Ours Are The Furies: Executive Decision

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

Last time (http://theholo.net/forum/showthread.php?56003-Erinyes) on Star Wars: Jovan Station. And now, the conclusion...


The command deck briefing room shook. It didn't take an assistant engineer to know that man-made objects in space shouldn't shake, and it was probably a lot worse when space stations did. What had been an operations briefing from Commander Akiena was now an assembly of confused faces, including Lieutenant Gradoona. Murmurings filled the silent void as officers broke decorum to speculate on exactly what just happened.

A moment later, the red condition one alarm lit, with running lights at the ceiling's intersection with the wall began to glow, along with a droning ba-roooo...ba-roooo.

There hadn't been a warning. No notice from the command deck that an enemy ship had arrived, much less attacked. No notice at all.

Gradoona stood next to Dr. Vek at the back of the room, with her eyes where they ought to be at a time like this.

On Commander Akiena.

[Kes Akiena]

It was during the first shuddering of his station that Kes was on his feet, hands firmly pressed against the glossed tabletop of the conference room's table. His mouth set in a thin, straight line as his eyes narrowed to slits. A shaking space station was certainly not on this meeting's docket, but in less then a millisecond it had topped the charts, flying to the top of all things critical and swept everything else away. And as the shaking subsided, the alarm sounded. Like some monotonous harpy that ate away at a man's resolve, that continuous whine grew slowly in volume, hit its' peak, then dropped off for a small bit before once more building back up. It reminded Kes of the old storm warning sirens back home. And it made him feel just as sick in the stomach now as it had when he was a boy.

Straightening up, the redhead turned to look as the door of the conference room opened, Mr. Ek'ette quickly stepping through.

"What's going on, Mr. Ek'ette."

It was most assuredly not a question, and as Kes tugged down the bottom edge of his uniform tunic, his shoulders hitched back ever so slightly. There was a nagging thought that began to tickle in the back of his mind, and he wasn't so sure he like it. Too soon to tell, he poorly reassured himself.

"All docked ships've been severed, Commander. They're moorings are blown. We don't-"

[Vek Vek]

BZAT

Another foreign sound adding to the cacophony, and one with far more acute immediacy. Doctor Vek's amphibian head flicked to the direction of the door at the sound of what could only be blaster fire. Barely audible beyond the threshold of the command deck, he could hear shouting voices.

"We're under attack!"

"Security teams to the command deck!"

"I can't get the comms open!"

"AAAGGHH!!!"

"CLOSE THE BLAST DOORS! HOLD THEM OFF, HOLD TH-"

By this time the conference room was filing out into the command deck in a scrum. Vek Vek had to scramble to avoid being run over, but he cleared the door in time to see both sets of heavy blast doors sealing the entryways to each access point. The Imperial four-panel durasteel doors clanged together in an ominous din, still unable to muffle the sound of weapons fire just beyond.

The small security detail assigned to the command deck had filed in through the blast doors just before they sealed. It didn't take Vek Vek long to assess that they had taken casualties. One Mon Calamari, dead. A human male bleeding profusely from what seemed to be an abdominal puncture wound. Though small in stature, Vek Vek pushed through the mass of officers and crewmen like someone much larger.

"Clear the way! I'm a Doctor!"

A doctor without a medical kit he thought darkly. It didn't take him long as he knelt by the convulsing man to realize that he was grossly unprepared to treat this security guard.

"Medical kit, equipment locker three, go!"

Vek immediately turned his attention back to what was likely a dying man. His large eyes briefly shrouded by a nictating membrane as he examined the grievous injury he'd been dealt.

"Abdominal trauma leading into the thoracic cavity. Extreme organ damage and blood loss. Appears to be vibroblade injury."

The best case scenario for this man was stabilization and immediate evacuation to the infirmary. An evacuation that may not be possible.

[Kes Akiena]

Kes had been one of the first to leave the conference room, hurrying down the shallow stairs that would put him on the main level of the command hub. With Mr. Ek'ette on his heels, Commander Akiena moved like a man possessed. Flashes of memory, flashes of older times. His features set in a stony countenance as a grim realization was making itself horrendously known. The unthinkable. And yet still he remained doggedly devoted to the moment, refusing to entertain a conjecture that was gaining solid, factual, and - as he knelt by the wounded security officer that Doctor Vek had taken charge of - bloody evidence. He focused on the immediate emergencies.

Hearing the doctor's quick diagnosis was enough to make Kes grimace.

He could also hear the underlying urgency in the Durwi's tone.

Looking up and over, he gestured to one of the lieutenants who's eyes seemed glued to the closed blast door.

"Lieutenant Caeris!"

The young woman, her brown eyes wide, looked to her commanding officer.

"Sir?"

"Help the Doctor-" his eyes shifted to another officer. ".. Mr. Jinzhe, help move this man to my office."

The Mirialan nodded, moving to take Kes' place as the Commander himself rose to his feet once more, moving out of the way. His attentions shifted quickly, his eyes hard and glinting with intent. Now was no time for hesitation, and the redhead fell into an old, familiar state of mind. His gaze swept over the hulking form of Lieutenant Gradoona, and his hand lifted up, in a gesture for her to follow him as he stepped over to the security squad leader.

"Sergeant Orenek," he barked.

"Report."

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

"Commander, we barely had time to call to arm, and they were on us like that."

Orenek followed along with Commander Akiena and the Herglic, pulling up the latest information on his security terminal. What they had was barely beyond what they could see in the room.

"The alarm sealed the bulkheads, but I can't raise any security detail on backup. Not a soul. The lines are just...out."

Gradoona tapped a thick digit on the tactical readout of the command deck, noting the doors themselves.

"Commander, these Imperial blast doors aare the genuine article. Real overbuilt yaknoo, but that's oonly gonna delay whoever's aan the other side. If they have detonation chaarges oor a fusion cutter, then it buys us..."

She looked up to Akiena with a pessimistically even expression, and blinked her small eyes.

"...five minutes? Ten?"

[Kes Akiena]

It was a grim assessment. Orenek's sparse information coupled with Gradoona's own estimations made for a short and ugly view of where they now stood. Kes grimaced, staring at the readout.

"What's our status on arms and ammunition."

There was a weapons locker in the command hub he knew, but whether it would be enough to hold back any sort of concerted rush he wasn't sure. Only Orenek and his men had gotten a look at their invaders.

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

"Full complement of small arms for the staff. Pistols, power packs."

Orenek shook his head.

"Half dozen rifles."

In other words, not sustainable. There was something else though, and it was written on the Sergeant's face.

"I didn't get a good look at our attackers. It happened fast. But I'm sure I saw at least two in Cizerack marine uniforms."

[Kes Akiena]

Not a good estimate, and Kes crossed his arms over his chest as he considered Orenek's words.

Not good.

And while he'd certainly faced such odds before, it was never in this sort of setting and the men and women around him back then were hardened trench-jumpers.

