Interlude – Darson's Feelings ... and Isha's War - Part 5
by Commander Isha t'Vaurek & Colonel James Darson
Post Details
OLD:
Darson thought about it for a second and then nodded his acquiescence, “That is more than a fair compromise my dear. After he has satisfied his usefulness from your perspective. More than fair. So…do we have a deal?” He said mischievously as he held out his armored hand for her to shake.
NEW:
Isha stretched out one slender jewelled hand. She had to agree to secure his assistance but whether the moment would ever come that she followed through was another matter, that depended on Rh’vaurek, if he had truly turned on her then it was a very simple matter indeed.
“Just remember,” he said as he noticed her movement, “That a deal with me is…binding,” truly it was a deal with the devil.
The skin at the nape of Isha’s neck prickled as though a breeze had run through her office, “I understand,” she said very softly as it subsided.
“Good,” he said with dark humor as he shook her hand firmly, resisting the urge to chuckle manically, “Now then,” he said as he sat down and his tone turned to complete business, "You gave me the past, now give me the present. Who else have you brought in on this and what have you done so far. Leave nothing out...I need the highest resolution picture possible."
Isha drew her legs up beneath her and pulled a cushion into her lap, “Very few people even know,” she said as she wrapped her arms around the cushion. “t’Merek found me, she knows. It is her report that I showed you. I have told her not to do anything, but I expect her to disobey me. Doctor Adams knows, she attended me after the attack, I asked t’Merek to call her rather than one of our own physicians.”
Darson looked up in confusion. Of all the people he had expected to be involved with this, Dr. Adams was very, very low on his list. Most intriguing, “Why?” Darson asked out of curiosity.
“Because I trust her,” Isha replied implying that she did not trust her own medics with such knowledge. “R’Vek suspects something and he has probably linked the pertinent facts together to reach the correct conclusion but I have not confirmed his suspicions, the same for my niece. I have a man inside the Cardassian embassy, one of Getal’s own staff, he knows that there is some bad blood between me and his master, but not the details. He despises the man and would like to see him dead, interests that coincide with my own,” she added. “That’s everyone involved,” she lied.
Darson focused intently on Isha. There was something off about what she had said last, something felt false. Increased heart-rate and pupil dilation, slight signs of increased perspiration. She was a good liar, but against someone like him who’s senses were sharpened and enhanced enough to take in every detail down to her own body's subconscious reactions it wasn’t enough. Though if it was a lie of omission or a lie of what she had said, he did not know. He kept his focus on her as he continued, watching her reaction as he left the topic of the list of people off to the side and focused on the one she had mentioned, “That’s very good. The man inside the Embassy, can you get me in touch with him?”
Isha did not know how Meran would take her telling Darson about him, but the Cardassian had been keen to get things moving. "Denat Meran," she said, "he's one of Getal's security officers. I can put you in touch, or perhaps you would like to join me the next time I meet him?" she suggested.
The mask always comes in handy, Darson thought as he scrutinized Isha’s face and body with all the intensity of a sniper aiming down a scope at a target, but on the outside his looked just the same as he always did, “Interesting,” he said slowly, “I think I’ll just join you the next time you meet. I wouldn’t want to spook him. Have you had him do anything so far?”
Isha stretched out the fingers of her left hand as though examining her fingernails. "This will amuse you," she said, Darson had a quirky sense of humour, so he should appreciate the joke. "You recall that I told you that the first time we met Getal and I played kotra?" the question was rhetorical so she did not wait for a response before continuing, “we happened to use a rather beautiful and rare hebitian set that is in my possession. I may not be moving around without a bodyguard these days but I can still make my presence known. Already Getal thinks that I have access to his embassy … finding one of my pieces on his desk must have driven him to a wonderfully apoplectic rage,” she said wrapping her arms a little tighter round the cushion, “I would rather like to have seen that … from a distance.”
Darson had to chuckle, “Ahh...classic. Shame about the Kotra set though. I do happen to have one in my possession if you want a replacement...carved them myself out of some stone I found in a cave a couple of years back. I spent a while in that cave…but you could have it if you want. Regardless, this psychological warfare is a good step. It’s what I live for. But,” he leant forward to observe her more closely under the guise of asking a question, “what is your end-game Isha? I know you said you want him off this station…but how do you want him to leave?”
”If I’m very lucky he will choke on the kotra piece I have asked Meran to transport into a bottle of kanar,” she said unable to escape the feeling that she was being very subtly interrogated.
