Beg, Steal or Borrow – Facts and Factions
by Commander Isha t'Vaurek & Lieutenant JG Opaka Jo'el & Lieutenant JG Petro
Post Details
OLD:
Turning slowly toward the bridge, Jo'el stood and attached himself to Isha's right side. He held his phaser pointed at the ceiling and eased it into its holster when she placed a hand firmly on his shoulder. He nodded and stood at attention, eying the bridge crew with a combination of suspicion and hesitant respect. If these officers were loyal to Isha, then his mission was now significantly easier. Besides, the bomb strapped over his shoulder was an excellent deterrent for any potential snipers.
If only Opaka wasn’t here, Isha thought with a sideways glance, It was easy enough now to accept the idea of plausible deniability, but could he really be relied upon to keep his mouth closed once she returned him to DS5?
She did not linger for long on the question, “Computer, activate final sequence: kre-rhi-lli draed-ehrie kre-sei talshaya lhohnu,” she said, continuing to speak in her calm even tone as Nniol leapt to his feet and started shouting at her to stop.
Any doubts she might have had about her ability to do this were gone, even those who would not support her position as hru’Hfirh against Nniol would heed her now if they valued their careers and their lives. There was just one thing left for her to do.
Isha directed the computer to open a comm. channel, “Ruwon Tahn,” Isha said, “Have your people power down the engines, if they do not co-operate eject the singularity as instructed.”
“Through the cloak? At warp?” Are you insane?” the Amnei'Saehne was the first to break.
“Send the order to co-operate,” she said with a little shrug.
Jo'el didn't need the Universal Translator to know what a Romulan self-destruct sequence sounded like.
"Prophets protect us," he whispered.
NEW:
"What is this Federation weakling talking about?" the conn officer said with a scoff.
Oh no, I feel a theological debate brewing Jo'el thought. "We can table that discussion until our people stop shooting at each other."
Nniol raged to his feet, “Fvadt susse-thraii! It will tear the ship apart!”
“That will solve both our problems, Nniol,” she was about to continue but Ruwon’s voice interrupted.
=/=Ihhei , it is done,=/= he said without elaboration.
“Confirm it,” Isha said to the bridge officer responsible for monitoring the engine functions.
As he nodded Isha drew in a long and silent breath then let her eyes wander across the faces; what were they thinking? Did they believe that she was what she claimed? What were they going to do?
Finally, after prolonging the pause until the atmosphere was about to crack, Isha spoke.
“Please be so good as to hand any weapons you might have to Opaka here. Opaka, if anyone objects snap his wrist or something,” she added in the sort of tone that might be expected to accompany the phrase ‘offer him a sandwich or something.’
Relieved to have creative control over the bridge crew, Jo'el picked up all the side arms he saw. "I'll take the one under your console, too," he said to the conn officer, who huffed and begrudgingly demagnitized the pistol and dropped it in the Bajoran's full hands. Jo'el put all of the weapons down the nearest waste chute and returned to his spot next to Isha.
~hnoiyika~ Tal'Veek thought to himself, being careful to keep his emotional response to himself. He knew all too well what happened to those who got in the middle of a family dispute.
It seemed to Isha that Nniol was in a quandary, just what had he promised them? Surely they couldn’t all be here because they had been willing to believe and support his claim to the House? There had to be something more than that, and now, she reasoned, with every minute that passed it was becoming less and less likely that he would end the day in a position to deliver.
But disparate snippets of information were connecting themselves together. A communication here, a document there from that dossier that Darson had been able to compile for her; this was big.
The promise of the House must have been what the faction had used to draw Nniol in … the faction swung between sympathies, one day fiercely isolationist, the next roaring for aggressive expansion, and she was well known to be on the side of a more consistent approach to diplomacy – to discredit Isha and her motives would discredit her own political masters in the eyes of the populace.
Even with Ruwon Tahn going through the lower decks and separating the loyal from the not so loyal she and Opaka were far from safe.
