Post by Lt Commander Marcus Aquila on Aug 24, 2021 11:58:58 GMT -5
This follows this thread
daedalusomega.proboards.com/thread/7269/semper-invictus
Risa
July 2423
Niamh
The world faded in from black, she was still in the cave. Her feet were unbound now and her head pounded like she had been on a bloodwine bender. The echo of Lester’s voice was still within her mind. She shook and looked up to see the Andorian before her. Talia. Her father's friend. She appeared different than the last time she saw her across a viewscreen. Her arm was obviously no longer her own. It would seem the years since they had last seen each other had not been easy. War never was. Niamh had tried to stay away from it. On the run. Keeping an ear out for any signs of her father.
Risa, a pleasure planet, she should have known it was a trap. The information was found far too easily. Lester had planted it, she still did not understand why after all these years of hunting her he had decided to lay a trap now only to free her and use her to elicit help. It made no sense. She stood and addressed her companion.
“Captain, I am sorry he made me lure you here.” She was sorry, a part of her wanted to just leave, see if she could rescue her father on her own but a Starfleet Captain might make this easier.
“That is alright, old friend, we will be needing a ship.” The andorian’s voice was calm yet intense, a resolution to action Niamh had rarely heard. She approached her, the blue hand placed on her shoulder, “ We will get him back Niamh.”
She dipped her head feeling as though the result was now certain that they would succeed. “My shuttle is docked in the main transit plaza. We can leave as soon as you are ready, Captain.”
“Good, there are a few people I need to enlist to aid us. We leave in two days. I will send word.” Talia turned and left the cave. And then Niamh followed her.
Lester
Lester walked along the resort boardwalk. Talia was right. They all were. His life until now had always had one driving purpose. The protection of the federation by any means necessary and the protection of telepaths lest they become slave weapons not under their own control. But had he been guilty of the same things he sought to protect for the greater good? How many minds had he left shattered? A phaser allowed you to store an awful lot of skeletons in the closet, reduced to ash. Truthfully this had been the first time in a long time he wore his current uniform. Did he do it for intimidation or merely so she would recognize the badge?
As he moved he spotted someone, another ghost from his past. The trill woman was aged, sad, even from here he could hear the conflicting voices within her mind. Strange to think that she was the beginning of this so long ago. Well not her, the host before. She was just another innocent bystander trapped in a web of lies and atrocities committed in the name of patriotism. Only this was yet an opportunity to right a wrong so long ago committed. He reached out with his mind.
The Trill’s mind was an ocean, thirteen separate currents all trying to flow in different directions. The nexus point, yes he could see it. He attempted to remove it… and failed. His lover was far stronger than he ever was and her block was still in place. He reached into her mind and planted a memory, one he hoped would see her receive the help she needed, and moved on.
His room was traditional, the risian architecture seeking to induce a sense of calm. He frowned as he looked in the mirror. The badge reflecting gold and black. He removed it placing it on the desk in front of him. He then removed his jacket, the undershirt remaining. He reached for the medical device in front of him. Though less of a medical device and more of a cosmetic tool.
“It’s time to turn back the clock. For her.” He ran the device over his forearm and slowly the color returned to a mark, the emblem of Starfleet MACO, the words, the creed he used to call his own long before the black suit and gloves. “Semper Invictus.”
Kaiden
Kaiden sighed carrying the large equipment bag from the transit plaza. A rapid return to Sentinel and back had not allowed him much sleep. He went to his room, placing the bag on the bed. A delta in the wind. That was all he was told. All he needed to be told. Tia was… He dinnae know what to do about Tia. He had betrayed her trust and for what? One drunken night? A fool Preacher, that’s what you are. He laid out the MK2 delta armor on the bed, then took the T124 Phased Compression rifle to the table and began to disassemble it to check its internals. A habit performed often enough he needed to think little while undertaking it.
Had it been that easy, the look in the girl's eyes, the way she moved her hips, the amount of alcohol in his blood? All of it made him forget Tia momentarily, and then he rolled with the deserved punch. He didn’t know he had done it until she was restrained. The action so drilled it came as second nature to him as the current task of cleaning his weapon. Sometimes you have to know when not to duck. He looked at the chrono, 0330 Monday. Two hours and thirty minutes until rendezvous. He couldn’t sleep. After reconstructing the weapon, he began again, watching the clock and his thoughts.
Niamh
She waited by her shuttle, the old klingon craft was almost out of place among the Risian shuttles if not for a few ferengi and trader craft that shared its age. Nalo had warned her the stabilizers were acting up and Sergei had not had a chance to fix them, not that that drunk ever fixed anything in a timely manner. Still the crew of the Mauk-to-vor had become family or the Vor as they had come to call it. A ship named after ritual suicide as a joke by her Captain had been more of a home than her own vessel within the syndicate. At least on this one she wasn’t always looking over her shoulder.
She watched as she saw Talia approaching with two humans. A man and a woman, both looked to be starfleet marines carrying bags. Good they would need them.
“Niamh we are ready to go.” Talia said as she approached her. “This is Senior Chief Tia Connelly and Senior Chief Kaiden Campbell. They are also friends of your father. Mount up.”
“Glad to have you then.” She addressed them both, they both entered the shuttle without much of a word. “Captain I…” She stopped as she was interrupted.
The small man approached them, his black uniform easily recognizable. The son of a bitch didn’t even hide his evil look. “Ah I was wondering when everyone was going to get here. Shall we go?”
“Lester. Remember our deal.” Talia said coldly. Niamh fought the urge to strike the small man.
“Of course Captain, I step out of line, you kill me. I go into your mind, you kill me. Are you sure you aren't a klingon?” he entered the shuttle laughing. Niamh followed him heading to the cockpit and was soon joined by Talia.
Lester
He looked across at the two Deltas. Good they would need their help. Even if all of them could die and he still completes his task. In the end that was all that mattered. He looked down at the covered tattoo on his arm, the tattoos visible on the male Delta. He shrugged. He could look into his mind to figure out their meaning but he didn’t have to. The initials made it pretty clear. However it was all he could do to block the emotions of regret and anger stemming from the two of them.
“So are you two married?” He smiled, might as well make small talk he mused internally.
“No.” The answer from the woman was laced with anger but also hurt. They were together… but it was obvious now that the current one at fault was the man. Seems to always be the case, my brother.
“Why do you care?” The man’s voice was heavy with an accent.
Lester shrugged, “I don’t really, just making small talk it’s for team endearment.. A lovers’ quarrel often makes for a good story. And comedy for someone. Let me guess, you cheated on her. And now she’s having to decide on whether to forgive you or finally shoot you.”
The woman clenched her jaw, “Maybe I shoot you.” Lester chuckled. That would be something, killed by a Delta for making a joke. Talia probably wouldn’t like what that would mean for her dear Chief though.
