Leera Dakora: Explosive
Robin Hopper
((Ruins of Janaran Community Center, Medara - Betazed, circa 2376))
Everything felt as though it were moving at warp speed, and Leera was just trying to keep up. The fact remained, that even with the incredibly shaking appearance of the grown man who was her son, she had a job to do – a job critical to the resistance’s plans in this region. If the Jem’Hadar patrol was able to withdraw, and the Vorta able to report what they’d seen, the resistance might be forced to give up the city. The explosives were planted. She just needed to set them off.
Leera: It’s our only chance. If we don’t take them out, Destro, Illux, and the rest of our group won’t stand a chance. The detonator is just upstai–
There was a sudden loud crash. The sound of stone crumbling, and Leera felt another body on top of hers, shielding her from the percussive detonation at the end of the hall. As the initial shock passed, she looked down the hall and saw a wide opening, leading to the dust-filled gray air of the street.
A swirl of dust gave away the cloaked Jem’Hadar that were entering. How many, she couldn’t tell – but it wouldn’t take more than a moment for the whitebloods to spot them, even in the dimly-lit hall in their cloaks. Their eyes were keen, and adjusted quickly.
Leera: ::Softly:: There’s an old lift tube – just this way. Come on!
Trying to fight the Jem’Hadar while they were cloaked was suicide. No time to lose. She quickly scrambled into a crouching posture and motioned the others to follow her around the next corner, before standing up to run at a brisk jog.
Leera: ::Over her shoulder:: The tube leads down to a series of tunnels. From there, we can take you to the resistance forces nearby… I have to go up, detonate the explosives… But I’ll be right behind you.
With that, she reached into the lift, grabbing hold of the familiar maintenance ladder and hurried up it to the second level, planting a foot on the cracked tile floor and then setting off at a run back towards Destro and her detonator. As she neared the landing with the windows overlooking the intersection, a disturbing lack of phaser fire from ahead told her what her eyes confirmed a moment later. Lying amongst the shattered glass and crumbled stone was yet another casualty of the occupation – a telltale disruptor burn on his chest.
She dropped to her hands and knees, crawling over towards him. She quickly closed the dead man’s eyes, before pulling the phaser rifle from his hands, slinging it over her shoulders, and the sidearm from his leg holster, tucking it into her belt… There would be time to grieve for him later. Peering out the window, she could see Illux and his group were still holding down the patrol, but from her vantage point it was also apparent that the Jem’Hadar were preparing to flank the building through the surrounding alleyways. oO Now or never, Oo she told herself. oO Do or die. Oo
Picking up her detonator from beside Destro’s body, she flipped the cap on the remote device and depressed the button. A split second later, what was once the crossroads of Janara Avenue and Medara Way was transformed into a smoking crater and – to ensure that none of the whitebloods or their Vorta master escaped – the building across the corner from where she lay crumbled, its load-bearing columns turned to dust, and the rubble buried the dead.
Illux: =/\= Alright!!! I take it that was your handiwork, Leera? =/\=
Grabbing her wireless, Leera sat back against the wall, breathlessly thinking about her escape route.
Leera: ::Panting:: =/\= Sorry for… the delay… =/\=
Illux: =/\= Destro? =/\=
Leera just shook her head, in silence, looking over at what remained of her friend and fellow rebel.
Illux: ::Connecting the dots:: =/\= Damn. What about those Starfleet officers? =/\=
Leera: =/\= In the tunnels. I need to get down there. =/\=
Illux: =/\= Alright, I’ll have my team do a quick mop up, then we’ll follow you… Keep the kettle warm for us, will you? =/\=
Leera: =/\= Yeah. See you. =/\=
With that, she was back on her feet. She dared not take the lift tube back down, in case the Jem’Hadar had come across it. She couldn’t risk leading them directly to the resistance cell, so instead, she climbed out the shattered window and hung from the sill before dropping several meters to the ground below.
Darting down the block, and hoping no whitebloods were in pursuit, she found what she was looking for: an old storm drain, blocked with a cracked and splintered log. Shoving the log out of the way, she slid her slender form through the open drain cover, then returned the log to its position, before scurrying down the tunnel towards the direction she had set Talos and his men on.
The thought made her reel, and she nearly lost her balance on the uneven ground. oO How is he here? Why? Oo Of all the places for him to come, of all the times for him to be… Here? Now? She could scarcely think of any worse time… Then it dawned on her. If he was here, then that meant there was still hope for the future… Her son survived – and twenty or so years from now, when Talos was full-grown there was still a Federation. There was still a Starfleet. The Dominion hadn’t won in the end.
She quickened her pace. Eventually, the sound of voices echoing down the tunnel led her to them again…
((OOC – Please note that I am excluding tags from Talos Dakora’s last sim that Leera would not have heard. Make sure to copy all your tags from that sim prior to this line of dialogue as well when writing your responses.))
Dakora: She recognized my Tholtren. ::He waved a hand:: It’s like the signature of the mind– It’s not important– the point is she knows it’s me, despite the fact that I should be 10 years old right now. ::Definitively:: We can trust her.
Leera pushed on, following Talos’ voice, unfamiliar as it was, down the dim and dusty tunnels. oO He sounds like his father… Oo she thought, with the slightest pang of disappointment, but she quickly pushed that feeling down.
Leera: ::To Talos:: ~~Little Bear…~~ ::To All:: I’m here.
She could sense the relief in him even before he was close enough to see. As she approached, she was grateful to see that all four of the Starfleet officers had made it out safely. That was a blessing.
Dakora: Thank the four. Are you okay?
Leera: I’m fine… ::A hint of sadness:: Destro didn’t make it. He won’t be needing these.
She removed the spare phaser from her belt and unslung the phaser rifle from her shoulders, holding them out for Talos and one of the other officers to take. She noticed that one of the Vulcans seemed to be carrying one of the Jem’Hadar’s disruptors already. oO Resourceful. Oo As the rest of the group took a moment to collect themselves, Leera looked back down the dim underground corridor with an anxious glance.
Dakora/Savel/Z'Vahme/Chevalier: Response
Time to get moving. It didn’t do to dawdle these days, even in secret. The longer they lingered, the more likely they were to find themselves caught up in a bad situation. Leera took off, leading the group down the tunnel out of downtown and towards the bay.
Leera: Come on, I’ll take you four to the nerve center. The others will have a lot of questions for you. Especially Illux. Where you came from, why you’re here, how you made it through the Dominion blockade… ::A nervous look to Talos:: I don’t know how we’re going to explain you. Maybe it’s better we don’t.
She supposed they could always try to explain him away as a cousin of hers, or something… The others might buy that. But Leera still wanted answers for herself.
Dakora/Savel/Z'Vahme/Chevalier: Response
Leera: ::Nodding:: I get the sense none of you really know what’s going on here. I suppose I can’t blame you. The history books are probably a bit messy when it comes to covering the occupation…?
Leera was fishing, and she was sure the others – especially Talos – would sense that. But it was hard not to wonder about the future, about how all this was going to play out. None of them seemed eager to fill her in, which only made her feel more nervous.
Dakora/Savel/Z'Vahme/Chevalier: Response
Leera: I guess it’s only fair that if you’re going to trust me, I should trust all of you. ::Grim-faced:: The occupation has changed us all. Truth, trust, empathy, these things used to be fundamental to the Betazoid identity. The Dominion’s taken them from us… But you at least deserve to know what sort of mess you’ve found your way into, so ask away…
Dakora/Savel/Z'Vahme/Chevalier: Response
TBC
