Walking on Pins and Needles

[KhreRiovtRex 0]

- A Missing Boots Production -

 

- A Joint Log by Khre'Riov t'Rexan and Commander Dacotah -

 

- Subtitled in Federations standard to allow comprehension by our Federation compatriots -

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t'Rexan sat upon the bridge of the Talon, seething with rage at this new turn of events. "I'm getting too old for this crap." Rounding upon the Federation commander standing to her left, "What is this new weapon that au ship, has used against us? Tell me now!"

 

The commander stood silently staring at the Romulan captain a moment longer, deciding if she would answer her. Finally, she took a deep breath, having decided to press her luck once again with this woman who was so handy with a blade. "Tell me the status of my shipmates, and I'll answer your question."

 

t'Rexan, not believing the temerity of her captive, turns to the stand-in tactical officer tr'Vor'tic, "You have the bridge. I will be in my chambers with this one. Call me at once, if there are any new developments. Keep trying to contact the away team. And I want that escaped prisoner found at once. We will remain at condition red and hold position. Understood?" Not giving the young officer a chance to respond, she turns to the Federation commander once again. "You will come with me, to my chambers. Now I said," pointing towards the ready room.

 

Dacotah thinks to herself, 'Great another trip to the chambers ... I wonder what will be lopped off next.' "Aye Captain," she answers aloud, as she walks towards the room she was taken to earlier.

 

t'Rexan turns and glares at the bridge crew, then turns and watches the door open. Allowing the Commander egress, she follows her into the room, the door closing swiftly behind them both. The Federation Commander stops in front of the desk and turns, "One finger not enough for you, Captain?"

 

"It is Khre'Riov, not Captain. I suppose according to your rank structure, it would relate to a Rear Admiral. However if you continue to be flippant, it may be your tongue that you lose next," as she turns to eye the rack of Cardassian spoons, which now also sported a human finger. "Now, sit," the older Rihan woman said, pointing to a seat across from the desk. "I will not repeat myself again, I said to sit!"

 

"Fine. Khre'Riov then, if you are so worried about rank. I am Commander Dacotah, not some "Lloann'na blonde," as she took her seat.

 

"Menkha. At last, you have decided to cooperate."

 

"I believe, Khre'Riov, that we both want to come away from this incident relatively unscathed," pausing a moment to look at the prosthetic finger. "My being hostile will not facilitate that."

 

"Though, why I should trust you after your people's blatant violation of treaty, escapes me. The Federation, using a cloak to ambush us, and in our space. Shame, shame Commander."

 

"I don't ask you to trust me. I ask only that you listen. If you choose to believe my account of what transpired, that is your choice."

 

t'Rexan sighed, and walked around her desk, sitting down in the large leather chair found behind it. "After working with the Federation and their untrustworthy allies, the Kll'inghannsu to end the Dominion War, and our helping to save you from the Jem Haddar, I would have thought that your peoples would have owed us more, than to have snuck into our space and attack us. As I had noted, we just came from repelling a Klingon invasion on our other boarder, and now, we find the Federation here. Choosing to claim you are chasing some other unknown aliens. Deceitful cowards. But fine, I will listen to your tale. Please, Commander Dacotah, proceed with your fabrication. See if you can persuade me with this yarn you are about to spin."

 

Dacotah looked nearly exasperated with this woman. It was as if she didn't hear, or didn't want to hear a word she was saying. All she could do was begin, "We were responding to a distress call at the Saulk Station, which is on the border of the Neutral Zone. As you well know."

 

"Yes, the spy station, on the edge of our space. We know of it. Please continue."

 

Dacotah paused a moment longer, to see if the Khre'Riov would interrupt again, then continued, "The station had been attacked. The ion trail that we followed, lead us into the Neutral Zone. We had to determine who had assaulted the station and why. It was our intent to track down the perpetrators of this assault, and return to Federation Space. Nothing more."

 

"You had no right, to cross into our space."

 

"It's not your space, it's Neutral Space. You have no more right to be here than we do."

 

"That is what your side claims, but then again, do not your people call it the "Romulan Neutral Zone"? We did not come here, until our detection grid, picked up a violation of our space. By the time we arrived, there had been a second crossing. Possibly you testing your new cloak, and crossing twice? However, if you were truly following a ship, you should have contacted our government, and we would have went after this ion trail. Or, if it had been a Rihannsu ship, were you prepared to enter Rihannsu space, and begin shooting? Was this cleared by your government? Are you prepared to start a war?"

 

"Let me ask you, Khre'Riov, if the situation was reversed would you trust the Federation to handle such a matter to your level of satisfaction?"

 

"All I know is that we had just repelled a doomed Klingon invasion of one of our more distant sectors. The Klingon's are well known to be your allies, your attack beasts. Yet, we responded, and we find you here. What are we to think? We are within our rights, to protect our ship and our sovereign space. This appears to be a classic two-pronged offensive."

 

"True, but that did not involve the Saulk Station. As for who attacked whom, I would not know. I was in command of the away team thus unaware of what was happening aboard my ship. Perhaps you should ask my Captain."

 

"Right, you know nothing….."

 

"Khre'Riov, my knowledge is limited. The minute I was taken prisoner my information with my crew and my ship were cut off. What has transpired is as much a mystery to you as it is to me. I will tell you that we have had no contact with the Klingon vessel or incursion you mentioned. You can believe me or you cannot. There is no way for me to force you either way."

