Nenita's Outing

Posted on Thu Dec 6th, 2012 @ 9:10am by Lieutenant Nick Marcinko & Zoudin Veist & Captain Li Hawke

Mission: The Struggle Within
Location: Archadia - Queen's Kitchen - PM's Offices
Timeline: Current

It had been a mere forty-five minutes since Nick left Nenita in the relative safety of their apartment but had found his prey, Pentias Moren, easily enough. And just as ‘Nita had said, he was in the royal garden overseeing which sprigs of this and that were placed on the plate next to the food, just to make it ‘presentable’ for Her Royal Majesty.

“Jesus, guy,” Nick mumbled, “get a fucking life. Just go ahead and slit your throat in her name or something. Get it over with.” He rolled his eyes as he grabbed one of the jackets worn by the chefs in the royal kitchen. Sliding into the facility he kept his head down and hung back in an area that was used primarily for storage.

He watched, with a fairly unobstructed view, for almost twenty minutes. Shaking his head he thought, “This guy is a pissant. No way is he into anything with the way he fusses over the accouterments for her dinner! He’s more worried about pleasing her than anything else.”

As he followed Moren across the enormous kitchen, Nick barely caught someone coming out of the corner of his eye. He quickly began shuffling things around in the storage area as the man came in. “Can you find the coriander?” he asked, praying that his universal translator was working. “It’s a mess in this room, I can’t find anything!”

The prep chef looked at him incredulously. “What is...co--coreenandir?”

“Fuck it,” he said and pulled a sack of what looked to be flour down on his head, knocking him out cold. “Time to go.”

He slipped back out the same door that he’d entered. He’d have to find another location for Moren, somewhere where he wasn’t as watched as he was here. He may have been the Queen’s right-hand bitch, but there were so many eyes in the kitchen watching his every move that he couldn’t have poisoned her, or anything else for that matter, without someone raising an alarm. He made a mental note to see if there was any way to get audio/visual in the Queen’s chambers, offices and other areas. If Moren were into something he’d have to do it there.

Nenita watched from the walk-in cooler as Nick conversed with the man in the room across the hall. When the flour fell and Nick retreated, she smiled, appreciating the use of whatever was at hand. She heard someone approaching and as Nick was on the move, she closed the door and turned to reach for something on the shelf. The cooler door opened and the chef stepped in. HE gave her a once over, then his attention went to the shelf where she was pulling down a container of cream.

“I asked for that ten minutes ago!” he barked. “If this is the best you have, I already regret giving you the job, no matter that you are family.”

Nenita froze. Apparently, in a chef’s jacket and with her hair tucked under a hat, she looked like the rest of the staff. Her face, however, was going to be an issue and soon. Like the instant she turned around. Her gaze moved over the shelf in front of her looking for something more useful than cream. One shelf down was a basket of eggs. They’d have to do. Setting the cream aside, she took two eggs in each hand.

“Well?” the chef demanded.

“I’m not family,” Nenita informed him and hurled all four eggs at the man’s face.

He bellowed as the eggs hit him in the face and broke. As he reached up to wipe them away, she darted around him, headed for the door. He swiped at her, but she was just out of reach. As the door opened, however, he yelled, his voice carrying out to the kitchen.

“Intruder! Spy! Stop her!”

Still just outside the door, Nick heard the yell and looked down at himself. “Her? What the--” As he felt of his ribs and checked out his own ass, he said, “I look like a girl??” He looked up and saw Nenita ran past him and did a double take, not knowing she’d been there. Somewhere in the head jog, that he thought probably resembled an old Bloodhound dog, he saw one of the jackets running out after her. He threw his arm straight out, clotheslining the man who fell ass-over-teakettle, giving Nick the moment he needed to run after Nenita.

“Shit! Shit, shiiiiit!” he yelled. “What the fuck is going on!?”

He could see her tiny ass about fifteen yards ahead of him, and she was definitely hauling that thing. The path they had taken took them across an open courtyard of about twenty yards, then some trees that led to an outer edge of the city. If they could make it across the courtyard, they stood a chance in the trees...and he saw that Nenita had a big head start.

The alarm had been sounded and from the gates at the sides and end of the courtyard, guards appeared. Things were not looking good at all. Nenita glanced back and saw Nick in pursuit and did what protocol demanded. Pretended she didn’t know him. Instead, she did the one thing she could that would put him on the safe side, making it appear he was one of the locals.

“You won’t catch me!” she yelled at him. “Just go back to your kitchen, you pussy!” The guards were on the move and So she veered off to the left, aiming for the corner where the walls met. With a leap, she hit the rough wall and began to climb.

“No!” he yelled, then cursed, “Dammit!” He knew what she was doing, and now he had to play the part. “Come back, thief!” He passed a few security officers and waved them in the direction Nenita hadn’t gone, hoping they hadn’t actually seen her go up the wall. “She went that way! She was stealing from the Queen’s kitchen! Spying on us!”

