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(7.14) Attention....All Hands
(7.14) Attention....All Hands
The Departure Bay
The Republic Cruiser Marauder
Tempered Wastes, Lehon system,
30th July, 1938
The emergency trip to Ilum from Naris cost the ship as much as the crew. Pushing the hyperdrive harder than it has been pushed before as only added even more stress to an already stressed engine. As the Marauder ripped in to the Ilum System, the battle was joined as the Marauder slipped from hyperspace and fired her twin heavy ion cannons on a pair of Dorin heavy Cruisers. The raking fire crippled the two larger ships leaving dead in space. Using her speed to the fullest of her advantage, the Marauder slipped behind the two crippled Cruisers and targeted her next set of targets, a pair of Dorin Corvettes. This time, the Marauder unleashed a storm of fire from her twin Turbolasers and a four Assault Concussion missiles. The volley of fire tore the two ships to shreds and left them burning and their orbits decaying. With the approach clear, the Marauder turned to the Ilum and pushed her main engines beyond their limits.
Blasting from Ilum after the successful rescue of Rose's team, the Marauder turned her full attention to the two remaining Heavy Cruisers in orbit. No longer flatfooted, the Cruisers were more than ready to deal with the Marauder as she rocketed from the planet's surface. The in coming fire raked the Marauder's shields and haul as the Marauder stretched her legs while the atmosphere slowly gave way to open space. With her main engines reaching their red lines, the Marauder opened with a full spread of fire against the two larger ships. The skill of the Marauder's crew and the tactics of her captain, placed the Marauder in the right position to once more disable one Heavy Cruiser. While leaving the second cruiser burning and following the same fate as the two corvettes. Less than ten minutes from the moment the Marauder slipped from Hyperspace, she rocketed back in to hyperspace as the text book Covert Ops Recover Mission was completed. Leaving behind two destroyed Corvettes, one Heavy Cruiser, one crippled cruiser and a number of dead Dorin troops and a path of destruction where the recovery mission took place. It was the first time the Marauder truly got to stretch her legs to the fullest and let loss her awesome weapons payload. Everything preformed as it was designed and all of it contributed to the success of the mission. With all hands accounted for or on board, the Marauder used her long legs to sprint from the Ilum system. But the hunt had just begun, as the Dorins were hot of their trail.
The two day journey to the Lehon system was a test of both nerves and patiences. As the crew focused on running repairs of the Marauder's damaged systems. Getting in and out of the Ilum system seemed to be only the start of this running battle. Twice after the battle, the Dorin ships managed to get ahead of the Marauder and plotted her cruise. Twice, Captain Marrab put his own skills of captain against the skills of the Dorin Captains. It was clear to Master Heartman that the Dorins were calling upon the Force to help locate the Marauder so she used her own skills to successfully mask the Marauder through the Force. While that prevented the Dorins from locating the Marauder, when they did stumble upon them, it was up to Captain Marrab and his crew to keep the ship out of harms way. It was a long and bitter run from Dorin space. But in the end, the Marauder did manage to escape her pursuers and find safe haven in a region of space called the Tempered Wastes. Here without stars to illuminate the area, the Marauder with her various black camouflage patterns was able to drift powerless past Dorin warships as they searched for her. Even without her powerful cloaking device, the Marauder could still hide very well in plain sight. A fact that no one on the ship had ever considered. Though the situation was much more dire than the Captain was letting on to the Crew. The ship was badly damaged and lack of proper maintenance had left the ship in a critical condition. Finally she would give out under the stress that the prolonged hunt would put on her.
The Marauder's Hyperdrive was the first major system to suffer a malfunction and the one which forced the ship to seek safe harbor in the Lehon system. There were other ship systems that were also damaged, mainly across the ship's shields and engines. What hurt the Marauder the most was a hit to Engineering Deck 6, the Cloaking Device Control Room. The Marauder had lost her most valuable defensive weapon during her departure from Ilum. If there were any spoken words of second guessing the Captain's orders to transfer power from the Cloaking device to the hyperdrive, it would be nearly impossible to find. With only minutes to spare and lives being held in the balance, the Captain's orders for more speed had brought the Covert Ops Team home and got the entire ship out of the system safely. The Engineering teams still remain confident that once they reach the battle lines of the Azgardians and the Dorins, the Cloaking Device will be repaired. However, without a hyperdrive, those lines seem almost impossible to reach. Though the battle damage was not only limited to the Marauder's systems. Six members of the Marauder's crew gave the ultimate sacrifice to help rescue the embattled covert team. Within the ranks of the Marines, the sense of loss was even higher. The loss of the well respected and admired Master Sargent Ephin Reosh. When asked, nearly all would described the man as the older brother anyone would have wanted.
