From: Jamie LeBlanc (plainsimplegarak_at_yahoo.com)
Date: Mon Jan 14 2008 - 23:20:02 PST
“A Question of Honor” (Continued from “Explosive
Decisions of Unknowing Answers”)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Location: NOCTURIA
Stardate: 2.80115.0215
Scene: Bogozh
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The small group twined their way evenly through
the gloomy plains until they came to a flat landing,
scattered with a smattering of softly glowing rocks.
Rharn Alcedo paused, looking to each face and gauging
the lines of fatigue she saw there before putting up
heris hand. “Let us rest and eat something before
moving on. We are close, and it would be wise to
approach the Pleo strongholds with clear heads.”
Peter felt his brow furrow as he tucked his hood
down and rummaged in his robe for some rations. “What
sort of welcome do you think we will receive?”
“I am unsure…” Rharn’s voice was soft as she
knelt onto the ground, going quadrupedal, stretching
slightly. “But they must realize we are here to seek
an officer they forcibly kidnapped. I suspect things
will be tense at best.”
“I’m ready for them.” Izshlana growled under her
breath, struggling with the mass of fabric that made
up the Nameck. Phia turned and rolled her eyes.
“This isn’t an action film.” The Bolian hybrid
groused.
The smaller woman put her hands on her hips,
which made her form look like a diamond shaped lump
under the voluminous cloak. “I know that. I’m still
ready.”
“I will hold you to that.” The counselor replied,
snottily.
Off to one side, Cadet Karn had seated himself on
one of the rocks, and pulled the glowing fragment out
from his pocket. He squinted in the dimness that
glazed the plain, inspecting the chunk like it was a
fine jewel.
“You doing alright, Cadet?” Peter’s voi9ce made
the young trill jump a little and he turned.
“I’m all right, sir. I’m just… curious about
this.” His voice was soft and slightly sheepish.
Peter held out his hands, and Kiros offered the
rock out. Taking it up, the XO turned it over in his
hands and gave it a precursory inspection before
dropping it back in the Cadet’s palm. “Well, geology
isn’t my specialty, but I’d say it looks like a rock
with something luminescent in or on it.”
Kiros nodded slightly. “Funny thing about
geology… I find it very much like structural
engineering. Everything has it’s own structure, and
it’s own way of arranging matter. Even something as
simple as a rock.” He paused, thoughtfully. “Doctors
sometimes say the same thing about humanoid bodies –
they have a specific structure.” Peter nodded, and
settled himself on the rock beside Kiros as the cadet
took a breath and continued on. “This rock is
interesting to me, because where I broke it you can
see two very different crystalline configurations.
The inside looks like igneous rock. I wouldn’t be
surprised if there was volcanic activity on this plain
sometime in the planet’s far past. But the outer
layers are metamorphic.”
The brit leaned forward, noting the places where
the crystalline structure shifted under Karn’s finger
while nibbling on his ration bar. “That doesn’t sound
particularly unusual.”
“Normally no. Metamorphic rocks are formed by
changes in pressure and temperature. What gets me is
that the patterns in these rocks makes them look like
the change took place while they were on the surface –
or more accurately, is taking place.” He stood,
turning to the rock they were sitting on and traced
the crystalline patterns with this forefinger.
Peter let this sink in for a few seconds. “And
the metamorphic process should only take place deep in
the planet’s crust – where temperature and pressure
can build to the point of recrystallisation.”
“Exactly. This rock shouldn’t have reformed… at
least not naturally.” Kiros murmured.
“Why would anyone want to reform rock?” Both men
nearly jumped to hear the Alterian’s bright voice from
the gloom. “I wasn’t eavesdropping, I promise. You
guys are just loud.” She gave them both a merry grin.
Kiros perked a brow at that, thinking that he was
trying to be rather quiet. But he gave a try at
answering her question anyways. “It’s hard to see,
but it looks like the new rock has a very complex
crystalline structure.” He paused, handing the
glowing chunk over to Izzy. “Here, hold this.”
“Ok!” She took the piece in her hands and
squinted at it, as it if would hold some mighty secret
inside. While she did her inspection, Kiros pulled
out his tricorder and frowned as he ran his scans.
“A very complex and very regular structure…” He
reported evenly. He pulled up a diagram and held it
out to Peter. “May I ask, sir, what does this
structure remind you of?”
