What do we do now? Part II of II

Posted on Fri Jul 19, 2019 @ 8:40am by Civilian 'Key Holder' Yolanthe Ibalin & Commander Caleb Ryan & Civilian Jason Haines & Ensign Jessica Mayhew

2,772 words; about a 14 minute read

Mission: Doors of Perception
Location: Promenade
Timeline: MD09 2130

Previously on What Do We Do Now?

Isilde Sh'vet put her hand on Thomas’ arm. "Don't move, don't look round. But I've just spotted Sovok's nasty sidekick on the other side of the level. Coming out the turbo lifts."

"Then perhaps we should make ourselves scarce," Thomas said quietly. "And ditch our keeper. Don't need him leading them right too us."

Shavias took a small glance in the direction Isilde indicated, since it wouldn’t require much effort. He scowled. “Or we take this opportunity,” he murmured to the others. “Follow him to Sovok."

"I've got an idea," Thomas said.

And now the conclusion...


He looked at the others looking at him skeptically. "What? I get one, maybe two, a year. I think I can get Tarik to lose his cool enough either to run right to Sovok, or at least enough for him to strike first and get himself arrested, which I am sure will have Sovok going to him."

Thomas was definitely not the thinker of the group. He followed orders well, but was not the brains for the operation. When he did have them, his ideas weren't totally idiotic.

Shavias paused to consider. “That isn’t half bad, Thomas,” he admitted. “But don’t do anything to get yourself arrested,” he warned. “It shouldn’t take much. Vulcans have a hair-trigger temper. Maybe mention his sister. She has a thing for the Humans in the gladiator pits.”

Isilde sniggered a little. "That will get him going. Shall we?"

Tom gave a thumbs up. Weaving through the crowd, he caught up with Tarik.

"Hey Tarik," he said. "Me and the others have been watching you and are worried. You look more constipated than normal." He paused briefly enough for Tarik to respond, but not enough so he could get a full sentence in, as he knew the sergeant hated that.

The Vulcan was caught off guard, and the shock showed on his face. Then his eyes quickly glanced to his escort and the crowd, counting witnesses, escape routes, hostages, and hostiles. He decided the odds weren't in his favour. "Laugh while you can, ape. By the time we're done here I'm going to be using your skull as a pisspot."

"Everyone else thinks it is because Sovok is pounding you more and pulling your bitch tail harder because your incompetence let us escape," Tom continued. "But most people know you're his side bitch and you like it rough."

Tarik's face contorted, and the sound of his teeth grinding was audible. "I'll show you rough, once we're back on Risa."

Still running over his sentences, Tomas said, "I think it is because the new alpha gladiator season is going to start and your sister likes to ride all the good looking, sweaty, muscular human studs. You are wondering how many little half-breeds she is going to pop out and if you are going to need to slit her and her little mongrels' throats to save your family honor. So, which is it?" Tom stood there, leaving himself wide open to whatever retribution the man wanted to throw at him.

Tarik punched him, a short, sharp jab to the stomach, with all the strength the Vulcan could muster, four times that of Thomas' own.

Thomas fell to the ground so the escort could see the effect.

"Sir!" he called out. "He just assaulted me. Help!" He faked passing out, but damn, that hurt.

The security guard had been moving as Tarik wound up and dragged him back as the vulcan went to kick in Tom's ribs. "I think it's time we went home," he said to Tarik.

The Vulcan knocked him aside and stalked towards the downed Human. He raised his foot to crush Thomas’ skull.

And the security guard shot him with a phaser. Tarik dropped, paralysed, but not unconscious, only a light stun. The security guard, tapped his badge. "Norr to Security. I'm going to need back up on Prom One. One of the visitors slipped his chain and it kicked off. It's under control, but I need an extra pair of hands." Then he turned to Tom, shaking him gently. "Are you okay?"

Thomas groaned, slowly opening his eyes.

"I think so, sir," Thomas said. "Thank you so much." He groaned again. "Please tell your head of security I want to press charges."

"Sir, I'm not deaf. I heard you provoking him. You're both going to get confined to quarters."

Two more security guards arrived and helped Thomas to his feet as Norr helped Tarik recover from the light stun. "I'm going to have to report this. Can you get this one back to his quarters? 24-4." He handed Tarik off and turned to the guard still with Thomas. "And we'll take you back to yours, unless you'd prefer a trip to the brig?"

Thomas didn't resist, but did say, "So if someone taunted you with words and you hit them, what would your commander do?"

Norr snorted. "Nice try. Shall we all go home and let tempers cool then, sir?"

"Just saying," Thomas replied. "Lead the way, sheriff."

