Surefoot 64: Thousand Scars

Tshal looked at him, momentarily taken aback by how heavily-armed Hrelle was. "Yes, Captain, we think so." He brought up a real-time aerial view of the Shall Clanlands from the Ferasan Transporter Network, with multiple red dots at various points, in clumps of one to three, and several within the confines of the great house. "According to their logs, 47 Ferasans beamed onto the Shall Clanlands. We're detecting eight of them inside..."

"Can we detect Caitian lifesigns?"

"No, Sir -- but I can't imagine they would have that many in there if they're guarding more than a few prisoners."

Hrelle studied the layout of the house, seeing drew up and pointed to a point in the trees, five metres from the beach, and just off the path. "Can you get me here, Lieutenant?"

"I- I think so, Sir."

Hrelle shot a look at Mori, teeth bared. "You think so?"

The younger male grew flustered. "I-I'm trying to balance our security with your safety, Sir!"

"Esek," Bneea breathed.

Hrelle waved his bond-father's admonishment away, but kept his emotions in better control. "Lieutenant, my safety is not a priority. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Sir."

"What about the Tailless?"

Mori brought up another screen, showing an object moving across the Sea of Denara towards the Shall Clanlands on the edge of Mnara. "At her current speed, she'll be there in twelve minutes... but there are Ferasan orbital patrol ships moving to intercept. Should we warn them?"

"They'll already know -- inform her that I'm being beamed there to mop up ahead of her, but her priority is to collect the family and get the fuck out there. I'll get out on my own steam." He looked to Tshal. "Make sure she understands that."

Tshal nodded. "Be careful, Captain."

Hrelle nodded back, fitting the armoured helmet over his head. "Let's go."

* * * * *

Kaetini Temple, Mrelle Province:

Nvell slipped an arm around Hap-Tek's as she led him down to the Lower Gallery, talking incessantly along the way. "...And then Shenali wanted to watch another episode of Fat Cat and Little Kitten, but it was late and everyone knows that when she gets too excited before she goes to bed she'll have an accident, but then Shenali didn't want to go to bed at all because she said there were spiders underneath waiting to eat her, but I told her that spiders don't eat people, they just crawl into your mouth when you sleep and lay eggs, and then she started crying, and why would she do that-"

Hap-Tek shook her hold off him. "Father's Soul, will you just shut up before I rip the tongue from your mouth, you ancient hag?" He stopped and stared ahead into a tunnel of blackness. He smelled ancient paper and mildew, felt a warm, wet draft on his muzzle and heard the snake of air further down. But... there was no light, which wasn't usually the case with Ferasan night vision. "Is this it? Where are the lights?"

Nvell pointed ahead. "On the other side, Sonny. I'll go switch them on for you, I don't want you tripping..."

The old Mistress stepped forward, but then the Ferasan grabbed her, drawing her back. "No, you wrinkled old fossil, you stay close." He glanced at Professor C'Moran, who remained at his side via the rope he led her around with. "You, Pet -- what can we expect to find down here?"

She blinked, appearing to struggle as much as he did to see into the darkness. "I- I don't know! I've never been here, I'm only a University historian-"

He tugged at the rope. "You're about as useful as my nipples." He signalled the four males who had accompanied him to move ahead, adopting a firing line, disruptor rifles raised ahead of them as they moved forward.

Nvell chuckled, pointing ahead. "Ahh, there it is!"

Hap-Tek peered ahead, eyes widening. "What? What am I meant to see, you pissy old bitch?"

She turned to him, murmuring, "Your comeuppance, dickhead."

A nova-bright flash suffused them. The pain shot into Hap-Tek's skull, and he released his hold on the females to cover his eyes with his paws, before jumping at the din of his males' disruptors going off... and then their cries of pain as someone attacked them.

Hap-Tek blindly attempted to turn and escape, but found himself under attack as well, with punches and kicks and the staff of the old female.

* * * * *

Shall Clanlands, Mnara Province:

Hrelle dropped into a crouch as soon as he materialised within a tight clump of trees, the exographic sensors in his helmet's visor augmenting his senses and compensating for the darkness of twilight, as he took in the immediate area, spotting Ferasans seemingly reacting to his presence, before resuming their watch.

He turned towards the main house, just past the Memorial Gardens, though the sensors were less clear: a clump of bodies in the living room, surrounded by Ferasans. Good: when the shit inevitably hit the fan, they would all be together.

