Growth of an Empire - 4

[Chirakis 1]

Growth of an Empire ~ 4

A pouring rain, howling wind, and mudslides pushed T’jen from his ship toward the entrance of Ragor Tal’s secluded planetoid on the outskirts of their growing empire.  Taking hold of the gate’s entrance to the cavern below, T’jen entered his code, waited for affirmation, and then entered.  The gateway slammed shut and engaged the security latch.  He took a deep breath and shook as much rain and a few splats of mud off his coat, then continued into the cavern, carefully stepping down several levels and avoiding several traps that would have thrown him at least 500 meters down to his death.   

Well into the planetoid T’jen paused, entered his code again, and opened the door to reveal a base of operations similar to any base of operations in any area of the quadrant.

“Glad you made it, T’jen,” sighed Maven without turning.  “I was almost getting worried, but knowing you….”

“Yeah, yeah,” muttered T’jen, removing his coat and giving it a good thwap toward Maven which, of course, threw a substantial amount of mud over Maven’s clothing and just enough to land across his screen.

“HEY,” he shouted, bolting from his chair ready to pummel T’jen… until silence reigned throughout the base and a quiet, slow pace was heard behind them.

“Is there a problem?” asked Ragor Tal.

“Not for me, sir,” quipped T’jen as he turned to face Maven, who seemed to have lost his voice.

“Good,” replied Tal casually, but sternly.  “Maven, clean it up.  T’Jen, come with me.” 

Ragor Tal’s office mimicked that of Sky Harbor Aegis, as though he had acquired the entire layout of the station… which he probably had.

“Report, ’jen?” he asked, settling into his office chair. 

“I do,” his second in command replied, passing his superior a tablet.  “The Pakleds gave us a lot of Aegis’s layout.  Most of the Pakleds were killed by the virus, but some of them were immune. How that happened….” He shrugged.  “The Pakleds also passed out some of the flowers, but again,” he sighed, “some of them changed.”

Tal paged through the information. His furrowed brow showed more thought than concerned.  “So the flowers are not exactly what we asked for?”

“Not that I could tell.  Some of them made a few sick.  But now…?  The vines seemed to love being close to the humanoids.”

“Love? Being close to the humanoids?  Explain.”

“The flowers stroke them and seem to be…  licking them?”  

“I see,” said Tal, but he really didn’t.  “And the nebular  mist?”

T’jen grinned.  “Perfect.  Sucked all the energy from the three ships, then vanished.  I’m not sure if the crews survived, but Starfleet sent a runabout to find them.”

Ragor Tal returned the tablet and nodded.  “We have a few other things in the making, ‘Jen.  It shouldn’t take long for us to drive them to insanity.  However.” Tal leaned back, contemplative. “We have one situation we might not break through, and that is Captain Je’rit d’Ka.”