“Hijacking my own ship I could forgive, but using it to attack and then abduct me … that really is going too far …” Isha said her fingertips grazing her lip where it had split when Merrok hit her. They needed just a little more time before Ruwon would have gathered sufficient re-enforcements to come and back them up. Isha did not really care if they underestimated her and thought her a fool if it could help buy them that time, but not too much of a fool, she kept the disruptor pistol ready in her hand just in case.
Tal'Veek listened but said nothing. He could watch, see which way this tide went and of course choose accordingly. For now, he was content with not being addressed by either Nniol nor Isha. He was of a low class in citizenship - for now.
"My brother was blind to what you are," Nniol accused, "but He could always explain away your disappearances, but not to me. I saw.”
“What did you see, Nniol? Is it the same thing that everyone else is seeing now?” And hearing, she might have added; among the orders she had given to Ruwon Tahn was one to open a ship-wide broadcast channel – she wanted everyone to hear this, and Nniol, when given the opportunity, could not resist talking.
Isha paced slowly forward as she spoke, moving away from Opaka and towards Nniol until only he stood between her and the command chair, an uncomfortably close foot separating the pair. “If my government requests that I go somewhere, I go. My husband understood and accepted that; the opinion of a degenerate younger brother on the matter really was not of interest to him.”
“Nveid should have left you to die on that asteroid,” Nniol spat, "another day is all it would have taken."
“Enough!” Isha snapped, “I’m not here to trade words with you, you murdered my husband and our son and you had access to knowledge that could have prevented the devastation at Chin’toka – the Empire holds you accountable, Nniol. Stand down and place yourself in my custody or I will bring you down.”
~Chin'toka?~ Tal'Veek thought. His parents were at Chin'toka. Was Nniol responsible or was this another one of Isha's tricks?
With interest piqued, Jo'el recalled the ugliness that went down at Chin'toka during the Dominion War. Even on Cestus III, word reached about the loss of the Defiant, which led him to think that the war might have been lost after all. The baseball league took the day off in mourning for the tens of thousands lost in the allied forces during that battle.
"Where do you keep your manacles, Ambassador?" Jo'el said.
Isha raised her free hand, bidding him to stay where he was, her painted fingernails appearing black in the dim light of the ship under cloak; “Not yet, Opaka,” she said.
Her audience were rapt, though probably not yet convinced.
Her gaze did not waver and nor did her other hand which kept the disruptor aimed squarely at Nniol, the one thing that had prevented him from crossing the gap that divided them, breaking her neck and settling the question of succession with it.
“Where is H’daen tr’Rehu, the commander who first spoke with Captain Tahir?” she asked wondering how Nniol, who shared so many physical similarities with her husband, could be so different.
That resemblance was the reason that Isha had been so lenient with him in the past, but as his lips split and his features twisted as he broke into a cold and unpleasant laugh she saw nothing of her husband in him. She watched as Nniol turned and plonked himself down in the command chair.
“Do you want civil war, Isha?” he said it through a grin, “because that is what you’ll get. All you’ll do is bring the Empire to its knees, at least that is what we’ll say when we write the history. A fitting memorial to a traitor and a warning to those who would negotiate rather than conquer.”
Tal'Veek grumbled to himself. A warning to negotiators and an encouragement to conquer? He was sounding more and more like the wretched Klingons they despised. It was through careful negotiation that the Empire conquered and controlled. Still, Tal'Veek reminded himself, the outcome of this has not yet been decided.
“I am who I must be,” Isha replied, the triumphant rush of blood through her body bubbled as though about to burst through her skin but with difficulty she kept her expression bland and resolute; Nniol had no idea, Isha realised. He thought that the details of the plot were still beyond her reach. I owe you one, Darson, Isha thought, without the information he had sold her for Iawaain she would be in an untenable position.
