Chapter 20 The people in Sickbay had been kind enough to replicate a dress for her, since she’d been transported there wearing nothing but her underthings. Said dress was tossed haphazardly aside as soon as she got back to her quarters, and Rychel had gotten into the sonic shower with record timing. She’d lingered there far longer than she normally did, running over the events of the day in her head. She’d never really been in charge of a team before, and she was proud of herself for getting everyone out in more or less good condition. Cole’s wounds would heal up quickly enough, and her own wounds were more annoying than anything else. She knew that Starfleet would be pleased with their results, especially given the fact that they’d captured the Mehtak vessel. That would hopefully aid the fleet as a whole in defeating the Mehtak in the future. She made a mental note to send a message to Desan. He would be proud of her for taking on her attackers, and fighting them off. She hadn’t been scared in the slightest, and the tips that he’d taught her had helped considerably. She knew that he wouldn’t be thrilled that she ended up in the middle of a firefight, but he would hopefully understand that was a part of serving in Starfleet. There was no such thing as a “safe” job aboard a starship. Her thoughts drifted to Helik, and she wondered if the Mehtak ship had safely landed yet. She considered contacting him over the comm system, but decided that with everything that was going on that he likely had other things to attend to. She’d heard rumors that they would be taking the Mehtak ship to somewhere that an Engineering team could make a thorough investigation of it, and she personally hoped for a bit of leave time after their month racing around the sector. Her shower completed, she looked at her reflection in the mirror for a few minutes before deciding to curl her hair. There was no better way to relax after a long Away Team mission than to pamper herself a bit. She straightened up her quarters a bit, tossing a few things into the replicator before heading back into her room. After a bit of consideration, she put on a yellow sundress, grabbed a curling iron, and began to curl her hair. After filling out his report, Dakbar wandered the halls until his duty shift was officially over. He really wanted to be in on the Mehtak interrogation, but other officers were assigned to the task, much to Dakbar's dismay. Hopefully they wouldn't have much to say. It was unfortunate that the Ferengi had to be extinguished months ago. Doing so to the Mehtak now would be more than a little obvious. After checking on Rychel's status in Sickbay, and finding that she had been already released, he quickly headed to her quarters. He wouldn't put it past her to check out against medical orders and want to recuperate in privacy. Both of them had already spent their fair share in the medical ward. The doors slid open at Dakbar's command and, as soon as he ascertained that Rychel was out of sight, he scanned the room with a small device to make sure his surveillance equipment was still operational. Sliding it back into his pocket, he picked up a dress from the floor, inhaled the scent that was on it, then tossed it onto the arm of a chair. He heard noises coming from the bathroom and he slowly approached the open door. "Rychel?" It was not his intention to alarm her today. It wasn’t the first time that Dakbar had entered her quarters without ringing the chime, so Rychel was not surprised to hear his voice. “In here,” she called out, her voice cheerful. It had been a good day, all things considered. Sure, there were some painful parts, but fortunately modern medical science made that all better quite quickly. Stepping into the doorway, he leaned against the rim of the entrance and looked her over. The majority of her injuries had been healed, though there was still some very slight bruising here and there. He saw the odd piece of equipment in her hand. "What are you doing," he asked, confused. She grinned at him in the mirror. “Curling my hair,” she said. “I figured it’d be an interesting change of pace.” She sat down the hot iron, toggling it into the off position, before skipping over to Dakbar’s side. "So that is what this is for..." He reached a hand out and touched it, then raised a ridged brow. Something like that could be used for all sorts of torture. Rychel nodded. She wondered whether or not Cardassian women had any sorts of hair rituals, but decided that probably wasn’t the best question to ask Dakbar. He was so hesitant to speak to her about his people, or his past. Still, she knew that it could not be easy for him, and she wasn’t about to push him to do something he didn’t feel comfortable with. “You like?” she asked, spinning around a bit so he could make a thorough inspection. She’d learned better than to ask Dakbar what he thought about something, as his responses were very rarely what she would have predicted. “I-” She didn’t know why she tried to ask for compliments. But still, she wasn’t deterred, because of how he’d acted in the Mehtak ship. He thought she was strong. Truly, that was the best compliment that he could have ever given her, and she was still positively glowing from it. She doubted that there was much of anything that would take that bit of job away from her. “I’m trying not to dwell on the fact that I was transported into Sickbay wearing nothing but my underwear,” she said ruefully. She knew that she was going to have a stern word with whomever had requested the transport about warning people a bit in the future. Hopefully, with everything else that had occurred, there would be more interesting things to gossip about than a mostly-naked engineer. He put a hand on her shoulder. "Then stop talking about it," he said pragmatically. She grinned. “Fair enough. Fortunately, I think there was some better fodder for the rumor mill that showed up as I was leaving. The Captain was beamed in with a big hole in his chest. He looked terrible. Fortunately he has Sig. Sig’s a good doctor.” That was certainly news. The Captain could possibly die? Dakbar tried not to look smug at the thought, though the fact that Sig could save the man did not rest well with the Cardassian. Still, there was little he could do to stop it, at least for now. Maybe he needed to turn his attentions on the medical staff. If they were compromised, they couldn't always save the day, or the Captain. But how to go about- “Did you bring the Mehtak ship back?” Rychel asked curiously. She knew there would likely be a team assigned