Point of No Return"
By: Dr. Alyssa Caitlin Northrop, Chief Intel Officer, [PST]
Keighlee Alexi, Engineer , [NPC]
Matthew Mason, Prisoner, [RNPC]
Maxine Lucinda Tapert, Computer Specialist, [PC]
Samantha Carter, Security Officer, [RNPC]

Stardate: 58209.03 1900

The Federation space station was dark and cold.

Keighlee stared down at the black metallic floor as she waited for Alyssa to return from meeting her contact.

Keighlee had a bad feeling about it. She didn't remember anything about it in the mission specs.

She was scared. More than any other time she could remember in her career. She peaked from around the corner in the direction she had last seen her.

No surveillance cameras were in this part of the corridor but she still felt like she was being watched. "Tara Jones, Tara Jones, I'm Tara Jones." she rehearsed in her head.

Alyssa shook her head slightly as she walked down a separate corridor from the one she'd taken to the meeting. Young Ms. Keighlee was peaking around the corner of the hallway she'd left by. This girl had a lot to learn about tradecraft.

Her shoes made no sound as she walked up behind the girl. Leaning in close, "Tara....what're you doing?"

When the girl jumped nearly out of her skin, Alyssa could only laugh to herself. A smile crept onto her face. The brunnette held her hands up as the engineer whirled around. "Ok...Calm down....it's just me."

They'd left the others in another part of the station and she knew they'd be waiting for them. Once Keighlee's heart had ceased it's threat to explode....she nodded with her head, indicating that the young woman should follow. Once they'd started moving, Alyssa slowed enough to fall into step with the other woman.

While she hadn't mentioned it to anyone, ever since they'd come aboard this station, she'd felt like something was wrong. Though it wasn't anything she could put her finger on.

But it wasn't long before she was to find out.

A few minutes later, they'd re-entered the main section of the station and easily blended in with the multitude of people there.

Despite all the beings....the uneasy feeling she'd had only got worse. Slowing a bit...she slipped the isolinear chip she'd retrieved into Keighlee's pack. "Take a left at the next junction," she whispered. "I'll meet you back at the rendezvous point with the others. Whatever happens...get to the rendezvous point. If I'm not back in 20 minutes....leave and get the job done."

Alyssa knew "cops"....and she could pick them out of a crowd. There were several Starfleet Security officers down the row....trying to look as if they were just anyone else. It was the haircut that always gave them away. They all had the same one.

Praying to all the gods she could think of...she prayed that they didn't have a clue about the rest of her team...and decided that she'd have to draw them away and make it look like she was there alone. So she didn't make any moves or looks towards Keighlee as she let the girl drift away from her in the crowd.

For a moment, she stopped and looked at one of the store displays on the Promenade. Nothing in the window was particularly interesting...but it allowed her to take a moment to organize just what was going on around her. Three just up the hall in front of the bar....another three back behind her, spread out trying to look like they were doing anything other than watching her.

Amateurs.

Keighlee, after walking for several minutes, Keighlee heard commotion. She could see several security officers running up the corridor. They raced pass her. Instinctively she gulped. She debated her situation and then turned and followed in the direction the security personnel went.

The Archeologist passed the forward three and turned right at the junction, knowing Keighlee had gone the other way. Unfortunately for her, Alyssa found even more Starfleet Security around the corner....and not much else.

Again they were trying to look nonchalant....but when she stopped in the hallway, they all turned towards her. Two in front...another six covering her retreat. "Frack....."

As random people filtered passed her...she reached behind her and slipped her phaser pistols from the hidden holsters in her pack. There wasn't a chance in hell she'd make it out of this...but....well....maybe it would give the rest of the team a chance to get their mission accomplished.

She began firing....taking down the two in front of her....but more came in when their friends had fallen. Diving for cover, the corridor lit up with phaser fire....the Federation forces keeping her pinned down while they advanced.

Northrop made a drastic decision...and popped up from hiding, her weapons firing in full automatic mode. Crimson pulse after pulse flew out from the emitters as she made a run for it down the hall. Unfortunately for her....several beams intercepted her path, striking her torso in a couple different places.

The world greyed out...and then went black as her legs turned to jelly beneath her and she fell onto the hard black floor.

Keighlee saw the firefight from across the promenade. She slipped back into the corridor she came from and leaned against the wall. She felt weak. Her mind wanted to run, but her legs wouldn't move.

