Deception: The lesser part of Valour – Ladies' Knight? (Part 4)
by Commander Chelsea Dunham & Commander Isha t'Vaurek
Post Details
Chelsea was still wondering what it was that Isha had 'up her sleeve' as it were but she knew better than to ask yet. She returned her attention to the gaming table but after such a long span of distraction, found she had lost all concentration on what had been happening.
"Should we cash in our chips and adjourn to a fresh location?" she asked Isha.
”Lets,” Isha said sweeping what was left of her winnings into her palm, “If you calculate the odds these tables are rigged anyway, it rather ruins the fun of the game when its stacked against one,” she picked up her little clutch bag,
Chelsea picked up her own chips and slung her bag over her shoulder.
After a brief transaction with the cashier they were ready to go emerging from the darkness of the club into the brightly lit and crowded promenade, “I saw a piano bar when I was looking at the promenade listing earlier, it doesn’t open ‘til midnight so we should be about on time for a little night music and a glass of champagne! Shall we try and find it?”
"oooH! How enchanting! What a great idea!" Chelsea looked wide-eyed at the ever more surprising friend she'd made so few days ago, even though it now seemed like they'd known each other forever.
"Even after so long you never cease to amaze me!" she said incredulously, not even realising that when she said "after so long" it wasn't actually a long time at all in a calendar sense!
"I never imagined Romulans could be such fun, no offence intended, but they always seem so serious and cross to the ignorant observer!"
Isha laughed, “I’m sure you thought we were all so dour! One of the wonderful things about being part of the privileged class under any regime is that one very rarely has time to be dour, there’s just too much to do if one knows the right places. We Rihannsu don’t exactly encourage visitors, do we?”
"er.. quite the contrary, allegedly!" Chelsea laughed.
It was a little quieter here and as they turned the corner the skin on the back of Isha’s neck prickled, she turned her head toward Chelsea to get a better view of the glimpse she had caught in the corner of her eye. She had long since forgotten the churl at the bar, but there he was loitering a short distance behind them partially hidden in the shadow of a doorway.
“Chelsea, I don’t wish to alarm you but I think we’re being followed,” Isha said cautiously as she unclipped the fastening of her clutch bag, she glanced at her friend, unsure how the doctor would react if she pulled out a phaser.
"The fake Bajoran?" Chelsea said, wondering if she was giving too much away in admitting that she wasn't taken totally by surprise.
"Raedheol said he was a predator." she admitted.
They continued to walk, Isha avoiding looking back over her shoulder until the next corner, “Rh’vaurek said that? The uncouth drunk from the bar?” Why hadn’t said anything to her? Isha’s hand tightened around the weapon.
"He said he's the friend of that woman you introduced me to at dinner last night." Chelsea said, thinking ~was it really only last night?~
"Where did you get that?" she noticed what Isha had put her hand on, inside her little clutch bag.
“I acquired it some time ago,” she said, “for my protection.”
"The theory against bearing arms suggests that once you're visibly dangerous, you're a more formidable enemy and as such, more likely to attract greater force against yourself. It's sometimes referred to as a "Catch 22" paradox. Defensive martial arts are a great protector, when we have more time I'd be happy to teach you the basics?" Chelsea suggested.
“Chelsea, I once hesitated to shoot a man in self defence and if the Elements did not have a sense of humour my hesitation could well have cost me my life. Had I done it I would have saved myself a great deal of anguish and he’d have suffered little more than a mild disruptor burn once he woke up. I’ll not make that mistake a second time.”
"I guess we each have to do what we can. No two circumstances.... or people... are ever the same." the Doctor conceded, eyeing the corridor behind them as surreptitiously as she could.
Isha withdrew her hand and snapped her bag closed. "Let's find our dingy piano bar another night then, I suddenly don't feel like frivolling the rest of the night away. We need to join a crowd," Isha looped her arm through Chelsea's.
"I'm sorry," she said as they walked, "I seem to be exposing you to all sorts of undesirables, I have no right to do that and ruin an otherwise fabulous night. Perhaps I really should consider a bodyguard. Oh, don't tell Rh'vaurek I said that, he'd laugh at me for a month, and tease me mercilessly," Isha gabbled but she had grown so used to Raedheol being in the background until he was needed that his absence made her nervous.
