By Commander Salvek
100102.0200
After Cold Miser
-=Base Camp on Sibalt=-
100102.0200
After Cold Miser
-=Base Camp on Sibalt=-
“Everyone, front and center!” Zander’s voice boomed over the camp. The crew, who up to this point had been meandering around swapping rumours about the possible disappearance of Grace and Reece, now hustled to the Security Chief, who was flanked by the Captain and First Officer.
“Can you…” Vol asked T’Dara gently. She nodded, and drew a deep breath, forcing composure upon herself long enough, she hoped, to be able to hear what Blakeslee had to say. Tryst placed his hand reassuringly on her back, and guided her over to the assemblage.
“I’ll make this quick, since I know standing still in the cold isn’t doing anything for anyone.” Blakeslee began. “Commander Reece and Lieutenant Grace are missing. Since they left without telling anyone and there is no sign of where they went, we are assuming for now they went against their will. We’re going to dispatch search parties immediately to look for them.”
Zander began dividing up the crew as had been discussed with Zanh, Salvek, Blane and O’Sullivan. As he called out names, Salvek’s eyes caught a glimpse of Ensign T’Dara, and the expression on her face was one that he knew all too well.
Beside Salvek, Zanh reached into her bag, and withdrew McKay’s mobile emitter. She activated the device and the LMH shimmered into existence.
“Team one, Doctor McKay, you will be joining the Captain, Tubman, Tenney and Parrish.”
“Anyone want to explain to me what I’m joinin’ ‘em for?” Dalton asked. Zanh pulled him aside to brief him, as Blakeslee continued on.
“Team two, led by Commander Salvek, with Hartcort, Samson, Steele and Sterling. Team three, led by Commander O’Sullivan, with T’Dara, Cristiane and Lassiter. Team four, led by Commander Blane, with Dengar, Ledbetter, Ryn and Jariel. And team five, led by yours truly, with Briggs, Tryst, Lair and Halliday.”
The crew began to split up into their assigned groups. Salvek quickly grabbed the Captain’s attention before she could begin moving off into the woods. “Captain, with your permission, I would like to exchange Doctor Hartcort in my group for T’Dara.”
“Why? We already discussed the teams and agreed to them.” As she spoke, Zanh’s eyes sought out both T’Dara and Hartcort. She wondered if there was some falling out between Hartcort and Salvek she did not know about that would have prompted such a request, but when she saw T’Dara, she knew Salvek’s reasoning had nothing to do with Hartcort. Her shoulders slumped. “Really? Now? This is not a good time?”
“It never is, is it?” Salvek asked, sounding a bit defensive. His own personal experiences with Pon farr had, in the past, had a way of making Zanh Liis’s life a living hell.
“Is there anything you can do for her? Maybe she should just stay behind.”
“She should not be left alone, keeping busy is the best thing for her. I will try to help in any way I can.”
Zanh sighed. None of this discussion was getting them any closer to finding Reece or Grace. They simply didn’t have time to discuss this any longer. “Fine, tell Doctor Hartcort he’s on Keiran’s team.”
Salvek nodded, and left to inform T’Dara and Hartcort of the switch. With no time to spare, they set off into the woods almost immediately. There had been no sign of Jelca as of yet, so Zanh had ordered that any team that ran across her should simply request any help Jelca could offer. The Captain however was clearly suspicious of that fact that their host seemed to have disappeared just as quickly as Reece and Grace.
Sterling wandered off on his own, about fifty meters to Salvek’s left, but still within sight. The First officer kept most of his focus on the search, but some of his attention was on T’Dara at all times. She wasn’t really doing much other than walking along to keep up with the team, but Salvek did not press her for it at all. He stayed several meters from her, while Samson and Steele walked together about fifty meters to Salvek’s right. From their body language Salvek could tell Samson was doing the searching while Steele did the talking.
When it appeared no one else would be able to hear them speak, Salvek slowly inched his way towards T’Dara. She glanced at him, with weary yet apologetic eyes.
“It is time?” He asked.
“I’m sorry, Commander.” T’Dara answered, lowering her head.
“There is no need to apologize. My own Pon farr have been, on occasion, ill timed. It is simply a part of being Vulcan.”
