Graham's surprised as Nia takes his arm, but does not pull away. He listens silently, then says quietly, "Thanks. It's all right, I'll just get to work here."
He nods slightly, still wondering why she felt it necessary to belay his previous orders, but whatever...
He gestures toward Kalo. "Kalo...I assume you have a good read on who's-who here? We need to ID all Krako's or Cledd's muscle. Plus anybody who might've been in his inner circle or heard any juicy stuff...girlfriends or whatever."
Cledd makes a sour face. "Go to hell," he says to Onn.
All of the previously-confiscated Starfleet gear is soon properly redistributed.
Kalo is able to easily point out his men and Krako's, as well as those who are just guests of the Paramount. He tells Graham, his lip curling a little, "All of these guys with Krako are just his goons, his gunsels and foot soldiers. I doubt he confided in any of 'em. Zabo is his right-hand man, and I don't see him here."
Garcia listens to Onn and says, "I'd be glad to talk to Mr. Morris, ma'am. And of course I agree that the Okmyxes, father and son, and the cousin, are definitely worth further questioning. Seems to me you have things well in hand; I don't have any other suggestions for next steps."
Graham nods in acknowledgment. "Right. Well if I had my way, we'd round this Zabo up for questioning too." He scowls and shrugs. "We'll see how that goes, I guess."
Nia smiles appreciatively at Garcia. "Thanks. Also, you get some points for pronouncing 'Okmyxes.' Doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, does it? Guess that's why you're in Communications."
Garcia seems like a decent guy. Ajay told her the gossip about some dust-up down on OCIII regarding his allegedly having endangered Kylah--who else?--but it was pretty bad luck to be assigned to be that girl's backup in the first place. Like trying to lead a snowman through a forest fire.
Anyway, he's not someone she's worked with much, and he's been awfully quiet since she's joined the mission. Then again, his role seems nebulous. Why did Rangin choose two Communications officers? Well, maybe Garcia came in handy before I got here, who knows?
She turns to Rangin with her warm smile still intact, expecting a reply, or a nod, or really anything at all would be nice. Maybe he's pissed off at her alluding to his connection with Kylah. Or maybe he's also still steamed at her taking over the mission. Not my idea, bub.
Her hips shift slightly. She's anxious to get in touch with the Captain already and get permission to beam the hell off this planet and take a bunch of alien prisoners with her. "And you, Ensign?"
Rangin patiently waits while Lt Garcia finishes, before he responds politely to Lt Onn's questions with a nod of his head. "The only dealings, I have had with Mr Morris, were when we first beamed down to make sure he was safe. Other than that he was with T'Var's group."
He's not sure why she is bringing up any history he has with Kylah, probably at Graham's request to needle him when they can. That would be typical of him and quite possibly of her. Better to stay calm and neutral and give little away.
"I think talking to all of them to try and discern what they know is a good idea, although I don't believe inviting him for a drink to relax will necessarily work at this point. As for any ideas, I'd ask if there are any more private rooms in this establishment where it is more likely to put people at ease when talking to them instead of trying it here."
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
Well, at least he's talking to me. Nia nods at Rangin's comments. "Good idea, that. Morris probably wants to get back in touch with his comrades--at least, I would, if I'd been separated from my colleagues who were then put in danger--but I have the inclination to keep them separate for a little while longer. So go find a waiter or maybe one of the fellas up here--" She tilts her head up at the stage and musicians. "See if they can offer some space to chat with Morris. I need to contact the Captain, so maybe I'll have more info for you if the news that Cledd and Krako are in custody has reached the hired hands we beamed up. Seems like a bargain can be made now that they know their boss or bosses are out of the picture."
She examines both of them. Garcia has rank and communications experience; Rangin has... well, he's from Coridan. You don't survive a place like that without some skill in negotiating with thugs. Plus, for whatever reason Nia can't fathom, Singh did originally want him in charge of the mission. Just because he took too long to make decisions doesn't mean he can't still gain leadership experience.
"Rangin, you had charge of things before I got here. I'm gonna deputize you, so to speak, by ceding the leadership role to you while I speak with the ship and possibly beam up, either temporarily or permanently. Both of you are smart and you don't think like Security. Sometimes law and order types are the figurative hammers who think everything's a nail, know what I mean? We need hammers, but we also need... um... other tools. Levers, crowbars, tweezers..." Nia finds herself grinning. "Okay, I lost the metaphor, but I'm sure you get the point.
"So, talk to Morris, and... maybe some of the other Krako goonlets. They might know where Zabo is likely to hide, not to mention Yommyck or whatever the fu--the hell his name was. Given how long you were working with Zabo, you're probably interested in seeing him get his comeuppance." Comeuppance? Where did that come from? Talk like a normal person, lady. "If that means coordinating with the other Security folks, go for it. Okay? Thanks, guys."
She gives them an encouraging smile and, assuming they don't have any more words for her, will walk back to lean against the stage--damn, these heels are killing her--and will flip open her communicator. "Onn to Captain Singh and Commander Vargas. I have a status report and a couple of questions, time permitting. Can I proceed?"
Three Crows gives orders, and the Yorktown Security personnel fan out throughout the Paramount. They secure the building and establish checkpoints. They also find several comfortable suites upstairs - apparently for private parties, gambling and who knows what else - that would be suitable for discussion or interrogation.
Krako begins groggily emerging from having been phaser-stunned.
The Captain says, "Singh here. You and your landing party should know that Ens. Kylah is being treated in Sickbay and her injuries are definitely not life-threatening. But yes, please proceed, Lieutenant."
"Thank you, ma'am. Just a moment..." Nia mutes the communicator and takes a moment to exhale in relief. She might not think much of the girl but she sure as hell doesn't want Ensign Kylah seriously hurt. She looks around at her team. "Landing party members. Ensign Kylah is being treated and should be okay. Thought you'd wanna know." If she can catch Graham's eye, she'll smile encouragingly.
Then she returns to her communicator. "Here's the situation, Captain, and it's a little tricky. There are upwards of a dozen people involved in this CAG scheme, which as far as I can gather was as much a con job as a kidnapping. The primary figures are Mr. Krako, who is still stunned..." Nia tilts her head to judge if this is still accurate. She didn't think her weapon was set high enough to knock him out this long. Yommyck, or whatever his frickin' name was, recovered more quickly and he fell down the stairs and bonked his head. Ah, but now she sees he's moving around a bit. Good.
