Hell To Pay

Posted on Mon 6th Aug, 2012 @ 7:17pm by Commander Brian Windsong & Lieutenant Samantha O'Dell

5,117 words; about a 26 minute read

Mission: http://sb109.sim-station.net/index.php/sim/missions/id/2
Location: ????
Timeline: Current Concurrent with Caliburinite

Brian exited the Reception Hall, his stomach growling slightly reminding him that he hadn't eaten in the past six hours. That would be remedied soon enough though. Just smooz the new arrivals, get both sides to the table and get them talking. Brian was smart enough to know that diplomacy didn't always work. He was not a pacifist as Aryll had accused him of. Far from it. At the same time if war could be averted it would be better for everyone.

This is what he did best. Judging people; their strengths, their weaknesses, what made them tick. Then bringing them together. He had been successful at it in the past. That's why he had been a trouble-shooter for Star Fleet until now. They had enough confidence in him to send him to what they deemed "Hot Spots" He had travelled a lot over the past five years, visiting every quadrant. Now though he was assinged to just one place. The Protector.

He knew that he was more than up to the task but Ashton, Colonel Drake, he corrected himself did not. So not only did he have to deal with everything required to broker a peace, he had to prove himself to his Commanding Officer at the same time. It was clear from their last meeting that nothing personal was going to occur between the two, no matter how much Brian might have liked that possiblity, but that was not the point. If Drake didn't trust him, he might as well hang things up. He was done on the Protector.

He was merely concerned about his professional repuation with the CO, not his personal one. Or so he told himself. Besides his date with Paul had gone well. There was no reason that, that couldn't devlop into something serious.

As Brian stepped into the tubro-lift his mind was a little pre-occupied with those thoughts. He sensed a presence in the lift with him, but was not concerning. After all it was pretty common to share a lift with someone.

Not just one someone but two, "When the lift stops you're going to get off with us Commander Windsong." A deep rich dark voice said matter of fact. There was dagger in his side in a matter of moments, "No sudden movements or sounds." His voice sounded neutral of all emotion. Which was always dangerous. Not emotional is a situation meant a person was capable of anything.

Brian considered going for his sword. He could draw it in an instant, but as soon as he felt the prick of the dagger he knew an instant wasn't fast enough. "You don't honestly expect to get away with this," he said in a vocie that was calmer than he felt, "There are dozens of Marines and Star Fleet Officers."

There wasn't a sound but he felt hands on his person, going for his sword. "Have you any other weapons, Commander? Do not lie it would not be wise for you in the long run I assure you."

Brian considered lying. He was a diplomat so lying was easy. In the end he decided against it. They would no doubt search him and he didn't want to think about the consequences. Besides he was a good enough martial artist to not need weapons to defend himself. "Dagger in my left boot, sonic disruptor on my right hip."

"Honesty, Commander. I like that." Even though the voice was behind him there was still another person gathering his weapons. When the lift door opened they stepped out.

There were several starfleet officers but oddly not one said a word as they walked.

"Good, so why don't we make that a two-way street and you tell me who you are and why you're doing what you're doing."

"I would think it would be obvious to a man of your intellect." He spoke, again there was nothing there no emotion although he seemed to have confidence in the fact that he thought he knew Brian well.

Samantha was walking the corridors and it happened to be that corridor that moment. She saw Brian walking with two starfleet officers, men she didn't recognize, but then she hadn't been on the Protector long. She smirked as saw Brian and then remembered how she'd embarrassed herself around him. "Commander Windsong." She offered him. "I thought you'd be with the dignitaries."

"Ahh, good evening Lieutenant Odell. I will rejoin the party shortly. I just have some pressing issues to deal with first I really should be going now, just don't forget you owe me a game of Cat And Mouse since we never got a chance to play."

It seemed cold to her but she nodded her head. "Another time, sir." And she started to walk away as the men pushed the dagger into Brian's side to keep him moving.

"Clever, I'll give you that. But the game is far from over and ultimately its one you can't win. You do realize that don't you?" Brian said to his unknown captors.

There was a smirk on the face behind him. "You fail to understand, our goals aren't selfish, we merely need you to not be present in order to succeed, Commander. We are at this moment succeeding. Holding you for a time or killing you, either will achieve our goal." He offered as he escorted The Commander through several passageways. Ultimately his combadge had been pulled off and tossed aside. "I have a very high success rate, Commander."

Brian raised a brow. "You're not the only one with a good win-loss record, but you haven't succeeded yet and I think the talks can proceed just fine without me."