“You conspired with the Breen, and with the Dominion, Nniol, your intention to inflict such damage on the Empire’s forces that the Senate would be pressured by the populace to abandon the alliance with the Federation and with the Klingons. That the evidence was compiled almost nine years ago by Federation investigators and immediately classified which draws me to conclude that someone very high up in the Federation was complicit and is probably packing his bags as we speak. As for you, well, the evidence that points to you was received by the Continuing Committee twenty eight hours ago – they have declared you a traitor and even your lover and conspirator Senator Rhiu ir-Ainleth is reluctant to speak on your behalf.”
“No such evidence exists,” Nniol hissed.
Tal'Veek wondered about that. He had heard rumors and whispers, nothing would be said to him directly given his status, but he had ears and he did listen. He listened now to the banter between the two. He would not yet step to the left nor to the right.
"Are you even old enough to hold one of those, child?" the conn officer said to the ensign.
Jo'el looked to Isha without saying a word.
She dipped her head the slightest incline.
Taking her cue as acquiescense, Jo'el shot the conn officer in the knee.
"%&$*% ELEMENTS!" the conn officer howled.
"I know, and I sympathize," Jo'el replied. "Sometimes these adolescent fingers of mine just get antsy. Maybe you should turn around and mind your station, then more of your body will be out of the way in case I stammer again."
The conn officer looked up at Jo'el with reluctant respect, if only for the phaser in the Bajoran's hand. He turned back to the conn, dragging his now numb and useless leg behind him in what would be a most uncomfortable fashion if it had any sensation at all.
Jo'el looked back at Isha and shrugged. "Kids..."
"I'm quite delighted you came along," Isha remarked, pleased that he did not shrink and moralise about necessary cruelty, "Now we're static, why don't you encourage your new friend to see if we have any company, I'm not fond of surprises."
OFF:
Ambassador Isha t'Khellian
Ensign Opaka Jo'el
VIP Bodyguard
Tal'Veek NPCd by Petro
by Commander Isha t'Vaurek & Lieutenant JG Opaka Jo'el & Lieutenant JG Petro
Post Details
| Title | Facts and Factions | |
| Mission | Beg, Steal or Borrow | |
| Author(s) | Commander Isha t'Vaurek & Lieutenant JG Opaka Jo'el & Lieutenant JG Petro | |
| Posted | Thu Apr 23, 2009 @ 7:51pm | |
| Location | Vrelnec: Bridge | |
| Timeline | SD8 - after the attack |
Turning slowly toward the bridge, Jo'el stood and attached himself to Isha's right side. He held his phaser pointed at the ceiling and eased it into its holster when she placed a hand firmly on his shoulder. He nodded and stood at attention, eying the bridge crew with a combination of suspicion and hesitant respect. If these officers were loyal to Isha, then his mission was now significantly easier. Besides, the bomb strapped over his shoulder was an excellent deterrent for any potential snipers.
If only Opaka wasn’t here, Isha thought with a sideways glance, It was easy enough now to accept the idea of plausible deniability, but could he really be relied upon to keep his mouth closed once she returned him to DS5?
She did not linger for long on the question, “Computer, activate final sequence: kre-rhi-lli draed-ehrie kre-sei talshaya lhohnu,” she said, continuing to speak in her calm even tone as Nniol leapt to his feet and started shouting at her to stop.
Any doubts she might have had about her ability to do this were gone, even those who would not support her position as hru’Hfirh against Nniol would heed her now if they valued their careers and their lives. There was just one thing left for her to do.
Isha directed the computer to open a comm. channel, “Ruwon Tahn,” Isha said, “Have your people power down the engines, if they do not co-operate eject the singularity as instructed.”
“Through the cloak? At warp?” Are you insane?” the Amnei'Saehne was the first to break.
“Send the order to co-operate,” she said with a little shrug.
Jo'el didn't need the Universal Translator to know what a Romulan self-destruct sequence sounded like.
"Prophets protect us," he whispered.
NEW:
"What is this Federation weakling talking about?" the conn officer said with a scoff.
