The Mercenaries

Posted on Sun Nov 15th, 2015 @ 5:58pm by Lieutenant Commander Leto & Eldren Tohr

Mission: Further Challenges
Location: IKS ch'Do

* IKS cha’Do *

Leto closed the storage hatch with a firm slam, then looked around at the captain’s quarters on the ship. They were only slightly bigger than the two small cabins downstairs but no less primitive. She’d slept in worse conditions, however, some that made this look like a palace. Besides, they wouldn’t be gone long and this room would be a good place to stash Seren once they’d gotten him off the Devore homeworld. The sound of footsteps down below drew her attention, telling her it was time to go. She left the quarters and descended the ladder that led down to the main deck.

Eldren watched with curiosity the spartan consoles of klingon design. He’d been used mostly to guerrilla raider ships in his past or some modified shuttle for wet work… He could think about a dozen of uses for this ship and its weapon arrays should he have had the opportunity to get his hands on one some day.

“Are we waiting for someone else or are we leaving immediately?” Eldren asked as soon as noticed Leto coming to the deck.

She looked him up and down, taking in the details. Li had said it would be Eldren, and Leto had seen a file on him but he was a little more imposing up close and personal. Finally she nodded.

“We are. Stow what you have. I’ve already got clearance. We launch in fifteen.” She smiled now and offered her hand. “I’m Leto. It looks like we are going to be in close quarters for the next week or so.”

“Fine for me. I’m ready and I hate waiting.” He responded taking her hand “I don’t require much space just a place where to fit myself for sleep and to leave this.” He ended nodding to the bag on his shoulder.

“Just aft are two small cabins, just before the stairs that go down to the galley. There’s a targ pit down in the galley if you’d prefer that. Join me up front once you get settled?” Leto grinned, and moved past him to the cockpit.

Eldren watched the woman go observing her with critical eye, aside the obvious striking appearance, the way she moved seemed to him quite typical of martial arts professionals. He had no doubt that she would have been a tough opponent in any close combat situation. Well, so much the better as, for this one, they were on the same side of the barricade.

He turned then and directed himself aft to one of the cabins she had mentioned. Sitting on the bed he opened his bag and checked thoroughly each piece of equipment he’d brought with him. Once done, and satisfied with checking, he closed all the weaponry and equipment into a small closet before reaching Leto on the ‘bridge’.

“Acknowledged,” Leto was saying into the comm. “ I owe you one, Jarrod. Leto out.” She closed the comm and began tapping commands into the panel. Moments later, they heard the thump as the docking arm released the ship, followed by the hum of the engine as they moved away from the ring. Several minutes later, they’d cleared the departure lanes and the ship picked up speed as they left 900 behind. “Let’s hope we like each other.” Leto looked over to Tohr. “We’re stuck with each other for a while.”

“We’ll get along just fine.” He responded quietly. The husky voice and the lack of warmth in his smile, though, giving a sinister quality to his words.

For an instant Leto wondered if Li had made the right choice by involving this man in the operation, but the uneasiness lasted only a heartbeat before her usual smile returned.
They kept silent for a while as she set the course to their destination. Watching out of the corner of her eye, she tried to assess his character and disposition. He was something of a puzzle.

Eldren’s fingers ran deftly over the console, apparently oblivious of her presence, as he helped with cartography and sensors. Despite the disquieting looks, greatly helped by the scar who ran from lips to ear on his left cheek, he seemed expert and totally at ease with piloting and ship procedures. It went a bit of time before he decided to break the silence.

“Now we’re all set.” He said swiveling the chair to watch Leto “Any precious insight about the mission we’re undertaking? Captain Hawke has been a bit tight-lipped.”

“She was with you.” Leto set the auto-pilot and turned to face Eldren. “How much do you know?” she countered.

“We’re bound to Devore space. A simple extraction, or so it seems. We have to get one man out of there and deliver him safely in Captain Hawke’s hands. That is what I’ve been told.” He grinned “From here to have the operation finished I’d say a great deal of information is still needed. Don’t you think?”

“We’ll have time to make plans on the way, though they may have to be changed a little once we reach Jens and see how things are going there,” Leto replied. “But yes, that’s the basic idea. This man has been on the Devore homeworld for the past few months. His contact there apparently has been bought off by the Devore government and turned on our man, whose name is Seren, by the way. He’s in dire straits now. You know what they think of telepaths and how they treat them. You and Jens and I will be breaking into a prison, taking him out, then getting the hell out of Devore space.” Leto paused to make a slight adjustment to the auto-pilot. “She showed you his picture, and since you’re a smart man, I’m sure you figured out who he is.”

“Just guessing.” He responded evasively “So, it seems this is going to be a hit-n-run mission. Do we have some support or help there? Do we break-in with explosives or somesuch or we’ll try to be stealthy?”

“Just us and Jens.” Leto turned back to face Eldren. “We are hoping to keep this quiet if possible. If that goes to hell, then we’ll blast our way back out and run.” She smiled finally. “So what’s your guess? Not that it’s hard if you look at the man.”

“Close relative,” He shrugged “Perhaps brother.”

Leto nodded. “He is her older brother. Now you see why this is so important to her. She’s already lost her twin a few years ago, so you and I are gonna do everything we possibly can to keep this one among the living. I don’t care who or how many I have to take out to do that, either. We will get him out of there and back home.”

“Of course we will.” Eldren answered preferring to keep any further consideration to himself. “I never contemplate failure upon accepting a job.”

“That’s what I like to hear.” She studied Eldren a few seconds before speaking again. “I know you’re being paid to do this but I also know you didn’t have to say yes. For that, I want to say thank you. She may not say so, because Li’s about as close-mouthed as they come and no one ever knows what she’s thinking, but I can tell you this means a lot to her and she won’t forget it.”

The hint of a smile lined Eldren’s lips “Indeed.”

Leto suspected she might not soon forget this trip either. “I’ll take the first watch if you want to get some sleep,” she offered. “We’re going to be running round the clock to get there as fast as we can so you might want to take me up on it while I’m being generous.”

“Agreed.” Eldren said “I’ll use a bit of time preparing and get some rest. I’ll relieve you in two hours.”

Standing from the chair he quietly walked out of the bridge to his cabin.

******************************
Lt. Leto
On The Road Again

Eldren Tohr
Not Contemplating Failure