Bounties

Posted on Wed Oct 13, 2021 @ 5:27am by Civilian Hydel Turvan & Civilian 'Key Holder' Yolanthe Ibalin & Civilian Opal Oliver (Deceased) Dr

6,254 words; about a 31 minute read

Mission: Si vis pacem, para bellum
Location: DS5 Sick Bay, Deck 54
Timeline: MD 05 1600

[ON]

The half dozen young men that burst into sickbay were a mixed bunch, two humans, a klingon and an andorian, an acamarian and a Kriosian

"Where is he!" The Klingon bellowed. "Where is the petaQ that killed Captain Soran!"

An EMH appeared. "Please state the nature of your medical emergency." It said with the usual slightly smug tone.

"There is a man here," the Acamarian explained. "A Trill."

"I'm afraid I can't give information on patients to the public, and none of you appear to be next of kin."

"Lets just search the place." The andorian said. "Split up. Shout if you find him."

They split up, ignoring the protests of the EMH, opening room doors and drawing curtains.

Opal and Benj were in the main office, discussing how to handle the situation they had both been landed with when the noise and commotion set up out in the main bay area, they both leapt to their feet and hurried out.

Finding a mob of thugs pounding around Sickbay shouting, searching roughly around and ignoring the EMHs, Opal planted both her feet in front of the one making the most noise - the Andorian. Taking her lead, Benj planted himself in front of the Klingon, despite their difference in stature and height, and both of the two Doctors barred the way further in.

"What is the meaning of this?" Opal bellowed, surprising herself with the anger and force of her voice. She had been worried about Caleb, confused by the "resistance" apparently trying to help, she was angry at River for being off-station when she knew Amia was away. She was also especially furious with the Cardassians for their sneaky attack on the station that was her home and that of her friends and patients too so all of her frustration, upset and inner-conflict was ready to burst out as it was, but this final incursion was just what it needed to come out all guns blazing.

She wasn't a large woman but she was a passionate one and her eyes blazed with a surprising amount of fury to find a mob threatening her patients.

"This is a Hospital!" she bellowed, not waiting for them to answer her question about what was going on. =^= Computer =^= she barked, still not waiting for any answers as yet, but responding with a knee-jerk instinct to the invasion that she knew she couldn't contain alone, not even with Amoran beside her.

=^= This is Dr Oliver - Medcial Authority 23 Beta 6 Omega - shut down Main Sickbay with full fire precautions and isolation doorseals =^= she commanded and the Computer immediately complied, shutting off the rest of Sickbay, separating the 2nd wave invaders from one another and from their targets - whomsoever those might be. It also prevented their leaving or proceeding but left Opal and Benj facing the two most unpleasant looking ring-leaders, shut in the section that they had just been in when they planted themselves in the way and demanded to know what this was.

[Main Security]

"Aaaah.....I still can't believe she shot me!" Glinn Vakor said through clenched teeth. His hand was currently in a medical suspension device as the new Chief Medical Commander, Dr. Lenom Ortwahl, tended to it. The Cardassian Security Chief had been shot by the new Administrator of the station, Gul Nytomi Kyren.

"And I cannot believe that you waited until just today to seek medical attention. I will never understand you Cardassians and your illogical belief that you are indestructible." The Xi'Cadian doctor complained as he continued to tend to the now-infected limb. "Fortunately for you, I was able to tend to the mico-tears throughout the nerve junctions, otherwise you would've lost it." Dr. Ortwahl said.

Just behind the Glinn's shoulder, the computer monitor came to life with an alert from Main Sick Bay. Ordinarily, Dr. Ortwahl would have ignored it; however, a quick glance revealed that the alert was specifically a high-level lockdown order. He immediately stood up and walked over to the screen.

"Computer! Why is Sick Bay being shut down and isolated?" He asked. The only time such a thing would be called for would be in the event of a outbreak emergency or if there was some kind of crisis taking place that would put the patients or others in danger.

The computer responded by replaying the video of the intruders entering the facility and demanding the body of Hex, the Trill terrorist. Glinn Vakor stood next to the doctor and saw the video play back and the identification of the individuals.

"I'll dispatch a team to deal with the---" Glinn Vakor began to say, but was interrupted.