to begin a preliminary investigation of the Mehtak technology, and she wondered if there was any way that she could get assigned to that team. "Yes. It exploded." “Exploded?! You’re alright though?” She looked him over quickly, but he seemed to be perfectly fine. “I’m glad nothing bad happened to you,” she added softly. As long as he wasn't trying to foolishly save someone he had intended to kill, he would always survive. Though why he had tried still eluded him. Rychel and her family seemed to live in a bubble that allowed them to pull through that which would have killed others. He looked over his shoulder at the small Bajoran. Dakbar wandered back into the living room, then into the kitchen and pulled open the refrigeration unit. As he examined the contents of her fridge, he wondered how any of the engineers had managed not to be injured. Regardless, the contents of the computer was destroyed, which was all that mattered. If the Federation wanted to waste time with a Mehtak ship, maybe it would keep their interests off of other things. His hand wrapped around a small fruit and he sniffed it and wrinkled his nose. "This has gone bad." Tossing it in her direction, he continued his forensic analysis on her food. She caught the apple that he’d tossed her, and frowned at it. “It’s not that bad, it’s perfect for making bread with,” she said. “Overripe fruit is ideal for baking.” She cocked her head, studying him curiously as he continued his search. It was cute the odd ways that he showed he cared. She bet that he didn’t even realize that was why he did it. "Apple bread?" He tried to imagine the taste but failed. "I will take your word for that." A small smirk quirked up the corners of her lips. He’d spent four years at the Academy, but she wondered how much human food he’d actually consumed in that time. Knowing Dakbar, he found something that was palatable and dismissed all other human cuisine. Perhaps one day he’d stop being so stubborn. Rychel had a sneaking suspicion she’d never see that day, though. Reaching deep into the back of the fridge, he extracted a bottle of white liquid. Uncapping it, he sniffed it and recoiled, then handed it to her. "And what would you be making from this?" His tone was accusatory, but tempered with the smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth. He looked down at her and remembered the moment when she had emerged from behind that boulder, weapon in hand. He took a step forward, wanting her, but stopped and, instead, jiggled the bottle in front of her. She giggled, “That’s milk. Surely you’ve heard of it? Goes great with cookies, used in the creation of most baked goods.” "I've heard of milk," he said defensively. "We have mammals on Cardassia." Rychel wrestled the bottle from Dakbar’s hand, placing it back into the refrigerator. She closed the device, looking up with him. “My food is ok. I promise. I check it regularly. Every since...” The intruder. He cursed silently. It was not something he had wanted to bring up again. Stepping forward, she looked up at him, her head cocked curiously to one side. “So what happened today? Before you rescued me that is.” Sabotaged a Mehtak ship. "Not much. The usual." Quickly, she followed up her original query. “How many Mehtak did you kill? I think I got nine today. I’m not sure. Maybe seven. Two of the ones that the explosion hit were kind of hard to tell.” She beamed up at him proudly. Her enthusiasm caused him to laugh. "Not very many. Lieutenant Burnham was very productive before I had the chance." “I sure showed them,” Rychel added gleefully. She wasn't the sort to worry over what was right or wrong. The Mehtak had tried to kill her, and she had prevailed. That was all that mattered in her book. Success of the fittest. "Yes," he said, stepping even closer. His hand trailed up her arm to her neck. "Yes, you did." Fire shot through her body, and she remembered just how she’d felt as he’d tended to her aboard the Mehtak vessel. There was always something that got in their way when they were together; whether it be duty, or Dakbar’s moods, or just simple inconveniences. Tipping her chin upward with the touch of his finger, he looked down into her eyes. "You should be proud of yourself." Her face flushed slightly, partially out of response to his touch, partially out of pride at having caught his attention. Her instinct was to make some witty comment about how she’d protected herself, but words failed her as she stared up into his eyes. So many times when they were together she felt like his mind was elsewhere. But not today. A fingertip skimmed across her lower lip. "You should...celebrate." It was all that she could do to prevent herself from throwing herself at him. “You should join me,” she said softly. She knew better than to push him too far, as that would only lead him to dark places. He had to be in control of the situation. That she understood. That was the key to preventing him from lashing out. They were both off duty, the ship was heading back to the station, and all reports had been filed. There was nothing stopping them this time, nothing causing them to hesitate. Yet, hesitate he did. His finger stopped caressing her neck and his eyes bored into hers. Why did he care? This small, fragile woman was- He blinked. She was not fragile. He had said so himself back in the shuttle. Inside that petite body was the soul of a fighter. She was unlike any woman he had ever met before. While he had once thought Kathryn to be the perfect woman, there was something about her that he could not get past. Whether it was their connection at the Academy, or the fact that she had almost uncovered his secret at one point, he didn't care. They were coworkers now, and... His hand started moving again along Rychel's neck. ...and Kathryn wasn't Rychel. Tracing a finger along the yellow fabric, he weighed his options, then shook his head sharply once. Do not think. It was difficult for him to let go, to push aside his motives, his examination, his protection of his secrets. Years of training had left its dark mark upon his soul, yet he wanted to just throw it aside, if only for just this moment. Suddenly, he swept her up into his arms and carried her without a word into her bedroom. As he placed her onto the bed, he could feel the violence pushing at him at the back of his brain. Memories of him tearing into her flooded his mind and he squeezed his eyes shut for a second, regaining control. After he lowered himself to her, his hands shook as he let them explore. They would be gentle on her... ...this time.
