Revenge a dish best served cold

Posted on Mon Oct 14th, 2024 @ 12:42am by Commander Kevin Lance & Captain Mira Rodale

Mission: Deep freeze
Location: Matrix
Timeline: Lost.

ON:
{Norris corridor}

They seemed to be moving quickly. Mira was still in Kevin's arms, and he had told her he was taking her back to their quarters. She couldn't seem to keep her eyes open. "I am sorry."
She felt his hold on her tighten "Kitten you did nothing wrong. No more apologizing. "
"ok," She mumbled.

{Personal quarters}

Kevin sat her on the bed, but Mira fell back, making changing her difficult. Dressed in silky camisole and shorts set. he got her into bed, he smiled "everything it going to be OK, kitten. You take a little nap, and I'll be right back."

she grabbed for him, but it was weak and uncoordinated "no don't leave me, please."
Kevin's eyebrow creased in thought. Holding her would make her feel safer, but in a few moments, she would be out cold.
"I am just going to get Kolar. Doesn't that sound nice?"

Mira nodded and settled back in the bed. Kevin walked into Kolar's room, picking up his son and walking back.
"dada?" kolar asked half asleep.
"Hi Cub, how would you like to sleep with Mama for a little while. She needs hugs."

Kolar nodded.
As soon as he laid the boy in the bed, Mira's arms came around him, and she snuggled in. Whatever had kept her fighting to stay awake, she relaxed now.
{Captain’s quarters}

Mira awoke with a start. Adrenaline coursed through her as her fight or flight kicked in. A woman was staring at her, and she didn't look happy at all.

"What do you want?" Mira asked as she pulled Kolar closer to her.

The woman sighed, now looking bord. "I need to check the bed for one of my earrings. I must have lost it here."

"liar," Kolar told her with a frown. "My dada doesn't let you or anyone in our quarters. I am telling."

The woman looked worried now. "You little half breed. Why our Captain would wanting ...."

Yet another woman walked into the room. "What do you think you're doing in the Captain’s quarters. " Dianna eyes here narrowed.

Mira wasn't sure what to do now, "Kevin told me to sleep."

Dianna smiled at her. "I know hun these are your quarters. That" she pointed to the other woman "has no business here."

The other woman smiled. "I am looking for my earrings. I already told her that."

"As if the captain would have something like you in his bed while he is searching for his wife? Your delusional. " Just then, Awal walked in. He kissed the top of Dianna's "problem, sweetheart?"

Dianna nodded. "illegal entry into the Captain’s quarters with the intent to do harm."

"and lying, she is a liar." Kolar told him nodded.

Awal nodded. "I will be sure to add that to her list of charges. " he snapped his fingers, and two more security officers entered, taking the woman away. He turned to look at Mira. " I need to search the quarters to see if she left anything unpleasant around. Deanna brought breakfast for you two. "

Mira nodded, slipping long bare legs out of the bed. Deanna helped her into a silk robe. "Come on." she wrapped an arm around her, helping her walk out and to a table to sit."

"Where is Kevin?" asked Mira, worried if everyone should even be here.

"he is on the bridge handling some things right now. Let's eat before the doctor gets here." Deanna told her.

Mira looked at the food, trying her best to eat it, but she felt tired and felt uncoordinated. Why was she feeling like this? And where was Kevin?

{Bridge}

Kevin stood over the plotting board that dominated the center of the combat bridge, analyzing the graphic data that was displayed there. He was joined by his second officer and the assistant tactical officer. Kronnelti was off somewhere on other business, likely pertaining to the Royalist sympathizers in their ranks.

"Based on the data acquired from the Fornax Base Station database," Montgomery was explaining, "We know the name of the ship that transferred Mira to the station. Based on the lack of facilities on the station, we are assuming that the Royal wipe was conducted before she arrived on Fornax."

Kevin nodded. That fit with what they knew about the Royalist's treatment of prisoners. Brian wipes were conducted immediately once interrogation was complete. A wiped prisoner was easier to manage. Even if they had the desire to escape, prisoners didn't know where to go or who to trust. Even close friends appeared to be total strangers. Just like Mira not recognizing him in the cantina and insisting that she needed get back to work.

"I still intend to repay the Fornax Station but right now I want to maintain our focus on the bigger fish," he tapped the control panel and the image of a Royalist battlecruiser appeared."

"The Indefatigable," Montgomery announced, "a Class III Royalist cruiser, twice our size and almost as well armed. She is built to take a bruising and dish it back out. A large arsenal of long range weaponry creates layered defense that is designed to protect against hit-and-run raiders. Like ourselves."

"What sort of power do the weapons have?" Kevin asked.

"Mostly type B and C," the second officer continued, "Normally wouldn't do diddly against our shields and armor but with the shear number of weapons? That's a whole lot of diddly."

"Best tactical solution?"

"Stay at standoff range and lob missiles at them," the tactical officer suggested.

"Yes, but alone, the Norris lacks a sufficient number of launchers to overcome their defenses," Montgomery pointed out, "We would need two or three more ships, or a carrier strike wing, to have a chance for that to work."

