Trek to a Different Time & Place (Part II)

Posted on Mon Apr 23, 2018 @ 1:31am by Lieutenant Kivan Ta'Gas & Civilian Hydel Turvan & Ensign Jessica Mayhew

1,404 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Victory Conditions
Location: Cardassian Territory - War Time
Timeline: MD 04 - 1150 (Simultaneous with Opening Gambit)
Tags: Pangaea, Cardassia, Shuttle, portal, Fae

OLD:

Jessica dug in one of the pouches on her belt and pulled out a bit of Cardassian hard candy. “Here you go, Bretav. Just a little goodbye present. I’m sorry for everything that happened.

As the Security officer gave her report, Legate Umar gave a quick gesture to the other four Cardassian soldiers present. "Indeed, Ms. Mayhew, right on time, indeed," he said as Hordan immediately grabbed Jessica's arm and twisted it behind her back in an attempt to immobilize her. The second and third Cardassian drew their disruptors and aimed them at Crewman Mistal and Rhianna.

"Wait! No, do--!" Crewman Mistal tried to shout before both he and his colleague were incinerated by the disruptors.

NEW:


Jessica gasped in surprise. “You bastard!” she cried, wincing at the arm lock. She stomped back on the shin of the Cardassian holding her.

Ensign Kivan turned as he heard Mistal cry out and watched as the man was reduced to cinder ashes. The young man immediately pivoted on his back foot and ran full-speed into the back of the third Cardassian, knocking him squarely into a tree and causing the air to rush out of his lungs. Ensign Kivan used the momentary disorientation to grab the back of the soldier's head and slam it into the bulk of the tree several times, leaving bloody gashes within the bark.

Jessica swung her free elbow back, trying to dislodge the Cardassian.

"Hold your fire!" Legate Umar roared to the bloody soldier as he gripped his disruptor, prepared to fire into the back of Ensign Mayhew's skull. The soldier laying on the ground before her stared upwards at her.

"We need to keep at least some of the Federation soldiers alive. They're of no value to me dead," Legate Umar said as he placed a hand on the soldier's shoulder, ordering him to lower his weapon. "I believe Ensign Mayhew will cooperate from here on out, won't you?" he asked as he kept his hand on his disruptor and carefully eyed her as the bloody soldier next to her removed her rifle and phaser.

Jessica glared back at Umar. “What is this? We were bringing the boy back safe and sound, as you requested. What is your play here, Umar?”

Jessica glanced at Bretav. “Go! Run! He won’t leave survivors!” she yelled to the boy.

Legate Umar signalled to the other soldiers to allow the boy to run away. "He's not our concern now. He's done his part," he said as he stepped closer to Ensign Mayhew. He could see the fire in her eyes.

"My play here has been the same as it has always been: Repair Cardassia of the damage that the Federation caused," he said to her.

Jessica struggled against her captor. “The Federation helped rebuild Cardassia after the war. They did their part!” she spat at him. “If you’ll recall, we’re the ones who stopped the Klingons from simply making molten slag out of your planet. You’re the ones that sided with the Dominion. You’re just going to make everything worse messing with time. It never turns out how you expect. That’s temporal mechanics 101.”

"You believe our temporal incursion will cost lives? Lives like the eight hundred million Cardassians that were killed when the female changeling order the Jem'Hadar to attack us? Those eight hundred million lives?" he responded as he grabbed her by the arm and shoved her towards the soldier ahead of him.

"K'teth, start heading north towards the cropline of trees. It should be about one to two kilometers walk, but we should make contact with the nearby Cardassian checkpoint," he ordered as he made the same indication to the soldier that was guarding Ensign Kivan.

"So this is your plan? Trade in current technology to Cardassia to be used against us in the war?" Ensign Kivan said as he began to walk. He was stopped as Legate Umar walked over to him and rammed the butt of his rifle into the younger Cardassian's solar plexus. As Kivan fell to his knees, Umar raised his foot and jammed it into the officer's face, knocking him over onto the grass.

"I'm getting tired of hearing the words us come out of your miscegenated mouth when referring to the Federation," Legate Umar said as he stood over the gasping and coughing officer. "Even a half-breed like you should recognize where your true loyalties lie," he said distastefully. "Pick him up and keep walking," Legate Umar ordered as he turned and began to march.

"And just so we're clear, I'm not some hapless Orion space pirate seeking to get rich," he said ruefully. "This is about more than just me and my ego, you stupid child. This is about restoring our people to their rightful destiny, a destiny that was impeded because of the Federation's own self-interest," he continued.

“You attacked us!” Jessica snapped. “Nothing we have will help you anyway. Phaser technology hasn’t changed much over the last twenty years. We have no advanced tech with us.”

"The morphogenic virus," Legate Umar responded. "It was the very key to the war. Not some great ship design, not some particular battle, but a simple virus that was able to bring the entire race of Founders to their knees!" he said loudly. "Your Federation had the cure and could have used it to end the war and force absolute surrender, but they didn't. They hid the cure, hoping to wait out the Dominion. But instead, the only people who truly suffered were the eight hundred million Cardassians that were butchered when we fought backI" he said passionately.

"We were unprepared for the Jem'Hadar to openly attack our civilians because we were too preoccupied defending Cardassian space. We were so busy fighting the outside that we were unable to stop the more devastating attack from the inside." With a regretful tone, he stared into the distance for several moments before continuing, "I intend to change that mistake by doing what should have been done decades ago," he said.

“That was a rogue element in the Federation,” Jessica replied. “And they were dealt with. But what good will that knowledge do you? I don’t know anything about the morphogenic virus or its cure. I was just a kid then. And I’m a security officer, not a doctor.”

Legate Umar smiled as he continued to walk. He reached within his tunic and withdraw a medical padd. "For once I completely agree with you. You're nothing more than an infantryman, you lack any significant skills in science or medicine to know even the slightest bit about the properties of the morphogenic virus," he said dismissively.

"That's why I decided to go directly to the source," he said with a knowing smile. (***) "I was able to obtain Starfleet Medical's files on the development, implementation, and even dismemberment of the cure for the virus. With this information, Cardassia will be able to bring the Founders to their knees without the Federation," he said eagerly as the group continued marching.

"With the Dominion completely under our control, we will be in the driver's seat," he said.

“This will blow up in your face, Umar!” Jessica said. “You can’t mess with time like this. And what if the Founders discover your ruse? You could doom the entire quadrant by removing the only thing we had to drive them back if they discover the cure. The entire Alpha Quadrant could end up in Dominion hands, and I could bet that the Founders would make sure Cardassia Prime -- hell, every single Cardassian in the quadrant -- was hunted down and killed to excise knowledge of the virus from the universe. They don’t do half measures.”

"Then I guess we'll have to make sure that doesn't happen, won't we, m'dear," Legate Umar said as he brushed his hand along her face. "Besides, you'll come to enjoy being on Cardassia," he said as he continued to walk forward.

"C'mon! we're losing daylight, and we still have a ways to go," he shouted to the other soldiers as the group continued their trek.

(***) http://ds5.utopia-host.com/index.php/sim/viewpost/815

Pra'teen Umar
Legate
Cardassian Empire

Kivan Ta'Gas
Assistant Chief Engineer

Ensign Jessica Mayhew
Security Officer
NPC Caleb Ryan

 

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