"...And, uh, his apparent but unadmitted cohort, Cledd Okmyx, the President's oldest son. To be honest, Ensign Kylah seems to have gotten some kind of admission from Krako or Cledd, or maybe she just guessed, but all I know comes from her own accusations. And that's what got Krako to try and shut her up with his knife. So it'll help us figure out motive if we get Kylah's testimony at some point. Unless we get some confessions, but from what I'm seeing of Cledd Okmyx, that seems unlikely.
"The short version, at least according to Ensign Kylah's theory, is that Krako arranged for Cledd to kidnap the hostages, intending to frame the President. Krako's alleged idea was to help us 'find' the CAG in order to curry favor with the Federation. So it doesn't seem the hostages were ever in real danger--not that being held against their will for a week isn't bad enough.
"Anyway. The tricky part is how to deal with the suspects. In addition to Krako and Cledd Okmyx, there are also their associates and various gunmen in our custody too, although some are at large--including Krako's right-hand guy, who I'd really like to get my hands on. What makes me pause is the jurisdiction issue. And, less important but still significant, the, uh, protocol.
"The President's agreed to help us and come aboard the Yorktown, and I think that someone at his level warrants being met and spoken to by... well, you, Captain. Or Commander Vargas, anyway." She winces at her last words, although she smiles simultaneously at the phrasing. Vargas won't like being called an 'anyway,' she suspects--not by her. Damn, how many stupid things have I said this mission? Bilitrium, where are you when I need you? She inhales deeply.
"Meanwhile, of course, I need your decision on who to bring up to the ship. Security wants possession of them, I'm sure, but... well, I'm looking at the bigger picture here. This is a sovereign planet, not a Federation member. The suspects aren't our citizens. But Starfleet personnel were kidnapped, and one officer just had an attempt on her life, so... whose jurisdiction is this? Who gets to prosecute and advocate for the suspects? Or judge them? Or even take care of the punishment, if any?" Nia lifts her arm, somewhat helplessly. "That's all above my level, I know, Captain, but before I drag anyone off this planet I want to make sure it's okay to do so without messing up any future legal proceedings. And, finally, there's the issue of the missing suspects, like Krako's associate, Zabo, who's at large. Do we try to round him up, if we can? I await your instructions, ma'am."
Last edited by SidonianGal; 14 Feb 2017 at 08:13 PM.
Graham sighs and forces himself to relax a bit and nod in response to what he takes to be Nia's deliberate glance his way.
He notes that Krako seems to be stirring, and while Nia is--as well she should, he conceedes, although it's not how he would have secured the scene, briefs the Captain--moves toward the prone goon.
He waits for her to be done in order to ask if he can take custody of the prisoner--because for god's sake he can't be free to leave...
He's more at peace with being patient, positioning himself above Krako, because as far as he is concerned any threatening move by the goon by every standard of procedure, until told otherwise, justifies using whatever force is necessary to control a violent felon.
"Thank you, Mr. Onn," the Captain says. There is a pause, and Onn can practically hear her thinking. "Federation law generally permits us to arrest, and take offworld for prosecution, those who commit crimes against Starfleet personnel. But the Prime Directive still applies, although only partly, to Sigma Iotia II. It's a pre-warp culture, but it was contacted and extensively culturally contaminated by the Horizon crew before the Prime Directive ever took effect. Capt. Kirk did his best to repair or ameliorate the damage, and the Civil Advisory Groups, and the Syndicate he established, were intended to continue that process." She sighs. "Recent events have complicated things even more, obviously. In short, it's a mess." Another pause. "All right. At a minimum, I think you should determine who are the principal wrongdoers, and either interrogate down there, or beam up to the ship, those whom you believe, using your best judgment, deserve further investigation. I leave that to your discretion. And if you believe you can safely do so, Lieutenant, you should release all innocent civilians from the scene - guests of the club, for instance - and any subordinate, uh, gangsters, who did nothing but follow orders from their bosses."
Krako sits up, shivers and rubs his eyes. Mahmoud is standing nearby, watching him, and smiles as Graham approches.
Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 15 Feb 2017 at 12:45 AM.
Rangin nods at Lt. Onn orders and turns to Lt. Garcia. "Let's start with Lt. Morris and see what he will say."
He heads off to find Morris and one of those quiet rooms for an effective debrief.
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
Nia thanks the captain and looks around the ballroom, hoping to get her ducks in a row. She notes Graham's changed position and moves over to join him.
"Sorry about the delay. I needed to discuss protocol and jurisdiction issues before we started beaming up possible prisoners to the ship. Long and the short of it is, the Captain says we can bring up whoever our main participants/co-conspirators are--or, you can interview them down here. It's up to you.
"Meanwhile, the guests are free to go, and apparently so are the gangsters who were 'only following orders,' which I guess is the kind of justice one can expect on this planet." Nia shakes her head slightly and says in an undertone, "One of those 'following orders' types did his best to drill two dozen holes into me not long ago. If I ate more pasta and swam fewer laps, he'd've caught me for sure and I'd be the one getting stitched up--or more likely I'd be joining Fujishiro out in the vast vacuum out there. So I'm not feeling as charitable toward the foot soldiers as those on the Bridge."
She shrugs. "Anyway. I survived and I'm here. So can we talk for a second in relative private? I need your advice. This is obviously a Security specialty. Not to mention that of the entire original landing party, you're the only one still planetside who was present for this whole..." Nia's hand whirls to gesture around the room. "...This whole escalating mobster showdown thing. With Kylah in Sickbay and T'Var there too, you're our only witness. We only heard the bare essentials through your communicator--which, by the way, smart move on that."
She smiles, glances down at Krako, and takes a step backward. "Let's talk and let Mahmoud babysit the ersatz Feddie. That okay?"
Last edited by SidonianGal; 15 Feb 2017 at 08:52 PM.
Graham takes a deep breath and blinks for a long moment. "Of course," and, he adds more quietly, "Nia."
"Bear in mind this...guy...is likely up on attempted murder charges, Faisal," Graham says gruffly, glancing from Krako to his friend.