"They're after the Hex symbiont. They cannot be allowed to obtain the host nor the symbiont under any conditions. Do you understand me?" The Xi'Cadian said to the Cardassian in a tone much more commanding than you would expect to hear from a medical professional.

Glinn Vakor's expression was filled with annoyance and somewhat confusion at the tone taken by the Xi'Cadian. "You have no auth---"

"You'll make sure your men do it, or I can promise you that Gul Vashur will be the least of your worries, Glinn." The Xi'Cadian Medical Commander said sternly as he grabbed his gear and began to leave the Security Office.

---

The Kriosian had spotted the pale young trill, and the bar keeper that sat next to him. "He's here!" he shouted to his friends, starting to run, but his path was cut by the force fields springing up. The other started to converge when they too were caught, separated. The Andorian turned on Opal. "Hey! You can't do that. Let us go!"

"I can, should and will do whatever I need to in order to protect any patient within the sanctuary and sanctity of a Hospital facility" Opal replied firmly, having to look up into the face of the tall Andorian looming over her threateningly. "You will all await the arrival of Security and they will deal with what you can and can't do here!" she added, much more defiantly than she was sure she was actually feeling inside. But it was okay. She focussed on what Caleb would have wanted her to do if he had been here and that gave her all the courage of an ancient Berserker.

"They're the ones who sent us. Told everyone to find the trill," One of the humans said. "So get rid of the forcefields so we can call in the bounty."

"Bounty?? Are we still in the wild west??" Opal was horrified. "The Trill as you call him, is a sentient being, not a souvenir you can sell to the highest bidder for a reward for harming him." she raged. "If the being we are discussing is in the hospital, the chances are that a mob of thugs with a lust for being first to hand him into any old source waving cheap coin around are going to be less than careful regarding his physical of medical needs, let alone his rights. I am not letting the forcefields down so that you can render harm to any living sentient being harm!" she growled out, still desperate to protect whomsoever she had to, in the face of so much chaotic, mindless, marauding in search of some blood-money reward.

"AND... if you don't settle down.... ALL OF YOU..... I shall be forced, in order to restore your brains to any kind of reasonable beings, to sedate the lot of you. She pointed to the vents. Anaesthetic gas, it'll take me down too but by my Hippocratic Oath, it'll stop you idiots committing murder by pure stupid neglect, greed and frenetic rushing to beat each other to the accursed bounty." It was pretty clear she meant it. Many of the separate compartments could be flooded as she had described.

=/= "Dr. Opal, this is Dr. Ortwahl. I am on my way to Main Sick Bay with a contingent of Security to respond to your emergency. You are to use whatever force is necessary to protect the Hex symbiont and its former host. Do I make myself clear?" =\= Came the Xi'Cadian's voice through Dr. Opal's comm unit. He himself was still enroute across the station towards the scene of the unruly mob. He was not certain if she was even still alive to receive the message, but he wanted to make it clear to whomever had assumed command of sickbay that all options were on the table for stopping that mob.

Benj looked across at Opal and raised an eyebrow. "Seems like everyone on this whole station is after getting their hands on that poor patient." he muttered at a volume she could hear but that didn't go over the Comms.

Yolanthe got to her feet and came over to the forcefield blocking off the side bay that Ahjess was sleeping in. "Drop the fields one at a time and I'll deal with them." She cracked her knuckles.

"Thank you for your help Ms Ibalin" Opal said, calming down and trying to think straighter now that it appeared that help might be at hand and matters were not so out of control as they had first seemed.

"I'm afraid I can't let you harm yourself or them either but we also need to find a way to encourage the Invaders' and their allies' desire to keep our patients alive as long as we can, so I'm keeping what I explain to a minimum and I hope to be able to count on your strength to assist me when they arrive. I'm also hoping they'll eject these wannabe cowboys for themselves! However I feel we'll still have to contain the amount of what we haveto concede." she said, hoping the relatively big and slightly obscure wording she was using at the end of that, was clear to a woman of Yolanthe's admirable mind without letting too much out to the noisy, squabbling, complaining thugs whom she wasn't keen to enlighten at the same time.

"DISPERSE OR WE WILL USE LETHAL FORCE!" Came the loud voice of a Cardassian Trooper from outside the entrance of Main Sick Bay.

