The Silent Watcher

[Kavek tr'Valdrin 0]

It had taken Kavek little time to get settled on the Talon. Though his assigned quarters had to be swept for listening devices several times over, and there were few on board that he could trust at this point, he felt perfectly at home. The ship was as technologically advanced as Var'lon had promised. Kavek had delighted in exploring all of the systems on his own time, setting up information gathering networks in varying degrees of security. He was well aware that Destorie was attempting to monitor him and delighted in thwarting his rival at every opportunity. The latest was a prime example of how little Destorie trusted him.

 

Intercepting messages, N'Dak? Kavek smiled as he scrolled through the message log, noting that Destorie had been spying. Having anticipated such an action, Kavek had done nothing to prevent it. Rather, he'd set up embedded programs to automatically copy all of his incoming messages and redirect them to an encrypted file of his own devising. tr'Vatrix had not chosen an engineer to fill the executive position out of simple coincidence, and there was no one aboard that could rival Kavek's programming skills. Except perhaps the interim Daise'Engineer, but that has yet to be determined.

 

Finding the message where it had been diverted, he ran the program decoders, listening as tr'Vatrix's voice began to speak. "…please remind the acting Enarrain, that I would be most displeased if I had to cut short the remainder of my so'rdaz… …return to see to the matter myself… …re-evaluate the current command structure of the ship…" Kavek's smile widened. It would be in his best interest to see that Destorie failed, and fail he would if he did not take tr'Vatrix seriously. Though, as inclined as he was to simply leave Destorie to his own devices, Var'lon would not look favorably on that course of action. No, Kavek needed to prod N'Dak in such a way that it would fulfill his duty to tr'Vatrix while releasing him from any negative consequences to N'Dak's actions. Taking a moment to consider, he quickly composed a message and sent it to Destorie.

 

"I am required by the terms of my position here to provide Galae command with a report on the status of the ship and its crew every two weeks, especially the results of the Talon's systems testing. Daise'Khre'Riov tr'Vatrix will also want an update on the punishment of Erein t'Jhiin. As I know that you have not had the time to administer it personally, I am prepared to make the necessary apologies and assurances that his orders will be honored. If you wish assistance in the matter, you have only to ask and I will see it done. If there is anything you would like to include in my report, I am available to discuss such at your convenience."

 

He leaned back, read the message, and sent it off. Likely tr'Vatrix's message would spur Destorie into action. Kavek's would simply be an annoyance, thinly veiled in courtesies and deference. He smirked to himself as he turned his attention back to the logs to discover what else N'Dak wished to hide from him.

 

- - -

 

Sometime later, Kavek watched the monitor with interest, all of his attention focused to the live feed on the screen. Each lash was a raw magnificence to behold as it whipped through the air, kissing the tattered flesh of the female Rihan's back almost lovingly. Changing the camera angle, Sar'vek's tortured face filled the screen. A thing of beauty, he thought, as another lash fell. Her features twisted in agony, cries stifled by the bit Destorie had allowed. Her pain and helpless anguish fascinated him to no end. Entranced by her misery, he altered the view with the slightest touch, searching for a different vantage so he could fully appreciate every agonizing moment.

 

He was almost sorry when the spectacle reached its end. Had she been given the original punishment, he may have witnessed her breaking point. As it stood, he was quite impressed with both of them -- Destorie for following through and doing the deed himself, and Sar'vek for surviving the ordeal without losing consciousness. She had been reduced to a pitiful mass of quivering, tortured flesh, but she had survived. He focused on her again as the medical staff moved forward to care for her, taking special pains to record the wounds on her back quite clearly. How vulnerable she will be some days to come. If Var'lon had allowed me to kill her as I had asked, would she have begged for her life?

 

"Computer, end recording," he ordered.

 

Though Destorie had forbidden all to witness the Erein's whipping, Kavek had never intended to be present. He waited until a time and place had been set before making his preparations, using the ship's own security surveillance to provide him with suitable footage as proof of the event. He had even placed three of his own personal devices in the area to make certain that not a single strike or wince or scream would be missed. He saved the file into his own personal system, isolated from the ship's main computer where prying eyes would not stumble across it.

 

He bundled a copy and encrypted it along with a message that he sent to tr'Vatrix, packaging it with other miscellaneous data bundles that were quickly sent along uninterrupted (of which he made certain) to the RES Teronix.

 

"Daise'Khre'Riov tr'Vatrix. Honored rekkhai," the message read, "I have enclosed a file for your viewing pleasure. I am certain that you and your new mate will be most pleased and vindicated by it. I have included some of my own observations at specific points that I thought would be of great interest, specifically her excuses for her behavior. As you will see, a special report is not necessary as your orders have been followed to the letter. I will be sending my official ship report along the normal frequencies in two days time. Should you wish to send anything that you do not want intercepted, please use the previously discussed channels. Yours in service, Daise'Erei'Riov tr'Valdrin.

 

Addendum: Do you wish for her punishment to be made available for public viewing aboard the Talon? As always, I await your orders."

[KhreRiovtRex 0]

I'm glad this guy....is on our side..... Excellent log!