MSNPC T'Varek - Taking Care of Loose Ends - Part 1

[Ryden Kel]

((Streets of Capricalia, Capricalia))

T’Varek lingered in the shadow of the alley across from the bar,
motionless, blending with the dim contours of the night. The
streetlights painted the pavement in muted golds and greys, and the
soft hum of the city provided a cover for his presence.

From this vantage, he could see everything. The slight tremble of her
fingers, the nervous dart of her eyes, the way she shifted in her seat
when the stranger approached.

S’zurak. Large, unfamiliar, clearly Starfleet. That alone was enough
to sharpen T’Varek’s focus. The Gorn’s posture was relaxed but
disciplined, movements precise. Nothing casual about him. T'Varek knew
that Starfleet was on the planet investigating a plethora of
circumstances (some of them T'Varek's own doing). Why was she talking
to Starfleet?

Jera’s lips moved, words forming that he could not hear, but her
gestures... her nervous tilts, her avoidance of direct eye contact...
spoke volumes. T'Varek had been keeping tabs on the woman. She had
always been careful, always inconspicuous. Until now.

He remembered a previous encounter, months earlier, when she had
accidentally overheard something she should not have. At the time, he
had issued a warning... calm, measured, but absolute. Do not speak.
Not to anyone. She had nodded, frightened, and had complied…
temporarily.

Now, however, the presence of Starfleet changed everything. If she
repeated even a fragment of what she knew, it could unravel months of
careful manipulation. Her curiosity and her habit of repeating
information made her a liability.

T’Varek cataloged the risks: what she might reveal, the connections
that could be traced, the gaps in her caution. Every contingency
played out with cold precision.

And yet he remained still, a shadow among shadows, waiting. Patience
had its limits. Observation alone was no longer sufficient. The loose
end had revealed itself, and the longer he waited, the greater the
risk.

The Gorn finally turned and left, footsteps receding into the night.

T’Varek allowed himself a moment... an imperceptible pause to measure
the space, the distance, the timing. He stepped forward, deliberate,
controlled. Tonight, discretion demanded action. The loose end could
no longer exist.

He moved toward her booth, every gesture precise, his mind calculating
the next steps. The night was quiet. Capricalia remained oblivious.
But for Jera, the shadows were no longer a place of safety.

TBC

-----
Lieutenant JG Ryden Tarus Kel
Medical Officer
StarBase 118 Ops
O240109RK1