"We will see," There were hatches and seals and the temperature changed, there were several alien things that Brian couldn't recognize, they'd clearly left the familiar grounds of the station. "It is impressive that you have managed so much without the use of your sight." There was a heavy hand that settled onto his shoulder and he was suddenly and violently thrust into his memories... of a kidnapping before this one.

He had errected mental shields to protect him from the thoughts and emotions of others. WIthout those shields he would have been overwhelmed, but he had no such shields to protect him from his own emotions. His own memories.

He could see again, not like his time with Cara and Kyle just days before where he had borrowed her eyes. No this was a very different kind of scene altogether. He screamed out and crumpled to the floor curling into a fetal position.

What played out in his mind was even worse than the original because it was taking place in slow moition. He watched as they held Morgan down burning off his left ankle, knee, thigh, then moving to his right side and repeating the process. Some kind of device they used had kept him alive through most of the ordeal.

He had seen such images in the past intermintently and had built a safe place in his mind he could flee to, a place of peace and solutide but now he coud not find it.

There should have been a sinister smile that swept across the face of one of his captors, but there was nothing. No emotional expression what-so-ever. "I'll leave you with that thought, Commander when you re-consider whether or not we will succeed." There was an hmmm that could be heard and little more.

The scene played out on a loop. It would end with Morgan dead just at it had five years ago. Then they would blind him and it would began again. The only thing that kept him sane was that somewhere in the back of his mind he knew it wasn't real this time

He tried to escape each time, but it was always the same He failed. Until he was able to latch onto a memory that was just as strong and much more pleasent. He was back at the resort his parents owned, the same one he had created for his date with Paul. He was much younger then.

He was in his room and Morgan was staying overnight for the first time. It was just supposed to be a platonic sleep-over, but it became so much more than that. Life conquered death and love conquered hate. After a time Brian slipped into a deep, dreamless sleep.

"Your orders, sir?"

The man that had watched from the moment he touched Brian and flushed his mind with his fears stood there. "We only need to hold him until communications break down. Keep me updated."

"Yes, sir."

Brian wasn't sure how long he had been out. It could have been minutes,hours or even days. His internal clock said it couldn't have been more than an hour or two, but he didn't trust his internal cloack right now. He remained in the fetal position. He had a feeling he was probably being monitored. He reached out tenatively with his mind searching.

He found his captor close by, a steel vice like a wall of cold. It was damning and alone.

Despite himself, a shiver ran down his spine like nails scrapping a black board was the feeling he got and he didn't like it. Another telepath and one powerful enough to give him problems. He was defintely in trouble. Whoever it was was a hired gun. That much was obvious. Neither race was known to be telepathic and if they were capable of fooling Sam than they had to at least look human.

He slowly uncurled himself and lay flat on his back. There was no use pretending he was asleep anymore.

"I am told you are masterful in the means of hand to hand combat, despite your lack of vision."

He stood to his feet maintaining a grim expression. "Sounds like you've done your homework If you give me my sword back, I'd be glad to demonstrate." He raised his mental shield to its maximum. it would limit any of his friends ability to reach out to him but it would also make it harder for his captor to reach him that way also

"I am told you don't need it, to be lethal." He retorted.

"Why don't you come see for yourself," he challenged.

He looked amused. "Is this how Akadians think? that all other races are foolish enough to step into battles because of a challenge? Is that how you handled the Akadians that kidnapped you and your friend Morgan?" He knew it wasn't. "Perhaps we could invite that young Lt we passed... what was her name..."

Brian's face turned a deep shade of green, from anger, fear, or a combination of the two. "I see, like most mercenaries you are a coward, using underlings to do your dirty work for you. You're no better than the ones that kidnapped us back then, honorless. And just in case you didn't know, Morgan was not just a friend, he was my best friend and he was my lover. As for Lt. O'Dell don't you dare bring anybody else into this. Your fight is just with me."

There was long silence, agonizingly long... "Our fight is not even with you, Commander Windsong." He said after a moment. "We have no fight, but you are correct we are mercenaries." The humming sound had stopped only seconds before Brian felt the blow across his cheek, it was powerful and the speed was unthinkably fast. It sent the blind Akaidan to the floor."But make no mistake I hold my honor in high regard and I do my own dirty work." He was mad, it was clear in his voice. "I know very well that the man in your nightmares was your lover, that you have not loved as deeply since."

The blow had caught Brian totally unawares. He had raised his mental shield to such a level it would make it near impossible for his tormentor to invade his mind, but in so doing it had effectively cut him off from his "danger sense" and his ability to read people pyschically. He was now nothing more than a blind man with only his other physical senses available to him.