The XO furrowed his brow and took a look at the
screen. There were distinctive differences, but an
answer immediately came to mind. “Dilithium
crystals.”
Kiros sighed a little in relief. “Ok, I’m not
crazy then. It’s certainly not dilithium, but it has
the same complexity.”
“So what does that mean?” Izhlana asked, holding
the rock a little more gingerly.
“It has a structure built to hold, capture or
create great amounts of energy.” Peter explained.
“The crystals are very regular, allowing easy energy
transfer, and the structure seems to funnel and
enhance that energy.”
“I *told* you they were glowing more brightly.”
Phia quipped from a distance with a smug tone.
“But they aren’t complete – or at least most of
these rocks haven’t fully re-crystallized.” The Cadet
engineer added. “I wonder if it is an experiment?”
“I am not sure what it is, Cadet Kiros…” Rharn
interjected. “But I am not sure if it is completely
safe.”
“So, should I not be holding this rock?” Izzie
asked, biting her bottom lip.
Peter shook his head a little. “Unless you
overload your phaser next to it, I don’t think the
rock would hurt you.”
The tiny Alterian shook her head, staring at the
glowing chunk. “I’m not so sure.” She started to
hand it back to Kiros.
“Spit on it for good luck.” Phia suggested drily.
“Lieutenant Peoples swears by it. Carries a rock
around in her pocket even.” Her tone suggested that
she didn’t necessarily support the veracity of the
good luck claim.
Peter took a quick look at the Bolian hybrid and
rolled his eyes. “Yes, but your counseling department
is mostly insane.” He muttered under his breath. Phia
shot him a quick ‘I heard that’ sort of glare.
Izhlana shrugged. “I have heard traditions like
that bringing good luck, too. It’s not all that odd.”
“Don’t tell me you’re going to try it?” Phia
countered. When she put some thought into it, she
realized she wasn’t all that surprised that the
Alterian might try.
“Why not?” Izzy grinned and took a drink of
water from her canteen, spitting a small amount out on
the glowing chunk, and murmuring “For luck!”
Tiny purple-blue sparks shot from the spot where
the moisture landed, and rippled across the outer
surface of the rock. Izshlana shrieked and dropping
the glowing chunk as if it had bit her, cupping the
hand that held the rock gingerly in her other hand.
Kiros jumped back and then peered downwards, curiously
while Peter and Phia leapt forwards.
“Izzy, are you alright?” the Brit called, coming
by her side.
Izshlana Vort’s face was furrowed in a mixture of
irritation and pain. “Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow.” She
frowned deeply and slowly tried to stretch her hands.
“It burned me.”
“Let me see.” Phia offered, gently pulling
Izzie’s hand forward. Little spots of white blisters,
outlined by red mottled her palm. “Electrical burns.”
The counselor diagnosed dispassionately. “Did we
bring a medkit?”
Peter was already looking through the supplies
and he passed one over. “It’s Dr. Jos’ kit; left in
the hatchery. I figured it would come in useful.”
“With as much trouble as this crew seems to get
into Commander, we should staple medkits to every
member of the landing party.” The counselor returned,
fishing out a dermal regenerator. “Hold still,” she
commanded to the Alterian passing the device over her
hand.
Izzie tried to stand as still as she could,
watching Cadet Karn as he prodded the glowing chunk.
“I would be careful if I were you, Cadet…” she warned.
Kiros looked up. “I am being careful, Ma’am,” he
replied evenly. “But I want to check something out.”
He poured a small pool of water into his palm and
gestured for everyone to watch out. “Stand back.”
“Cadet…” Peter warned, blinking as Karn flicked
his hand out, sending a small shower of water onto the
glowing rock he had been sitting on moments before.
Again, where the water hit, small ripples of
electricity passed over the surface of the stone
before fading. After the lightshow dissipated, one
word escaped the XO’s mouth. “Water?”
“If you think about it, water is a very effective
element. It changes forms easily, conducts
electricity, and if channeled the elements it is
composed from carry a great deal of power. I could
analyze the mineral composition of the rocks, but I
bet that they contain some mineral that reacts with
water to form the electrical charge. It might even be
what is causing the glow,” the Cadet replied, in a
tone that said he was very eager to provide as much
encyclopedic knowledge as he could. He smiled
slightly as he finished.
Izshlana stretched her hand a little as Phia
finished healing the burns. “So, I hate to ask this
Captain… how often does it rain on Bogozh?”
