Polar Opposites

[Maj Vaos 0]

Korix leaned back into the pilot’s seat of the shuttle occupied by himself, Kansas, and at least half a dozen weapons illegal in most known star systems. He ran his hands through his short, marine cropped, brown hair, bringing them back over his face with a long, deep yawn.

 

He suspected that their last encounter had seemed a little more dangerous to Kansas than the reality of the situation. Either that, or he’d lived near the edge so long, that he was beginning to be used to it, which was a slightly disturbing revelation.

 

Looking her way, he smirked every so slightly. Polar opposites, the two were; for starters she had fur. That very difference seemed to highlight the gulf that separated them. Korix Vaos was a solitary man; his life had been complex and taken from him at an early age. Kansas, has grown up in the warm welcoming arms of the Federation.

 

Before he could walk, he knew hardship. His parents barely had enough to keep him and his brother alive. When he was three, he had severe fever and nearly died. It was only the…sympathy of certain Ferengi Bartender at the ore processing center called Terok Nor that had saved his life then. At the age of five, he witnessed his father being tortured to death for helping a member of the Resistance escape. That same year, his mother, refusing to be a ‘comfort woman’ took her own life, with her sons in her arms.

 

The Occupation had stolen his dreams away. All he had left was the Federation, his duty, and his honor. Kansas was full of life, and looking for adventure. She seemed young and vital, while Korix seemed cold, hard, and some how…dead. As he took her in, he wondered if he was ever that young.

 

The fleeting thoughts of childhood faded from his mind as he pushed those thoughts away. One of they first things they teach you during special ops training is to remain focused on the mission, because even one slip-up can not only ruin the entire op, it can cost you, cost you your life.

 

Psychologically refocusing himself, he mentally went over the timeframe of how he arrived at this point. Some months ago, Tal’Shiar and Reman…rebels…attacked the critically important installation of Pax Primus. The Agincourt had apprehended several of the ‘rebels.’ Vaos’ organization with the assistance of the new Romulan intel agency the Tal’Diann, had learned of a possible connection to a group of weapons smugglers in the Arkanis sector. Unfourtunatly, the previous operatives that had tried to infiltrate the operation had failed, and Vaos had been put on the job.

 

Now it was time to find out exactly how connected those smugglers were, and whether or not they really were helping supply weapons to these rebels.