His idea didn't have the result Thomas was entirely looking for, but now Sovok wouldn't have backup if the rest of the group was able to find him.

Shavias frowned from where they watched and listened around the corner. “Well, that didn’t go as planned,” he muttered. “We won’t be able to leave with Thomas locked in quarters.” But then he grinned. “We know where Tarik is staying, though. That makes things half easier.”

"At least he isn't in the brig," Isilde pointed out. "They won't be able to keep him in the room for long. But we should go visit Sovok before they realise we're gone too."

“Right. That security Tom disabled won’t stay out forever,” Shavias said. “Let’s find Sovok.”

They managed to arrive on the VIP deck before the group with Tarik. Someone else must have joined that lift. They emerged onto one end of the deck in time to see someone leaving Sovok’s quarters, the blonde chief scientist, wearing a figure hugging dress far removed from the rather voxy uniforms the Starfleet people normally wore. She nodded to the single security guard on duty outside the Vulcan’s quarters and hurried off in the opposite direction.

Isilde raised an eyebrow. "Someone's lowering their standards."

“So the Humans here are just as willing to whore out to the Vulcans,” Shavias noted. “Act casual.” He put his arm around Isilde as they walked down the corridor, acting a bit romantic with the young woman. He had the Starfleet phaser in his hand behind her back, out of sight of the security guard as they approached. “Can you get in that door?” he asked Isilde quietly. “I’ll take out the guard.”

Isilde reached into a pocket. Their quarters had even had a replicator, and its library was wide and generous. She hadn't even had to jury rig most of the things she felt naked without, like the mutli-purpose tool she now slid out and opened up so the pry lever was ready. "No problem. Doesn't look like they have a force field. Ready when you are."

Shavias hoped to keep this brief. Firing the phaser would set off a security alert, so should be done only if needed. Fortunately, if he used the lowest setting and very close, he might be able to avoid that.

Shavias and Isilde walked down the corridor, acting drunk and amorous, laughing and joking. They looked no different than any other station citizen returning from a pleasant night out. Getting to the guard, Shavias stumbled into the man.

“Whoa, there!” the guard chuckled, helping him up. “Have a bit too much fun?”

Shavias shoved the phaser into the man’s ribs and depressed the trigger, sending a brief jolt of energy into him, catching the guard as he slumped.

“Get that door open,” Shavias told Isilde, shoving his own phaser into his belt. He handed the guard’s phaser to Isilde and then yanked at the man’s belt to tie him up.

Isilde shoved the phaser into her waist band, then pried the cover off the emergency manual release lever for the door. Two quick twists of her wrist, and she had the lever engaged and turned, and the door slid open.

The Andorian woman slid inside first, and was confronted with Sovok coming out of the bathroom, half dressed and hair undone, obviously in the process of retiring. For a moment he froze, and then dived for cover behind a low sofa.

Shavias moved in behind. Security being alerted didn’t matter now. All that mattered was that this Vulcan died. He fired his phaser at the diving Vulcan, disintegrating part of the couch.

“Ah, Sovok. It seems our game of cat and mouse has turned,” the one-eyed Andorian said with a malicious grin as he stalked around the couch, motioning for Isilde to go around the other way.

The Vulcan was faster, rolling over the remains of the sofa and closing with Isilde, snatching her phaser and using the momentum from his grab to throw her against Ch'zath.

---

Guest Quarters

Thomas paced around the guest quarters. He knew he couldn't stay here as he knew Tarik would be trying to get out and then going to report to Sovok. The door was locked from the outside for now, given the stunt he had pulled. He wondered what could get the door open. Then it hit him.

"Computer, shoe lace," he said to the replicator.

The computer complied.

He looked around the room and found a piece of material he could use to make a fire making bow. He then proceeded to light the couch on fire. These people were weak. They would open prisoner quarters to deal with the issue, where the Vulcans would just let them burn if they were that stupid.

He went to the door and banged on it.

---

Shavias caught Isilde, cursing. Now Sovok was armed! He dove, covering Isilde with his body as he returned fire at the Vulcan. He had to finish this. Security would have detected the phaser fire by now.

Isilde rolled to the side, giving Shavias a clear shot. She was too slow, and the phaser lanced into her back, and she collapsed to the floor.

----

Andorian Guest Quarters

The fire system worked like a dream, the door opened, and the security officers were quick, eager even, to pull him away from the room quickly filling with smoke. Thomas coughed a bit for show as the officers pulled him out of the room. As they did, he reached down to take one of their phasers, going for a quick shot at them.

On instinct they took cover, giving him the chance he needed to turn down the hall and run.

