MSNPC Administrator Soldu tr’Kharis - The Price of Betrayal (Part 2)
Teayl Thorn
((Habitat Dome “The Hab”, Moon Sigma, Ross 580 System))
Kel paced once, then turned back, a commander in high energy, stark in contrast to Soldus' almost languid slump on the control chair. Had we once been so full of energy?
oO Yes, at the start, before the Lattice, I was excited for the riches this base and projects could bring to my people. That feels like a century ago. Oo
Kel: To say the Tholians's are an inconvenience is an understatement, but if this disaster continues I suspect it will have consequences for all our home worlds. Our priority has to be getting this situation under control or better still, shut down.
Solana: I doubt the Tholians are going to sit back and let us do that, sir. But at least we already have the Lid on board the Ronin.
Soldu blinked slowly. The Orion woman’s statement didn’t make sense. Had he missed something? A euphemism perhaps? Joakim loved euphemisms. They tended to slip past him.
tr'Kharis: I don’t take your meaning. The Lid is over there. ::Gestured to the other dome, far off in the distance:: To what other “lid” do you refer?
Esot: Response
Aduko: ::With a look of surprise and appreciation.:: Perhaps, if we could shut off the aberrant power flow from the Sencha reactor. My theory is that its dissonant emissions are what was causing the cooling system to be unreliable. ::After a beat.:: I suppose...we could power the coolant system with our auxiliary powerplants? They'll function like oversized generators.
Kel: So, these generators. ::pointing:: If we bring them back online what's likely to happen?
Esot: Response
Kel: So it’s a break, but not an "off" button.
Aduko: Something like that. We will, of course, lose life support... ::He replied with a somewhat manic smile.::
To Soldu, it appeared Joakim was trying to impress Princess Security, but the woman clearly had a strong will, a good sense of timing and a particular taste. oO Poor Joakim. Oo
Solana: Could we isolate the life support systems with a portable power source? At least in areas where we know we have people?
tr'Kharis: ::steepling his finger tips:: It could work. ::musing:: That wouldn’t matter if the majority of my personnel are evacuated.
Esot: Response
Kel: ::looking at tr'Kharis:: We can get some additional EV suits down here if needed, do your people have access to anything similar.
Solana: I’d be surprised if they didn’t. Unless the Tholians were particularly cruel.
Soldu made a soft tsk and gestured lazily toward stacked supply crates.
They had been using what they had and hauling more from storage. Thirty-year-old Romulan Star Empire hazard containment suits—antiquated, but still engineered with that stubborn Imperial overdesign.
tr'Kharis: Romulan Star Empire hazard-containment suits. Thirty years old. ::a faint hint of pride slips into his tone:: But I think you’ll find them still superior to most modern equivalents. We have been surviving in them… quite adequately.
Akudo/Esot: Response
He bothered himself to move, getting to his feet and approaching the crates. Pulling out grey heavy duty material and helmets with green tinted face visors. He began putting one on as he watched the Starfleet crew make their adjustments.
Kel: Out of curiosity, what is the fuel source to generate this reaction? I don't suppose we can cut off the supply.
Solana: Hopefully nothing volatile.
Soldu couldn’t help the chuckle as he thought of the unusual source of the reactor’s power.
tr’Kharis: It’s not from here. ::his boots shifted on the metal floor as he fastened up the suit:: You were close when you guessed a singularity drive. We started with a singularity drive, the untapped potential of a micro black hole was a tremendous boon to have while we were trying to re-build, but it wasn’t enough for the new masters.
He paused to take a deep sigh.
tr’Kharis: They forced us to use the Sencha radiation to soften the fabric of this universe. The reactor now takes power from the heart of a star, but to get close enough, we needed to get it from another universe's star. I believe you call it Ross 580, but not our Ross 580. In that universe the star is diverged from its traditional location, it occupies a trajectory that aligns enough with our location that we can pull from it. The Sench rifts are temporary and close on themselves so we have to keep triggering an opening to feed the reactor. It should have stopped when the reactor lost containment, but it hasn’t yet. ::Glancing at Aduko:: We don’t think it will at this point.
Akudo/Esot: Response
He didn’t care to elaborate further. He didn’t like to think what the effect was for the other universe. What would be the point, ruin two universes, instead of just one.
Another group of his personnel assembled for evacuation just as Kel’s combadge chirped.
Tucker: ::tapping his combadge:: =/\= Tucker to Kel, just a word of warning: there are five worker-drone Tholians headed your way. And they’re carrying something, we’re just not sure what.
Kel: =/\= Understood Commander. Any advice? =/\=
Tucker: =/\= Keep your head on a swivel, Skipper. Tucker out. =/\=
Solana: So we’re about to have company. If the drones are carrying something I’m inclined to say we can’t let them get here and do whatever it is they intend to with whatever they’re carrying. I’d bet a BC cruller that whatever it is involves demo of some kind. Think you can handle the rest of the evac? ::she looked at Aduko and Esot::
Akudo/Esot: Response
tr'Kharis: ::pointing sharply at his friend, voice suddenly firm:: You stay here. Your brains might be needed yet to help salvage this mess, if such a thing can be done.