He gestures for Nia to follow and says under his breath, "Just following direct orders from their bosses and taking the initiative wihtout a direct order to take a shot are two different things I'm willing to take issue with, to the Captain." He pauses. "I'm...I'm glad you're OK. And, uh, you're a convincing flirtatious drunk."
Rangin and Garcia head upstairs with Morris and find a quiet room to talk. "What's going on?" Morris asks on the way. "Aren't we going up to the ship now? I'd like to see the other CAG members."
Mahmoud nods and says to Graham, "Understood. He's not going anywhere."
Three Crows, who overheard the Captain, says, "Anybody who actually shot at you should qualify as a 'principal wrongdoer,' I'd say, Mr. Onn."
Kylah wakes up alone in a darkened Sickbay recovery room. The lifesigns status monitor over her bed emits a quiet, regular thump, tracking her heartbeat. Her shoulder is a little sore; she is very tired but feels all right otherwise. After a few seconds Dr. T'Var comes in. "Hello, Ensign," she says. "I'm glad to see you again. You needed a little surgery and a blood transfusion, but your injuries are healed. How do you feel?"
Kylah tries to focus on the doctor. Part of her mind is still on the planet, in the ballroom--she was there only a second ago, it seems--and she cannot quite accept her new surroundings, familiar though they are.
"Tired. Bruised. But..." She starts to look toward her right, to the shoulder and chest where she remembers seeing the knife slicing through her flesh, and then nothing but blood. The movement hurts and her head falls back on the bed. "...I am all right."
Her voice sounds weak and groggy even to herself, but she persists. "I do not know how I got here, but I know I must owe you my life. Thank you, Doctor. It is not enough, but... thank you." Licking her lips, which feel dry, she takes as big a breath as her leftover soreness will allow. "How long have I been here? Is everything... are all of us safe? The crew, I mean. And what happened to--"
A man's reddened face, twisted in fury, flashes before her. She closes her eyes with a shudder, pauses, then finishes, "What happened to Krako? And Cledd? Please tell me, Doctor."
Last edited by choie; 16 Feb 2017 at 04:01 AM.
Something that's been stretched and taut within Nia seems to relax when Booker utters her name in that quiet voice intended just for her. The fact that a kidnapper/con-man/potential murderer and the guy guarding him might have overheard it doesn't diminish the moment.
She catches Three Crows' comment and smiles, somewhat ruefully. "Good to know. Trouble is, I kinda gave him a free ticket to splitsville when he, uh, passed along some information." Nia prefers not to give further details until both Okmyxes, Elder and Lesser, are out of hearing. "I have no idea where he ran off to, but I know he didn't intend to be found. So, yeah, that one's on me. What can I say, I made the deal and I keep my word."
She follows Booker and accidentally-on-purpose brushes her arm up against his as they reach a more private space. Nia is glad to view him, squarely, not having to use her peripheral vision or a sidelong glance. "Thanks for the compliment. Flirtatiousness isn't really my style. Usually I just get straight to the point." She smiles up at him. "And truth is, I've never actually been drunk--I can't get drunk, at least I haven't found anything that's worked so far. Not since I left Sidonia. Even there, women like me aren't allowed--"
Shit. Shit shit shit. Nia stops that line of thought dead. She sure as hell isn't going to get into that now.
"Doesn't matter. I just mean, I can thank my act to how many of my pals have gotten soused to the gills. Now I get to compliment your playacting: From what I heard, you make a pretty convincing jealous, proprietary pig when it came to trying to get Kylah out of there. Almost too convincing." Her eyebrow raises with mock suspicion. "Then again, you didn't know I was nearby."
Her playful tone fades. "I hope my showing up wasn't a problem. I made sure Rangin didn't tell you I was down here. I didn't want to throw you off your game. I know you're a professional and you've probably served with women you've been involved with... but it felt like the right decision once I was called in."
It's on the tip of her tongue to explain about Collins--he doesn't seem to have noticed that his protege's not here--but Nia quickly makes another judgment call to leave that unsaid for now, at least until either they're back on the ship or he asks... whichever comes first.
She also wants to talk about her experience and find out how he feels about what happened with Krako and make sure he's not beating himself up over Kylah... but none of this should be dealt with now. Tonight, she thinks hopefully. Though the dull ache in her chest reminds her that tonight she needs to rest and replenish. Fuck. Okay. Tomorrow night, then.
"Anyway. To business. As I said, this is obviously a Security job, and you're the guy who's been present this whole time, so as far as I'm concerned you are it regarding any interrogations or operations you find necessary to undertake. The president's willing to join us on the ship, but I'm wondering how he'll feel with his son getting the third degree, much less how in hell Cledd will get punished. Or Krako or any of the others. Krako's as good as dead if he stays here on the planet. But we can't cart him around on the ship, so..."
She shakes her head at the big mess. Singh was right. This really screws things up as far as the Prime Directive goes--or any semblance of Federation justice.
Can't think about that now. "Point is, what are your thoughts? Who do we interview down here, if anyone? Or should we go up to the ship? Who gets questioned separately, who gets grouped together?"
Last edited by SidonianGal; 16 Feb 2017 at 05:27 AM.
Dr. T'Var says, "You've been back aboard ship for about half an hour. Everyone is safe; no one else was injured. Lt. Onn and two Security teams have established control over the nightclub. Mr. Krako was phaser-stunned by Ens. Graham just as he attacked you, and is now, I believe, in custody. Cledd is also being detained."
Kylah take another deep breath, this one of relief. But she is still uneasy. "Mr. Krako... he was the instigator, Doctor. He fed off Cledd's resentment toward his father. Cledd was offered a position of power, in return for taking the hostages. I know this. They...I was so close to them... they as much as told me. But not aloud." Her voice is very soft as she acknowledges what she sensed from the two men.
Then she shakes her head. "But you know that such information is of no use. Both because I cannot reveal how I know this, and also because... there was no real proof. I took a guess about there being DNA on the mainframe but even if such tests were positive--" She stares up questioningly at T'Var, but goes on before the doctor can answer her. "Even if fingerprints or DNA existed, I knew they could be explained if, say, Krako ever visited the CAG building. It was not enough.
