JDL | Com Ivanova, Cmdr Waterhouse, Cmdr Dahe'el, Cmdr Archer, Cmdr Grant, Lt JG Charlson, Lt JG Black, PO3 DuPont, Kyym - “The King And His Men Stole The Queen From Her Bed” pt II/II

Posted on Fri Feb 27th, 2015 @ 7:06am by Admiral Rochelle Ivanova & Commander Amelia Waterhouse & Commander Logan Grant, PhD. & Commander James Archer & Lieutenant JG Teá Black

2,076 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: A Spot To Kill

The Commodore rose reluctantly to her feet, releasing Almar's chin from her grasp with a heavy measure of sorrow welling in her otherwise angry eyes. He didn't deserve this. They'd been watching him since he'd arrived, watching them as they spoke and interacted -- and she knew why. He was a threat. He was a reason for her to leave and not take an Atlantean husband as she was expected. "Our laws?" Rochelle asked with a tilt of her head, the sharp ice of her eyes honing in on the Atlantean's face as she stepped daintily to block Almar from the woman's gaze. "I.am.the.law." She boomed, her voice echoing into the great hall with a startling ferocity for something so little. "Release Commander Dahe'el at once, or it'll be you we execute since you seem to be so thirsty for a bloody show."

Kyym nearly startled at the sudden show of tenacity. The Queen had, thus far, been soft spoken and easy to work around even if she was flighty. Her eyes closed as she managed to redirect her resolve and bubbling irritation. For a split second she wondered if this approach truly was the wisest, the human Commander's quip about danger flashing around her brain like a warning beacon. "That's not how this works, your Majesty, simply letting him go would be as much an abortion of our ways as your fake little mark of bonding. Just another lie to cover up your inadequacies!" She smiled back and pointed at her own wrist where the blue bonding mark had once been as she stepped down from the platform and made her way to the Queen.

"You hid this... Why? To cover yourself from admitting that you've given yourself to a Cardassian?" A crystal, glowing bright and purple, was passed over the fake mark and it disappeared, revealing nothing but the creamy porcelain of the Queen's skin beneath. Pocketing it, Kyym grabbed Rochelle's chin. It wasn't a big feat or hard to accomplish, the red haired human was only knee high to a grass hopper after all. A twist of her wrist turned the Queen's head savagely and her free hand combed through the loose tendrils of russet mane to reveal the purple mark behind her right ear with delight. A guard made a similar motion, forcing Almar's head to the left and his long black hair away to bare the skin behind his ear. Kyym nearly threw up. The matching mark wasn't there. The Queen hadn't slept with the Cardassian. "I see." She hissed, releasing the woman and stepping back. "Then you aren't guilty of treason."

A single tear splashed down on the floor of the throne room beneath the Cardassian's chin. The realization of what had happened hit him with a stabbing pain that dug deep into his chest and he attempted to flex against his bonds, his shoulders spread and grew with the effort.

James reflected on the earlier exchange he had with Rochelle and quietly quipped, "Heh... I guess she really doesn't know."

Amelia held herself back from stepping between the Atlanteans, Rochelle, and Almar. She wanted to, but currently it wasn't smart as they held the upper hand. However, her heart broke for Almar; she'd been worried after seeing how close Rochelle and Landon had been, but having seen no indication that Rochelle had talked to the Cardassian about it. She painfully wished she'd forced Rochelle to talk to her about it when given the chance... instead she'd been fogged with her own budding relationship. This was not the way anyone needed to have such a fact revealed to them.

The redhead struggled away, holstering her instinct to tag the Atlantean woman's jaw with her fist for touching her, for touching Almar. "No." She replied, "I'm not." Her heart raced, her blood boiled and she stepped back, closer to Almar and further away from Kyym. She wanted to comfort him, to hold him, to apologize for not telling him that she'd lay with Landon. Now wasn't the time or the place. Now was life and death and everything in between as her private life was lay out before the Gods and her crew alike in a struggle to save Almar.

"He's still guilty. He will die." The Atlantean hissed, "You have no choice but to make the order. It's in our laws, your Grace. Any Cardassian that dares pose threat to the Atlantean way of life after their attempted wooing of the Civonians and aiding them in their uprising, shall be put to death! He's a snake who's convinced you that he's something that he's not!"

"And you're a coward trying to convince me that I'm something that I'm not!" Rochelle fired back belligerently. "He's no more Cardassian than I am an Atleantean monarch. We weren't raised for the roles you're trying to stuff us into. He's a Starfleet officer. I'm the same, but you seem bent on demanding that we fill roles neither one of us want to fill."

"But you will fill them. You were the wife of William Taggart, the Queen's eldest, at the time of her death. You are the Queen of this land whether you like that fact or not and you will govern in accordance to our laws. If you want them changed, you change them after tonight and strike up parliamentary procedure. Tonight..." Kyym blew a sigh of boredom, "He dies. Say the word."

Rochelle's head shook and she cast her eyes over her shoulder to where Almar was held firmly to the floor just behind her. She could read the hurt in his eyes, the resignation written across his once proud body. She'd broken him. Ruined him. Embarrassed him more than she'd done herself... And it was all public. "I'll stay." She said, her voice far softer than the bellows of before.

"What was that?" Kyym's heart fluttered in her chest as she asked for clarity.

"You heard me." Rochelle said, searching Almar's face with her eyes. "I'll stay. I'll be your Queen, spit out a hundred little Atlantean heirs, whatever you want." Her head turned to bring her gaze back to Kyym. "I'll stay... But you have to let him go back with the crew of the Vindicator."