“Might want to wait until after we’ve rescued the master chief. Only I know the coordinates of where he’s being held.” He tapped his head with a gloved hand. Then sat back, the two were quiet for the rest of the trip to the Mauk-To-Vor. At least in speech.
Shuttle Fluffybunny
Enroute to Mauk-To-Vor
Risan Sector
Kaiden
Kaiden looked at Tia and felt that same feeling he had been feeling in his stomach since the morning after he awoke with Maggie in his bed unsure of exactly how she got there but easily recognizing what had happened. How could he have been such a damned fool and then with everything that followed. Maybe this mission was exactly what they needed. Or maybe she shot him in the back.
He felt the tell-tale signs of a hard seal and then Captain Talia and the orion woman with an Irish name came out of the cockpit and moved toward the airlock door.
“Alright Deltas remember we are guests.” Talia stood at the door and Tia moved to enter in front of her. Kaiden stood grabbing his bag and stood behind them as the door opened and they were greeted with the smell of alcohol.
“Hello and velcome to the vor, I am your tour guide and engineer Sergei Vasilov. I apologize we are not luxury liner, but at least we do not have hull breach.” The russian man took a sip from a flask. He was wearing a jumpsuit with an old starfleet emblem on it, a tool belt and the stench of a bender that likely had not ended for some time.
Niamh spoke, “Sergei, I am taking Captain Talia and Mr Lester to speak with Kadall. See to it the deltas have a place to load out.” Tia moved toward Talia in protest but was stopped by a subtle wave of her hand.
“Of course, anything for the federation. Especially a captain. Right this way, meatshields.” The drunk engineer staggered and Kaiden followed him. After a short walk through broken down corridors they arrived at what Kaiden recognized as a converted brig. Inside was a rather large nausicaan in one of the cells. “ Sorry Jek, you have roommates for this one.”
“I only signed on because I was supposed to have my own room!” The nausicaan snarled, placing the large weapon he was cleaning on the metal slab that passed for a bed, “But at least this one is pretty.” Kaiden tensed as he moved to protect Tia instinctively only to be surprised when the large Nausicaan moved toward him. “What do you say? pretty boy?”
He heard Tia laugh, “Yeah pretty boy, that seems to be all it takes to get you to jump into bed these days.”
He looked up at the Nausicaan. “Sorry lad not my type.” Kaiden closed a fist.
“I can be real gentle like…” The Nausicaan then started laughing and moved back to his bunk. Kaiden frowned looking for one of his own and then realizing him and Tia would be sharing. He entered the former cell.
“Tia I’ll take the floor if we have to catch rack time.” He placed his bag on a table and started to pull gear as she did the same.
“It’s probably more comfortable than the bed.” She chuckled then looked over at Jek. “The hell has the captain got us into.”
Lester
He could feel the unease on the ship every time someone looked at his uniform. Good that was what it was there for, a reminder of the Federation’s reach. In truth he needed them far more than they needed him. If that fact ever became known he’d likely be heading out an airlock without a suit. They approached the Captain’s office off the main bridge and the orion chimed it.
“Enter.” The gruff sound of a klingon voice greeted them. The first one he’d heard on this ship. When they stepped through the door a klingon man with an eyepatch and facial scar was sitting behind a desk. There was a cot of a more federation design to the side of the room along with several trinkets and a foot locker. It would seem the klingon had converted these quarters. This must be Kadall, smuggler, scoundrel, poor lost soul from a war that failed. He had come to know the crew of this ship through tracking them since they stole the Iconian device and judging from the current state of the ship it was obvious they had not sold it. So far he had seen the disgraced former federation engineer, the ferengi bookkeeper and Niamh. All that remained was the feresan pilot and the orion companion. A regular motley crew.
“Kadall this is Captain Talia and Mr Lester.” Niamh moved over beside them. “They are going to help us get my father back.” The klingon stood moving over to Talia and looking at Lester.
“You Captain, you I know by reputation and things said over bottles of whiskey and bloodwine. You are welcome on my ship.” He made his gaze more intense. Lester fought the urge to grimace as the klingon thoughts turned violent as they always did. “You I also know by reputation. And if Niamh had not said you were needed I would kill you where you stand.”
“Ah Klingon bravado even in those discommendated. At least it is consistent.” Lester placed his hands behind his back. Can’t show weakness now.
The klingon snarled and moved to look down upon him. “Enter your coordinates. And you have my word I will not kill you after. That is If you can trust the word of a dishonored klingon.”
“Of course he can’t but he can trust the word of an honorable one.” The voice came from behind him, an orion who moved with a dancer's grace as she passed them and touched the klingon on the shoulder. “I’ll see our honored guest to some quarters before you have to discuss battle strategy.” she moved over to take Talia’s hand. “I am Sorna.”
“Talia,” She answered the orion taking her hand then looked at him. “I would like to discuss the mission as soon as possible.” The andorian gaze was almost as piercing as a telepath.
Lester nodded, “ Of course Captain after I get us underway it will take me a little time to construct the mission plan in their system.”
Kadall gripped his shoulder. “Come with me, little man.” Lester felt compelled to follow the klingon to the bridge of the ship. “Nalo, please see to it that this petAQ enters the coordinates correctly then get us underway. Severek, prepare the cloak.” Lester looked at the feresian and her saber toothed grin. He entered the coordinates.
Undisclosed Location
Briar Patch
Liam
He pushed, five hundred and thirty one,continuing to count in his head. He couldn’t be sure how many days, or even years he had been in this place. The same four brown walls. The same horrible food. In the beginning he at least had the regular visits from Mr Lester and his assistant. But those had stopped some time ago, as had the interrogations. Now it was simply beatings for sport or entertainment that he sometimes won. His mind drifted to Niamh, hoping she was safe away from everything. Hoping he hadn’t rescued her only for her to get captured by something worse. The Iconians had just invaded. He knew nothing of how that fight had gone. Nothing of how Talia had fared. He pushed on, the strange endurance of this place seemed to drive him. And he waited.
Mauk-To-Vor
5 hours out of Briar Patch Ingress point.
Kaiden
Kaiden stripped his rifle again, the third time in the past hour, sixth since they had come aboard this ship. Tia sat in the bunk listening to music on a personal device. The waiting was the hard part. They had felt the ship enter warp rather suddenly which had thrown them against the bulkhead and placed her in his arms for the first time since before they had left for leave. Even if it had been brief. He finished the rifle construction and checked the charge again.
“You know there is such a thing as playing with it too much.” Tia’s voice called from the bunk before she joined him at the table. “Still I don’t like not knowing what to expect.”
“Something tells me that Lester is not telling us everything. His type never does.” Kaiden handed her the disassembly tool and she started the same ritual.
She started the tear down, “Yeah. Usually gets us types killed.”
