Personal Log - Dani Atarah, Kalina Zett - Resolution - Earth IX

Posted on Tue Sep 23rd, 2014 @ 7:37am by Danielle Atarah

693 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: Are You Touched?

"She had no right. She doesn't have a clue what you've done for her -- what you had to do."

Dani sat quietly on the sofa, her head in her palms. Zett stood next to the replicator, tapping at its small screen in angrily, waiting for the drinks to appear.

"She had every right," Dani muttered, lowering her head further, her fingers brushing through her short hair. "It was her children, Kal. Anne... and the babies... jesus. She had every right."

"You saved their lives." Zett shot back, but her voice mellowed a bit, anger replaced by frustration. She picked the two cups from the replicator dish and walked to the coffee table, placing one in front of Dani carefully.

"I screwed them up royally, is what I did." Dani finally raised her gaze to look at the woman, her eyes wet.

"She'd have been dead if it wasn't for the deals you made."

"Really?" Dani huffed, smiling without a shred of amusement. "I'm not so sure. She could have run. Hide... she--"

"She was on the lists, Danielle, with her daughter halfway across the ocean. There wouldn't have been any running. You know that. She knows that."

Dani shook her head quietly.

"This wasn't your fault," Zett tried, but Dani huffed, and Zett sighed.

"I brought them from mortal danger to mortal danger," Dani grunted, lowering her head into her palms again. "I can't believe I did that. I can't believe he..." the words stuck in her throat. She swallowed and took an angry breath.

"You can't blame yourself for this. Cardello has always been brutal, but he's never been so..." Zett bit her lip, "crude. Neither one of us saw that coming."

"You did."

"No," Zett whispered. She thought he'd take it out on Dani. Or on her. Or on Dani's family. Taking it out on children... even Cardello wasn't that cruel.

Until now, that is.

Dani remained silent for a moment. Zett sipped from her drink, watching her. "You can't change what happened, Danielle. All you can do is make sure things get better for--"

"I'm going to destroy him." Dani's voice came out clear between her palms. Zett blinked, and then it was her turn to smile without amusement. "Don't even joke about that, little girl."

Dani looked up, straight into the woman's eyes, intently, so seriously that Zett's smile vanished immediately.

"I am not joking. I am going to destroy him, Kal," she repeated, her teeth clenched tightly, her jaw set. "Completely. Absolutely. Fucking finally," she continued, throwing the words at the Trill like sharp knives. "I'm going to make sure he never does anything like this again, not to them and not to anyone. Ever."

Zett stared. "Danie--"

"When I'm done with him, Kal, there will be nothing left." Dani continued furiously. "I promise you. Do you understand? I fucking swear it, even if it's the last thing I do."

Zett swallowed. "I... you can't just... he has..."

"I will." Dani spat and picked up her cup; it shook slightly in her arms and then stabilized, as if it, too, decided. "And you," she looked at the Trill seriously behind the rim of the cup, "you better decide right now if you're sticking with your boss -- or with me."

Zett stared, her expression a mix of confusion and horror, trying to measure how serious Dani was. Her gaze finally mellowed, her eyes filling with uncertainty, worry, and a fair bit of insult.

"Danielle--"

"Don't make me," Dani's voice broke. "Don't make me go against you."

Zett swallowed and shifted, moving closer to Dani. She was unsure, and her eyes reflected just how much she was worried, but she tried a smile nonetheless. "I'll always be on your side."

Dani nodded.

"I just don't know if it's a good idea to--" Zett started.

Dani turned to face her, a smile spreading on her face; a wide, malicious, wicked smile that reached only barely to the fury in her eyes.

"It's the best idea I've ever had."

Zett believed her.

* * *

Danielle Atarah
Grifter / Thief
Earth

Kalina Zett
Captain
Bristol Supply ship
The Cardello Syndicate

 

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