"Minor Obstacles"
[Previous post: "Executive Memories"]
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Stardate: 60325.1630
Setting: SURIAL III, Underground Corridor
Uxtar and Nico were heading back after having escorted Cmdr. Wellington and Lt. Pravat to the SPHINX. Everything had been going fine until the Hirogen stopped dead in his tracks as they came to a intersection.
"Problem?" The Nausicaan asked looking down at his feet in case there had been another tripwire there.
"Listen," Uxtar replied in a whispered voice pointing with his gaze down one of the corridors they had come up to.
A strange metallic sound filled the air as the Nausicaan carefully listened, Nico had expected to hear footsteps or something indicative of an approaching menace but it took a while for both warriors to recognize the sound of metal rubbing against metal.
"It's that robotic sentinel," Nico growled while taking several large steps backwards. As much as the Nausicaan had wanted to rip that thing apart he knew better than to go against something that was clearly designed to go against multiple soldiers. Sharing the same sentiment the Hirogen quickly followed the other warrior as they tried to find an alternate route to get back to where they had started.
Nico followed Uxtar through the maze of twisting corridors deferring to the Hirogen’s superior sense of direction, not to mention his proven uncanny eyesight. Frankly, Nico had no idea where they were or what direction they were heading. All he could do was hope that Uxtar knew what he was doing.
Soon, voices floated up the corridor from the direction they were heading. Cardassian voices. The two Federation officers backtracked quickly past the last turn they had taken and waited. From the voices, they were able to ascertain the Cardassian patrol was comprised of two soldiers. As the enemy patrol rounded the corner, Uxtar, in a blinding fast move, dropped the nearest Cardassian with a hard, straight punch to the nose. The Cardassian fell in a heap, never realizing what happened. While his stunned partner watched him fall, Nico was on him from behind. With one arm around the Cardassian's throat, he cruelly twisted his enemy’s arm behind his back, and held him immobile. Uxtar quickly disarmed the captured Cardassian, and leveled the alien's own weapon against him.
"Name!" Uxtar barked at him.
"Wha... What?" was all the Cardassian could manage.
"What is your name?!! Do not make me ask a second time!"
"My... my name is Dokat," the alien replied.
"Well Dokat," Uxtar sneered, "You're going to lead us to the rest of your prisoners. You're going to get us around any more patrols or sentinels. After that you're going to lead us out of here, and you're going to do it with a smile."
"Never!" Dokat spat in defiance.
Nico slightly increased the pressure on Dokat's arm and the Cardassian cried out.
"Just another couple grams of pressure on your arm, and it becomes my property." Nico whispered into the Cardassians ear. "I suggest you get with the program and spare yourself the indignity of being beaten to death with your own arm."
Nico accented the point with a little more pressure on Dokat's arm. He realized he was deriving a little too much pleasure from inflicting pain on his enemy.
Dokat nodded his assent through pain-gritted teeth.
Uxtar, smiling, said "Well now. That’s better. Shall we get moving then?"
Nico cruelly shoved Dokat out in front of him to get him moving. The Cardassian looked back with hate, rage, and more that a little fear.
"Move." Nico said, as the three made their way back down the corridor.
Led by the unwilling Cardassian the Hirogen and Nausicaan Starfleet Officers navigated the corridors of the prison in relative peacefulness. Although Uxtar and Nico were following Dokat, neither one of them had lowered their defenses instinctively waiting for a trap to be sprung. If that happened two things would immediately happen afterward. The first would be the countering of the trap and the second would be to get even with Dokat for what he had done.
"Maybe we should have regrouped with that Lt. Dawson fellow," Nico said as they turned another corner. "I don't like that he stayed back there by himself."
"I wouldn't worry too too much about that," Uxtar growled softly. "There was something about him that made me believe that he could take care of himself or that he would not want our help even if we offered it. I think we might be better off looking for our people on our own."
The Nausicaan nodded and grinned. Nico might not have been ready to admit it openly but it seemed that he agreed with the Hirogen's take on Lt. Dawson and their present predicament.
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Ensign Nicodemus Rostov
USS MERCURY
Jammie Thouin (lone-gunman@att.net)
AND
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Mark Hutchings {h172mark16@fastmail.us}
Ensign Uxtar
Former Flight Control Officer 2005 post #367
USS MERCURY
