Posted by Civilian Urg’tohn, Son of the House of Duroc (Klingon Warrior) in Side sim - My kingdom for a Shuttle! (Urg’tohn)

SNIP

To his credit, the first guard didn’t rise to the goading. He simply applied the field dressing as best he could until Brianna offered to help. He handed her the kit and rolled higher on his side. There was a hole the size of a fist in his clothes, and only a slightly smaller one in his flesh. The dressing had stopped most if the bleeding, but it was obviously a painful wound… although 3 inches lower than his fellow guards assessment.

House Duroc

She frowned and shook her head. “Shoulda stayed in the shuttle. If I was slain, you could have gotten away and told your Lord I was an idiot and got myself killed.” She growled the response as she took both hands and pulled on the torn clothing to widen the opening. She wasn’t gentle about it, either. Once she had access, she cleaned and dressed the wound like it was a simple splinter. “Now, you stay put and rest. Don’t want you dying on me.”

“We do as the Lord bid us. He told us to protect you. Idiot or not.” and he chuckled.

She then rolled over from where she had been on her hip, to come to her knees and look at the other one. “Where were you hit?” She asked wondering how much blood on his clothes was his, and how much from the deck when his friend was shot.

Brianna
HoM

The second slightly his arm out of the shirt he wore u der the armor he had already removed. A hole showed clear through. It was testament not only to Klingin physiology, but also the guards determination, that he hadnt fallen. “But a scratch. I’ll have the house physician look at once we are back on the ship.”

House Duroc

She laughed. “Nothing like ‘idiot detail’ for a couple warriors, huh?” She crawled the couple feet towards him and then reached back for the kit and then settled beside him helping move the armor and shirt out of the way.

“And lucky for you,” she grinned almost viciously, though a smile tainted the edges of it, “my house.” She nodded around the shuttle. “I guess I’m your dock. Lemme see it.” She tool his arm and looked to be sure it was clean and only needed blood stopped and binding.

Brianna
HoM

The wound would need a doctor’s care, but he would last until then.

The first guard spoke up. “Our ship is in orbit. You could drop me there. He will stay with you until you are back in the Dock area.”

House Duroc

She wrapped it up to keep pressure on it to ease the bleeding. “Well if you are in orbit, then you can both get off there. You need immediate help and he’s no good to me on his belly. I can make it back to the station on my own. We didn’t get shot at up here.” She frowned and glared at him as she started to rise up. “Now sit still. Any strain will make it worse.” She left the kit beside him and headed back to her seat. She settled in and checked her sweep sensors for the ship they spoke of.

Brianna
HoM

There was a single Klingon vessel in orbit, and the transponder came in as the IKS Kavaar’ton. It was currently in a geosynchronous orbit above OED V colony.

House Duroc

Brianna headed for it, hailing with her shuttle name and the info of two wounded warriors on board needing immediate medical attention. As she waited for the answer, she glanced back at the men. “Well, boys… it’s been fun.” She laughed. “No, not really. But thank you. I didn’t say that. And I should have. Got get stitched up and have an ale for me.” She nodded to them and turned back to the ship as they came upon it.

Brianna
HoM

As she turned back, the ship came into view.

The IKS Kaavar’ton was massive, even by Klingon standards. Based on the Negh’Var frame, the Kavaar’ton hosted fore and aft auxiliary bays, over forty decks, and more weapons than most carrier groups. As the shuttle approached, the fore bay blast doors slid open and the comms barked something in Klingon. The guard behind her chair said in a pained voice “They said you will dock and you will be taken before Lord Duroc.” and he bumped the back of her chair to get her attention.

“Remember Fire-Born… The Builder. And be yourself. Lord Urg has no patience for fake pretenses.”

House Duroc

“I’ll remember…” she slammed her back against the chair hoping to bump him back. “You remember a human female didn’t tend to your wounds.” She laughed and set the shuttle to docking maneuvers.

Once settled, she opened the aft ramp and stood up to see who their welcoming party would be. She placed herself, oddly enough, between the wounded and whoever was coming.

