A mirror of opportunity / A spy in the ranks
Posted on 20 Nov 2019 @ 4:07am by Commander Amelia Fox & Lieutenant Commander Aidan Datari & "Don"
Mission:
Mission 2 - The Agora crossroads
Location: Laemia’s stronghold
Timeline: Md6 0905
1744 words - 3.5 OF Standard Post Measure
On:
As soon as the comm link with the Andromeda was closed, Laemia ran back into the Master control room.
He entered, almost out of breath. “Mistress! Mistress! Did you see? I mean who’s on board?”
The woman slowly rotated her chair away from the monitors. The corners of her lips turned up in a small smile. “I saw indeed.”
She thought for a moment. “This presents us with a unique opportunity. I must have done something right.” She let out a wicked laugh at her own joke. “I can’t imagine what that could be.” She looked at Laemia. “Go to the Dons and watch their away team. Take the micro implant and make sure you manage to get it onto their crew man. It should blend in with his Spots. That should send us information when he is beamed back to his ship.”
Laemia shifted uncomfortably for a moment. She glared at him then said “Speak.”
He started cautiously. He didn’t like contradicting her. “The Starfleet man knows me.”
She blew air through her lips. “Fine. Brief one of the slave girls but make sure there are no mistakes. She must appeal to his humanity. Hurt her before she goes!”
“Yes but....”
She snapped round again furiously. “But what?”
“Won’t the tracking implant be detectable? It causes skin irritation and...”
She interrupted him “It will be undetectable for long enough. It will blend into the surrounding tissue so medical scan won’t detect it initially. The skin irritation will only start after a day or so. Do you have more objections?” Her hand moved to the pain device.
He bowed his head. He knew enough when to shut up.
She smiled again. “Good. Just remember if she fails I will blame you. Then I will kill you. Understood?”
He nodded. “Yes Mistress.”
Finally having managed to get himself up and moving, Aidan slowly approached his work station. He gave the Don a quiet nod, but otherwise said nothing. He set his drink, something that could pass for coffee, on his desk and slid down in his chair. He hissed between his teeth, sitting up very stiff, too afraid to let his back touch the backrest of his chair. Every single movement was hurting, and he wasn't getting any pain relief.
He zoned out as he started his tasks for today, trying to ignore the whispers and the stares.
What appeared to be a human female entered the room. She looked quite young, no older than twenty and had a very nasty bruise on her left cheek and her lower lip was split. She had long blond hair and blue eyes that she kept aimed down. The others paid no attention to her as she passed and took the station next to Aidan. She threw him a nervous glance before going back to her work. As she worked it was obvious she was in some pain. She looked around the room before whispering to Aidan. “You’re a Trill aren’t you?”
Carefully, without looking up, Aidan nodded. He couldn't afford distractions now, he needed to lay low, needed to be unnoticed. "Yes," he whispered back, "I am. Why do you ask?"
She kept working as she spoke “What are you doing here? I’ve never seen one of your species so far out here. I used to work a civilian transport. Some of the crew would talk about various alien species. Just my luck I wind up here. My mother has never forgiven me for leaving home. I miss her.”
Aidan sighed, shifting with a visible wince to face her. "I was visiting a town, together with a few crewmates, we got separated and next thing I know I'm sold off and stuck here." He paused now studying her. "I've not seen you here before, ad I've been here a few days now. When did you arrive." He nodded towards her split lip. "That didn't happen here, none here are ever beaten bloody."
“I’ve only just arrived and I didn’t come quietly enough I’m afraid.” she said with a sad face. She looked at him. “You have a kind face.” She added as she reached out and placed a hand gently on his cheek. “You don’t deserve to be here any more than I do. I just wish I could get out of here.”
Aidan shivered at the touch and shied away from it. "Please don't touch me," he said, not liking to be touched to begin with. "And the guards wouldn't have done this to you, they have clear instructions. So unless you did this to yourself somehow, I think you're not being truthful with me. I hate being lied to."
A guard approached them, glaring at them both. "Haven't you been disciplined enough?"
The Trill looked down, sufficiently humbled. "Yes sir," he answered, "but this girl is new sir and she doesn't know. She's hurt and... she accuses the guards of having been rough and I told her that's impossible."
The guard reached and hauled them both to their feet, causing the Trill to yelp in pain. "You're both going to see the master, you can explain to him why work isn't being done."