"So... that is why I... why I escalated things. I thought we needed an admission. I thought if I kept accusing Krako, and he continued to blame Cledd and his father, eventually Cledd would have to acknowledge the truth. But he was willing for his father to be framed, even for himself to be considered the only guilty party, rather than reveal that he had been acting on Krako's behalf. I do not understand that."
And yet, as she speaks, she wonders if she might understand after all. Would she give up Aldaan in such a scenario? As much as she fears him, she still feels loyalty toward him, as family, as the only person who accepted her, more than her parents ever did. There is also a faint sense of pride. She would not want to be considered a mere puppet.
"That is why I goaded Krako, Doctor. It did not work. I never expected... I never expected to be attacked. Again." Kylah closes her blurring eyes, hoping to prevent herself from crying, but when she opens them again the hot tears against her skin prove the effort failed. "Dr. T'Var," she says after a time. "Was I right? About the DNA, I mean? Do you think I will be questioned? And if so... what can I say if people ask me how I knew?"
T'Var replies, "I understand that the rescued CAG personnel have already said, in debriefing, that Krako was never, to their knowledge, in the safe house. He would thus have had no opportunity to come in contact with their SC42-D3 mainframe until after they were kidnapped, but traces of his DNA were found on it. Your stratagem worked, Ensign, although unfortunately not quite as you had hoped it would." She thinks. "You may indeed be questioned, or at least debriefed. If you still do not wish to disclose your telepathic gifts, perhaps you could say that you made an educated guess, or simply, as I recall the Earth phrase, 'played a hunch.'"
She gives Kylah a handkerchief and says tentatively, "I regret that you are distressed. Would... a hug be welcomed by you at this time? I could raise my mental defenses to avoid any unwanted psi contact."
Graham clears his throat. "Sorry I was, ah, put off earlier...I wanted to take advantage of the situation, use the momentum...get Krako, Cledd and Yeg off-balance and into an unfamiliar environment where they felt powerless--and we could let 'em stew for a bit--ASAP."
He shrugs. "Figure somebody could file a diplomatic complaint later. From a Security perspective we had an officer down and a hot scene."
"I think we want the president--voluntarily, even I get that--on Yorktown. Ditto Krako and Cledd, I think we have full justification to hold them onboard, and sepratetly, till we interrogate them. We want Yeg too...I think he'll turn evidence. But we may have to ask him if he'll come volnutarily, given that we secured the scene at this point. Maybe we treat Yeg kinda nice, get him a drink, a comfortable room, so long he seems amenable to coming clean."
Graham frowns. "Trick is Okmyx...I mean, what's he gonna want to believe, and then wants he gonna want to do when it comes to Cledd. And even I don't want Krako executed out of hand."
"Even you," Nia says, smiling despite the gravity of the situation. "That is saying something. Everyone knows you're a shoot-first, sort-out-the-dead kind of guy. But yeah, I think we both know the odds of Okmyx letting Krako live after attempting that kind of betrayal and getting his stupid kid involved are slim to none.
"But... as far as how you were handling the scene... your instincts were probably right. You and I both know this whole thing should've been led by Security in the first place. Maybe I was wrong to put the brakes on things. It's just, I've seen the Federation get a bee in its collective bonnet over legalities. Sometimes they let some really crappy situations stand rather than violating their code of honor. I'm sure you've bumped up against that sorta thing even more than I have.
"Anyway. We'll go with your instincts--and since I have kind of a hostile thing going with Cledd, maybe I shouldn't be in there with him. Or maybe I should; your call. I agree with you about Okmyx being a problem, too. Right now he's Mr. Helpful. But if he can, I think he'll try to make sure his kid is protected no matter what.
"But what about... Damn, I just lost my train of thought. Sorry, I'm a little..." Nia rubs her temples, feeling somewhat dizzy. What time is it? She pulls out her communicator to check, but continues speaking as she does. "Oh, yeah. What about legal representation? You had more time with the mission briefing than I did--my briefing took about five minutes. So maybe you know: do they even have lawyers or whatever the equivalent is here on the planet? Delaney acted as the defense for a court martial case not so long ago--before you got on board--so maybe he'll have to be present. Or... well, I guess we can just ask Okmyx..."
Nia is slowing down not just because she's tired or because her Bilitrium levels are low. The truth is, she's been staring at Booker's face and right now the pull to kiss him is almost overwhelming. And it's not that he's attractive--though he definitely is--or even because she cares deeply for him--though she definitely does. But after that gun incident and the Kylah stabbing, Nia needs to feel connected to life. The real, warm, pulsing life of Booker's mouth beneath hers, on hers. On her.
"Um..." Her skin feels hot. "Also... so... one more thing. What are your thoughts on Morris?" She realizes she's stepped closer to him, and reluctantly inches back. Talk about Rangin. That'll throw cold water on the situation like nothing else will. "I sent Rangin and Garcia to chat with him 'cause from what little I did hear when I was briefed, it seemed weird that he managed to escape all this. Am I paranoid? Did you spot anything off with him?"
Last edited by SidonianGal; 18 Feb 2017 at 12:41 AM.
Kylah has started carefully dabbing at her tears with the handkerchief when T'Var makes her offer. She looks up in surprise. And then she cannot help it: despite her soreness and fear and self-recriminations, a sound bursts from her lips that starts as a sob, but quickly turns into laughter.
"Forgive me, Doctor, I am not laughing at you. It is just... the way you asked, so formally..." After blowing her nose and satisfying herself that her face is clean, she shakes her head. "I suppose that is laughing at you. I am sorry, truly, Doctor."
The laughter settles into a small smile, and then her expression returns to normal. "I do not know when I last laughed," she says, looking down at the crumpled handkerchief. Finally she returns to T'Var. "I am relieved that it seems Krako will not be able to talk his way out of the evidence. At least I did something right. And..." Her voice is very soft. "I would appreciate a hug, actually."
T'Var says "No apology necessary," and gives Kylah a long, close hug.
Rangin smiles politely at the CAG member as they settle quietly in one of the rooms, wondering what information they are likely to get out of him.