He felt a sudden bolt of pain as he was driven off his feet. The blow stunned him and it took a couple of seconds for him to recover. He concentrated listening for the sound of breathing, or movement, any clue as to where the mercenary was.

"Then who hired you?" he asked as he slowly stood to his feet. He really wasn't expecting a straight answer, that was not his purpose in asking.

The next blow came from behind him with no sound, no warning. Double fists to the back of Brian's neck and shoulders coming down where they met.

Brian let out an invoulntary cry of pain as he fell back to the floor. He lashed backwards with his feet trying to connect with what he was now convinced was one of his tormentors. "Cowardly son of a bitch," he managed to mutter.

"I thought this was a fight between you and I?" He offered. Brian's foot lashed out at air, as his captor moved. "This is a bonus for me, Brian Windsong we were only paid to hold you." Was this personal?

"So are you going to tell me who you are? If I have to go through a list of my enemies, this could take awhile."

"That doesn't surprise me. My name is Kale." He retorted. "You're highness." Those words were very bitter. But they didn't do much good as Kale kicked him while he laid on the floor.

The kick caught him in the ribs. He was moved back several feet and he felt and heard two possibly three of his ribs crack. At least he hoped they were just cracked. The name Kale was important to him. He knew that, he just couldn't place it.

"Sir.... " There was another voice. "Sir they've located his communication device as we expected. They're beginning their search."

Kale nodded. "Very well, and the talks?"

"They have not begun yet, sir. The Caliburnites have not been moved from the shuttle area." He smirked. "Everything has come to a stand still."

Kale nodded. "Keep me posted." Kale stepped over Brian Windsong. "I'm sure we'll talk again." the hum could be heard again as Kales heavy footfall echoed down the corridor.


Biran took a few experimental breaths. He wouldn't be running any marathons anytime soon, but at least if he kept realtively still there was almost no pain. With Kale gone, he let down his shield some. It would make it easier for Cara or someone else to reach him.

"So," he said to the remaining captor in the room, "Who hired you?"

"No one... he volunteered us." The man retorted. "The Captain no like you."

"Yeah, I have a way of doing that to people sometimes. What's your Captain's excuse?"

The man on the other side of the forcefield shrugged his shoulders. "I no ask. He pay me, so I no need to know." He offered. "But me thinks you no live through this."

The same thought had occured to Brian. "Why is that?" he ventured.

"No talk peace, if you dead." he shrugged as if it made no difference to him one way or the other if Brian lived. It was just that simple to him.

"If I were a betting man, I'd say the person in this room that's going to die is you. It's going to be kind of hard spending credits in that condition."

Kale's officer looked at Brian with a cock to his head. He wasn't exactly sure he understood what Brian meant but he just laughed as he walked away from the forcefield. Leaving Brian alone to scream for help.

Brian did just that, not with his voice that would have been too painful, but he did reach out with his mind. He had heard Cara calling for him and knew that help was on its way. He hadn't dared lowering his shield before, not wanting Kale inside his head again, but with Kale gone, at least for the moment he felt he had no choice.

And even though he was alone he could still feel Kale on the edge of his thoughts, like a prowling tiger on the edge of the grasslands of his mind. Waiting for a mistake, an error before he pounced. Where did Kale come from that made him so powerful? He knew Brian was royalty, there was a bitterness about him that seemed very familiar. Kale's hatred had brought him to this place this event... willingly accepting the risk to come after Brian. That was bitterness... or revenge.

After sending out his 'distrss signal' Brian quickly raised his shields again. The momenatry relief he had felt subsided and his side began throbbing with renewed vigor. Kale was good, Brian gave him that. If Brian blocked out the physical pain it left him vulnerable to the mental assault and if he blocked out the mental attacks he was cut off from part of his senses and commnuication with his friends and allies.

There was something eeriely familiar with Kale. It wasn't so much the name, but his psyhic aura. When he was six or seven he had, had an older playmate who's father had been partners on some projet with Brian's father. That boy had, had a similar aura. Could it be the same person? If so why would they be so vindictive.

"Is it agonizing?" Kale's voice was there again, in the pitch darkness that haunted Brian. "You can either suffer and protect your mind, or suffer and protect your body." Kale's was different it had emotion this time. confidence, arrogance. "You're friends are coming for you you know." He chuckled softly and it was by a sadistic sound. "Well they're coming at least. I don't know if they'll get to you. My men are already making arrangements for them. Leave it to you to cry for help and send your friends to their unsuspecting deaths." Kale offered.

"Trying the guilt trip again, Kale," Brian replied dismissively, "My friends aren't stupid, they are expecting trouble. So do you want to tell me what I've done to piss you of so royally? Or is guessing supposed to be part of my torment?"

