Breeching the Gate

Posted on Mon Mar 18th, 2024 @ 2:58pm by Lieutenant Commander Kevin Lance & Captain Mira Rodale

Mission: Thunderdome
Location: Paarth Elion Three
Timeline: Current

on:
{Main Gate of the Grendaas Stronghold}

It had taken the better part of an hour but Kevin and Mira finally had made it to the base of the wall of the Grendaas stronghold without being detected. Using a combination of low crawl and high crawl techniques, the latter when cloud cover obscured the moonlight, they had slowly made their way from where the rest of the assualt team was hidden under the noses of the Grendaas guards along the wall to the point at which they would begin their ascent of the gate.

They had been fortunate. Despite the precautions of placing guards at regular intervals around the stronghold and rotating them periodically, the guards themselves didn't seem particularly alert. Perhaps they were lulled into a sense of security borne of arrogance. Surely no one would be crazy enough to attack the Grendaas

Kevin leaned in close to Mira's ear and said in a low voice point toward the left side of the gate, "I'll take the guard on the other side. You take the one on this side. Do you best to take him down quietly." He trusted Mira but felt the need to remind her once more.

Mira raised an eyebrow at his comment, then gave a little salute as she moved away. She would have to scale the wall to get to her target. This is when her free climbing came into use. Mira slowly made it up and over the wall. The phaser would make noise, so the blade was it. Mira moved quickly and tossed her blade with deadly accuracy. Then, she caught the body before it hit the ground, retrieving her blade.

She always hated this part. She hoped he was a bad guy and she was doing this world a favor. She peeked out to see if she could find Kevin before she turned to hide the body.

Kevin was preoccupied with scaling the gate. He wasn't as good of a free climber as Mira and needed the better defined hand and footholds that the face of the gate provide. Mira had moved quicker than he and by the time he crossed the parapet, she had already dispatched her guard.

Kevin's guard was leaned against the interior wall of the gate with his head bent forward. He was asleep and hadn't noticed his partner getting knifed by Mira. In one swift move, Kevin grabbed the guard, twisted him around and go his arm around the guard's neck in a sleeper's choke hold. The guard struggled against Kevin, his hands clawing at Kevin's arm, but his strength was insufficient to break the XO's superior grip. In less than a minute, the guard slumped.

"Nice throw," Kevin complemented Mira as he hog-tied the unconscious guard.

She smiled. "I don't have your strength." She made her way to the gate door.

The descent to the ground was easier on the inside of the wall. There was a ladder that Mira and Kevin quickly slid down it. They lifted the bar that was securing the gate in the closed position then opened one of the massive doors enough to just squeeze through.

Kevin stood outside the gate and waved his arms to let the rest of the assault team know that it was clear to advance. He was shielded from observation by other guards due to the curve of the walls away from the main gate.

The rest of the assault team was able to move quicker than Kevin and Mira but it still took ten minutes for them to arrive. All the while, Kevin scanned the buildings and roadway leading deeper into the stronghold for activity. The denizens were apparently unaware of the team's presence. So far so good.

When they arrived, Kevin gathered the assault team together. "You all have your orders," he said, "Let's move out and get this done."

As she started to move out, Kevin reached out to clasp Mira by upper arm. "Stay safe," he told he, then because he thought that he might not have another chance to say it, "I love you."

Mira smiled a little surprised. "Come back to me. I love you too." she swallowed hard then moved into the shadows.


:off

Lieutenant Commander Kevin Lance
Executive Officer
USS Chuck Norris

and

Commander Mira Rodale
CO
USS Chuck Norris