Kaiden nodded, “Yeah it usually does lass.” They worked side by side for a while until a small ferengi man came and told them Captain Talia wanted to see them in the mess hall.
Lester
He paced in front of the makeshift mission board. Surprisingly, he had been able to work up a decent plan from his knowledge of the facility. He turned on the archaic klingon viewer to show the facility looking around the room.
“The facility should be heavily guarded, we estimate at least one hundred to one hundred and fifty guards and around fifty prisoners. House Mokai runs this prison without the expressed permission of the Klingon government. But since when is that anything new.” he advanced the display. At least they run it now. Which was all they really needed to know. “While the guards are dangerous most of the prisoners are worse. As such we should not release the cells except for our specific target.”
“Over one hundred klingons and you plan to go in with what, four?” Jek snarled.
Kadall answered, “Seven. Myself Niamh and you will be going with them.”
“I didn’t sign up for no suicide runs at klingon secret prisons.” Jek crossed his arms.
“No you signed up to do what I say and I say you’re going.” Kadall growled back. Klingons and Nausicaans, how far he had fallen.
“He’s right though, I don’t like these odds, Captain.” Tia turned toward Talia. Neither did he but short of attacking battalion strength with a starship, an act that would certainly lead to the execution of all prisoners, they did not have much choice.
“We will have stealth on our side. Lester, what is the rest of your intelligence?” Andorians, predictable to an extent though prudent. He answered her.
“We will move in under cloak and EVA to this point. A beam in would be detected. From there we will move through the facility to this cell block which is where the target is located. The feresian pilot will then detach the shuttle from the Vor and we will be picked up by exfiltrating through this airlock. If we do things correctly, We should only have need to eliminate five, maybe ten guards.” Lester looked to Talia again, judging if she approved of the plan of action.
Talia moved to the screen, “Three things. Niamh is staying back. I am not risking Liam’s daughter to rescue him. Second, why can we not split into two teams and remove the transport inhibitions to expedite exfiltration? And we don’t kill anyone unless we have no other choice.”
Niamh interjected, “Like hell I am! Talia he’s my father and I am not some defenseless little girl.”
Talia simply looked at her, “You know I am right. Besides, some will need to run the mission from here.”
Niamh frowned but acknowledged the captain, “ You better get him back.”
Kadall spoke up, “The Vor’s transporters are close to sixty years old. We rarely trust them with Cargo. But if they are using dispersion fields similar to those employed during our war. There are many generators.“ A smart klingon. Interesting. Lester waited to see if Talia accepted the limitations there was of course a way to disable the transporter inhibitors, but that would require infiltrating the command center and no attempt at doing so would see the person performing the task survive.
The Andorian touched her chin with the shiny artificial arm, “Very well. We’ll still move in two teams. Myself, Lester and Captain Kadall will be team one. Tia, Preacher,” she looked at the Nausicaan.
He grunted, “Jek”.
“Jek, will be team two. Team one will follow team two’s infil until we reach the cellblock, then team two will guard while the chief is located and prepped for extraction; then lead team one out to the exfiltration point.” She turned towards everyone. “Get rest, check your gear. We don’t really have the ability to do a dry run on this one so go over what Lester has provided.”
Jek spoke, “Wait, are we just going to gloss over the fact that she said no killing? I definitely didn’t sign up for no killing.” No one seemed to acknowledge him.
Lester smirked. It would work. The question was what would her reaction be to what actually needed to be done on the station. He watched as everyone left the room.
Niamh
She entered her quarters on the ship, a converted supply closet but it did give her privacy. Her face was wet with tears. How could she bench her? It was her father. The same man she hated for so long only to learn he had thought her and her mother dead and then grew to love only to lose him. How could Talia keep her from this? Maybe she was right, maybe she could better help them from the ship.
It had been four years since he put her on that shuttle and was captured. Four years of searching and that son of a bitch Lester had simply handed them the location. She looked over the plan, it was good. If they had a full team of starfleet marines it might even work. As it stood they had three. She looked at the picture of the two of them she kept beside her bed. Taken almost four years ago then she laid down and closed her eyes.
Niamh awoke to a knock on her door. She sat up, had she fallen asleep? Damn she meant to go over Lester’s plan again, and get her spikes ready to provide technical lead should they need it. How long had she slept?
“Niamh… We are thirty minutes out of sublight approach in briar patch. Captain wants everyone to meet in main cargo bay.” Sergei’s voice came through the door. Then she heard the engineer shamble off. Sergei was an interesting man. He had a thousand stories for why he drank but he’d never shared the real one. Even after all these years, the fact that he rarely was in the same room as Severek likely spoke to the reason. Niamh stood out of bed and holstered a disruptor before moving through the ship.
She passed the two marines and Jek as they went over room clearing as a team. The Nausicaan was clearly not agreeing with the precision of starfleet. He usually acted more as a battering ram, but he was loyal and well damn good in a fight if you need cover. She entered the bridge and found Lester staring at a console. She could kill him right now. She felt her hand slip to the knife on her belt. Slowly drawing it from the sheath before she felt a hand of cold metal touch her.
“Ah Captain, I wondered how far you’d let her go.” Lester turned to face her as Talia looked at her with a knowing grin. “It seems sleepy beauty has finally awoke.”
“One Day I will kill you monster.” Niamh removed her hand from her knife.
“Perhaps, perhaps not. The galaxy is an interesting place.” Lester turned back toward the screen then addressed Nala. “That should be the updated patrol routes. I am quite certain the pattern is accurate. You should be able to avoid detection by following this flight path. If you are detected, send back the codes and they should ignore us. Mokai comm practices are not very thorough.”
Kadall, “ You underestimate them, they are still klingons.”
Lester laughed, it seemed to be a real laugh. She hated him for it, the thought he could take joy in anything flushed her with anger.
“Yes of course, and when the federation tells them how to do their jobs right, they may actually do it.” Lester walked with his hands behind his back. “Captain, I would prepare yourself.”
Talia retorted, “I am always ready.”
Undisclosed Location
Briar Patch
Liam
“Human, here is your dinner. I hope you have a taste for Targ, over cooked.” The meat that shared more in common with boot leather was thrown into his cell and the guard left. He took the meat and chewed on it. Then he heard the voice in his head.
“Hey don’t complain, at least they didn’t urinate on it that time.” The light voice was his sole companion for these past couple years. Nightstar, as she told him, was being held near him, a political prisoner and a betazoid. She often entered his mind to talk when the telepathic suppression drugs were weakening. “Still narrating to yourself old man? Remember I can read it.”
“You know lass it isn’t really fair, I can’t relive a lot of my better memories with you watching me.”
“At least you have them, I am afraid I won’t see anything other than this cell for the next 400 years or so. Metagenic regeneration is a bitch.”
Liam laughed as he chewed on the targ. “Why 400?”
