"Hostillity Evoked"

[Col. C.E. Harper 0]

"Hostillity Evoked"

ISS Agincourt

Leaving Vorana system

 

Entering the officer's mess before her bridge shift, Harper caught sight of the Bajoran thorn in her side sitting at a table under the viewports. Normally this would send her to the far side of the mess, but this morning, feeling full of virtue, she collected her tray and walked over to set it on his table.

 

"Good morning," she said curtly, not waiting for an invitation to sit.

 

Looking up from his morning coffee and fruit, Korix visibly straightened at the sight of Harper. Though they'd seemed to have come to an uneasy truce for the moment, like any war it only took a small ember to catch full ablaze again. "Morning to you."

 

Picking up her spoon, she leaned forward slightly. "We need to talk. There's a rumor going around that our next assignment is something big."

 

Peeling the small citrus fruit in his hands as he looked at her, smiling slightly, "And what makes you think that I would know anything about what Starfleet has planned for the crew?"

 

"If you don't know something that's already making the rounds among the enlisted, I'm reporting you for incompetence." She spooned up a bit of the yogurt and berries in her bowl. "I'm curious where the leak is, since the news hasn't come through any channels I've seen yet, but that can wait until after I know what's going on."

 

A playful smirk spread across the Bajoran’s face as he leaned back into his chair, taking the coffee cup with him. "And why," he grinned. "Should I tell you?"

 

"If I thought you had any, I'd appeal to your honor," she replied. "Since I know that's not the case, how about self-preservation?” She paused to sip her coffee. "New captain, big shake-ups... If this mission is botched, Legate, believe me I will see to it that IA questions what you were doing while it went down the tubes."

 

"Charlotte," he looked at her quite seriously. "Do you really think threatening me with going to Munich is going to motivate me?"

 

"I'd always heard they don't forgive twice.” Casually she applied herself to her breakfast.

 

"They never forgave in the first place," he replied coolly. After a few moments of drinking his coffee, he sat the mug down. "How much do you know about Lord Regent Koshic of Elasia?” He'd found that the occasional pacification of his most bitter enemy was good insurance.

 

Harper shuddered delicately. "I was at Romulus, Commander," she reminded him, setting down her spoon.

 

Nodding, "Well... my informant tells me that we're shortly going to be ordered to planet in the old Romulan zones... Velorum something or other. Apparently there are rumors of a possible resistance cell."

 

"Resistance?" Her brows shot up. "Romulan? And they're just sending one ship? We're not carrying enough of a heavy weapons payload to sterilize the planet."

 

"Actually," Korix took the cup to his lips once more. "There aren't any Romulans on the planet, according to my information."

 

She blinked, setting her mug down with a precise click. "A subject race is rebelling?"

 

The warm liquid flowed down his throat for several moments before he put the mug down and opened his mouth to speak, "Some sort of... reptile race I understand. The Romulans conquered them a generation or so ago."

 

"Can't have done a very good job of it," she muttered. Picking up her spoon again, she returned to breakfast. "What does the Regent have to do with it?"

 

Waggling a finger, "And now we come to the really juicy part of the story. He's leading the investigation himself... from his flagship."

 

She swallowed a mouthful. "Really. Then they are thinking about sterilizing the planet?"

 

Laughing slightly, "Matters do tend to... escalate when he's around, don't they?"

 

“That’s… one way of putting it.” Harper reached for her coffee, fumbling it slightly. “Isn’t bringing in the Soltok overkill?”

 

"Probably," he agreed. The Lord Regent wasn't exactly known for having a gift of subtlety. "But I hear... and you can take this for what its worth, that there may be something of real value on the planet."

 

She leaned forward, eagerness lighting her eyes. "Value? So, they want us to have a close look." A smile drifted over her features, one that might have been called a smirk had it possessed less humor.

 

He shrugged slightly, "But you know as well as I do we all need to be on our toes around the Lord Regent."

 

"I'm not sure whether to be pleased or terrified," she admitted.

 

"You'll probably experience the latter by the time the mission's over."

 

Baring her teeth at him, she returned, "As will you, I'm sure."

 

Nodding, "I am sure I will. I am sure we all will."

 

She sighed, draining her coffee. "If we're going to meet the Regent, then the crew will need to be prepared. I'd better schedule yet another set of drills."

 

"That would be advisable."

 

She nodded and rose, picking up her tray. Pausing, she looked down at him contemplatively. "We do seem to work well together, don't we?" she mused. A sly look came into her eyes. "Shame your ambitions got in the way of your duty..."

 

"A shame you took it personally," he admittedly honestly.

 

"We're just not cut out to be friends, I suppose, Commander."

 

"Perhaps in another universe," he smirked.