Planet Full Of Jackasses

Posted on Mon Mar 14th, 2016 @ 12:36pm by Captain Li Hawke & Commander Oralia Zeferino & IKS Ning'Tao

Mission: Further Challenges
Location: Romulus / CIS Intira

“Oh, we’re going to die on this damned planet full of jackasses who have no fun and will stab you in the back sooner than look at you!” Isa grumbled as she ran. “Damn it, K!” She sprinted for the courtyard and dodged an officer who’d stepped from another doorway.

Tindam grabbed her and pushed her further into the open. “How long till your boyfriend gets here?”, he shouted.

“Three minutes,” Kaeli shouted back to him. She swept the feet out from beneath a guard who got too close, then tapped her comm badge. “Rekar! These guards are shooting at me!”

“I know. I ordered them to,” he calmly replied.

“Call them off!” Kaeli looked to Isa and Tindam, who were clearing the door. She lowered her head and ran, hoping they were purposely shooting wide. “And tell me what the hell for??” She was near the door when a shot did not go wide and clipped Isa’s shoulder.

“I do not let go easily,” Rekar said. “The Cardassian ship is already in the sights of several of our fighters. It will be torn to pieces before it’s allowed to leave Romulan space.”

Isa heard that last and shouted, “That screws us! They’ll have to keep shields up and they can’t beam us up through them!”

Tindam, decking an officer who was bearing down on Isa with a short club, then grabbed Kaeli’s arm and yanked her out of the way of another disruptor blast. “He’s bluffing,” he said.

“Agreed,” she huffed, then ducked. “Isa, you’re bleeding!” She hit the badge again. “Rekar, listen to me. You have to trust me if you want me to get to 900. One of your ships will never get close!”

The badge chirped, signaling that the comm channel was closed. Isa, who was indeed bleeding, shouted something inarticulate as Tindam once again grabbed her. He was saving her from another knife cut, even as he used one of the guards’ weapons to fire back at the one with the disruptor. “Neither of you has a weapon?!”, he shouted. “Would you get one? Somehow!”

To Kaeli, he shouted, “Okay, maybe he’s not bluffing! Call your boyfriend!”

Kaeli slid down behind a column and adjusted her badge, then tapped it. “Jarad! Thirty seconds, then three to transport on my signal.” She tucked the badge away, then dove across the floor to reach Isa and Tindam.

“Let’s hope Jarad’s timely on that beam-out,” Isa grumped.

“You trust him--” Tindam was saying when the transporter caught them, pulling them out of the courtyard in a haze of light.

The three of them appeared on the transported pad and before they could move, the ship jumped, throwing them off balance.

“Dammit!” Kaeli growled. She looked at the man behind the console. “Where is Jarad? Isa’s hurt.”

Tindam was the first to stand again; he helped Kaeli to her feet then reached for Isa. He faltered as he saw that the wound was bloodier than he’d thought. “Good god, Isaura, has no one ever taught you how to avoid a knife in a fight?” He stood her up.

“Shut up,” Isa growled.

The transporter tech finally answered Kaeli, “He’s on the bridge, with Legate Drekkar. There are medics on the way; they’ll take her to the medbay.”

“Legate?” Isa questioned the title and glanced at Kaeli.

Kaeli shrugged. What the hell has been going on while we were gone?

Medics came into the room and took Isaura from Tindam. They began checking her out then said to the tech, “Beam us to Medbay 3.”

Before Isaura could protest, the tech sent just her and the two medics away.

Tindam, a little surprised by the suddenness of it, said, “Good god, I always thought tales of Cardassian efficiency were a propaganda lie.”

“Generally they are.” She turned to the man at the con. “Call Jarad. Have him meet me in sickbay. Come on Tindam.”

* Medbay 3 *

“Stop that!” Isa shouted at the doctor as Kaeli and Tindam entered the medbay. “I am not taking a sedative! Where is Drekkar?” She pointed a finger at the Cardassian and warned, “Don’t you dare tell me again that the ‘Legate’ is busy. He’s not a legate!”

Tindam muttered to Kaeli, “She certainly has a way with people, doesn’t she?”

“You can say that again.” Kaeli grinned and looked at the doctor. “Step back and don’t touch her till Jarad and Drekkar get here. Got it?”

The doctor sighed and stepped back; he’d already staunched the flow of blood and started the healing, otherwise, he’d insist on being hands-on with the Bajoran.

Finally the doors opened and Drekkar entered, followed by Jarad. “What’s all the shouting about?” Jarad asked. His gaze swept over the room. “Kaeli.” Then he stepped over to the biobed and began to examine Isa.

