It's a Trap

Posted on Thu Mar 10th, 2022 @ 8:37pm by Captain Shran dh'Klar & Commander Jonathan Grayson & Ensign Zack Ravencroft & Petty Officer 1st Class Amethyst Reece & Lieutenant L'Rissa

Mission: The Orion Syndicate
Location: Orion

As the away team materialized on the surface of Orion, things looked peaceful. L'Rissa didn't trust it though, seeing it as a false flag. Her recent experience with the Syndicate on her homeworld had jaded her a bit, but she was more than ready to get what she considered righteous vindication. She looked at Cmdr Grayson and then motioned at the security detail, fanning them out. She hit her comm badge, =^=L'Rissa to Washington, transport successful.=^=

=^=Very well away team. Jon, happy hunting, and be safe.=^= replied Shran over the comm.

Jon replied crisply. "Yes sir and I agree on both counts." Before closing the link.

Amethyst stood beside Jon, looking around at the sights and sounds before them. “Everything looks quiet so far.”

Jon nodded at her comment then made one of his own. "The calm before the storm Amethyst. Don't be taken in." He warned the nurse.

L"Rissa looked agitated. "We are close to a slave market. Multiple Orion females from the smell of it. I suppose we'll see how effective Dr. Howard's injection was for you men. As for me, it seems to be keeping things cool, though that may change when we get into closer proximity." She began to purr lightly.

Zack had been mostly on his own lately, feeling that he needed to collect himself. But now that he was here, he wasn't too fond of the idea of entering Orion's nest, he knew about the effect their species could have on people. But he wanted to get slavery dealt with, it was one of the worse concepts of sentient species ever come up with. Now he stood a short distance from the group prepared to do what was must be done.

Amethyst walked along cautiously with the others, little did she know that the group’s progress was being tracked and monitored.

Jon walked cautiously, his eyes sweeping the area. This was just too easy. His senses were on high alert.

The team was making their way through the strangely vacant streets of Orion City when they came upon what looked to be a slave auction. Several species from outside the Federation were standing in the courtyard bidding, most notably a pair of Nausicans and a Ferengi. At the auction platform stood a large hulking Orion male and as L'Rissa had mentioned, a dazzling Orion female who had obviously caught the attention of those betting. A small holding cell to the left contained several more prizes, including 3 more Orion females, and what looked to be a Deltan female. L'Rissa looked back at Grayson, hoping the injection was working so as to not distract him. Something told her that this was a prime spot for an ambush.

Amethyst couldn't help but feel vunerable, seeing the women in the slave auction. Her red hair made her stand out in a crowd and she had no plan to become a thing of interest amongst those bidding for slaves. "Maybe we should try going another way?"

"May not be a bad idea." Jon agreed. "Lets see if we can do this with as little attention as possible."

As they made their way past the crowd a group of Orion males stood ahead of them blocking their path. The lead troops halted and rose their weapons. The Orions simply smiled, not moving. L'Rissa looked to Grayson, "This doesn't bode well."

Amethyst could only stand helplessly beside the others, she couldn’t even begin to imagine what was going to happen next.

More Orions took up a position behind the team. They were in a pincer ambush it would seem. From the looks of it, despite the fact that the away team was from StarFleet, these Orions had the idea of capture and enslavement. L'Rissa gripped her phaser and waited for the potential mayhem to ensue.

Jon wasn't about to become a prisoner again. "That's enough!" He muttered to himself. They needed a diversion and he saw it.
A fuel truck had been pulled to the side of the Orions behind them. " Get ready to run down the side street." He told L'Rissa and Amethyst. He raised his hands in surrender and as the Orions began to move, he dropped his hand and fired, hitting the fuel truck and setting off an explosion that had the desired effect in that it took attention of the away team. "Go!" He shouted as the team took off down the side street.

Amethyst did as instructed and ran, she wasn’t going to hang about to get caught and sold off in an auction. She looked at Jon. “That was one hell of a shot Sir!”

Zack had mostly provided support as they ran, picking up the rear of the group while still making sure to shoot at anything that tried to follow them. He had not liked how Amethyst had felt uncomfortable, her beauty coupled with her red hair drew to much attention. But he figured being female would gather extra attention.

The away team ran only stopping when they were sure no one was following them. "Thank you Amethyst, though now we're sure to be in the spotlight now. But that's okay, I rather be direct than sneaking about." Jon answered as he looked around, "Everyone alright?"

Amethyst nodded. "Fine Sir, to be honest I'm glad we got out of there. That place gave me the creeps!"

L'Rissa looked around at where they had stopped and then looked over at Grayson and Amethyst, "Not to be a killjoy, but I wouldn't say we have gotten to a better place. I believe the human expression is out of the frying pan and into the fire" she said as she pointed at the obvious group of gangsters coming out of the shadows.

Amethyst shook her head. "Great, that's just great." She backed off a little behind Grayson before letting out a surprised yelp as someone grabbed her from behind.

A group of Orions had come from behind them as well and subdued the rear guard and were making it clear they were in charge of this situation. From the shadows came a large well built Orion with a pair of Orion females on either side of him, along with several disreputable characters to boot. "Commander Jonathan Grayson, Executive Officer of the USS Washington. How nice of you to deliver yourself to us, and with several perfectly fine candidates for the slave trade to boot. StarFleet really has outdone itself." He gave a vile smile, "Don't bother with the weapon commander, you'd be dead before you had a chance to use it" as he motioned upward at the windows of the buildings around them where multiple shooters were in place and all aimed at him and the other StarFleet personnel. "But where are my manners. My name is Akula. I'm sure you have been looking for me and my compatriots. Well, you found me" he said with a sinister laugh.

Jon glanced around and saw the away team was covered from every angle. He would comply now and live to fight another day. He turned a steely gaze on Akula. "So what happens now Akula?"

"What happens now commander is we take you and your friends here back to a safehouse and then see if StarFleet would like to pay to get you back. We might even see if a few of your friends here are worth anything to StarFleet, though that will be based on what we can alternatively sell them for of course. And commander, don't think that the calvary is coming. Your ship is currently under heavy assault, and our business associate wishes very much to make it a trophy. Perhaps you know him. A Klingon by the name of Toral. He isn't well liked in the Klingon Empire, but his family still has influence within the Empire, as well as lucrative connections with the Romulans. He became more of a necessity after you and your meddlesome captain eliminated our business interests on New Krakow."

If there was ever a time Amethyst regretted joining an away team now was it. She loved the chance to get off ship, to join the action. She wasn't looking forward to being put on display as a thing for purchase.

"Always glad to help out." Jon quipped. "And don't be so sure about the calvary not arriving."