Oh no, I feel a theological debate brewing Jo'el thought. "We can table that discussion until our people stop shooting at each other."
Nniol raged to his feet, “Fvadt susse-thraii! It will tear the ship apart!”
“That will solve both our problems, Nniol,” she was about to continue but Ruwon’s voice interrupted.
=/=Ihhei , it is done,=/= he said without elaboration.
“Confirm it,” Isha said to the bridge officer responsible for monitoring the engine functions.
As he nodded Isha drew in a long and silent breath then let her eyes wander across the faces; what were they thinking? Did they believe that she was what she claimed? What were they going to do?
Finally, after prolonging the pause until the atmosphere was about to crack, Isha spoke.
“Please be so good as to hand any weapons you might have to Opaka here. Opaka, if anyone objects snap his wrist or something,” she added in the sort of tone that might be expected to accompany the phrase ‘offer him a sandwich or something.’
Relieved to have creative control over the bridge crew, Jo'el picked up all the side arms he saw. "I'll take the one under your console, too," he said to the conn officer, who huffed and begrudgingly demagnitized the pistol and dropped it in the Bajoran's full hands. Jo'el put all of the weapons down the nearest waste chute and returned to his spot next to Isha.
~hnoiyika~ Tal'Veek thought to himself, being careful to keep his emotional response to himself. He knew all too well what happened to those who got in the middle of a family dispute.
It seemed to Isha that Nniol was in a quandary, just what had he promised them? Surely they couldn’t all be here because they had been willing to believe and support his claim to the House? There had to be something more than that, and now, she reasoned, with every minute that passed it was becoming less and less likely that he would end the day in a position to deliver.
But disparate snippets of information were connecting themselves together. A communication here, a document there from that dossier that Darson had been able to compile for her; this was big.
The promise of the House must have been what the faction had used to draw Nniol in … the faction swung between sympathies, one day fiercely isolationist, the next roaring for aggressive expansion, and she was well known to be on the side of a more consistent approach to diplomacy – to discredit Isha and her motives would discredit her own political masters in the eyes of the populace.
Even with Ruwon Tahn going through the lower decks and separating the loyal from the not so loyal she and Opaka were far from safe.
“Hijacking my own ship I could forgive, but using it to attack and then abduct me … that really is going too far …” Isha said her fingertips grazing her lip where it had split when Merrok hit her. They needed just a little more time before Ruwon would have gathered sufficient re-enforcements to come and back them up. Isha did not really care if they underestimated her and thought her a fool if it could help buy them that time, but not too much of a fool, she kept the disruptor pistol ready in her hand just in case.
Tal'Veek listened but said nothing. He could watch, see which way this tide went and of course choose accordingly. For now, he was content with not being addressed by either Nniol nor Isha. He was of a low class in citizenship - for now.
"My brother was blind to what you are," Nniol accused, "but He could always explain away your disappearances, but not to me. I saw.”
“What did you see, Nniol? Is it the same thing that everyone else is seeing now?” And hearing, she might have added; among the orders she had given to Ruwon Tahn was one to open a ship-wide broadcast channel – she wanted everyone to hear this, and Nniol, when given the opportunity, could not resist talking.
Isha paced slowly forward as she spoke, moving away from Opaka and towards Nniol until only he stood between her and the command chair, an uncomfortably close foot separating the pair. “If my government requests that I go somewhere, I go. My husband understood and accepted that; the opinion of a degenerate younger brother on the matter really was not of interest to him.”
“Nveid should have left you to die on that asteroid,” Nniol spat, "another day is all it would have taken."
“Enough!” Isha snapped, “I’m not here to trade words with you, you murdered my husband and our son and you had access to knowledge that could have prevented the devastation at Chin’toka – the Empire holds you accountable, Nniol. Stand down and place yourself in my custody or I will bring you down.”
~Chin'toka?~ Tal'Veek thought. His parents were at Chin'toka. Was Nniol responsible or was this another one of Isha's tricks?