Brianna
HoM

((So it was brought to my attention… and it seems we all missed it in playing (and reading) that OED surface requires EV suits. So in keeping with that… the above happened in suits and the injuries were sustained as doors closed on the shuttle (so no one died from huge holes in their suits) Our apologies for missing this. And from here out, characters will act as if suits had been on… Meli ((special thanks to V’Ger who pointed it out to me))

Brianna stood on the ramp, still suited up in the EV suit she had been in. Her helmet discarded on the cabin floor behind her. Both Klingons were still in their suits though one had half his leg material missing near his upper rear thigh, and the other had removed his top down so it was only on from the waist down as he was sitting on the deck.

Without realizing it, the redhead was trying to impose herself between those on the deck behind her, and those who might cause trouble for them.

Brianna
HoM

The ‘welcoming party’ consisted of mostly Klingons, but a scattered few other species like human, Andorian, Bajoran, and even a Breen. The Klingons brushed past Brianna without acknowledgment, and reached out to the wounded guards, helping them to their feet… but making sure they could walk. The first guard growled in pain, but slowly made his way off the shuttle, his partner following. As they exited, most of the assembled clapped them on their backs and nodded, all silently. As the two made their way through the entourage, the back side of the crowd parted and the female Klingon Brianna had seen in the dock came through, her mere presence parting the crowd. She approached the two and said something in tlhIngan Hol and the two stood up tall and at attention. She turned, and an aid handed her a jar of bright purple liquid. This she dipped her hand in and then drug her hand down their faces, staining their skin. She nodded once and the two moved on into the ship. The woman then looked into the shuttle at Brianna… and a flash of something crossed her face before she whirled away and left.

A group of three Klingons then came to the door of the shuttle and said “You will follow.” and one turned and started walking away and the other two waited until Brianna began walking and fell in behind her.

House Duroc

Brianna frowned but watched in silence as her two guards were aided in getting off the shuttle. She then watched the small ceremonial moment of something being smeared on their faces and hoped, whatever it was, it was something good.

As she caught the eyes of the woman looking at her, she raised her eyebrows. Part in challenge and part in curiosity. But then she was ordered about and frowned. lifting off her helmet collar and dumping it unceremoniously on the shuttle bench, she headed out and followed. Brianna looked around the ship and made special note of where they were going. Thankfully, years in the mines and mazes of catacombs meant she was trained to count corners and directions. She wouldn’t have any trouble finding her way back to the hanger. Unfortunately it came a price. She didn’t notice any of the sections or rooms they passed. When they reached the end of the hanger, she spoke up. Beginning to unzip her EV suit, she glanced at the one she was following. “What was that the female smeared on their faces?” She was slipping her arms out, about to tie them around her waist to keep the bottom half of the suit from falling off.

Brianna
HoM

The guards didnt respond, or even acknowledge, the question. They simply walked her a turbolift and moved her inside. The lift stared moving and soon the doors opened onto the bridge.

It was truly massive. Multiple stations of every ship-related disciple was visible, and there must have been over fifteen crew visible. In the center of the bridge, on a raised dias, sat the command chair… it’s back to the lift doors. As the doors opened, the chair spun around and there was the Klingon who stopped the Dock worker from from striking her. Seeing her, his lips split into what was hopefully a grin but was disconcerting to say the least.

“FIRE-BORN! You return! Welcome to my home… for the time being at least. I trust your trip was successful?” and he stood up and came down to stand in front of her. “Come. We will talk and drink, drink and talk.” and he waved the guards off and entered the Ready Room.

The room here was awash in… everything. Bits of weapons, parts of engines, a skull or two, and various other odds and ends littered the room in no sense of organization. A long conference table was off to one side of the large room, on which sat various foods and a large pitcher of dark liquid. “Come. Eat, drink. And we will discuss your expedition.” and he dropped into a large chair at the far end of the table and motioned to the chair near him.

Urg’tohn, Son of Duroc, Emissary of The Builder

If the guards hadn’t mentioned he was their Lord, she would have been knocked on her backside when the chair spun to show Urg’tohn on the seat. She almost laughed out loud and shook her head. “That explains a lot,” she blurted out and moved to follow him. As they entered the Ready Room she moved to lean on the wall and slip off the rest of the suit that was bulky and bothersome. Her eyes roamed around the room. “Wow… and I thought I had an impressive collection.”