I'm up through Chapter 3 so far, and I'm finding this a fascinating character play. There's a romantic, titillating aspect to this unlikely courtship, but it's complicated by Dakbar's ingrained paranoia. The fact that he went as far as to drug Rychel's drink, and can caress her neck while a part of him clinically analyzes snapping it, suggests that Dakbar is far more complicated and conflicted than he appears. You've certainly caught my attention!
Ah, okay, it's making more sense now that I'm through Chapter 5. Dakbar's a torn soul serving two masters, and the Cardassian soldier within him is at war with the noble man at his core. The psychological dance between Dakbar and Rychel continues, with the Cardassian beginning to show unexpected signs of vulnerability. However, he's a man with a mission, and the Obsidian Order is a harsh and demanding master... I don't envy him the compromises to come. As for Rychel, she promises to be an innocent victim of his intrigues. When and if she burns, he will be truly damned, for he'll have killed someone he genuinely cared for. Damn. Just... damn.
Chapter 5 Review: Rychel's reactions to Dakbar's actions are conflicted to be sure, but as she states repeatedly, she knew what she was getting herself in to. I'm amazed that she is so willing to extend such grace to someone she barely knows, regardless of her physical attraction to him. And Dakbar, to be the recipient of that kind of forgiveness from someone he may still lethally betray, one wonders how he can live with that kind of guilt. The psychological ramifications here are as immense as they are entertaining.
Chapter 6 Review: What... in the hell... was THAT?! Aside from, you know, really genuinely creepy! I LOVED the voice emanating from the ancient subspace radio, while Rychel was paralyzed by some unseen force. This story just keeps getting deeper and more deliciously twisted. It's like Talon's a ship of the damned, filled with tortured souls seeking reprieve from the sins of their past.
*blushes* Thank you! If I recall correctly, I wrote that on Halloween (or at least some day I'd watched a bunch of horror films). Glad it had the desired effect!
Chapter 21 Featuring Jim Murdoch as Stetson Griffon The incident on Maeri had opened many doors for Rychel. She was promoted to full Lieutenant, and sent back to the Alpha Quadrant for some additional experience in Weapons research. She hadn’t told Dakbar that she was leaving. It wasn’t because she didn’t feel obligated to, but more that she didn’t believe that he would care. He had feelings for her, that she knew more strongly than anything else. Still, he fought a war within, which was obvious to everyone, even the naive Rychel. She remembered a saying she’d heard about true love, and how if you really loved someone, you would let them go. If they loved you in return, they would come back. She took advantage of this opportunity to test that theory. She had not been prepared for what had happened next. She’d been neck-deep in weapons research when she received the call from the upper echelons of Starfleet Command. The call had come one day when she was particularly homesick for the Talon, and she had half expected it to be her brother chastising her. Somehow, he always knew… When her viewer was instead filled with the image of a Starfleet Admiral, she nearly choked on the tea she’d been drinking. What does an admiral want with me? she wondered. But the vague instructions she received did nothing to reduce her confusion. She was to report to the Talon as a temporary duty assignment while she was questioned for an investigation. An investigation of who? But somehow, she already knew the answer. It took the Talon far too long to arrive at SGE for personnel transfer, and that gave her too much time to worry herself into a fit. In her absence, her quarters had been assigned to someone else. Her new quarters were slightly larger, which only served to make Rychel feel more alone. “Computer, where is Lieutenant Helik Dakbar?” She asked, knowing the answer before she asked. “Lieutenant Dakbar is in the brig,” the computer replied curtly. Or at least, it sounded curt to Rychel’s ears. Knowing that she was there on official Starfleet Command business, Rychel changed into her dress whites, in case she was pulled in for an interview. The stiff, starched uniform coupled with the seemingly endless turbolift ride caused her to squirm uncomfortably. But as she exited the lift on deck 18, she straightened to her full height, and affected the appropriate posture of an officer. She strode into the brig as though she belonged there, hoping that this would ensure that no one questioned her presence. A pang of sadness struck her as she saw Dakbar, contained within a cell. What has happened to you? she thought sadly. Silently, she cursed Desan, knowing it was he who was behind her transfer off the Talon. Stepping up to the forcefield, she said, “Helik?” Hidden under the arm that was slung over Dakbar’s face to block out the bright lights, a brow furrowed at the voice. For the past day, or however long it had been, he had thought of her many times, mostly with an underlying gratitude that she had already been reassigned and wouldn't see his failure. Now, out of the blue, she was calling his name. For a moment, he thought it might be an insanity brought on by the incessant brightness, but as he raised his arm slightly, he saw the slim hips he knew so well. Sitting up, he scowled at her. "You should not be here." He half expected to see someone from medical, but none had shown