"Testing Limits"

[Guest Laarell]

"Testing Limits"

Victria and Laarell

June 30, 23--

 

Laarell smirked at the Al-Ucardian, sizing her up. The two were roughly the same size, good sparring partners. She motioned towards for Victria to walk ahead of her. Not that she didn't trust her, but after all, the fangs looked sharp.

 

"So you don't purport to be the vampires of Earth? The blood-spirits of my own culture?"

 

Victria glanced back at the green-skinned woman, one eyebrow raised at the question. "I've been told of these creatures ... these vampires. Drinkers of blood. Prey on the unwary. Able to shift forms. Unable to exist in sunlight." The woman snorted, peering ahead of them as they walked through the station. Her icy blue gaze darted about, studying everything, while she attempted to sift through the many scents. "They sound fascinating." She grinned to herself.

 

Apparently they weren't the bloodsuckers of old. She didn't know whether to feel relieved, or disappointed. Ah well. There went the theories she'd pondered. "That they do," she concurred, the smirk forming into a smile. "Though one must admit that some of the similarities are striking..."

 

"Does it bother you?" She paused and turned to peer at the Orion, ignoring those that were forced to divert around them. "If you discovered that those blood-spirts were true ... the legends were real ... how would it affect you?" Her nostrils flared slightly as she tried to get a sense of the woman.

 

A slight shrug. "I would be fascinated, if not slightly disappointed. After all, the supernatural is such an enigma. Having it explained simply in a scientific manner would be rather unappealing." She smiled, considering the ramifications of such a discovery. "Though, admittedly, there'd be something rather ... relaxing about the knowledge that such feared demons are merely Hunters from another planet."

 

"Merely." She pursed her lips, her expression one of smug satisfaction. She always looked as though she had some sort of amusing secret that she kept to herself. "Had I not intervened, one of those Hunters would have killed you and your entire team when you last visited my home planet. It would be interesting to see one of your kind meet a feral Lucam face to face." Turning back, she continued their walk through the station. Though she wore heavy boots, she made next to no noise when she moved.

 

"I am not yet familiar with this station, but I have an excellent sense of direction. Are you herding me back toward your ship for a reason?"

 

"If you're interested in sparring, I'm not paying one of the Ferengi -- Big-Ears -- half my month's latinum to rent a holodeck. We'll use the ones on the ship. Assuming you don't mind of course."

 

"What is a holodeck?" Her culture was advanced in many ways, but archaic in others. The Al-Ucard had no reason for holographic technology. Their combat was done in the arena or on the Hunt. Victria suddenly realized that there was much about this Federation that she did not know and it would take her many long nights of reading to even scratch the surface. With so many unfamiliar species, there was an overwhelming amount of information to absorb. She wondered how much access they would give her. How long before Corizon would trust her? If ever? When he hadn't thrown her into a security cell immediately, she had gained a small amount of hope.

 

Teykier smiled, a tad amused by the question. "An imaging chamber that can replicate any environment it has been programmed to. In high detail." She selected a few controls on the airlock, moving forward ahead, onto Excalibur. "I don't suppose we have Al-Ucard in the database..."

 

"Interesting." Victria followed the Orion, hands held behind her back. "In what forms of combat are your officers trained?" If she did not agree to help them, would they kill her? She doubted it. Judging from their reputation and the reports given to her people by the Scorpiad, these Federation-types seemed to be humanitarians. They would probably lock her away for the rest of her life, which would be a very, very long time - though how long, exactly, they could not possibly fathom. Did they realize how much danger they were in? Briefly she thought of the Al-Ucardian bodies now in Excalibur's morgue. Her jaw clenched in anger. If the Scorpiad treated their own creations in such a manner, flinging away their lives without a second thought, how badly would they treat the Federation? Total destruction, Victria guessed.

 

Glancing back at Victria, she considered for a moment, debating how much information on Starfleet security training she wanted to reveal. Ah well, if she tried anything, she'd learn soon enough. "Basic Starfleet training includes different forms of hand-to-hand combat, marksmanship, that sort of thing. A bit more intensive for Security, though specifics I'm not certain of." Stepping into a turbolift, she nodded, waiting for the not-vampire to follow. "Gods, half of what I know came from before I even attended the Academy. I'm rather skilled in weaponry from the planet I grew up on; and then I had more than enough opportunity for hand-to-hand practice with two brothers."

 

"Ah, siblings." Her expression hardened, the brightness of her eyes seeming to intensify, but the change was only momentary. In the conveyance with the other woman, Victria stood with her back to one wall, facing Laarell. Gaze drifting to green skin, she continued to wonder how different the woman's blood would taste. Different elements, no doubt, or perhaps some sort of environmental cause. "I am very interested in your combat methods." Of course, she was. "My preference is hand-to-hand or bladed weapons, though I am a fair shot with projectiles. Your people use energy beam technology in your hand weapons, I've noted. I would like to try one of those."

 

Laarell hesitated again, the fear of manipulation still running through her mind. "I would have no trouble with it, but the holodeck does have safety protocols. Perhaps later," When you're no longer on the radar as a risk... "we might visit the target range. As for now, bladed weaponry would be acceptable. Perhaps something can be replicated -- reproduced -- that would approximate weapons of your homeworld."

 

Victria repressed a smile, knowing full well that paranoia would play a significant role in how much information she was given. "That would be pleasing. I have not trained in several days and it feels strange to not be on the Hunt." Though physically sated, she still yearned for the excitement of stalking her prey. She paused for a moment as the lift halted, her gaze sliding to the doors as they opened to allow them passage. "Can this imaging room produce any place or time or scenario?"

 

"Basically, yes. I don't think we've had the opportunity to program any environs that would be familiar to you, however. Something similar perhaps? I'm certain one of the Alpha or Beta Quadrants' urban locales is in the same ... vein ... as what you're used to." She stumbled over the last phrase, praying to half the pantheon that the unintentional pun would go unnoticed.

 

"Something I shall have to remedy." Of course, she had no idea how long she would be aboard the Excalibur. The Captain could be planning to ship her off to some intel base to be interrogated and she would have no say in the matter. Not that she would go quietly, of course. She had not resisted because she knew it was pointless to do so at this juncture. These people had not harmed her ... yet. In fact, they had saved her from her ship when they could have left her there to die. Her gaze flickered briefly to Laarell, that smug smirk tugging at her lips again. "I would rather see some of the other locations this holographic room can produce." Abruptly, she changed subjects. "I've been meaning to ask ... do your people associate with the changelings?"

 

Though coming nowhere near the Al-Ucardian's skintone, she went a shade paler than usual. What had she gotten herself into? Then again, it was information that could most likely be accessed easily enough... "We've had some contact with shape-shifters, yes..."

 

She nodded but said nothing further. It was impossible to tell from her stoic expression what she was thinking at that moment. No doubt, it had something to do with her reaction about meeting a changeling, the species she was created and bred to Hunt. Though that was many years ago, and she had never actually seen one alive, the instinct to destroy was still within her. Of course, she knew rationally that the Scorpiad had implanted that particular trait based on their own prejudice, but would logic be enough to override the base urges? That would be quite an interesting experiment. As they halted at the holodeck door, Victria turned to peer at the Orion. "I shall enjoy sparring with you and will try not to harm you too much." She grinned. Was she being smug about her own abilities or was she purposely goading the other woman? Probably the latter. She was testing limits.

 

"Likewise, I will attempt to show you the same courtesy." The corners of her mouth turned up, a testament to exactly how afraid of this "foe" Laarell was. "Both of our species have reputations we must live up to."