"Thank you for joining us Lt. Morris, unfortunately, we need to try and gather as much information as possible about the situation while we can." He sighs as if the activity they are about to commence is undesired but necessary. "With the scenes that just occurred, we need to know what the people on this planet knew about the CAG and its situation, at least from your point of view. Once we have that down, I'm sure you will be able to visit the others, but duty calls first."
He casts a quick glance aside to Lt Garcia, to see if he is happy playing along with this. If Morris knows something or was in some way partially responsible, then they need to drag it out of him. Rangin sets up the tricorder to capture the conversation. He isn't hiding it, he's not going to use it for some forcing confession like some would.
"So Sir, perhaps you could, in your own words, mention the dealings between the CAG and Krako..." he nods at Lt Morris, the implicit gesture of asking him to start and fill in the blanks.
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
"Sometimes they let some really crappy situations stand rather than violating their code of honor." Graham repeats what Nia said, shaking his head slightly. "On the flip side, the only reason I'm still in Starfleet, or for that matter, not in a cell is because command had its head up its ass... Anyway, not the time for that story."
Bad memories vanish for a moment as her smile sort of percolates through his mind...because she's just beautiful, and...well, happy to see me, I think...
The he scowls. "Morris worries me a bit...he was all keen on contacting the CAG as soon as I--stupidly in retrospect--let them know they'd been secured. Sent some kind of message shortly before things went wonky here." He sighs.
"I think we should spin up somebody on Yorktown who can keep us honest about the legal niceties, but in the meantime just get these assholes in custody, and cross that bridge when we come to it if they make any legal protest." After a small pause he adds, "Fortuntately Rangin's not here to bust my balls about it, but the fact is if you're entitled to a lawyer but you don't ask for one and you keep talking, it's on you...."
He cuts himself off and looks more closely at Nia, leaning in a little bit. "Nia, are you OK? Uh--that mask thing, do you need that? Regardless," he says quietly, "for whatever reason, you can lean on me." He slightly extends an arm toward her - not enough to be obvious to a casual observer in the room, but enough for her to notice.
Morris blanches. "Well, I already discussed all that with Lt. Collins and the members of her party. Did you discuss it with them already? It's been a long day and I'd rather not repeat myself."
Three Crows approaches Onn and Graham and discreetly coughs into her fist before coming close. "OK if we let the guests and club staff go home, ma'am?" she asks Onn.
Feeling the older woman's arms around her, Kylah returns the hug with her left arm and closes her eyes. The moment reminds her of her old maidservant, the most maternal figure Kylah had growing up. She was tall and sturdy--thicker than T'Var, but her frame was muscled from work, not soft. Still, Kylah felt safe and comforted in her embrace. What would she think of me now?
"Thank you," she says, and releases T'Var to sink back against the pillow. She looks at the monitors, displays that mean nothing to her. "Will I recover fully, Doctor? My left hand still bears the scar of the Slime Devil attack, and my left knee sometimes aches from both the accident on OCIII and the beating on Anubis." She attempts to smile. "I suppose my right leg will be the next limb to suffer some injury."
Nia turns to Three Crows with a little frown. "Yes, of course. I'm sorry, I thought I'd said that you should let 'em go once you separated the goodies--or at least the neutrals--from the baddies. Please, send them home, whoever's home that may be. Thanks, Three Crows, and sorry I wasn't clear."
If Three Crows leaves to follow orders, Nia will look up at Booker. "Really could've sworn I said they could..." That's when she notices his extended arm, and she loses the tiny frown immediately. "Oh Book," she says in an exhale. "Leaning on you is the best suggestion I've heard all day. Trouble is, if I do, I'm not gonna want to let you go. Seriously... I'm feeling okay, don't worry. Just tired. I wasn't expecting to be this active today, and expending adrenaline takes a bit of a toll. As does seeing one of my team hurt."
She lowers her gaze to Booker's chest, which is clad in a sharp shirt and suit jacket--but she's seen him naked and she knows the scars he bears. "Also... I won't lie," she says in a murmur. "Getting shot at by one of those weapons was... not good. When all this is over I may need to process how close that call was. But not now."
With a deep breath, she mentally brushes away the darker thoughts. "So. Let's get it done, then, Ensign. Formally arrest Krako and Cledd, and maybe yank Yeg too, as a material witness--or if you think he rates the scare of a formal arrest to help grease his way to turning against Krako and/or even his dear cousin himself, go for it.
"Meanwhile, I'll tell the other goons that they're free. Although," she adds, "maybe I'll first see if I can get a hint of Zabo's whereabouts--he's Krako's chief errand boy." Suddenly she grins. "I think I have an idea how to sneak it out of them, too."
Leaving the corner, she says under her breath, "By the way, not to hit a sore spot, but I suppose you wouldn't feel like sending Rangin a note just to update him on the Morris stuff, would you? Just, y'know, mentioning the text so he's not flying blind while questioning the guy?" Nia tilts a sideways smile up at him. "I'd phrase it as an order but I'd hate to lose the general mood we've got going..."
Last edited by SidonianGal; 19 Feb 2017 at 02:12 AM.
"I could've kissed you when you said 'material witness,' but then you had to bring that guy up..." Graham replies, nonetheless smiling slightly.
"I'll take care of it. And..." he pauses a moment. "As far as Zabo goes, stay safe..." He shakes his head. "We're not short on Security personnel. You don't want us flying the ship, but we don't want pilot taking a bullet unnecessarily, OK?"
Assuming Nia departs, Graham thinks for a moment then decides it's a win-win: an urgent text to Rangin is probably better than voice, since he might be someplace this news shouldn't be overheard.
Graham here. Morris was all keen on contacting his team as soon as he learned they were safe. Seemed a little fishy to me. Sent a text before the shit hit the fan here. Might be worth finding out where it really went - to his team or somebody else.
Dr. T'Var steps back and straightens her uniform. She says, "I see no reason why you shouldn't make a complete recovery, Ensign. However, you should know that, when I gave you a complete scan just before surgery, I noticed that there is some slight nerve damage near your lower spine. Nothing debilitating, but it is unusual." Striving to sound light-hearted, she adds, "And has nothing to do with your right leg."
Three Crows hears Onn, nods, moves off and speaks to the other Security officers and the Iotians wearily standing or sitting around. All of those not part of Krako's, Cledd's or Bela Okmyx's entourages head for the doors with alacrity. As they go, Mahmoud helps Krako up from the floor and into a chair.