 

"What is the frequency to contact au captain, and I will gladly discuss this with him."

 

Dacotah stops for a moment, then smiles, "I may have been injured and a little stupid from the blood loss, but I'm not some dumb blonde. A general hail is all that is needed Khre'Riov."

 

t'Rexan steeples her fingers and grins at the young woman sitting barefoot across from her. "Well, at least you have some wits. Very well, I believe you about not knowing about the Klingon force we were dealing with. They were too far away for you to have been in league with them, and they were too disorganized to have been in league with you. But as the First Officer of your ship, I do not believe that you have no information about your ship, or what your plans were. Standing from the seat, t'Rexan moves around the desk and momentarily stopping look at a holovid of herself, some other Rihannsu, a Klingon, and several Lloann'na aboard the place they called DS9. "I imagine there is much that you can answer for me."

 

"It depends on the question, Khre'Riov."

 

"You say you are chasing some alien. What species?"

 

"At the time of my capture, that was undetermined."

 

"And if your ship did not disrupt our power, is this weapon the real reason your people chase this alien vessel?"

 

"It was a race unknown to us, as was their ship."

 

"Yet, you chose to enter our space. You could have contacted us with the information, and we'd have investigated. What is the name of your Captain?"

 

"We could have, yet we chose not to because such joint efforts are not welcomed by our peoples. Christopher Moose."

 

"Joint effort, was what was forged, while defending this quadrant. The fact that an enemy you could not beat alone was vanquished, but now you feel superior to all and have decided to end any chance of continued joint efforts. Your people, you assume too much. We may have turned you down. Then again, we may not have either."

 

Dacotah sighs again, "Khre'Riov. I can try to explain our reason until the cows come home, but it will not change your opinion of me or my crew."

 

"Cows? I do not understand what Terran livestock has to do with this situation. However, the fact remains, that you did not give us the option." She looks out the polarized window and thinks a moment before turning back to the woman. "Wait, I've heard that name before. Moose. Yes, I know. You have an 'Ambassador' as your Captain I would think that an ambassador would know better than to go sneaking into our space, and beginning a war?"

 

"Perhaps we can forge a new Alliance, between our crews. Start a new…," she stops mid-sentence. "Wait, you know of him?"

 

"Your forces must have taken a bigger loss during the war than we thought if you have put ambassadors in charge of your ships."

 

"No, no. Ambassador Moose is assigned as a delegate to Coalition Council on the planet of Paktar. It's an involved story, but Captain Moose and Ambassador Moose are two separate individuals."

 

"We dealt with many ambassadors during the war. That, was a name I had heard mentioned in our briefing dossiers, but I have not personally met the man. I was privy, to the files on most of your higher ranking officers and ambassadors. Brothers, then?" Crossing to a corner cabinet and opening it, the Khre'Riov removes two glasses and a bottle of blue liquid. t'Rexan pours a glass of the ale, offering it to Dacotah, and then pours one for herself.

 

"Thank-you," Dac replies as she accepts the glass.

 

"Very well then, you say that you were responding to this distress call, and found this mystery vessel. You then sent a team to investigate. I see. We too, sent a team, and here you are." t'Rexan hoping that the ale will soften up her visitor.

 

Dac decides on leaving the brothers question hanging. "And now your ship has been attacked by an unknown weapon. Let me contact my ship. I will wage that they have suffered the same fate."

 

"Oh, and you would know this how? No, not just yet. We will wait for au to contact your ship. You are my bargaining chip. I still have others in the br'tehh to barter with first." t'Rexan takes another sip of the blue liquid, hoping to get the other woman to do the same, and get her off balance. She then looks at Dacotah's hand and motions towards it. "I trust the doctor was able to deal with your injury?"

 

Dacotah holds up her left hand towards the Khre'Riov, "She is a very capable surgeon. Which is high praise coming from a former Chief Medical Officer. I especially like this feature," as she presses the side of the stainless steel finger, a corkscrew pops out.

 

"What the Elements? She has implanted a weapon in you?" making a note to have a long talk with the Daise Maenak.

 

"She didn't seem to think it a threat. I have a lovely case of Picard 2397 in my quarters that this will come in handy for." The blonde woman continues to sip her ale, "I realize that you have no reason to answer this question, but my I ask of the welfare of my crew?

 

"Telling you will not matter much. Some of them were killed on the alien vessel, as were some of my own. The rest, are being tended to by the doctor, or have been sent to the planet below, for a prisoner exchange."

 

The commander's face clouds over at the mention of members of her crew killed, "Exchange?"

 

"That is what we believe it is. Or else you have a Rihannsu amongst your crew? We picked up a Rihan lifesign on the planet below, before we lost power. We will attempt to contact them. Once we have, then we shall see about talking to your captain."

 

"I do not know who, if any, among your crew may have been captured. As for my Captain, while I'm his First Officer, I am not irreplaceable. I'm quite sure he'd not lose a night's sleep over losing me.

 

"I find that doubtful, from my prior encounters with your race. Your command officers, tend to bond together. I think we will hear from your Captain soon. And until we do, you will remain my guest. You will be kept in the conference room next to this, under guard of course." t'Rexan moves back to her desk, and presses a control on the desk. "Guard, come to my chambers, and escort the prisoner into the conference room, where she is to be fed. Bring her back to me on the bridge once she has finished. t'Rexan out."