Never Negotiate From A Weak Position

Posted on Thu Apr 18, 2019 @ 7:32am by Lieutenant JG Logan Hunter & Lieutenant Commander Kelani Tetanal

Mission: On Slippery Ground
Location: Maquis Asteroid Base Operations Center
Timeline: MD 1 || 1700 hours

Logan followed the group of young adults and teenagers into the Ops Center. The news of two ships on approach was a relief. He was sure it would be the Triumphant and Victorious. He looked at the view screen and his hopes suddenly dropped.

Brian took a moment to look at the view screen before glancing at a young girl at the main sensor console. "Report Bridget."

Bridget, a young woman in her mid to late teens looked at Brian. "Two ships are conducting what appears to be a search. They aren't on a direct approach yet, but the computer estimates they will in the next 15-20 minutes."

Logan took a step towards Brian. "You need to let me contact my ship." He pointed to the screen. "That's a pair of Orion Raider-class vessels. If they get here before my ship can, things are going to go South very quickly."

Brian shot Logan a derisive look. He wasn't about to let Logan contact the Triumphant. He looked at the Raiders on the screen. Maybe the Orions wanted Logan and might be willing to make a trade. "Open a channel to those ships."

Logan shook his head. "You don't want to do that."

Brian turned to Logan, taking two steps towards him and throwing a right cross that caused Logan's lip to bleed and sent Logan to a knee. "You don't tell me what I want and don't want."

Logan had hoped for this exact reaction. He had purposely taken a knee. His right hand shot up and snatched the phaser from Brian's hip and he rose quickly gut punching Brian sending the young man back against a console. He spun and leveled the phaser at the guard holding one on him. "Drop it kid. I don't know if this is set to stun or kill...and I am not going to tell you twice.”

On the Victorious, Kelani stiffened and rose from her seat, her eyes wide.

“Commodore, it is an old Maquis base!” She exclaimed. “There are young ones there, holding him prisoner.” She inhaled sharply, saying, ”There are Orion ships near to them!”

She struggled to strengthen her link, trying to tell him of their nearness.

Logan felt a sensation almost too subtle to recognize, but he instinctively knew it was Kelani trying to reach him.

The teenager holding the phaser on Logan was unsure of what to do.

Brian looked at the kid and yelled. "Shoot him you idiot. Kill him now."

The kid glanced at Brian. The momentary distraction was his undoing.

Logan didn't hesitate. He fired the phaser at the kids leg and watched as the kid tumbled forward. He then looked at the setting on the phaser and was thankful it was on stun. He turned to Brian and fired a second time. This time center mass. He turned to Amanda. "Do you trust me?"

Amanda stared at Logan for a moment. She finally nodded.

Logan gestured at the kid's fallen phaser. "Take the phaser and keep them covered, make sure it is set to stun only." He turned to Bridget at the primary operations station. "Please step aside miss."

Bridget scurried away from the console as Logan stepped up. He quickly did a position assessment to find out his exact location, but by then the Orion Raiders were now on a course for the asteroid base. He concentrated on his coordinates. 'Here is where I am Imzadi. Hurry.'

On the Victorious, Kelani stiffened. She spoke, saying, "Lt Hunter and the others on the old Maquis base are in imminent danger from Orions! He is at these coordinates---" she repeated the coordinates that Logan had managed to send to her--"We must hurry!"

Amanda stepped up next to Logan as he monitored the approach of the two Orion vessels. She looked at the sensor display and then to Logan with concern. "What will they do if they get here before your ship arrives?"

Logan glanced at Amanda. He didn't want to tell her of what happened to people captured by Orion slavers. Especially what happened to children sold in the slave pens. "Never mind about that. I need you to gather everyone up and go to the deepest part of the mines that still has life support. I am going to try and buy us some time."

Amanda sighed and nodded once. She stood up on tippie toes and gave Logan a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for doing this." She and Bridget grabbed the stunned boy and started to leave. "I'll send someone for Brian in a minute."

Logan shook his head. "Don't. Leave the phaser. He is going to have to help me hold the Orions off or none of us will get out this."

Logan monitored the two Orion vessels now on a definitive approach. It was only a matter of minutes before they arrived and discovered the base. The mineral deposits would prevent them from beaming to the interior, but nothing would prevent them from transporting to the surface levels. He looked at Brian just regaining consciousness. "Hey man, you really want to protect your people than give me a hand. Pirates are about to transport to this base and when that happens, nobody is going to be safe."

Brian blinked his eyes as he approached Logan at the console. "Why should I believe you?"

Logan handed over the spare phaser. "Because I am giving this back to you. If I had wanted you all dead or imprisoned I would not be rearming you."

Brian looked at the phaser and then Logan. He nodded his head. "Point taken. Let me take over."

Logan stepped aside to let Brian take the controls. He reached out with his mind to Kelani. ~Imzadi, Orions will be transporting to the base in the next five or six minutes. Hurry.~

Aboard the Victorious, Kelani stiffened and drew her breath in sharply. "Commodore, we are very close--I can sense Lieutenant Hunter clearly. There are Orions withing five or six minutes of transporting to his location." She looked up at Michael, hoping the strain was not showing in her face as she said, "We must hurry!"

Brian set the controls on the console and turned to Logan. "I set up a scattering field. It won't prevent them from transporting to the surface levels, but it will confuse their sensors."

Logan was looking at a schematic of the asteroid base on another monitor. "Where do you think they will transport in?"

Brian pointed to the large surface hanger. "I would enter here and make sure that nobody could use any ship's to escape, not that there are any ships to escape with. Your fighter is the only thing in there and well...."

Logan sighed as he nodded. "Well, then let's see if we can hold them at this stairwell. We'll do a series of fire and fade maneuvers. We just need to delay them long enough for help to arrive."