Kale shrugged his shoulders as he squatted down. "Oh I don't care if you really ever figure it out or not." He smirked. "You haven't got a guilty bone in your body, Brian." He retorted. He was testing Brian weaknesses while he spoke. "And you don't think me smart enough to know that much?" Kale took in a deep breath. "Federation officers haven't even noticed we're among them. They don't even know they're infected with us... " He hissed it and used his own abilities to make it sound like he was right next to Brian's ear.

Brian knew the capablities of his friends knew they were not easily duped, that there had to be more of them than there were of Kale's people, but that only slowed the despair and depression that threatened to overtake him as Kale whispered in his ear. He tired to come back with some smartass reply that would put Kale in his place, but the words just would not make it past his mouth.

He was able to shake his head and finally in a small voice he managed "I don't know what you think I am guilty of, but I can't change things or make it right if you don't tell me what it is you think I did."

"Didn't you let Morgan die?" Kale offered. "When you were a child you a spoiled little thing." Kale scoffed. "Getting anything you ever wanted. Haven't you ever once thought of who was hurt in those tantrums of yours?"

Brian knew that he had let Morgan die. Kale didn't have to remind him of that He had always felt guilty about that. In the past few years he had convinced himself it had not been his fault, he had not been the one to torture and kill him, terrorist had. Still it had been his job to protect his lover, his best friend and he had failed, failed misreably.

Kale's words scrapped away at the old wounds, picking off the scabs causing fresh blood to began to flow again at least metaphorically. However, it was real tears that began to flow down Brian's face.

He could not remember ever throwing a tantrurm or behaving as his tormentor claimed, but if what he said about Morgan was true, the rest of it must have been too.

"And still you endanger more with your pathetic pleas for help." Kale added. "Will you harbor that guilt if even one of them losing a life?"

The words sank into Brian's psyche and his shoulders sagged. He did not say anything, he didn't have to. Despair and defeat were etched in his face.

Kale could see it, the signs that he was breaking, that Brian was losing his willingness to fight back. "Go ahead, Brian. Call them... call for your friends to help you. Your friends will come save you, your friends will risk life and death for you. You're friends...." He kept saying friends over and over again. "Maybe that pretty little girl, or that fellow you had dinner with... what was his name..." He chuckled. "Still getting attached.... you'll never learn."

And then it hit Brian, Kale and he had been friends as children. Kale's father was not as prominent as Brian's but he had been a businessman just the same. Brian's father had used his power and influence to take over an important transaction and left Kale's father out of it completely costing his family lots of money. Money the family had needed. When Kale was not allowed to play with Brian anymore and their friendship had soured over the years. Brian's father had destroyed Kale's all over money and power.

Kale's repeated use of the word friend was having its desired affect on Brian driving him further down into his pool of despair. There was still a spark of a fire in him, but it was growing weaker with each pasing moment.

Then as the realization of what his father had done hit Brian he shook his head feeling true remorse. "Kale I'm sorry for what my father did, but why are you blaming me? Is it your anger over the injustice done to you, or was it jealously over Morgan?"

Kale frowned. "My father died, a bitter, penniless old man. Days ago." He offered. "This is how I survive. This is how I handle business. You're just business, Brian. Don't flatter yourself."

Brian sensed that Kale wasn't telling the truth, not the whole truth anyway. This was personal, he could tell it. It might not have been that Kale wished he could have been in Morgan's place, though Brian did not rule that possiblity out, but whatever was going on it was not just business. Knowing that fanned the dim flame, "You're a liar Kale. We both know it. I am truly sorry about your father, but you and I both know this isn't just business. You're enjoying it too much for that."

Kale couldn't lie about that. "That's true I am enjoying this more than usual." He offered. "I did try to make it all business." He added. "did you know that when your father stole from my father, my family had to move out of our home? I could no longer go to school." He offered. "We were such good friends until then, do you remember."

Brian nodded as he slowly,carefully came to a kneeling position, "I do remember Kale though I was too young at the time ro realize what was going on." Then he paused and pointed at his glass eyes, "You're not the only that has suffered because of my father's sins. Do you honestly think that killing me will have any affect on him? All it will do is put a price on your head. You go through with this and you better damn well hope that the Federation gets to you before my father's people do."

Kale frowned there was truth in Brian's threat and Kale knew it. "You haven't told anyone who has kidnapped yet either." He said with a smirk. "No one knows who I am." He offered. "Or what I am... or even what I am capable of." He grinned. "Except you."