With their dead respected and honors given, the dirty task of repairs started as the Marauder made planetfall on the world of Rakata Prime. The crew's focused and even the Marines lending help where they can, the Party finally had a chance to do some other dirty business. It was time to come clean to Rose regarding the extent of the damage that she had suffered on the mission. It was something that neither Sha nor Makaw had been looking forward to. But the Chief Medical Officer felt that it was time for her to know the truth. The news hit the infiltrator like no other blow. Not even Sha's harden face could resist the agony that Sha was witnessing. The look of disbelief across Rose's face and the cries of pleads for second opinions quickly turned to suffering and agony ripped tears from Sha's eyes. Sha had wanted so badly to turn and walk away but she knew she couldn't. Something held her there and made her watch the suffering of this young woman. Sha saw a Rose who was so vulnerable and so helpless. Sha had sworn secretly to herself that she would make this right. She didn't know how, but she would do something about this.
For Makaw, he had memnii of suffering and pain. These things were not uncommon for Makaw. These things were rare within what was passed down. Makaw saw this as an opportunity to record the true cost of this war. The personal cost of the individual. He knew that in the pages of History, missions like this will be recorded and numbers of who died listed. But this is the personal cost of this mission. He felt her pain as it ripped her soul to shreds. He could sense her dreams and hopes slowly vanish as the realization washed over her. Like Sha, he refused to look away. It didn't take Rose's strength long to fade as she slipping laid in her hospital bed whimpering like a child who no longer had the strength or will to do anything else. He felt a horrible sense of depression from her. Nothing like before, now her mind had become lost in the chaos of this medical reality. There was nothing within the Force that could help her, he knew this. It would simply be the fact of who she was now. Makaw felt a great sense of loss from this horrible situation.
Before the Chief Medical Officer broke the news to Rose. He explained to the Captain, Sha and Makaw the nature of the wounds. They had been able to locate twelve over all wounds. Judging from five of the wounds, she had been shot on the lower right side of her body which had easily penetrated her body armor and traveled the length of her body sideways. These rounds lacked the penetration to exit the body armor and were deflected back in to the lower body cavity. Based on what they can see. When these five rounds were fired, she most likely would have been protecting something or someone on her left side. A blunt impact had shattered her left femur and a blunt impact cracked the right side of her skull just behind the ear. What we can tell from these wounds is that they were done while she was standing in forward motion as if in mid attack. Mostly they were done with the butt of some kind of rifled weapon by someone much stronger than she was. This attack had most likely knocked Rose back down to the ground on her back. We believe that this is when she took the sample that you recovered from her. Because we can see that most of her right side ribs were crushed in ward as if someone stepped or stomped on her chest. The only reason we could find for this wound was to hold her down and in place to in sure a clean kill shot.
It had to be during this time that she grabbed the sample you have. I can only speculate that she was thinking that her death was at hand. So by getting that sample would be a clue to her attackers were. While she was helpless under foot, her attacker looked down at her at a nearly ninety degree angle The wounds support that the attack had to have taken arm at her as if to ensure she was going to die during this next attack. A defensive wound on her right arm shows that she had been shot through her right hand as if she tried to defend herself from the shot. The round shattered her hand and her radius and lodged in her humerus. A second round passed through her right shoulder shattering her clavicle, the round exited her shoulder and armor. The last shot was fired at a more sharper angle then the first two as if the firer was in motion just before he pulled the trigger. The fact that the round clipped just above to the left of her left eye socket indicates that the firer was interrupted just as this last round was being fired. The force of the round cracked the left side of her skull but because of the angle, it did not penetrate the skull. Instead it passed through the left ear and exited the skull and shattered against the metal floor.
We found metal fragments lodged in the back side of her skull. Some fragments match the type of round used by her attackers, the others had to have been a metal floor of some kind. There was also a blunt force wound to her left side. This was done while she was laying on the ground, most likely unconscious. The blow impacted her lower rib cage and soft origins. The blow caused even more internal bleeding and broke four of her left ribs. Had this blow been two inches higher, the broken ribs would have penetrated her lungs and she would have never survived the attack. The fact that she did take all this damage and survived is a testament to her strength of will and the training of Captain Breen's men. They were able to stop enough of the bleeding to ensure that they could get her out of the base. According to the Captain's reports, they had to give her a number direct blood transfusion right there during combat. While this blood was not her type, it did help keep her alive long enough for the rescue to reach them. They also used the snow and ice of Ilum to keep Rose's body temperature low and slow the internal bleeding. Though this did result in frost bite around much of her body, it also played a key role in her surviving the battle. It is our recommendation that if Captain Breen and Master Sargent Darillian had not taken such measures that Rose would have never survived the battle.