The girl's eyes filled with genuine fear and despite his previous warning, she moved closer to Aidan. She started to hyperventilate. "No.... no..... Please help me!" She pleaded at Aidan, her eyes brimming with tears. "I... had no choice.... Please, you have to believe me!"
In one of the infrequent moments when his empathic ability reared its head, Aidan could sense that she was being truthful. "Had no choice in what?" he asked gently, despite his own agony.
As the young girl was brought closer to the Don, she suddenly doubled over in pain and fell to the floor clutching her stomach. Her eyes widened as she seemed to realize what was happening. "Gods no! She promised I could go home..... Aaahhhhh..." She let out an anguished scream as the veins in her arms started to turn black. The blackness spread up her arms and the veins in her neck and chest followed suit. Soon the black veins spiderwebbed over her whole body and were stating to pulsate unnaturally.
She looked at Aidan sobbing. "I don't want to die! Gods! The pain! Please...... Stop the pain...."
First, Aidan crouched beside her, reaching for her but as he saw what was happening he shot to his feet. Unable to get to everyone, he bolted right for the Don, tackling him with as much force as he could muster in his condition.
In her final moment, she took a deep breath before her entire body exploded in a blinding flash, taking the guard closest to her with her. Blood and guts flew everywhere.
Aidan's body covered his master's as they went down in a tangle. Blood and tissue raining down on them but mostly on the Trill. He gagged as he realized what happened, though he felt desoriented and his ears were ringing from the impact of the blast.
Laemia re-entered the control room carrying a PADD. He walked slowly, looking down. He reported in a quiet voice. "Mala is dead. I've been monitoring her. The explosive device was just triggered."
The woman smiled. "Was the Don killed?"
He faltered. "I.... I Don't know."
"Did she get the implant into the Starfleet?"
Laemai didn't answer stright away. He was thinking when he had brought Mala into the fold.
The woman rose and came over to him. "Did she place the implant?
He nodded.
"Good." She looked at him for a moment, reading his expression. "Oh get over it!" She said, exasperated. "There are plenty more where she came from. At least she did her job and I don't have to kill you too although if you keep wallowing in this miserable state, I might just change my mind." She grabbed hold of his tunic and pulled him close. "You are just as replaceable as her if you stop being useful," she whispered low and deadly. "Now snap out of it!"
He looked at her briefly before he noded. "Yes, Mistress."
Her eyes narrowed as she seemed to scrutinise him for a moment and his entire body tensed.
Suddenly her entire demeanour changed. She slid her arms around his neck, seductively. A coy smile on her face. She purred like silk in his ear. “Come now, you know I wouldn’t do it. You have served me well and you shall be rewarded.” She Nibbled his ear playfully
Laemia relaxed slightly and despite himself found he was drawn closer to her she whispered forbidden delights in his ear. The things she was describing caused his heart to race. Suddenly, she kissed him passionately and he knew what she wanted of him now.
Aidan crawled to his feet, looking very pale and distraught. He felt dizzy and he stood somewhat unsteadily as he surveyed his bloodied clothes. "Master..." He looked down at the tangle of fabric at his feet. "Master, are you alright?"
The Don crawled to his feet and even though Aidan couldn't see his face, he could hear the emotion in his voice. "You saved me.. you could've saved yourself, but you saved me too. Why?"
"Because that's who I am," Aidan answered through gritted teeth, "I would've saved her too if I could've. I wish I had seen it sooner, then she wouldn't have been brought to you." He looked down, fear etched on his face.
The Don reached out, using two fingers to lift his face up. "Slaves don't look down," he reminded his slave, "they look up so I can see what they're thinking. You're afraid.. rightly so. But you saved my life, and that is worth something to me. This is exactly why I don't abuse my slaves, because being well treated forms a loyalty that other Dons don't enjoy." He paused. "But we will continue to be in danger here. You will return to your room, and I will summon the guards. Get yourself cleaned up Aidan, I'll get someone to clean up her remains and see that they're buried."
Aidan nodded. "Yes my lord," he answered sadly.
OFF:
Laemia
Brutal Sector Master
Npc Fox
The Mistress
?
Npc Fox
●● Lieutenant Aidan Datari
Chief Science Officer
USS Andromeda
The Don
Feared sector Master
pnpc Aidan