From the outside of the facility a small detachment of 3 Cardassian Security Troopers were the first ones to respond to the unrestlessness that was growing outside of Main Sick Bay. What had started off as a small group had grown to a large crowd of about 20 by the time the 3 Troopers had arrived. The main detachment of Security was still being assembled and were making their way across the station to the location. The significant distance meant that these 3 Troopers were on their own until more help had arrived.

The lead Trooper saw that there were at least 3 beligerants inside of Sick Bay, but they were blocked off by at least two forcefields. That at least meant that nobody would be coming in or out of the facility for the time being.

"You have been given a lawful command, leave this facility immediately." The Cardassian repeated in a stern tone.

Opal looked up in alarm. From where she and Benj stood they couldn't see out to the crowd assembling outside the main entrance so they didn't know what or who was being threatened. The sound of the Trouper saying he was within his legal rights to offer up "lethal" force and that was beginning to raise things back into an out of control situation again.

She looked across at Benj who shrugged his shoulders in an equally baffled and frustrated manner.

"You wanted the Trill found." The human said, pointing beyond Yolanthe to the unconscious man. "He's right there. How about you hand him over to us? Solve your problem for you."

"We didn't need a mob of cowardly thugs in here to find our own patient and I don't see what makes you think that anyone's problem is solved by letting you and your greedy, immoral, conscience-free friends grabbing him for a sick bounty!" Opal bristled.

"Try that," Yolanthe warned the human, "And you'll be needing the facilities yourself."

[Outside of barrier]

"QUIET! ALL OF YOU!" The Cardassian Trooper said as he took the butt of his disruptor and shoved the Human to the ground. "I want all of you to dispurse from this area, IMMEDIATELY!" He said, taking a step towards the entrance of the Main Sick Bay. As he turned to face the crowd again he set his weapon to its most lethal setting.

Neither he nor any of the other Cardassians knew what was so important about the Trill, and quite frankly he did not care. His orders were to clear the area and to hold this position until reinforcements could arrive. He looked around and saw that the crowd was already beginning to grow larger with onlookers and potentially rowdy civilians who just wanted a reason to cause a disruption.

"You can take the Barkeep and have some fun with her, but you will not remove the Trill from this facility." He shouted to the crowd.

Yolanthe went bright yellow. "You, mate, are barred. And 'the trill' has a name, Ahjess is my family, and I'm not going anywhere if he isn't safe. From everyone."

"No-one is going anywhere that isn't safe for them to be. I repeat what I said earlier.... THIS IS A HOSPITAL ..... Patients here are to be treated with respect, with proper medical attention and none shall use this facility to gain access to those who are here for our help and protection. So you can ALL forget the idea of planning to have fun with anyone who has sanctuary here." Opal insisted, standing her ground and hoping the Cardassian troupers were under orders to keep the outside mob just that.... outside.

[Inside the Barrier]

"Computer, recognise the voice of Opal, MA 23 Beta 6 Omega again and then lower only the specific shields that separate myself, Lt Amoran and Yolanthe Ibalin." she instructed softly but clearly and when it was done she and Benj slipped into the same area as Yolanthe to talk. Once in the same area, Opal instructed the computer to raise the shields again and authorised it again with her Medical Authorisation code, thus locking out anyone else attempting to change the forcefields.

Once together, the three defenders began to try to work out some idea of what they might do, rather than just sit here like sitting ducks whilst the Cardassians increased their presence and the Xi'Cadian doctor arrived to claim Ahjess for himself. None of them were actually coming to help it seemed as they all had their own agenda.

"Ideas?" Opal asked, still speaking as quietly as possible to avoid any of the others present overhearing more than muttering.

"Can we get to any Jefferies' tubes from here without releasing any forcefields that would free a Bounty Hunter?" Benj asked, equally indistincly, catching what Opal was trying to do in keeping the others out of hearing range.

"I doubt it, although with Ms Ibalin here, we might cope with one, it's the areas than pen off more that worry me and the route to a Tube is unlikely to fail to cross that kind of area at least once on its way from here to there." Opal replied, looking sceptical. "Besides it would be too obvious to anyone with eyes along the way, what we were trying to do. We need something more subtle or perhaps a diversion to cover it, instead?" she went on, her head close to Amoran's and awaiting Ibalin's take on any possible ideas.

