Is That A Light? - Part 2

Posted on Sat May 10th, 2014 @ 9:41pm by Commander Rylie Cattmor & Lieutenant JG Rami Miral

1,740 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Landreah
Location: Landreah Rebel Holding
Timeline: T-40 minutes to trial and executions

Excerpt from "Is That A Light?"

Rylie suddenly felt very bad for Miral. The problem with what she requested was that to keep track of a single person's thoughts when they were not in any line of sight required a hell of a lot of training, and while she was a very high-level telepath and had gone through the complete Athera training program, a lot of it was still in the deep dark recesses of her mind, and so she didn't know how. She tried, but try as she might, she could not hold on beyond a minute.


And now, the conclusion:

The escorted walk was not a long one for Rami, as she was brought into another temporarily made-out room where Varik Maas sat alone looking over plans. "The prisoner, as you requested."

Varik looked up at the company, but didn't say anything for a few seconds; just regarded Miral and her general appearance, before finally, "You are the Intelligence officer of the Federation vessel?"

"I do research on the Ranger," Rami countered.

"You deal with information." he said almost benignly. His tone carried an impression, a very clear impression of the confidence and charisma he held, and wielded like a natural leader. It was clear why these people were following him, rather than anyone else they had met.

Silence.

"I require information." he continued unperturbed as he stood, walked around and sat on the edge of the table. "I get the distinct impression that even with the threat of destruction, your commander will not negotiate, nor will she relent. I want to know Federation policy in these matters. How many ships? Would they come in all weapons firing, or would they attempt to negotiate further?"

"Why are you holding us prisoner?" Rami countered. "Why do you wish a war with the Federation?"

Varik ignored the returned questions for now. He was expecting as much, but tried to guide the conversation elsewhere anyhow. "What about your ship? What's the field output of the shields at full power?"

"What about you? How many ships are under your control? How much manpower?" Rami asked back.

At that, Varik done something unexpected - he smiled. It was just a knowing smile, and he imperceptibly nodded to the guard indicating that he was to disappear, which he dutifully did. "I told them it wouldn't work." he started, pushing himself away from the table and closer to Rami. "Our people barely passed the conclusion of one war before we were thrust into another, amongst ourselves. Believe me when I say that I have no wish to start a war on a second front. Besides, you must know that without our hold on the planetary defenses, one we can't possibly maintain, we would be no match for your Federation."

"We are all victims here," he continued, slowly pacing around the Starfleet officer, "and what we do, we do out of necessity. The government should work for the good of the people, but since the end of Dominion occupation, we have been subject to tyrannical rule, with many of our people forced back out to the post-Federation wastelands to escape persecution in an attempt to survive, only to be struck down by the poison. Our world has been brutalised by the actions of a Federation officer, so you must understand that your presence is not particularly welcomed here. Our quarrel is not with you, but if you were to stay, and mediate... we have seen from your own history that you favour the lawful government rule, because they have the resources to cover up, to sway opinion, to provide whatever stories and evidence they require to enable them to carry favour."

"The Dominion started this. Civil unrest was rampant during their occupation. The Federation continued to cultivate it, and your first withdrawal brought it to a head. We feel it is now up to us to fix this, alone. That is why I have requested your ship leave. That is why I hold you. In case your commander does not heed the wisdom, I still require that information, and I will do whatever it takes to get it."

Rami listened carefully to what he had to say, internally sifting through the information and deciding how best to respond. He had some valid points, but he was also misinformed. So she decided to try a different tack. "Well, you could start by fixing my leg?" She gave him a soft, pleading glance. "I would be a lot more amenable if I wasn't in so much pain."

Varik looked down at the bullet wound in the front of Miral's leg, at first saying nothing. He exhaled forcefully and turned back to the table with plans and reports on, and turning back, said, "Well it certainly does look very painful." he said matter-of-factly. "But what then? If I give you medication, some we can ill afford, will you give me the information I need, to save as many lives as I can?" he asked with pleading eyes of his own.

