Ground Operation "
By: Dr. Alyssa Caitlin Northrop, Acting Chief Intel Officer, [PST]
Ryan-Steven ‘Rusty Ryan’ Madriani, Marine CO, [PST]

Stardate: 58205.29 1420

Blitzer clicked Northrop's combadge and waited for her response.

Ever since her little run in with that Federation Security guard, Alyssa had kept a low profile and stayed safely out of site in the various resistance locations that had become available to her through contacts. Since moving to the captail though, she'd been pouring over maps of the area. When her badge clicked, she muttered something incoherant and then tapped her badge. "Northrop Here...go ahead."

"Madriani and his men are enroute. I'll patch him through."

"Ok," was her lone response. Though part of was wondering why the Marines were coming here...Delaplane was on the Yamato.

This is Madriani, Our ETA is 15 minutes. Do you have coordinates you can transmit for a good landing zone?"

"Standby." Alyssa scanned the map quickly and then selected a suitable location for a marine insertion. With a few taps on the map PADD, she sent the coordinates up to Madrini. "I'll meet you at those coordinate. Try to keep the noise to a minimum....I wouldn't want your little landing party to be crashed." Madriani grinned, "Roger that.."

--Enniten Square, Pacifica Island--

The Armored Personnel Carriers landed in the zone Northrop identified. It was a part of the citidel that rose up out of the water.

The Ramp dropped down and Marine's began to file out taking up defensive positions. Madriani stepped out and approached Northrop. "Ma'am," he said with a tip of his head, "Nice quiet spot... Good work."

"One doesn't stay alive as long as I have doing the things I do by being sloppy." The response was curt...but that was mostly because she wasn't all that social in tense situations like this. "What're your orders, Major? And how might I be of service....beyond getting you down, of course."

Madrini looked Northrop over. She blended in well with the civilian populace.

"You could be our forward observer," replied Madriani, "Move a hundred feet ahead of us and scout for enemy patrols.

Madriani looked up, he could see faint explosions in the late afternoon sky from the battle ensuing in orbit. "No doubt they know we're here."

"That depends on what they're paying attention to, Major." Alyssa's tone was all business. While the fact that a war was going on above their heads, that could still work to their advantage on the ground.

"The closer we can get to the capital before firing a shot the better off we all are."

She nodded, "Then by all means, let's go on to the Capital Building post haste."

Northrop headed off towards a grouping of buildings, away from the Marine drop ships.

"Do you have a weapon?" he asked her.

Alyssa nodded and opened her jacket just enough to show him the pistol that was holstered beneath her arm. "No need to worry about me." She smiled at him.

He gave her a terse nod and watched her disappear into the complex which lead to an underground network of corridors. When she was a little ways a head, Madriani motioned for his troops to fall in and advance. He sent 10 of his men in the other direction to create a diversionary confrontation.

Madriani peeked from behind the corner as Northrop approached an intersecting corridor, some distance away.

The archeologist was more than used to blending in where she didn't belong. The fact that she was being shadowed by a brigade of Marines only hindered her slight. She made a small motion and then continued on her way.

Madriani and his men moved up.

Northrop continued deeper into the complex and kept an eye out. She made no overt attempts at concealing herself. Truthfully, if you didn't want people to see you....hide where they could see you plainly. If you were in the open, it was much to easy and people tended to discount what was easy.

Up the corridor Two Cardassian sauntered slowly towards Northrop's position.

Glancing around quickly, Alyssa found a convenient bulliten board on the wall and began perusing the contents. Madrini was going to have to hide himself....because there was nothing she could do for them short of killing the Cardassians. Hopefully, they would simply go away.

Madrini motioned to his men to take cover in a large alcove off the main corridor.

Northrop could feel the reptilian eyes of the two Cardassians boring into her back. To the casual observer and, she hoped, the Cardassians it looked like she was oblivious to their existance, but she was accutely aware of where they were in relation to her position at the bulliten board.

Inside her head she willed them to continue on their way....hoping these two weren't as stupid as the bastard that had pinned her against the wall. That man would never know just how close he had come to being dead....but these two, well...she hoped they would be as lucky. 'Don't make me kill you...please...just keep moving.....'

Unfortunatly.....it appeared that those from the Alliance just weren't that lucky. "This is a restricted area....you should not be here."

Northrop crossed her arms in what she hoped would look timid. In reality her hand was on the butt of her pistol. "Really? I must've taken a wrong turn somewhere....," she said, giving them a bewildered look.

The lead Cardassian sneared, "Typical of human females. Follow us. You will be detained until someone from the Federation can deal with you."

She dropped her head, "Yes Sir....." Her tone was one of submission. As soon as these fuckers turned their backs....it would be all over. Her only regret was that she didn't have her other pistol so she could be rid of them both sooner.

Madrini was just down the hall...and thus far he'd kept quiet. Alyssa hoped he kept himself in check for just a little while longer. And then it happened....the Cardassian security guards turned and started walked away. In a single lightning quick move her pistol was drawn and blazing....the red phased energy lancing out and striking its targets.

Both guards were dead before they hit the floor. Time stood still for a moment as she listened for an alarm....but thankfully none came. Slowly she exhaled and then thumbed the power output indicator up to maximum....then vaporized the two guards. They couldn't take the risk of these two being found somewhere. If they were just missing...there were other possibilities that dead bodies just didn't permit.

Civilians who were in the area made themselves scarce as Madriani and his men proceeded up to location. He looked at his tricorder, they were very close to the government plaza, in fact, just around the corner.

