commander Rize Tedeza & Lieutenant JG Mia ‘Banshee’ Amaro & Chief Petty Officer Kozakura Kikuchi & Petty Officer 3rd Class Shingen Miyazawa & Petty Officer 3rd Class Kiyohira Kabuto
1,972 words; about a 10 minute read
Mission:
Insurrection
Location: Starfleet Headquarters, San Francisco, Earth
Timeline: After 'Miyahara's Message'
Following the publication of Miyahara's message, an incredible thing started to happen at Starfleet Headquarters: The rioters, who just hours prior were bent on causing the maximum amount of chaos they could muster, began seeing Miyahara's message telling them to go home and began leaving the premises of Starfleet Headquarters. Some were leaving as they had noted the time, and were attempting to beat the recently-issued curfew for the entire Sol System, which was only hours away from going into effect.
Regardless, the ever-diminishing amount of rioters at Starfleet Headquarters meant great news for Starfleet Security and their fleetwide volunteer force, who were focusing on expelling the remaining persistent rioters from Starfleet Headquarters.
Starfleet Academy:
"That's odd: All these guys are starting to file out now." Cadet Miyakawa noted as she and her officer friends made their way towards the dormitory complex. "Do we still press on to the dorms and start going door to door conducting welfare checks?"
"We can't let our guard down," Rize replied. "They may just be ramping for a second wave."
"The dorms, ma'am." Kiki gave her own opinion as she once again checked her power levels, eyes constantly on the swivel for new threats, but not actively aiming and definitely not firing anymore right now, "There may be wounded that need attention."
"Understood, ma'am." Hikage nodded. "The dormitory complex shouldn't be too much further now."
William nodded his consent to checking the dorms, "Best to check on the young cadets. No telling what troubles they may have gotten themselves into during the riot. Guarantee a few may have tried to fight back."
"Should be right around this corner..." Hikage said.
As they turned the corner, the small team from the Myogi found not rioters, but Starfleet security in the first corridor of the dormitory complex, going door to door and conducting wellness checks. When they saw the group round the corner, several officers instantly trained their phasers on them.
"FREEZE! STARFLEET SECURITY, DON'T MOVE! DROP YOUR WEAPONS!"
Kozakura's weapon came up in response for a bare moment before changing her aim towards the ground and side so as not to be aiming at the security team, "ECHO LIMA, ECHO LIMA!" She called out the recognition code they had been briefed on to prevent friendly fire episodes even as she moved her finger further away from the trigger.
When the officers lowered their weapons, Lieutenant Ferrill Okami stepped forward.
"Commander:" She addressed Rize. "Your father is a Starfleet, Captain; yes? What's the name of his command?"
Rize blinked in surprise. "Er... he used to be in command of the Viper, but that was nearly two decades ago; why bring it up now, of all times?"
"Dominion War-era verification protocol." Ferrill responded. "To ensure you're not rioters wearing stolen Starfleet uniforms. Now, which ship are these officers you're leading from?"
Rize turned around and took a quick headcount.
"I'm fairly certain that all of them are from the Myogi, Ma'am," she reported. "Though, we did encounter Cadet Miyakawa along the way and have been using her as a guide to help us locate any other cadets that are still trapped on the premises."
"Very well." Ferrill nodded. "The situation here at the dormitory complex is under control: We've got teams going door to door as we speak, and we've almost cleared out the first three floors. You can help us out here if you want, but word is there's still some rioters hanging around the training holosuites."
"Let us take it from here, Lieutenant," Rize volunteered without a moment's hesitation. "We'll deal with what's left of the rioters while you continue to search for Cadets."
Ferrill nodded.
"You'll want to form up with the other Starfleet forces who have them on the backfoot." She explained. "Good luck and god speed, Commander."
Nodding, Rize shifted her attention back to her team.
"Alright, let's get a move on, everyone! Time's-a-wasting, here..."
Federation Council Chambers:
After dropping off Reno at the makeshift triage in Starfleet Security, Minna wound her way back through the service tunnels to the Federation Council Chambers, where a secure boundary had now been formed and was being used to push the rioters back from the area.
"Looks like Starfleet's been busy while I've been gone..." Minna commented as she joined Commander Misono along the line. "MOVE BACK!" She shouted in time with the other officers.
Jane joined just one step behind Minna. Her rifle was no longer necessary except for intimidation. The situation in the Council chamber did indeed seem to be more and more under control.
"Look, Jane, I'm sorry about that." Mia gestured back to where Alisha was presumably being seen to by the medics. There was a shiner forming over her left eye, but that could be seen to later, when things were more peaceful, if they stayed that way, "I really din't know that was the chickie, din't recognize her wearin' that getup and all."
Jane suppressed a grin. She understood entirely. No one should have been able to know it was Alisha; that was the whole point. It was a minor miracle Jane saw through the disguise.
“I’ll find a way for you to make it up to me,” she said, finally letting the grin come through to make sure Mia knew she was teasing her. “Or, to us, I suppose.”
"Hate to break it to you two," Ichika called out, "But we've about 3 dozen people here trying to push through our barricade! I could use some help right now!"
Nodding, Minna left her place in line (which was immediately backed up by officers behind her) and moved to the weak spot where the 36 mentioned rioters were threatening to break through.
"MOVE BACK!" Minna yelled in time with the other officers.