Brian realized that Kale's words were true which deepened his desire to survive, "You're right I can't deny that no one knows who you are, but how much do you think that will matter once you kill me. You'll be watching your back the rest of your life, never knowing if the next door you're walking through will be your last."

Brian was past feeling sorry for himself and he was tired of being on the defensive. Kale wasn't the only one who's mind could be a dangerous weapon. He lowered his shields sensing just a hint of uncertanity and fear. He latched on to those feelings, magnified them and threw them back at Kale with fierceness.

Kale felt it, felt the fear and intensity of it hit him it was like a icy ball that hit him square in the gut splintering into a zillion butterflies that scattered to the corners of his being. The man stood to his feet, this is why he'd wanted to keep it business. It was dangerous to get personal around people you wanted to kill. "At least I will be walking through the next door."

There was an agonizing scream that came from down the corridor, Kale took all of a few seconds to reform a plan of emotional attack as he let the forcefield drop and stepped inside Brian's cell. "Ah... I'm sure you recognize that voice." He tsked. "We love women on this ship. Even starfleet ones." It wasn't Sam... but Kale got Brian thinking it was.

Brian felt Kale's presnce and stood quickly to his feet. He felt an agonizing pain as his fractured rib moved almost piercing his lung. He had been about to grab hold of Kale, to strangle him with his bare hands, but he was forced to sit back down. The pain dimenisihing only slightly.

"You bastard, leave her out of this! You fight is with me, no one else."

"She's precious to you, Brian." Kale retorted as he watched Brian stand up and sit back down. "That makes her a very important tool against you." he almost has a whimsical sound to his voice. "is she special to you Brian?" There was another scream that echoed down the hallway and rippled over both of them like waves of chilling water.

There were no more tears for Brian to cry. He was through with crying, through with showing his weakness. He push himself to his feet again, ignoring the pain, the protest of his body He found Kale's presence and lashed out in a round house kick deliverd with surprising power and speed.

Kale was sent staggering backwards he felt his shoulder and arm explode with mind crippling pain. Kale had to laugh, as much as it hurt he hadn't seen it coming. He pulled his arms in against himself. He knew that if Brian was seeking him out with his mind he wasn't protecting himself and Kale lashed out with feelings that a tortured woman might be feeling, pain... agony... terror. He used what he could remember of Samantha's voice and projected her begging for it to end. "Come on, Brian. Is that the best you can do?"

For an instant Sam's voice penetrated his mind threatening to overwhelm him, but then something clicked inside him. Kale had only seen Sam in the hall, only heard her voice, he hadn's spent any time with her.

F U, you dumb son of a bitch. Sam would never beg like that, How does it feel to know you just made your first technical blunder. Tell me Kale how does that feel?"

Kale growled slightly and stepped into backhand Brian across the face. "She will before I'm done... I'll make sure of it." He spit on him. "Or she'll scream like a whore... one of the two. And when she does I'll let her know it was because you said it couldn't be done."

The blow sent fire through Brian's pain receptors as he fell to the floor but he was still too angry to feel physical or emotional pain at more than a superfical level. His legs lashed out trying to take Kale down.

Kale went down backwards, his back and elbows slamming against the decking first. He recovered quickly as big as he was. Kale was bulky and solid, built like a Klingon or a football player. There was another scream from down the corridor... again it could have easily been Samantha's voice. Kale took the distraction as a chance and he hit Brian in the ribs, the ribs he knew to be weak, if they were cracked before they were broken now.

"AHHHHH!!" Brian screamed out as he both felt and heard ribs snapping. He slowly folded himself into a ball as he felt air escaping out of his left lung and he suddenly found it excuriating to breath. Each time he inhaled it took great effort and concentration and exhaling was only marginally easier.

Kale backed out slightly out of breath he was hugged one arm against himself and holding his wrist. He hadn't expected Brian to be so damn quick. "Diplomatic corp," He half chuckled. "You probably hold your own with Starfleet Marines." He said between breaths. He stepped out of the cell and brought the forcefield back up. "If we were still friends I'd be impressed." Kale for a moment felt a bitter hatred for the way things had turned out. He didn't dwell on it. It wouldn't help so he left Brian again to think, to suffer.

Brian's side was on fire and he was in absolute agony. He wanted to give in, to give up. To just stop making the effort to breathe and let the numbness overtake him. But he was too stubbron for that. He wasn't about to let Kale win like that.

"I'll kill... kil you my... self, you... twisted bastard...you." He managed to mutter betwee shallow and labored breeaths..


Kale
Mercenary Akadian

Lt. Commander Brian Windsong
Chief Diplomatic Officer

 

RSS Feed