"Ahjess will die without medications." Yolanthe bit her lip. "Is it even safe to move him?"

"No, to be perfectly honest" Opal admitted in a whisper "But its even less safe for him if that lot get hold of him!" she rocked her head slightly towards the other side of the barrier.

[Outside of Barrier]

A loud roar of shouting and gruffing could be heard as a contingent of Cardassia Soldiers, armed with disruptors and body armor, made their way through the growing crowd, shoving some bystanders out of the way. As they made their way through, Dr. Ortwhal followed the line of Troopers and made his way to the front of the barrier to the entrance to Sick Bay.

"Dr. Opal, lower the field so that I may enter." The Xi'Cadian physician said, noticing that the crowd was restless and was becoming more agitated. He wondered just how safe it would be for him to remain so close to the angry crowd and what the Cardassians were prepared to do to deal with the group.

"Dr. Ortwahl" Opal replied lookig very nervous and unsure. "I can't lower the forcefields without setting the bounty hunters free to rampage as they began to do when they first arrived and even if they were to be kept at bay, I could still have no assurance or confidence that your Cardassian Troupers would be able to keep the surge of would-be assailants out once the barriers were lowered to let you in. I'm in an impossible position here until all the many attackers on whichever side, are cleared away. I should be criminally negligent of my patients here to allow such danger to overwhelm any of them, not just the one you want." she shook her head and wrung her hands making a good show of a doctor torn and in angst.

Dr. Ortwahl's hands were turning a darker shade of brown as his fists clenched tighter with anger. He was blocked by a wall of energy as well as the obstinence of Dr. Opal. He knew that he couldn't force her to lower the shield and he lacked the authorization to overide the computer. He started to look around for another solution. He walked over to the Cardassian in charge and gripped his arm.

"Have your men clear this entire area! They all are a threat to this facility and every specimen inside of it!" He shouted over the rising den of onlookers. The only specimen the Xi'Cadian physican was concerned about was the Trill and the remains of the Hex symbiont.

"But there's at least 20-30 of them, it will take some time to get them to go away peac---" The Trooper tried to state.

"Do whatever you have to do to get this area cleared!" The Xi'Cadian said a she gripped the Cardassian's arm to emphasis his point.

The Cardassian shared a knowing glance with the Xi'Cadian before turning to his squad of 12 other Troopers. "Clear the immediate area! Deploy dioxy- neurocine gas!" The Cardassian Gil shouted to the other Troopers. Almost immediately, several Troopers withdrew small viles from their uniforms and lobbed them into the growing crowd. The gas was normally lethal to Humans and Bajorans; however, the agent had been modified. While not lethal, the agent could still cause painful seizures to various races that were within an immediate vicinity.

As the gas began to spread throughout the panic crowd, the Cardassian handed a face shield to the Xi'Cadian doctor. Dr. Orthwal placed it on his face and watched as the crowd began to run in various direction. He saw one Klingon attempt to rush towards a set of Cardassian guards. However, they reacted quickly and fired several shots into the Klingon's massive frame, bringing him down unceremoniously.

Even the non humans were coughing, but the two humans were on their knees, trying not to breathe as their diaphrams spasmed and then they began to shake as the toxin reached the brain. Their andorian companion looked to Opal. "Help them!"

"I can't" Opal agonised as she had to watch this brutality play out. "If they were on this side of the forcefields they would have been safe but out there, the only way to get to them is to lower the shields and put all the rest of our patients at risk from the gas too." Dr Oliver explained, feeling sick to her stomach as she was forced to witness this helplessly.

Approaching Benj, Opal buried her face in his shoulder. "If I let them in, they'll surely finish Ahjess off. If I don't they'll murder anyone else the can use as hostages. What should i do? I wish I could imagine what Caleb would do."

Benj put his arm around the Civilian Doctor sympathetically. He too was sickened to the core by this situation but as Opal had said, what could they do. They were damned if they cooperated and damned if they didn't.