Rangin's communicator beeps, and he sees Graham's text appear.
A little frisson of nervous energy widens Kylah's eyes at T'Var's comments, although it does not sound as if the doctor is worried. "Nerve damage," she repeats slowly. She tries to concentrate on her back to see if she notices anything unusual, like pain or numbness, but she does not, nor does she recall any difficulty there.
"I... I remember feeling something during Mr. Krako's attack--a phaser blast. Somebody stunned me. It was quite powerful, more than when we were stunned as part of weapons training in the Academy. Although I suppose the weapons at the Academy were set at the lowest level, whereas this... Did Mr. Graham stun Mr. Krako and me at the same time? Could that have caused the damage?"
Nia gives a tiny salute at Booker's reminder to be safe, and murmurs "Aye aye, sir, but I expect that kiss you owe me, with interest." She turns and heads to the area where Three Crows and the other Security officers have gathered the various factions' employees.
"So, Ensign," she says, eyeing the motley crew but talking to Three Crows. She taps one silver-clad foot impatiently. "These are the muscle men, are they? Other than Team Krako, who come thoughtfully color-coordinated in their fake uniforms, do we know who belongs to which boss?" She then shakes her head and shrugs. "Actually... y'know, it doesn't even matter. Each of you kidnapped someone, whether it was the CAG or the group of innocent guests and Starfleet officers right here, who were held without their permission. Putting it mildly, Starfleet doesn't approve of that sort of behavior."
She flicks a knowing look at Three Crows, roughly translated to Prepare for a string of B.S., then paces the length of the group to survey each of the goons on her own. It'd make an interesting experiment to see if she can pick out which guy is most likely to flip, but she's not a mind-reader or a Security expert. After reaching the end, she paces her way back to the other side and finally turns around.
"Well, boys. I've got some bad news and some good news. The bad news is, most of you won't be seeing me again." She smiles and rests her hands on her hips in a way Booker would probably call 'flirtatious.' "I'm not Security and I don't handle arresting, much less incarcerating kidnappers in the ship's Brig."
This is where she tosses another glance at her landing party. They know these guys are being let go. But hopefully none of them will bother refuting her threat. After all, every word is true. What the goons infer isn't her problem.
"But one of you, or maybe two, depending on how things turn out, will get me as your personal escort out of this building, where--after helping out with a little favor--you can scamper off to do... whatever you gangster types do for fun. Wondering how to be part of the second, elite group?"
Nia smiles, her eyes still scanning the men. She wants to notice if one or two of them perk up once she reveals what she wants. "That's easy. We've got Mr. Kalo, who's the President's right-hand man. And Yeg appears to be the yes-man for Junior. But guess who's missing? That's right. Zabo. Krako's boy. Guy wearing one of those uniforms--" Nia tilts her head toward the mock Starfleet uniforms worn by Krako's men--"But who isn't even fit to wear the dress that's barely covering my ass."
After a second or two, Nia loses the smile. "And we want him. We want him pretty damn badly. My guess is, at least one of you knows where he's likely to be. In fact, I bet one of you Krako kids could get in touch with him and arrange a meeting." She looks especially hard at this subgroup of gangsters, trying to see any flickers of interest.
"That's the offer on the table. Free ticket out of here, accompanied by me and a few of my Starfleet cohorts only as long as it takes to grab Zabo. As you think this over, you might be worrying about payback from Krako... yeah, trust me, that's not gonna be a problem. Any way I see this playing out, he's not gonna be around to wear his fake costume and pretend to be a Starfleet Captain anymore."
Nia flips a palm over, gesturing as if she's asking for a dance. "So who's it gonna be? And make it fast, this has dragged on long enough thanks to your bosses and their asinine power games."
Last edited by SidonianGal; 20 Feb 2017 at 11:52 PM.
Dr. T'Var tells Kylah, "Mr. Graham did inadvertently stun both you and Krako simultaneously, since you were so close together, but that would not have caused this sort of injury. Besides, it is not that recent." She thinks. "Just a moment, and I will compare these readings to the scan results from when you asked to be examined regarding the disappearance of your empathic abilities." She does so on her medical tricorder, and eventually says, looking chagrined, "The damage appears in that scan, as well. I confess I was focusing your brain and neurochemical status at the time, and not your spine."
Krako looks around and scowls at his mooks, some of whom don't meet his gaze or who look at each other and then away. Some try to stare down Onn. No one speaks up.
President Okmyx glances at them all and then says with disgust, "Ah, don't worry about it, sister. My boys can find Zabo, just you wait and see."
Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 22 Feb 2017 at 12:08 AM. Reason: Word correction
Rangin smiles peacefully back across at Lt. Morris as his brain starts to tick over at the words being spoken. Words that would make sense if it had not been for several facts that highlight what he has said as false.
"I see sir, well I am aware of a few brief discussions that you have had with Lt. Collins' away team. But we do need to debrief you and understand what you are aware of."
Rangin looks across innocently despite the fact it was, at that time, his team and can't quite believe that Lt. Morris is unaware that the person sat in front of him was the first person down to greet him. He glances to one side to Lt. Garcia to see if he noted the slips as well.
"So where were we. Perhaps you could tell us what interactions you had with Oxmyx and Krako over the past few weeks?"
No sooner has he askd the question than his communicator buzzes. Rangin gestures for Morris to continue while he casually looks at the message before texting back a single Understood in reply
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
Graham lets Nia, and, subsequently, Okmyx finish, then approaches Krako.
"You are under arrest and will be taken into Federation custody, for kidnapping, interfering with a Starfleet officer in pursuit of official duties, assault, and my personal favorite attempted murder. Maybe more when I have some time to think about it."
He scowls and turns toward others. "Cledd, Yeg, you are each under arrest for kidnapping, interfering with a Starfleet officer in pursuit of official duties, and criminal conspiracy. You will also be taken into Federation custody."
He snaps open his communicator. "Graham to Yorktown, we have three suspects for beam up. Separate escort requested for each to a cell in the brig."
The doctor's news disconcerts Kylah even further. Anything that reminds her of the mysterious loss of her abilities also brings back the thought of Darren Zweller and... whatever happened to her. First, she must rule out other possibilities.
