Posted by Civilian Casela Synthi-er (Colonial Intelligence Agent) in Whose Gonna Sign For This Package?

Posted by Civilian Kodek Vonn (Clandestine Associate) in Whose Gonna Sign For This Package?

Posted by Civilian Casela Synthi-er (Colonial Intelligence Agent) in Whose Gonna Sign For This Package?
Posted by… suppressed (10) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Casela awoke suddenly, it was cold, like ice and a smell….it made her gag and her stomach rebel. It was hints of cedar and isopropyl alcohol….aftershave….liqueur…And a hint of….something metallic….blood. She tried to roll to expel the bile and vomit fighting it’s way out before she choked on it, only to find she couldn’t move. Knox? Knox was operating on her again? No this didn’t smell like sickbay….slowly her mind cleared, the cold, it wasn’t just cool to prevent infection, it was icy, cold to the point of burning. The smell…that distinctive scent mixed with the smell of old blood in the room. Her eyes snapped open in realization of where she was and who was in the room with her.

The laugh came next, deep and resonating, but the telltale sound of a rattle snake’s rattle within it. It set the nerves off, not like nails on a chalkboard, but that deep primal pulsating that triggers the body’s fight or flight response. But she could neither fight nor fly. She was lethargic, her limbs heavy, and she knew there would be restraints as well. His visage appeared above her face, mere inches away but it might as well have been miles for all the ability she had to fight back. She felt his hand, fingers simply trailing across skin and tracing the scars on her abdomen. “You still bear my marks, Precious. I told you you would always belong to me. So let’s remind you, hmmm? The good doctor can’t be with us. That wasn’t very nice of you to leave the way you did. There was very little of him left. I know he would have loved to be here right now.”

Mad Man. He wasn’t dead, Section had lied. She’d always suspected over the years, but she’d known for sure when she’d found out about his particular bounty. How did he get her off Leviathan? How did she get here? She struggled to recall the memory. She’d been drugged, she could feel the effects even now. She’d never made it back to Leviathan. Her distress call had gone unanswered. She’d made it to her shuttle, but she’d been followed, her shuttle caught, and then…some kind of explosion..

“No, no my dear,” came that snake like rattle again, “You don’t get to go away into that pretty little head of yours, you are going to stay here with me. You owe me a great deal. I spent a fortune to bring you back here.” He held a blade in front of her face. Razor sharp and thin, it would never be strong enough to go deep…it was meant to cause pain. The blade looked dry to her, no poisons then, just pain. More pain. “Let us see if you remember, hmmm? How long will it take you to sing for me, Precious?” Casela clenched her teeth breathing short insufficient breaths in and out through her nose. She’d be damned if she screamed for him.

And so the days went, one bleeding into another, until time meant nothing. At some point he got tired of that game and she found herself in a large circular room, dirt floor, high walls, no windows, the air stale and putrid. They were expected to fight for their survival. It was primal and disgusting, but unlike other places there was no audience, it was meant as punishment, not entertainment. When she’d taken enough of a beating, she’d been taken back to the sterile ‘medical’ room thinking the pain would help weaken her. “You will tell me what I want to know.”

---

Casela woke up, laying on her back. She couldn’t move, even more so than normal, it felt hard to breathe. The restraints were gone, replaced by…she wasn’t sure, she couldn’t move her head, she couldn’t even flex her arms or legs the slight amount she’d won, and there was an incredibly heavy weight pressing down on her. It was like she was encased in some kind of tube. She couldn’t see really well. Everything was this sickly green color and she was inside whatever it was looking out. They may have found a new way to restrict, to restrain her, but she would fight her way out. But she had a primal adverse reaction to even simple restraints, even for necessary medical procedures, opting to choose to hold still rather than allow the doctors to use force fields and simple safety straps to keep her still, if it was necessary. She’d attacked Fey for making such a mistake, Knox and his staff had learned the hard way. Suddenly she was lifted up and tilted upright, they were moving her and she tried to resist to fight, but the injuries and restraints were too severe, and everything went dark and she passed out.

Operative Valkyrie

The first thing to register was the smell. Metallic… chemical… sharp… like strong disinfectant. There was light on, shining through her closed eyelids. Then there was the sound. A low hum in the background. As she opened her eyes and tried to move, an unfamiliar voice said “Easy… easy… slow movements. You don’t want to rip anything.” She was in a room, but how big was impossible to tell. The only light was right above her, the rest of the room in shadows so black they seemed endless. “You were damn near dead, lady. Take it easy. In fact, if that one hadn’t have got you here when they did, you would be dead.”

The smell almost made her gag, but it lacked the woodsy alcoholic smell of aftershave and the sickly sweet metallic of blood. The attempt to get up made her dizzy and she was weak, dangerously so. That was…problematic, but she didn’t have much choice but to head the man’s words. As he pointed toward her unseen savior…or jailer, his hand moved into her vision. With surprising swiftness, considering how weak and injured she was, she grabbed the unknown man by the wrist with the intent of pulling the rest of him within reach. However the sight that appeared before her belayed any further physical or telepathic retaliation.