Kevin grimaced. So it would be a straight up slugfest. "Our weapons are more powerful but we have to get in close to use them most effectively," he mused, "And we will need to use our speed to reduce our exposure to their fire."

"The prudent thing to do would be to let this be and go on to another, softer target," Montgomery suggested.

"I just put a dozen crewmen out an airlock," Kevin countered peevishly, "and you want me to be prudent?"

The second officer raised his hand defensively, "I was merely pointing it out. And we still have to find Indefatigable. All we have is where she was heading three weeks ago."

"Then that is where we will start," Kevin ordered and turning to the communications tech he continued, "Chin, I want all sensor and communication resources that we can spare tasked to finding where that Royalist ship is. No one sleeps until it is found."

Chin wasn't certain that the Captain was speaking hyperbolically. Maybe he did expect everyone to pull 24-hour shifts. All that he could do was respond, "Aye, Captain."

Walking in Awol spoke to the captain, "Deanna and Venus are in your quarters to help Mira and watch over Kolar. When they got there, they heard voices coming from your quarters. Entering, they found crewmen Bryne. She was tying to convince Mira that she had replaced her. Some BS about losing earrings the last time she was over, and she called your son a half breed."

"She did what?" Kevin asked, the anger rising in his voice.

Awol nodded. "Kolar made his own charges against Bryne for being a liar. Sir, promised I would add the charges along with illegal entry into your personal quarters with the intent to do harm. She had a knife, and she placed these all over your quarters."

When Kevin held out his hand Awal gave him a small listening devices. "They were even in Kolar's room. Somehow, Mira awoke, interrupting her. In interrogation, Bryne swore that you two are a couple. I didn't harm her just in case you wanted to deal with it. Your personal business is your own, Sir." He still looked disapproving of the idea.

Why did she need to plant so many, Kevin wondered. He hardly knew Bryne. She was part of the engineering team but he had never spoken directly to her. Mira had delighted in teaseing him that the female crewmen found him "dreamy" but he couldn't remember Bryne giving him any special attention. He didn't have time for this. "Toss her out the airlock with the rest," he ordered angrily.

Awal looked over the plans. "There are a few crews that want a piece of this ship. It would be a feather in your cap to take this out."

"Yeah? Well the trick is doing so without getting ourselves killed," Kevin snapped.

Awal nodded. "Then call the few ships that have a beef with this one. they would owe you for this privilege and one might even know where it is. I posted a guard outside of your quarters when you're not there with them. The doctor had just arrived when I left, Sir. " He gave a nod. "I'll handle the trash now." he said before he left.

Kevin gave additional orders for the ship to follow the enemy's last known direction then departed the bridge for his quarters. He was worried about Mira and confused about why Bryne had been planting so many listening devices.

{Captain's Quarters}

Kevin arrived as K'ner was finishing up with Mira. "How is she?" he asked quietly.

"Physically, she is fine," the doctor reported, "but her long term memory is still severely compromised. The injection wore off and I administered a lower dose oral sedative to manage anxiety that won't knock her out."

"What is the prognosis for getting back to normal?"

K'ner looked doubtfully toward where Mira was playing with Kolar and Venus. "The Royal wipe destroys parts of the brain but it is different person to person. Sometimes the parts that are destroyed hold the long term memories themselves. Other times is the pathways to the neocortex but the memories themselves remain intact, just isolated."

It was all over Kevin head so he prompted, "Which means?"

K'ner pursed her lips. "The Royals don't implant memories so there is no need for deprogramming. Her brain could rebuild the connections with her memories if the parts of the brain where they are are stored wasn't destroyed. If they were, she will need to learn about her past through other's memories. Either way, getting her back into her routine and talking to her about the past is the best thing we can do right now."

"What about the compliance conditioning?"

"I can do something about that," K'ner answered, "The body has been trained to exhibit physiological effects when the brain registers a negative response. Could be mechanical or psychological. I will know better after running a few more tests...physical tests not emotional...but either condition is treatable."

"Thank you, doctor," Kevin nodded. As she left, Kevin approached Mira. "Are you three having fun?"

Mira, still dressed in a short silky robe, stood up fluidly, quickly wrapping her arms around Kevin in a huge. She pressed her cheek to his chest.. Mira had started to worry she would ever see him again. They had told her he was working, but part of her hadn't believed it.

"I missed you," She told him as she looked up at him. Kolar had wrapped his arms around his leg.

"I missed you too, Kitten," Kevin just held her tight. Whatever it took, he would help her find her way back to herself.

"Dada, I potect Mama." Kolar told him with a smile.

"So you did, Cub," Kevin smiled as he wiped away a tear forming in his eye, "Now I think we should take her to breakfast."

Dianna picked up Venus "Let me know when you need me again." She smiled before leaving.

:off

Commander Kevin Lance
Executive Officer
USS Chuck Norris

and

Captain Mira Rodale
CO USS Chuck Norris