Until Death Do Us Part, Part 1

Posted on Thu 17th Sep, 2020 @ 7:36pm by Lieutenant Commander Dallas Briggs
Edited on on Mon 21st Sep, 2020 @ 7:17pm

1,007 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Resolution
Location: Devil's Breath aka Hendara 2, Hendara System
Timeline: MD: 19 1641 hours

Dallas spent the last two days on the Runabout Topeka as he headed for a meeting with destiny. The assassin had given him a set of coordinates to head for and would receive additional instructions once he had made it to that waypoint. His sensors had picked up a small probe at the first stop and then he was issued a new set of coordinates to go to which was another day travel. During his time he contemplated what would happen and he also prepared himself physically by training in the small holosuite that was on the runabout. The probe probably was emitting a passive scan to make sure that Dallas was alone before he received the new location. ~Smart man.~ Dallas thought.

The new coordinates were for a planet in the Hendra system, to be exact, the second planet, Hendra 2. A reference also popped up in the database, the planet had a nickname. Dallas thought that was odd. The nickname was Devil's Breath. "Computer, tell me about Hendra 2."

"Hendra 2 is an uninhabited, L class planet in the Hendra system. The average temperature stays at about 60 degrees Celcius due to the volcanic activity and geothermic energy that is produced. There are high concentrations of carbon dioxide. The surface is void of vegetation, life, or water and is made up of mainly rock with some mountains. There are numerous open fissures in which toxic gases from the planet's crust are expelled."

"How long would a human survive on the surface without provisions?"

"About 30 minutes. Due to the thin air and carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere a person with die from asphyxia before they would die from the heat or dehydration."

Dallas walked over to the replicator, "Fix me a hypo that would help me breathe better in that type of atmosphere."

After a moment a hypo tri-ox compound materialized in the replicator and Dallas picked it up. "Okay, I need to fight a Vulcan that is set on killing me so I need to be stronger and faster than I normally am. Computer, I need a hypo of a powerful stimulant."

"It is not recommended to mix a powerful stimulant with the Tri-ox compound already given." the computer replied.

It is also not recommended to die either, just do it." Dallas ordered. Within a few seconds, another hypo materialized. Dallas held onto them both until he reached the planet.

About nine hours later Dallas reached the planet known as Devil's Breath. He located a small ship in orbit that must have belonged to the assassin. When he arrived he was transmitted coordinates to beam down. He pressed both of the hypos to his neck and heard the kiss from each one knowing that he had received the doses. He felt the stimulant coursing through his veins as his heart rate increased and felt the surge of adrenaline.

"Computer beam me down to the prearranged coordinates." In a surge of shimmering lights, Dallas was gone.

Dallas found himself on a world barren of life and was completely inhospitable. The heat nearly took his breath away and if it hadn't been for the hypo he would have been nearly useless. He stood facing the Assassin on a rocky plateau that overlooked deep valleys all around it. Set up on racks in the small area were weapons of various types ranging from Vulcan and Klingon weapons to Andorian weapons and even some that he didn't recognize.

"Where is Commander Lena?!" Dallas demanded with an authoritative voice.

It almost gave Hou'tan chills to hear him. "If you can defeat me, you may find the coordinates for the planet that she is on in my shuttle. And as I promised, she will be allowed to live since you came here as agreed upon, you have my word."

"The word of an Assassin, I'm not sure I can believe that," Dallas said.

"My word and my reputation are all that I have in my line of business. Without them, I may very well be unemployed and that is why I needed you to come here. You are still an open contract that I must close." Hou'tan said.

"Tell me then, who hired you?" Dallas said before adding, "I'll be dead soon anyway and dead men tell no tails."

Hou'tan slowly shook a finger at Dallas, "On the off chance that somehow you get the better of me, I can't have you going to my client house and ringing the door chime, now can I."

"No, I suppose not, but it was worth the try, I'll just have to beat it out of you." Dallas frowned.

Hou'tan smiled, "Shall we get this going, I have another job lined up." He turned and grabbed a lirpa from his weapons rack. The lirpa was a traditional Vulcan melee weapon, consisting of a metal staff with a fan-shaped blade on one end and a club on the other.

Dallas turned to his rack and grabbed the same weapon. He spun and twirled it in his hands trying to get a feel for it. It was a heavier weapon than what he was used to, but at least it seemed to be well balanced. The temperature on the planet was extremely for Dallas and he was sweating profusely. He noted that while twirling the weapon that his hands were also sweaty and that the lirpa nearly slipped out of his hands. He hadn't exerted himself yet and was already having a hard time breathing, the tri-ox compound should have been working better than it was.

Dallas turned a full 360 making note of the small area that he had to work with, it was no more than 10 or 15 meters before the steep drop off that would be certain death if one was to fall off the edge. When he turned to face the Assassin it was too late, Hou'tan had taken advantage of Dallas' distraction and was charging him with the lirpa high above his head. The only thing Dallas could do was try and block the overhead swing.....

 

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