But it was the Sergeant's last revelation that caused the Commander's eyes to raise up, going to the closest Cizerack officer in the hub.

"Thoughts, Ms. Taassaurra?"

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

Preita'rrou Taassaurra finished cinching the gun belt around her waist as she was summoned. Her tail flicked nervously, but she otherwise betrayed none of the fear she was feeling.

"jI...jI don't know ssjirr. jI'm jusst a c-commss offjicerr."

A dull thud from the other side of one of the doors sounded, causing the young woman's ears to flinch. She glanced back, quickly squaring herself as she pressed her perspiring hands down the side of her jacket.

"The Jaani'saarri arren't jusst prr-prrofesssjionalss, thejy s-sserrve forr ljife. jI've neverr even hearrd of an jin-jin-jincjident of mutjinjy beforre. Thejy t-t-t..."

Taassaurra bit on her lower lip, trying to stamp down the nerves that were aggravating her normally mild stutter.

"Thejy're the Hjigh Motherr'ss h-h-harrem, ssjirr."

[Kes Akiena]

The High Mother's Harem.

That Taassaurra hadn't heard of any insurrection of this nature before was worrisome, but Kes didn't dwell on the issue too much. He had much more pressing matters to attend to. Mr. Ek'ette stood beside him.

"I've not heard of anything like this either, Commander. An uprising against the Pride Mother from her own ranks isn't possible to my knowledge."

Kes nodded in acknowledgment. One arm flicked out as he turned to look at Lt. Gradoona. She had talents, and he needed them.

"Lieutenant." He gestured to the main entryway's blast door.

"I need you to tell me how close they are to getting through."

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

"Yes sir."

The Herglic nodded her large head on her nearly-nonexistent neck, and took a few heavy footfalls toward the first blast door. Giving it a good look, she began to click-whistle at hypersonic frequencies, letting the sound penetrate the layers of reinforced durasteel to get to the truth of the matter.

"I doon't hear a plaasma toorch cuttin' aan anything - wait."

She strained again, tilting her head at an angle.

"Hang aan...ohhh, ohh I think I knoow what they're dooin. Ooh those smart kitties. That's a bolt driver. Smaall gauge."

Gradoona suddenly turned and began to thud toward the equipment locker.

"Commander, they're gonna try and bypass the electric lock! We gaatta seal the gap with a welder!"

The Herglic nearly threw the locker door off it's hinges, throwing out piles of equipment before she came up with a hand welder and some goggles.

"We gaatta hurry like a penguin with her ass on fire!"

[Kes Akiena]

Kes was moving even as the Herglic was tearing open the locker. Though, while she was going for the weilding equipment inside, he moved tot he locker that held the weapons.

"You know what to do, then," his voice was a strange, almost gravelly sounding thing that most hadn't heard come from him before. Beneath the unassuming, sometimes naive and always-smiling exterior that he showed to others was the hardened Rebel that existed beneath so many layers.

He flung open the locker door, handing out rifles to those around him.

"Seal it up!"

His order to Gradoona was redundant, as he knew that she was already working on the matter at hand, but he also knew that others had to hear the order. It was more for their nerves than anything else.

Six rifles were handed out, and he took the last for himself. It's been a long time since he'd held one of these, but it was like riding a hoverbike, and old muscle memory fired in his brain as he checked the chamber before sliding it shut with a ca-clack and slapping a power pack up into the empty cartridge holder.

"Mr. Ek'ette, I want a line set up just behind the front comm banks. We're going to keep the doors shut as long as possible, but when they break through we'll need to hold our ground."

"Yes Sir!"

When. It wasn't an issue of if. Kes knew how this was done, and that there were no 'if's' in situations like this.

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

"Sparkin' up! Mind yoour eyes!"

Gradoona's welding goggles were already snapped tight around her broad head, and she flicked the actuator on the welder. A dagger of electric blue light speared the air from the tip of the industrial sealer, and the Herglic immediately began to work from the top of the door's seam on down. Gouts of sparks flecked the air like distant dying stars as the metal bloomed into an amorphous red scar, oozing just enough into the gap to form again as a continuous piece. The stink of ozone began to fill the command deck as Gradoona worked down the seam with painfully slow speed.

Beyond the Herglic, the last line of defense of Jovan Station's command deck stood their ground. Preita'rrou Taassaurra stood adjacent to the Commander, drawing her emergency sidearm as she trained it on the doorway, mindful to keep her vision fixed just away from center to not get blinded by the welding torch. She whispered a brief prayer in Cizeri, glancing back to her superior officer with a nod.

"We'll hold the l-l-ljine, ssjir."

[Kes Akiena]

Hefting his firearm, Kes gave a reassuring pat to Taassaurra's shoulder.

"Whites of their eyes, Ma'am. Whites of their eyes."

An old saying that he'd picked up so long ago. He didn't even know where it came from, but in situations like this, it was the most prudent thing to give. Wheeling about, the redhead gave a knowing nod to Mr. Ek'ette as he pushed a power cell firmly into place.

"Any wounded, move them to my office."

The Elomin nodded firmly, and Kes raised his voice so the rest could hear.

"My office is our last line, folks. We keep the good doctor and the injured out of the line of fire. Understood?"

[Vek Vek]

There were just enough extra hands to manage a small repulsor cot to get the gravely-wounded man to temporary safety, but Doctor Vek was still quite disquieted by the situation. He paused in passing, wiping away a sheen of blood on his hands with a sanitizing napkin.

"Commander."

Vek's large eyes half-nictated in pause as he tilted his head with deference.

"Situation critical. Understand options are limited. Patient's triage assessment..."

He shook his head gravely.

"...dire. If infirmary were accessible, a chance at stabilization. Small chance. Better than zero here."

Vek glanced back to the blast door, which was midway through the process of sealing. His mouth twisted in a sign of his conflicting feelings.

"Even if escape option were available, chances of casualties on Command deck remain high."

[Kes Akiena]

"We've got a sad state of choices available to us, Doctor."

Which was the nicest way he could think of at the moment to say that their options were damn near nonexistent. Even in the face of their apparent hopelessness though, the Commander couldn't help but fall onto old habits and tactics. He felt like he was transported back in time, watching as white-clad stormtroopers tried to overrun them. But this was not the past; there were no stormtroopers.

But the game stayed the same, and Kes hitched his shoulders back as his eyes narrowed.

He took the doctor by the arm, leading him back through the doorway to his office where the wounded man had been taken.

"Ms. Kourraani, Mr. Darrik, with me!"

The Cizerack and Corellian officers followed dutifully after their commander.

"If I know my Imperial architecture, there's gonna be an escape route in here. It won't be large, but it'll be here."

Only now did Kes regret not thinking to look for the thing after he'd first come to Jovan. And perhaps Imperial procedures had changed over the years, but in the formative years of the Rebellion, during those times that they had successfully taken over Imperial garrisons, there seemed to always be an escape tunnel or hatchway that the garrison commanders had in their offices.

