"Complexities"
(Previous post: Mark's 'Sounds of Freedom')
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Setting: SURIAL III, Underground Compound
Stardate: 60325.1330
In a command control room, Gul Zulot paced back and forth as his associate T'Preel spoke with a Romulan centurian and a Cardassian guard.
"Get dowm to the holding cells and make sure the crew of the MERCURY do not take matters into their own hands."
Both nodded and as they headed off, Zulot glared at the former Tal'Shiar agent.
"Don't panic you say. *Is* now a good enough time to panic?!"
"Zulot... get a hold of yourself. Whatever it is out there will be dealt with by the perimeter defense network..."
"To hell with the perimeter defenses!" he spat, "what good will they do since the defensive network guarding the planet is down?"
T'Preel drummed his fingers on the table. Zulot did have a good point. The designers of the defense platform assured him that it was fool proof. That no one would be able to penetrate to the surface without them knowing about it. But someone had successfully made it through to the surface. He looked at one of the tactical officers.
"I want a topographical on screen now."
"What are you looking for?" Zulot asked.
"Well... we need to see and *know* who it is who got past the defense platform."
The screen activated and T'Preel's eyes narrowed.
"Magnify" he ordered and the tact officer complied. Once the image got closer, it still didn't answer his question.
"What is that?" he asked as the SPHINX ripped across the terrain. The tacical officer split the screen to get a fix on the VIPER.
"Who are they? Where did they come from?!" Zulot asked heatedly.
"I don not know!" T'Preel snapped, "that is what I'm trying to ascertain now" and his head whipped around to the tactical officer, "cross reference those interlopers with everythign we have on file."
"Yes sir" the officer replied as Zulot headed for the door.
"Where are you going?" T'Preel asked.
"To initiate my little... insurance policy" and with that he exited.
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Setting: SURIAL III, Underground Compound, Sub-level A-1
Stardate: 60325.1420
Zulot entered his private chamber and glanced at his instruments of torture. He smiled as he admired the craftmanship and thought about the last victim he used them on. The imputent waif... the Starfleet marine he remembered as 1st Lieutenant Jordan Dawson. Oh how it made his heart race to the screams and wails that escaped the human's mouth. How much he was a valient warrior as to the amount of torture he withstood before the pain became too much for him to bear. How, before they stuffed his dying body in the escape pod he spat blood in his face...
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FLASHBACK
"All I want to know is where did your captain order the extra syrillium stored? Answer that question for me and I promise you this will all be over with. I'll personally asure you your wounds will be taken care of..."
"Go... to... hell... Cardassian bastard!" he said through clenched teeh as blood trickled down both sides of his mouth. Zulot shrugged and nodded. The Cardassian guard struck him repeatedly and the Starfleet officer laughed.
"He's had enough. Stick him back in the escape pod and beam it back into space..." as T'Preel grabbed his arm.
"Have you forgotten he has *not* disclosed the location of the extra syrillium?!"
"Time will tell my eager friend. Besides, we have his entire crew to pick through. Surely one of them knows."
As the guard hefted the Starfleet marine's body into the pod, Zulot approached. "This is your final chance."
He spat blood in his face. "You better kill me now you son of a bitch! I truly feel sorry for you... for once my brother finds out what you have done, there isn't a rat's hole in this universe you can hide in and he won't find you!"
Zulot wiped the blood and phlem from his face, backhanded him into the pod and snatched the chain from around his neck.
"*If* your brother reaches you before you die, tell him to come get this. Although, I don't think he'll find you before you enter that eternal sleep." and he laughed as the door tothe pod was closed...
END FLASHBACK
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Zulot grinned at the thought and the empty threat the Starfleet officer made as he opened a secured channel.
"Have you completed your repairs?"
=/\= Yes sir, we have. We have entered the SURIAL system and will arrive at the planet in 30 minutes. =/\=
"Be mindful of your approach. Our defense platform has been compromised and we have hostiles on the suface."
=/\= Have they made their way... =/\=
"No and they never will. Just get here and send the re enforcements I require."
=/\= Zulot... there's something else you need to know. We had a... confrontation with a starship. =/\=
Zulot's eyes narrowed. "A confrontation? What kind of confrontation?"
=/\= There were 2 ships... unknown origin. We rammed one and were boarded. Our computer was compromised... =/\=
"You fool!" Zulot barked, "How could you let that happen?! Did you at least know who it was?!"
=/\= No sir... they were dressed in black attack armour. No markings of any kind. We did what we could to stave them off, but they completed repairs before we could and we believe the ship is headed in your direction. =/\=
Of all the idiotic mistakes one person could make... this could be costly to his plans.
"Get here quickly!" Zulot spat, "and mask your approach. If that starship you had the... confrontation with is already here, that might explain the uninvited guests."
=/\= Yes sir =/\= and the channel went dead.
"I have not come this far to be thwarted" Zulot hissed as he headed back to the command center.
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Setting: SURIAL III, Underground Compound, Command Center
Stardate: 60325.1440
Zulot entered to the hustle and bustle of the command center. T'Preel saw him and he nodded to the anteoffice and went there. The Romulan followed.
"We have a problem" Zulot said as he rounded the deak as T'Preel looked at him, "our supply ship was attacked."
T'Preel's eyes narrowed. "By whom?"
"Unknown. My officers said it was a starship of unknown origin. They were boarded and their computer core ransacked."
"Idiots" T'Preel hissed, "what did the boarding party extrapulate from the computer?"
"I don't know... I'm not on board. But be that as it may, it might explain who it is that's on the surface."
"Could it be a Federation vessel?" T'Preel asked.
"Most assuredly not. We have covered our tracks to the point that Starfleet and the Federation are spinning their proverbial wheels. We left no traces, left no stone unturn in the destruction of the MERCURY."
"You're a fool if you believe them so fooled Zulot. They will stop at nothing until they recover their officers..."
"And neither will I!" the Cardassian said thumping his fist on the desk, "we have come too far with our plans to have them thwarted by the Federation. Once they arrive we'll have enough re enforcements to ward off an entire batallion of Starfleet officers."
T'Preel eyed his partner and nodded.
"We shall see."
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Julian Knight (d_dawson_1@yahoo.com)
as
Lieutenant David Dawson
Chief Engineer
USS ANUBIS NCC 18501
"A Starfleet officer... that's all I am and that's all I'll ever be." 2005 post #349
- Avery Brooks as Captain Benjamin Sisko,
Commanding Officer of the Federation Spacestation Deep Space 9