They may have been beautiful, but they were dumber than a sack of hammers. The ran right where NIck had sent them and didn’t look back, radioing ahead to others in hopes of heading off the thief/spy/whatever. Nick, not wanting to stop with the theatrics, played the part well. He slowed, then stopped, holding his side, pretending he was just too pooped to play. “Yeah! Go on, you’ll find her!”

He turned to see Nenita mounting the wall and get away scot-free. That is, until, four security females ran past, doubled back and pounced on her like the first fresh kill of the day.

“No...” he whispered. “Fuck. Dammit, shit, fuck, goddamnit, fuck, fuck, Nenita!” He ran for cover, ditching the jacket, turning the shirt he had on inside-out, rolling up his pants legs and grabbing someone’s hat as he passed by an open door. He ran around the dozens of houses ahead of her that they’d been and finally caught up. He slowed down, about four houses back to blend in.

He thought he heard one of them say ‘shoed-in’, but he had no clue what that meant. To his concern, they weren’t taking her back to the palace. They were steering her right to the PM’s office.

“Life is so not fair,” Nenita grumbled. “You only caught me because your legs are so damned long. Ever hear of a giraffe?”

“A what?” The guard beside her asked, though her tone was hard.

“It’s this animal with long legs and a really long....eh never mind. I doubt you’d find it funny.” Nenita grinned up at the woman. For a moment, she admired Kh’ali and wondered how she managed to look feminine, especially as a part Klingon, when these women looked so...big. Discretion was the better part of valor here, she decided, and so didn’t voice her thoughts.

A few minutes later, they were inside the PM’s offices and she was led to a room that was more of a sitting room, though Nenita guessed it was loaded with hidden security features.

Nick had managed to follow without being seen. Luckily, that’s what his job was, so it worked out both ways. He couldn’t figure out, though, why she was being taken to the PM’s offices and not the palace? “Don’t worry, baby,” he said. “I’m comin’ in after ya’.”

He followed the trio to a side door where they entered, unchallenged. Nick, however, was stopped. “Who are you?” the woman asked, putting a hand in his chest.

He exhaled, trying hard not to snap her wrist for even touching him. They were supposed to be the good guys as well, right? “I’m looking for employment with the Prime Minister’s office,” he said in the sweetest sounding voice he could muster. “I’ve heard that there are some openings for men with my abilities?”

He’d managed to walk her back a few steps, further into the opening, so they wouldn’t be seen from the street.

“And just what abilities are tho--”

He landed a punch to the gut, sucking the wind out of her pipes, swept her leg, dropping her to the ground, and kicked her in the face. She was out. And she wasn’t gonna’ win any Miss Archadia awards now, either, because that nose was just fucked up.

He dragged her into an empty room just back from the entrance. “Probably her office,” he thought. “As good a place as any.” He dropped her like a sack of potatoes onto the ground, closed the door and moved in. He’d already lost sight of Nenita, so now he really had to be careful. It wasn’t like he could just run in, snatch her, and the both of them hot-foot it out.

No, now he had to be the infiltration specialist that he was.

The guards took up positions on either side of the door and ordered Nenita to sit. She picked a chair by a low table and removed the kitchen hat, then fluffed her hair back out. “Hideous thing.” The hat was tossed to the table without a thought.

“Good enough for those who work there,” one of the guards said.

“Glad to see you have such a high opinion of those who fix the food in the palace. I hope they spit in yours next time you eat there.” Nenita began to study the room and moments later the door opened.

He stepped out of his own private study, saw what the guards had brought him, and closed the doors. Crossing the floor, he introduced himself. “My name is Zoudin Veist, personal assistant to the Prime Minister.” He stood to her left, his hands resting on the back of another chair. “And just who might you be?”

Nenita looked him over and decided he was definitely a notch above most of the men on this planet. Not in looks, but in the hint of power that carried with him.

“No one you need to worry about, Veist.” She knew the name of course, but had never seen him. Now, she could see why Aegina had chosen him.

“I disagree,” he said, “since you seem to think that you have free reign in and around the Queen’s palace kitchen.” He stepped closer, looking her up and down. “You are not Archadian.”

“Gee, you think?” Nenita crossed her arms. “No wonder Aegina keeps you around. Your powers of observation are astounding, as is your ability to state the obvious. You know, strong leaders have a tendency to surround themselves with people far weaker than they are. They like to avoid threats. She has nothing to worry about with you.”

He genuinely laughed at her words. “Spirited response,” he said as the laughter faded. “But I know what you’re doing. I won’t strike you and I won’t have one of the guards do it either--that is, unless you were to attack me or anyone else, but I’m sure you’ll behave, won’t you?” He didn’t wait for a reply and turned to the guards. “Did she have anything on her?”

Nick watched from a near corner as one of the two guards walked to the table and placed a few items there. One was snatched up immediately by the Zoudin. Nick smacked his forehead. “Not shoed-in, dumbass. Zoudin.”