themselves yet. True, his wounds were not severe and would heal on their own, but even Griffon wouldn't let a prisoner go too long with injuries. Of course, it could be all part of his plan. Was Rychel's appearance part of it, too? She was in an unexpected uniform, looking every bit the perfect Starfleet officer. Had she been promoted? His eyes searched her collar until the covering strands of vibrant hair parted and he could see the dual pips. To Rychel, he looked defeated. She fought the intense urge to demand they drop the forcefield and let her tend to him. She knew he didn’t want her to see him like this. After the ups and downs of their involvement, she wouldn’t have been surprised if he didn’t want her to see him in any situation. “I was ordered to be here,” she said softly. She tried unsuccessfully to hide the concern in her features. After years of lying to her brother and her parents, she thought she’d perfected her poker face. But there was something about Dakbar that seemed to instantly disarm her. “Trust me, I don’t wear dress whites for fun.” She frowned. There was an itchy spot right in the center of her back, and she feared the starched collar would slit her throat if she wiggled about to reach it. "Lieutenant Kayden," a voice behind Rychel called. Haywood didn't move from the console at which he was sitting, but he nodded a head in her direction. "All conversation is being recorded." He gave her a sympathetic expression, then looked back down at the console, at least giving her visual privacy. She turned to face the speaker, but kept track of Helik in the periphery of her vision. She raised an eyebrow as Haywood explained they were being recorded. Of course we’re being recorded, she thought. How incompetent would they have to be to not record everything? Dakbar stared at Haywood in silence. The muscles in the Cardassian's jaw could be seen clenching under the skin. With his head still turned toward Haywood, his eyes flitted back to Rychel. "Go." Her mind raced. There had to be some way that she could signal to him that she had a plan. That she was certain her testimony could prove that he wasn’t involved with any Cardassian conspiracies. The truth of the matter was, Rychel was almost convinced that he was. She had no idea why she wanted to protect him. She knew it was entirely possible that he had betrayed everyone on the Talon, herself included. She knew she was going against everything that Desan stood for. But deep down inside, she was convinced that if Helik could be spared, that he would find redemption. And that’s why she kept trying. “Starfleet Command has called upon me to be a character witness,” she explained after a long pause. It didn’t convey that she would support him…. but she hoped he would assume that. Entering the brig, Lieutenant Commander Griffon noted that Dakbar has a visitor. Good, Lt. Kayden's here. They were quick seeing to that. Let's see what she has to say, Stetson thought. Why she was attired in dress whites - a little overkill for the situation - he had no idea, but the cynic in him concluded that she was trying to add to her credibility. Stetson wasn't the type to be so easily swayed. "Actually, it's more than that, Lieutenant," Stetson interjected. "Dakbar and I have had a number of conversations, and you are here to discuss some details that have come to light." Gesturing to Kinin's office, he continued. "Let's go in there where we can speak in private," Stetson directed. Of course, the fact that Kayden would be unable to see Dakbar didn't hurt. “Of course, Commander,” Rychel said, nodding at Griffon. She forced herself to take slow, steady breaths. More than anything, she knew that she needed to maintain her calm as much as possible. No one has done anything wrong, she reminded herself. Still, it was like being chastised by a school teacher for something another student had done; it still left her with a bad feeling. Caught off guard, Dakbar’s eyes widened. They were going to make her go there. Rychel said nothing to the prisoner as she was lead off to the office. He had wanted her to go, and now he got his wish. The fact that she hadn't looked back almost tore him apart. When they were out of sight, he slammed a fist into the wall, causing Haywood to jump slightly. Rising partway out of his chair, the security officer just shook his head as he saw the slumped shoulders behind the shield. "Get some rest," he said to Dakbar. "They're probably going to be in there a while." At least they hadn't called Desan. Dakbar let out a breath, angered that she had been brought into this even after he had given Griffon everything he knew. What use was she? His mind raced, combining what he had learned in the Academy with what he had learned from his Cardassian training. Signaling to Haywood that they were to be undisturbed, Stetson, followed by Kayden, went into the space and sat down. "By now you know why he's here," Stetson opened, pointing his thumb in the direction of Dakbar's cell, "and I know you and he had a special relationship. So, tell me everything you know about Dakbar, on both a personal and professional level. Start with personal." Rychel wondered just how personal Griffon wanted her to get. She decided to take the safe course of action and avoid straying into more colorful territory. “We had an intimate relationship,” she said, trusting that conveyed their level of involvement without giving the Commander more information than he probably wanted. Unbidden, her mind drifted back to the last time they’d been intimate, and her face flushed