She takes a deep breath. "Might it go back to the incident on Anubis? Those men used clubs and it felt... it felt as if they were hitting me everywhere." She shuts her eyes for a moment, then looks at T'Var again. "Whatever the cause... could this be connected to--to the temporary loss of my abilities? Something on the base of my spine could affect my brain?"
Nia turns in the direction of the Krako gangsters' stares, frustrated to see that Krako heard her offer. She's glad that Booker is keeping him busy, and she positions herself between the goons and their hopefully soon-to-be-departed boss. When Okmyx butts in, she faces him and nods politely.
"Thank you, Mr. President, I'm sure your men can find him--although, with the greatest respect, they weren't able to find the hostages, despite having a week and more bodies to leave a trail." She continues to smile. "So Zabo seems to be awfully good at hiding things, and he's got extra incentive now. Besides, I'd like him back in one piece, and preferably with all the parts still in working order."
She looks at Three Crows. "Can you please have the Okmyx clan's various helpers moved a bit, so I can talk with some more privacy?" Finally she folds her arms over her chest and eyes the Krako bunch. This time she lowers her voice to avoid being overheard. "Come on, gentlemen, don't be shy. Surely one of you has the brains to take a freebie when it's offered to you."
Last edited by SidonianGal; 21 Feb 2017 at 09:16 PM.
Morris sighs and answers Rangin's questions, saying much the same as he did when first asked about his contacts with Okmyx and Krako. Rangin has the sense that, although annoyed, he's telling the truth.
"Acknowledged, Mr. Graham," Chief Nguyen replies. "We'll see to it." Krako, Cledd and Yeg do not resist and are soon beamed up to the Yorktown under guard.
T'Var checks farther back in Sickbay records for Kylah's earlier treatments. Finally she says, "No, the wound was not there when you were scanned just after the Anubis... incident. It is more recent than that. And it should have had no effect on your loss of empathic ability."
President Okmyx looks like he's about to say something in response to Onn, but then doesn't. He merely shrugs.
Three Crows moves the various Okmyx mooks to different tables, so they can't hear each other, or Onn. But Krako's men remain silent.
Nia rolls her eyes at the absurdly stubborn goon gang. Nothing pisses her off more than people inexplicably acting against their own interest. She whips out an order, not moving her gaze from Krako's team: "Three Crows, you can let the President's men go. Have a good night, boys."
Shaking her head, she examines the remaining prisoners. "Seriously? Your boss is gonna be in a Federation prison or he'll be given over to the President for dealing with. You really want that same fate, all due to your misplaced loyalty to Zabo--a guy who's left you and your boss in the lurch?"
Raising an eyebrow, she moves closer. "Maybe, being such fans of the Federation, you're just looking forward to seeing what getting transported to our ship via our magical science stuff is like. Well, let me explain how it works. First you'll be put into a sort of beam of light. You won't be able to move. Next, every little piece of your body that makes you you--they're called atoms--will be taken apart. Imagine a you-shaped jigsaw puzzle made up of microscopic... uh, sorry, teeny-tiny puzzle pieces. Then picture 'em all being blasted apart."
Nia smiles. "Then, if our science works the way it should--it usually does, but there've been exceptions, especially when dealing with races we don't have that much experience with--all those millions of jigsaw pieces are crammed back together up on our ship flying thousands of miles in the air. Ideally in the right configuration." She shrugs. "Although, as I said, there are exceptions. Sometimes the process doesn't work as hoped and we're left with a pile of goo. Or the pieces just..." Her hand opens up as if scattering dust into the air. "...Vanish into the big, empty vacuum of space."
After a pause, Nia's voice hardens. "So. Anyone with more working brain cells than the rest, who doesn't wanna make the ultimate sacrifice for a cowardly thug like Zabo, had better speak up now. You have five minutes." She pivots on a heel and walks up to Booker for a private tete-a-tete.
"Okay," she says softly, exhaling in frustration. "What am I doing wrong? Why are these guys being so freakishly obstinate? I refuse to believe they're that loyal to Krako, who they're never gonna see again, or Zabo, who's ditched them entirely. I usually don't have this much trouble getting men to do what I want." A tiny smile lightens her expression. "But maybe that's the problem--maybe you're more to their taste. Seriously, guys like this aren't used to taking orders from a woman. Could be that giving in to you will let them save face. Whatcha say, handsome? Help a girl out?"
Last edited by SidonianGal; 22 Feb 2017 at 01:06 PM.
Kylah looks at her hands, not really seeing them. Dr. T'Var does not think this is connected to her loss of empathic abilities, but Kylah is not so certain. Some of the tests her parents' private physician put her through had used clamps all along her spine and neck to locate, if possible, the source of these abnormal powers. The objective then was to use surgery to get rid of the malformation, but the doctor had determined that he could not do so with any certainty of maintaining Kylah's ability to walk--or talk, or even avoid brain damage.
Since that physician died long ago, Kylah knows her medical records are in her Guardian's hands. She has already violated her promise never to reveal her skills to anyone; she cannot ask him to allow T'Var to access her history.
Nerve damage. What has happened to me? She shakes her head, trying to come up with an explanation, but the answer is one she is afraid of considering: Darren Zweller. What little she remembers terrifies her. Some argument outside her quarters. Then they were inside. He grabbed her. She tried to use her communicator to get help. Then he held something against her and she...
"Oh..." She did not intend to speak aloud but the moan escapes her nonetheless. The memory of falling into Zweller's arms and being utterly, completely unable to move is too much to keep silent. Since the memory ends there, she focuses on what is most relevant. I dropped my communicator. And... the next time I saw it, it was damaged. Lifting her gaze to T'Var, Kylah hesitates before continuing. "There was... something happened to my communicator just before I lost my abilities. I took it to Mr. Delaney, and he said it was melted inside. As if from some electrical damage or..."
Kylah frowns, unable to remember what Delaney told her. She tries to come up with some explanation that avoids bringing up whatever Zweller did to her. "What if my communicator malfunctioned, had some sort of--electric shock, I suppose? If I was holding it at the time, could that cause nerve damage?"
Graham gives Kylah a small shrug and mumbles "well, I'll do my best."
