U Can't Touch This

Posted on Fri Nov 27th, 2015 @ 2:34am by Admiral Ricky Wegener & Admiral Lucius Hawke & Lieutenant Commander Michael Darwin & Ensign Six of Ten & Niro

Mission: Further Challenges
Location: Bajor Resistance Camp
Timeline: 2360

* Bajor Resistance Camp 2360 *

In the medical tent, where Six had left Darwin, the Security Officer was arguing with the Bajoran doctor. “Look, I’m fine, really. See?” He lifted his arm and twisted from side to side to show that his wound was healed. He swallowed the cry of pain that tried to show him up as a liar; the wound was closed, that much was true, but healed? No. The wound was knit together but sore as hell. Still, he wasn’t going to let some doctor keep him from going after Julisa.

He tossed his blanket aside and stood up. “Come on, you can’t keep me here, Doc. Not when one of my friends is in trouble.”

Sighing, the doctor looked Darwin over. “Fine. But stay towards the back of the rescue group; let the others take the hits. Another disruptor shot like that one will kill you. You’re lucky the first one didn’t.”

Darwin nodded, thinking that that one had hardly been his first disruptor hit. “Yeah, yeah. Now... where could I find new clothes? Or the clothes I had with me?”

The doctor pointed to a cabinet at the edge of the exam room space. “In there, I’ll leave you to get dressed.” He turned and departed.

Darwin had just enough time to reach the cabinet when Six spoke behind him. “Hi Dar--oh wow...sorry. Full moon I see.” She snickered and turned her back on him.

“Better than big wood risin’,” Darwin quipped, glancing behind him at her and chuckling. He pulled pants on before grabbing a shirt. “Good timing, Six. Is there a plan for going to get Jules or are we making it up as we go along?”

“That’s why I am here, to get you. Lucius is gathering the team now to make plans. Admiral - Captain Wegener wants to take the ship up with Niro to draw as many as possible away from the prison so we can get in.” Six reached under the bed and pulled out Darwin’s boots. “You feeling okay?”

“Don’t tell the doc, but not really,” he put his full moon on the bed and, pulling on socks first, he put his boots on. “I still feel like everything’s bruised, but... at least I’m not bleeding. I’ll be fine for this rescue. Do we know where Jules is?”

Six shook her head. “Not specifically. Lucius’ guess is somewhere in Gallitep, given who carried her off. That makes the most sense anyhow. I think he’s basing that on life as usual around here; that’s horribly tragic, isn’t it?” She looked closely at Darwin’s chest before he fastened his shirt and nodded.

“I heard Darhe’el’s name.... He’s the butcher of Gallitep, so that does seem likely. Okay, Wegener and Niro in the ship... I don’t like that idea, Six. Niro is a slimy piece of shit. I need to talk to those two - the Admirals, I mean.” He pulled on a jacket, and winced. “Take me to them?”

“They’re out in the clearing. Is this about Niro?”

“Him and other stuff,” Darwin nodded. “What’s with you and Niro? You do recall that he’s not a friend, right?” He was concerned that Niro had messed with her memories. If he’d done that to Six, what would he do to Wegener?

Six blushed slightly. “It’s complicated,” she answered, though her tone was evasive. “He says we made plans to go away from 900, Dar. I can recall doing so, too. It was after...Suresh..you know.”

“No you didn’t,” Darwin said to her matter-of-factly. “Before yesterday, you were ready to help Julisa prosecute Niro and put him in prison for the rest of his natural life!”

“Was I?” Her brow furrowed in thought, but finally she shook her head. “I don’t recall, honestly Darwin. I know I was….that he and I……” She stopped and shrugged. “That’s a little personal.”

He let it go for now. “Well, stay away from him. Now, Wegener and Hawke? Out here?” He pushed aside the tent flap and stepped into the day’s late day sun.

“Yes.” They crossed the dusty ground, moving towards the clearing. Niro was there already, lounging on one of the logs, his face turned up to the sun. Lucius stood off to the side, speaking with Tora who was holding a small dark-haired child. “We get Julisa back, maybe we can get out of here Dar. The warp engines will be back online later tomorrow. We need to go home.”

“Yes we do,” Darwin agreed quietly then spoke up, “Admir-- uh, Hawke!” He held up a hand in greeting. “Sir, Six tells me that Wegener is going to be on Niro’s ship, alone with Niro.... Is that really the plan?” His opinion of it was obvious in his tone. Darwin noted the child, even smiled, briefly, at her. “Is this Li?”

Both Lucius and Tora froze for a moment, then exchanged a glance that made it clear a rapid, silent conversation was going on. Finally Lucius shook his head.

“Ahh, no, it’s not. This is….Julisa.”

“Julisa...?” Darwin looked at Lucius then the woman then back to Lucius again. The moment drew out longer than it should have before he asked, “Your plan? Is to put Wegener and Niro on the ship, alone? If that’s really part of the plan, I have to object.”

“You could go along but I figured you’d prefer to be on the ground,” Lucius replied. He didn’t address Darwin’s unasked question, though he knew the man had figured it out on his own.

Six looked from the baby to Lucius and her eyes widened. She cleared her throat and turned to look up at Darwin.

Darwin was about to say something to Lucius but Six caught his attention first. “What?” He felt out of the loop and that was making him antsy.

