The Cardassian Complication - Part I

Posted on Fri Jun 10th, 2016 @ 12:47pm by Rafael Hernandez & Kaeli & Isaura Panossian & Zarv

Mission: Further Challenges
Location: RIS Opius / Cardassia

* RIS Opius, Cardassia *

“Please, Rafe,” Isa looked at her lover and smiled slightly, doing her best to get her way, “Stay here. I’ll be with Kaeli and Zarv; we’ll be completely safe.” She knew that Rafe had seen Zarv in action more than once - the t’garev was a scary sight when in full combat mode. She finished strapping a dagger to her thigh then turned her attention to her phaser, making sure it was on stun before reholstering it. “Besides, we’ll need someone ready to beam us back at a moment’s notice. You’re the only one I trust to do that for us. For all I know, Patch has orders from Suresh to leave us here. You know, payback for stealing his ship.”

Rafael didn’t like it and his thunderous growl made that very clear. “So, Kae decided to leave her new toy up here on the ship?” It was an attempt at diversion while he considered ways to change Isa’s mind. He wasn’t worried about Kaeli, she could take care of herself. He knew, however, Isa’s hesitancy to kill.

She read his concerns and smiled. “Raf... babe, I can take care of myself. Where I might hesitate to kill someone, Zarv won’t. I don’t know if Patch is going with us or staying up here; we’ll need to ask Kaeli. Come on, just tell me you’ll be here to pull us out.”

“You know I will. I’ll have a lock on all of you from the instant you touch down. But….there’s something you’ll need.” He rose from the bed and opened a drawer within it was a locked box, Raf’s collection of ‘just in case’ things he made in his spare time. He searched through it and pulled out a small black button-like object. Reaching out, he tucked it into Isa’s bra. “Keep that there. It will prevent any local shields he may try to use to prevent transporting out.”

“It’ll work for Kaeli, too? And Zarv? We can’t leave them behind,” she adjusted the button’s placement, making it more secure against her breast.

“It will cover an area of about twenty feet,” Raf assured her. “Just don’t let them get too far away from you. And watch out for anyone hidden that could take shots at you. Kaeli should be able to sense them though.”

“I know,” she grinned lopsidedly then kissed him. “You gonna get mad if I say I’m glad you’re mine?”

“Why would I? The question is, are you mine?” He grinned and pulled her into his arms. “Tell me that.”

“I am, Rafe.” She kissed him for a long moment then said, “Come on, Kaeli’s waiting.”

“Remember, keep her close.” He rose and took Isa’s hand as they departed.

* * *

The scene in Kaeli’s quarters was much the same. She stood by the dresser where a row of weapons was arranged. Carefully, she set about hiding them beneath her skirt and in pockets. She caught sight of Patch watching her in the mirror.

“What?” She had flipped to all-business mode, her focus on preparing for the meeting with Boroca, going over what had to be done.

Patch’s mind wasn’t on all business. He grinned at her, leered, really, and said, “You have no idea how sexy that is, to see a woman putting that many weapons on herself. Man... makes me want to go hunt them all down.” He laughed and put his hands on her, playfully feeling for her weapons.

She laughed in spite of herself, even though she stilled his hands. “Save it for the celebration after I’m done. Then I’ll have no distractions.” At least she hoped so. She could always set her terminal to ‘do not disturb’ mode. That would keep Jarad off her screen at least, but then he’d probably call Isa, sure something had happened.

“Mmm... yeah, After terror celebration and sex. I like the idea of that. Let’s get this over with, quickly,” Patch urged her.

She turned to study him for a moment, then reached out to touch his face. “I’m sorry if I’ve put you in a difficult situation. I just want you to know that, in case something gets screwy down there and I can’t tell you later.”

“Thanks. I suppose.” He was under no illusions that her interest in him was anything other than revenge sex. He expected he’d need to be somewhere else for a while after returning to the Station. “Things won’t get screwy. Suresh has some stories about Isaura, you know.”

“It’s not her I’m worried about. It’s you,” she said. “I don’t ever get involved so this is...unusual.”

“Of course, yeah, I get it.” Patch nodded and headed for the door. “Don’t worry about me. Cardassian, remember? I can at least blend in.”

“Are you going with us?”

“Yes. As if I wouldn’t. It’ll be the four of us. That makes for a good number; we can split up if necessary,” Patch theorized.

“You and Zarv should stay out of sight. It’s better if Boroca thinks it’s only us. He won’t be afraid of ‘the girls’ as he sees us. It’s stupid of him, but that’s the way he is.” Kaeli slid the last small knife into it’s place along her lower thigh. She turned back to rest her hands on Patch’s shoulders. “Maybe you and I can take the long way home. There’s a shuttle on this ship.”

“That’d be one hell of a long way home,” he grinned and kissed her.

* Cardassia *

Boroca looked to the two men before him in the transporter room. “Give me enough time to get to the surface, then transport down. Stay out of sight. If Kaeli sees you, it could ruin everything. The only thing that matters is getting hold of Isaura and getting my wife back. Once I have them, if you have a shot at that cursed Romulan, take it. Take a lot of them.” The two men nodded. “Energize.” He vanished in a swirl of yellow and the two operatives followed immediately.

On the Opius, Kaeli and Patch entered the transporter room, joining Isa and Zarv. Rafael was behind the console and nodded as they entered.

“Ready for this Isa?”

“Very much so,” Isa replied, glancing at Kaeli and mentally assessing her. “Are you?” Zarv put a hand on Isa’s shoulder.