“Because by that time I’ll have figured out telekinesis.”
“Make sure to get me out when you do.”
“I heard them talking about moving me off base though. Something about having a better use for me than the tests. I am afraid.”
“Don’t be lass, maybe they are planning on releasing you for ransom this time.”
“Maybe. They are coming for me again now.”
Mauk-To-Vor
Zero Hour
Kaiden checked through the suits final checks and the weapon indication on the hud before stepping into the airlock. He looked around. Everyone was in combat grade exosuits. Jek’s seemed cobbled together from many different ones. Talia was in delta armor as well. When he looked at Lester he frowned. The spook was wearing a black exosuit. Its design was reminiscent of Maco as well. The Klingon was wearing a relic. The type of armor worn by Klingon shock troops in the 2390s.
“Alright let’s move swift, move silent and no killing. Unless we have to. You know your jobs, do them with strength and honor.” Talia checked her own rifle and Tia repeated the challenge.
“Strength and Honor” Kaiden said it as well.
“Maybe just strength, we are doing a bit of thieving.” Jek laughed.
Niamh’s voice filled their helmets.
“Dagger this is Cloak, I am reading all of you and have just gained back door access into the airlock. Stand by for EVA on my Go.” Well she changed the callsigns. I guess she didn’t like Falcon and Nest.
Lester let out a sigh audible on the comm, “I hope you did not freelance anything else from the plan orion.”
“Only the part about you getting out alive. Monster.”
Kadall growled, “Comm discipline.”
Sergei sealed the airlock behind them, and Kaiden watched as the airlock opened to space.
“Disengage maglocks” The boarding party began to float.
“Dagger Go. Go. Go.” Kaiden pushed off and let his suit thrusters guide him through the orange hued externals towards the airlock facing them. It was a short eva, upon approaching he took position on either side as Jek activated the door.
He leveled his weapon and entered panning to his right while the hud showed him Tia covering the left. Nothing but the brown old walls of a klingon facility greeted them. The projected objective map showing the target two levels above them. He moved in further to clear then dropped to a knee and held watching a door.
“Dagger has a hard seal. 2 you have point.” Talia’s command came over his helmet.
“Copy, 1, 2 Moving.” Kaiden moved toward the door with Tia and Jek taking position on the side. The door opened and he moved through. Quickly and quietly. He moved up the corridor toward a fork following the main route. The proximity alarms on his helmet showed a heat signature moving toward them. He flattened to the wall and waited.
The Klingon walked into view with his eyes not seeing him. He reached out, grabbed and with an armor assisted strike he struck the klingon between the 4th and 6th vertebrae at the tertiary nerve cluster which caused the klingon to go limp, then he pulled him to the ground. “1, 2 Contact. He’s sleeping like a baby.”
“I still think we should kill em.” Jek grunted.
“Nice moves,” Tia nodded her helmet as he returned to the point position.
He continued to move through the facility. Strangely they encountered no further resistance. They arrived outside the designated target area. He took a position watching the ingress point to the next area as Talia, Kadall and Lester moved past them.
“Team 1 keep watch.” Talia followed Kadall into the area.
Talia
The door opened before her, the helmet hud scanning as she readied her weapon. The klingon led them in. This was too easy and convenient. A single encounter on their path toward the cells? Lester wasn’t telling her something and it made her Antennae twitch. A part of her wanted to punch Liam the first time she saw him. He was Keth and while she had understood his need to find his daughter… He picked a damn inopportune time to do it. Then, to be captured and imprisoned. Had she failed him for letting this sit so long?
“This should be it,” Lester moved to a door.
“I don’t like this, I don’t like this one bit.” Kadall shifted his weight and leveled his weapon.
“Sometimes the Lady is kind. Open it Lester.” Talia turned. Toward the door. Then in her mind the worm’s voice.
“Trust me.”
The door opened and Liam stood there, he looked younger, the scar on his face was even smaller. She could tell he had not expected it to be her. There were chains around his waist and the deck.
Talia walked forward but felt Lester’s hand hold her back. She watched the klingon head in to remove the chains.
Niamh
“Something’s wrong I am detecting a power build up in the base disruptors, They are firing!” Niamh watched in horror, knowing that if they had detected them while cloaked there was nothing they could do but be destroyed.
The shot from the disruptor lanced green against the orange backdrop of the Briar Patch striking a patch of metreon gas near an asteroid, the explosion was brilliant and all that remained was the faint readings of warp plasma and dust.
Talia
The voice came over the intercom, shrill and broken, more like the voice of a villian in a bad holoprogram. Talia raised her weapon.
“Ah interesting, what little mice did I catch in my trap? Oh Lester dear, did you think you’d double cross our deal? It was supposed to be a trade, not a prison break.” A hologram of an orion woman appeared on the deck as klingon warriors filed in from the cells near them. She was outnumbered and trapped. A part of her wanted to fight her way out, told her she'd been in worse scrapes than this. Then she looked at her arm and remembered.
“Oh but it is, you really think I didn’t feel those klingons.” Lester turned his weapon on Kadall, “A Captain for a daughter. I trust the tracking beacon allowed you to find their ship and destroy it?” Talia clenched her fist. She could kill Lester at least. At that moment her eyes met Liam’s and something told her to hold her fire. “Where is my daughter?”
The voice called back, “Did you think it would be that easy? She’s safe, I’d never harm my favorite pet, Mokai has better plans for her. Bring them all to me.”
Lester took the rifle from Talia and then motioned for them to bring O’Donegan and Kadall and the klingons seemed to hesitate a moment… but then comply.
Kaiden
A few moments earlier.
“I donnae like this.” He kept scanning the ingress points to their position. “Feel like we are sitting ducks out here.” His hud lit up, multiple inbound signatures. “1 we have inbound… 1?” The comms were being jammed. And the door slammed locked. “I definitely donnae like this.” Tia attempted to get the door open while he and Jek covered the two hallways. The door was under full lockdown and the signatures were getting closer. Then in his mind, a voice, “run, hide, retrieve us at the CIC”. “Tia, Jek, we got inbound , we need to make ourselves scarce.”
“I hate running from a fight.” Jek moved away, heading down the hall away from the signatures.
“Kaiden? What the hell?” He could see her disagreement even through the visor.
“Don’t ask me how lass, comms are jammed, I think Captain Talia sent a message through the teep. Something’s gone wrong, we need to regroup and try to make it to the CIC of this station.” he moved to follow Jek. Tia stacked and moved with them. Jek led them into a storage area.
“Good going we are at a dead end.” Tia said sarcastically.
“Good a place to lay low while we figure out a plan.” Kaiden smiled at her in his helmet then immediately checked to see if comms were feeding at all.
Jek took a position watching the door. “I say we shoot our way through, get them and get out. All this sneaking around don’t much sit right on me.” He silently agreed with the nausicaan, why was nothing ever easy….
