Beware: Here There Be Dragons

Posted on Sun Oct 11th, 2015 @ 2:27pm by Tog & Suresh
Edited on on Sun Oct 11th, 2015 @ 8:32pm

Finding Xerena had been relatively easy: she’d registered for guest quarters under her own name. It hadn’t taken Tog more than fifteen minutes to find her, but he charged Suresh for a lengthier search, a full forty-five minute search, billed in increments of six. He did, after all, need to bill for his waiting time - and now he was waiting for Xerena to show up in his office. He wasn’t waiting alone. His Second Secretary was there, as usual.

When his First Secretary buzzed him to let him know Xerena was there, he quickly straightened his suit and shooed his Second to the couch. “Let her in,” he called.

The door opened and Xerena entered, giving a wary look around the office. She seemed to dismiss the secretary’s presence and zeroed in on Tog.

“Hello, Tog. I see you are still his slug in residence.”

“Yes, though ‘slug’ is a bit low of a reference, wouldn’t you agree? After all, I did secure for you 10,000 latinum slips. Surely that deserves elevation to ...carp? Perhaps Komodo dragon? I like the idea of being a Komodo dragon. They can kill a man with one bite. It’s a long, slow, painful death, but that’s even better.” He smiled, showing Xerena the points on his teeth.

“Perhaps that’s what Suresh needs.” There was no missing the bitterness in her tone. “After what he did to Victor. As for that latinum, I got word that it had arrived but my sister didn’t say what it was for. What’s the catch, weasel?”

“Simply sign this,” he turned a padd towards her. The top of the document displayed read, “Stipulation of Divorce”. “And then go away. Permanently.”

“What if I refuse? He is my husband, why would I want to lose him for good?” Serena put on her best sad face. “We’ve had our issues, yes, but still, he’s Suresh.”

“Because he’s ...,” Tog had to think for a minute on just why she’d want to lose him for good. “Um... he’s been unfaithful? So have you, so... fair’s fair, right? He’s ...oh, he had Victor’s kibble and bits cut off and delivered to you? That’s a good reason, I mean, that’s nuts. That’s typical Suresh! Why would you want to be with a man who would do that to another man?” He shuddered. “What a horrible thing....”

“It is typical and I should have known better. You and I both know that you don’t mess with him and you certainly don’t cheat on him.” A sly look came over her now. “But you raise a good point. Who’s the little Borg reject he was manhandling in the turbolift earlier? Another few decks and he’d likely have had her stripped down right there.”

“Yes, he does rather like her. She’s his..., ah, well, current obsession, let’s say. He had another, Isha, but he killed her, just like he intended to kill you that night. Only the fetus in your womb prevented that. Did you bring the child with you? Perhaps that would turn his attention to you.”

“No, I may be desperate but I’m not stupid. That child is my security blanket, you might say. If he was here, what would stop Suresh from killing me and keeping him?” Xerena answered. “Besides, if we are going to reconcile, I want the freedom to enjoy that. You know how he is with his women.” Her expression hardened as she once again thought of the scene in the turbolift. “Do you know he walked right by me as if I didn’t exist? He only looked back when his little girl mentioned me.”

“He has had a few years to forget.... I mean, move on from you. I see, though, that you did not use those same years to do the same. Why not? You’re beautiful, for a Romulan, and have plenty of funds to do whatever you’d like. Suresh was rather generous on that end and that was my doing. I argued you’d need the funds to ensure little Suresh or Sureshia was well-educated.” He smiled, as if he’d done a hugely humanitarian thing.

She rolled her eyes at his comment. “It was only your doing because you likely got a generous cut of his generosity.” She thought about his question, however, and shrugged. “Maybe I just want him back? Or maybe I am sorry for what happened? I know how hurt and angry he was that night. To find out it was a human, too, was a huge insult.”

“Hmm... perhaps if you’d have chosen a Ferengi, he would have understood. But a hewmon? Ugh. The women are shaped correctly, but those tiny ears,” he shook his head. “I don’t know that ‘hurt’ was quite how Suresh felt, though. Angry? Yes, definitely that. I’m not sure you want to try getting back together with him. He’s old, washed up... he’s just not the Suresh you once knew, Xerena.”

Xerena snorted at that. “He didn’t look too old and washed up on the turbolift. In fact I think he looks better than when I left. Less battle weary maybe? Something certainly seems to be agreeing with him. Maybe a regular dose of someone half his age?” Her voice had turned icy. “We’ll see about that.”

“Really, you need to just go back to Romulus. Pick another Romulan, buy him if you have to, and settle down. Here, you’re just going to find a bad end. Suresh is really quite ...obsessed with the Borg girl. I’m not entirely sure why, though perhaps there’s some Borg technology at work there.” Tog frowned, debating, then added, “I’m authorized to give you another 5,000 latinum slips to make you go away.”

“I see how it is. Throw money at the old problem, shoo it away while he plays the dirty old man with that girl. You just hold onto that 5000, Tog. We’ll see how things go and who ends up getting bought off.” She rose and leaned towards him, reaching out to stroke his ear. “Nice doing business with you again.”

“Xerena,” he winced even as he stifled a moan, “Trust me, for once. You need to leave this alone.”

“I’ll decide who and what I need to leave alone. Goodbye Tog. I’ll see you soon.” She pinched his earlobe hard, then turned and strolled out of his office.

“OW!” he cried, grabbing his ear. “Oh, she’s a witch!”

*************
Tog
The Komodo Dragon of Attorneys

Xerena
The Komodo Dragon of Wives