Darson rolled his head which effectively communicated rolling his eyes, “I mean, do you want him to leave the station in one piece, or in a body bag. Both are acceptable to me, though we’re going to have to be careful how we go about it. If we continue the Psych warfare, we can drive him insane and get him relieved of his position. We can kill him, make it look like an accident. Or we can kill him, frame Meran, sit back and watch the fireworks. Just Kidding. The point I’m making though is that we have many options. So long as no one does anything incredibly, incredibly stupid.”
As he was saying this, he was trying to put his finger on what exactly Isha was hiding from him. At this point, after revealing so much, what was there left to keep secret? Something worse than Getal violating her? He planned on throwing a few things around to see if she bit.
”I’m not about to do anything rash,” Isha said folding her arms. “I waited thirty years to deal with my husband’s brother, I’ll wait another thirty for Getal if I have to. I already know he’s not going to leave me alone until one of us is dead, and I would much prefer it to be him,” she said, “but first I want him to know that I have won, that all his efforts to crush me have been in vain. I want him to see that I have taken what he wanted just as he thought it was his,” she explained. “So I really don’t know what you would define as incredibly stupid,” Isha finished, she had told him enough, Darson did not need to know everything.
Darson waved his hand around in thought, “I don’t know…something like telling Getal that the traitor is one of his security guards. Having any sort of conflict in front of the general public. At this point, going through official diplomatic channels as well does us more harm than good. And for the love of god, this is the most important thing…don’t do anything that’s even remotely similar to putting a contract out on Getal.”
“I know you want to get your revenge as quickly as possible, but If you put a contract out on him,” Darson continued without giving her time to respond going off on a bit of a rant as if this had happened to him before, “once word gets out, oh and word does get out…damn hitmen love to chat about fat bounties, every two bit bounty hunter and gang member will be out to get him and that’s just going to cause an unholy mess for us. I keep track of all outside contractors on the station…of note there are seventeen…but only three with the skills I think to pull this off and get away clean. Luckily you came to me first and didn't do that so we don't have to worry about that…right Isha?”
OFF:
Colonel James Darson
Marine Commanding Officer
6th Combined Operations Group
Deep Space 5
Ambassador Isha e-Khellian i-Ramnau t'Illialhlae
by Commander Isha t'Vaurek & Colonel James Darson
Post Details
| Title | Darson's Feelings ... and Isha's War - Part 5 | |
| Mission | Interlude | |
| Author(s) | Commander Isha t'Vaurek & Colonel James Darson | |
| Posted | Wed Sep 01, 2010 @ 6:35pm | |
| Location | Romulan Consulate, Ambassador's Office | |
| Timeline | SD29 unspecified |
Darson thought about it for a second and then nodded his acquiescence, “That is more than a fair compromise my dear. After he has satisfied his usefulness from your perspective. More than fair. So…do we have a deal?” He said mischievously as he held out his armored hand for her to shake.
NEW:
Isha stretched out one slender jewelled hand. She had to agree to secure his assistance but whether the moment would ever come that she followed through was another matter, that depended on Rh’vaurek, if he had truly turned on her then it was a very simple matter indeed.
“Just remember,” he said as he noticed her movement, “That a deal with me is…binding,” truly it was a deal with the devil.
The skin at the nape of Isha’s neck prickled as though a breeze had run through her office, “I understand,” she said very softly as it subsided.
“Good,” he said with dark humor as he shook her hand firmly, resisting the urge to chuckle manically, “Now then,” he said as he sat down and his tone turned to complete business, "You gave me the past, now give me the present. Who else have you brought in on this and what have you done so far. Leave nothing out...I need the highest resolution picture possible."
Isha drew her legs up beneath her and pulled a cushion into her lap, “Very few people even know,” she said as she wrapped her arms around the cushion. “t’Merek found me, she knows. It is her report that I showed you. I have told her not to do anything, but I expect her to disobey me. Doctor Adams knows, she attended me after the attack, I asked t’Merek to call her rather than one of our own physicians.”
Darson looked up in confusion. Of all the people he had expected to be involved with this, Dr. Adams was very, very low on his list. Most intriguing, “Why?” Darson asked out of curiosity.
“Because I trust her,” Isha replied implying that she did not trust her own medics with such knowledge. “R’Vek suspects something and he has probably linked the pertinent facts together to reach the correct conclusion but I have not confirmed his suspicions, the same for my niece. I have a man inside the Cardassian embassy, one of Getal’s own staff, he knows that there is some bad blood between me and his master, but not the details. He despises the man and would like to see him dead, interests that coincide with my own,” she added. “That’s everyone involved,” she lied.
