"Screwed"

[Kansas 0]

Note: this log is set during the final hour of the three hour TBS, and some of the language gets a little bit more mature then what I normally do with Commander Left Ear, so heads up.

 

05.10.09

SS Excalibur NCC-2004 C

“Screwed”

 

This afternoon had not gone very well, no it had not.

 

I had implemented my plans with the best of intentions: to strong arm Lilet t’Temarr into giving me the Captain’s agonizer codes, spread my own men throughout the ship in case Corizons current mission plans and schemes went awry, and then if needed, take over the ship if said plan went to Hades in a hand basket and move the crew and ship off to relatively safer sectors so we could lay low until whatever situation blew over.

 

Fortunately, based on the preliminary check ins that I was fielding from the away teams that had returned, the Excalibur’s assault on the Imperial star base had gone quite well, and the raiding parties had indeed grabbed quite a bit of viral merchandise. A preliminary communications signal had also been intercepted from Lisanna just over twenty minutes ago, and the word from the second assault team was good news as well – Corizon and his team had retrieved the Orion and toppled an old enemy of the Captains in the process.

 

So, all of my previous worries about this current bait, distraction and strike mission had not come to fruition, yet on the same note, nor had my full on mobilization plans.

 

In the aftermath of my little personal fortification gamble on the main bridge of the Excal, Lilett was still unconscious thanks to an encounter with one of my guards, the Agonizer codes had yet to be found, and I had shot and killed one of the bridge tactical officers who had decidedly gotten into the middle of the fray let alone the complex nuances of a power play.

 

So, yeah – Lilet is still out cold, there is a nasty blood stain on the bridge carpet, and I still don’t have the codes that I wanted.

 

“Commander JoNs?”

 

Master Chief Petty Officer Keltex had poked his head out through the open entryway of t’Temarrs quarters, the expression in the craggy fore headed Klingon's bright and twinkling gray eyes telling me all I needed to know.

 

“Still no luck?”

 

“No sir. I would venture a guess that Ms. t’Temarr has the crew Agonizer codes firmly embedded in her brain, rather then on some sort of hardcopy.”

 

“Son of a bitch.”

 

“Ma’am I really have no idea regarding her mother, but Lilet is decidedly not a male.”

 

I shot Keltex a look then, putting all the animosity I was feeling for my current predicament behind the look and channeling it outward into what I hoped was a bad ass sort of executive officer look. The big silver haired Klingon retreated back into the Romulan pirate’s quarters very quickly. He knew better then to crack wise with me in situations such as this, but he was probably just placating me and attempting to make me feel better with the quailing act. I generally try not to sulk, as it is overall unbecoming to a senior pirate officer, but this day has been shot to hell in more ways then one, putting aside the freakin’ sweet haul the raiding parties managed to swipe from the target star base.

 

So, anyway, I suck it up as best I can and push away from where I’m slouching against the bulkhead and slink into the quarters that Keltex just disappeared into, my tail lashing behind me as my agitation level keeps growing.

 

As a consort of Corizon, Lilet's quarters were one of the better ones on the Excalibur, and overall the woman kept them very neat; currently, she was lying prone on her own couch. A couple of my other goons had moved her from the bridge, and manhandled her back down to her quarters so she could recover and sleep off the plasma rifle bitch slap that one of them had given her. I signaled with one brown paw that the two transporters could leave, and the two enlisted pirates did so without one word, but I gathered from their body language that they were more then happy to leave the general area and my presence.

 

Keltex ventured to speak up again once he and I were completely alone. “In my professional opinion Commander, I’m sure she has the codes in her head. If you want, I can get two of my best men to work the numbers and sequences out of her … “

 

I cut him off with a swift swipe of a paw. “Nah. It’s best to retreat from this situation with some sort of class and not make this entire cluster frag worse. I didn’t mutiny, that’s the bottom line. I just made sure I had some fall back options, then gambled for the codes, and lost. The only casualties are one tactical security officer who leapt first without thinking and ended up bleeding out as a result, and her,” I pointed at t’Temarr’s prone form, “pride. The stain in the bridge carpeting I feel bad about, but Lilet can stand to be taken down a few notches anyway, so it’s all good.”

 

I ran a paw through my short high and tight mane, and then continued speaking to my chief bodyguard. “Let her sleep it off. She’s on confinement to quarters for right now, and stick two of your men – and please, sober ones this time – to stand guard. One inside, one outside, and they’re relieved of the temporary duty as soon as Corizon comes back on board.”

 

“It will be done Left Ear. And said drunks left us at the last stopover. Let’s just say they were convinced to disembark by way of some knuckle dusters.”

 

I couldn’t help but smirk at that statement, despite everything that seemed to be weighing down on my shoulders. The Master Chief was highly … efficient when needed.

 

“Okay Master Chief, see to it.” I reached for the data Padd that I had recently procured from t’Temarrs bridge station, removing it from where it was secured by the back of my red waist sash against the waistline of my dark gray trousers and gave the flat recording device a little wave through the air. “These are the goods that Lilet’s buyers are looking for. I’m off to visually check out the haul from the star base and do a comparison to the text manifest.”

 

I turned and started to leave the vicinity of the living area, swaggering out through the open doorway of the personal quarters and into the corridor. Keltex spoke to my retreating back, and I flipped an ear back to acknowledge his final response as I walked away, straightening my gray merchant pirate uniform jacket.

 

“Aye Commander JoNs. It will be handled.”