The Orian woman slung her rifle forward, checking her weapons.
Solana: Someone has to take care of them and as far as I know, I’m the one with the most combat experience against Tholians. I told you I’d come prepared. If they get passed me those should help give you an advantage.
She indicated a small satchel.
tr'Kharis: ::to Solana, squaring his incredibly triangular shoulders:: Then I will accompany you. Show you the route they will likely take. They are like crystalline insects, creatures of habit. If we intercept them, perhaps there is a way I can help deter them from their course of action.
Now fully suited in the antiquated Romulan containment suit, its grey fibers a perfect camouflage for the moon's soil, he donned the green tinted visored helmet. It sealed itself into place with a hiss.
Something strange was happening, something was stirring in his chest. He felt slightly invigorated at the prospect of going and doing something. After all these years of bending the knee to the masters to keep his hide and that of as many of his people as he could, he felt a stirring in his cold green heart. Would he serve the masters…or betray them. Help Starfleet or expose them to the Lattice to prove his continued usefulness.
Choices. Here at the end of things.
Kel/Akudo/Esot: Response
Solana: I suggest you seal this door behind me. I’ll signal when it’s clear.
Kel/Esot: Response
Princess Security opened the door, clearing corners. Soldu happily let her highness go first.
He paused for a moment on the threshold, twisting his head around until his good eye found Joakim. He gave the man a solemn nod.
tr'Kharis: I leave you in command of the base…of our peop…personnel. Don’t worry about what you think I would do. Do what you think is right as you always have, Joakim. ::stepping close to Aduko for a moment:: And if I do not return… my friend… Jolan’tru1.
He had known about Joakim’s secret messages to the Lattice, the ones that were meant to bypass him. He was a Romulan, an old Romulan of the Imperial Star Empire and he spied on everyone, even his closest friends, but Joakim had never done anything to betray him with the information he passed to the Tholians, or the secret files that he kept. It had seemed like a secret kept to spare him rather than to betray.
Akudo: Respons
Soldu clasped his forearm firmly—then turned without hesitation and followed the woman into the corridor.
((Outside the Hab, Surface of Moon Sigma, Ross 580 System))
He was less pressed to keep pace with the Orion than he had expected. Even burdened by the containment suit, even with the moon’s uneven dust and regolith shifting underfoot, there was a new steadiness to his stride—urgency and action sharpened into a new purpose.
Through the photo enhancing green tint of his visor, Soldu watched Solana’s outlined form move with practiced efficiency. No wasted motion. No hesitation. A predator in her armor.
He checked his disruptor’s powercell.
Half depleted.
He shrugged slightly, either way, even a half charge was likely more than he would need.
The Security officer paused glancing down at her devices, adjusting for the radiation, tracking the Tholians movement.
Solana: Response
He called after her.
tr'Kharis: They won’t approach directly. If you want to ambush them we should go this way ::gestures toward a jagged outcropping of basalt rising from the moon’s grey dust:: There is a high outcropping they will pass by. If we go to the top we can use the advantage of the high ground. Is that acceptable?
Solana: Response
They moved quickly now, boots kicking pale dust into low drifting clouds.
After a few moments, Soldu spoke again.
tr'Kharis: I have considered what they may be carrying. There are… many prototypes stored in the secondary dome. Tools. Weapons. Concepts the Alliance found insufficiently reliable. One such item—abandoned, but not destroyed—was a portable Sencha radiation emitter. ::voice flattening slightly:: From your earlier description… I suspect it may be an early prototype of their superweapon.
He slowed momentarily at the falter in her pase.
Solana: Response
Soldu gave a slight shrug as they resumed moving.
tr'Kharis: If they reach the Hab and activate it, best case it would likely destroy the dome, worst case…well. ::faint sardonic smile lacing his words:: You have already demonstrated admirable imagination.
Solana: Response
They reached the outcropping. As the Security officer did her checking angles and whatever else she deemed appropriate, Soldu remained standing a moment longer, scanning the horizon.
tr'Kharis: ::softly, almost contemplative:: You know… for years I obeyed them to keep my people alive. Today, I find a deep desire within myself to enact an opposing strategy.
Solana: Response
Soldu lowered himself to the crunchy moon dust, disruptor resting calmly in his grip. His choices lay before him. Betrayal or Alliance…And to whom?
[Tags / TBC]
((OOC: Jolan'tru1 - Romulan - goodbye.))
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Soldu tr’Kharis (he/him)
Station Administrator
The Lid
As simmed by
Writer for Lt. JG T'Fearne
Security Officer
USS Ronin - NCC-34523
R240107T14