Dilemmas
Posted on Sep 22, 2019 @ 11:58pm by Lieutenant Jasmine Yu
Edited on on Sep 22, 2019 @ 11:58pm
Mission: Last Days of Empire
“Dilemmas”
(contd from ‘Logic Dictates’)
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Location: USS PHOENIX
SD: [2.19] 0922.1723
Scene: Ensign Harrad-Tor’s Personal Quarters
Harrad-Tor, the warship’s sole Orion officer, rushed inside his bedroom, making a beeline for the closet. Grabbing a bunch of clothes off the shelves, he tossed them on the bed and then with his right arm, he reached out for a beige coloured shirt. Holding the torn and rather ugly looking shirt – with brown smudge marks and tears found all over the fabric – the Orion inhaled a deep breath before exhaling with a big whooshing sound. He eyed the piece of clothing like it was toxic radioactive material and felt his hands begin to shake as they held onto the fabric. Slowly and with his heart racing, Harrad-Tor placed the clothing gently on the bed and stared at it for a few minutes. Then he quickly inserted his left hand into a small pocket and removed a dark red spherical object around the size of a golf ball.
The olive green skinned man sighed, rotating the object with his fingers. He was torn as he held the communicator, given by the mysterious Klingon woman, who had made him an offer that he had thought at first was too good to be true. But now after hearing a battle was about to take place between the Klingons and the Orions in the Alcyonus system, Harrad-Tor now wondered if he should help the Klingon woman in exchange for information regarding his lover’s whereabouts. He kept running in his head that if the Klingons emerged victorious in the conflict, then that meant he’d be free without having to hide or keep looking over his shoulder for an assassin sent by his former boss.
But then by pressing the button and opening communications with the Klingon woman, he would be committing treason against Starfleet. The Phoenix was on subspace radio silence for this mission. It wouldn’t be just treason he’d be committing – by agreeing to help the Klingons, Harrad-Tor would betray not only the oath he had made as a Starfleet officer but the people who had accepted him, when he came as a refugee and helped him to where he was now. All because of a past he had been holding onto. A past that had been tormenting his dreams, most specifically the woman he loved and the fear of the Syndicate finding him. Basically, his past catching up with him. Now he had a possible way out by helping the Klingon or… a quick route to the stockades.
Inhaling deeply, the Orion stood still for a moment and then pressed his thumb on the communicator.
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Scene: Yu’s office – Security department
As the Phoenix was preparing to journey to the Alcyonus System where a Klingon prison colony was established on the fourth planet, Jasmine was in her office, coordinating with the security and tactical teams. So far, both the Orions and Klingons as well as the Romulans seemed more interested in keeping the warship away from the conflict as they didn’t want the Federation getting involved. It was the one of the reasons that made her hopeful that the SATET’s crew could still be alive. Could they be held at that Klingon prison camp?
And there was a whine. Jasmine sighed, glancing at her puppy and knew what was going on. She bent forward, looking into those adorable brown eyes and spoke in a soft voice, pointing in the direction of a bowl, filled with dog food. “Time for your meal, little one.”
Wei yapped, wagging her tail as she trotted towards the bowl, laid herself down in front of it and began eating. She sighed – between making security preparations for when the ship arrived at the fourth planet of the Alcyonus System and taking care of her seven week old puppy, she barely had any time to herself. Not surprising as they were on a mission – a very dangerous one at that.
The corgi pup sat up, having finished her meal and stared at her, releasing a soft whine. Jasmine nodded, knowing what was coming next. “Alright, now to the box.” The puppy whined as Jasmine ushered her towards a small, grey cylindrical box with a panel in front – a thin slit running across its surface. Yu pressed a button and a panel slid across to reveal a gap, which allowed the puppy to hop inside. Jasmine stepped aside, turning around to return to her desk.
A moment later, the puppy came out of the box and trotted towards its dog bed that Jasmine had set up for her in the office. Wei also had her own bed back in the security chief’s quarters. The puppy sat down on her bed and closed her eyes.
Jasmine left her office, now on her way to the Bridge.
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Scene: Harrad-Tor’s personal quarters
It had been over fifteen minutes since he had pressed the button on the communicator that would send a signal to the Klingon woman. He sat in nervous silence, wondering whether that Klingoness had lied to him about the signal being sent on a secure subspace channel that could not be detected by the Phoenix or maybe even about everything. Fear grew inside him. What if the ship really did intercept his signal and security would be at his door at any moment?