To be continued...
daedalusomega.proboards.com/thread/7269/semper-invictus
Risa
July 2423
Niamh
The world faded in from black, she was still in the cave. Her feet were unbound now and her head pounded like she had been on a bloodwine bender. The echo of Lester’s voice was still within her mind. She shook and looked up to see the Andorian before her. Talia. Her father's friend. She appeared different than the last time she saw her across a viewscreen. Her arm was obviously no longer her own. It would seem the years since they had last seen each other had not been easy. War never was. Niamh had tried to stay away from it. On the run. Keeping an ear out for any signs of her father.
Risa, a pleasure planet, she should have known it was a trap. The information was found far too easily. Lester had planted it, she still did not understand why after all these years of hunting her he had decided to lay a trap now only to free her and use her to elicit help. It made no sense. She stood and addressed her companion.
“Captain, I am sorry he made me lure you here.” She was sorry, a part of her wanted to just leave, see if she could rescue her father on her own but a Starfleet Captain might make this easier.
“That is alright, old friend, we will be needing a ship.” The andorian’s voice was calm yet intense, a resolution to action Niamh had rarely heard. She approached her, the blue hand placed on her shoulder, “ We will get him back Niamh.”
She dipped her head feeling as though the result was now certain that they would succeed. “My shuttle is docked in the main transit plaza. We can leave as soon as you are ready, Captain.”
“Good, there are a few people I need to enlist to aid us. We leave in two days. I will send word.” Talia turned and left the cave. And then Niamh followed her.
Lester
Lester walked along the resort boardwalk. Talia was right. They all were. His life until now had always had one driving purpose. The protection of the federation by any means necessary and the protection of telepaths lest they become slave weapons not under their own control. But had he been guilty of the same things he sought to protect for the greater good? How many minds had he left shattered? A phaser allowed you to store an awful lot of skeletons in the closet, reduced to ash. Truthfully this had been the first time in a long time he wore his current uniform. Did he do it for intimidation or merely so she would recognize the badge?
As he moved he spotted someone, another ghost from his past. The trill woman was aged, sad, even from here he could hear the conflicting voices within her mind. Strange to think that she was the beginning of this so long ago. Well not her, the host before. She was just another innocent bystander trapped in a web of lies and atrocities committed in the name of patriotism. Only this was yet an opportunity to right a wrong so long ago committed. He reached out with his mind.
The Trill’s mind was an ocean, thirteen separate currents all trying to flow in different directions. The nexus point, yes he could see it. He attempted to remove it… and failed. His lover was far stronger than he ever was and her block was still in place. He reached into her mind and planted a memory, one he hoped would see her receive the help she needed, and moved on.
His room was traditional, the risian architecture seeking to induce a sense of calm. He frowned as he looked in the mirror. The badge reflecting gold and black. He removed it placing it on the desk in front of him. He then removed his jacket, the undershirt remaining. He reached for the medical device in front of him. Though less of a medical device and more of a cosmetic tool.
“It’s time to turn back the clock. For her.” He ran the device over his forearm and slowly the color returned to a mark, the emblem of Starfleet MACO, the words, the creed he used to call his own long before the black suit and gloves. “Semper Invictus.”
Kaiden
Kaiden sighed carrying the large equipment bag from the transit plaza. A rapid return to Sentinel and back had not allowed him much sleep. He went to his room, placing the bag on the bed. A delta in the wind. That was all he was told. All he needed to be told. Tia was… He dinnae know what to do about Tia. He had betrayed her trust and for what? One drunken night? A fool Preacher, that’s what you are. He laid out the MK2 delta armor on the bed, then took the T124 Phased Compression rifle to the table and began to disassemble it to check its internals. A habit performed often enough he needed to think little while undertaking it.
Had it been that easy, the look in the girl's eyes, the way she moved her hips, the amount of alcohol in his blood? All of it made him forget Tia momentarily, and then he rolled with the deserved punch. He didn’t know he had done it until she was restrained. The action so drilled it came as second nature to him as the current task of cleaning his weapon. Sometimes you have to know when not to duck. He looked at the chrono, 0330 Monday. Two hours and thirty minutes until rendezvous. He couldn’t sleep. After reconstructing the weapon, he began again, watching the clock and his thoughts.
Niamh
She waited by her shuttle, the old klingon craft was almost out of place among the Risian shuttles if not for a few ferengi and trader craft that shared its age. Nalo had warned her the stabilizers were acting up and Sergei had not had a chance to fix them, not that that drunk ever fixed anything in a timely manner. Still the crew of the Mauk-to-vor had become family or the Vor as they had come to call it. A ship named after ritual suicide as a joke by her Captain had been more of a home than her own vessel within the syndicate. At least on this one she wasn’t always looking over her shoulder.
She watched as she saw Talia approaching with two humans. A man and a woman, both looked to be starfleet marines carrying bags. Good they would need them.
“Niamh we are ready to go.” Talia said as she approached her. “This is Senior Chief Tia Connelly and Senior Chief Kaiden Campbell. They are also friends of your father. Mount up.”
“Glad to have you then.” She addressed them both, they both entered the shuttle without much of a word. “Captain I…” She stopped as she was interrupted.
The small man approached them, his black uniform easily recognizable. The son of a bitch didn’t even hide his evil look. “Ah I was wondering when everyone was going to get here. Shall we go?”
“Lester. Remember our deal.” Talia said coldly. Niamh fought the urge to strike the small man.
“Of course Captain, I step out of line, you kill me. I go into your mind, you kill me. Are you sure you aren't a klingon?” he entered the shuttle laughing. Niamh followed him heading to the cockpit and was soon joined by Talia.
Lester
He looked across at the two Deltas. Good they would need their help. Even if all of them could die and he still completes his task. In the end that was all that mattered. He looked down at the covered tattoo on his arm, the tattoos visible on the male Delta. He shrugged. He could look into his mind to figure out their meaning but he didn’t have to. The initials made it pretty clear. However it was all he could do to block the emotions of regret and anger stemming from the two of them.
“So are you two married?” He smiled, might as well make small talk he mused internally.
“No.” The answer from the woman was laced with anger but also hurt. They were together… but it was obvious now that the current one at fault was the man. Seems to always be the case, my brother.
“Why do you care?” The man’s voice was heavy with an accent.
Lester shrugged, “I don’t really, just making small talk it’s for team endearment.. A lovers’ quarrel often makes for a good story. And comedy for someone. Let me guess, you cheated on her. And now she’s having to decide on whether to forgive you or finally shoot you.”
The woman clenched her jaw, “Maybe I shoot you.” Lester chuckled. That would be something, killed by a Delta for making a joke. Talia probably wouldn’t like what that would mean for her dear Chief though.