He prayed that this station was no different.

With a nod to the doctor's patient, he went on.

"We need to get this man out of here, as well as most of the others. We have to get as many out as we can," already his gut was turning over at the thought of his Herglic lieutenant, but there was no time to worry about that right now.

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

The sound of bucking slabs of durasteel came from the doorway Gradoona was quickly working on. From their vantage, the inner door panes gave up nothing, but the Herglic knew better as she continued to stay on her welded seam.

"Thaat's the outer dooors giving way..." she tried to sound calming, but the tension was bleeding through her voice. She knew that whoever was on the other side, they'd successfully managed a manual bypass of the electronic lock, which was no small feat. If Gradoona didn't already have a seam over halfway there, the door she was working on would have broken the seal and opened too.

"Doon't wanna be bleak yoou guys, buuut if they have a plaaasma cutter with 'em we're hoosed in aboout three minutes."

[Kes Akiena]

Kes turned his eyes away from Gradoona for only a moment, his gaze firing blasterbolts into the two officers already essentially tossing his office for any sign of the escape hatch.

"Move fast!"

Moving away from the doorway, Kes hopped from the top landing down to the main level, his rifle barrel-up for now as he stomped over to stand behind the Herglic. His free hand reached out to give her a reassuring pat on a broad shoulder blade as he passed her.

Finally, his eyes went to the others, sweeping over their faces before settling on Mr. Ek'ette.

The Elomin seemed to grow even more serious, if that was even possible. As it was, Kes himself held absolutely none of the mirth that most had become used to seeing him with. His eyes were like firm, steel-colored marbles.

"Get ready, people."

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

Suddenly, Gradoona cut off her welder, snatching off her goggles as she took a few strides back. She'd heard a definitive metal-on-metal thunk, and from the mass of the impact, the Herglic didn't have to second guess her gut feeling.

"It's a limpet! They're goonna breach the door with a charge!"

There wasn't a better option anymore. Just when the situation had reached it's most critical, a call from Akiena's quarters sounded.

"Commander, we found a hatch!"

The assistant engineer followed Akiena up to the threshold of his office once more, spying the hidden access tube port. Gradoona's heart sank at the sight, and she knew that it was a trip she wasn't going to be making.

"Commander, I suggest you lock out the computer aan the command deck."

If the command deck was going to be seized, it would hopefully minimize the advantage the invaders achieved. Gradoona's eyes tilted downward as she softly hauuumed.

"Best I doon't knoow the coode, I think."

In case they try to torture me the Herglic thought darkly.

[Kes Akiena]

Stopping in the doorway, Kes glanced in only momentarily as he swiftly moved to the side.

"Mr. Ek'ette!"

The Elomin was ready.

"Sir?"

"Begin getting everyone in through that hatch, starting with the Doctor's patient. Move quickly, we're running out of time."

Ek'ette gave only a nod in answer before springing into action. He hopped down to the main level of the hub, issuing orders as he went from one terminal to the next, fingers flying over their touchscreens and issuing the master lock shut-out.

"Let's go, you lot! You heard the Commander!"

Kes watched in silence as the command staff passed by, each one with a determined look to their eyes while clutching their firearms close.

But the obvious was still present, and it was something that gave him pause. He turned his attentions to Gradoona, looking up at her.

"Lieutenant. My options are limited, but what can I supply you with... ?"

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

Gradoona's reply was to brusquely push the Commander into his office.

"There's noo tiiime Commander, just g--"

krshh-THWOOM

The initial pyrophoric agent of the breaching charge bit white lines into the periphery of the blast door, followed by a concussive shaped charge to crack through like an egg shell. Ruined halves of durasteel peeled inward with a peppering of spall, followed quickly by a dozen men and women. Some in uniform, more in plainclothes. All Cizerack.

"Go!"

The Herglic gave Akiena a final shove as the last half dozen defenders mounted a final fallback perimeter at his office. Blaster fire peppered the doorway, a pair of shots stitched Gradoona in her right thigh and shoulder, sending her tumbling to the ground with a pained cry.

"Get out of here!"

[Kes Akiena]

Mr. Ek'ette took hold of Kes' arm, swinging him further into the office before squaring himself off with the rest of those left, and lifting his rifle up, pulled the trigger.

Another officer further pulled him along, despite his protestations.

"C'mon, Commander, can't lolligag, y'know... "

Kes gave a snarl, almost wrenching himself from the hold on him in order to help hold the line, but a second pair of hands grabbed him, and a moment later he was stuffed unceremoniously into the escape hatch.

"We'll hold 'em off."

The last view he had before the hatch panel was fit back into place was of Mr. Ek'ette's back, and Gradoona lying on the deck in pain.

And then his world went black, and he was shut away with the others in the confined space of the escape tunnel.

[Tu'arr Korrtaurro]

The last line of defense put up by Jovan's command crew was a valiant one. But it was also futile.

His brothers and sisters spilled into the hub with ease, swarming in like a wave of bodies to overtake and subdue those inside.

And stepping through the mangled wreckage of the hub's blast door, Tu'arr Korrtaurro watched in silence. His soldiers knew what needed to be done without him having to order them about like an overbearing ruler.

With hands behind his back, the towering Cizerack watched as the last bits of resistance were ground down.

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

Geepers, so this was what getting shot felt like.

Gradoona huffed heavy panic breaths through her blowhole as she tried to get up to her feet. Her legs felt like jelly, and nerves screamed like they were burning from the inside out, but she dug deep, gritting her beak together as she strained. The Herglic was about halfway through the effort when a boot-heel ground into the blaster wound in her shoulder, pinning her back to the deck as she cried out in agony.

Around her, nothing else was going well. Preita'rrou Taassaurra had been disarmed and sent to the deck with a rifle's buttstroke to her midsection. She fell next to Gradoona, coughing to recover her robbed breath. Su'taun'rrou Aul'ssentai and Ensign Antillies were put down with stun shots. Su'taun'rrou Sai'farroa had the good sense to surrender in the face of overwhelming opposition. Lieutenant Nellis did not. He took a shot to the knee, falling to the deck. With a second effort, he brought his pistol up to bear. A plainclothed Cizerack woman kicked his pistol free, then reached a hand to his throat, pulling her claws free as Nellis' neck gushed with arterial spray. As the female terrorist cleaned her fingertips with her tongue, Gradoona averted her eyes, returning to the fearful expression on Taassaurra's eyes as Lieutenant Ek'ette reluctantly surrendered his weapon under duress.

"It's ookay..." Gradoona reassured, as much for herself as for the young Cizerack officer. "...we'rre goonna make it."

Oh penguins, I hope so.

