The Burden

Posted on Sat Oct 15th, 2011 @ 11:45am by Commander Patrick Leroy

Mission: In Our Time of Need
Location: Speaker's quarters on SB900

Ehr'Raal entered the room to find the Speaker working on a terminal. He didn't even turn his head to greet him as absorbed as he was in his work. On the table, not far from him, a glass of katavian tea stood untouched.

"Speaker..." Ehr'Raal started.

"I'm rather busy at the moment, Captain." Zee'Hrai answered without letting him finish. "Have to send a relation and all the requests I intend to make to the Council on Divitia Prime."

"I know Speaker. I was just checking out. The guards outside have been doubled. Security around your person has tightened."

Zee'Hrai heaved a sigh. "It is very strange that our most important counterpart here has vanished without a trace and that security around me has improved. Isn't it?" Zee'Hrai then turned and reched for his tea. A hint of disappointment emerged in his look as he discovered the beverage had become cold. He moved to the replicator to order a new one.

"Still no news?" Zee'Hrai asked as if casually.

"No Speaker." The Captain responded colorlessly. "No reports about the subject have come from Intel command. They have another case on their hands now. A corpse. Unidentified Enaran male. Killed in the Security Command quarters by unknown hand at the moment."

Zee'Hrai stood still for a moment the warm cup in his hands: "I see." The tone of his voice was strong enough but the look in his eyes seemed to become weary.

"We have no proof Speaker." Ehr'Raal dared "It could be someone from her past, or some terrorist of their own political scenario of which we are unaware."

"Are you so sure my dear Captain? Is it so probable in your own eyes that all of this has anything to do with our presence here?"

With my presence here.

The captain stepped forward raising his hand, then stopped letting it fall back at his side. "It is not your fault Speaker."

Zee'Hrai watched his old friend for a long moment and considered his words. Easy words said with the best of intents to have his conscience eased. Words that anyone would have said in those circumstances. But truth could not be escaped so easily. It was all too clear that someone was operating against Divitia and was ready to go any length to deliver his killing blow to the Republic. Any length.

Zee'Hrai's mind went back at the moments spent in the Nexus. They had been refreshing indeed Zee'Hrai thought to himself. The very first moments of rest in many tense weeks. Then the bad news had come to him very quickly, only the morning later as if destiny was trying to punish him for something.

The words she had spoken while dancing and his answer now sounded to him as a dark prophecy and kept coming to his mind in a neverending loop:

Kh'ali: ...I was distracted with concern that I've made you a target.

Zee'Hrai: ...Maybe it is I who's making a target of all of you.

"I don't think I'm safe here Ehr'Raal." Zee'Hrai almost murmured.

"No one can reach you here Speaker. Three complements of Divitian elite guards are outside these rooms ready to die for you and all Federation security personnel is devoted to your protection. Even if I don't like their Commander I have nothing to say about her skill."

"Of course." Zee'Hrai responded his shoulders sagging "Please Captain leave me alone now. The Council is waiting for my relation and the help Divitia Prime can get from Federation expedition is greatly depending on that."

"As you wish Speaker." Ehr'Raal replied saluting.

Zee'hrai watched the doors closing behind his captain. His quarters had never seemed so empty and vulnerable.


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Zee'Hrai
Speaker Of Divitia

&

Ehr'Raal
Divitian Navy Captain