a bit. "There are different kinds of intimate..." Stetson started to say, but then he saw her blush, telling him more than her words alone had said. "Never mind," he finished. “I’d seen him around the Talon a few times, but I think the first time that we really spoke with any purpose was when I saved him from a holodeck that had malfunctioned,” Rychel said, thinking back to some of the humorous predicaments that he’d gotten into. “We got close when I–” she hesitated for a moment, thinking back to the intruder that had entered her quarters. “When someone came into my quarters and sexually assaulted me.” There. It was easier to say when she phrased it that way. Stetson had seen Sig's medical report on the incident, which was in her file. It wasn't complete and there was more that needed to be investigated. Such a person as one who'd do such a thing was not someone who deserved to remain in Starfleet, but that would be best pursued at a later date. For now, it wasn't germane to Stetson’s current investigation. He made a note to follow up on it with a full Security investigation at a later date. She deserved to confront her attacker. “After that, he was very protective of me,” she added. She wasn’t entirely certain how much detail Griffon wanted, or what things he was looking for, so she hesitated, giving him a chance to ask any questions. "Very commendable, and it's understandable that this protective relationship could lead to the more intimate one. That's fine, unless he had ulterior motives. Did he ever make you feel like you owed him? Did he ever hurt you under the guise of trying to protect you or helping you to learn to protect yourself?" She carefully considered the question for a moment, paying particular attention to the wording. “No,” she said finally. “To be quite honest, at some points I had no idea why he would be interested in me. Particularly after the incident with the intruder in my quarters, he seemed hesitant to pursue any sort of physical relationship with me. I think he wanted to make sure I was handling it alright first.” "That's along the lines of what I'm getting at. Given his actions, he needed options, and getting into a relationship with you provided them. That's why he'd have been interested," Stetson pointed out. "There's your reason." Rychel thought that she had steeled herself for the inevitable– that someone was going to tell her that Dakbar was just using her as a pawn. But for some reason, hearing it from someone elses lips hurt far more than she anticipated. It’s not true. He’s just telling me these things because he wants to break my resolve, she reminded herself. “As to protecting myself, he never hurt me. He made sure that I kept a Type I phaser with me at all times, which was something that my broth–” she hesitated, realizing that wasn’t the proper way to discuss a superior officer in an official capacity. “Excuse me, something that Commander Kayden Desan had always stressed with me.” Stetson caught the hesitation. "Referring to the Commander as your brother is acceptable. We both know to whom you refer. Please continue." She shrugged slightly. “Desan went through Security training. He knew that I’d have little chance of surviving hands on combat, he stressed the importance of weapons. That coupled with my role as a Weapons’ specialist means that sort of thing comes pretty second nature to me.” Stetson continued, switching tracks a bit. "In my experience, people in relationships sometime use them to their advantage. Did he ever ask you to deliver messages for him? Did he ever take you along while doing something out of the ordinary? Perhaps something that he said was Security-related and that you had to keep secret?" “No, nothing Security-related at all, except as it applied to my well-being,” Rychel said. “He expressed dissatisfaction with how my intruder was handled, and I did as well. However, with the DNA evidence in the CMO’s hands, it was difficult for us to do anything about that.” "I've already made a note to initiate an investigation into your assault. I can't promise I'll catch him, but I will promise to do everything I can to do so." Rychel looked up, surprised. “Thank you,” she said. No one outside of Dakbar had seemed to believe that there was anything “off” about what had happened, despite how much Rychel had insisted that the man who’d assaulted her looked nothing like the man that had been charged with the crime. Part of her felt sick at the thought that someone was in jail somewhere for a crime they hadn’t committed. Stetson paused. "It should go without saying, but I'll say it anyway. You are not the one under investigation; you know that. If, however, it later comes out that you withheld information relevant to our investigation into Dakbar's actions, it would be held against you. Be honest with yourself and with me. This is important." Rychel nodded, “I understand, sir,” she said. She looked down for a second, thinking how best to state what she was going to say next. When she met Griffon’s eyes next, it was with steadfast resolve, and when she spoke, her words were strengthened by genuine conviction. “I guess I just look at the evidence of how he treated me and I find the allegations to be puzzling. If he was really up to something malicious, I am the absolute last person in the universe that he wishes to be associated with. Not only am I a Bajoran, but also the overly-protected sister of a Starfleet Intelligence operative who is well-known by everyone of import in the Eighth Fleet for his handling of several high-profile