BACKLOG - JDL | Com Ivanova, Capt Neyes, Cmdr Archer, Cmdr Neyes - "Offer Me That Deathless Death" - Pt I/II

Posted on Sat Mar 7th, 2015 @ 9:55am by Admiral Rochelle Ivanova & Commander Tristan Neyes PhD. & Commander James Archer & Captain Landon Neyes

1,778 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: A Spot To Kill
Location: Vindi Conf. Room

Neyes stared with reticent, distracted eyes into the deep space beyond the viewing window. The conference room was quiet, with himself, Archer and Tristan sitting in wait for Rochelle to arrive. Both the Neyes brothers were sitting in silence. Landon idly tapped the PADD resting on the desk.

"When did you hear?" Tristan asked, breaking the silence.

"My sources confirmed an hour ago," James replied as he shifted in his seat. He had never been too keen on the idea of having a creature living inside of you. As a child, he watched his best friend have a botfly larvae removed from his head. Ever since then the thought made him squeamish.

Beyond the hull of the ship lay a combination of exciting adventure and the feared unknown. A wormhole lurked, burning brightly as it spiraled and yawned, triggered by the science department and Ops working to get significant enough readings to feel comfortable giving an all clear -- and Rochelle wasn't stupid enough to believe that was all that lay in wait of them. She knew that just beyond the next system, or so, the vipers from Trill were lurking and waiting, watching and wanting. Blyx had warned her over Christmas, told her to head for deep space. Archer calling this meeting had only solidified her worry and left her knowing that they were too slow to action, and she dreaded walking through those doors.

"Sorry I'm late." She said as she crossed the threshold and nodded to the three men. "Commander Dahe'el has said that the wormhole appears steady enough for us to proceed." The Commodore continued, covering emotion with the hardened exterior of a command officer as she took her seat.

"It's been confirmed. TSC has caught wind of the Neyes situation and the clone slug. My sources inside the commission indicate that they plan on destroying both, the clone and original Symbiot," James informed as he motion to the two Trill sitting infront of him," which as we know will kill both Landon and Tristan."

Tristan's brow furrowed as he took in the information. As the thought of something happening to both of them came before him, his mind wandered to Zed, and what would "I don't believe their first action would be to simply destroy us. Would it?" He could remember very little about the commission, and likely just because he had as little actual experience with them. The memories didn't come through very well.

Landon grunted, "Think about it. Remember the dock at Ginterra?"

A look of concerned confusion lit up the younger Neyes' face. "I don't-"

"Yeah, what I, er- we did there. Same deal. The Commission will break it all down the same. We're a threat and a liability. They don't want anyone to get into their head cloning a symbiont is a viable option, and they certainly don't want the Romulans to be any part of it." He looked to Rochelle, "They won't attack Vindicator, however. At least not directly."

The redhead bit her tongue, refraining from saying something stupid like 'I'm not worried about Vindicator being attacked', it would have only been a half truth. There wasn't a ship the Trill could send that could best the Vindicator, and she knew they wouldn't dare dream of stirring up the wasp's nest that would descend upon them if they fired on a Federation vessel. Vindicator was safe. Swallowing hard, Rochelle shook her head. "They won't attack us..." She acknowledged, "but they'll attack you." Her fingers drummed against the table for a short beat before they paused and she brought her eyes to Landon's, studying him, speaking to him without words. "You have one hope." She began, not daring to look away, "Take the Horizon and run like Hell. They don't expect you to leave this ship, it's the last thing you'd want to do and the last thing they'd ever think you'd do. You have to run. Let them follow us through the wormhole, and run."

If Tristan had been empathic, it would have been the only reasonable explanation of how he felt the surge of venomous anger surging from his brother. Landon's hand curled into a fist and, immediately following the word 'run', it crashed down into the PADD. Shattered and broken, the personal device remained only in a few pieces beneath the former Captain's furious expression. "I can't control what those... people, will do to try and weed us out, but I will not run. I'm not going to leave this ship," his words softened a little, "and I'm not leaving you."