"I think we need to give up" He said eventually. "No, don't react like that!" he went on, noticing the horror on her face. "If we antagonise them any more, the chances are this station will end up one civilian doctor short... or missing... or .... look, they'll do all the harm they want to. You and I can only sabotage with resistance tactics but we can't do that if we're arrested, jailed or made to dissappear because we kept resisting too openly."

He looked over at Yolanthe. "I'm sorry" he said, genuinely sad to be in this situation." but we need Dr Oliver alive and whilst I'm sorry to lose your friend into the care of these monsters, I'm pretty sure he can't help anyone else, whereas Opal could. Lots of someone elses. We have to realise we've done as much as we can and must stop being so open about our defiance for a while." He explained.

Opal shook her head in deep despair. "Innocents will die, no matter what we do." she muttered, tears streaming down her face. "I'm sworn to do no harm but it's not me harming them. It might be said that my refusals to assist them were the reasons.... but then how was I supposed to just hand over someone as helpless as Ahjess without at least trying to put up a fight?" She slumped and remained on her knees on the floor. "It will have been futile in the end though and the whole stuborn showdown just got those two humans out there killed horribly. They won't have been impressed with my theoretical empty victory."

The three that had been targeted by the gas were out of the fight, groaning and coughing, too weak to put up a fight. Their unaffected friends, trapped with them, realised there was nothing else to do, raising their hands in surrender. Beyond them all, Yolanthe paced along the edge of the force field, while her dabo boy lay unconscious beyond, watching the Xi'cadian, her colours fading between lime green and ochre.

[Outside the Barrier]

It took several minutes for the chaos to clear and the crowd to disperse. Even those that were not affected by the gas realized that the situation had just turned ugly and they were in danger. Even without the threat of being gassed, the onlookers could see that the Cardassians were willing to go to whatever lengths were necessary to maintain control over the situation.

One of the Troopers shouted over the noise to the leader of the group. "What do we do with them?" He asked, referring to the bodies that had collected on the ground. Some where merely unconscious, some slowly falling into the strong grip of death.

"Toss the Klingon out an airlock." Gil Riven said mirthlessly. To him, the Klingon was no better and deserved no greater treatment than any other garbage found on the ground. "Gather up the Humans and place them under arrest, hold them in confinement until they can be questioned further." He said, stepping over the body of the Klingon without any regard or respect for it. "Same with the Andorian, an Acamarian and the Kriosian" He said as he walked over to Dr. Ortwahl.

"I hope that body inside of hte morgue is worth all of this trouble my men had to go through." The Cardassian Gil said ruefully. As he looked around he noticed that there were others trewn against the promanade floor that had subcumbed to the effects of the gas. Although most were still breathing, he was certain that there would be a few more that would fill the station morgue very soon.

Dr. Ortwahl did not respond. Instead he made his way back towards the force field. "Dr. Opal! Lower the field now. It is time to put an end to this foolishness before anyone else gets hurt!" He shouted.

Opal looked over to Yolanthe. "I can't see what else I can do." she said with sorrow and anguish in her voice, face and heart. "I'm sorry but further resistance is just going to get more people hurt or killed and I can't make a deliberate decision with those kinds of costs to others." She stood up and defeated and with deep regret, she said clearly: "Computer. Medcial Authority 23 Beta 6 Omega = Dr Opal Oliver. Lower the forcefields in Sickbay."

The Computer's automated response was crisp and seemed to be very loud in the horrified silence that resonated amongst the medical staff who were present.

Opal bowed her head and walked protectively towards Ahjess and Yolanthe but with little hope that there was likely to be much she could do to help them now she had surrendered.

Dr. Ortwahl's chest swelled with pride as he saw the other doctor comply and order the lowering of the fields. He gestured to the Cardassians to immediately move and secure the body of Ahjess. "I want the subject taken down to Auxiliary Sickbays 7-10." The Xi'Cadian physician said as he made his way past Dr. Oliver.

"I want the facility shut down and sealed off until further notice, no one is to enter the area except for me, do I make myself clear?" He said with a tone not typically heard from a Medical Officer. He recognized that he did not have supervisory authority over the Cardassian Troopers, but his tone was enough to let them know that it would not be wise to test him at the moment.

"This patient is in a medically induced coma. If you interrupt or cease that, he will die. Moving him is very risky indeed. I warn you that if you cause his death by doing this, it would be murder.....plain and simple." she warned.