“Might want to wait until after we’ve rescued the master chief. Only I know the coordinates of where he’s being held.” He tapped his head with a gloved hand. Then sat back, the two were quiet for the rest of the trip to the Mauk-To-Vor. At least in speech.
Shuttle Fluffybunny
Enroute to Mauk-To-Vor
Risan Sector
Kaiden
Kaiden looked at Tia and felt that same feeling he had been feeling in his stomach since the morning after he awoke with Maggie in his bed unsure of exactly how she got there but easily recognizing what had happened. How could he have been such a damned fool and then with everything that followed. Maybe this mission was exactly what they needed. Or maybe she shot him in the back.
He felt the tell-tale signs of a hard seal and then Captain Talia and the orion woman with an Irish name came out of the cockpit and moved toward the airlock door.
“Alright Deltas remember we are guests.” Talia stood at the door and Tia moved to enter in front of her. Kaiden stood grabbing his bag and stood behind them as the door opened and they were greeted with the smell of alcohol.
“Hello and velcome to the vor, I am your tour guide and engineer Sergei Vasilov. I apologize we are not luxury liner, but at least we do not have hull breach.” The russian man took a sip from a flask. He was wearing a jumpsuit with an old starfleet emblem on it, a tool belt and the stench of a bender that likely had not ended for some time.
Niamh spoke, “Sergei, I am taking Captain Talia and Mr Lester to speak with Kadall. See to it the deltas have a place to load out.” Tia moved toward Talia in protest but was stopped by a subtle wave of her hand.
“Of course, anything for the federation. Especially a captain. Right this way, meatshields.” The drunk engineer staggered and Kaiden followed him. After a short walk through broken down corridors they arrived at what Kaiden recognized as a converted brig. Inside was a rather large nausicaan in one of the cells. “ Sorry Jek, you have roommates for this one.”
“I only signed on because I was supposed to have my own room!” The nausicaan snarled, placing the large weapon he was cleaning on the metal slab that passed for a bed, “But at least this one is pretty.” Kaiden tensed as he moved to protect Tia instinctively only to be surprised when the large Nausicaan moved toward him. “What do you say? pretty boy?”
He heard Tia laugh, “Yeah pretty boy, that seems to be all it takes to get you to jump into bed these days.”
He looked up at the Nausicaan. “Sorry lad not my type.” Kaiden closed a fist.
“I can be real gentle like…” The Nausicaan then started laughing and moved back to his bunk. Kaiden frowned looking for one of his own and then realizing him and Tia would be sharing. He entered the former cell.
“Tia I’ll take the floor if we have to catch rack time.” He placed his bag on a table and started to pull gear as she did the same.
“It’s probably more comfortable than the bed.” She chuckled then looked over at Jek. “The hell has the captain got us into.”
Lester
He could feel the unease on the ship every time someone looked at his uniform. Good that was what it was there for, a reminder of the Federation’s reach. In truth he needed them far more than they needed him. If that fact ever became known he’d likely be heading out an airlock without a suit. They approached the Captain’s office off the main bridge and the orion chimed it.
“Enter.” The gruff sound of a klingon voice greeted them. The first one he’d heard on this ship. When they stepped through the door a klingon man with an eyepatch and facial scar was sitting behind a desk. There was a cot of a more federation design to the side of the room along with several trinkets and a foot locker. It would seem the klingon had converted these quarters. This must be Kadall, smuggler, scoundrel, poor lost soul from a war that failed. He had come to know the crew of this ship through tracking them since they stole the Iconian device and judging from the current state of the ship it was obvious they had not sold it. So far he had seen the disgraced former federation engineer, the ferengi bookkeeper and Niamh. All that remained was the feresan pilot and the orion companion. A regular motley crew.
“Kadall this is Captain Talia and Mr Lester.” Niamh moved over beside them. “They are going to help us get my father back.” The klingon stood moving over to Talia and looking at Lester.
“You Captain, you I know by reputation and things said over bottles of whiskey and bloodwine. You are welcome on my ship.” He made his gaze more intense. Lester fought the urge to grimace as the klingon thoughts turned violent as they always did. “You I also know by reputation. And if Niamh had not said you were needed I would kill you where you stand.”
“Ah Klingon bravado even in those discommendated. At least it is consistent.” Lester placed his hands behind his back. Can’t show weakness now.
The klingon snarled and moved to look down upon him. “Enter your coordinates. And you have my word I will not kill you after. That is If you can trust the word of a dishonored klingon.”
“Of course he can’t but he can trust the word of an honorable one.” The voice came from behind him, an orion who moved with a dancer's grace as she passed them and touched the klingon on the shoulder. “I’ll see our honored guest to some quarters before you have to discuss battle strategy.” she moved over to take Talia’s hand. “I am Sorna.”
“Talia,” She answered the orion taking her hand then looked at him. “I would like to discuss the mission as soon as possible.” The andorian gaze was almost as piercing as a telepath.
Lester nodded, “ Of course Captain after I get us underway it will take me a little time to construct the mission plan in their system.”
Kadall gripped his shoulder. “Come with me, little man.” Lester felt compelled to follow the klingon to the bridge of the ship. “Nalo, please see to it that this petAQ enters the coordinates correctly then get us underway. Severek, prepare the cloak.” Lester looked at the feresian and her saber toothed grin. He entered the coordinates.
Undisclosed Location
Briar Patch
Liam
He pushed, five hundred and thirty one,continuing to count in his head. He couldn’t be sure how many days, or even years he had been in this place. The same four brown walls. The same horrible food. In the beginning he at least had the regular visits from Mr Lester and his assistant. But those had stopped some time ago, as had the interrogations. Now it was simply beatings for sport or entertainment that he sometimes won. His mind drifted to Niamh, hoping she was safe away from everything. Hoping he hadn’t rescued her only for her to get captured by something worse. The Iconians had just invaded. He knew nothing of how that fight had gone. Nothing of how Talia had fared. He pushed on, the strange endurance of this place seemed to drive him. And he waited.
Mauk-To-Vor
5 hours out of Briar Patch Ingress point.
Kaiden
Kaiden stripped his rifle again, the third time in the past hour, sixth since they had come aboard this ship. Tia sat in the bunk listening to music on a personal device. The waiting was the hard part. They had felt the ship enter warp rather suddenly which had thrown them against the bulkhead and placed her in his arms for the first time since before they had left for leave. Even if it had been brief. He finished the rifle construction and checked the charge again.
“You know there is such a thing as playing with it too much.” Tia’s voice called from the bunk before she joined him at the table. “Still I don’t like not knowing what to expect.”
“Something tells me that Lester is not telling us everything. His type never does.” Kaiden handed her the disassembly tool and she started the same ritual.
She started the tear down, “Yeah. Usually gets us types killed.”
Kaiden nodded, “Yeah it usually does lass.” They worked side by side for a while until a small ferengi man came and told them Captain Talia wanted to see them in the mess hall.