Alyssa stood next to Madriani and nodded at the next corner. "Around the corner....and you're there. Question is....you want one more set of eyes with you?"

Instinctively, Madriani opened his mouth to politely decline, but after considering the capable young woman. "Can you get inside and create a diversion?"

Alyssa shrugged. "Anything's possible...."

"Do you know where Administrator Bocca is?"

"Right now? No....," she said. "But I can find out."

"Ok... you slip past the guards, I'll signal the other team to begin their diversion. Then, you go inside and create your diversion, my men will neutralize the guards there and storm the interior. You lead us to the impostor, and we'll take him with us and get to the evac site."

"That sounds like a typical Marine plan." She smirked a little and left the Marine leader's side. The man wanted a diversion....oh...he'd get one.

Madriani watched Northrop slip inside, he tapped his combadge, "Sal, begin your operation please."

"Roger that," answered Sal.

A few minutes later dozens of soldiers began filing out the front door of the government complex. Before long, the last of them had left.

Madriani signaled 4 of his men, who at his prompt stepped out from behind the corner and fired their rifles at the 4 guards 20 meters away. They didn't have a chance to respond. He signaled his men to move up. Madriani peered inside.

====Inside====

Getting in had been cake. In the back of her mind she wondered how it was possible that the Federation was still such a problem if this was the quality of their personnel. Here she was....someone who obviously didn't belong walking totally unchalleneged around the Capital Building. "Computer....Where is Administrator Bocca?"

In it's typical voice the computer replied, "Administrator Bocca is in his office."

"How useful....thank you so much." It was time to create a little havoc.

A few minutes later she put the finishing touches on her diversion. It wasn't anything lethal....nor anything all that special. Setting one bucket on top of the other, she moved the setup into one of the ventilation ducts. Assuming her calculations were correct....she had about five minutes before all hell broke loose.

On the upper levels of the Capital Building, there turned out to be a few more guards. That was to be expected...since this was where the important personnel were. Alyssa quickly ducked into an empty office until one more of those guards had passed...then continued on to find a secretary outside the office she needed to be in.

Northrop froze for a second.....her libido taking hold for a second. The woman had red hair...and a very, very nice body. She wore an outfit that left little to the imagination. Under other circumstances....well...Alyssa would have tried extremely hard to get inside that little outfit. But damned if she had other work to do. "Hi....I have an appointment with the Administrator."

She winked, "A very special appointment."

The redhead looked her over for a moment.....then winked back. "I understand....one moment while I call and let him know."

A lithe hand moved towards the comm panel...but Alyssa stopped it. The woman's hand was as soft as Talarian Silk.....and she nearly shivered. "I...um...that won't be necessary....I'd like to surprise him."

Alyssa could see it in her eyes....this woman wanted her to surprise the hell out of the Administrator. In fact, unless she was dead wrong, she wanted Northrop to surprise him to death. Well...maybe Alyssa would take her up on that. But unfortunately....there was little more they could do about it...as the diversion kicked in. It was going to be up to Madriani to get them all out of here.

Smoke began to pour out of the ventilation grates on the wall....thick, black, greasy smoke which caused the fire alarms to start blaring. The building, being older, had no fire supression fields. The redhead went wide eyed....."Oh no!"

As much as she hated to do this....she pulled her pistol and pushed the object of her desire into the Administrator's office....."Please don't make a fuss...either of you. I'd hate to have to shoot you."

The Administrator sat behind his desk.....slack jawed as the alarms blared in the background. "Ok Major...any time now."

By now Madriani and his men had met up with heavy resistance. Madriani tapped his communicator, "Give us a couple minutes and we'll be there."

Madriani peered around the corner. About a dozen troops were blasting away. Not really aiming. He knew they were just trying to hold them down.

It didn't matter, at that moment, Madriani's men had out flanked the enemy and was dropping them effortlessly.

Madriani's diversion team was also taking fire elsewhere in the city. It had apparently worked, the government plaza was relatively unguarded. Then again, it wasn't really designed to be a military installation.

With their phaser rifles drawn close to their chests, the marines quickly crossed the court yard and entered the plaza. Government workers stopped to stair while others applauded lightly.

Madriani's combadge chirped, "Sir, the Federation forces are also contending with a civilian uprising. They're not well organized or well armed but they're giving the Feds a run for it."

"Keep me posted, Madriani out."

Madriani entered the Administrator's office and found Alyssa holding prisoners. He dropped his rifle to his side as his men filed in around them.

"Well done Ms Northrop," said Madriani.

He turned and tapped his combadge, "Riggs! Bring the transport into the court yard"

As his men took Bocca into custody, he turned to Northrop, "What about her?" he asked, looking over his shoulder, "Do we need to take her in too?

The brunnette looked at the redhead, "It's up to her really...she didn't do anything wrong. She just happened to be sitting outside being a Secretary when I showed up."

It was hard to keep from telling the Major that this woman had to be taken into custody and taken back to the Zion. Ever fiber of her being wanted to say that...but well...Alyssa Northrop wasn't a pirate or something.

The pretty secretary smiled at the both of them, "I...I live here...I can't leave."

But the look that she gave Alyssa was unmistakeable. Northrop felt like screaming.

"Okay, You want to Evac with us, it might be a little rough, or find your own way home," he asked.

"Let's go....this place is swarming with enemy troops."

By now, Riggs could be heard in the distance crashing through glass and walls with the transport.

"Let's go!" barked Madriani. His men filed out of the corridor, Completely unhampered.

Once in the courtyard, they boarded the Transport and returned to their primary evac coordinates.