~*~*~*~*~*~
Scene: Dungeon
After spending nearly an hour trying to calm the
soft little creature down, Aerdan Jos sat back on the
stiff metal cot and tried to think of a plan. Somehow
being in a barely lit dungeon, head swimming from the
A’avenette was not conducive to planning, the Andorian
thought bitterly. He stretched a hand out to lightly
scratch the little Jarax’s head.
//Do others come for you?// Fest looked up,
blinking slightly.
Aerdan nodded. “Almost certainly,” he murmured.
//What others?// The creature watched the blue
skinned man with a quiet curiosity.
“My crewmates likely. My captain is NOCTURIAN,
like I told T’nnent.” He replied softly.
The little critter crawled closer, making a soft
chittering sound. //Have you any way of contacting
them?//
The Andorian shook his head. “Not unless we
make a jailbreak.”
Fest was quiet for several very long moments.
//I swore never to leave T’nnent unprotected. But I
fear that you were not brought here simply for the
sport of Zipa Pleo.//
Again, silence hung in the air. Aerdan had been
wondering the same thing himself – why would the Elder
Pleo bring him here, and let him awake in this dungeon
with his memories fuddled, but intact. Why not simply
leave him in the hatchery for his crewmates to find
and then wonder about after all the evidence was
destroyed? At first it had seemed sloppy; but now he
was starting to understand. “They want to bait Rharn
Alcedo here,” he guessed.
Fest gave a slow nod. //If they can retain both
male and female counterparts, they can destroy all
hope of NOCTURIAN knowing the truth.//
“So they intend to kill them both?” The Doctor
stood, and started to pace.
//Do you have a plan?//
The Andorian turned, and fixed the tiny creature
with a severe stare. “Are you willing to leave
T’nnent’s presence?”
//If I can save his life…// Fest blinked slowly.
“I will promise to protect him in your place.”
Aerdan’s voice was low and soft, grave in it’s tone.
The Jarax crawled up onto the top of the cot.
//You want me to find Rharn?// it guessed.
He nodded slowly. “Rharn, or one of the
offworlders.” Pausing, thoughtfully, Aerdan added,
“Rharn has a small creature much like yourself…”
//Bast?// it asked lightly.
“Yes.”
Slowly, a more positive expression formed on the
tiny creature’s face. //I know Bast. We were young
together.//
The slightest smile formed on the blue lips. “If
you can track like Bast can, you should be able to
find them?” When he got an affirmative nod, he
continued, “Do you think you can get out of this
dungeon?”
//If I can get past the door.// Fest replied.
“I’ll get you past the door, after that you’re on
your own…”
The little creature’s eyes creased in worry.
//How will you do that?//
“Distract them.” The Andorian replied with
infinite stubbornness.
//They will hurt you..//
Aerdan’s voice was soft, committed. “They have
already hurt me. Me and everyone else on this planet.
I will gamble fresh pain in return for a chance at a
better outcome.”
//I do not like this plan.// The voice wasn’t
argumentative, but sorrowful.
“Neither do I… But we don’t have many options.”
He sat on the edge of the cot, resting a hand on the
soft fur of the Jarax
//I do not disagree. But I wish it were not
so.//
~*~
It was over two hours later when T’nnent was
dragged back to the dungeon, barely able to walk.
Thal Pleo, the young, dark green skinned Nocturian who
had fetched him before now watched as two other guards
gripped the paler man by the shoulders, steering him
down the hallway.
Aerdan Jos lay on his bunk; in the same position
they had left him, still as rock save for the tips of
his antennae, which quavered slightly. He was working
though his mind what the best was to distract two
guards and a jailkeep, without getting snapped in half
might be, wondering if he could play sick convincingly
enough to buy Fest the time the critter needed.
Aerdan could hear T’nnent’s feet stumble forward
and his hands hit the edge of the cot as he was pushed
inside the cell. Without opening his eyes, he could
tell that the man could barely stand, his breath
coming through his lips in ragged, rattling breaths.
Inwardly Aerdan frowned. Breathing like that came
from injuries like punctured lungs. Not something one
wanted to endure while locked in a dungeon. Fest
mewled and started shaking with worry.
//I see that the offworlder does not handle
A’avenette well.// Thal crowed. //They are weak, and
you are all the weaker for having joined them in the
stars.//
//I learned many things in the stars.// T’nnent
paused as he gasped for breath. //One of them was
that true wisdom lies with those who can see beyond
their dark little dungeon of a world.//
Thal growled deep in the back of hiser throat.