[Tu'arr Korrtaurro]

Overtaking the hub was a much easier task than he'd anticipated, and it put Tu'arr Korrtaurro on edge. His features remained in a dark, thoughtful scowl as he loomed over their new captives. There was no way that this was everyone, and as calm blue eyes scanned the small contingent of Alliance and Pride officers, his mind was turning over in remembrance. He'd studied all of the available files and dossiers of those in command of this station... one particular face of which was conspicuously absent. The Cizerack furrowed his brow.

One of his lieutenants hung back, and she turned questioning eyes up to him.

"Ssjirr?"

"The Commanderr. Wherre jis he."

The underling cast her gaze to their prisoners, and without waiting for any sort of prompt, she stepped forward to confer with one of the soldiers standing over a herglic, his boot on one of the blaster wounds in the female's shoulder. A brief moment of conference, and she glared angrily down at Gradoona.

"Akjiena," she spat, "Wherre jis Commanderr Akjiena."

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

The woman's words cut into the fog of dulling-yet-persistent pain spreading through Gradoona's mind. She wheezed, her blowhole taking in arrested breaths due to the discomfort of her prone position. She vaguely began to recall Alliance Code of Naval Doctrine, and the bits specifically referred to under behavior as prisoners of war. Name, rank, and serial number. Good enough if she were to be interrogated by stormtroopers, but this was an entirely different reality.

"I doon't knoow..." Gradoona winced as another wave of pain came from the boot pressing harder on her gunshot.

It wasn't exactly a lie. The moment Commander Akiena passed through the access hatch, she had no clue where he'd head. The fact that she didn't even know about the hatch's existence meant that it wasn't exactly something the Empire placed on the station's public access schematics.

[Tu'arr Korrtaurro]

The woman knelt down, leaning over the Herglic with a twisted set to her lips.

"jI can make hjim sstop, jyou know."

Despite the look on her face, her voice dripped with sweetness.

"Orr... " her tone turned a shade darker then, as her eyes flitted to the female Cizerack held at gunpoint. A snap of her fingers, and the cold barrel of a blaster was pressed to Taassaurra's temple.

"jI can make thjiss ass unpleassant."

And in the meantime, Korrtaurro moved, his long stride bringing him to the Herglic, and he looked down at her with a level, ponderous gaze.

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

Gradoona's eyes widened at the escalation. It was impossible to avert herself from the Preita'rrou's terror-laden face. Tassaurra lay wide-eyed under the weight of gun barrel at her temple. The Cizerack stayed true to her training even with her own life on the line. She could have easily given the Commander's escape route up. In her silence, she put her own life in the Herglic's hands. Cold dread had a strange anesthetic effect on her pain. She couldn't feel anything now.

What should I do, sir? She squeezed her eyes shut, wheezing. Could they all take his secret to their graves? How many lives were an acceptable cost to pay before giving it up?

"He left the Caamand Deck soome time agoo. Our caamms are ouut...."

All true enough. Hopefully enough truth to stay the triggerman's hand.

[Tu'arr Korrtaurro]

At that, the female looked up to Korrtaurro. He was motionless as he stared at the Herglic. A single hand moved then, lifting and sweeping away in some flippant gesture.

Spare them for now, was the obvious message.

Korrtaurro let his gaze move to the Cizerack woman, and he sidestepped, his hand gently pushing the blaster aside as he knelt down in front of her. He ran the backs of his fingers across her cheek with calmness, maintaining eye contact with her.

"Don't be afrrajid, ljittle Ja'aaala Flowerr."

A faint henh, coupled with a knowing smile.

"You'rre with equalss, now."

Tu'arr allowed his gaze to dip momentarily, his head going down for a brief moment before he looked back up from over the tops of his eyes.

"We arre all the ssame."

His hand traced fingernails down Taassaurra's jawline.

"Wherre'ss jyourr commanderr?"

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

Preita'rrou Taassaurra flinched at the uninvited contact, her blue eyes burning with intensity at the male's audacity.

"Taassaurra, K-Kiimiti. P-Preita'rrou. Ss-sserrjial GV-5331-31-A."

[Kes Akiena]

* * *


The effort of sliding through the escape hatch with a rifle slung across his shoulder was like stepping back in time. But, unlike before, Kes Akiena could not hang back. He could not stay to help. Perhaps the grim reality of being in command was that you had to let others fight for you. It rankled him. He should be back at the hub; back in the thick of it all. He was lost in a sea of resentment, crawling blindly through a previously unknown tunnel headed to who knew where.

The redhead grit his teeth as he simmered.

But, there was another feeling that sparked to life. And it was a feeling that he knew was the notion that he had to focus on in the here and now. The small group that had escaped had to find a safe haven of sorts, and with the comms down, it would be that much more difficult to make any sort of contact with anyone else.

A sharp cry, then a muffled groan sounded from the front of the procession, and Kes called ahead in a hissed whisper.

"Doctor, report!"

[Vek Vek]

There were aspects of military service that Vek Vek had difficulty in reconciling. The key being an oath to do no harm. The second was the culture of the military, often so over-wrought and disrespectful of the immediate needs of medicine. As the group of survivors escaped from the hidden tunnel and onto a corridor three levels below, Vek tried to juggle the tasks of keeping time with the wounded man's flagging pulse, alleviating the effects of a pulmonary edema with a vibroknife sanitized in someone's vodka flask, and now...reports.

"This man is dying, Commander. Report hasn't changed. Renal failure, edema, blood loss, cause irrelevant."

The men carrying the body were moving as quickly as possible, but this was without the aid of a proper repulsor cot. He'd barely had time to evaluate the balance of life-threatening problems this man was facing, and instead had hovered over merely the worst of them.

"Without the infirmary, I cannot help him."

Vek turned his head to Akiena gravely, his nictating membranes flicking over his eyes as his expression remained taut-lipped.

"Hurry."

[Kes Akiena]

Sidling up to stand beside the Doctor, Kes looked down at the wounded man. He was delirious, his midsection a gruesome display of blood and applied alcohol. With a grimace, the Commander turned back to Vek before sending his eyes left, then right. For now their small group had emerged from the escape tunnel into relative safety, but safety meant nothing for a man staring death in the face. Kes suddenly felt as if he'd been transported back to the nightmare that'd been the Siege of Cartao. Or the Second Battle of Cartao. It didn't really matter what people called it; either way it'd been a crushing defeat for the Rebellion, and one that had cost so many lives. Some nights, he could still hear the haunting blaster fire and cries of those falling into death. On those rare occasions he never got any sleep... instead letting his mind torment him with the 'what if's'.

For as genial an exterior that the redhead tried to exude, there was so much more beneath the surface. He was a survivor. And bore the unseen scars.

"We'll try for the ward, then."

His lips pursed in thought as his gaze fell on the printed blue number stenciled on the bulkhead across from them.

S7 L4

"Or at least the closest satellite."

His hand came down on the Doctors shoulder, giving it as reassuring a pat as he could.