traitors. Lieutenant Dakbar met my brother, there was no possible chance that he was unaware. Furthermore, the most logical course of action for him would have been to ensure that I— someone who arguably would posed the greatest threat were he an enemy combatant or operative— ended up either dead or discredited.” “There were no less than two situations where Helik could have ensured that I was killed and made it look like an accident; both of these incidents are clearly documented in both my file and his. There was a climbing accident on Etimon, where he’d placed his body beneath mine in order to protect me from a fall. Also an incident on Maeri where he’d charged into a firefight to defend both myself and my team. It would have been easy for him to arrange to ensure my accidental demise in a way that wouldn’t implicate himself. Furthermore, if Cardassian operatives are as manipulative as we have been lead to believe, he could have manipulated my emotional state after my assault to prevent any potential of myself as a credible witness.” She took a deep breath, realizing that she’d gone on at length. “Sorry, sir,” she said. "Well, then let me share some things we've learned from our interrogation of Dakbar, as well as from other conversations and our investigation. You say he's never hurt you. Why, then, did we find your blood in his quarters? Obviously, at some point, he caused you to bleed." She debated the merits of arguing the verbiage of his question to her, but Rychel could tell that he had far more to say, and she wanted to hear everything before she decided how best to respond to that particular allegation. "Along those same lines, it's come to our attention that, under the guise of training her, Dakbar intentionally caused significant physical injury, as well as severe mental stress, to Ensign Cunningham. It could just as easily have been you. Clearly he has issues with temper and self-control, and a propensity toward letting things lead to a physical confrontation." What bothered Rychel was not what Dakbar was accused of, but of what caused his concern for Ensign Cunningham in the first place. Was Cunningham his replacement for her? Did she care for him the way Rychel did? She was struck by strong pangs of jealousy. "That climbing 'accident' to which you referred? That was no accident. According to Dakbar, that was, in reality, going to be a murder-suicide - your murder, his suicide - until he changed his mind mid-act. So don't be thinking kindly towards him with gratitude for saving your life. It was his intent to take it." The words Stetson said were ludicrous to her. Impossible. It made no sense. Did Dakbar really have a death wish? How would his “mission” have succeeded if he were dead? Tears stung at the corners of her eyes. Don’t you dare cry, Rychel. Your brother would never, ever let you live it down. Stetson lowered his voice and gently continued. "Rychel, he's not your friend. He's not someone you should think kindly toward. He's connived and plotted to further the success of his mission for the Cardassian empire, hiding his treason. By involving a Bajoran, he created a situation where the sheer audacity of such a relationship ensured him being dismissed as a threat. After all, who in their right mind gets involved with the enemy knowing it could engender greater scrutiny? It was genius. Saving your team only cemented his position of perceived trust." If Rychel’s life were an old-style movie, this would be the point where the director match cut to a glass shattering in an overly obtuse way of depicting how her fragile reality had just been broken to pieces. She sat there, wide-eyed, struggling to take it all in. "As far as fooling your brother, remember, his cover was so deep, so cleverly created and controlled, that it fooled all of Starfleet until Dakbar started making mistakes, for whatever reason." "You said, 'If Cardassian operatives are as manipulative as we have been lead to believe, he could have manipulated my emotional state after my assault to prevent any potential of myself as a credible witness.' I think he did exactly that." Something inside her twisted in sick fashion. Unable to figure a suitable emotional response in light of such shocking news, she shut down emotionally, going completely numb. Her logical brain, enamored by the romanticism of “spies” and their plots, considered Dakbar’s actions. Slowly, she stood up, and began to pace, her mind mulling over everything she’d been told. Taking a deep breath, she looked up at Griffon, her facial expression unreadable. Gone were the traces of tears, but traces of some hotter emotion burned in her eyes. “I want to speak to him.”
Interesting interactions on the bridge the day after. I enjoyed the Lower Decks nature of Rychel's perspective, swapping texts with Dakbar while the senior staff prattle on about mission particulars.
Chapter 9 review Dinner was awkward, though not as much so as it could have been. Dakbar’s in a tough place, having to call attention to the woman he basically attacked two nights before. Still, for the moment, he’s doing the right thing, acting as a Starfleet officer should. Rychel’s now firmly in the sights of a dangerous madman, someone who’s apparently been able to sneak onboard one of the most advanced ships in the fleet. What a tangled web we weave…
I really love Chapter 9 because we see that Dakbar is on some level willing to jeopardize his entire mission over one tiny Bajoran. Just how far he'd go for her is yet to be seen :-D Thanks for all your feedback, I really appreciate it!