He checked his chroniker: Sasha was due in nine minutes. He reached up over his shoulder, to the handle of one weapon on his back, releasing its harness catch and drawing it out into his gloved paws -- a projectile launcher -- and made shifting through the trees, his memory of the layout of the gardens standing him in good stead as he made his way to the back of the house, finding a good firing point, and raising the launcher in the direction of the second floor, near the balcony of one of the spare bedroom, aiming, listening for nearby Ferasans, ready for their reaction when he fired.

The launcher only made a slight ffit; the projectile made more noise when it embedded its claws into the stone wall. He glanced around, seeing some Ferasans stop, but then resume talking, or moving, or drinking or pissing.

He aimed the launcher at another point on the West Wing of the house, firing again, embedding another object, acknowledging that as he continued, suspicion would be raised, but he couldn't stop now, he had to have a wide enough spread.

By the time he reached another firing point, and launched two more objects near the front of the house, Ferasans began reacting more openly, calling to each other. Eight minutes. They weren't on full alert, not alert, but no doubt-

Behind him, a Ferasan called out, "Who's that?"

Hrelle activated the control on his wristband, and the four Scatterpods he had secured around the main house activated their scrambling fields, disrupting any Ferasan communications, transporter beams, sensors-

A Ferasan appeared from nowhere, raised his disruptor rifle, aimed at Hrelle's head and squeezed the trigger...

With no effect

-And energy weapons, Hrelle concluded to himself, knowing none of the weapons he brought along for this party wouldn't be affected, as he threw the emptied projectile launcher at the Ferasan, distracting him enough for Hrelle to draw his Kaetini sword and swing out, taking the other male's head clean off.

The head and body fell in separate directions onto the grass, while Hrelle moved as quickly as he could in such restrictive, heavy gear, over to a short set of steps onto the rear balcony, setting down his sword to retrieve another weapon from his pack: a silenced TR-120 rifle, the exographic sensor in his helmet automatically aligning with the gun's own sights, letting him see a dozen Ferasans approach from the beach through the trees. Seven minutes.

He aimed and began firing in rapid succession, the caseless rounds propelled from a sound-baffled chamber, their fragmentary heads opening up the skulls and chests of the Ferasans that they struck, the other Ferasans unsure of what was going on, but their alarm as they gradually realised that their weapons, transporters and communicators weren't working , rising.

Hrelle turned in another direction as he heard more Ferasans coming from the roadside, and began firing again, his silent assault bringing down more, more-

Until he ran out of bullets.

He moved to head for the back door, as Ferasans raced up out of the darkness and leapt onto the balcony, having discarded their disruptors in favour of their teeth and claws.

Hrelle grabbed his sword once more and began swinging out, taking off heads and limbs. He had to thin the herd out here before he could deal with those inside threatening his family.

More Ferasans came at him from behind, piling on top of him, crushing him. Six minutes.

* * * * *

Inside, Udul-Lit returned to his feet. "Well, time for someone else to die-"

Just as Mi'Tree gasped, his body spasming and his limbs contorting.

"PAPA!" Kami leapt up, pressing Sreen against her as she joined Misha at her father's side, checking his lifesigns. "He's alive- he's- how-"

From the couch, Ptera looked up, eyes wide, paw gripping her husband. "The wound- is it centred on his parasternum bone? That's where his cardiac regulator was placed last year!"

Kami checked, peeling aside the charred fabrics of Mi'Tree's shirt, her heart racing with hope. "Yes! It must have taken the brunt of the disruptor bolt!" She looked up at Udul-Lit. "He needs medical attention!"

The Ferasan grunted. "Yes, I'm, sure he does. Sit down again."

She bared her teeth, her nerves fraying ever more. "Please! There's no need for any of this! Let us save him! You can do whatever you want to me!"

Udul-Lit looked to her... and smiled. "Counselor... I can do whatever I want to you already. You have no agency here. None of you. Caitians are weak, inferior. You are all Sheep to us. Sheep!"

The window at the far end of the room, the overlooking the veranda and front gardens, shattered, as a bullet-ridden, blade-cut Ferasan body meteored in.

* * * * *

"We have incoming Ferasan vessels!" Nenjo called, over the protests of a ship being pushed to its absolute limits. "Missiles launched!"

Sasha was already on it, launching decoys and chaff as she banked sharply to starboard, passing over the Strait of Greve. "Decelerating... on my mark, prepare to lock onto all Caitians and beam them onboard, we may only get one chance at this."