//You will never insult this world, swine!// The cell
door opened and the dark green Nocturian stepped
through. //You do not have the right!//
T’nnent looked up at his clanmate in pity and
sorrow. //Your words only prove my point.//
//I will smash you into a bloody pulp.// Thal’s
words grated like a curse, and he walked forward like
a menacing monster, determined to make T’nnent’s voice
die in his throat.
Despite the fact that his logical senses told him
this was, in fact, a very stupid idea, Aerdan snapped
up from his position on the cot. “Not on my watch” he
snapped in his whisper thin voice, and grabbed the
first thing his blue hands could grasp – the long
braid hanging down Thal’s back.
The large Nocturian yelped in pain, bending
halfway backwards, his feet slipping out in front of
himer. Aerdan could hear T’nnent gasp slightly and
try to roll out of the way of the flailing feet. The
Andorian concerned himself with finding his own feet,
rolling over the side of the cot to give himself more
maneuverability.
Thal’s hands flew to the back of hiser head,
searching in terror for the braid, hiser breath coming
in hot, fast pants until he/she could assure himself
that hiser hair was still there. Hiser guards were on
their toes, rushing in through the door, looking to
contain the offworlder before he could do something
worse. As Thal regained hiser senses of what was
going on, he/she rolled over to his knees and pointed
at the blue skinned man on the other side of the cot.
//Grab him.//
They complied, like hounds trying to tree a fox,
but the cell was no forest. Ardan was sluggish from
the A’avenette and had very few places to go.
Skittering along the back wall in the darkness, one of
the guards leapt at him from a quadruped stance,
grabbing one arm. He turned, punching at hiser throat
with his free hand, but just as the grip loosened
enough to pull away he found himself grabbed by the
second guard, pasted onto the back wall with a
resounding thud as his vision whited over for a
second. When it cleared Thal Pleo stood directly in
front of him.
“You are lucky, offworlder.” The larger
Nocturian spat. “On this planet our hair is a mark of
honor. Had you damaged it, I would string you up by
whatever you pulled out, and as the breath slowly left
your body I would cut out your entrails and string
them around your neck like jewels.”
Aerdan steeled his gaze, and stared back, saying
nothing. Thal regarded him for a minute, waiting for
a plea of mercy. When none came, a small spark of
rage lit in hiser eyes and he snaked a hand out to
punch the vivid blue offworlder, satisfied when the
head snapped to the side, and came back to center with
haze in his eyes. “Do you have any honor,
offworlder?”
Sapphire eyes closed to tiny slits as Dr. Jos
drew in a breath. “I have enough honor to not march
my species into extinction.”
Thal’s hand shot forward, pinning the smaller
blue man to the back wall by the throat. “What do you
know of out planet? Our ways have worked for untold
generations! They will continue on as flawlessly as
they have in the past!”
The CMO’s words were strangled, thin threads
connected by thin breaths, and yet they cut the
silence like a knife. “If they are so flawless, why
do you fear change so much? Why try to destroy your
gendered clan mate?”
There was a harsh, angry fire in Thal Pleo’s
eyes, something unchecked and unstable. “I fear
nothing. You speak lies.” He/she dug behind hiser
belt with hiser free hand, and in the sliver of light
that pierced the cell; Aerdan could faintly make out a
knife. The Andorian’s snowy brows creased, his heart
jumping at once to his throat. Thal indulged in a
small smile. “So, you are not as stony as you would
pretend to be, offworlder.”
“I will not beg for your mercy.” He returned in
the same soft strangled voice.
The dark skinned man’s voice was barely more than
a snarl. “You don’t need to. I don’t intend to show
you any. If I could have my fun, I would; but Zipa
reserves that for himself. Instead when he asks for
you, I shall send you to him with all the honor you
posses.”
There were several short seconds for Aerdan’s
mind to fumble with the words in confusion before Thal
released his neck and forced the smaller man to kneel.
When he resisted, he expedited this process with a
swift kick to the back of the leg. Aerdan pinned his
antennae flat to the top of his head, as the Nocturian
forced his face downwards.
The knife raked from the nape of his neck, along
the head to the back of each ear, large chunks of
white hair falling to the floor, spattered with flecks
of blue. Thal made sure he was none too careful in
his shave, pulling chunks of hair out of they did not
easily fall free.
