A Sting in its Tail

Posted on 14 Nov 2014 @ 5:16am by Senior Chief Petty Officer Keval zh'Erinov & Commander Norvi Stace

1,455 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Episode 07 - Sojourn
Location: Starbase 84, Cargo Hold
Timeline: MD 05: 2254 Hours

The last bar Keval had been to, had not been his style. Sure he was pretty sure there were some guys there that swam on the same team as he did. The music had been obnoxiously loud and the bar way overcrowded. He preferred some place quieter, where he could actually carry on a conversation.

He finally found a bar that was a better fit. It had a pub ambiance. Real alcohol, some pool tables, dartboards, a dark oak bar, well padded and large booths and a nice cozy atmosphere.

He grabbed a Scotch neat, and was sipping it by himself at the end of the bar. He was dressed in a well worn pair of jeans and faded long sleeved rugby shirt.

Keval's vision began to flicker; the familiar blue hue he had witnessed dozens times before now coming into focus. He shot a look to his whiskey as it began to fade into blackness, attempting to grip ahead of it without success. The fizzing ionized particles of a completed transport then dissipated as he opened his eyes into a foreboding blackness, somewhere alien and unfamiliar to him. His hands were fastened behind his back as he sat, tied down, into a chair. The blackness around him was pitch, save for one solitary light from the far side of the room blinding him with its beam. He couldn't see anything beyond his own knees.

A string of expletives, half in Andorian and half in Federation Standard. Blinking against the harsh light he felt for his comm badge. As expected he didn't find it.

"What the Hell is going on?" he asked half expecting he already knew the answer.

Suddenly, a familiar voice came from the shadows.

"Developing communication technology seems to have had it perks, 'son'," Ben Graysan hissed with arrogance through gritted teeth, keeping his visage out of the light. "You make all manners of connections within the technological world. Not least of all people who can beam anyone from anywhere without a trace." He paused and allowed the thought of no one knowing where he was sink in maliciously. "I can't imagine that you'd be missed sulking into your warm milk at that dive of a bar, anyway. And since its proprietor needed a little... illegal assistance, he wasn't at all concerned when I told him to keep his mouth shut whilst I whisked my son away for a surprise birthday party. People can be so stupid when you threaten them."

He cracked his knuckles and leered at him through slanted eyes. "The trouble is, what to do with you now that you're here? But who knows, you may not be here for too much longer."

If Andorians could sweat, Keval would have been sweating. He'd lost respect for his father when he caught him in the act so to speak and had not believed the denials as much as he wanted to. He'd learned that the man he called father, the one who adopted him, was not the man he thought he knew. He had learned that he was capable of many things. Many bad things. But murder?

Taking deep breath before he felt capable of speaking without the fear being evident in his voice he said, "You would kill me? Is that what you have planned?"

"We both know," Ben replied, keeping his face from within the light, "that your untimely demise would not be at my fumbling hands, son. I wouldn't be so crass or that direct. But you will pay for your betrayal. And by that, I don't necessarily mean with your life. There are far more miserable things to exact on you than just a swift death. Like what you have put me through. And trust me, what I have been through has offered me opportunities, ideas and contacts that will make your remaining existence one that you wish you no longer had to suffer."

"You expect an apology from me or something? For doing the right thing? Well I don't care what you do to me, or have done I guess would be more accurate since you apparently don't have the balls to do it yourself. And exactly what did you have in mind? What are you going to have your contacts do to me?"

"It has nothing to do with balls, Keval. Not that you'd know anything about that at all." He now stepped into the light, his twisted face craggy with age and malice. He then jumped forward and with his clenched right fist, smashed it into his jaw, knocking the Andorian over whilst still tied to his chair. Ben took a step over him and sneered. "It won't be today, and it won't be tomorrow. It might not even be this month. But I will send someone for you. Especially now that I know that you're serving on the USS Galileo. Nova class, if I'm not mistaken. Not very highly defensive either. So live looking over your shoulder until you see me. Because I will be coming for you. And your friends."

Pain washed over him as he landed hard on his side. But he didn't struggle to free himself, even though he could probably have done so given his superior strength. Dark blue blood ticked down his chin as his antennae were rigidly erect. "If you're going to kill me, then go ahead and get it over with. Don't involve my friends. They've done nothing to you."

"You're not that stupid, Keval," Ben then replied. "I didn't raise you up to be that stupid." He took in a breath and then, as he had done before, spat on him from above. "You don't get to choose how or when vindictive revenge is exacted on you. And don't worry. You'll know when it;s coming. Because I'm going to pick off your friends first. You'll be the last. You'll get to see everyone you love suffer before your end."

Keval winced partially from the pain, partially from his inability to wipe the spittle off his face and partially from anger. He turned a deep, almost navy blue. "I'll kill you, you fucking bastard. I don't care how many sycophants you surround yourself with, how many bodyguards. You mess with me and I'll rain hell down on you."

Ben almost scoffed. "This is our second meeting, son, and the second time that you've ended up battered and on the floor at my feet. I wouldn't be making such outlandish claims in your position. But you have better watch your back because I will come for you. In the dead of night when you're alone and friendless. I will come for you."

Keval wondered if his father really knew how many nights he did spend alone, or at lest with no one in his bed. Oh he had a number of friends, just none of the romantic kind. Those proved to be elusive. He doubted his father knew that much about his personal life, nevertheless the words stung. And as much as he liked to tell himself that they made him more angry than scared he knew he'd only be lying to himself.

"So, you're just going to let me go now?" he asked.

"No," came Ben's simple reply. "Not quite." And he made the slow, small-stepped walk to the door, beyond the vision of the light as he disappeared into the darkness. As he neared the door, the wicker basket that was just near his exit remained where he had placed it, vibrating furiously. He stopped and turned to face Keval, lying on his back and still tightly fastened to the chair. "Have you ever been stung by Breen ice wasps, son? They say that their venom is so stingingly cold that it's like being injected with fire ice." With his foot, he angrily knocked over the basket. "Next time we meet, let me know if that's true."

And as he closed the door behind him, sealing it shut, the aggressive buzz of a thousand Ice wasps flooded out from the basket.

The angry wasps attacked the helpless Andorian. He screamed out in agony as he was repeatedly stung. Whatever faults his father had, exaggeration, at least in this case, was not one of them. In his writhing and twisting around he did manage to break free of his bindings, just before he slipped into unconsciousness.

The room was then flooded with the light from the corridor outside as two security officers dived in and dragged him to the safety of outside.

OFF:

Senior Chief Petty Officer Keval zh'Erinov
Operations Officer
USS Galileo
[PNPC played by Lieutenant Jared Nicholas]

AND

Ben Graysan
Civilian
[PNPC played by Lieutenant Commander Norvi Stace]

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