Chapter 10 review Perhaps naively, I never suspected that the attack could have also been sexual in nature. Dakar continues to be trapped between his duty as a Starfleet officer and his undercover mission for the Obsidian Order. It seems almost certain that the doctor's samples were tampered with, potentially making the new suspect another victim of these intrigues. I'm loving this a growing conspiracy. Well done.
Chapter 11 review What began as a fun, flirtatious excursion planet-side has ended in what appears to be a rather rash decision by Dakbar. If he survives, I'll be interested to see what his reasoning behind the act was...
Chapter 12 review: Wow, you actually made a chapter devoted to the triage and trauma surgeries of two characters dramatic and interesting... no small feat! Now I'm wondering if Dakbar really threw the both of them off the precipice. Why use his body to break Rychel's fall if he intended for both of them to die? Perhaps Desan's old foe is still gunning for his enemy's little sister? Desan's presence and that of the vedek gave the scene added emotional weight, and I appreciated how nearly everyone had to wrestle with their innate suspicions regarding Cardassians during the process.
Again, thanks so much for reading and reviewing. This is obviously a large project, and it's good to know that there are people who find it enjoyable. :-D If you love the intrigue now... we're just getting started!
Chapter 22 Featuring Jim Murdoch as Stetson Griffon Questioning a person was as much art as science. Just as a professional poker player observes his opponents, looking for tells, a seasoned interrogator could infer as much about what someone was thinking or feeling merely by their body language as much as by what they said. It was often the case that body language said one thing while words said another. As Stetson asked his questions he was watching her intensely, his eyes leaving her face only long enough to make notes. His gaze took in all the nuances of emotions that were streaming across her face; pain, hurt, disbelief, realization, and so many more. Even though she hadn't actually said anything, Stetson could tell that his words had hit home. I hope she doesn't play poker; she'll never win a hand, he thought. When she rose from her seat and started pacing, it was as if she'd come to some sort of conclusion, but he wasn't able to easily see her face due to her moving around. That changed when she finally came to a stop and looked at Stetson. There was no mistaking the expression on that face. “I want to speak to him.” "I know you do, and you will, but in good time, not just yet," Stetson replied, denying her. "First, though, I need you to answer my questions. After that, I'll be talking to him more before I let the two of you speak. You'll get your chance, I promise.” Sometimes being an officer with duties and responsibilities was a giant pain. Still, she had no idea what she would have done with her life had she not joined Starfleet. Probably would have had less near-death incidents, she thought wryly. She slowed her breathing, forcing herself to calm down and focus. The sooner this was done, the sooner she could deal with figuring out just what all this meant for her life going forward. “Please, take a seat and tell me your responses and thoughts," Stetson requested, gesturing to the chair. Any conversation between Dakbar and Rychel could alter her feedback, as well as Dakbar's cooperation, and Stetson could not allow that to happen. Doing as she was told, she assembled her thoughts in her mind. “Helik only hurt me once,” she said. She wasn’t ready to accept what Stetson had said about his attempt at murder-suicide, not until she heard it from Dakbar’s own lips. “But… it wasn’t in any sort of self defense situation.” Her brow furrowed as she searched for the words to describe it. “His people, they… they did bad things to him,” Rychel started. “He never explained in much detail. I know he lost much of his family, though. His parents were killed in response to his joining Starfleet. He told me he’d been tortured, but didn’t explain in detail.” "Yes, that's accurate. Cardassia Prime was quick to punish anyone they thought was involved in Dakbar's decision or, at the least, possibly had knowledge of it before the fact. Unfortunately, that's typical with the Cardassians," Stetson said. Rychel refused to believe that Helik had a choice in anything that he might have done. And this saddened her, because she had no way of knowing whether or not that would get him any leniency in sentencing. It’s not fair, she thought. “Sometimes, though… something would happen and it was almost like he lost touch with reality. It was like he drifted back to some time when they were hurting him. And… he’d lash out. One of those times, I was there.” Tremendous sorrow colored her expression. “So yes, my blood is in his quarters. But… when he attacked me, it broke my heart. Not because of what he’d done to me. But of how afraid he seemed.” It had surprised her then to see someone so tall, who seemed so strong to be caught in the grips of a terror more intense than anything that she could imagine. "I see." He'd have to follow up more on that with Dakbar. He made a note to do so. The words conveyed no meaning other than simple understanding. Rychel knew better than to think that Stetson would be read so easily. She’d fought hard her whole life to learn how to hide her true feelings on things. Before this meeting, she’d been successful a large percentage of the time. She focused on her breathing, knowing that she needed to get herself under control before she left the office again. She looked down, and her fingers picked at a loose piece of thread on her uniform. When did that happen? she thought errantly. “He used to talk about why he joined Starfleet