Then there was movement in the shadows and then a single sickly green line of horizontal light… a visor in a helmet.

“Hello, Cas.” said an wholly synthetic but very familiar voice. “You are a very hard woman to track down. I am impressed.”

Old Friends?

Dropping the poor doctor’s (or medic or whatever) hand Casela cursed, “Sπ\t.” Things went bad. She wasn’t sure that the synthetic voice was different for each individual Breen but it was familiar, or maybe it was the whisper of real sound muffled by the helmet. Actually could she hear that with the helmet on or was that just a imposed memory after that day in his quarters, and she was assuming details?

“Kodek?” Of all the people who should be there, he made the most sense. And the only one she would trust at this point. “Well apparently I didn’t try hard enough to not be found.” Cas sat up very slowly, cold air hitting her bare back....she sighed resigned over the surgical gown. Where exactly was she anyway? “What in the great fire happened?” If it was really Kodek she was about to get a very terse and concise retelling of events and her failings. But the way she felt made her wish for that crazy obstacle course of his. That would be easier than the way her body felt.

Still Friends?
Casela

The Breen moved forward and said “Your superiors in Intel decided that you are more valuable dead than alive. I found that plan… problematic. So I intervened. I hope you don’t mind, Cas… or whatever your name actually is. Casela Synthi-er died on Rogrit IV, so you are aware. Shot to pieces and then the entire complex she was in just… exploded. And no, no one believes you made it out. The surveillance was very clear and the explosion was… well… quite large. Almost as if a forcidian-shape charge was detonated on top of the dilithium crystal matrix from your shuttle while the warp drive was being charged past threshold… or something to that effect.”

Vonn

She laughed and it hurt but that was okay, apparently the doctor didn’t think so though. She ignored his attempts to get her to lay down. “It wouldn’t be the first time they failed to kill me.”

Her shuttle? Well d@m^. Oh well. That would have been an explosion to see. “You are absolutely certain nothing, not even the size of an isochip, survived intact from the shuttle?” There was nothing in her shuttle that couldn’t be replaced, but there was something that should never be found. Of course Vonn would be beyond certain, but she didn’t survive this long living by assumptions. “I am Eryn Romanov. I don’t know who this Casela Synthi-er is. Nothing more than a ghost from the sounds of it.”

“A pleasure, Ms. Romanov. And nothing on that shuttle, in that faculty, or anything within 2 kilometers was left intact. And in the time you have been asleep, the site has become re-occupied. And Syndicate arms dealers tend to be averse to people trying to survey their compounds.”

She turned her head slowly glaring at the other man in the room. “Are you going to continue to gawk at my bare back or get me clothes?”

Eryn Romanov

The doctor folded his arms on his chest and the looked at the Breen. “Look, I don’t need this. My practice was going just fine, ya know?!” The helmet nodded and the Breen produced 5 bars of gold-pressed latium and handed it to the doctor. “Your attention was… and your silence… are as impeccable as ever, Doctor.” The man nodded once and slipped the bars into his coat pocket. “Silence? Never saw a Breen in real life before.” and he tossed a hypo to Eryn. “Once daily for infection, turn the dial once and twice a day for pain. You owe this one.” and he jerked a thumb at Vonn before walking off into the darkness. A bright light appeared as a door was opened and then closed.

She caught the hypo, but not nearly as neatly as she should have. He body not only protested painfully, but muscles and joints were stiff and hurting in ways they hadn’t before, and that was something. She didn’t know his name or exactly where she was, but she wouldn’t feel get the face or the voice. “Yes Doctor,” was all she said to the retreating form.

The Breen moved i to the dark and came back with a small black backpack. “Clothes, some funds, and a disruptor. I have a place you can stay and rest. Get dressed and follow me.”

Vonn

Moving slowly, heeding the doctors caution to not rip something, she got dressed. If Vonn’s presence bothered her it didn’t show. “How long have I been out?”

Removing the gown the extensive scaring was evident though not nearly as bad as before this incident thanks to Knox, but now there were new ones. They would need to be dealt with once she was healthy again. The shirt was slightly problematic as her left shoulder didn’t want to move fully, and skin and hip protested as she lifted each foot to don socks and then slip her feet into shoes. She tossed the hypo in the bag and zipped it closed. She went to shoulder it, thought better and just grabbed the handle and stood up. “Let’s go, and you can tell me why and how you knew they left me to die.”

Eryn Romanov

“Off and on for about a month.” the voice said flatly. Vonn led them to the door which opened to…

Outside.

They were outside a building in some kind of light industrial or retail area. A small sign next to he door they left through said Harlan Vashon, D.V.M.

