A Game of Cat & Mouse, Part II of II

Posted on Thu Jun 13, 2019 @ 11:58pm by Civilian 'Key Holder' Yolanthe Ibalin & Lieutenant Alanna Wells

1,534 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Doors of Perception
Location: DS5 VIP Visitors suites, Deck 24
Timeline: MD9 1900 hours

Previously, in A Cat & Mouse Game...

Sovok brought his queen down from its starting level, and swept her pawn from the board, replacing it with a decisive click of the piece against the frosted glass, leaving the powerful piece to dominate the centre board. "Will your people truly let us go?"

And now the conclusion.

"As long as they feel it safe to do so," she replied. She moved her knight, taking another of his pawns. "Will you let the Andorian and his group stay here?"

Sovok considered the board, then took her knight with one of her own pawns. "There are circumstances in which I could make that accommodation. Why do you care? They're nothing to anyone here."

"Because we care about people," she said. "We don't want to send them back to die." She quickly took another pawn to keep the game going. "What are the circumstances?"

"Your compassion is misplaced in this instance. Shavias Ch’zath has a body count in three figures. He and his friends have orphaned hundreds, maimed thousands. He can stay here after I've personally executed him and incinerated the body." He moved his bishop to threaten her king, but safe from being taken.

She wondered what his body count was. Alanna moved another piece to protect her king, but it left two other pieces vulnerable. Too late, she realized her mistake.

"I think the harsh reality I have to live with has rattled you." Sovok smiled. There was nothing warm in it. "I'll give you another example. That Betazoid they came through with. She is - well, was - one of the most powerful telepaths we'd ever seen. She used her skills to pull people's secrets right out of their brain. And not just troop movements, but things like launch codes, pass words. Home addresses. When Ch'zath wants to keep the body count down he eschews public settings, for just torpedoing a target whilst they puts their children to bed." He took her bishop with his own. "Are you sure you know which of us is the monster?"

"That's why I'm here," she said. "Well, one of the reasons." Her honesty wasn't going to change anything. Her own people had gone to great lengths to preserve their freedom. She considered the board while she mulled over his comments. She also tried to get a general feel for him. She moved her knight and took his pawn. "If you go back to your reality, will you leave us alone?"

"Leaving you alone would be terribly disappointing." He moved his own knight, lifting it, whilst he thought about moving it. He had only good options for it. "But my hands are full enough there without tying to make gains here, so yes." He decided, and took a pawn. "Are your morals absolute, or would you accept a compromise? Would you let me have Ch'zath if I let his woman and the betazoid whore stay?"

"No, but the choice isn't mine to make," she said. It was probably not a good idea to be so honest, but she couldn't lie about that. "The Federation has made concessions in the past." She had no good moves left, so she took the one that did her the least damage.

Sovok moved his knight again. "Check." There were places for Alanna to go, she wasn't finished yet, but her options were limited. "Its a shame the decision is not yours. Your commander seems far less...amiable."

Alyssa chuckled. "In some ways." She like Commander Soran. She moved out of check, but she was still in danger.

He castled, moving his king to the larder to reach side platform, and freeing up his rook in the same move, drawing a bead on Alanna's king, despite being blocked by a pawn. "Well, I am glad of such pleasant, and intelligent, company. So it was for the best."

"I've enjoyed your company as well," she said, making the only move she had left to her. It didn't get her out of trouble, however. He was a complex individual, and she'd learned a fair amount about where he came from. This particular game of chess had been fascinating, but now she was ready to go.

He raised his rook across the platform, taking a bishop and closing the net on Alanna's king. One more move to check mate, the trap was set. "How well does she respond to threats?"

"Not very well at all." She looked across the board. She moved her queen as a bluff.

Sovok gave an amused smile. "Few do." He ignored the obvious move, the one that would put her in mate, to take an insignificant pawn. "How does she respond to threats?"

"It depends on the threat," Alanna said. She saw one opening, to take his rook. It still left her open to checkmate, but she wanted one more question. "Why do you want to know?"

His eyes tracked over the board, flicking from several sets of useless exchange of pawns back to the final move with the queen. "Because its always wise to know what you're dealing with. From our discussions, I see we are unlikely to reach a compromise. Our ethical frameworks are too diverse. And no one reaches the command of a facility like this if they were easily swayed by flattery and seduction. So when negotiation is unlikely, and seduction impossible, one must finally consider the third option. One you should never engage in unless you are prepared to follow through."

He returned his gaze to the board, obviously torn between finishing it now, and playing with her some more. "What move would you like me to make? Queen to D5, or pawn to f2?"

"Queen to D5," she said. There was an irony to that move she appreciated. "And then ask me your question." He was right, it was wise to know what you're dealing with, and she now had a very good idea where Sovok stood.

He took the pawn. "I enjoy playing with you. I would rather not end this too soon. Why are you so eager?"

"I simply see no reason to draw out the game when I am clearly the lesser opponent," she replied, carefully choosing her words. "I have enjoyed watching you play." She was still being carefully honest.

He sighed, "Somethings are all the better for drawing them out." But he moved his queen a single step. "Check. Mate."

Alanna stood. "This has been most enlightening. Do you have one final question?"

He stood as well, not quite blocking her way, but without the barrier of the table so obviously between them, he felt close. "What must I do to persuade you to stay the night?"

And there it was. The question she was trying to avoid. "While I cannot deny the mutual attraction, I don't think it would be prudent under the circumstances." Denying there was a physical attraction was disingenuous, but she also found him morally reprehensible. And then there were her feelings for Jason. No, she could not stay.

He took her hand, and raised it to his lips. "Sometimes we forgo prudence, for the sake of marvellous discovery. And you haven't answered my question."

The game. He'd asked her a question she could not answer truthfully. She would have to tread carefully. "If I stayed, it would harm your negotiations with Commander Soran, and my credibility on the station." And not a lie, if he had any way of knowing that.

He stepped in closer, looking down at her. "Your concerns are valid, but you still haven't answered. Don't be coy."

Her heart began to pound. She wanted to get out of this without causing a scene. "My concerns are my answer." She held her ground, not willing to step back and show fear.

"So. I would need to conclude my negotiations, and remove us from the station?" Sovok lifted a lock of her hair, and let the blonde tresses run through his fingers. "As if I needed any more incentive to conclude business quickly."

Then he stood back. "Good night, Alanna. Please tell your commander that I will speak to her first thing in the morning."

She hadn't expected the abrupt change. She almost missed their game of cat and mouse--even knowing that she had been the mouse. She looked at him for a moment, trying to read his expression and his emotions.

That was a mistake. He was a seething storm of emotions: rage that she turned him down, delirious anticipation of another opportunity to play with her, and the overarching fury that he couldn't just take what he wanted. And what he wanted was her. She almost stumbled at the raw, unbridled passions that rolled off him in waves.

She managed to walk calmly to the door, then turn and smile. "Goodnight, Sovok." She stepped forward activating the door mechanism and stepped into the corridor. She greeted the security officer and headed for Commander Soran's office to on her observations--and then get a good stiff drink.

[OFF]

Chief Inspector Sovok
Vulcan Commonwealth
[NPC by Soran]

Lieutenant JG Alanna Wells
Chief Science Officer
Deep Space Five

 

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