They walked in silence for several more steps. Salvek could tell it was taking all of her concentration to keep herself together. He knew exactly what she would be feeling right now. Bad enough to lose your composure in front of the ship’s First Officer, but even worse when he happened to be a Vulcan.
“How close?”
“Very.” She answered simply.
“A meld?” Salvek offered. On occasion a mind meld could be used to implant a Vulcan’s sense of stability on to one suffering from Pon farr, to suppress and delay the effects.
“Too late, but thank you. It is kind of you to offer.” She looked at him, as fresh tears glistened in her eyes. She was truly touched the Salvek was willing to offer to help, and in her emotionally unstable state any such gesture was enough to elicit tears. The look on her face rapidly changed from appreciation to anger, as she glanced at Samson and Steele in the distance.
Micah was scanning their surroundings visually, while Landry just kept on chattering in his ear. He would have enjoyed her company, given the crush he had been developing on her, except for the fact she wanted to talk about nothing except Trev Sterling.
“So, Samson, you’re a guy, right?”
“Yeah.” He answered, keeping his eyes on the trees and ground around them.
“Well, if you were Trev, what would you want a girl to do to make you like her?”
“Give me some gloves.” Micah answered. The comment flew directly over Landry’s head, as did most things.
“Gloves? I don’t get it. Anyway, I tried to talk to him but he just didn’t even seem to notice I existed. Can you imagine how much of a bummer it would be to try and flirt with someone and they just don’t get that you’re interested?”
“I can’t imagine your pain.” Micah said. He glanced back towards Salvek, just to make sure they weren’t wandering too far away from their team leader.
“I know! It sucks! That’s why I’m really hoping maybe you can give me a tip or something.”
“Well, you could tell him that you’ve seen him around the ship a lot, and you can’t help but feel your heart beat a little bit faster every time he walks by. That just the scent of his hair can set your mind at ease and make you forget everything that’s wrong with the world. And tell him, you have so much love to give, if he’d just give you a chance to show him. Let him know that you’d adore and take care of him forever, in return for nothing more than his love.”
Landry was silent for a moment, a rare feat indeed. “Wow. That’s some good stuff. I was just going to buy him a steak. Thanks Samson!”
Landry gave him a playful shove, and off in the distance, T’Dara had seen enough. She broke into a full run. Salvek took off after her, but her speed in this state was too great for him to be able to catch her.
“Ensign! Stop! That is an order!” Salvek called out. Samson, Steele and Sterling all heard the commotion. Landry and Micah froze like deer in the headlights of the oncoming Vulcan, and Trev began jogging towards the group to see what was going on.
“I order you to stop, now!” Salvek shouted again, but T’Dara couldn’t have cared less what the First Officer ordered now. She skidded to a halt just centimeters from the face of a very stunned Landry Steele.
“Get away from him.” She warned menacingly.
“What? Why? Huh?” Landry stammered.
“I challenge you, to ritual combat, for Micah Samson.”
Samson blinked in disbelief. "I beg your pardon?"
“You, what?” Landry’s mouth hung open.
“Please. Ensign T’Dara is not well.” Salvek said, as he arrived. He tried to take her by the arm, but T’Dara forcefully shrugged him off, with surprising strength.
Trev Starling came up right behind Salvek, and a Landry began putting the pieces together. Ritual combat, an angry Vulcan, and a challenge for a mate. As the puzzle came together, an idea began to form in her head. “I accept your challenge!” Landry bellowed, and then turned away.
“Are you crazy!” Micah whispered to her. “Do you have any idea what Pon farr does to Vulcans? T’Dara could probably beat all four of us in a fair fight right now. You don’t stand a chance.”
“Of course I do! Sterling is bound to save the damsel in distress. T’Dara will defeat me, take you as a mate, and Sterling will come in to my rescue, impressed with my bravery to take on the crazy Vulcan, but at the same time sympathetic for the fact the big bully beat me up. He’ll whisk me away and we’ll live happily ever after.”
Behind them T’Dara was already gathering up tree branches big enough to be used as clubs. Salvek was doing nothing to stop her.
“Commander, shouldn’t we, stop this somehow.”