With interest piqued, Jo'el recalled the ugliness that went down at Chin'toka during the Dominion War. Even on Cestus III, word reached about the loss of the Defiant, which led him to think that the war might have been lost after all. The baseball league took the day off in mourning for the tens of thousands lost in the allied forces during that battle.
"Where do you keep your manacles, Ambassador?" Jo'el said.
Isha raised her free hand, bidding him to stay where he was, her painted fingernails appearing black in the dim light of the ship under cloak; “Not yet, Opaka,” she said.
Her audience were rapt, though probably not yet convinced.
Her gaze did not waver and nor did her other hand which kept the disruptor aimed squarely at Nniol, the one thing that had prevented him from crossing the gap that divided them, breaking her neck and settling the question of succession with it.
“Where is H’daen tr’Rehu, the commander who first spoke with Captain Tahir?” she asked wondering how Nniol, who shared so many physical similarities with her husband, could be so different.
That resemblance was the reason that Isha had been so lenient with him in the past, but as his lips split and his features twisted as he broke into a cold and unpleasant laugh she saw nothing of her husband in him. She watched as Nniol turned and plonked himself down in the command chair.
“Do you want civil war, Isha?” he said it through a grin, “because that is what you’ll get. All you’ll do is bring the Empire to its knees, at least that is what we’ll say when we write the history. A fitting memorial to a traitor and a warning to those who would negotiate rather than conquer.”
Tal'Veek grumbled to himself. A warning to negotiators and an encouragement to conquer? He was sounding more and more like the wretched Klingons they despised. It was through careful negotiation that the Empire conquered and controlled. Still, Tal'Veek reminded himself, the outcome of this has not yet been decided.
“I am who I must be,” Isha replied, the triumphant rush of blood through her body bubbled as though about to burst through her skin but with difficulty she kept her expression bland and resolute; Nniol had no idea, Isha realised. He thought that the details of the plot were still beyond her reach. I owe you one, Darson, Isha thought, without the information he had sold her for Iawaain she would be in an untenable position.
“You conspired with the Breen, and with the Dominion, Nniol, your intention to inflict such damage on the Empire’s forces that the Senate would be pressured by the populace to abandon the alliance with the Federation and with the Klingons. That the evidence was compiled almost nine years ago by Federation investigators and immediately classified which draws me to conclude that someone very high up in the Federation was complicit and is probably packing his bags as we speak. As for you, well, the evidence that points to you was received by the Continuing Committee twenty eight hours ago – they have declared you a traitor and even your lover and conspirator Senator Rhiu ir-Ainleth is reluctant to speak on your behalf.”
“No such evidence exists,” Nniol hissed.
Tal'Veek wondered about that. He had heard rumors and whispers, nothing would be said to him directly given his status, but he had ears and he did listen. He listened now to the banter between the two. He would not yet step to the left nor to the right.
"Are you even old enough to hold one of those, child?" the conn officer said to the ensign.
Jo'el looked to Isha without saying a word.
She dipped her head the slightest incline.
Taking her cue as acquiescense, Jo'el shot the conn officer in the knee.
"%&$*% ELEMENTS!" the conn officer howled.
"I know, and I sympathize," Jo'el replied. "Sometimes these adolescent fingers of mine just get antsy. Maybe you should turn around and mind your station, then more of your body will be out of the way in case I stammer again."
The conn officer looked up at Jo'el with reluctant respect, if only for the phaser in the Bajoran's hand. He turned back to the conn, dragging his now numb and useless leg behind him in what would be a most uncomfortable fashion if it had any sensation at all.
Jo'el looked back at Isha and shrugged. "Kids..."
"I'm quite delighted you came along," Isha remarked, pleased that he did not shrink and moralise about necessary cruelty, "Now we're static, why don't you encourage your new friend to see if we have any company, I'm not fond of surprises."
OFF:
Ambassador Isha t'Khellian
Ensign Opaka Jo'el
VIP Bodyguard
Tal'Veek NPCd by Petro