She felt the rush of adrenaline and started walking. Trying to appear calm as more security staff approached and passed her.

She had memorized most of the station junction locations and began systematically searching for the rest of the away team.

She spotted one of the marines keeping lookout at a place where a corridor made a T-shaped intersection.

She approached him. Around the corner she could see the others at the end of a hallway sitting in a lounge area. As she walked toward them she spotted a isochip protruding from a junction box. It glowed and flashed as it sent and received data from Max as sge hacked the system with her portable computer from the comforts of a lounge chair.

Max was in the 'zone'. She was totally unaware of Keighlee's return. Her eyes had a far away look to them as they filled with code and strings of data. The Federation had some tricky security, and she was having to be very careful. It wasn't as outdated as she'd believed. It wasn't anything she couldn't handle, and she was almost on the verge of getting into the files she needed to change.

There was little that Sam could do other then pretending she was waiting for some one while Max hacked the system. As she saw Keighlee approached Sam knew instinctively something was not right. Slowly she walked over to her.

"What happened? Where is Alyssa."

Keighlee tried to keep from feeling frantic, but in a shakey voice she replied, "S-she's dead."

"I think we've been compromised. Six or seven of them, shooting she...." her voice trailed off.

One of the nearby marines who was monitoring local com traffic shook his head. "Security was called to investigate a criminal suspect. I think we're okay."

Sam clenched her jaw.. "Damn that woman." she uttered under her breath. "Couldn't keep her guns from firing right."

Maxine suddenly shut the portable computer and stood up. "We're in," she told the Marine who was in charge. "Everyone has a new identity," she added as she stepped over and retrieved the isochip from the junction box and slid it into her pocket.

"Right, time for a change then," Beck announced and motioned to one of the other Marines who began collecting the 'old' chips and handing out the new ones.

Keighlee pulled the IDENT chip from the Federation Combadge they all were wearing and handed it to the marine who was going around collecting them.

Another marine handed out their Federation uniforms from a gear bag. She took the uniform and looked around. They were in a section of the station that was largely uninhabited due to the fact that the station's population was reassigned when the war started. Much of the station's expansion areas were never completed.

She stepped over to a corner of the lounge and quickly changed into the uniform. She wondered if she'd have any modesty left after this mission.

She inserted her IDENT chip into the combadge on her uniform which chirped when it became activated. She could not fathom the magic Maxine must have needed to impose these rogue identities into the Federation's systems.

She handed the freighter uniform back to the young marine for disposal.

The Marine took the freighter uniform and another one handed Keighlee the new one.

Maxine changed along with everyone else. When they were all finished, the Marine with the freighter uniforms and old combadge chips simply took the whole mess to a replicator and triggered the reclamation function until there was nothing left.

Mason quietly walked up to the group, he had slipped away to see what he could find out about the phaser battle with Alyssa. "If we are going to go it had better be now. Security is focused on Northrop. She is dead by the way, she was caught by a random ident scan. She was on a watch list."

Taylor stood up tugging unconfortably at his new uniform. He removed his sun glasses once more and tucked them into his pack, "Let's roll."

Taylor led the group of "Star Fleet Officers" down the corridor toward the hanger bays. They walked almost rank and file. Like 'Fleeters' on a mission.

Keighlee and Max walked in the rear of the troop, discussing how Max had arranged their "mission specs" in the fleet system. Keighlee was astounded at her resourcefulness.

As they arrived at the hanger bay's security portal, they each went through single file, causing the security console to chirp as it registered each of them.

Someone from shuttle operations greeted them with a formal salute, "Your shuttle is on pad 12," he said pointing in the general vicinity.

As they turned to go, the Ops officer spoke loudly, "Wait, you are short one crewman."

There was a long silence. "Hi, I'm Tara Jones," blurted Keighlee who then tried to smooth over the awkward moment with smile and a little sex-appeal. "Uhm, you know... "she continued somewhat blundering, "...staff shortage, double duty for us or double rotation for them."

The young officer suspiciously checked his pad. "It does indicate that crew ISI 2883a was scheduled for a double rotation."

"Yes," acknowledged Keighlee, "I guess we'd best get going."

"Please do," answered the ops officer, appearing somewhat annoyed. "Your pilot is waiting.