He scowls, squares his shoulders, and stalks over the to assembled mooks. "OK, look, my job isn't to make friends, or do deals, or give anybody the fucking warm and fuzzies. It's to put assholes like your boss Krako away for a good goddamned long time when they fuck with the Federation."
He turns and gestures in a vague direction of where the prisoners were beamed up. "And you may have notice we snatched his ass up without him saying 'boo.'" He's done. Whatever your state of employment wa with Krako your next paycheck is worth precisely jack shit right now."
He pauses a moment, then punches a fist into an open hand. "And you know else is worth jack shit? Loyalty to Zabo. See the thing is, he can hide, maybe, maybe not he can hide from us for awhile. But as soon a he pops his head into the open, as soon as maybe he contacts anybody and suggests he can take Krako's place and give you a job in his new organization, we'll take him. He made his choice: he tried to kill a Federation officer. There's no going back from that."
He shrugs. "Any one of you who've been on our bad side..." he points in Nia's direction. "She's offered you a an alternative. Maybe she didn't mention we can set you up nice to make up for the paycheck you ain't gonna get from Krako or Zabo in the future. Maybe she didn't mention that if Okmyx wants to be a friend to the Federation, we can make it a point to say that we'll be checking in on the guys who cooperated with us to make sure they are OK in the future."
He pauses and spreads his hands. "Look, you guys didn't fuck up by being loyal soldiers. Your bosses fucked up by picking a 100% unwinnable, dumbass suicidal fight. And they're going to pay the price, one way or another. They let you down. There's no shame in looking out for your own after that."
Dr. T'Var frowns. "It is possible, I suppose, although I have never heard of that sort of injury. I will check the Starfleet Medical database later."
After Onn and Graham speak, some of Krako's men shift on their feet a little, and a few glances are exchanged among them, but none speak up, and none step forward.
"Thank you Lt. Morris, that is very kind of you and yes it has been a long day. I'm sure you will be looking to some well earned R&R."
Rangin reaches over and checks the tricorder has recorded everything correctly. "Just one last question, please excuse me for asking, but it has been requested. Just before events overtook matters, you sent a communique out, could you tell me who it was to?"
It's not like the USS Yorktown wouldn't be able to find out anyway, everything like that being recorded as a matter of course, but Rangin will do as requested, and if Lt. Morris complained then he can raise it with those higher up.
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
Morris crosses his arms. "It was to Lt. Cmdr. Hadley, my CO on the CAG. I wanted to congratulate him and the others for escaping and find out how they were doing. It was a short discussion, because Ens. Graham came and got me almost immediately."
"That makes perfect sense, I'm sure I would have done the same thing in your situation." Rangin responds amenably, before looking across to Lt. Garcia. "Any last questions?"
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
Garcia has some questions about CAG communications and security procedures, which Morris answers straightforwardly. "Can we go to the ship now?" he finally asks.
Nia listens to Booker in amusement and curiosity at seeing him go to town on these idiots. When he refers to Zabo as the one who tried to shoot her, she automatically opens her mouth, but clamps it shut immediately. She'll wait on correcting him in private. The outrage works better if Zabo's seen as more of a danger, anyway.
But the gangsters' continued stubbornness wipes away her last shred of patience. Seht'Dar's Fiery Balls, I don't care what Singh said, these imbeciles need a good scare.
She strides up to Booker and takes him aside, pulling him in for a whisper in his ear. "Call me stubborn, but I do not wanna go back on my threat to beam these little shits up for questioning. Talking to them separately in an unfamiliar environment might get some info on Zabo's hideouts, and I honestly don't trust Okmyx's men to find that slippery bastard. We can make a case for these guys being more culpable than the rest, right? It'd give me a little extra pleasure to dismiss Cledd's guys in front of them too."
Last edited by SidonianGal; 26 Feb 2017 at 05:19 AM.
Kylah thanks Dr. T'Var softly, then lowers her gaze away from the older woman. It is not easy to lie to someone as forthright and kind as T'Var, when she has helped Kylah so much. "Perhaps Mr. Delaney will know if any such malfunctions have occurred, or..." She searches her mind for another option. "Or I can research myself to see if this is a known problem with that communicator model."
With a sigh, she lies back on the pillow, afraid to learn more about what really happened to her, sickened by the dread of not knowing, and uncomfortable at the realization that she must reveal yet another injury to her uncle. And I have not yet heard back from him after writing about Anubis. He will be so angry...
She feels a wave of exhaustion at all these thoughts. "Doctor," she says, her voice weak, "how long will I need to stay here? I think I have spent more time in Sickbay than in my quarters."
Last edited by choie; 26 Feb 2017 at 05:37 AM.
Graham chuckles softly, careful to keep his face out of view of the goons. "Well getting them alone is itself a good idea. Nobody may want to be the rat in front of their buddies, but in private...if he bring 'em up, speak to 'em one on one, and return them all later, perferably to separate locations, anybody who rolls over has plausible deniability."
He shrugs. "We can take them one by one into a side room, beam 'em up, and hold them on ice till we talk to them all. Shouldn't take long. Say it's standard procedure for processing and releasing suspects."
"Sounds like a plan," Nia says, her smile evident in her voice. After a few seconds' thought, she second-guesses herself on allowing Cledd's team to leave. "Mull over whether we should nab any of Cledd's people. Singh said to release anyone who was just following orders, and I know space in the Brig isn't infinite. But... I don't know. That's really a call for someone with way more Security experience than me. Maybe you and your folks can talk it over?"
Then she steps back soberly and turns to Krako's goons. "All right. You're going into custody. Enjoy having your atoms taken apart for the first time." She then moves to explain Booker's plan to the Security officers still present, and asks them to notify Chief Nguyen, take each suspect off and beam them up. Privately and quietly, she adds: "If there's room to put them in separate cells, let's do that. I wanna prevent the group from boosting one another's team spirit."
She moves to Okmyx. "Mr. President. Are you ready to beam aboard now?" Then she lifts an eyebrow at Graham. "Or is there anything else left to accomplish here that I'm forgetting?" Her gaze casts around the room, making sure everyone is accounted for. Right. Rangin and Morris. Nia makes a mental not to talk with Rangin and get the results of the interview.
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