Ens Chevalier - Living in the house of fire, not firefighters to call, no way out
CPT Arianus
(( Ruins of Janaran Community Center, Medara - Betazed, circa 2376 ))
One would expect
someone falling to their death to scream. But this was not the case.
Only the sound of a body hitting the walls and smashing against the
ground on impact was carried down the lift shaft.
Dakora: Let’s
go, we need to put some distance–
Only the dust stirred silently in the end, as the commander was checking the service corridor they planned to use with Savel. It was in good standing - mold, war, insufficient maintenance, nothing took off its stability yet. Light was sparse, years of war already bit off its price, but a piping and cabling was still there, sitting in their rusted sleeves, holding on just on fate's whims and builders' quality work. They had the same chance to lose their pursuers down here as they would lose themselves here.
Dakora: Take his weapon, Mister Savel. ::He eyed the
others.:: We need to link back up with the resistance. They seem like
our only chance of surviving this hellscape.
Savel: Aye,
Commander.
Nothing was perfect, nor ideal, but it was a path
forward. Only one possible, only one plausible. Decision was made,
and no one was surprised by it. Nor with the decision to use any
opportunity to improve their chances. They were at war.
Involuntarily, surprisingly, but it didn't change anything.
Jaseb
was looking at Jem'Hadar body, a twisted rag doll of a once living
creature. It was his work, brute, clumsy, yet no less deadly. The
foam mixed with blood around the nostrils meant that he died sooner
than he fell at the shaft bottom. The shock and surprise in his eyes,
the sudden insight into his misjudgment in the inexorability of his
own mortality, meant that he had been alive for a while and felt
himself dying.
They could be the one with
death in their own eyes, but there it was him, who misjudged. Jaseb
blinked, as his face carved into stone victor's pride over the
cruelty of others death started to surface. He
covered his face, as he was putting loose strands of hair back into a
ponytail, covering up inner feelings he didn't want to present out.
When he finished, he was back him - somehow not interested, smug face
facing unknown while glowing that ignorant self confidence as hell.
Savel was armed already, as he completed his patdown of the fallen
Jem'Hadar. They could go.
Chevalier: Lead the way, sir, you
will probably be the only one with enough knowledge to know how to get
back to the surface..
Z'Vahme: Response
They moved
forward to the tunnels. Savel, being the only one armed, was in the
front, followed by the commander, Jaseb and Z'Vahme ending their
small train. Time passed in silence for most of the time as the
tunnels shortened, but the silence was suddenly broken by the
commander's voice. Maybe it was the answers time, maybe not, as Jaseb
felt the commander's words were not necessary now as they were obviously
pointing at them if they were followed, but the commander felt
otherwise and started talking.
Dakora: That woman is Leera
Dakora, my mother. She’s with the resistance and… ::Beat.:: And
she shouldn’t be alive at this point in the war.
Savel:
There are many things that shouldn't be, including the war itself. I
doubt this is the last historical inaccuracy that CloQ intends to
present us with.
Chevalier:
Maybe this is our purgatory, commander. Aren't Qs all about testing humanity? About us showing them how undeveloped, barbaric apes we
still are? And leaving you to face your own darkness through meeting
with someone you were already settled with their death it's somehow the definition of purgatory. I know she is your mother, commander, but
are you sure we can trust her, with all this while CloQ was the one
who set the playground?
Z'Vahme:
Response
Commander kept a moment to process the comments,
while they were moving forward. It was definitely not easy to answer questions
and comments. But the commander knew, he knew his
truth.
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.
oO If
he says so... Oo
Jaseb's thoughts on the topic were interrupted by
the sound of footsteps. A steps they were getting close to. Savel
raised his disruptor into ready position, prepared to engage any
enemy showing in front of them. Commander stopped him as another
voice sounded through the tunnels.
Leera: ::To Talos::
~~Little Bear…~~ ::To All:: I’m here.
Dakora:
Thank the four. Are you okay?
Dakora's mother showed in the
front of the group. Armed to the teeth. Ready for war, while war was
already raging. Savel lowered his weapon, and a feeling of relaxation
slowly began to spread through the group.