in the first place. What he wanted.” She looked up at Griffon again, her expression softer than it had been before. “He’d always hoped to be a diplomat. He wanted to improve relations between the Cardassians and the Federation. But he was punished for his optimism.” In more ways than you know, if his story's to be believed, Stetson thought to himself. She didn’t know what else Stetson wanted for her, so she looked up at him expectantly. Her loyalties were torn. She knew deep down inside that if he’d really done the things Stetson was accusing him of, that he did so under duress. She just didn’t know if that would matter in the long run. Much of what Rychel'd related to Stetson matched Dakbar's own version of the story. It didn't mean that it wasn't planned that way, just in case he needed backup down the road, as he did now. Even to Stetson's cynical mind, though, more and more it seemed to be coalescing into verification of Dakbar's story. Rychel's testimony had been conducted solely to garner information that could confirm or refute his statements. Thus far, confirmation was the order of the day. "Lieutenant Kayden, we're done for now. You may need to return for clarification purposes sometime in the future, but for now, you can return to your duties." He continued. "It's obvious that this has been very difficult for you. Thank you for your openness and candor in your responses." “Yes, sir,” she said, but she wondered what that would entail. Her instructions had been to report to the Talon for the investigation. She wasn’t certain whether she was to return to her old duty assignment or not. She would need to speak to the Chief Engineer after she was a bit more composed. They may want me to just report directly to counseling, she thought. Stetson was quite aware Rychel she'd not been assigned specific duties, that her presence here on Talon was solely to aid in his investigation. Why he said that she could return to her duties was simple; he wanted to see what she would do, where she'd go, and with whom she might speak. More fuel for the fire. Stetson looked at her. "One more thing; ditch the whites. I've been on the other side of the table; it's uncomfortable enough without having to add starched collars to it," he added with a smile. “I didn’t want you to think I wasn’t taking this seriously,” Rychel responded. Her brother had always said that you could never be too overdressed. “But thank you for the advice.” She forced a wan smile to her face, doubting that it fooled him for a moment. There was simply too much on her mind. "I don't think that anyone called to another duty station for questioning by the CSO would take it lightly. No worries there." She exited the office quickly, her heart racing still. She couldn’t just ignore Helik, not after what he must have been through to have told Stetson so much. She walked over to the forcefield that separated them, but said nothing. Her face was a mask of concern. Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, and she tried to grasp on to each one before it slipped away. He did what he had to do. He tried to kill me. He lied to me. No, he didn’t lie. You never asked the right questions. You’re a fool. You let him deceive you. This is why the Cardassians subjugated your people for so long. He had no choice. They made him do this. You would deceive others for the sake of your family. She ran through conversations they’d had, moments of tenderness. Moments when he’d been angry. But she didn’t feel angry. She didn’t even feel betrayed. Fear wasn’t even on her emotional radar screen. No, she felt something far, far more dangerous. Stetson flipped on a monitor with a split screen - one focused on Dakbar, the other on the area in front of his cell where a visitor would stand. He'd not told Rychel that it would be okay to speak with Dakbar - such permission would be required before she could do so, of course - but he'd not told her she couldn't either. He wanted to see what she'd do, follow orders or ignore them. As she stopped in front of Dakbar's cell, he watched, expecting to see a curious range of expressions cross her face. What he actually did see was the last thing he anticipated. It was easy to read her face as she looked upon Dakbar; it was, simply put, pure awe. "Ah, hell," Stetson muttered as he watched the screen. He’s brilliant. A sick sense of profound admiration struck Rychel as she realized just how cunning of a man she’d fallen in love with.
Chapter 13 review: Wow, what an eye opener! Dakbar's having a battle with his inner demons, who sound a lot like the Prophets. Meanwhile, Rychel is far more spry than anyone gave her credit for so soon after major surgery. And her last memory... what a doozy!
Chapter 14 review Ludir's correct to feel fear here, for Dakbar is dangerously close to reverting to type. Rychel's blinded by medication, her injuries, and her genuine feelings for Dakbar. Meanwhile a war for the Cardassian's soul is being waged internally. Fascinating reveal that Dakbar did in fact throw the both of them off the cliff, only to change his mind midway down.
Chapter 15 review Dakbar may have overplayed his hand here. Seeing as his adversary was raised among his own people (presumably), she's much more likely to see through his guise. He's becoming increasingly sloppy as his emotions override his training and programming.
Chapter 15 review I loved the intricate detail of the acrobatic troupe's performance, and the cascade of emotions Rychel experienced during the event. It figures she'd wait until the emotional spike caused by the trapeze act to finally succumb to her roiling emotions. And here is another of Desan's friend/allies in the form of Nike's captain. Here's hoping his actually the man he appears to be, I don't think this young woman can take any more enemies.