"I don't take orders from baby killers!" A rioter yelled back. "Step your corrupt asses aside!"
"MOVE BACK!" Minna repeated.
"Oh, chingada." Mia muttered to herself as she set herself up in the second line behind Minna at the weak spot. She knew she had a bruise forming, but that could dissuade some of the rioters if they knew she was tough enough to take a hit and keep on ticking.
Jane was on Minna’s other side, maintaining the integrity of the line. Her rifle was on her shoulder and not to hand, but this was too close to use it anyway. This was a physical fight, not the Proximan pilot’s strongest suit. “I have my sidearm,” Jane whispered to Minna. “If you give me a moment I can set it on wide stun.”
Minna glanced down at Jane's belt, the sidearm the pilot had referenced was within Minna's reach.
"Already on it." Minna responded, clipping her baton back to her belt and grabbing Jane's hand phaser, setting it to wide stun and firing it ahead of her riot shield.
When the front row of rioters dropped, several closer to the back of the group finally got the idea to retreat as the line stepped over the subdued rioters in its advance.
"MOVE BACK, I SAY!" Minna proclaimed. "UNLESS YOU WANT TO GET STUNNED AS WELL!"
As the last of the rioters were finally subdued, one of them, bleeding profusely from the leg where Mia had stabbed him, attempted to crawl indiscreetly across the floor and reach for a phaser rifle he had torn from the hands of a Starfleet Officer.
"Uh-uh."
Without warning, Ichika stepped in between them, effortlessly kicking the blaster aside.
"You have the right to remain silent," she began, leveling her phaser at him. "Anything you say can, and likely will, be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney; if you can not afford an attorney, one shall be provided for you."
Scowling, the man bowed his head and pounded the floor in defeat.
Nodding contentedly to herself, Ichika reached up and tapped her combadge.
=A=Misono to riot control; the Council Chambers have been secured.=A=
=A="Copy that, Misono: Continue pushing the rioters back; we've got them on the backfoot."=A=
=A=Roger that; Misono out.=A=
Ichika turned her attention back to the group- slightly bruised from their ordeal, but otherwise alive.
"Nice work, everyone," she congratulated. "the Council Chambers are ours. We're not fully out of the woods yet, so keep your guards up and be prepared for anything. But once we're in the clear, I will personally guarantee that every one of you here today will receive promotions for your efforts."
"We're all just doing our jobs, Commander." Minna said. "It just so happens that right now this job is defending Democracy against evildoers who are trying to take it by force. Now, let's get back to work."
“Knowing we did the right thing is reward enough, ma’am,” Jane said as she took her sidearm back, secured it, and holstered it. It was a saccharin sentiment but it was true. Fight fascism in all its forms.”
Mia glanced back and forth as if looking to where the next fight was, but truth be told, she was tired and sore from where she'd been forced to take hits, not just dishing them out. With a slow wave towards Jane, "Yeah, what she said."
Starfleet Security
After what felt like an eternity of back and forth, gaining and losing a few inches at a time, Tristana finally started to notice a shift in Starfleet's favor, as the inches regained became feet. Whatever was happening, the rioters seemed to be just giving up.
"MOVE BACK!" Tristana shouted in time with the other officers. "MOVE BACK!"
To either side of Tristana, Shingen and Kiyohira pushed back. The lines widened as they gained more ground, but they could maintain their hold even so. “MOVE BACK!”
Brandon had moved back as instructed, pushing back in time with the other officers. He watched and held his guard up, stance and weapon at his side.
"Holding back!!!" Pratt had shouted.
"SHE SAID, MOVE BACK!" Pratt stood his ground and pushed back to retain the seating of the crowded gates. Brandon turned to Tristiana, Shingen, and Kiyohira. "Let's hope we CAN," Brandon grunted as he took a beating and then pushed back the line hard enough, holding his rifle away from the gate.
"Connor put his rifle up to his chest as a effort to help hold off the attack. HE Could see his efforts were being matched by the other crewmates."
After the last of the rioters had been cleared from the grounds of Starfleet Headquarters, an all clear message was broadcast fleetwide from Spacedock:
"This is Admiral Benson, broadcasting to the fleet: Starfleet Headquarters is secure. I repeat, Starfleet Headquarters is secure."
A mission post by:
Commander Ichika Misono
Executive Officer
USS Myogi
Lieutenant Brandon Pratt
Chief Engineer
USS Myogi
Lieutenant Tristana
Chief Security Officer
USS Myogi
Lieutenant JG Mia Amaro
Fighter Pilot
USS Myogi
Lieutenant JG Jane Sinclair
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Myogi
Ensign Connor Talmage
Chief Science Officer
USS Myogi
Senior Chief Petty Officer William Pitsenbarger
Assistant Chief Medical Officer
USS Myogi
Petty Officer 1st Class Kozakura Kikuchi
Security Officer
USS Myogi
Petty Officer 3rd Class Kiyohara Kabuto
Security Officer
USS Myogi
Petty Officer 3rd Class Shingen Miyazawa
Security Officer
USS Myogi
Lieutenant Commander Rize Tedeza
Security Instructor
Starfleet Academy Tokyo Campus
Lieutenant Commander Minna-Dietlinde Wilcke
Chief Engineer
USS Dresden
Cadet Senior Grade Hikage Miyakawa
Cadet
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