Cold Cases

Posted on Mon Apr 25, 2016 @ 4:29pm by Commander Caleb Ryan & Civilian 'Key Holder' Yolanthe Ibalin

1,059 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Pangaea (Wrap up)
Location: Security Office
Timeline: MD16 1100

::ON::

The first thing that Yolanthe did when Dianna's Arrow docked was to go straight to Security, one arm around Klia's shoulders, protecting her from the milling crowds. She could feel the little Orion flinching with every loud noise or sudden shove, and every time her skin got paler and paler, until she was the color of fresh butter.

The front desk was manned by a fresh faced looking petty officer. "Go get Commander Ryan for me," she told him. "I've got information on the murder of Klia N'Shahdra."

The petty officer’s eyes widened at the site of the pair of women. The Orion looked in very bad shape, and he recognized the large Bokkai woman from the Box of Delights.

“One moment,” he said, hurrying off.

Lieutenant Commander Caleb Ryan came striding into the public area of the Security offices and paused at seeing the two women, as well.

“Ms. Ibalin,” Caleb said with concern. “Ya look like ya could use a medical officer, not a security officer. Are ya’ll right?” He moved over to take the Orion from her, to guide the girl to the nearby couch.

Yolanthe shook her head firmly. Rianni's doctor had dealt with the most pressing issues. The handful of bruises she had left she could manage herself later. "This needs to be done first. This is Klia, my business partner. About eighteen months ago, we thought she'd been murdered."

“Thought she’d been murdered?” Caleb asked, arching an eyebrow. He picked up a padd and called up the report. “Seems pretty convincing,” he noted. He held up the padd. The picture in the file looked…vaguely like the bruised and beaten Orion in Yolanthe’s arms. “Why don’t ya explain ta me from the beginning,” he said, gesturing to Yolanthe to take a seat beside Klia on the couch. Then he went to the replicator and got a glass of water, handing it to the Orion woman.

Klia took the glass. Her fingers weren't trembling, but she needed both hands to hold it, and she didn't look at him. "He used the transporter to make a copy. It wasn't really aware -- he couldn't copy the neaural patterns. But it was alive, for a moment. He made me watch when he cut its throat."

Caleb scowled. “That…is diabolical,” he said. “It says you were the primary suspect in the investigation,” Caleb pointed out, looking up at Yolanthe. “The evidence fell apart, though. The report mentions a Draylin Tal.”

Caleb settled next to Klia and put his hand softly on her shoulder. “If you’re sure you want to do this, Ah can take your statement,” he told her. “Or Ah can have another officer, a female officer, if you’d prefer.

"No, no, this is fine." Klia ran a hand over her scalp; red stubble was coming in, "After that, he just kind of lost interest. Said he had things to do, and that’s the last I saw of him, he just left me to the two men who had taken me. They took me to a space station where there was a couple of men waiting, Risians, they gave them a bag of latinum, and the Risians took me to their ship. And they..." she trailed off.

Caleb nodded. “That’s okay,” he said, rubbing Klia’s back comfortingly, offering her the water again. “Unless ya can identify them an’ they’re on this station, Ah don’t need ta know details.” Inwardly he was fuming, thinking about if this had been his daughter!

“How’d ya finally find her?” Caleb asked Yolanthe to give Klia a bit of time to pull herself together again.

“Rianni t'Khellian's husband came into The Box about ten days ago. He said he'd seen Klia on Verex III. I don't know if you know it?"

“I’ve heard of it,” Caleb acknowledged. “Orion slavers. Not a nice place.”

"So I chartered a ship there, found out where Klia was, and went to get her."

Caleb raised an eyebrow. “That was…foolish, Ms. Ibalin,” he said.

"It was just as well I did. That bastard was about to torture her to death."

Caleb considered and nodded. “Ah can see she’s been mistreated,” he said. “Is there anything else ya feel Ah need for the report?” he asked. “Klia, do ya have a place ta stay? Ah can put her up in mah quarters if ya need it. Ah’ll sleep on the couch. After ya get a stop in Sickbay.”

Yolanthe started to speak, and then Klia cut her off. "If you don't mind…" She stared at her hands. "I don't feel like going back to our old place. Not after everything."

Caleb nodded. “Ah’ll take ya back to mah place. You can rest and stay as long as ya need ta get back on your feet, Miss N’Shahdra.” He stood up. “We’ll take the back corridors. That way we can avoid gawkers,” he told Yolanthe. “And if you’re hungry, Ah’ll whip ya something up that isn’t replicated,” he promised.

"Thanks," Klia said, smoothing her palms on the cloth of her trousers.

"What happens next?" Yolanthe had gone a serious of colors at Klia’s outburst, buttercup and smoke and amber in quick succession. "Legally, I mean. People don't usually come back from the dead."

“No, that is true,” Caleb said. “We’ll have Medical give her a full screening, compare it to her last medical exam, run the DNA and other markers, and sign off on her identity. Then ya’ll will likely have ta fill out some paperwork. Ya might consider retaining counsel,” he advised them, “in case there are any unexpected problems that crop up.” He got up and unlocked a secure safe, pulling out a clean security card. He plugged it into his computer and programmed it for his quarters before handing it over to Klia. “Make an appointment with a counselor, too, so ya can talk through this.”

Caleb helped the Orion woman up again, his strong hands on her slender shoulders, gazing into her eyes. “It’s over now, though. Yer safe again. Home. And among friends.”

::OFF::

Yolanthe Ibalin
Owner
The Box of Delights

Klia N'Shadrah
Holo-engineer

Lt. Cmdr. Caleb Ryan
Chief of Security/Tactical

 

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