Leera:
I’m fine… ::A hint of sadness:: Destro didn’t make it. He
won’t be needing these.
Jaseb
looked at the additional weapon Leera brought and thrust into his
hand. He recognized it. Originally it was a Starfleet pulse rifle,
similar to one used during his survival training at the Academy --
but now, that beaten piece of durasteel recalled its origin only very
figuratively. Some parts were still original, but most had already
succumbed to time, wear and tear or the personal preferences of the
previous owner.
It looked like a good weapon. Not that good as 2399 Phaser rifles, but
still better than none.
Savel:
His death is unfortunate, but the weapons are appreciated.
Savel
expressed his regret at the loss of a member of the rebellion. It was
polite, but Jaseb preferred to remain silent. He didn't know them, he
didn't fight with them, their deaths were tragic, but empty words of
pity were equally piteous.
Dakora/Z'Vahme:
Response
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.
Jaseb
hoped it was just a figure of speech. If this rebellion was
centralized, they would have already lost. If everyone was knowing everyone,
there was no safety net if someone would be captured. No failsafe if
even a single traitor was in their ranks. Failure on one would always
bring the fall of all in the organization. History gave too many
examples of betrayed, who ended up hanged, shot or killed due to the single
individual, who only saw his own benefit, and sold out the others for
it.
Savel:
We may also have some questions of our own once we arrive.
Chevalier:
I agree sir, we need to establish ourselves within the structures.
Help them, as they will help us to get back to our...forces.
Dakora/Z'Vahme:
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…?
Jaseb knew
about actual occupation a lot, but taking into account this wasn't
„occupation“ which he learned about, there was
not that much to build on, except the Starfleet time directives and
his own intelligence and insurgency&survival training at the
Academy. In the end this was commander's world, he knew the most about Betazed occupation from the first hand, and he was a ranking
officer.
No matter how much CloQ could alternate their
timeline and events, some things couldn't change.
Savel:
While my studies have briefly covered the Occupation, it was never an
academic focus.
It
wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the full truth either. That was probably
a line they'd have to tiptoe along during their time here, at least
for now.
Chevalier:
I actually studied Dominion War a lot, and occupation was a big part of
it, but you live through it, Commander. You will know the most,
right?
Dakora/Z'Vahme:
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…
Jaseb
had just two questions, as whatever this test from Q was, in the end
this was a war scenario – and war never changes...
Chevalier:
I have just two questions at the moment – how strong is the support
of citizens for resistance against how strong is the collaboration
with occupation authorities?
Leera: Response
Dakora/Z'Vahme:
Response
Savel:
While my personal curiosities are many, I suppose I should focus on
matters related to our security. ::beat:: The nerve center that you
intend to lead us to, how likely is it we will be detected by the
Jem'Hadar?
Leera:
Response
Jaseb
looked unhappy. The whole situation seemed to be more and more dire,
in the sense of the final victory of so-called resistance. Obviously the
Resistance had a watches, but the Dominion had time. Jaseb smiled, as
his thoughts returned to his own home and the whole situation around the
"protection" of Bayran and how his own people combed the
generations to come, while condemning the previous generation to the
despair of an existence without a future. Over time, the problematic
ones will simply die out... Diseases, combat casualties, birth
control contamination of water sources within resistance infested
territories, displeasure of those who could just lay down the weapons
and continue living under the slowly blunted edge of occupation in
peace... time was the only essence Dominion needed...
But
the Q&A session was over. They needed to move on, before
Jem'Hadars found them and made an example of them. Savel had a
proposal for that.
Savel:
If you have no objection, Commander, I will cover our rear. ::to
Jaseb:: Should you have the remaining supplies, it may be useful to
create another compound in case we are followed.
Chevalier:
Sir, then I will be a pointman at front. Your life is more valuable.
Dakora/Leera/Z'Vahme:
Response
Jaseb
did not like that much being upfront, but with Z'Vahme missing the
weapon and the commander's life really was the one who should be
protected, that meant for Jaseb there were not many options left. He looked at Leera, who
technically should lead them to the resistance compound with almost a
calm, fake smile.
Chevalier: So, which way will we be heading,
ma'am?
Leera: Response
TAG/TBC
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