Despite the fact that Rose had been badly wounded, the two days they were on Ilum gave Sha and Makaw a treasure trove of information regarding the world. Sha had suspected for months that her people were being held on Ilum but never had any proof to drive the party to pursue this. Rose had managed to get a guided tour of the entire facility and her hidden sensors were all recording. Through Rose's charismatic skill, she was able to discover that over a hundred thousand beings were being held in a large domed town near the facility. All of them were being held against their wills and being used in some breeding program for the Dorins. For the first time both Sha and Makaw had solid proof that both of their peoples, as well as many others were being forcibly held on Ilum. Its weaknesses and its defenses were all part of Rose's investigation. She played the base commander like a musical instrument and got everything that they needed to come back and possible perform a large rescue operation. Though the scope of the breeding center was far larger than both had suspected. Rose had uncovered that the Dorins had been running this center for over thirty years trying to develop their own telepathy. She also found the prefect advance base of operations. An old abandoned sky resort which over looks the dome complex and its massive anti-ship weapon positions. Rose had to have known her time was running out as she took her tour. So she had the commander even show her the bases power plant and its command center. With this vital information, a mission back to Ilum was beyond probable.
Well after the scene in Medical played out, Captain Marrab slowly climbed the stairs of the stage that had been set up. He walked in his best uniform over to the podium. He looked over at his crew and the Marines all standing looking up him. He turned to Sha and Makaw and gave them both a nod. Behind them the Captain smiled to the rest of the party who had been invited to this meeting of the crew. After all, as far as he was concerned they were part of his crew as well. Captain Marrab turned back to his crew and the Marines and took a deep breath. “Attention, all hands” he sound loudly and with confidence. “The past seventy six hours has been something of a wild roller coaster ride for all us. We have seen this ship perform at its very best and even well beyond our wildest dreams. We have seen our friends, our family fall in to harms way. We have paid last respects and honors to our fallen. Lastly we have picked up the pieces of our broken ship and have started to repair her. Now, we are facing a long road through enemy lines just to reach safe harbor. We are still deep in enemy space and we know that they are out there looking for us. Our cloaking device is damaged and we are not able to hide from our enemies. We have met the enemy, we have bloodied the enemy and trust me, they are looking for revenge. This is the reason why I have issued the all silent order. There will be no communications from this ship or within it. If we are discovered right now, our enemies will make short work of the Marauder. These are the facts of our current situation, so make no mistake of where we all stand right now.”
He took a breath to let the situation rest on them. “Our mission to Ilum was a broad success. Yes we lost some of our own. But what they gave their lives for will ensure that we enjoy more victories. Let their memories go forth and be forever linked to the success of what we did here. We have found will ensure that thousands of enslaved souls will be soon set free. Never forget that this is what our debt is, to help free those in slaved. This is what they gave their lives for. Be proud for them, honor them. Cherish their memories as we move forward from this battle in to the next one ahead of us.” Once more he paused and allowed this to sink in to their minds before he continued.
“I am told that our resident covert agent, Rose Sheridan has passed the worse of her condition. I am told that she will make a speedy recovery and will be returning to work in the next few weeks. I ask all of you to take a moment and pray for her recovery as we also pray for those we lost. Now, I have heard the rumors about a spy aboard. I have heard the rumors that this spy was responsible for Ms. Sheridan's mission being a failure. Well first off, let me be the one to tell you. Her mission was not a failure. According to her mission objectives, she had successfully completed all of them and some. In my book that is a job very well done. I can confirm that there was indeed a spy aboard this ship which posed a significant threat to this ship and her crew. It is probable that this spy is linked to an attack which has crippled our ability to conduct operations. As many of you have heard, crewman Creev Laal had collapsed unexpectedly at the end of his shift back on the morning of the 26th. Many of you have heard that he was kept in the bridge. This was for his protection as our medical teams were working on him. What I can release now is that our fellow crewmen had been drugged. It is unclear to us how long he will remain in his current condition. What is known is that this could have been conceived as a two prong attack against us.”
He continued with out a pause, “Crewman Laal, as some of you might know, is one of very few of our engineers who works on the cloaking device on a daily basis. It could be seen that by drugging him could have weakened our ability to repair any future damage to our cloaking device. We have found a bomb on board that could have been part of this plot to cripple the Marauder's ability to hide so that we might be captured. The very same drug which now has laid Crewman Laal out was found in other locations of the ship. Do not worry, our medical and security staff as assured me that this drug no longer posses a threat to the ship. We have every reason to believe that the spy had come aboard the ship sometime ago and hid in plain sight. From what our evidence has indicated, this traitorous spy has slipped off of the ship while we were on Hapes. I can assure you that I, personally have taken steps to ensure that this spy will never threaten my ship nor my crew, nor anyone aboard.”