"No. But I might be able to help in other ways," she countered.

"Such as?" Varik shot back as if he was expecting the answer offered, and knowing his expression would not garner any more sympathy than Miral had tried to do. "Before you respond to that, let me put it another way. You might be able to tell from all this that we're desperate. So, you can either accede to speak to your commander on our behalf, one Federation officer to another, tell her of our plight; you can give me the information regarding your ship's defensive systems voluntarily; or the medication that I give to you will not dull your pain, but will make you more susceptible to suggestion, and you will tell me what I want to know whether you fight it or not. And come the appointed time, I will start killing people regardless what decision you make. Because I'll tell you this, from where we sit, we have nothing left to lose."

Miral chose to be honest with him. Whether he believed her or not was up to him. "I'm a trained Intel officer. You're not going to get information out of me," Rami replied. It was true. She'd gone through rigorous Vulcan training on how not to crack as part of her assignments would involve undercover investigations. "And you underestimate the reaction of Starfleet if you kill an officer. You'll never get your way then, I'm afraid. So I suggest you don't try that, either. I might -- MIGHT -- talk to my commanding officer about your position, but not if you hold me and the others prisoner. Right now, you're coming off as the bad guys and that won't go over very well, either."

She looked at him coolly for several moments. "As you said yourself, you're at the end of your rope. You need me, and you need me on your side. I suggest that instead of trying your bullying tactics you choose to be honest. And you start by releasing my friends. Then I'll be willing to listen to what you have to say."

Varik's mouth pursed and his jaw clenched as Miral laid out her own terms. When she had finished, he slammed his fists into the table top causing larger, heavier items to crash against the thin metal surfacing, "You're not going to give me even an inya'n, are you?" he said, his voice raised to not quite shouting, but the echoing around the rock walls certainly aired off extreme frustration. "Can't you see what you are doing? You are forcing me to show a hand that I have no wish to show. You think I want to kill your people? You think I want to drug you up and torture your mind for information?" He paused to compose himself, "You might be saying the truth, or at least how it is, but you are wrong about one thing: I don't need you, or any of your crew. I do need you away from here; for all of you to leave. If I let you go, I have to have some guarantee, that you have to guarantee that your commander will withdraw from the sector, and allow us to bring peace in our own way."

"Will you assist me?" he pleaded.

"I will assist in bringing peace to this sector. That is why we are here," Miral said. "But I won't do it your way." She leaned closer, the expression in her eyes growing hard. "You don't want peace; you want to win at all costs."

"This is not about winning, it isn't even about revenge." Varik said, thinking about his own family that were killed, his own voice going low and cold. On some level, he wanted to carry through on his word of getting information from Miral through any means, but even he had to admit that beyond the current situation, his group's hard fought position could not stand. Once the allotted time had passed, in short order he would lose control of the batteries on the surface, and if he followed through on his threat to kill the hostages, he would drag his already beaten troops into a war on a second front; one with a technologically and numerically superior force. He was tired of this, of fighting what the odds would call a losing battle. He didn't say it out loud, but he knew in his heart that Miral was in fact correct; he was desperate, and to get through this with the best possible outcome, he needed to have the Federation onside.

He exhaled a heavy, weary sigh. "I will allow you to speak to your ship." he said slowly. "But I will not release your people. Timor..." he called to the guard outside who re-entered before Rami could say anything to that. "Take her back to the cell, and organise medicine for her leg. Then," Maas' voice trailed off; knowing this action would severely weaken his position, "Then, activate the comms array, and contact the Federation vessel. This one will help us end this."

"Thank you." It was a start. She nodded to Varik as she stood. She would keep her promise. She hoped he would keep his.

Lieutenant JG Rami Miral
Intelligence Officer

Varik Maas
Rebel Leader

Lieutenant Commander Rylie Cattmor
Executive Officer

 

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