"Not that you're above that, as we have seen." The curl of disgust on her lips said how little she thought of the being in front of her right now.

"I don't know what sort of doctor you are, but clearly not the sort that cares much about life. Sentient or otherwise. I don't know how you can puff up with pride over having murdered your way into this hospital facility and ruthlessly overpowered the helpless and vulnerable who cannot defend themselves. You can have NO conscience nor morals whatsoever." Opal said to the so called "doctor" as he advanced on her and her patient with some twisted kind of victory swagger.

Dr. Opal's words pierced the Xi'Cadian's physician directly to his core. He stopped and turned away from the Cardassian Troopers that were loading Ahjess onto a biobed. He slowly walked back towards her, maintaining eye-contact.

"You. . .you have no idea the pain my people are suffering through. For over two generations we have been fighting against a neurological disease that is so devastating that despite all of our technology and medical therapies it still has a has a 82% mortality rate." The Doctor said frustratingly.

"Within our brains, our synaptic connections slowly degrade until we've lost complete connection with other higher functions of our bodies." He said angrily.

"The only thing that has come close to giving us any insight into the disease is the Isoboramine neurotransmitter found in joined Trills." He said. "Our people used to have a symbiotic connection with another species that was naturally found on our planet, but they were driven into extinction thousands of years ago." He continued.

"That Trill holds the key to my people fighting back against this disease and I am not going to let some mis-guided sense of sympathy stand in my way. His life will have served a much better purpose than whatever the hell he was doing on this station." He said as he turned back towards Ahjess' body.

"You can't take him." Yolanthe said, voice as calm as millpond, stepping between the doctor and the biobed where her dabo boy lay sleeping. "Its obvious you don't care about consent or anything, its obvious you want to straight up murder him." Her hair was bright white, and there was only the faintest traces of yellow left in her skin. "And I get why. My race is dying too. But I'm giving you a chance to save a life. Leave my boy alone."

Dr. Ortwahl was taken aback by the woman's abruptness. He didn't know what she was nor where she came from. At the moment, he was not inclined to stop and ask either. He had a task to complete and he was willing to go to whatever lengths necessary to complete it.

"I've studied Trills and their bonding process. He was dead the moment his body was taken and used as a new host. There's nothing left to save. All you're doing is holding back medical progress for just for sympathy's sake." He said to the mutli-colored creature. "Whatever feelings you have for him are nothing but memories." He said dispassionately.

"Your studies must then have been flawed." Opal replied with confidence, her shoulders set. "Trill hosts do not die when they take on symbionts."

"I don't care what you studied." Yolanthe said. "Take him another foot, and I swear he will out live every last one of us."

The last comment caused the other Cardassian Troopers to stop whatever they were doing and slowly raise their disruptors and train them on the barkeep.

Opal could see this getting worse before her eyes so she backed a few steps further towards Ahjess and Yolanthe. "Why can't we just do some joint research? We have a lot of joined Trills on this Station and none of the rest of them in such a critical medical situation. If we could agree with some volunteers from amongst them to take blood cells, stem cells and possibly even harmless symbiont samples of the mildest kind that would do them no harm, then perhaps we could combine what we have with what you need and do the work in our labs to help you out? That way you wouldn't have to endanger this poor lad to do your tests and we could replicate more plasma and clone in more research until we have some kind of helpful results? Surely that would be the best way of using all of our resources and technology fairly and without harm to anyone?" She tried to reason with the Medical Officer and hoping to calm the situation at the same time.

"I can't give permission for Ahjess, not on this." Yolanthe pointed out. "But from what I understand, his joining was not... normal. He probably won't do your research any good at all. Send you down all sorts of blind alleys."

Opal nodded in agreement. "Good point" she added in support.

"I don't have time for this idle speculation nor do I have the patience to pretend as if I need any of your permission, you forget who controls this station at the moment and who also has more weapons." Dr. Ortwahl said with an irritable tone as he gestured for the Cardassian Soldiers to move forward and take possession of the Dabo boy.

"The first one of you that touches him, dies." Yolanthe's gaze darted between the Cardassians and the doctor. "Who's feeling lucky?"

