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"Flushed"
[Previous post "Frightful Fears"]
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Setting: MASQUERADE DREAMS, Deck 29
Stardate: 30153.0655

What Uxtar had just done to Kytith would nearly ensure that the Hirogen would lose his position on board the MASQUERADE DREAMS. Assaulting another member of the crew had certainly not been permitted but the hunter had been left with few other alternatives. Time had been against them and the Caitian had possessed information that would allow the two undercover Starfleet officers to act in a much quicker manner.  Not believing in luck, the course of action that had been taken had been the one and only possible one.

Even if Kytith failed to report the incident to the command staff of the Risian Cruise Liner or even his immediate engineering supervisor, Uxtar had not planned on staying on board the MASQUERADE DREAMS beyond the conclusion of the current mission. It made perfect sense for the undercover maintenance staff member to return to the ANUBIS and retake his rightful place there although he would have to learn to deal with the new command structure, namely the First Officer and her unique skill set.  Having a Commander who believed in luck had not pleased him, but for the time being the hunter needed to focus on the situation at hand.
Locating Ensign Ya'Han and bringing her back safely had been the one and only target that currently mattered, and the Hirogen had been beyond certain that luck would not have any role in the reaching that specific target.

"There," Shar'El said as she pointed to a door several feet in front of them, one partially hidden behind a couple of large conduits. "That's the door I saw in the Caitian's memories."

"It's the secondary storage room for the artificial gravity generators," Uxtar muttered to no one in particular. "The room is lined with special insulation to avoid the components inside from being affected by whatever emissions may occur on this deck, and since the stock was not replenished at the last maintenance layover, the room is nice and empty. It is the perfect location to hold someone without risking being discovered, especially when considering that the insulation does make the room nearly perfectly sound proof."

"Guessing the sensors won't be able to tell us if someone in in there," the First Officer sighed quietly knowing that their only course of action had been a direct frontal assault of the room through the only access point available.

Uxtar and Shar'El exchange a quick glance, the two of them finalizing the plan of action without actually speaking. Under normal circumstances the First Officer would have been the one to lead such an assault, but given the restricted room and high risk of a less than pleasant welcome by whoever had been inside that room, it had made more sense for the Hirogen to be the one to rush in first.

"Wait,” Shar'El said, placing her hand on the Hirogen's shoulder just as he had been ready to begin his assault run.  “You belong to the maintenance staff, what if you simply walked in looking for something. Yes the element of surprise would play in our favor but if we can get a better idea of what is inside before we go barging in, it might save us a lot of trouble.”

"Still playing on the luck angle?" the hunter asked in a half growl.

"No," the First Officer quickly replied back. "I just believe in knowing what it is that we are dealing with before breaking any bones."

"If there is even only one armed person inside, our just walking in tip the advantage back in their favor,” Uxtar explained. “You are my superior and I will comply to your wishes, but it is my duty to point out that in this particular situation, we cannot afford to play it safe.”

=/\= Just let the muscle bound man do what he needs to do, =/\= Sonja said over the comms channel.  =/\= He is probably overdue for his daily dose of bashing something in. Also, I would not mind not having to hear you two arguing this much longer. I should not have to remind you that there is someone here trying to figure out how to disarm a bomb. =/\=

Shar'El sighed and gave the Hirogen a single nod of her head, giving Uxtar the go ahead to proceed as he had wanted to from the stat.  Without wasting any more time, the hunter rushed for the door and with a swift and powerful kick sent it flying open granting them access to the room and by the same token taken those inside by complete surprise.

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Mark Hutchings

Lieutenant JG Uxtar
Currently on an undercover mission

[Earth is the insane asylum for the universe.]