Once the suit was kicked off, and in a pile unceremoniously dumped by the door to grab on the way out, she moved towards him. “Drink sounds great. What do you have?” She dropped equally comfortable into the mentioned chair. She had no sooner sat down than something caught her eyes and she jumped back up. Moving to a small table with a nearly new looking part on it, she frowned and glanced back at the man. “This is part of a Gen one shuttle power core. This is ancient, even by our standards. How?” She reached a hand out to touch it, but paused. Her fingers hovering just over the surface as if fearing to touch it and make the hologram illusion, for surely that’s what it was, ruin her awe. She shook her head. “That’s not possible. I mean…” She was muttering under her breath as if not believing what she saw.

Brianna
HoM

Brianna
HoM

He laughed and said “Touch it! I have had that for… lords… decades, I think. I found it in the wreck of derelict while my brothers and I were stranded in the Mesolight Sector in an ion storm. Now that was fun!” and he laughed again and poured two flagons of the liquid.

Urg, Lord Duroc

She did. Her hand running over the casing like it was the most precious crystal she had ever uncovered. After a moment she pulled herself away with a look of pleasure on her face. “I’ve only seen them in training manuals. That’s amazing!” She came back and settled into the chair once more. “So, another question. The guards you sent. They were hurt and when they were taken from the shuttle, some female smeared their faces with a purple....goo… or … something,” she was obviously struggling to explain it. “What was it? And was it a punishment?” She was on the defensive, even without changing her seat. But the edge of her voice was subtly hinting that she could be more obvious about it if need be.

Brianna
HoM

“Punishment? Gods no! It is a mark of honor! They bled in service to House Duroc. They are marked as Stalwarts of the House. The… ‘goo’…as you call it… is a mixture of ink and me and my brothers blood. The blood of the House stains their skin permanently. It marks them as those who will be Honored by The Builder when their time comes. Now… drink to the new heroes.” and he raised his flagon to her, and waited.

Urg, Lord Duroc

Brianna relaxed and took up the cup. “To the heroes, then. May they live to save my sorry backside again.” She laughed and took a swig.

The swig was a bit more than she shoulda. She immediately set the mug down and stomped her feet, coughing. Tears filled her eyes ac she looked at him. A huge grin cut across her face as she tried to cough, catch her breath, and speak. “Great bottles… of aged… bourbon! What IS that?” She was laughing and covering her mouth trying to mentally apologize to her throat.

Brianna
HoM

Urg smiled and said simply “Klingon Bloodwine. Not for the faint of heart. Or constitution… to the heroes.” and he took a big swallow and smiled at her. “So who are you? And why the rush for a shuttle?”

Urg, Hard Drinker

Brianna laughed, still clearing her throat. “Good thing I’m not short on either.” She took another swig, slightly less this time. The cough ensued once more, but only a couple short ones this time and a huge intake of breath to put out the fire in her throat.

As he asked who she was, she inhaled a couple times to be ready for another drink and answered. Her voice edged with the rasp of the alcohol. “Good stuff. I’m Brianna O’Harra. Call me Bree. Easier on the tongue.” She smiled. “I’m the new Head of Mining Operations here and it’s not a rush for the shuttle so much as a week’s worth of runaround.” The sip she took this time only elicited a sharp inhale. “WHooo… now it’s settling. I love it.” She leaned back in the chair and crossed her ankle over her knee. “I hadn’t been to any of the sites because of this yahoo’s runaround. In the evenings the shuttle list as available, but the next day, regardless when I come in, suddenly they are unavailable or spoken for. So this morning,” she shrugged with a big grin, “I decided enough was enough. I’m sure the Governor will have my head on a platter before the day is done. But it was worth it.” She raised her goblet to him and took another sip. In smaller doses, now, she could manage the drink and talking.

“In my searching, I found a cave system directly beneath the cliff we landed on. It was bigger than the ones we had previously dug and mined out. So I am thinking either made before the calamity, or natural. That’s when we were attacked. I’m guessing we aren’t the only ones interested in it. Your guards, who by the way I owe my life to and don’t even know their names, were actually really good to me. For all my hell and bother and not listening,” she sighed and shook her head before smiling once more. “Well, they saved me. And that’s something I owe them, and you, a thank you for. Governor would be looking for another Mining Ops and also trying to figure out how to retrieve the taken shuttle.” She took a sip again and rested the glass on the arm of her chair.

Her head cocked sideways, making her look somehow softer around the edges. “So.. who exactly are you and why intervene on my behalf?”

Brianna
HoM