“After a complete security sweep of the ship, I have been informed that the situation is safe for us to return Crewman Laal to the medical bay so that he may continue the vital treatment he needs to survive. I have instructed the chief Medical officer to open up his room for visitors. His medical condition is stable and despite our best intentions, we can not wake Crewman Laal from his current state. But that doesn't mean that you, his friends and crewmates can't comfort him while he is in this sad state. There has been enough loss on my ship, I will not suffer one more. Crewman Laal will receive the very best medical attention we can find for him. I want Crewman Laal returned to his duties as soon as possible. His work for this ship to this date has been priceless, and I want to return to you, his friendship. Please go, sit with him during your off duty hours. While during your duty hours, work to fulfill your duties as best as you can knowing that the sooner we can move forward, the sooner we can get Crewman Laal and Ms. Sheridan to the very best medical attention.”
He paused and looked around once more, “God Bless, and may the Force be with all of us.”
The captain stepped down from the podium and gestured toward Sha. She graciously accepted and took her place on the podium, peering out amongst the crew she could tell many of them had been affected deeply by the loss of life, which was weighing heavily on the hearts and minds of the crew. Sha then placed a sheet of paper upon the podium and looked down as she read aloud. It obvious that she had never really given a speech before and it certainly felt uncomfortable.
“I’ve only recently come aboard the Marauder, and in only a short period of time, I’ve seen the brotherhood among this crew. I’ve seen you honor, not only yourselves as soldiers, but you take care of one another, and you look out for each other. You are committed and even in the face of despair you all still have the strength to lock and load. It was this diligence that made the rescue of Rose and her team possible.”
Sha paused only for a moment to look up at the crew but lingered when she saw how attentive they were. She briefly looked back at the sheet of paper, and saw the carefully chosen words that felt so unnatural to her. She grasped the piece of paper and crumbled it into her hands, placing it on the podium.
“Unfortunately we lost Reosh….. and I can see that he was loved very much by everyone on board this ship. There is no doubt in my mind, that he went down like a true warrior, and I think you should all know that. He honored himself and all of you, for I look out amongst this crew and what I see are true warriors. You are brothers and sisters, and you look toward one another for support, frankly this reminds me of what a family feels like…. Like I said I’ve only been on board for a short time but this is what I’ve seen. I’ve seen you honor your dead; the ceremony I saw earlier is befitting the crew and the family of the Marauder, and is proof that it is real. The lives lost at Bothuwai and Ilum are never to be taken lightly. I thought I should say that out loud, and I think that this ship has a great purpose. I don’t intend to simply lick my wounds, but I also believe, that we may have some trying times ahead of us. I believe that there is a great battle coming. I don’t know when or where, but I’m certain that we will play a part…. You all did a stellar job during the rescue mission on Ilum, and never forget that Rose is alive because of all of you, and I encourage all of you to support her, as well as each other, and Crewman Laal…. I also would like to say that personally, to serve with such excellent men and women, to serve with warriors of honor, is an honor in itself, and I will never forget how that feels, and I shall honor all of you.”
Sha finished with a great amount of gratitude toward those she had spoken to. Despite tramping across the galaxy, for those we did not know, they did so with true valor. Sha had never given a speech before but felt good about it. It was honest and straight forward, which is exactly who Sha was. She finally stepped down from the podium and reclaimed her position on the stage.
As Makaw stepped forward, shepherd's crook in hand, Nod flitted from his shoulder to alight at the podium's edge. She puffed herself up and flapped her tiny wings for a moment as if to impress the crewmen and Marines assembled before her.
Despite its golden trim, Makaw's simple light blue tunic, worn belted over his dark green undershirt and matching trousers, stood in stark contrast to Captain Marrab's formal dress uniform and Lut Sha's tactical apparel. Reaching the microphone, he smiled fondly at the courageous men and women of varying races who now did him honor with their attention.
"Greetings," he began, "As you might know, my name is Makaw Y'drit. Though I am not a creature of war, I stand before you as a brother-in-arms. We fight for ideas greater than ourselves because our hearts are true and our cause is just. The bravery and virtue within each of you makes our fire shine that much brighter. As we go forward, let your light illuminate the Galaxy! Together, we will usher in a new era of peace through liberty, equality, and justice. Thank you for being everything that makes you who you are." Makaw bowed in gratitude. Placing Nod back upon his shoulder, he turned from the podium and made his way back to his place beside Sha.
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