Lester
He paced in front of the makeshift mission board. Surprisingly, he had been able to work up a decent plan from his knowledge of the facility. He turned on the archaic klingon viewer to show the facility looking around the room.
“The facility should be heavily guarded, we estimate at least one hundred to one hundred and fifty guards and around fifty prisoners. House Mokai runs this prison without the expressed permission of the Klingon government. But since when is that anything new.” he advanced the display. At least they run it now. Which was all they really needed to know. “While the guards are dangerous most of the prisoners are worse. As such we should not release the cells except for our specific target.”
“Over one hundred klingons and you plan to go in with what, four?” Jek snarled.
Kadall answered, “Seven. Myself Niamh and you will be going with them.”
“I didn’t sign up for no suicide runs at klingon secret prisons.” Jek crossed his arms.
“No you signed up to do what I say and I say you’re going.” Kadall growled back. Klingons and Nausicaans, how far he had fallen.
“He’s right though, I don’t like these odds, Captain.” Tia turned toward Talia. Neither did he but short of attacking battalion strength with a starship, an act that would certainly lead to the execution of all prisoners, they did not have much choice.
“We will have stealth on our side. Lester, what is the rest of your intelligence?” Andorians, predictable to an extent though prudent. He answered her.
“We will move in under cloak and EVA to this point. A beam in would be detected. From there we will move through the facility to this cell block which is where the target is located. The feresian pilot will then detach the shuttle from the Vor and we will be picked up by exfiltrating through this airlock. If we do things correctly, We should only have need to eliminate five, maybe ten guards.” Lester looked to Talia again, judging if she approved of the plan of action.
Talia moved to the screen, “Three things. Niamh is staying back. I am not risking Liam’s daughter to rescue him. Second, why can we not split into two teams and remove the transport inhibitions to expedite exfiltration? And we don’t kill anyone unless we have no other choice.”
Niamh interjected, “Like hell I am! Talia he’s my father and I am not some defenseless little girl.”
Talia simply looked at her, “You know I am right. Besides, some will need to run the mission from here.”
Niamh frowned but acknowledged the captain, “ You better get him back.”
Kadall spoke up, “The Vor’s transporters are close to sixty years old. We rarely trust them with Cargo. But if they are using dispersion fields similar to those employed during our war. There are many generators.“ A smart klingon. Interesting. Lester waited to see if Talia accepted the limitations there was of course a way to disable the transporter inhibitors, but that would require infiltrating the command center and no attempt at doing so would see the person performing the task survive.
The Andorian touched her chin with the shiny artificial arm, “Very well. We’ll still move in two teams. Myself, Lester and Captain Kadall will be team one. Tia, Preacher,” she looked at the Nausicaan.
He grunted, “Jek”.
“Jek, will be team two. Team one will follow team two’s infil until we reach the cellblock, then team two will guard while the chief is located and prepped for extraction; then lead team one out to the exfiltration point.” She turned towards everyone. “Get rest, check your gear. We don’t really have the ability to do a dry run on this one so go over what Lester has provided.”
Jek spoke, “Wait, are we just going to gloss over the fact that she said no killing? I definitely didn’t sign up for no killing.” No one seemed to acknowledge him.
Lester smirked. It would work. The question was what would her reaction be to what actually needed to be done on the station. He watched as everyone left the room.
Niamh
She entered her quarters on the ship, a converted supply closet but it did give her privacy. Her face was wet with tears. How could she bench her? It was her father. The same man she hated for so long only to learn he had thought her and her mother dead and then grew to love only to lose him. How could Talia keep her from this? Maybe she was right, maybe she could better help them from the ship.
It had been four years since he put her on that shuttle and was captured. Four years of searching and that son of a bitch Lester had simply handed them the location. She looked over the plan, it was good. If they had a full team of starfleet marines it might even work. As it stood they had three. She looked at the picture of the two of them she kept beside her bed. Taken almost four years ago then she laid down and closed her eyes.
Niamh awoke to a knock on her door. She sat up, had she fallen asleep? Damn she meant to go over Lester’s plan again, and get her spikes ready to provide technical lead should they need it. How long had she slept?
“Niamh… We are thirty minutes out of sublight approach in briar patch. Captain wants everyone to meet in main cargo bay.” Sergei’s voice came through the door. Then she heard the engineer shamble off. Sergei was an interesting man. He had a thousand stories for why he drank but he’d never shared the real one. Even after all these years, the fact that he rarely was in the same room as Severek likely spoke to the reason. Niamh stood out of bed and holstered a disruptor before moving through the ship.
She passed the two marines and Jek as they went over room clearing as a team. The Nausicaan was clearly not agreeing with the precision of starfleet. He usually acted more as a battering ram, but he was loyal and well damn good in a fight if you need cover. She entered the bridge and found Lester staring at a console. She could kill him right now. She felt her hand slip to the knife on her belt. Slowly drawing it from the sheath before she felt a hand of cold metal touch her.
“Ah Captain, I wondered how far you’d let her go.” Lester turned to face her as Talia looked at her with a knowing grin. “It seems sleepy beauty has finally awoke.”
“One Day I will kill you monster.” Niamh removed her hand from her knife.
“Perhaps, perhaps not. The galaxy is an interesting place.” Lester turned back toward the screen then addressed Nala. “That should be the updated patrol routes. I am quite certain the pattern is accurate. You should be able to avoid detection by following this flight path. If you are detected, send back the codes and they should ignore us. Mokai comm practices are not very thorough.”
Kadall, “ You underestimate them, they are still klingons.”
Lester laughed, it seemed to be a real laugh. She hated him for it, the thought he could take joy in anything flushed her with anger.
“Yes of course, and when the federation tells them how to do their jobs right, they may actually do it.” Lester walked with his hands behind his back. “Captain, I would prepare yourself.”
Talia retorted, “I am always ready.”
Undisclosed Location
Briar Patch
Liam
“Human, here is your dinner. I hope you have a taste for Targ, over cooked.” The meat that shared more in common with boot leather was thrown into his cell and the guard left. He took the meat and chewed on it. Then he heard the voice in his head.
“Hey don’t complain, at least they didn’t urinate on it that time.” The light voice was his sole companion for these past couple years. Nightstar, as she told him, was being held near him, a political prisoner and a betazoid. She often entered his mind to talk when the telepathic suppression drugs were weakening. “Still narrating to yourself old man? Remember I can read it.”
“You know lass it isn’t really fair, I can’t relive a lot of my better memories with you watching me.”
“At least you have them, I am afraid I won’t see anything other than this cell for the next 400 years or so. Metagenic regeneration is a bitch.”
Liam laughed as he chewed on the targ. “Why 400?”
“Because by that time I’ll have figured out telekinesis.”