“The challenge has been accepted, and T’Dara has chosen her mate. The battle must go on.” Salvek answered.
“But, sir,” Micah pleaded. “She might kill Steele.”
“I will endeavor to ensure that does not happen. But T’Dara is beyond the point of no return. If she does not commence with the battle, I am afraid she will die.”
T’Dara tossed a club at Landry. Steele picked it up, bared her teeth, and growled like a little puppy.
“Maybe I should get the Captain, or Doctor Hartcort.” Trev asked, very much afraid he was about to see Landry Steele die before his very eyes.
“It is too late for that. They are likely several kilometers away.” Salvek said.
Micah watched the two women stalk each other in a circle. Ten minutes ago he was wondering if he would ever so much as have a date aboard the Sera. Now he was watching two women potentially fight to the death over him. This was not the worst moment of his life.
T’Dara rushed at Steele and swung her club. Landry ducked out of the way, and T’Dara’s club impacted on a tree behind Steele. The trunk of the tree shuddered with the force of the impact, sending bark and shards of wood flying off in every direction. Samson and Sterling did not want to think about what would have happened to Landry’s head if that impact had hit her.
“Nyah nyah, you missed me.” Landry taunted, oblivious to the fact T’Dara was swinging with enough force to kill her ten times over if she actually connected.
Steele gave a half-hearted swing with her club. T’Dara raised her own, knocking the blow to the side, then dropped to a knee, slid her club up to Steele’s ankle, and upended her, dropping Landry right on her rear end.
“Ow! That hurt! Ah!” Steele shrieked and T’Dara swung the club overhead, then brought it down her. She rolled out of the way as dirt, snow, and bits of rock went flying in every direction.
Now was about the time when Landry was depending on Sterling to do something to save her but Trev was frozen, waiting on orders from his First Officer to move in to stop the fight. T’Dara pounced on Steele, grabbing her by the arm and flinging her several meters away into the snow. There was an odd hissing sound coming from the ground where Landry had landed.
In the process, Landry had lost her club and was now completely defenseless. T’Dara ran her down again, grabbing Steele by the front of her shirt. Landry wriggled but could not get free.
“I told you to get away from him.” T’Dara hissed. Landry was now beginning to wonder if she had bitten off more than she could chew.
“Commander.” She whimpered towards Salvek.
T’Dara raised her club, and was about to put an end to the short but colorful life of one Landry Steele, when suddenly a hand appeared on her shoulder.
“You killed her.” Salvek whispered into T’Dara’s ear, as the nurse dropped into unconsciousness from Salvek’s pinch. He lowered her gently to the ground.
“Wait, I thought she would die if she didn’t finish the fight?” Samson asked.
“I am hoping that her subconscious believes Steele is dead. Since that was the last thing she heard, her mind will hopefully believe that she did indeed strike Steele and kill her.”
“Can we talk about something else?” Landry asked. “Like anything?”
“But, doesn’t she have to, you know, mate?” Samson asked again.
“Hopefully by the time she awakens we can have her under the care of Doctor Hartcort.” Salvek answered.
“What if we can’t?”
Salvek merely looked at Samson, but did not answer his question. “Please move. There is something beneath you.” Salvek said to Steele.
She made a good show of getting to her feet, so everyone would know exactly how much pain she was in. Salvek examined the ground where he had heard the hiss, and saw a small gap in the snow. Sterling and Samson saw it as well, and grabbed the edges with Salvek, lifting open a rather large door to an underground, man-made cavern.
“It is heated. Help me get T’Dara inside.” Salvek ordered.
Samson and Sterling dropped into the hole, as Salvek lifted T’Dara’s lifeless body. He lowered her down to their waiting arms. Landry and Salvek each dropped in last. Once they hit the floor, they heard a voice from down the corridor.
“What is this place?” Landry asked
Samson and Sterling looked at all the control panels all around them. “It looks like some kind of command center.” Trev said.
“And I bet this is where they control the weather.” Micah added.
“Excellent. See what we can use.” Salvek ordered.
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Commander Salvek
First Officer
USS Serendipity NCC-2012
Commander Salvek
First Officer
USS Serendipity NCC-2012