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Reflections 23 & 24 - "A Dangerous Game"ON: [Starbase, Memories Cafe] Hannah sat at a table, her face passive, her arm in a sling. She was picking at a meal with her left hand, not really interested. They had just arrived on the Starbase, and Hannah was still debating what to do about Sulan. A youung woman looking all of 20 walked over to her table shyly holding her tray. Saphire earings glittered in her ears, and her blond hair was tied casually with a ribbon. "Um, excuse me, but... is this seat taken she asked shyly. "Huh?" Hannah looked up, shaken out of her reverie. "I...uh..." she flirted with the idea of telling her to get lost, but then dismissed the idea. Sulan could break her arm, turn the crew against her, and scare the crap out of her, but she was not going to change the way she interacted with people. "No, not at all." Hannah said. "Please, go ahead." "Thank you!" The girl said happily. "I was starting to think I'd never find a place to sit." She said as she started eating the fruit salad she'd ordered. "Um, hey, not to be rude or anything, but what happened to your arm? That looks like a sling. Why not have the docs here just regenerate the bones?" She said trying not to stare. "That takes time." Hannah said, shrugging...and then wincing. "I'll sit down and let them do it tonight probably. We just got into base, and I wanted to stretch my legs before I get tied down for three hours or so." "Wow.. you're tough!" She said as she continued to eat. "What ship are you with?" "The Pegasus." Hannah said, perking up. This young woman seemed like someone she could get on with well. "I heard you guys recently had been reported lost. I'm really glad your all okay. Oh, um, where are my manners? I'm Angela." She holds out her hand to take, but withdraws it quickly, remembering the sling. "Um, sorry!" She reddens. Hannah laughed. "No problem." She smiled wryly - "Yeah, the rumours of our death were exagerrated...but not by much. It got pretty rough out there." "I'll bet! It must have been so terrible for you..." "Well, I wouldn't go that far." Hannah said. "After all, it's what they pay us to do, right?" "I guess so..." She said uncirtainly. "so, did you have many casualties?" She asked with concern. " heard rumors going around that your ship is low on crew. You security chief must have a real headache on her hands, keeping the vessel secured." Hannah's eyes narrowed, though her face betrayed no emotion. How did this woman know the Pegasus' Security Chief was a woman - it wasn't exactly an obvious assumption to make. Female security chiefs were few and far between. Something was going on, here - Hannah was sure of it. "I guess." Hannah said. "We've got a good crew." "Can you tell me what their like? I'm going to be serving on a ship soon, and I'm not sure what to expect." "Oh really?" Hannah said. "In what capacity?" "Helm. I'm just an ensign for now though. But hopefully that will change quickly!" She smiled with the starry eyed joy of a new recruit. "That's great!" Hannah said. "What ship?" "The London, I think. But I'm not sure, my orders have yet to come through." "So you just graduated?" Hannah asked "Yeah. Freshly minted from San Fran. But what about you? How long have you been in?" she asked trying to steer the conversation away from herself. "A wee while." Hannah smiled. "How'd you find the academy?" "Dunno, just felt the need to see the stars, you know? So anyway, what kind of ship is the Pegasus? I heard she was a um, Centaur class, was it?" she said, tryinjg to keep the conversation on track. "Right." Hannah said, spotting the deperation slipping into the other woman's voice. "You majored in Helm right? That was my minor. What's the name of the Aviation Flux lecturer, again? Mc...Something" She shakes her head, smiling. "It's the tip of my tongue... Um...." She shrugs. "Sorry, I've got a case of mental vapor lock, I guess!" she said laughing at her embarassment. "It was a good class, though, wasn't it?" Hannah grinned. "uh huh." Angela said nodding. "I learned tons." <Funny, as how I just made that class up.> Hannah thought to herself. <What the Hell is this?> And then suddenly it hit her. The woman's name was Angela. Her mind flashed back to Sulan telling of the plot to kill her. Sulan's replacement just happened to have the same name as this woman who lied about being to the academy, and knew just a little too much about the Pegasus. Hannah's heart tightened. Angela read the emotions on her face, and sighed. "Damn." She slammed her fist into the tabletop, making cups and silverware rattle. "Who would have thought daddy's little whore had such a brain in her head? I'd wanted to snag you the moment you left the Pegasus, and rip your finger and toe nails out with pliers, but noooo, I was ordered to talk to you, and pump your for intel!" She wispered harshly, all trace of the innocent ensign gone. "So what happens now, Friend?" Hannah asked, sarcastically. "For starters, if you move, you die." She hides her hand under the table top, and the sound of a ancient romulan disruptor is heard charging quietly. "That's friendly." Hannah said, sarcastically. "Isn't it?" The girl said laughing, like she'd just shared a private joke. "You know, these things are banned in the Federation? When you shoot someone with one they get vaporised from the inside out. It takes several seconds, and hurts like hell, though I've never gotten to shoot a human with one." She smiles a friendly smile at O'Driscoll. anyone observing them would thing they were old friends. "I did manage to bag a Vulcan once. My, how he screamed... I tell you, it was great. You thingk you'll top his shreiks? I mean, with no ability to block pain or anything?" "What do you want, Angela?" Hannah said, calmly. "Straight to the point huh? Okay, okay..." She said slightly disapointed. "Here's the deal: We want you to lead Sulan to Cargo Bay 3. That's it. Get her there, alone, and you're free to go. That means we forget about you, and you can go on whoring to your heart's content." Angela tilts her head, grinning. "I know you associate with her, I can smell her stink all over you." "And if I say no?" Hannah said, though she knew the answer. Angela shrugged. "Then, I shoot you, and run away screaming, pretending have no idea what just happened. There will, of course be a mad rush for the doors. I blend into the crowd, and I'm off this station before the idiotic security crews realise there's actually been a shooting.Then, I head to Earth, wipe out any friends and family you have left, and call it a working vacation. But the way I see it, I have no idea how you could possible refuse: Sulan is out of your hair permanently, we leave you alone. Hell, if you do a good enough job, we might even consider doing a few favors for you. Doesn't Captain "And how do you know I won't just go straight to Sulan, and tell her what just hapened here." "Because, then I'd simply have to kill both of you. Let me ask you, does some one who cares for you, break you wrist? She know I'd come here, and yet, she let you travel alone, and unescoted. Think about it. She's using you, so she can gather intel in me. To her, your expendable have you ever even considered that?" "And how exactly do you know that it was her that broke my wrist?" Hannah said, curiously. Angela rolled her eyes. "That's the stupidest question I've heard all day. She probably told you that you'd be weak if you went to sick bay, right? That's because, she wants people to know that she was the one who did it. Your, an example to her security crews. Evey time they see that sling of yours, they know that their security chief broke the wrist of a SUPERIOR OFFICER, and she couldn't do a damn thing about it." "Fine." Hannah said, shrugging. "I'll do it." Angela blinks a little shocked. "Wow... I'd thought I'd have to argue with you a bit more... Eh, I geuss betraying folks is in your DNA. How soon can you deliver her?" "Screw you, bitch." Hannah said, angrily. "When do you want her?" Angel laughed, covering her mouth with her free hand. "You got guts, freeborn, you got guts! How about a day or two from now? Thirty peices of silver is hard to come by nowadays." "Fine." Hannah said, standing. "It was really nice talking to you, Hannah!" Angela said with the fake charm as she waived. "I'm so glad your doing the right thing!" "Bite me." Hannah said, with the same false smile. Angela winked at her. "I just may bite, if necessary, dear!" Lieutenant Hannah O'Driscoll Chief of Security USS Pegasus Angela (NPC'd by Telek Sulan) Starbase 47 |
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