Chelsea too was feeling that Raedheol's much criticised (as much by herself as anyone) physical overbearance would for once have been more welcome than she cared to permit herself to acknowledge.
"It's hardly your fault that low-life like that seem intent on some nefarious purpose which you and I appear to have some part to play in, whatever that might be!" Chelsea defended her friend.
"But don't worry, I won't give Rh'vaurek the ammunition to be merciless with you, even though I actually wouldn't be too unhappy to see him right now!" she was finally forced to admit.
"...and don't you tell him that *I* said that either! We girls have to protect one another from all-comers whether their intentions are hostile or well-meant!" she smiled, tugging playfully at Isha's arm which was still linked with her own in camaraderie and moral support.
”He couldn’t drag it from me,” Isha said, “Would you mind awfully accompanying me to my door? That’s rather pathetic really, isn’t it?”
"No it isn't! I'd feel just the same in your place." Chelsea agreed as they made their way back to Isha's quarters together.
---
If the ladies had been paying attention they would have noticed that Pellan Joran was no longer following them; he was still in the same doorway where they had spotted him, his bloody nose crushed into the security grille that protected the door by a second larger figure.
“Listen,” Pellan gasped as he tried to push back his assailant, “What’s she to you? We can do a deal here!” his words like his nose and lips were smeared together.
Raedheol tightened his grip on the man’s arm twisting it almost to breaking point. Pellan yelped. “You don’t want to fuck with me, friend,” Raedheol snarled into his ear. “This is your only warning. If I see you so much as look in her direction again I’ll break your neck. Understood?”
Without waiting for a reply Raedheol slammed the heel of his palm into the back of Pellan’s neck driving his head sharply forward. It cracked against the wall and Pellan dropped, stunned; Raedheol released him and stepped back.
“Amateur,” he muttered cracking the knuckles of his little finger in annoyance.
Pellan was either incompetent or desperate, Rh’vaurek thought as he turned and calmly walked away, he suspected it would not be long before he found out which.
A joint post between:
(soon to be) Romulan Diplomat Isha T'khellian
&
Lt (jg) Chelsea Adams
Assistant Chief Medical Officer
&
Rh'vaurek Rhaedheol
(NPC played by Louise)
by Commander Chelsea Dunham & Commander Isha t'Vaurek
Post Details
| Title | Ladies' Knight? (Part 4) | |
| Mission | Deception: The lesser part of Valour | |
| Author(s) | Commander Chelsea Dunham & Commander Isha t'Vaurek | |
| Posted | Sat Dec 13, 2008 @ 12:57am | |
| Location | The Promenade | |
| Timeline | 23.00 or somewhen like that? |
"Should we cash in our chips and adjourn to a fresh location?" she asked Isha.
”Lets,” Isha said sweeping what was left of her winnings into her palm, “If you calculate the odds these tables are rigged anyway, it rather ruins the fun of the game when its stacked against one,” she picked up her little clutch bag,
Chelsea picked up her own chips and slung her bag over her shoulder.
After a brief transaction with the cashier they were ready to go emerging from the darkness of the club into the brightly lit and crowded promenade, “I saw a piano bar when I was looking at the promenade listing earlier, it doesn’t open ‘til midnight so we should be about on time for a little night music and a glass of champagne! Shall we try and find it?”
"oooH! How enchanting! What a great idea!" Chelsea looked wide-eyed at the ever more surprising friend she'd made so few days ago, even though it now seemed like they'd known each other forever.
"Even after so long you never cease to amaze me!" she said incredulously, not even realising that when she said "after so long" it wasn't actually a long time at all in a calendar sense!
"I never imagined Romulans could be such fun, no offence intended, but they always seem so serious and cross to the ignorant observer!"
Isha laughed, “I’m sure you thought we were all so dour! One of the wonderful things about being part of the privileged class under any regime is that one very rarely has time to be dour, there’s just too much to do if one knows the right places. We Rihannsu don’t exactly encourage visitors, do we?”
"er.. quite the contrary, allegedly!" Chelsea laughed.
It was a little quieter here and as they turned the corner the skin on the back of Isha’s neck prickled, she turned her head toward Chelsea to get a better view of the glimpse she had caught in the corner of her eye. She had long since forgotten the churl at the bar, but there he was loitering a short distance behind them partially hidden in the shadow of a doorway.