Aerdan struggled, a low whine escaping his
throat, clawing at the two guards who held him, until
his fingers bit into the flesh of their arms, and yet
they did not yield. Thal pulled the shaggy tuft of
white that lay across the CMO’s forehead upwards,
dragging the blue face to meet his own. “No hair, no
honor,” he smirked.
Dr. Jos stared back biting his lip so hard to
prevent a scream that blood was running from the sides
of his mouth. When he unclenched his teeth, three
words dribbled from his mouth. “I hate you.”
Thal pulled the last tuft of hair upwards, nearly
bringing Aerdan to his feet before slicing it and most
of the skin underneath cleanly off. The Doctor
pitched forward in a fury, only to be kicked
backwards, rebounding off the rock wall. A scream
tore itself from the thin blue man’s throat, a sound
of passion and scorn, as if he couldn’t find a curse
foul enough to describe his thoughts. But by the time
he could climb back to his feet, Thal was on the other
side of the cell door, and the click of it hitting the
hinges resounded through the dungeon. Aerdan Jos
stared back at him, gripping the edge of the cot with
blood covered hands, a thick line of dark blue running
from the top of his head, down the side of his nose,
past his mouth, spattering on his uniform.
The Nocturian smirked again, extremely pleased
with himself. “For what it’s worth, offworlder… I
hate you too.”
~*~
It was only seconds later, but it felt like it
took an eternity to reach T’nnent’s side. The pale
green skinned man was breathing shallowly in the
darkness. “Are you alright?” He wiped his bloody
hands on his pants and started to help the Nocturian
into a position where he could breathe easier.
“That was a foolish thing you did.” T’nnent
chided. “They will be targeting you now.”
Aerdan knit his brows. “Better than Thal
smashing your ribs. I hate to say it, but the last
time I checked, I was not the only surviving male
member of my race.”
T’nnent’s voice strengthened as he could lie back
on the cot. “Please don’t get a death wish, Doctor.”
“Trust me, I have no death wish. I have every
reason in the world to get back to my ship.” He took
one of the sheets and tore it into strips, tipping
both antennae forward to listen to T’nnent’s
breathing. “And you’re right, it was a foolish
gamble.”
The CMO carefully repositioned his pale green
companion until T’nnent’s breathing improved to the
point where he couldn’t hear the rattle anymore. “So
what was your bet, Doctor?”
“Rest there, for as long as you can.” He murmured
gently, pressing T’nnent back down when he raised his
head. He paused for several long seconds before
answering the question. “Well, beyond my lack of
common sense and what my colleague would call the
tendency to be a ‘noble, self sacrificing nutbrain’
I’m gambling the hope of getting a message through and
keeping both of us alive to see it come to fruition.”
Slowly dawning realization filtered through
T’nnent’s eyes. “Fest?” he whispered.
“I have promised to protect you while he’s gone,”
was the soft reply.
The Nocturian closed his eyes. “I am amazed that
ones like Thal and Zipa can not see the sacrifices
outsiders are capable of making.”
“You are important to Rharn Alcedo, and Rharn is
important to me. That is all I need to know.” The CMO
replied evenly, starting to soak a strip and wash the
blood from his forehead.
“I’m not sure we deserve it.” T’nnent murmured.
“Shh.” His voice was soft and lisping. “Fest is
going to expect to return to you alive and well, and
you can help me in that by getting some rest.”
The pale green man murmured something of an
assent and closed his eyes. Aerdan sat beside him,
listening until his breath trickled off into the slow
even rhythm of sleep.
Only then, in the darkness did the CMO walk back
over to his own cot, and sit down. Slowly he curled
his arms protectively over his shorn head, and closed
his eyes, as if he could somehow crawl into a cocoon
and escape, or it might somehow all turn out to be
another terrible drug induced dream.
~*~*~*~*~*~
NRPG:
Soo… I had originally planned on writing another chunk
for the away team traveling Bogozth… but it’s 9 pages
long and 2:15 am, and I have to be to work in 5 hours
>.<
So I very much hope that this is something you guys
can work with!
Margie: I didn’t reply before, but I really enjoyed
reading “Hidden Secrets”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Jamie LeBlanc
Lieutenant Aerdan Jos
Chief Medical Officer
USS STONEHENGE
"Why do we fly? Because we have dreamt of it for so long that we must"
~Julian Beck
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