#5 The Return

Posted on Thu Jan 26th, 2023 @ 1:04am by Commander Taavis & Lieutenant Commander Kehlani & Lieutenant JG Billi
Edited on on Sat Jan 28th, 2023 @ 3:47pm

Mission: Mission 9 Deal with the Devil
Location: various
Timeline: current

ON:

-THEN-

After having drinks with the Klingons, both Taavis and Kehlani headed out to where the torpedoes were stored. The warehouse was off the beaten path, secluded from others. The two women walked through the darkened streets and across an open field. They had donned their thermal gear and had the rebreathers hooked to their belts, wanting to load the torpedoes into a transport vehicle, get a few klicks outside the dome, then have them beamed up along with themselves. Ahead of them, through the darkness, they could see flashes of light erupting suddenly from the warhouse, seeing a large vehicle garage door opened and a truck sitting halfway inside, backed in. The flashes were weapons fire as two groups traded shots, one group inside, one outside. Both ladies began to jog that way and could now hear the firefight. Several people in their own civilian thermal gear hopped into the cab of the truck, a four-seater, the truck starting its engine and pulling away quickly, heading into the city.

Arriving at the doorway, sidearms drawn, the two peered inside to see several guards down and groaning, but not dead. One of them was Taavis's half brother Rekar who was cluching his left rib cage as he lay on his right side on the warehouse floor. The robotic loader machine was empty, the two torpedoes having been loaded and absconded with by those who stole the truck.

Taavis rushed to her brother's side as Kehlani kept watch. "Rekar!" She took a knee and placed a hand on his shoulder. "How severe is the wound?"

"I got clipped, is all," he winced and grunted. "Could have been worse. They were firing to wound, not kill. That bloody Andorian you let slide was leading the group. Said his name was Ozhar Khintak and that he was taking possession of the torpedoes for his Syndicate clan."

Kehlani, seeing no other enemies, looked over when that was said. "Which clan?"

"His!" Barked out Rekar. "The pile of offal runs a clan for someone else here, from what I could gather." He thumbed back over his shoulder. "Take our rig and catch them. Avenge me, Juntao!"

Kehlani's ears were hit with that name and she fully turned to face them all, sidearm held at the ready. "Juntao?! You, Taavis?! You are Juntao!?"

Taavis set her own weapon on the deck before standing with arms hanging lax at her sides, facing the Klingon. She made no move that may cause her partner to fire. "In the flesh, Kehlani. Not something I let others know, readily."

"I have known you how many years? And, you did not trust me enough to tell me?" Kehlani was both hurt and angered by that. But, when one was a known leader of the Star Cabal it stood to reason that trust was something not to be taken lightly.

"I had planned to tell you once we were back on your ship," explained Taavis. "But, right now, we need to get those torpedoes out of the hands of the Orion Syndicate. Kill me later?" She arched her eyebrows and tilted her head with the question.

Kehlnai wanted to shoot Taavis in the leg, the arm, somewhere painful but not life threatening. But, when she spoke of the torpedoes Kehlani's duty-minded self got focused on one problem at a time. "You owe me a story...Juntao. For now, I will set aside my anger with you and vent it on that blue-skinned devil and his cohorts."

~How did Kehlani know he was blue-skinned?~ Taavis thought, quickly remembering that Rekar had just mentioned an Andorian.

"Can you two politic later," asked Rekar from the floor. "They're getting away. Our rig has a cupola and a pop up disruptor cannon. Small, but effective. Not to mention the ordinance within."

Taavis never took her eyes off of Kehlani. "Well? Do we pursue or argue?"

Kehlani, despite herself, gave a crooked grin and holstered her weapon. "We pursue. Not quarter given. They die!" With that said the Klingon bolted for the large four-wheeled truck with an enclosed sitting area, lightly armored.

Taavis followed, giving a laugh as she climbed inside with ehr friend. "Let's do this." As Kay started the truck and put it in drive, the fusion reactor thrumming to life as she accelerated out the door, Taavis added. "I will tell you everything when we have time, Kehlani. You have my word."

"Fair enough!" Kehlani raised her voice over the sound of the turbine drives now moving the vehicle.

"You drive, I'll get the weapons ready." Getting up, Taavis moved into the back of the vehicle. Opening the armory cases she took out two bandoliers of concussion and frag grenades, putting them over her shoulders so they formed an X over her chest and back, then took up a personal rifle and slinging that over her shoulders. Once those items were ready she began to check out the cupola and how it worked. "If need be we'll blast these jackasses within city limits! They have stolen Starfleet property, and we are Starfleet!"

"Gre'thor awaits them all!" Said Kehlani with a growling shout and punched the roof above her for affect.

***

-NOW-

The IKS Foe's Bane dropped from warp after a day's travel. The torpedoes were aboard and secure. Both women had worked together to open them and make sure that all their components were sound, only to find they were standard torps, not anything special. Kehlani had watched while Taavis went into a Romulan rage over it all, cursing enough to make even her eyebrowse raise on occasion. But, as promised, and after the examination, Taavis and Kehlani had spent the rest of the trip in the Klingon's Ready Room, with Taavis keeping her word to tell Kay everything. All of it, and at the end, offering Kehlani a shadowed, veiled place amongst her Star Cabal. After hearing about INVICTUS and their fight against Section31's methods, Kehlani readily joined, especially after hearing that one of the Inner Circle was a Klingon himself.

Sitting in her command chair Kehlani spoke over her shoulder. "Contact Mercury and request our docking bay. If unavailable, request permission to dock on the exterior." A few minutes went by and behlana spoke up. "Lieutenant Billi requests visual communication, HoD."

Kehlani stood up with Taavis coming over to stand at her side. "On screen." The visual overlay on the forward viewport came into being, showing the always attractive face of the Orion woman. "nuq neH, Billi."

Billi gave a smile. "Greetings, ladies. Welcome home. I'm the officer on deck at the moment. Your docking bay is available, HoD Kehlani and you are free to begin docking maneuvers. But, on a second note, were you successful?"

Taavis gave a grin of her own. She would really need to take some days in deep meditation to get her Vulcan discipline back. "We were. Torpedoes found and recovered, Lieutenant."

Biili's face showed relief. "The Commodore will be glad to hear that..."

"What commodore!" Both Billi and Taavis asked that in stereo, glanced at each other, then looked back to the screen.

"I thought you knew," said Billi. "Sureth was promoted to commodore recently. He is now commander in chief of all assets within the Mercury sector."

"Qapla'!" Stated kehlani, meaning it. She did not know Sureth that well but she still respected him. She was sure this sector had added a few grey hairs to his head, despite being Vulcan.

Taavis too, was impressed. Good. No more relying on Starfleet HQ for answers that could take days to get back to them. Now, with a sector commander in place, a flag officer, Mercury could more easily see to its own problems. "Please, Billi, let the Commodore know we have returned. I need to go to my quarters and clean up, but will be available in about two hours."

"I will send him a missive, Commander. You may continue docking procedures, Foe's Bane. Mercury, out." The transmission cut and the screen disappeared from the window.

IKS Foe's Bane proceded to dock internally. Once done the crew began to run diagnostics and see to maintenance before they left for shore leave. Taavis, on the other hand, left the Klingons to their duties and headed for her quarters to clean up and get dressed properly. It had been an exciting chase and fight to retrieve the torpedoes, with Ozhar Khintak personally eradicated by the hand of Juntao herself. One more colony secured for the Star Cabal and the safety of the Federation.

OFF:

Word Count: 1426