Be Kind, Please Rewind - Part II

Posted on Mon May 11th, 2015 @ 10:11pm by Commander Dae Nalas & Lieutenant Commander Solis & Lieutenant Bajun Julisa

Mission: Breaking New Ground
Location: Betazed

* * * USS Inaba * * *

“Nope, definitely not here,” Solis agreed. “But why would she leave? And what about those chips?”

Dae reached out, touching the panel closest to him. “Let’s replay the security feed.” They watched as Julisa entered, then spoke to Ray for a few minutes. Then, the image showed her tapping her comm badge and they could hear the message that was supposedly from Solis. As they watched, she hid the chips and the ID papers and hurried out.

Dae could feel the explosion brewing beside him. “Solis, don’t panic…” That was as far as he got.

Solis gave voice to a low growl as the fear and rage reached flashpoint inside him in an instant. He pulled open the weapons locker, tossed an extra phaser to Dae, then took an extra himself.

“Bar Nine. Now!”

Moments later, they were out the door.

Bar Nine - Somewhere on Betazed

Grinding her teeth, Julisa screamed and tried to pull the knife out. She couldn't: it was slick with blood, made worse by the fact that she could grip it only with her injured hand - and she didn't have the strength needed to pull on it.

“Perhaps you should pray to those gods your other half holds so dear, but I doubt they will help you.” The man paused as if listening, then he began to laugh. “Let’s hope your strange Vulcan is quick.” With that he was out the door.

"Sol...," she whispered and prayed to her own gods, asking them to let her see Solis, to live. The puddle of blood under her was growing quickly. Though she stopped fighting the knife pinning her to the floor, her emotions and thoughts raced. She stilled and started to feel the cold creeping into her arms and legs. She knew what this was: blood loss. An expert had testified about the effects of blood loss for her once. "Sy Hagen," she smirked, "Funny that I'd remember him now."

Her thoughts flitted to Solis and she mentally called out for him. She was dying and knew it.

Down below Julisa, on the ground floor, the bar crowd was noisy as one would expect. This particular watering hole was a rowdy one and that didn’t stop when Dae and Solis entered. They parted at the door, each taking a side of the room - Dae scanning the patrons and Solis listening for his link to Julisa. Dae stopped a waitress and spoke mentally, given the noise, asking if this place had rooms elsewhere. She pointed up.

Solis! He would apologize for the intrusion later, this was urgent. He directed Solis to the back hallway and the stairs, then pushed his way through the crowd.

Solis got the message loud and clear and shoved past the last knot of people lingering in his way. He and Dae rushed up the stairs and he knew...she was there.

“Second floor up!” Solis shouted.

Dae reached out to search and now he sensed her...and understood Solis’ urgency. They arrived on the third floor and and ran along the hall.

“Julisa!” Solis called once more as he dashed for the door at the end.

Solis, her thought came through sluggishly, faintly. I love you. This was fainter still, and the absence that came after was like an abyss.

The sudden absence stopped Solis dead in his tracks as if an invisible wall blocked his path. He couldn't move, couldn’t think...only blindly reach out. Dae sensed it as well, and pushed past Solis into the room.

“Oh..shit. Solis! Get your ass in here!”

Dae’s voice shocked him out of his stupor and he rushed in, already reaching for the small medkit in one of his cargo pockets. He let the doctor part of him take over, blocking out his personal feelings. He knew if he didn’t, he’d never get through this. His hands fairly flew as he worked on her, barking directions to Dae as he worked. His mind still sought for that link, hoping to find some spark to help pull her back.

But she was gone - her heart kept a beat for a few seconds more but had nothing left to pump. Her brain had already stopped, deprived of oxygen.

“NO goddammit!” Solis shouted. He closed his eyes, desperately seeking her within...anywhere...and found nothing. “Vina...nooooooooo……” The last became a howl as reality began to sink in.

Connected as he was to Julisa, Dae saw the last spark of her sputter and vanish. Without a second thought, he lunged, taking Solis down before he lost his mind.


To Be Continued...

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Lt. Commander Dae Nallas
Lt. Bajun Julisa
Lt. Solis