"Faith, Doctor."

Kes only hoped that - in this moment - he could find the very thing that he asked the Durwi to have.

[Vek Vek]

The meager first aid kit had only the means to staunch the routine. Antiseptics, topical anesthetics, field dressings. It wasn't designed for this. Even to stabilize, it was beyond the pale.

"Faith, a belief despite empirical evidence to support. A placebo."

He didn't dismiss Akiena's advice. To the contrary, he took it to heart.

"Then this is an experiment to determine it's effect."

The proper infirmary was still thirty decks away, but the Commander had steered them to a secondary facility. Fortunately, the corridors seemed to be free from trouble, enabling Vek to command his ad hoc assistants without complication. The group hauled the stricken man onto the nearest examination table, and the Doctor unslung the medikit from his shoulder, letting it spill to the ground.

"You and you."

With no words minced, the Doctor singled out a pair of junior officers who had accompanied the exodus.

"This is a medical emergency, and I assume responsibility. Act as my assistants. There is a sanitation basin to your left. Wash up."

He turned sharply to Akiena, blinking in a snap.

"Triage. Ascertain the gravest injury and prioritize effective treatment. My triage is here. Yours is elsewhere."

[Kes Akiena]

For now, the gravest injury was but the one. And a hellacious one, at that. Kes grimaced in answer, but understood the Doctor's intent and words.

"Kourraani, Darrik," he motioned to the two officers he'd called upon before. Before their flight from the hub. The two officers moved close.

"We need to set up a parameter; give the good doctor space and time to work."

The limitations of their temporary medical shelter was more than obvious, but in truth it wasn't any different than what his own past experiences had afforded him.

A sound reached his ears then; a sobering sound. The rifle was slung from his shoulders as that unmistakable clank-clank-clank could be heard coming from down the corridor.

"I need a line, people!"

[Vek Vek]

Vek quickly worked through the motions of sanitation, running his hands under the sonic basin until the all clear diode lit up. He placed both hands into waiting apertures in a compartment on a counter next to the basin, which sealed him in a sterile, breathable membrane. Holding both hands aloft, the Durwi met eyes with the Ubese petty officer who had been pressed into surgical service.

"Drawer 15B. Open and retrieve sterile sealed tray and place on prep table. Computer..."

Vek's eyes drew upwards as the droid brain on the surgical assistant module above the operating table came to life.

"Time is 09:49. Patient Kilbrael, Serj. Human male, approximately 90 kilograms. Patient suffered puncture and continuous single deep tissue laceration from the abdominal to thoracic cavity. Observed pulmonary edema, peritoneum puncture and suspected lower gastrointestinal trauma. Ascertain blood type and prepare to transfuse."

A robotic arm came down in a precise motion to the pale man's neck, irradiating a swatch of skin in a sterilizing band of radiation before another instrument quickly stamped at the skin, drawing a bead of blood that was retrieved by a pipette tool. The reading was instant.

A positive.

Doctor Vek's eyes turned to the second assistant, a human female with red headfur.

"Donor carousel in cold storage on the left. Require four units whole blood. Go."

[Kes Akiena]

The steady clank of approaching droid feet was coming closer, and Kes hefted his rifle up, sighting down the barrel as did the rest of the small group that'd formed up. It was a motley group, some with rifles, others with standard issue blasters. But each one had determination, and the redhead used that to his advantage.

"Hold the medstation," he ordered. Now things were starting to feel like those old days.

"Nothing gets past us, understood?"

A chorus of 'Yes Sirs' answered him, and he felt his body tense.

The first two battledroids rounded the corner, and a volley of blaster fire cut them down in no time. Another two followed, their own weapons up and firing. One of the Lieutenants went down with a smoldering wound to his leg, but his trigger finger stayed on point, and the man kept his blaster up and continued to fire until there second pair of droid hit the deck just as the first had.

A lull.

No more sounds, no more clanking. The line stood for a few moments in silence before springing back into action.

"Get him to the doctor," came the order, and Kes followed the two Cizerack who took up the stricken officer's arms, helping him to his feet before bringing him back into the medstation.

[Vek Vek]

The transfusion was hooked into the intravenous rack, and Vek began working on identifying the major areas of artery damage to seal. A half dozen of the more obvious ones were patched with synth tissue that would encourage cellular regeneration from a timed release of bacta.

"Begin saline wash. Twenty cc's thiometurol, fourteen cc's koltyazine. Computer, monitor blood toxicity levels and prepare to intervene with forced dialysis. Suction."

Bulbous eyes flicked to the helper who had retrieved the blood for the transfusion. Not everything was automated, and the Durwi motioned his head to the tube on the rack with a canted nozzle.

"Suction. Please. Apply here."

Vek pointed in the man's abdomen with a bloody gloved hand, and the soldier gave a squeamish swallow as he complied. Blood and the contents of a perforated intestine were slurped out in a sudden rush of vacuum tubes.

A flurry of motion in his peripheral vision caused Vek to turn his head, and the doctor momentarily took the few seconds needed to triage the next wounded man. He inspected the blaster wound with a cursory glance, satisfied that it wasn't a life threatening one.

"Triage observation, low priority. You."

The Doctor pointed out the next helper, who presently had no task at hand.

"Ten cc's agrapan, cabinet six-b. Go."

Rushing back to his priority patient, the Doctor passed the door of the infirmary once more with only the briefest of eye contacts with the Commander. They were both in the thick of their own fights.

[Tu'arr Korrtaurro]

* * *



The Command Hub was a scene of controlled calm. It was a projection of the man that now presided over it. He held lives in his grasp and kept so many eyes trained to his every movement.

A far cry from the chaos before, it had settled into a quiet hum of activity. But, it was not the activity that normally held. Instead, it was a new brand. A new way.

The bodies of those who'd died had been pulled away, placed in the side area that held lockers and other less-than-crucial terminals.

But Tu'arr Korrtaurro didn't care for that. His initial attempts to divine the location of the Commander were unsuccessful, and now, sitting in the office that was Akiena's, the Cizerack surveyed his newly conquered land. His hands rested palm-down on the glossed desktop. A single claw extended, and he let it dig a furrow in the veneered coating.

His lieutenant approached, and he made a disgusted expression. This lack of information was getting tiresome.

"Brrjing me the Hergljic. And the Elomjin."

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

It took two of the males to wrangle Gradoona with effort, and their rough handling elicited pained whistle-moans from the Herglic as she was brought to the terrorist leader. Her blowhole panted in uneven breaths as she saw Lieutenant Ek'ette also being frog-marched into Commander Akiena's office, this time by some of the smaller females. The Elomin was the senior-most of the remaining command deck staff - sharing rank with Gradoona who had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. That didn't seem to matter much to their captors however.