“Ah, so you’re from Starfleet,” Zoudin said, turning the communicator over in his hands. “Our friendly, wonderful friends from the sky.” He was stalling now, reading the woman’s mind as she sat there. He briefly thought of the fun he could have in torturing her from the inside, but that wouldn’t be a good way to start the day. “Is there a reason Starfleet is spying on her Royal Highness, Miss.....?”

He knew her name. He knew what section she was in. She had no idea that he was Betazoid and she was spilling her secrets as if he were reading a book...and she couldn’t help it.

Nick took the opportunity to move. Zoudin had turned his back, showing his arrogance, so Nick slammed the head of one of the guards into the marble wall, dropping her into a heap on the ground. The other turned and he tackled her and beat her head on the ground. His only problem was Zoudin. He was a good thirty feet away and would be able to do all sorts of things to Nenita before Nick could even get close.

Nenita showed no surprise at the appearance of Nick but once the guards were out they were at a stand-off. She rose and stood as she addressed Zoudin. “I’m here because someone had your old Queen killed and your own Captain of the guard was involved. I think Melanippe’s still in danger and I intend to keep her in one piece. I’d think you would share my interest, otherwise your employer will find herself put out to pasture and sitting on the throne of uselessness.”

Having picked up one of the guard’s weapons, Nick leveled it at Zoudin. There were no other guards in the room, Veist had made sure of that, so there was no chance for additional alarm...not yet, anyway.

“This interview is over,” Nick said loudly from across the room. “Come on, slick,” he said. “Time to skee-daddle.”

As Nenita stood, Zoudin began to walk slowly toward her. He knew he wouldn’t be able to reach her, but he still had to make his presence known. “Fine,” he said replying to Nick. “I guess we’ll play ‘hide and seek’ at a later time.”

Nick was backing away, keeping his distance so that his face wouldn’t be properly seen, but he stopped suddenly. “What did you just say?” he asked.

Zoudin chuckled as he looked at Nenita who was closing in on Nick. “I think your friend is deaf, darling,” he said, then repeated louder, “I said, I guess we’ll play ‘hide and seek’ at a later time! Until then, do get your hearing checked.”

Nick stared at him for a moment as ‘Nita ran past. “Come on,” she prompted, but he couldn’t help but stare.

Finally, tossing the weapon down, he and Nenita ran out. They spent the better part of an hour zig-zagging and going in circles to make sure that they weren’t followed. And when you have someone that has an army of people to look for you, an hour was barely enough time to have zigged and/or zagged. But they hadn’t stopped for anything, not even to talk. When they got to their apartment, however, the talking blurted out like a burst pipe.

“He’s not Archadian, ‘Nita,” Nick said as they hurriedly packed the few items in the apartment.

“He isn’t?” She pulled their clothes from the closet, including the Archadian garb, and tossed them to Nick.

“No!” He stuffed the clothes into a duffle and scooped up the few electronic devices there were and added them to the bag. “Hide and seek?” he asked. “Archadians don’t play hide and seek. They call it Hunt the Prey, some throwback to the Amazons hunting the weaker of the group. Hide and seek is a human creation, love.”

“So what’s he doing with Aegina?” Nenita stopped before the mirror and added a black veil over her face, a sign of mourning. It would do till they got Nick to a new place and Nenita beamed back to the station.

“Hell if I know, but just because it’s a human creation doesn’t actually mean he’s human,” he said, almost confusing himself. “It just means that he’s not Archadian and could be one of any number of races that humans have come into contact with. He could even be a damn Vulcan in disguise for all I know!”

He checked her outfit. “A veil? Did someone die?”

Nenita nodded. “It’ll cover me till I beam out of here. No one’s going to question a widow. You need to go find a new place to stay.” She paused. “And technically, yes, someone is dead. Nenita is, here. He didn’t get a good look at you but now I’ve been made far and wide.”

“Then I’m going with you,” he said. “I can pick back up later, the priority is getting you out of here and...” he shook his head, “...I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but...get you another new face.”

“Yes. I have to. It wouldn't be a big deal if Veist hadn't gotten involved. He’s an unknown that I have a bad feeling about Nick.” Nenita shrugged. “At any rate, this will make it easier to do this job in the long run.”

Nick hadn't known Nenita from the beginning. The face he now knew, the one he’d fallen in love with, wasn't actually her. She had been someone else long before she’d known him and, like this day, something had royally blown her cover and she had to go to the extreme of getting a new face, new identity. He suddenly felt cold, though, with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Was this really happening?

Before she could argue--and he knew she was going to, he tapped his communicator. “900, two to beam out. Now.”

Moments later, they vanished in a swirl of blue.

****************

Lt.(jg) Nenita Quidley
Too Well Known

Master Chief Nick Marcinko
Just Got Used to This One...

Zoudin Veist
Tipping His Hand