"The computer can't handle multiple simultaneous transports, you'll blow the system-"

"I SWEAR TO GOD I'LL KILL YOU IF YOU KEEP FUCKING TALKING!" Sasha screamed, eyes fixed on her screens, as she launched a volley of microtorpedoes... even as the sensors picked up Jem'Hadar fighters sweeping down to join the fight. With the deceleration and the power diverted to the sensors and transporters, they were going to be very, very vulnerable in a minutes' time...

* * * * *

In the bowels of the Kaetini Temple, Hap-Tek, First Son of the Master Governor of the Occupied World of Cait, was getting his furry ass kicked.

To his credit, such as it was, he did his best, despite his blindness, despite hearing and smelling his best males being killed around him. He was a Ferasan, after all, physically and genetically superior to all of these effete, decadent whores-

He screamed as another foot connected with his balls, and dropped into a foetal position, barely able to show any resistance as he felt metal cuffs fix his wrists behind him, and his ankles, leaving him on a dry stone floor, unable to do anything but push down the pain, let his vision return.

And listen to the exchange between Mistress Nvell and several others. "Load the bodies onto their transport, then program it to return to the Capitol building... right on top of their heads, in fact. Alert our people to see about clearing out all the Caitians before it arrives."

Hap-Tek kept blinking, willing his vision to restore itself. In ragged, pained gasps, he called out, "You! Release me at once, you old bitch, and I'll spare your life!"

He blinked, until he could see a collection of Caitians, many carrying swords or confiscated Ferasan disruptors... with Nvell and Professor C'Moran at the forefront, looking over at him, before approaching, the Kaetini Mistress showing no infirmity, no senility, wielding the staff nimbly in one paw. "Oh, Sonny, you're so good and merciful to your poor old Granny."

Then, with lightning speed, she swung her staff up in an arc and struck his left ankle, cracking the bone beneath and making him scream out until he bit his tongue.

Nvell crouched down beside him, regarding him. "Have no illusions: you won't live to see another Ferasan. You won't live the rest of your life without pain. But you will tell us everything we want to know about your father, your people, your operations on the Motherworld...

And since you've quickly built up a... relationship... with Professor C'Moran -- a very courageous member of the Kaetini Order, who volunteered to make contact with you, and lead you exactly where we wanted you to go -- she really, really wants to conduct your interrogation."

Hap-Tek forced down his fear to glance at the other female -- now minus the rope leash he had put her on, crouching and glaring down at him. "Hello, 'Pet'."

Hap-Tek spat at her. "Fuck you! I'll never talk!"

C'Moran wiped the spittle from her muzzle insouciantly. "Oh, I'll bet after I insert a metal rod into your urethra and heat it up... you'll be singing."

* * * * *

Hrelle let the Ferasans dog-pile. Get ready for this, you filthy kussiks...

He activated his armour's defences, as a lethal neuroleptic pulse charged his armour, his helmet's filters baffling the screams of his attackers as they collapsed around him. He rose among the bodies, picking up his sword and swiping away at those who hadn't been killed by the pulse, before reaching the veranda.

On the front path, a group of about twenty or more Ferasans had swarmed together, launching themselves like a wave at him, screaming at the top of their lungs.

He dropped his sword and reached up behind him for the next weapon from his backpack, bracing himself as he gripped it with both paws and-

A wide tongue of flame shot out from the nozzle, snaking forth and engulfing the Ferasans at the front of the swarm, igniting fur and fire and leather armour, the shock of the intense assault killing them almost instantly.

They were the lucky ones.

They fell, the others toppling over them or each other in their efforts to evade the inferno Hrelle offered them, their screams almost drowned out by the roar of the flames. Mercilessly he swept the flame across them in a wide arc, ignoring the collateral damage of the surrounding foliage. The grounds were lit up in orange-red, with silhouettes scrambling in vain to escape imminent death.

Then he was tackled from behind, losing his grip on the flamethrower and letting it drop as he twisted around, tumbling down the steps onto the front path as two Ferasans tackled him, unable to claw or bite, but trying to remove his helmet to finish him off.

He let them try, let him focus on his head, as he reached for the pistol in his hip holster, not even taking it out of the holster to twist and fire upwards, the bullets from the .666 Magnum punching a hole through the guts of the nearest Ferasan, producing a fountain of blood and guts through his back.