[Tu'arr Korrtaurro]

Tu'arr watched with a somewhat detached air about him. He let his eyes pass from the Herglic to the Elomin, then back to the Herglic. His single extended claw halted its' movement, slowly moving back up to begin digging a second line into the desktop.

And then he stopped, pulling both hands away as he leaned back in the leather seat. It was... comfortable. With his hands curling around the front edges of the armrests, the Cizerack let out a long breath as he addressed the Herglic.

"What'ss jyourr name."

Rather than the one he'd asked, the Elomin let out a low growl.

"Don't answer that, Lieutenant."

Tu'arr blinked, letting his gaze shift to the other. A finger raised, and the butt of a blaster rifle thudded into the Elomin's gut. The alien doubled over, and another strike to his side sent him to his knees.

Another moment of silence, and his eyes went back to the Herglic.

"jYourr name."

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

Gradoona gawked at the show of force. She wasn't trained for this. Well, she was but it was the basic boilerplate introduction you got as a cadet in the navy. No amount of training could prepare you to accord yourself in a hostage scenario anyways. You either had what it took, like Lieutenant Ek'ette, or you didn't.

And Gradoona didn't.

But maybe that wasn't the point? Will and defiance could only last so long when you had nothing to bargain with. She was scared and hurt, well beyond her comfort zone, in a place far removed from where she could do the most good.

"Lieutenant Gradoona Pod-Floewander. Serial PD-9 66-4356."

[Tu'arr Korrtaurro]

"Grradoona Pod-Floewanderr," he let the name roll from his tongue like lazy, black ink. It was a strange name, but he that was the beauty of it, wasn't it? The diversity of language and existence.

Tu'arr finally gave a gentle smile. It was an alien expression on an otherwise stern mask. There was no hatred, not even any real anger. Instead, he seemed to gaze upon his captives like a disapproving parent.

And when he spoke, his voice lent credence to his outward appearance.

"jIt wjill be good forr you and yourr frrjiendss to obejy me. jI'm not an unrreassonable man, Grradoona Pod-Floewanderr. jIn fact, mjy actjionss - and thosse of mjy comrradess - arre rrooted jin equaljitjy and underrsstandjing. jIt jiss a crruel galaxjy that we ljive jin, and jit jiss ourr job to wjipe awajy the jinequaljitjy that rrunss rrampant all thrroughout."

He gave a shrug, eyes going down to examine an unsheathed claw.

"jIt jiss ourr grreat sshame that we ourrsselvess musst exerrcjisse that ssame brrand of crrueltjy jin orrderr to achjieve ourr goalss, but ssadljy that jiss the wajy of thjingss."

The Elomin coughed, growled out a string of unintelligible words, and slowly worked himself back up to his feet as Korrtaurro went on.

"We do not ljike actjing thjiss wajy, but jit jiss a necesssarry evjil, jyou musst underrsstand," he slowly stood up then, moving to skirt the desk and approach the two Alliance officers.

"... whjich jiss whjy jI gjive jyou thjiss chance to ansswer mjy quesstjionss wjithout the need for a... forrceful extrractjion. Sso jI wjill assk jyou njiceljy.

"Wherre, jiss Commanderr Akjiena."

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

The Herglic pressed her beak closed in a rightfully angry expression as she stared down at her captor.

"Soo you can kill him like you killed Lieutenant Nellis?"

A clawed hand tightened at her shoulder, but Gradoona was undeterred.

"You say you fight foor equality, but you turn aan the people moost inclined to help. Equality's what the Alliance stands foor!"

[Tu'arr Korrtaurro]

"We turrn on the people mosst ljikely to sstand in ourr wajy."

The words were spat out with a sharpness, and though he was a good bit shorter than Gradoona, Tu'arr's posture and bearing nearly made the two seem at eye level with one another.

"Whetherr on purrposse orr bjy sjimple asssociatjion. jIt jis unforrtunate forr the Alljiance, ass jI've no doubt thejy mean well... " A condescending smirk, "... and jI thjink, ass the sajyjing goess, 'Good jintentjionss pave the wajy jinto the hellss of Correlljia'."

He turned away to take a few steps away then, and after the third step pivoted on his heel.

"But no. jI do not wjissh to kjill Commanderr Akjiena. At leasst... not at thjiss tjime."

His hands moved to clasp together in front of him, his suit jacket slightly creasing with the motion.

"The Prjide jinssjisstss on majintajinjing thejir outdated vjiews of genderr jinequaljitjy. Thejy asssocjiate wjith forrda becausse jit jis advantageouss and economjical. But at thejir hearrt, thejy arre bejyond corrrupt. Thejy arre rrotten and defunct."

Tu'arr spread his arms then, as if to encompass all around him.

"jIt jis ourr ajim to pull out that rrotten corre and rreplace jit wjith a wajy of ljife that allowss all to be equal."

Fingers curled back into his palms then, and his arms retracted as his voice became as granite.

"And Commanderr Akjiena jis gojing to help uss."

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

"But why?"

Gradoona's voice was soft as her mouth parted again incredulously.

"The violence, the killing? Commander Akiena would have helped yoou and aall yoou had to doo was ask!"

Nothing the terrorist leader said so far seemed unreasonable on it's face. Gradoona wasn't blind. She could see how the Cizerack treated one another and outsiders. There was a lot that was messed up there, and she could understand a few people being steamed by it. But you sorted that out at the ballot box, not by murder!

[Tu'arr Korrtaurro]

Tu'arr only chuckled at that. He closed his eyes, giving a shake of his head in the process.

"jIf only jyou knew. Peaceful attempss bearr no frujit jin thjis endeavorr, Grradoona Pod-Floewanderr. We have trrjied."

Ek'ette bared his teeth at that.

"So then you resort to this?"

"jYes, we do."

It was a curt, stark answer.

"We have no otherr optjion than to sshow force. No otherr optjion but to put blood behjind ourr attemptss. The sstorrjiess jI could tell jyou of the masssacrress that happened sjimpljy becausse we ssought equaljity... thejy arre terrrjible. Atrocjitiess commjitted agajinst uss."

Tu'arr paused then, to allow his words time to fully sink in.

"We arre agajinsst the wall now, and musst do what we have to."

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

Nothing either Gradoona or Tu'arr said seemed to budge the impasse, and the Herglic found herself not so eager to condemn the Cizerack separatist outright. After all, back when the Alliance had been the Rebellion, they too had been forced to occasionally achieve goals by unsavory means. It wasn't a justification though. Not hardly.

"I toold you befoore, I doon't knoow where the Commander is, but I can tell you this. If his people are in danger, you can bet yoour sweet tuchus he'll do what it takes to keep 'em safe."

[Tu'arr Korrtaurro]

"jI do sso hope that jyou'rre rrjight."

Tu'arr turned his back to the Herglic, his hands moving to clasp together behind him. He stared at the blank wall that was the backdrop to the Commander's desk.

"jI'm betting on hjim dojing jusst that."

