Tumbleweed

Posted on Sun Mar 10th, 2024 @ 9:09pm by Commander Kevin Lance & Captain Mira Rodale

Mission: Thunderdome
Location: Paarth Elion Three
Timeline: Current

on:
{outskirts of the Paarthian settlement}

True to his word, Trace had gotten the truck running in two hours and the half a day walk to the nearest Paarthian settlement was cut down to a mere thirty minutes. Trace sat in the driver's cab with Geneva next to him while Kevin and Mira lounged in the back.

As they approached the settlement, small farms dotted the countryside with Paartians working the fields. They were smaller than the fields at the encampment which left Kevin wondering about the amount of labor needed to tend the crops.

"There seems to be an inordinate number of Paarthians devoted to agriculture," he shouted over the din of the truck engine.

Mira nodded as she bit her lip. "Makes sense seeing as everything is done by hand. This is their main source of food. So why not take the crops back at the encampment? Or even leave someone to water them? Why kill the ones taking care of the crops? " she narrowed her eyes. "Most working are women." She was ending up with more questions than answers.

Kevin seemed to remember that prior to the agricultural revolution on Earth something like ninety percent of the population was devoted to raising or gathering food.

"We're coming up on the settlement," Trace shouted from the driver's cab.

Kevin stuck his head out the hatch on the top of the truck. The farms had given way to a collection of buildings surrounded by a ramshackle wall. Rocky ramparts composed of unfinished stone and wood palisades surrounding the settlement looked rather haphazardly constructed and Kevin doubted that they could deter a determined assault. The road that they were on lead up to a wooden gate that appears to be too small to allow the truck to past through.

A guard looked over the parapet and asked, "Whaddaya what?"

Kevin replied, "I yem Kiven Lanse. I wood spick wid your leeder." Mira shook her head. His accent was truly atrocious.

The guard gave Kevin a strange look. "Ya talk funny."

"I's from da sooth," Kevin answered.

"Well, y'all never get your vehicle through the gate," the guard responded, "Y'all have to dismount."

Kevin climbed down off the truck, followed by Mira. In Federation Standard he said to her, "Maybe you should do the talking."

Mira bit her lip. "Maybe, but it will draw a lot of attention to me. Some we might not want." The gates open, and the guards' eyes seemed to linger far too long on Geneva and herself. Better get this over with she thought. In perfect, Paarthian Mira told them, "My Alpha would like to speak with your Alpha." she gave a little head bow, not meeting the guards' eyes. Mira had never been one to not hold her head high and boldly look anyone in the eye. She had stared even Klingons in the eyes.

Vaytoc jumped out of the back of the truck and stalked to her side. Mira picked up his leash.

The guards took a step back at seeing a large spadtor by her side. Vaytoc's head rubbed her leg and then eyed the guards.

"This way," the guard told them.

Kevin and Mira followed the guard through the gate. The buildings were tightly packed together and odd mixture of what was likely pre-fall architecture and shelters that had been constructed in the twenty-years since. Kevin guessed that this had likely been a small residential community that had become a bastion for survivors.

Denizen of the settlement, old and young alike went about their business. Kevin and Mira drew more than their fair share of curious stares, particularly from the children, mostly due to the fact that they were strangers in unusual clothing. When he looked their way, the women and girls averted their eyes but the males met his gaze, though with little ill-intent.

As they approached the largest building in the settlement, a well maintained, two-story pre-fall house, they encountered four young men reclining lazily on chairs or crates. Their visible weapons and lack of any useful occupation left Kevin with the impression that they were part of a privileged class that the other men of the settlement were not part of.

As soon as Mira came into their view, they began shouting cat calls at her. Interestingly enough, they were less about her and much more about Kevin's inadequacies and suppositions that they would be much better protector and providers for her. Kevin ignored their comments but Mira saw the muscles in his back and shoulders tense up.

Mira did her best to take everything in and not meet anyone's eyes, not an easy feat. As she walked, she noticed how the surrounding area slowly got cleaner. More than likely, to do with being in the upper class

"Alpha? what questions do you want to ask?" she whispered, still knowing her voice could be heard and playing her part as well as she could. Plus, she had to keep reminding herself not to punch anyone in the face.

"I don't think the Paarthians understand Federation Standard," he replied, "You can probably drop the 'Alpha" when we are talking to each other."

The biggest of the thugs stepped in front of Kevin causing him to stop short. "Before you see the boss," he said, "you have to pay the tax."

"Wad tex?" Kevin replied. The other three thugs lined up behind their leader, between Kevin and the large house.

The young tough looked past Kevin to Mira, who kept her head down. "Clearly you're too stupid to properly care for a woman," he sneered, "I will take good care of her and it will settle your tax." Kevin noticed that the guard that had been escorting them starting inching away from him.

"Zhe is knot for buying," Kevin answered flatly.

The tough spread his arms. "Then I guess that I will just have to take her from you," he announced, then his had dropped to the knife at his waist.

Kevin had been expecting an attack so he rapidly punched the sole of his boot into the tough's knee. The strike caught the tough off-guard and he almost collapsed as his knee buckled back. As it was, he fumbled drawing his knife which gave Kevin the opportunity to grab him by the wrist with his left hand and punching the opponent in the face with his right.

I took three strikes to the thug's face before he crumpled under the assault. Kevin release his wrist and gave him a swift kick to the ribs for good measure. The thug writhed on the ground and releases a low moan but was otherwise made no effort to respond.

Mira put her hand on her sword. She had aged it and pitted it to make it look very well used.
She also knew how to use it if necessary but for now it kept more from joining the fight. She couldn't join the fight unless things went south.

"Whoose nixt?" Kevin threatened the remaining toughs. They all raised their hand, keeping them well away from their weapons, and babbled denials of wanting to challenge Kevin themselves.

:off

Lieutenant Commander Kevin Lance
Executive Officer
USS Chuck Norris

And

Commander Mira Rodale
CO
USS Chuck Norris