“Nothing.” She looked past him to Niro and smiled. “Has Captain Wegener returned?” she asked Lucius.

“He will be here any time now. Once he is, we’ll get down to specifics.” Lucius turned to Tora and rested his hand at her waist. Time to get Julisa to Rhett. You still intend to go with us?

Oh, yes. I won’t let Darhe’el win this one, she answered back before turning away and taking the child toward the medical tent.

“Well, well, well,” Rick said as he entered the tent. “It looks as if the party can now start since I have arrived.” He smiled, thinking his joke was funnier than it was. It was not. “Tough room,” he muttered and slapped his hands together before sitting. “Okay. Let’s get this plan dispersed to the crew and Lucius, we have to make certain everyone is clear on their role since this isn’t going to be a well-rehearsed extraction.”

"Are any extractions well-rehearsed? Other than dental extractions?" Darwin frowned at Wegener. "How many of these have you done?"

“More than you could fantasize about,” Ricky replied. “And, yes, ideally all extractions are rehearsed at least once. I don’t know how Starfleet does things in the future, but we don’t just send people in willy-nilly, not knowing where they are, who they’re up against or without any intelligence. So, maybe you should talk to your boss when you get back. Or look my old ass up when you get back, assuming I’m still alive, and make sure I say something about it.”

"Oh, I'll be sure to look you up," Darwin said, seeing the humor in the conversation. "When you're around Niro, don't let him touch you. He ...well, just don't."

“Hey!” Niro protested, but then he smiled. “Don’t worry, you’re not really my type. No offense.” He looked around the group, then got to business. “Six said you want to take the Korenna up to provide a distraction?”

“Yes,” Ricky replied. “We will be taking it up and making ourselves painfully obvious to the Cardassians, firing on a few positions just to wreak some havoc. If they follow their protocol, they’ll pull reinforcements from all over in an attempt to fend us off, giving the extraction team a little less resistance in locating and retrieving Julisa the Elder.” Everyone looked at him strangely. “Sorry,” he said as he turned to Darwin, “your Julisa.” Turning back to Nero he continued, “Six has explained that her nanites have increased the shielding exponentially and should have no problems defeating the weapons from this time. And, once we hear that Julisa has been located and they are moving her out, we can hang out a bit more to cover the extraction and then stand down.”

“Or transport them out once they clear the prison walls,” Niro replied. “The faster we get them out of there the better.” He nodded. “Got it. And the ground team?”

Lucius spoke up then. “We can get into the city and once the shooting begins, we will get inside, find Julisa and will signal once we are outside the walls. You'll get us and we’ll get the hell out. I suspect that locked doors won’t be a problem, Six?”

She shook her head in answer. “No worries.”

“Captain Wegener, remember not to let Niro lay a hand on you. Lt. Hawke, Six and I will stay close to you,” Darwin said.

Tora had returned from setting her child up with Rhett and added, “I’ll be with you as well. Some of the fighters here have volunteered to go in as well.”

“Good.” Lucius looked back to Ricky and Niro. “I’m sending one with you two.” That better, Darwin?

Nodding sharply, Darwin acknowledged Lucius’ comment. “How soon do we leave?”

Lucius looked up at the darkening sky before answering. “If you all are ready, we can move out now.” As he spoke, several men approached, armed and ready. Lucius gave one of them orders to go with Ricky and Niro.

“Any questions?”

Ricky had one, but it would wait until he and Darwin could get a moment alone. He hadn’t intended on letting Nero touch him, but he wondered why Darwin was so hell-bent on making sure it didn’t happen.

He looked around and no one was speaking up. “Okay, then. We depart in ten minutes,” he said, standing. “Lt. Darwin, a word.” He motioned over to an empty corner as everyone else began to leave.

“Sure,” Darwin nodded and moved to follow Wegener. He glanced at Six and frowned heavily as Niro put an arm around her. As he dragged his attention to Ricky, he wasn’t aware he was nearly snarling.

“Lieutenant, I have to ask: what is the deal with Nero and your continued warnings against him touching me?” Ricky asked. “I’m not exactly the touchy-feely type, but I’d like to know if there is something else going on.”

“He’s of a race that has the mental ability to wipe a person’s memory; it requires physical touch. He can read your mind and your memories without touching you, but if he lays a hand on you... well... considering where you are in the future... you need to avoid that, Sir,” Darwin said, coming awfully close to calling him Admiral.

“Interesting,” Ricky said, thinking about both Nero and the comment about where he is in the future. “Any idea if a certain clothing type may be able to defeat the touch ability?”

“Clothing?” Darwin shook his head. “Um... I don’t know, actually. But I think he’s been affecting Six ever since we got here. I don’t think he’d have any compunction about wiping something vital from your head.”

“Okay. I’ll talk to Lucius and see if he can put some sort of defense in place against him before I get on the ship. There’s something that I really do not like about that man, so anything I can do to defend myself would be beneficial.” Ricky looked around the tent and everyone else was gone. “Okay, Lieutenant, go get geared up. We have a rescue to pull off.”

**********************
Lt. Michael Darwin
Ensign Six Of Ten
Lt. (j.g.) Lucius Hawke
Bajun Tora
Captain Ricky Wegener
Niro