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--></style></head><body lang=EN-US><div class=WordSection1><p style='margin:0in;background:white'><span style='color:black'>Mission: The Flames of Purity</span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='margin:0in;background:white'><span style='color:black'>Day: 16 </span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='margin:0in;background:white'><span style='color:black'>Stardate: 2445.09.16</span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='margin:0in;background:white'><span style='color:black'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='margin:0in;background:white'><span style='color:black'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>(Gamma Quadrant Planet – Power Supply Structure Exterior – 2O/CEO – Lieutenant Keira Merek – 1144)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Keira had been trading shots with a pair of cultists for sometime now. It seemed her earlier cover of the away team going in to the structure through the breach, all that noise called all the cultists with in ear shot. Now it seemed her and Vosi were taking shots all sides except the direction that each other were in. In consequence, she was evading more than she was shooting. To their credit no one from outside had entered the structure.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>She saw one getting ready to throw a grenade, and exposed himself from his cover. Keira saw that opportunity and took a shot striking the man in the shoulder. His live grenade dropped to his feet and rolled behind the cover. The familiar flash of a stun grenade told the tale of the cultist left behind the cover.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=ydpca38f8a9msonormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white'><span style='color:black'>“Lieutenant. I am punching through fire in the hold.” Her fellow engineer yelled over the zips and zings of particle weapons that were decidedly not set to stun.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=ydpca38f8a9msonormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white'><span style='color:black'>~Fire in the hold? It’s fire in the hole..~</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=ydpca38f8a9msonormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white'><span style='color:black'>BOOM!</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=ydpca38f8a9msonormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white'><span style='color:black'>A large explosion shook the rocks she was using as cover from her left side. Keira hunkered down and covered the third group as Vosi worked around behind her to engage the now presumably stunned group to her left.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=ydpca38f8a9msonormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white'><span style='color:black'>In between her shots, she could hear the distinctive whine of two phaser shots coming from her left.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=ydpca38f8a9msonormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white'><span style='color:black'>“Merek to Vosi, status,” she said tapping her combadge. She resumed a covering fire.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=ydpca38f8a9msonormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white'><span style='color:black'>(Reply Vosi)</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=ydpca38f8a9msonormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white'><span style='color:black'>“It looks like we have one group left. To the twelve, same direction as the opening, but they have the high ground, do you see them?” Keira said between shots of more covering fire.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=ydpca38f8a9msonormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white'><span style='color:black'>(Reply Vosi)</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=ydpca38f8a9msonormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white'><span style='color:black'>“I don’t have such a good line of sight to them, but I see the cover they’ve been using clearly. I will heat their cover which after a few seconds will heat it enough they will vacate it. You take that opportunity to stun them and we’ll be done.” Keira proposed. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=ydpca38f8a9msonormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white'><span style='color:black'>(Reply Vosi)</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=ydpca38f8a9msonormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white'><span style='color:black'>“They’re fanatic but not the kind that they’d burn themselves to prove a point. They’ll fall back or advance to different cover, when they move that will be your opportunity,” Keira warned. “Ready?”</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=ydpca38f8a9msonormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white'><span style='color:black'>(Reply Vosi)</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=ydpca38f8a9msonormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white'><span style='color:black'>Keira took out her hand phaser and set it to the highest heat setting, took aim at the cover and pressed the firing stud and held it. Steam rose from the rock face as the metal ores gladly conducted the heat and flash boiled the lichens and moss that had until now called the rock home. She ceased fire once the rock took on a deep cherry red color.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=ydpca38f8a9msonormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white'><span style='color:black'>She heard the distinctive whine of Vosi’s phaser shooting twice more.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=ydpca38f8a9msonormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white'><span style='color:black'>(Reply Vosi)</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=ydpca38f8a9msonormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white'><span style='color:black'>“Good to hear it. Head on back. We’ll stand watch here until they’re done in there. Merek out,” she said while holstering her hand phaser.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=ydpca38f8a9msonormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white'><span style='color:black'>=^= Cortez to Merek.=^=</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=ydpca38f8a9msonormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white'><span style='color:black'>“Send it.” Keira said, opening a new channel after closing the previous.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=ydpca38f8a9msonormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white'><span style='color:black'>=^= We're in and Ensign Zot is at work. Shouldn't be more than a minute or so.=^=</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=ydpca38f8a9msonormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white'><span style='color:black'>“Good news. I’m eager to check on the other team, head on out when you’re finished.” Keira said, knowing Erin would know what she meant. Despite how well they were doing the Engineer had a bad feeling in her gut.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=ydpca38f8a9msonormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white'><span style='color:black'>=^= As soon as it's done, we run. Back to the shuttle. =^=</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=ydpca38f8a9msonormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white'><span style='color:black'>“Be thorough, but get the lead out.” Keira said.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=ydpca38f8a9msonormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white'><span style='color:black'>=^= Understood. Cortez out. =^=</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=ydpca38f8a9msonormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white'><span style='color:black'>(Reply Vosi, none needed after)</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=ydpca38f8a9msonormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white'><span style='color:black'>(Posted by Todd)</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“<span style='color:black'>The only way to defeat fear is to tell it 'No'. No - we will not take shortcuts on the path to righteousness. No - we will not break the rules that protect us from our basest instincts. No - we will not allow desperation to destroy moral authority.” - Michael Burnham, Star Trek: Discovery</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“No, I’m from Iowa, I only work in outer space.” – Adm. James T. Kirk, “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Todd Holladay<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>SGT, IA ARNG (Retired)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>