The Atlantean's eyes narrowed in thought as she considered the deal being lay out. "If we let him, a Cardassian, go... You'll stay." Kymm asked, pointing between the two Federation officers. "A trade?"

"Yes." The little Queen sighed, and closed her eyes against the hot sting of tears that threatened to roll down her cheeks. "I'll stay if you let him go."

"The hell you will!" James exclaimed.

"This isn't your call, Archer." Rochelle snapped at the half-clad Intel Chief and shook herhead.

"Done!" Kyym bellowed a little too excitedly and the guards startled, but stepped back away from the injured Cardassian.

Without the guards holding him down, Almar found his feet and stood slowly. Only a grunt was issued as he forced his arms apart and tore open the bonds that held his wrists together. His face was wet and the torn shirt from his incarceration lay across his shoulders, but a solid fist swung round and connected with the armored helmet of one of the guards, dropping him to the deck as the Cardassian's legs found traction and sped him towards the doors of the hall.

Logan had watched with wide eyes as Rochelle had risen to power and fallen within the span of a few short minutes. The Atlantean's had found her Achilles heel and hadn't just tapped it, they'd taken a baseball bat to it. Divide and conquer had been their song and dance routine, and as Almar dropped a guard to the floor and sauntered away angry and in tears, Logan knew they'd succeeded. What he also knew was that the crew would stay near Rochelle, but none could save her now. She'd given up her freedom to save Almar, an action that flashed the brusque counselor back to his thoughts previous to being attacked and incarcerated. He shrugged Cecil's hand off his shoulder and made his way, limping heavily, after Almar. "Watch the Commodore." was all he muttered to Amelia as he passed her.

Amelia stepped protectively closer to Rochelle. She was already trying to calculate ways to help her friend, her commanding officer, slip out of this gilded cage she'd just walked into to save Almar. For now, playing along was the best bet, so she stood silent.

Kyym watched the two officer leave with amusement and pride rife in her big blue eyes. She was gloating and bathing in the glory of having succeeded and so easily. The Queen was loyal to her crew, and they'd easily discerned one of her greatest weaknesses of all, exploited him, and watched him burn just long enough for the little Phoenix to come sweeping in to put out the flames. "Your throne, my Queen, awaits you."

Lily moved to follow the Commodore, to keep at least some protection near her.

Teá had her hand in her bag where her Type II phaser laid eyeing the room an everyone in it. Still shaking off her sleep cloud off as well as comprehending what was just said by the commodore.

Cecil stood, jaw agape. His eyes moved from the door that Dahe'el and Grant had just disappeared through, to the other officers that stood surrounding Ivanova still. He didn't know what to do; on one hand, he didn't want to believe she'd actually consider giving up her career to rule this place, but on the other hand, it was to save the life of one of the crew. He stood up straighter, moving closer to the Commodore.

Behind her the sound of Almar's footsteps rung heavy in Rochelle's ears. She didn't care about the sound of one of the guards falling, or the murmurs it brought from the Atlanteans in the room. None of it made a world of difference to her, not now. She reached for the jeweled piece that clung to her head and hair, removing it to study the intricate stone and metal work as it glistened and glittered in her tiny palms. "I'm going back to bed." She finally replied to Kyym in a voice quiet and hollow. Logan had followed Almar, but the rest of her away team stood there facing her in their sleeping attire as she turned and caught their eyes. There was nothing else to say or do, no magic word or hand wave that would undo what had been done. An eyebrow raised slightly as she looked upon Amelia and Archer, silently asking them 'what next?' as she lay a weary hand on Cecil's loyal shoulders and put herself into motion, heading back towards her chambers with Archer hot on her heals.

Amelia let Rochelle pull ahead, trusting Archer would stay with her for the moment — she'd catch up shortly. She caught Cecil by the arm and pulled him aside. He wanted to stay with the others, but he arched an eyebrow at Amelia.

"Gather Black, Charlson, and bring them to our room. I want to condense. I'll be moving into Rochelle's room unless she sends me away," Amelia explained. Cecil nodded. "Don't worry, we'll figure something out. How's your research been going?"

"Slowly, I need to get-" Cecil fell silent when she placed her finger on his lips.

"No details here," she explained, and he nodded. "We'll talk later. Go." He nodded and headed after Teá and Lily as Amelia caught up to Rochelle and Archer.

Teá adjusted her bag as she slowly let go of her type II phaser. Starting to feel the stress now as everything decided to hit the fan all at once. Following Cecil glad that they were gonna be closer to each other and that everything she needed was always in the bag of hers.


--- FIN. ---

Commodore Rochelle Ivanova
Commanding Officer
USS VINDICATOR, NCC 78213-E

Commander Amelia Waterhouse
Executive Officer
USS VINDICATOR, NCC 78213-E

Commander Almar Dahe'el
Chief Engineer - Second Officer
USS VINDICATOR, NCC 78213-E

Commander James Archer
Chief Intelligence Officer
USS VINDICATOR NCC 78213-E

Commander Logan Grant
Chief Intelligence Officer
USS VINDICATOR, NCC 78213-E

Ensign Tea Black
Intelligence Officer
USS Vindicator, NCC 78213-E

Lieutenant JG Lily Charlson
Security Officer
USS VINDICATOR, NCC 78213-E

PO3 Cecil duPont
Yeoman
USS VINDICATOR, NCC 78213-E

Kyym
apb Spaceman
Atlantean Ambassador

 

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