Isa knocked his hands aside and flapped hers to keep him from touching her again. “I’m fine! Jeez... did you really just walk past Kaeli? Do you think that, maybe, you could stop and hug her, be happy she’s here?”

Drekkar walked past Kaeli as well, eyed Tindam and now put a hand on Isa’s knee. “Isaura, if Jarad doesn’t fix up that wound, you’ll have a scar. It’ll show when you wear a gown.”

Isa stopped and looked at her shoulder and arm. “Oh. Well, in that case, could you hurry up and fix me?”, she said to Jarad.

“My business with Kaeli is none of yours,” Jarad commented as he set to work. “First things first.” He motioned to the doctor to assist him. “Any other injuries I need to fix Isa?” He purposely excluded Kaeli in that question.

“None on me; Tindam? Kaeli? While we have the good doctor here?” Isa looked at the two.

Tindam shook his head and remarked, “You’re the only one who couldn’t get out of the way of danger.”

“Who the hell are you?”, Drekkar asked. Isa could tell he already didn’t like Tindam; no surprise there.

“We’ll get to that later, Dre, first... why are they calling you a Legate?” Isa stared at him.

Kaeli didn’t answer either Isa’s or Drekkar’s questions. She simply crossed her arms. “I’d like to know that too.”

Glancing at Jarad and giving him a small ‘why not’ gesture, Drekkar explained, “It is the rank I was at when I left the Order; why should I not have it now?” Isa’s brow furrowed.

Kaeli’s brows drew down in a scowl. “The Order? Don’t tell me you...no….have you lost your mind Drekkar? The Order would like nothing better than to have Jarad dissect you and feed you to the sharks.”

“That seems to have changed, Kaeli.” Drekkar smiled and touched Isaura’s cheek lightly. “We’re returning to Cardassia.”

“Excuse me?” Isa blinked, “Jarad, I think my hearing got damaged. I’m hearing very strange things.”

“We are.” He glanced up at Drekkar, then returned to his work. “At least temporarily. Farak had drugged her to get her to this ship and then shuttled her off to Zikar’s old buddy. We are going to get her back. Your friend Eldren is on his way, Kaeli.”

Tindam spoke up, “Wait... there’s another female who’s been carted off to a dangerous place? And you’re off to rescue her, too?”

Isa joined in, “Who did Farak drug and shuttle off? I’m so confused...,” she lamented.

“Nyyar,” Kaeli answered. “It has to be if Eldren is coming.”

Jarad nodded. “She was a casualty of a larger plot, unfortunately. Zikar’s intent in looking for Drekkar and I was to re-hire us, you could say. He has revived the Order and of course wanted his best.”

Kaeli looked him up and down, then without a word, turned and stormed out of sickbay.

Leaning towards Jarad, Isa whispered, “That might not have been the best possible answer. Really, you should have hugged her. Cad. You have no idea what she has just seen and been through.”

Tindam stared at Isa like she was crazy; Drekkar coughed and said, “Isa, don’t antagonize him. Jarad, if you’re done with her, I’ll have this fellow taken to...,” he considered the options: the brig? guest quarters? an airlock?

“Hey,” Isa poked him. “Guest quarters are just fine for him. He’s... he’s... um... a friend,” she said, glad that Kaeli had left the room. “Not a hugely nice friend but....”

“Sure, just the guy whose bed Isa warmed up last night... set it on fire, almost.” Tindam knew she was avoiding pissing off this Cardassian; he laughed, seeing Isa’s eyes go wide, and nearly missed Drekkar’s fist coming for his face.

“Drekkar!” Isa shouted. “Don’t listen to him; he’s a jackass.” She was in time to keep Drekkar from making contact with any part of Tindam; later, Tindam would claim his quick reflexes were the reason Drekkar didn’t make contact.

“Get out all of you,” Jarad ordered. He put his hand on Isa’s shoulder, holding her down. “Now! That means you too Drekkar. Everyone but Isa.”

Drekkar didn’t argue; he knew better. Tindam almost did but a thought from Isaura made him rethink doing so. Both men ended up in the corridor, staring each other down. Finally, Drekkar motioned to an officer, “Get this man to guest quarters. No privileges.”

“Aye, Sir,” the officer stopped and gestured for Tindam to go with him. Drekkar stayed outside MedBay 3, pacing.
**********
Isaura Panossian
Tindam the Annoying
Kaeli
Jarad
Legate Drekkar