But the room was still silent except for the sounds of his breathing. So perhaps the Klingon woman was right about Starfleet not being able to detect the signal. But then what if she had changed her mind and was no longer interested in soliciting his help. If that was the case, he wasn’t sure how to feel. Should he feel relieved or regret for not accept the Klingoness’ offer, when she had first made it to him?
The communicator then lit up in bright red, making a vibrating sound. He then held his breath, now frozen in his spot. A female voice, amidst static, spoke through the device.
[[I am glad to see you have changed your mind.]] It was the same Klingon woman.
“If I help you, will you tell me the location of my beloved?” He demanded.
[[Yes and once the empire wins, you no longer have to worry about Liriss coming after you.]]
“Okay, what is it you need me to do?” He then added with concern in his voice. “I hope you will not be asking me to hurt someone on this crew. Starfleet has been good to me.”
[[Hurt a Starfleet officer? No, we won’t be asking you to do any such thing.]]
“Good.”
[[Do you have any information as to the Phoenix’s next destination?]]
“I hear they are planning to head for the Alcyonus System to find that lost starship.” Harrad-Tor swallowed a lump down his throat.
[[They are going to Gran’kothor. They cannot get involved in our battle with the Orions.]]
“As far as I know, the Phoenix just wants that stolen starship and have no intention of getting involved in your conflict.” There was a moment of silence on the other side until the woman spoke.
[[Keep an eye on your fellow officers and contact me if there is an indication that they will interfere with our battle plans.]]
“I will.”
[[Good. I will contact you at a later time for any instructions.]] Then the communication ended and the large Orion man found his palms sweating and with guilt knowing at him, knowing he had just committed treason.
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Location: MoHJthor
Scene: Bridge
On the bridge of the MoHJthor, a K’vort class bird of prey, a Klingon woman of medium height and light build strode inside the bridge as if she owned the place. Adorned in black leather tunic with silver armour covering her back and torso, she approached a tall and heavy set male Klingon, who towered over her by a few inches. Both Klingons had long black hair. But while the male Klingon had his hair tied together in a single braid, the female had let hers down, reaching up to her mid-back.
“So Dhirrisa,” the male spoke in a deep voice. “Is your spy on the Phoenix ready to help us?”
“Yes Captain,” the Klingoness named Dhirrisa answered, standing beside the taller Klingon.
“Good, we have to make sure that Starfleet does not meddle in our battle with the Orions. The future of our empire is at stake here,” the Captain, who went by the name Grin’Kor, warned.
“We don’t believe the Phoenix has any intention to take sides,” Dhirissa pointed out.
“Is that what you people at Klingon Intelligence believe?”
“It is a fact,” she said in a flat tone – deep down irritated with Grin’Kor’s attitude towards her. “But it is possible that with their continued insistence on searching for their ‘missing’ Starfleet vessel, they might inadvertently affect the outcome of the war and their actions may be detrimental to our success.”
“So they do not truly know what is really going on with that Starfleet vessel?”
“That we can’t say for certain but now that Orion has agreed to pass on any information regarding the Phoenix’s activities, we should be able to know what their next move will be.”
The Captain let out a low growl. “We do know they are headed to Alcyonus System, which means they already know about Gran’kothar.”
“Even if they did,” the intelligence agent scoffed. “It is out of their jurisdiction. They cannot do much without our cooperation.”
“Yes that is why we are doing nothing to prevent the Phoenix from reaching Gran’kothar. In fact, I will contact the warden to prepare for Starfleet’s arrival.”
“Can you trust this Orion? I find it difficult to believe he is willing to go against his own kind to help us.”
A smile formed at the corner of Dhirissa’s mouth. “He is desperate and with a prize on his head, he wants the Syndicate to lose just as badly as we do.”
“So desperate that he is willing to betray Starfleet,” Grin’Kor said with a bemused expression until he took on a serious tone. “Be advised that if your Orion spy gets caught by Starfleet, then he is on his own and we make no attempt to help him.”
“I am very clear on that.” She then sported a wry grin. “Besides, perhaps he might be truly free from that Orion warlord, Liriss in a Federation penal colony.” What the intelligence agent left out in her conversations with Harrad-Tor was that, while she knew the location of his lover and that she was alive, she however didn’t bother to mention that he wasn’t going to like what had happened to her.
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NRPG: More on Harrad-Tor subplot later but now the Phoenix will be on its way to the Klingon prison colony in the Alcyonus System.
~*~
Ranjani S.
Writing for
Lieutenant Jasmine Yu
Chief of Security and Tactical
USS PHOENIX