"Well, Dr Ortwahl, I can't see how controlling the station or having more weapons is going to get you past Ms Ibalin! You're going to have to designate your least favourites amongst your staff and colleagues to come in as cannon fodder." she commented with a volume that was enough to let all those in the room understand that she meant them.

"Staff that are sworn not to take life? No, wait, your 'lot' don't care who they kill, that's how you managed to get in here in the first place." she went on. "But the Research this is all supposed to be about can't be helped by this patient so whoever dies today to facilitate your taking him will do so IN VAIN" she watched this sink in all around the room but didn't pause to let him back in with a response just yet.

"I can get you blood from a joined or un-joined Trill. Once you have even one vial you could replicate what you have and multiply up the quantity - I can get some volunteers from amongst those that have hidden on the planet but I'd have to guarantee their anonymity and secrecy of their whereabouts of course!" she looked the grumpy Xi-Cadian straight in the eyes.

"It beats the any of the un-helpful specimens you could snatch from poor Ahjess here and you wouldn't lose any close colleagues' lives getting it. What do you say? Are you senior enough to do that kind of deal or do you need to ask someone more authorised?" That last jab at his seniority was a shot in the dark because she was hoping he actually was and would be provoked into proving it just to put her back in her place.

It felt a bit of a low kind of manipulation/deception but she didn't have to have any conscience about it, given what he had just done to force her to let him in here and also his sneer at her own efficacy earlier.

As a Civilian Doctor, it was true that she did not have much to wave around by the way of power or rank, quite the contrary, but it still smarted to have it pointed out, especially as she was doing her best in the absence of those who actually did have plenty of 'clout' but were elsewhere when it mattered.

That last thought did prick her conscience as it crossed her mind's horizon. The Xi-Cadian deserved all the distain she could heap on him but her friends Amia and River were not to blame that the station had been taken during a difficult time for both of them. That was surely the aim of an invasion, to catch as many senior officers off the station, off guard of simply on the back foot at that moment in time.

It was just the luck of the draw but she was going to fight with any weapons she could muster and if manipulation/deception had to be used, so be it. She watched Ortwahl's face to see if he would give away any sign of whether she was reaching him or not.

Dr. Ortwahl considered the woman's offer for several moments. He realized that his research would be more fruitful with the cooperation of the station medical staff as opposed to without it. Besides, he had been personally selected to lead the Medical Detachment on this station because he could deliver results.

"Fine, but I want thsoe samples within the next 12 hours and I make the decision as to which sample from a joined Trill will be submitted for my research." He said gruffly, as if to remind her that he was in charge. He turned to Gil Riven and nodded for him and his Troopers to stand down.

Gil Riven nodded and turned to the three Cardassian Security Troopers near him. "ousighukum!" (execute!) He commanded loudly. Within moment three disruptor blasts lanced out from the Cardassians directly into Yolanthe, causing her body to drop.

"What did you do that for!?!" Dr. Ortwahl yelled angrily as he grabbed the Gil's shoulder, pushing him back, but only slightly. The Cardassian still had two inches on the Xi-Cadian physician. "I had just negotiated an end to all of this! I didn't tell you to do that!" He continued.

"You Doctors and Scientists can negotiate deals until the local sun goes supernova for all I care." The Cardassian Security leader replied flippantly. "But this station belongs to Cardassia not. . .whatever the hell this barkeep is." He said derisively. "I will not stand here and allow some civilian to defy my lawful authority." Gil Riven said as he gestured for the other Cardassians to place her in restraints. "Secure her and move her along with the Andorian, the Acamarian and the Kriosian." He dispatched.

"She's lucky that the weapons were only set to stun." He said with a obvious sense that he wished he could have put it on a more lethal setting. "Or even better, she could've joined that Klingon outside an airlock." He added. "When she wakes up, she'll find herself a welcomed guest within a holding cell." He said sarcastically.

[OFF]

Yolanthe Ibalin
Owner, The Box of Delights

Dr Opal Oliver MD
Civilian Doctor, DS5

Dr. Dr. Lenom Ortwahl
Doctor, Xi-Cadian Home Guard
Medical Commander, DS9

Glinn Vakor
Security Chief, DS9

Gil Raven
Security Trooper

 

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