Kaeli checked her palm where a small orange disc was attached. A thin square of a flexible metal protected her hand from the poison. “I am. No more fears, for you or Nyyar. Eldren removed my nightmare, I owe him and will remove the one who is yours and hers. It’s a circle of life kind of thing.”

She nodded. “Let’s go, then. Don’t... Kaeli, don’t be too quick to touch him with that. Give me just a minute.”

“How long?” Kaeli asked.

“Days, if possible,” Isa gave her a tight smile then chuckled. “Rafe, beam us down.”

Kaeli stepped to the transporter pad. “Patch, Zarv, you have the coordinates. Just don’t be seen. Raf, If you don’t hear from me in five minutes, get us all out of there. Energize.”

Moments later, Kae and Isa appeared on the planet. The area around them was completely empty as far as they could see, save a small cottage fifty yards ahead, on the bank of the river.

“Look familiar?” Kaeli asked.

Isa swallowed hard. She’d been here, in her nightmares. Stalking forward, she forgot she was supposed to be playing the prisoner. “I know this place.”

“You do.” Kaeli reached out, taking hold of Isa’s wrist as they moved forward towards the cottage. “He’s likely watching and you’re supposed to be here against your will. Make it look good.”

Isa whipped around to face Kaeli and pulled her wrist away from her grip. “All in play,” she growled and got into character. “How’s he going to take you not having Nyyar?”, she asked loudly.

“She’ll be here,” Kaeli announced for any who might be listening. They moved closer and suddenly Kae’s hand grabbed Isa again. He has two men in the trees. She mumbled the information, knowing her open comm badge would pass that along to Partch and Zarv.

Ah, reception committee, Isaura replied. She kept walking, making sure her gait didn’t falter. They approached the cottage door and Isa slowed. “We’re meeting him inside?”

“Oh hell no. Stop here,” Kaeli ordered, then raised her voice. “Come out Boroca. I want this done so I can go. I have things to do.”

At first, there was no movement from the cottage. Then the door creaked open and Boroca stepped out. “Kaeli. And Isaura. I don’t see Nyyar, however. Were we doing this in installment payments?”

“No, asshat, Kaeli’s not bringing Nyyar to you,” Isa said, stepping forward towards him. “And I’m going to kill you before you can touch me.”

“Not likely.” Boroca smiled, his gaze locked in Isaura. “Tell me, Isa my dear, do you remember this house? We spent a lot of time together here, you and I.” His voice had softened, turned almost hypnotic. “You weren’t so pleased with its remote location at first but...eventually you came around and began to see its charms. Remember?”

“I remember,” she nodded and glanced back at Kaeli. “I remember all of it, Boroca. Every bit of it.”

He nodded slowly. “I’m sure you do. We had some lovely conversations here, you and I. You told me so many things, Isa. Does Kae really know how close we were?”

“Kaeli,” Kaeli corrected with a growl.

With a sigh, Isa shook her head slightly. “I don’t think she does,” she said slowly, keeping Boroca’s gaze on her face. She pulled her phaser and fired on Kaeli then turned to address Boroca with it. “Into the cottage. Now.”

Boroca’s eyes widened as he watched Kaeli slump to the ground. “I don’t think she was expecting that. You’d better hope you are far away when she wakes up.” So far he hadn’t moved. “Nyyar isn’t coming is she?”

“Not in this lifetime and never with you,” Isa said. She was ignoring the chatter in her ear from Rafe and Patch. Drawing her dagger, she pressed it to Boroca’s belly. “Inside, old man.” From not far away, she heard a sudden scream: Zarv and Patch intercepting the Legate’s men. “Kaeli won’t be out long, so let’s get this done with.” She prodded him, hard, with her knife, drawing blood.

Boroca grabbed her wrist pushing it back to ease the dagger’s pressure against his gut. “I love a good setup, but your protector won’t be happy.” He stepped back into the cottage, not taking his eyes off Isaura.

“Kaeli? She’s not my protector,” Isa whispered. Zarv, done with his Cardassian guard, appeared behind Isa. She glanced back. “He is. You haven’t met him. Zarv, this is Boroca. Bor, this is your end.” She stepped aside and let Zarv take point on the attack. The t’garev growled and launched himself at the man, carrying them both back into the cottage. Isa stayed just outside where she could watch but not be in the way.

Zarv made short work of the Cardassian; it was a bloody end, exactly the kind Isa wanted for the monster. Finished with Boroca, Zarv shook himself and turned towards Isa. He could see Patch behind her, bent to check on Kaeli. “All gone, mistress.”

Isa smiled and ran her hand over Zarv’s cheek. She stopped and checked over Boroca, removing a ring from his hand. “Thank you. Let’s go home. Patch?”

Patch looked up, his gaze hard as he studied Isaura. Without a word to Isa, he tapped his comm badge and ordered the four of them beamed up.

* RIS Opius *

As soon as they materialized, Rafael was around the console, taking hold of Isa’s shoulders. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. Kaeli’s going to be pissed at me. Can you and Patch wake her up without.... Making her hurt too much?” She winced and looked over at Kaeli. “I’ll get to the cockpit and get us out of here.” She gripped his hand for a moment then stepped out of the transporter room, Zarv close behind her.

“Bitch is fuckin’ crazy, human. Kaeli should skin her,” Patch complained.

“Let’s get her to sickbay. There are better containment fields there.” Rafael smiled, but behind the joke he was serious.

“Careful of her hand, she touches you with that disc and you’re dead. There is no antidote to that one.” Carefully they lifted Kaeli and departed for Sickbay.

**************
Isaura Panossian
Rafael Hernandez
Kaeli
Patch
Boroca
Zarv