[Kes Akiena]

* * *


They'd fended off another wave with relative success, another two of their number receiving blaster wounds that thankfully weren't life-threatening.

Kes moved to the doctor's side. The redhead blinked, gave a tired sigh as he rested his blaster rifle against the gurney. His shoulders slumped.

"I need some small amount of good news, Doctor Vek."

[Vek Vek]

Vek's nictating membranes half-slid over his eyes in exasperation. He paused, pressed his lips taut, then moved on to evaluating the damage to organs.

"Fortunately amount of good news is small. Major arteries are being re-knit to prepare for transfusion. Not going to bleed to death. Death of organ failure merely the largest threat now."

[Kes Akiena]

"That's something then."

It was still short of the mark though, and both knew it.

Both also knew that they couldn't stay here indefinitely. They'd have to move, and they'd have to do it soon.

Fingers wrapped around the barrel of his rifle out of pure habit, and Kes pulled the weapon from where he'd placed it.

"We can't stay here, Doctor," he looked sideways at the Durwi. His voice was low and level.

"If you've got ideas outside of holing up in the maintenance ducts, I'm all ears."

Their options were beyond few, and Kes was loathe to opt for that last ditch effort of hiding. It wasn't a foreign tactic for him, but it wasn't his favorite, either. And with wounded men...

"Are we in a position to move?"

[Vek Vek]

The Doctor's expression became acerbic, and he regarded the Commander with grim weariness as he stood a bit straighter.

"Moving patient once was dangerous. Moving twice with less capability to treat, possibly mortal. Unwise. Reckless. Took oath to do no harm. Am ready to treat this man even if a prisoner."

It didn't leave Kes the option he likely wanted, but that was the hard choice they were now forced to make. The Commander could either regroup elsewhere or find reinforcements to shore up their position, but Doctor Vek's ability to administer care would be compromised if he left.

[Kes Akiena]

"Well then," there was no real anger in his tone, but there was a terse expectancy.

Their options were limited, and Kes was loathe to choose the ultimately worse option just because his doctor didn't wish to change locations.

"... What would you recommend, then. Because about the only way I can see our survival having half of a chance, is to pack up and move."

[Vek Vek]

Akiena wasn't taking no for an answer, and Doctor Vek's back was against a wall. The Durwi's large eyes flicked half-closed, then slowly opened as he considered bad and worse options.

"How much time?"

There was one possibility of buying time, but it didn't help this man's odds of survival much beyond staying in the infirmary and hoping the droids had mercy.

Around the corner, a trio of Alliance security staff and two Jaani'saarri darted, weapons shouldered at the ready. Reflexes and adrenaline ran high as the infirmary defenders and the newcomers quickly made the snap decision on whether to shoot or not.

[Kes Akiena]

Out of strange habit, Kes bared his teeth before lowering his firearm once more. His men did the same, and as the new additions mingled with the survivors, the redhead turned back to Doctor Vek.

"Hard to say," he admitted grimly.

"Could be five minutes, could be an hour."

Kes let his eyes move from the Durwi to the wounded man still laying on the medical bed before them.

"We can buy you time, but it is not indefinite, and us having to move is a certainty."

[Vek Vek]

The Doctor looked back uneasily to his patient, who was in the most fragile state possible. He returned his eyes to Akiena.

"Can induce coma. Twelve CC's kitrebuterol. Dangerous. Not improve patients odds. That, plus travel, may worsen them."

Vek sighed, committing himself to the choice as he said it.

"Will prepare injection. Need bare minimum supplies to carry with patient."

He was already walking back into the infirmary, snatching up a pad. Vek typed up an inventory as fast as he could, pausing as his large eyes moved left and right in deep contemplation. Once finished, he passed the pad to one of the newly-arrived Alliance troops.

"Gather supplies. Hurry."

Wasting little time, Doctor Vek began to prepare the kitrebuterol injection. He delivered it into the intravenous feed, watching on the monitor as the man's already weak and unstable vitals began to slow even more, right to the brink of death. Under normal circumstances, a cocktail of adrenaline and a vascular dilator would allow him to recover a patient from that state, but Vek had no idea what he'd be dealing with if they arrived at that point.

[Kes Akiena]

Kes watched, his attentions divided as he tried to keep tabs on the men keeping watch on their thrown-together perimeter. It was a haphazard defense line at best, offering only cover in certain spots. It was certainly nothing that they would be able to hold indefinitely.

Commander!

The call roused him away from the Doctor, and the redhead turned to his subordinate.

"Mayz?"

"Commander, we're getting talk over the squawker that they're sending droidekas and a mess of bodies our way."

Not the best news in any way. A bit of a grouse as he pulled up his rifle, and Kes moved away from the temporary infirmary.

"How long do we have?"

"They're on level 6, moving up."

"So not long."

It was, like all things in this horrid turn of events, a grim reality.

His voice rose.

"Ok then, people. We're moving. We're about to have more guests, and I'd like to outrun them if at all possible."

The small group moved as one, many going to help their less grievously injured comrades while other went to help the Doctor with his more critical case.

"Ease up, guys... "

"Careful, careful... "

"Hurry, but don't hurry too much y'know... "

There was a surprising amount of care given to their stricken fellow officer, and the cadre made pains to move fluidly as well as as gently as they could. They were a testament to their training as well as the tight-knit bond they all shared. They were Alliance, after all. They were family.

Watching over the cautious move, Kes put a hand to Doctor Vek's arm in reassurance.

"They'll make sure to do their best, I promise."

Another few tense minutes, and the small medicals tation they'd used as shelter was abandoned, not a body left.

[Tu'arr Korrtaurro]

* * *



Sequestered in the Commander's office, Tu'arr sat brooding. His people and the droids they used had been given little to no initial pushback from the station's populace, subjugating most and killing those that resisted. But - as with all things - there were indeed pockets of those who were able to stave off the advance with some degrees of success.

Of course, the one thing that gave him the most frustration was the still absent presence of Commander Akiena. It was a grating inconvenience that he hoped to remedy.

A low growl, and he pushed away from the desk to rise to his feet. Moving to the doorway, he stepped through. The rest of the hub was a mostly quiet atmosphere, their prisoners kept docile while at the business ends of more than half a dozen blasters trained on them. The few dead had been pulled out of sight.

Tu'arr's second gave a look his way, but he ignored it. His pace remained constant as he navigated his way to the intra-comms station.

The woman, the one that stuttered, had been deposited against the terminal close by, and he towered over her, his eyes unforgiving. A somewhat impatient exhalation, and he bent down, one hand closing roughly around the woman's arm to better haul her up to her feet.

"jI have a job forr jyou."

[Kiimiti Taassaurra]

Preita'rrou Taassaurra gave her captor nothing. Not a hint of compliance on her face, not a word in response. She continued to passively resist by not standing when he pulled at her arm, acquiescing only as she felt the pricking sensation of his claws in her skin.

