Unpleasant News

Posted on Wed Nov 23rd, 2011 @ 5:45pm by Commander Oralia Zeferino & Captain Li Hawke

Mission: In Our Time of Need
Location: Li's Quarters

Responding to Li's request that they meet up, Oralia entered the woman's quarters and glanced about. "Is Iggy all right?" Somehow, she knew already that the eight-limbed creature wasn't in the room.

Li was standing before the mirror, just removing the long red wig and fluffing out her hair. Pressing her hands to her temples, she turned to greet Oz. "She went out before the explosion. From what I could pick up, she and the Admiral, Wegener that is, were drinking in his quarters."

"Drinking?" Oz's brow furrowed. "Did the Admiral let my spider drink alcohol?" She didn't even know whether spiders could handle alcohol... would it hurt Iggy?

"Yes." Li moved over to the kitchen and began to make some of the Vulcan spice tea that Sakkath was so fond of. Oddly, she had discovered that something in it could ease her headaches when they appeared. "The message I got was rather garbled, so I suspect by that time, she was well into her cups or whatever it is spiders drink from. Tea?"

"Ah... sure...," Oz's brow hadn't unfurrowed yet. "So... he got her drunk? Wow," now her brows went up and she laughed. "Hope he didn't take advantage of her." She accepted the tea from Li and asked, "What was so urgent?"

"You." Li curled up on the sofa and sipped her teal. Closing her eyes, she gave herself a few minutes to let the tea do its thing. Slowly the pounding in her head eased a little. "And Suresh."

Oz mimicked Li and took the other end of the couch. "Suresh... blue fish?" She nodded, noting that she knew which fellow Li was referencing. "What about him? I haven't had time to make any movement on ...well, on anything dealing with him. The explosion, the murder, the attack on Connor, things sort of went haywire and he went to the back of the stove."

"He may be for you but you certainly are not back burner for him. Remember those two men in the Wormhole? That was not some chance encounter Oz."

"I didn't even tell you about those two...," she sighed, "...since I don't recall much about them. Not a chance encounter? Then I owe Jackson a bigger thank you than what I gave him." And how is Connor going to take that? "I'll have to be more careful, then. I wonder if that not-so-random encounter is linked to Connor's attack."

Li shrugged. "That I don't know. What I do know is that they were sent to pick you up. They are still looking by the way. According to what Lazan said, and what I got from Suresh's head when I ...peeked in, they have two days. They fail, they're dead. So, I intend to make sure they fail. Otherwise, you might wake up on the Briori homeworld wearing shackles and servicing anything that waved a strip of latinum at your owner."

The idea made Oz's stomach churn and she grimaced at her cup of tea, as if it were the thing causing offense. "I think I'll hang out with Gilroy a touch more frequently than usual," she said, refusing to word it as 'putting a guard' on herself. "Couldn't we use this to lure Suresh out? Make him incriminate himself and charge him with trafficking? Another criminal will rise up and take his place, but at least we'd disrupt his operations for a bit."

"That's why I am down there. I'm watching him closely, so I know what he's up to. I also think he will lead us to even bigger fish off the station. Right now? He's more concerned with running his 'entertainment' business as a general rule and working on a contract basis as he gets the mood." She paused a moment to sip her tea. "He trusts me so I have a fair bit of access to everything. Well, to be honest, I'd say it's more like addicted to me but it works out the same in the end."

"Hmm...," Oz wasn't particularly pleased by any of what Li was telling her. "Keep me in the loop and let me know if you want any of mine assigned to assist you," she offered, knowing that Li's department was, by necessity, much smaller than hers. "And don't get yourself shipped off to the Briori homeworld or anywhere else. I'd rather not have to explain that to Sakkath."

"He wouldn't be too pleased, that is true." The thought crossed Li's mind that he wasn't going to be too pleased as it was, but for entirely different reasons. "I'm safe. Suresh refuses to allow anyone to lay a finger on me and I don't allow him to either unless I say so. It's been remarkably effective in making him behave. Still, it is, as usual in such situations, a fine line. I want you to be extra careful Oz. I've planted the suggestion that you are not worth the hassle and will keep pushing that."

She should have figured: a telepath messing with a non-telepath's mind. If Li would do that to someone she deemed 'criminal', where would she draw the line? "Extra careful, yes, Ma'am, will do," Oz replied, with no trace of sarcasm in her tone. As she nodded, Li's door chime went off and Oz asked, "Expecting someone else?"

"Not that I know of. And don't worry Oz, I have a very definite line." She rose and moved over to the doors. When they whooshed open, she blinked at the new arrival and then began to laugh. "Um, come on in Eric."

"Evening, Commanders," LtJG Eric Edwards politely nodded to them both and entered Li's apartment. On one arm, which he was holding bent towards his chest, he had a very large black and purple blob balanced. "Found her down on deck ((look up later)). It seems that the turbolifts are not her friend and most people are afraid of her." He smiled at Oz, who had put her tea down and come over to him.

"Iggy?", she asked, gently stroking the spider's back.

uugghhh... I am tired, Oralia. Dehydrated and hungry, also. Feed me, please, Iggy responded and slowly unfurled herself, reaching for Oralia.

Taking the spider from Eric, Oz did not laugh, though she wanted to. "I think you might be a little hungover, there, Igster." She glanced at Li, cracking a smile.

"That would be my guess." Li smiled in return, then glanced to Eric. Her smile widened at the happy vibes swirling around the man. "Thank you Eric. We were beginning to wonder. I'll get her some refreshments, Oz." Li moved off to the small kitchen.

"Yeah, Eric, thanks for bringing her back," Oralia said as she cradled the limp spider. She paused before letting Eric leave then added, "When you leave...." She stopped and shook her head. She didn't need a security detail assigned to her; she could hold her own, when not drugged. "...Make sure you say hi to Norval for me," she finished.

"Yes, Ma'am," Eric nodded and left.

"So, Iggy, tell me about your night," Oralia invited the spider to talk as she carried her into the kitchen, where Li had a shallow dish of water out.

*********

Lt. Commander Li Hawke
Early Warning System

LT. Commander Oralia Zeferino
A Touch Too Dismissive

Ignatius
One Hurtin' Spider