---

Shavias cursed as Isilde was hit. “You bastard!” he said, spewing a rapid fire of phaser shots at the Vulcan to force him to keep his head down. The one-eyed Andorian grabbed Isilde and pulled her back toward the door and some cover. This had all gone to shit. Shavias preferred more meticulous planning of an operation, but this opportunity was too good to pass up.

He was rewarded with a yell, catching the Vulcan as he dropped back into cover. The couch blocked another, and started to burn. "Run away, ch'Zath!" Sovok coughed, and his voice sounded strained. "You might save her life yet." He tried to snap off another shot, but his aim went wide, gouging a long burn in the bulkhead. "Or stay, you might kill me. It will definitely kill her."


Corridor

Thomas zig-zagged a bit hoping, not to be shot in the back. He moved around a corner and paused. Find Shavias or find Tarik and try to kill him? Thomas started to panic a little as his allotments for strong tactical thoughts for the year seemed used up. He needed to find Shavias. His leader would know what to do and he would protect his leader.

---

Shavias cursed. Sovok was right. “There will be a reckoning, Vulcan!” the one-eyed Andorian shouted, laying down withering cover fire before picking up Isilde and running out of the room, which was when Commander Soran and a contingent of security officers came round one end of the corridor and Thomas came around the other.

Maritza folded her arms. "What the hell is going on here?"

Sovok staggered out of his quarters, both hands pressed to a burn wound in his side. " I was retiring for the evening when I was attacked. Unprovoked."

"My wife didn't provoke you, you bastard! My daughter didn't provoke you!" Thomas growled, bringing up the phaser he had, shooting at Sorok. He started to see red, and after the shot he charged at the Vulcan, wildly firing the phaser towards him.

Multiple phasers lanced out, stunning Thomas. The others trained on Sovok and Shavias. “Put your weapons down,” Ensign Jessica Mayhew ordered. “Anyone moves, everyone gets stunned and we sort it out in the brig. Someone check on Johnson,” she said, noting the downed security officer by the door.

Maritza looked at the scene, then touched her comm badge. "Soran to OPS. Emergency medical transport, my location. Security to go with." The station sensors would easily triangulate the relevant individuals.

Sovok opened his mouth to protest, but she didn't let him get a word out. "I will speak to you tomorrow. And you will have an armed guard in sick bay."

He got no chance to object as the transporter took him. She then turned to Shavias as his companions were whisked away. "What the hell just happened?"

Shavias calmly held out his phaser to Maritza. “We saw an opportunity to rid the galaxy of a vile creature. Can you blame us for taking it?” he asked calmly, without the expected Andorian heat.

"When you're a guest on my station? Yes. We have rules about murdering people. Even the Andorians."

“We don’t,” Shavias said with a shrug. “You can guarantee he would have had us killed in some form or another while he was here. It was preemptive self-defense. Or did you think he was really playing nice with you while you conveniently let him plot our demise?” he accused.

"I have no evidence to the contrary," she replied. "I'll admit he presented some accusations, which you are currently managing to give credibility to." She stepped forward. "There are rules and proprieties I have to observe if I am to help you. The more you carry on like this is your home, and not mine, the harder it becomes to get you that help. What you've just done may make things worse, not better."

Shavias frowned. “You don’t know him like we do,” he reminded. “You don’t know what real Vulcans are like. Is your intent to hand us over to them?”

"I've not made a decision yet." Which was not entirely true. She knew she didn't want to give them to the smug, condescending Vulcans. "But you've hurt my people. People whose job was to keep you safe."

“We were careful not to kill them,” Shavias pointed out. “Nothing a short visit to your Sickbay won’t take care of. That is more than I can say the Vulcans would do when they make their move.”

"I can't condemn people for things they haven't yet done." And she had no idea how to solve this. There was no doubt both sides were dangerous, and it was only a matter of time before there was worse than bruises among her people. "I think heads will be cooler in the morning." She turned to Mayhew. "Escort them to the brig, temporarily. Get the QMs department to find more quarters, make them secure, then confine Mr. Ch'Zath and his companions there. No more wandering. House arrest conditions."

“Yes, sir,” Jessica said. “This way,” she told Shavias, motioning with her phaser and keeping a good distance between the dangerous Andorian and herself as two of her officers walked up to take his arms and put manacles on them.

Shavias didn’t struggle or object. He merely looked to Soran. “Mark my words, Commander. Only one of us will survive this.”

Soran watched him go. She didn't think he was wrong."

[OFF]

---

Thomas Almet
AU Human Rebel

Shavias Ch’zath
AU Andorian rebel

Isilde Sh'vet
AU Andorian Rebel

Commander Maritza Soran
CO
DS5

 

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