Glancing at the sign she shook her head with an amused grin. “Accurate.” She glanced around feigning mild curiosity, when in actuality she was mapping everything, judging distances, routes of egress vs her physical condition, evaluating the behaviors of the people around her, and ‘listening’. And that was a bad idea, the telepathy made her dizzy. Well it wouldn’t be the first time she couldn’t use her telepathic abilities for various reasons.

“Long enough for me to get you here without drawing attention. Oh, so you are aware. I left the Leviathan. That means I Star Fleet Intelligence will probably try to kill me in some form or fashion. This way. We’ll get lunch and then go to the apartment.” and he began walking.

Vonn

Eryn took in that information. Mention of the ship brought memories but no regrets, but one question, but it could wait. “So you’re using yourself as bait and you blew up all my toys. This will be a walk in the park.” She followed along feeling the stability and function of limbs and injuries and organs. Time to reflect later. Food was essential at the moment. “Where are we?”

Eryn Romanov

“A small ways off of the beaten path, as the humans say.” and he led her around a corner. Stepping from between the buildings they were suddenly on a sidewalk in a very large city. Overhead, a pale yellow lattice of structure and energy covered the sky.

“Welcome to Oed V.” the Breen said.

Vonn

Eryn whistled softly gazing up at the dome. She’d heard of it, but her travels had never brought her close enough to investigate. And it was no where near where she had last been known to be. Though Casela was dead now, for good this time. If the rumors were true there was no better and no wore place to defy SFI and S31. She was going to need supplies and a disguise quickly. A Breen and a black haired/black eyed woman of her height and build would not go unnoticed forever. A Breen and a Betazoid land on an unlawful colony world. A wicked grin crossed her face, “We’re a bad version of an old human joke.” She looked around again - the city was bigger than the reports let on. It was perfect to get lost in, but with that dome and no shuttle…a trap waiting to be sprung. “Well if you had to save me at least this place is interesting.” She made note of a few shops along the way that might have what she needed, but conscious of the fact she wasn’t in any condition to be up and walking for long, she moved past. First she needed information that only Vonn would have but that would wait till they were in private.

Eryn Romanov

They walked along the street. The Breen drew a few glances but no more. That area of the city was certainly not the high end luxury condos and rooftop swimming pools advertised on brochures and holo-vids. People were dressed for work. Miners, cargo loaders, maintenance technicians… criminals. These were the people that kept things moving and the toilets working. Vonn stopped at a small kiosk and ordered several skewers of pleasantly fragrant meat and rice and then took the wrapped food and began walking again. Soon they arrived at nightclub. As it was still ‘daylight’, the place was closed. A sign above the main door read Redd Lipps with a suggestively dressed Deltan woman pictured laying across the lettering. Vonn went past the doors and turned into an alleyway and moved into the shadowy break between the buildings. Reaching n old-fashioned fire escape, he took the steps two at a time all the way to the roof of the four story structure. Once there, he moved to a door set in a raised portion of the roof. Entering, they walked down a short flight of steps and came to another door. Vonn tapped his bracer and the door slid open and they entered a small but moderately pleasant flat. Furnished with standard things like a small couch, table, two chairs, and with two doors leading off from the main room and kitchen; Vonn pointed “That door is your room. Other is the refresher. Eat, then rest. We can talk now and after you get some sleep.”

Vonn

The scent of the food reminded her she had not eaten…in a long while. The area of town was right up her alley though she could blend in just about anywhere. The night club didn’t really grab her attention except for being there. Until they climbed to the roof above it. It would be a great place to lose or find someone. By the time they reached the apartment Eryn was ready to forgo food and collapse against the nearest surface. Well maybe it wasn’t that bad, and even if it was she would never allow such laziness. She looked the room over glancing into each of the other rooms, putting the bag down, and getting a view out the windows before finally sitting. She wondered briefly about Kodak and his own accomodations and needs, but he was more than capable of seeing to himself. Apparently unlike her for the last month. She took the rice, knowing from experience not to force meat too soon after so long without decent food. “Tell me what I need to know. The rest can come later.”

Eryn Romanov

Vonn moved over to a wall opposite the door and sat down heavily on the floor. He pulled a pile or cables from behind a small cabinet and connected them to a port on the belt of his suit. A slight hiss could be heard and the suit seemed to inflate slightly. “Casela Synthi-er is dead. There was enough of your DNA left from the good doctor’s attentions that it was determined that you were indeed present when the facility was destroyed. The good doctor was not at the location however. He was residing in a Tal-Shiar cortical-loop generator on a powered down shuttle in high polar orbit at the time. The loop was… not a pleasant experience. He is still wanted by Section 31… although I sincerely doubt they will ever find him. As for the rest… that can wait until you are rested. I have made arrangements for some work. Should take me the better part of two standard days. Local. But that will give you time to rest and recover. I would recommend that you stay here until I get back. The replicator is online. The doctor will stop by tomorrow to check on you as well. What else do you want to know?”

Vonn