Darson focused intently on Isha. There was something off about what she had said last, something felt false. Increased heart-rate and pupil dilation, slight signs of increased perspiration. She was a good liar, but against someone like him who’s senses were sharpened and enhanced enough to take in every detail down to her own body's subconscious reactions it wasn’t enough. Though if it was a lie of omission or a lie of what she had said, he did not know. He kept his focus on her as he continued, watching her reaction as he left the topic of the list of people off to the side and focused on the one she had mentioned, “That’s very good. The man inside the Embassy, can you get me in touch with him?”
Isha did not know how Meran would take her telling Darson about him, but the Cardassian had been keen to get things moving. "Denat Meran," she said, "he's one of Getal's security officers. I can put you in touch, or perhaps you would like to join me the next time I meet him?" she suggested.
The mask always comes in handy, Darson thought as he scrutinized Isha’s face and body with all the intensity of a sniper aiming down a scope at a target, but on the outside his looked just the same as he always did, “Interesting,” he said slowly, “I think I’ll just join you the next time you meet. I wouldn’t want to spook him. Have you had him do anything so far?”
Isha stretched out the fingers of her left hand as though examining her fingernails. "This will amuse you," she said, Darson had a quirky sense of humour, so he should appreciate the joke. "You recall that I told you that the first time we met Getal and I played kotra?" the question was rhetorical so she did not wait for a response before continuing, “we happened to use a rather beautiful and rare hebitian set that is in my possession. I may not be moving around without a bodyguard these days but I can still make my presence known. Already Getal thinks that I have access to his embassy … finding one of my pieces on his desk must have driven him to a wonderfully apoplectic rage,” she said wrapping her arms a little tighter round the cushion, “I would rather like to have seen that … from a distance.”
Darson had to chuckle, “Ahh...classic. Shame about the Kotra set though. I do happen to have one in my possession if you want a replacement...carved them myself out of some stone I found in a cave a couple of years back. I spent a while in that cave…but you could have it if you want. Regardless, this psychological warfare is a good step. It’s what I live for. But,” he leant forward to observe her more closely under the guise of asking a question, “what is your end-game Isha? I know you said you want him off this station…but how do you want him to leave?”
”If I’m very lucky he will choke on the kotra piece I have asked Meran to transport into a bottle of kanar,” she said unable to escape the feeling that she was being very subtly interrogated.
Darson rolled his head which effectively communicated rolling his eyes, “I mean, do you want him to leave the station in one piece, or in a body bag. Both are acceptable to me, though we’re going to have to be careful how we go about it. If we continue the Psych warfare, we can drive him insane and get him relieved of his position. We can kill him, make it look like an accident. Or we can kill him, frame Meran, sit back and watch the fireworks. Just Kidding. The point I’m making though is that we have many options. So long as no one does anything incredibly, incredibly stupid.”
As he was saying this, he was trying to put his finger on what exactly Isha was hiding from him. At this point, after revealing so much, what was there left to keep secret? Something worse than Getal violating her? He planned on throwing a few things around to see if she bit.
”I’m not about to do anything rash,” Isha said folding her arms. “I waited thirty years to deal with my husband’s brother, I’ll wait another thirty for Getal if I have to. I already know he’s not going to leave me alone until one of us is dead, and I would much prefer it to be him,” she said, “but first I want him to know that I have won, that all his efforts to crush me have been in vain. I want him to see that I have taken what he wanted just as he thought it was his,” she explained. “So I really don’t know what you would define as incredibly stupid,” Isha finished, she had told him enough, Darson did not need to know everything.
Darson waved his hand around in thought, “I don’t know…something like telling Getal that the traitor is one of his security guards. Having any sort of conflict in front of the general public. At this point, going through official diplomatic channels as well does us more harm than good. And for the love of god, this is the most important thing…don’t do anything that’s even remotely similar to putting a contract out on Getal.”
“I know you want to get your revenge as quickly as possible, but If you put a contract out on him,” Darson continued without giving her time to respond going off on a bit of a rant as if this had happened to him before, “once word gets out, oh and word does get out…damn hitmen love to chat about fat bounties, every two bit bounty hunter and gang member will be out to get him and that’s just going to cause an unholy mess for us. I keep track of all outside contractors on the station…of note there are seventeen…but only three with the skills I think to pull this off and get away clean. Luckily you came to me first and didn't do that so we don't have to worry about that…right Isha?”
OFF:
Colonel James Darson
Marine Commanding Officer
6th Combined Operations Group
Deep Space 5
Ambassador Isha e-Khellian i-Ramnau t'Illialhlae