“Chelsea, I don’t wish to alarm you but I think we’re being followed,” Isha said cautiously as she unclipped the fastening of her clutch bag, she glanced at her friend, unsure how the doctor would react if she pulled out a phaser.
"The fake Bajoran?" Chelsea said, wondering if she was giving too much away in admitting that she wasn't taken totally by surprise.
"Raedheol said he was a predator." she admitted.
They continued to walk, Isha avoiding looking back over her shoulder until the next corner, “Rh’vaurek said that? The uncouth drunk from the bar?” Why hadn’t said anything to her? Isha’s hand tightened around the weapon.
"He said he's the friend of that woman you introduced me to at dinner last night." Chelsea said, thinking ~was it really only last night?~
"Where did you get that?" she noticed what Isha had put her hand on, inside her little clutch bag.
“I acquired it some time ago,” she said, “for my protection.”
"The theory against bearing arms suggests that once you're visibly dangerous, you're a more formidable enemy and as such, more likely to attract greater force against yourself. It's sometimes referred to as a "Catch 22" paradox. Defensive martial arts are a great protector, when we have more time I'd be happy to teach you the basics?" Chelsea suggested.
“Chelsea, I once hesitated to shoot a man in self defence and if the Elements did not have a sense of humour my hesitation could well have cost me my life. Had I done it I would have saved myself a great deal of anguish and he’d have suffered little more than a mild disruptor burn once he woke up. I’ll not make that mistake a second time.”
"I guess we each have to do what we can. No two circumstances.... or people... are ever the same." the Doctor conceded, eyeing the corridor behind them as surreptitiously as she could.
Isha withdrew her hand and snapped her bag closed. "Let's find our dingy piano bar another night then, I suddenly don't feel like frivolling the rest of the night away. We need to join a crowd," Isha looped her arm through Chelsea's.
"I'm sorry," she said as they walked, "I seem to be exposing you to all sorts of undesirables, I have no right to do that and ruin an otherwise fabulous night. Perhaps I really should consider a bodyguard. Oh, don't tell Rh'vaurek I said that, he'd laugh at me for a month, and tease me mercilessly," Isha gabbled but she had grown so used to Raedheol being in the background until he was needed that his absence made her nervous.
Chelsea too was feeling that Raedheol's much criticised (as much by herself as anyone) physical overbearance would for once have been more welcome than she cared to permit herself to acknowledge.
"It's hardly your fault that low-life like that seem intent on some nefarious purpose which you and I appear to have some part to play in, whatever that might be!" Chelsea defended her friend.
"But don't worry, I won't give Rh'vaurek the ammunition to be merciless with you, even though I actually wouldn't be too unhappy to see him right now!" she was finally forced to admit.
"...and don't you tell him that *I* said that either! We girls have to protect one another from all-comers whether their intentions are hostile or well-meant!" she smiled, tugging playfully at Isha's arm which was still linked with her own in camaraderie and moral support.
”He couldn’t drag it from me,” Isha said, “Would you mind awfully accompanying me to my door? That’s rather pathetic really, isn’t it?”
"No it isn't! I'd feel just the same in your place." Chelsea agreed as they made their way back to Isha's quarters together.
---
If the ladies had been paying attention they would have noticed that Pellan Joran was no longer following them; he was still in the same doorway where they had spotted him, his bloody nose crushed into the security grille that protected the door by a second larger figure.
“Listen,” Pellan gasped as he tried to push back his assailant, “What’s she to you? We can do a deal here!” his words like his nose and lips were smeared together.
Raedheol tightened his grip on the man’s arm twisting it almost to breaking point. Pellan yelped. “You don’t want to fuck with me, friend,” Raedheol snarled into his ear. “This is your only warning. If I see you so much as look in her direction again I’ll break your neck. Understood?”
Without waiting for a reply Raedheol slammed the heel of his palm into the back of Pellan’s neck driving his head sharply forward. It cracked against the wall and Pellan dropped, stunned; Raedheol released him and stepped back.
“Amateur,” he muttered cracking the knuckles of his little finger in annoyance.
Pellan was either incompetent or desperate, Rh’vaurek thought as he turned and calmly walked away, he suspected it would not be long before he found out which.
A joint post between:
(soon to be) Romulan Diplomat Isha T'khellian
&
Lt (jg) Chelsea Adams
Assistant Chief Medical Officer
&
Rh'vaurek Rhaedheol
(NPC played by Louise)