"Captain the away teams are on standby", announced lieutenant Tanaka, disturbing the moment between Captain Maguire and captain Lucinda.
"Thank you lieutenant", said captain Maguire.
Weapons wait at my command fire commence rapid laser fire at the our attackers", captain Maguire ordered lieutenant Alex Bara at the weapons systems console.
"I have to go", captain Maguire said to captain Lucinda before turning away from her and walking off the bridge.
"Take care of yourself", captain Lucinda said feebly as the bridge's sliding doors shut behind captain Maguire's retreating figure.She was aware of something special happening between her and captain Maguire. It was in the moments of softening in the tone of his voice when he spoke to her with gentleness.Which said something only to her even though they were never truly alone. Such moments went completely unnoticed though they were never alone, the bridge crew were too engrossed in their duties to be bothered. It was in the look he had given when they were together.
The thought transported captain Lucinda to a beautiful moment in her mind making her smile to herself as stood in the middle of the flight, deck with the rest of the crew going about their duties at the posts. The predicament they were in was forgotten until captain Maguire's broke in on her moment coming over liuetenant Alex Bara's communicator.
"Now", shouted captain Maguire coming over the lieutenant's communicator and drawing her attention back to reality.
Captain Lucinda walked over to the commander's chair as the Sandawana unleashed a vicious barrage of lasers at the attackers. Almost immediately ending the onslaught of exploding projectiles striking the starship. Those who were fortunate enough to be cut down by the Sandawana's lasers fled in different directions. Hatch doors, 2, 4, 6, 8, ramps automatically slid to the floor of the massive opening.
Captain Maguire, led one team down the ramp. While keeping in touch with the other three teams via communicator. "Let's make this a quick in and out operation. Engineers cut the tendrils off the holding onto the pods and it's back to the Sandawana. "Security team will stand guard while the Engineers work to release the pods", captain ordered speaking at the top of the voice to make himself heard.
Once on the ground the engineers turned on their cutting torches on the tendrils which had firmly entangled themselves onto the landing pods. Groups of engineers set about attempting to cut of the tendrils, initially with enthusiasm. That sentiment however began to wane quickly transforming into despondency as it became painfully clear that the cutting torches apart from generating a lot of heat, were having no effect on the tendrils, which remained stubbornly stuck to the Sandawana's landing pods.
"Captain, said lieutenant commander Simbaof the engineering team. It seems the tendrils are somehow able to absorb the energy of our cutting torches. They are not even exhibiting the slightest burns, it is as though we are attempting to cut them down with water".
"Then find another way to do it, but get those tendrils off my ship and that's an order", said captain Maguire.
"I can only think of one other way", said the lieutenant commander Simba.
"I must warn you though it may take a whole lot longer than expected".
The security team was standing guard just a few metres beyond the lending pods. "We 'll buy you whatever additional time that you need", said captain Maguire looking at the security team a short distance from the landing pods. Where they were strategically deployed ready to spring into action in case of a surprise attack".
"Ok captain", the chief engineer said, "we are going to require more manpower if we are to do this as quickly as possible".
"Manpower, I thought you had everyone that could be spared from engineering out hear already?", said captain Maguire.
"They don't have to be engineers, anyone who can swing a machete or axe will do", replied lieutenant commander Simba.
"Am I getting this right, those tendrils keeping us from taking off cannot be affected by energy tools, but they can be cut down with simple tools machetes?"
"Yes, that's just about the size of it captain", said lieutenant commander Simba. "You see they are made of a different configuration of plant cells that makes them able to easily absorb radiation".
"Yet they are just plants", remaked captain Maguire.
"Precisely which is why low tech sharp edged implements will be effect against them".
"Get down!", a warning was shouted from the security team as a fresh volley of missiles struck the ground around them making it shudder with explosions. A large number of Drachalian warriors were charging firing blasters and throwing the projectiles whose localised explosions were extremely loud. Captain Maguire quickly withdrawing a blaster from his utility belt got down on one knee as lasers fired by the charging Drachalians flashed past him.
The security team sprang into action with a rapid spread of laser fire checking the advance of the Drachalians and forcing them into a pitched battle. As lasers flashed through the air in the space separating the two sides in a brilliant display, captain Maguire shouted at the top of his voice to make himself heard above the din of fighting.
"You have my permission to carry on!", said captain Maguire to lieutenant commander Simba who was crouching behind him.
Lieutenant commander Simba needed no further encouragement, and picking up a machete from the equipment packs they had brought with them led by example hacking away at the tendrils. Thankfully he felt the machete cutting deeper into the flesh of the tendril wrapped around the landing pod in front of of him. The other engineers followed suit hacking away at the overgrown creepers with new found confidence as they felt the machetes cut into the tendrils with each savage swing.
The Drachalian forces as though in response to the progress at cutting the landing pods free of the tendrils, were making spirited attempts to charge the security team's defensive positions.