* * * * *

In the living room, Udul-Lit stepped back at the sight of the Ferasan corpse hurled through the window. He raised his disruptor, signalling to the others in the room. "GET OUT THERE! NOW!"
As the rest of the males complied, he turned to face the captives. "Well, I don't need all of you alive..."

He aimed his disruptor at Kami's head, tried firing-

And failed.

Kami leapt at him, claws bared, tackling him, knocking the apparently-useless weapon from his grasp, as she went for his throat, even as she called out, "Mirow! Get Ptera and the cubs-"

Udul-Lit drove his knee into her stomach, smacking her away.

"MAMA!" Misha leapt up, climbing onto the Ferasan, his tiny claws at his remaining eye.

Udul-Lit threw the cub aside.

* * * * *

Hrelle rose, removing his helmet as the alarm went off inside, and deactivated the Scatterpods, activating his communicator, even as he heard the roar of the Tailless on its approach overhead. "Sasha! Beam us-"

He turned as three more Ferasans appeared, having abandoned their disruptors, not realising that they would function again for them. He ducked, retrieving his sword once more, just as they slammed into him, roaring. Pain shot through Hrelle, even as he heard the screams of his family from inside.

* * * * *

"Hurry!" Sasha cried out, trying to keep track of the remaining Ferasan and Jem'Hadar ships, rapidly descending from nearly every direction.

"I have five locks!"

"ENERGIZE!"

Distantly, she heard the whine of the Tailless' transporter systems, protesting the Herculean task presented to them. Only five... Mother's Cubs, who hadn't they saved?

She heard Kami emit a terrible cry, and risked looking away from her controls to glance behind her, at the open pad between the cockpit and the midsection, and the collection of figures: Kami, Mirow, Ptera, a wounded Misha and Mi'Tree-

But it was Kami who caught her attention, with a horrified scream, "SREEN!"

* * * * *

"DAD! SREEN! WE MISSED SREEN!"

Hrelle was pinned down by one heavy older Ferasan male, but on hearing that from Sasha, roared and drove his elbow into the male's muzzle, shattering it and driving shards of bones into the Ferasan's brain.

Hrelle was tossing the body aside as he retrieved his sword and rose up, climbing over the burning, bloodied bodies as he raced inside.

* * * * *

In the Capitol's Operations Centre, Melem-Adu watched the convergence of his vessels upon what was obviously the target area: the Shall Clanlands. "Any word yet from Udul-Lit?"

"No, Master Governor; there is some sort of disruption in the local area, no communications or transporters."

"Will you give the Thousand Scars more time?"

He turned to Weyos, the Vorta who had asked him the question. "No. It is obvious that Udul-Lit has overestimated his competence to complete the task at hand. Our Security must take precedence." He turned back. "Order the attack ships to bomb the house. Leave nothing alive."

As the orders were transmitted, he grunted to himself. So much for your vaunted reputation, you peasants...

* * * * *

Kami was holding onto a screaming Misha in one arm, and a bulkhead grip in the other, but was calling out, "Sasha! Get us back there! Sreen, Esek!"

"We can't!" Nenjo argued. "There's a dozen ships all around us!"

Sasha banked and dove until they were mere metres over the Bay of Greve, letting the ship's automated defence systems do what they could. "Everyone hold on!" She opened a channel again. "Dad! We're coming for you both!"

* * * * *

Hrelle followed the screams of his baby girl into the Clanhouse, but responded to Sasha's message. "NO! Get out of here! I'll get Sreen!"

"No, Dad! We can do it!"

The roar of enemy fighters outside made the very walls shake. "Go! Get the others back to base! I'll save her! GO!"

* * * * *

In the Tailless, Sasha stared ahead, her body taut as a wire.

Then she entered new commands, even as disruptor blasts outside sent geysers of boiling seawater erupting around them. "Activating Prowl, going into Stealth Mode and taking an evasive course back to Kaijushima."

"SASHA!" Kami snapped.

She turned to face her, wishing she could tell her just about anything else than what she had to do.... but it still came out far more easily than she had expected. "If we go back for them, we'll be blown away. Dad will get Sreen and himself out. If anyone can, he can."

Kami stared back in naked disbelief.

But didn't argue further, for which Sasha was grateful.

Goddammit, Dad, prove me right...

* * * * *

"No, Captain."

Hrelle stopped at the foot of the Grand Staircase, where a one-eyed, one-sabretoothed, grey-furred Ferasan stood... holding a screaming Sreen by her ankles over the banister. "You won't save this little grotesque!"