Rochelle flinched at the sound Landon's hand made as it connected with, and ruined, the PADD and her eyes instinctively closed to protect against any shards of screen shrapnel that may have found their way towards them. "You don't have a choice, Landon." She replied, re-opening her eyes and fighting the rolling tide of hurt that threatened to overtake her. "Forget me, forget Vindicator. You have to think about Tristan and about Zed. They'll kill that little boy just to flush you out and you know it." Swallowing hard she looked to Tristan and Archer, quietly pleading for support. By sending Landon away, she'd effectively kill a part of her, but she knew she'd manage to survive it simply by knowing he was alive, safe, and well hidden from his enemies. Their enemies. Even though the more selfish aspects of the woman's heart begged for her to keep him close and exploit any and every tool she had in her arsenal to stave off the Commission, she knew she simply couldn't. She'd fail, they'd die, and she'd have no one to blame but herself. Away and alive, there was always a chance she'd see him again, that he could go on to lead a normal existence filled with the little creature comforts of life that would eventually lead to a renewed sense of happiness and normalcy.

James handed Landon an encrypted PADD, "There's a couple names on here that will help you out. They owe me a favor or two and have agreed to give you supplies and shelter for awhile. Just don't stay too long, they might start to see dollar signs."

Neyes shook his head. His eyes moved to Archer, his voice asking for just a little give, anything to rationalize staying on Vindicator. "Is there any reason to think your sources could be wrong? Maybe this is a trap. Once we leave Vindicator we won't be able to come back again without bringing attention to ourselves." The thought was slowly driving the dagger home, and the knowledge it was all inevitable wasn't making it any easier. Landon could beg and plead all day at this point and it wouldn't change anything, if he convinced them to let them stay, it would likely be a slow fight until someone found their way on board. It would be a battle of darkness and stealth, relying on Neyes' and Archer's spooks or connections to keep them out of harm's way.

Still holding the PADD, James simply closed his eyes and shook his head.

Tristan took the PADD for Landon, "We know some people who can help." Saying what he knew Landon never would. "We'll be alright."

With a softly muttered thank you, Rochelle nodded to Tristan in sincere gratitude that he was able to rationalize everything that was going on around them. “You will be.” She stated, more to convince herself than to bolster his words.

"No." Neyes said, looking everywhere except in anyone's eyes. "I won't let them do this. I have bent worlds over for those bastards, and this will not be how they repay me."

Pulling a hypospray out of his jacket pocket, James said "Landon, you have no other choice. Either you go willingly or I use this hypo. It has enough Melorazine to make you sleep for a week."

Rochelle’s first reaction to the eye widening sight of the hypospray was to reach for it and snatch it from the Intel officer’s grasp, but she stilled herself before she could lift her hand but an inch or so from the top of the desk. “Landon…” She sighed, chewing her lip as she pushed herself up and away from the table. It would take every little bit of resolve she had within her to follow through with sending them away.

Clearing her throat, the little Commodore squared her shoulders and paced the length of the conference room, the stars and the light of the wormhole twinkling madly behind her as she crossed in front of them. “If there was a way, any way at all, that I could save you and keep you here in guaranteed safety…” Her head shook and she felt her shoulders droop as she caught sight of her glassy eyes in her reflection painted against the clear aluminum windows, “Jesus Christ…” She breathed, closing them and swallowing the building knot in her throat. “I’d do it…” She said, “Even if it meant signing over a hand written I.O.U. to the goddamned Devil himself, I’d do it.” Her hands flailed up from her sides in sheer defeat as she turned to face her lover, “But there’s nothing there. There’s nothing I can do or Archer or Waterhouse… Admiral Hark himself can’t make this go away or else it would have been tabled and we’d be moving on with our lives!” The little woman practically cried out as she came to rest in front of the heated Trill, her eyes searching his and her hands aching to reach for him, to touch and hold him, promising everything would work out in the end.

“Please…” She begged in a hoarse whisper, “I need you to live… I need you all to go and make a life where you can be safe and sound and free of these monsters, Landon.” Never in her wildest nightmares did she ever think, let alone believe, that she’d be nearly on her knees and begging the man to leave her side. They were supposed to have forever, supposed to be left alone with that second chance they’d been granted… But love was a fickle thing and fate a true bitch. She hated them both at that moment with a passion most enviable and fierce.


--- To Be Continued in Pt II ---

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

Captain Landon Neyes
Former CO - Unassigned
USS Vindicator

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

Commander Tristan Neyes
Chief Counselor
USS Vindicator

 

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