That got a response, but not anything resembling a conciliatory one.

"S-Saa'u'e ne ja k-korrau'ei n-n-nii'daakaa're!"

Remaining angry helped to stave off being scared, and both were competing to pull Kiimiti apart at the moment.

[Tu'arr Korrtaurro]

He scoffed at that.

"Kuua'eita ku ne San'kame."

Tu'arr gave a patronizing sneer, not really bothering to give her any sort of satisfaction at her dead weight. She was met with more carefuly application of claws, and a quick pull that brought her close to his side. Head angling down, the Cizerack male locked eyes with her, letting silence hang between them for a short time before speaking once more.

"jYou'rre gojing to make an announcement, jSspotted One. And jif jyou don't, jI wjill jettjisson yourr Herrgljic frrjiend. Do jyou underrsstand?"

[Kiimiti Taassaurra]

An unguarded moment of fear broke the guard of Kiimiti's anger, her lip shaking as she glanced back to her friend. She wanted to believe it was a bluff, but Tu'arr had already readily demonstrated he was comfortable with using whatever violence he needed.

"W-what k-k-kjind of announcem-ment?"

[Tu'arr Korrtaurro]

"A ssjimple one, rrealljy."

His smile turned terribly sweet at that, and he reaffirmed his hold on her arm. His eyes dipped low, taking her in as he held her close. He could smell her fear. It was a shame; she was a beautiful woman, and would benefit from a life living equally among men.

"jYou'rre gojing to tell Commanderr Akjiena that jif he doess not sshow hjimsself jin thjirrtjy mjinutess, then jyou and jyour frrjiendss here jin the command hub are gojing to go bljind. Afterr that, forr everjy ten mjinutess that passs and he doess not sshow hjimsself, one of jyou will be reljieved of jyour extremjitjiess."

[Kiimiti Taassaurra]

Mutilation.

It was a terrifying consequence, and Kiimiti nearly averted her eyes from the terrorist on his veiled promise to remove them. She might have if she weren't angry that he intended to steal her agency and her voice to become his puppet.

"He won't ljissten to jy-jyou, kaa'skorra. Prrajy to s-s-Saanjarra he hassn't called forr help frrom home. When th-th-the marrjiness come, thejy wjill tearr jyou aparrt and ss-ssend a pjiece of jyou to everrjy m-m-motherr worrld to sshow what we do to trr-trrajitorrss."

Her fear welled up in her throat as a panic alarm, closing it off as she swallowed. There was a part of her that very much wanted to cower and do what she was told so that they might make it out of this in one piece. It was at war with the part of her that had kissed the Mother's du'arri years ago. She'd given her oath. That had to mean something. Not just when it was easy to do it, but it had to mean something right now.

[Tu'arr Korrtaurro]

He saw the look in her eyes. He knew it well. He'd seen it many times before. Sometimes he was able to override those silly notions of duty that those who opposed him held, but there were also times that he was unsuccessful in hurdling that particular bit of ingrained Pride-think.

Tu'arr leaned in close, so that his breath tickled the insides of her ear even as his tail wound itself around one of her legs in a show of possession.

"jI'm bankjing on hjim ljisstenjing to jyou, Sspotted One."

A sideways look, an assured smirk, and he straightened back up.

"Suu'anra," came the barked order.

A stout woman, her features a striped mask of stone, snapped her head around.

"Ssjirr?"

Tu'arr gestured to the Elomin, Mr. Ek'ette.

"Kneess."

The woman wasted little time in pulling Ek'ette from his sitting position up to his knees, and her blaster rested at the base of his neck.

A moment later, and Tu'arr was looking back down at the slip of a woman he still held.

"The quesstjion jyou sshould begjin to assk jyoursself iss jif the Commanderr wjill ljissten to jyou?"

[Kiimiti Taassaurra]

The threat of death at every turn could extend and retract as easily as claws. Kiimiti met the Elomin's eyes, seeing neither fear nor pleading. It was a grim expression. One that expected neither heads nor tails, only the certainty that the coin would be flipped.

Preita'rrou Taassaurra's breaths came long and quick, her chest heaving with conflicting emotion. She closed her eyes to keep from looking at her captor's face, and nodded in agreement.

[Tu'arr Korrtaurro]

"Good," came the purred acknowledgement.

His free hand traversed the inter-comm station, taking hold of the compact comm mic and bringing it close.

A final whisper of 'encouragement' before he depressed the 'talk' button.

"jYou hold thejirr ljivess jin jyourr vojice, Sspotted One."

[Kiimiti Taassaurra]

"Mjy name..." Kiimiti's eyes opened, burning Tu'arr with smoldering hatred, "jis Preita'rrou Taassaurra."

With few options that were evaporating quickly, Kiimiti considered the madman's request.

"Put m-m-me on hologrram, and the rr-rresst of the crrew. The C-Comanderr wjill want a p-p-prroof of ljife. Prroof that jyou haven't alrr-rr-rreadjy kjilled uss."

[Tu'arr Korrtaurro]

He gave a light hrmph, his head angling up to afford the woman a strange air of respect. He paused momentarily, then nodded.

"Verrjy well."

A look to the side then, at his second in command.

"Gatherr them up," an arm swept out to encompass the rabble that were their prisoners.

"Anjy trrouble, and feel frree to brreak a kneecap orr two."

[Kes Akiena]

* * *



The advance scout slowly lifted the grate to level 9 let his eyes scan the entirety that his field of vision would allow. His ear strained to pick up any sound that would signal the presence of others, but there was nothing. Only silence. Level 9 was an extension of the habitation ring, having been designated a sort of diplomatic quarter. Most on Jovan called it the Visitor's Ring as it was.

Another few moments of vigilance, and the scout gave the all clear before lifting the grate up and out of the way completely, climbing out to allow those behind him the chance to do so themselves.

Kes was the fourth man up.

"Anything on the box?"

"Nothing yet." Won't last forever though, Commander."

A nod, as Kes knew the inevitable truth of those words. They were running now, trying to find safety where there was none to be had. At this point, it was simply a matter of staying ahead. If they could do so until help in some form arrived, then all the better. But their options were dwindling.

The redhead hitched his firearm up a little higher on his shoulder while watching Doctor Vek climb out of the maintenance hatch, followed by a careful slew of hands navigating a gravely wounded Mr. Khosente out.

[Vek Vek]

"Careful, careful. Keep intravenous supply in elevated position."

Vek cleared the hatch, watching over the tide of hands carrying the bare-minimum field cot. With only a hand unit for diagnosis, the Doctor kept hawkish vigil over Khosente's vitals.

"Commander, patient's vital signs showing stability in deep coma. For now, best case scenario. Nearest medical facility two sections away. Securing location imperative."

He'd already put a tremendous amount of effort in thwarting Death, but the Durwi looked exhausted, even if he didn't dare comment on his own condition.