“Make sure to get me out when you do.”
“I heard them talking about moving me off base though. Something about having a better use for me than the tests. I am afraid.”
“Don’t be lass, maybe they are planning on releasing you for ransom this time.”
“Maybe. They are coming for me again now.”
Mauk-To-Vor
Zero Hour
Kaiden checked through the suits final checks and the weapon indication on the hud before stepping into the airlock. He looked around. Everyone was in combat grade exosuits. Jek’s seemed cobbled together from many different ones. Talia was in delta armor as well. When he looked at Lester he frowned. The spook was wearing a black exosuit. Its design was reminiscent of Maco as well. The Klingon was wearing a relic. The type of armor worn by Klingon shock troops in the 2390s.
“Alright let’s move swift, move silent and no killing. Unless we have to. You know your jobs, do them with strength and honor.” Talia checked her own rifle and Tia repeated the challenge.
“Strength and Honor” Kaiden said it as well.
“Maybe just strength, we are doing a bit of thieving.” Jek laughed.
Niamh’s voice filled their helmets.
“Dagger this is Cloak, I am reading all of you and have just gained back door access into the airlock. Stand by for EVA on my Go.” Well she changed the callsigns. I guess she didn’t like Falcon and Nest.
Lester let out a sigh audible on the comm, “I hope you did not freelance anything else from the plan orion.”
“Only the part about you getting out alive. Monster.”
Kadall growled, “Comm discipline.”
Sergei sealed the airlock behind them, and Kaiden watched as the airlock opened to space.
“Disengage maglocks” The boarding party began to float.
“Dagger Go. Go. Go.” Kaiden pushed off and let his suit thrusters guide him through the orange hued externals towards the airlock facing them. It was a short eva, upon approaching he took position on either side as Jek activated the door.
He leveled his weapon and entered panning to his right while the hud showed him Tia covering the left. Nothing but the brown old walls of a klingon facility greeted them. The projected objective map showing the target two levels above them. He moved in further to clear then dropped to a knee and held watching a door.
“Dagger has a hard seal. 2 you have point.” Talia’s command came over his helmet.
“Copy, 1, 2 Moving.” Kaiden moved toward the door with Tia and Jek taking position on the side. The door opened and he moved through. Quickly and quietly. He moved up the corridor toward a fork following the main route. The proximity alarms on his helmet showed a heat signature moving toward them. He flattened to the wall and waited.
The Klingon walked into view with his eyes not seeing him. He reached out, grabbed and with an armor assisted strike he struck the klingon between the 4th and 6th vertebrae at the tertiary nerve cluster which caused the klingon to go limp, then he pulled him to the ground. “1, 2 Contact. He’s sleeping like a baby.”
“I still think we should kill em.” Jek grunted.
“Nice moves,” Tia nodded her helmet as he returned to the point position.
He continued to move through the facility. Strangely they encountered no further resistance. They arrived outside the designated target area. He took a position watching the ingress point to the next area as Talia, Kadall and Lester moved past them.
“Team 1 keep watch.” Talia followed Kadall into the area.
Talia
The door opened before her, the helmet hud scanning as she readied her weapon. The klingon led them in. This was too easy and convenient. A single encounter on their path toward the cells? Lester wasn’t telling her something and it made her Antennae twitch. A part of her wanted to punch Liam the first time she saw him. He was Keth and while she had understood his need to find his daughter… He picked a damn inopportune time to do it. Then, to be captured and imprisoned. Had she failed him for letting this sit so long?
“This should be it,” Lester moved to a door.
“I don’t like this, I don’t like this one bit.” Kadall shifted his weight and leveled his weapon.
“Sometimes the Lady is kind. Open it Lester.” Talia turned. Toward the door. Then in her mind the worm’s voice.
“Trust me.”
The door opened and Liam stood there, he looked younger, the scar on his face was even smaller. She could tell he had not expected it to be her. There were chains around his waist and the deck.
Talia walked forward but felt Lester’s hand hold her back. She watched the klingon head in to remove the chains.
Niamh
“Something’s wrong I am detecting a power build up in the base disruptors, They are firing!” Niamh watched in horror, knowing that if they had detected them while cloaked there was nothing they could do but be destroyed.
The shot from the disruptor lanced green against the orange backdrop of the Briar Patch striking a patch of metreon gas near an asteroid, the explosion was brilliant and all that remained was the faint readings of warp plasma and dust.
Talia
The voice came over the intercom, shrill and broken, more like the voice of a villian in a bad holoprogram. Talia raised her weapon.
“Ah interesting, what little mice did I catch in my trap? Oh Lester dear, did you think you’d double cross our deal? It was supposed to be a trade, not a prison break.” A hologram of an orion woman appeared on the deck as klingon warriors filed in from the cells near them. She was outnumbered and trapped. A part of her wanted to fight her way out, told her she'd been in worse scrapes than this. Then she looked at her arm and remembered.
“Oh but it is, you really think I didn’t feel those klingons.” Lester turned his weapon on Kadall, “A Captain for a daughter. I trust the tracking beacon allowed you to find their ship and destroy it?” Talia clenched her fist. She could kill Lester at least. At that moment her eyes met Liam’s and something told her to hold her fire. “Where is my daughter?”
The voice called back, “Did you think it would be that easy? She’s safe, I’d never harm my favorite pet, Mokai has better plans for her. Bring them all to me.”
Lester took the rifle from Talia and then motioned for them to bring O’Donegan and Kadall and the klingons seemed to hesitate a moment… but then comply.
Kaiden
A few moments earlier.
“I donnae like this.” He kept scanning the ingress points to their position. “Feel like we are sitting ducks out here.” His hud lit up, multiple inbound signatures. “1 we have inbound… 1?” The comms were being jammed. And the door slammed locked. “I definitely donnae like this.” Tia attempted to get the door open while he and Jek covered the two hallways. The door was under full lockdown and the signatures were getting closer. Then in his mind, a voice, “run, hide, retrieve us at the CIC”. “Tia, Jek, we got inbound , we need to make ourselves scarce.”
“I hate running from a fight.” Jek moved away, heading down the hall away from the signatures.
“Kaiden? What the hell?” He could see her disagreement even through the visor.
“Don’t ask me how lass, comms are jammed, I think Captain Talia sent a message through the teep. Something’s gone wrong, we need to regroup and try to make it to the CIC of this station.” he moved to follow Jek. Tia stacked and moved with them. Jek led them into a storage area.
“Good going we are at a dead end.” Tia said sarcastically.
“Good a place to lay low while we figure out a plan.” Kaiden smiled at her in his helmet then immediately checked to see if comms were feeding at all.
Jek took a position watching the door. “I say we shoot our way through, get them and get out. All this sneaking around don’t much sit right on me.” He silently agreed with the nausicaan, why was nothing ever easy….
To be continued...