Rise of The Resistance

Posted on Tue Jan 26th, 2021 @ 6:34am by Captain Nycolas Temple & Commander Owen Nash & Lieutenant Krysia Kaleri-Smith

Mission: The Gauntlet
Location: Deck 2 - Meeting Room

ON:

Sitting at the large, oval-shaped meeting table, Nyx waited patiently in his chair as Sevros and Gavar were beamed across from their respective ships to the Pandora to begin negotiations. At either side was Commander Nash and Counsellor Kaleri; hopefully, between the three of them, they could break through the stubborn Talarians and find a pathway to a peaceful exit from the region. Any minute now the Talarians would be escorted in from the transporter rooms and the real talks would begin.

"Counsellor," Nyx turned to Kaleri, "I'll need you to keep a constant read on Sevros and Gavar and find a way to tell me if they're lying or not. I don't want any surprises."

Krysia nodded as she looked at Nyx. “Yes Sir. Do you want me to verbalise any concerns, or would you prefer I communicate them to you both telepathically?” It was an unusual request but Krysia knew these were unusual times.

Nyx thought about this for a moment and gave a shrug, "Just give me a nod when I looked to you. Feel free to interrupt if he's lying though. Talarians are very patriarchal and the thought of a woman calling out his lies will infuriate Gavar."

Krysia nodded. “Understood Sir.”

Owen looked across at both Krys and Nyx, now having had his suspicions confirmed as to why Krys was with them for the meeting. Although he was looking forward to a battle of wits with both Sevros and Gavar, he was also hopeful of a positive outcome to this meeting that wouldn't affect the Pandora and her crew too much in the way of leaving this part of the expanse.

"So, I'm here to aggravate or generally tease and annoy then? "Owen asked as he joked slightly to both of them. He knew this was a serious job, but a little humour wouldn't go amiss and also helped to raise the positivity in the room before the guests arrived.

Krysia grinned as she looked at Owen. “You’re always a general tease and totally aggravating, so why change it?”

"You're here to stop me from declaring war on the Talarian Republic," Nyx replied, though only half-jokingly. "It feels like the kind of day where I might be tempted to."

Owen smiled. "Oh, is that all? Well, that should be easy compared to the rest of the time when you're trying to do that from the Bridge..." he said before

From down the corridor, the loud voices of two arguing Talarians could be heard. The universal translator was struggling to keep up with the amount of expletives being thrown around. The shouting grew louder as the Talarians were brought to the meeting room and the door swished open.

"Sounds like I guests are here," Owen add as he looked up at the doorway.

"The fact that you would meet with these humans on their ship, Sevros, tells me you have grown weak!" Gavar spat as he insulted.

"You were the one bested by these humans and their science vessel, Gavar." Sevros quipped back. "I have come to spare your life from execution. You would be wise to remember this!"

"Do not insult my abilities!" Gavar hissed, getting closer to his Talarian counterpart's face.

"Enough!" Nyx shouted as he stood up. "I do not have time for a Talarian pissing contest! Either you both sit down and start chatting to us, or I will follow through with my threats!"

Both of the Talarians turned to look at Temple - Gavar with notable disdain for being told what to do, while Sevros had a quick glint of pride in his eyes. With gloved hands, they pulled out the chairs in front of them and sat down. Nyx too returned to his place and rested his hands flat on the table.

Krysia took a deep breath and reigned in her senses somewhat, the air of emotions in the room was thick enough to be cut with a knife and she didn’t want to be flooded with others emotions or it would influence her own judgement. She relaxed back in her seat her one hand resting on her stomach as she monitored their visitors.

"I'll make this very easy for us all." Nyx began, trying to calm his breath. "My ship just wants to get home. That's it. We're not looking to keep fighting, we just want to get back to Federation territory."

"An aggression has taken place!" Gavar immediately counted, gripping his hand.

Nyx didn't hide the roll of his eyes, "As you keep saying, Gavar, but events have moved on from there. You tried to enact revenge, we ended up hitting you back even harder. If you want to keep going until all of your fleet is floating trash in space, be my guest. But make no mistake that you will be the first one that I send to his death."

"You continue to threaten a commander of the Talarian Republic!" Gavar hissed, "An insult!"

"Unfortunately, Gavar, I agree with the Captain." Sevros interrupted, unable to mask the slight smirk on his face. "I have received word from the High Command that this battle has been fought and it has come to an end. You made a tactical mistake, Gavar, in your haste to enact revenge and you have given the Federation vessel the upper hand. As a result, we have lost more craft and more warriors, and we see no advantage in continuing."

Nyx looked to Kaleri to see if Sevros was telling the truth.

Krysia was watching both Talarians with interest. As Nyx looked towards her she nodded indicating that, at least for the moment, both were telling the truth.

Gavar's head practically spun as it turned to look to Sevros with utter disdain. "The High Command has abandoned me?!"

"The High Command gave you permission to fulfil your blood rights, but you were bested in battle." Sevros merely replied. "I have borne witness to your defeat at the hands of the Federation vessel, and High Command has agreed that your assault has failed. To borrow a phrase from the humans, it is time to cut our losses."

Again, the Captain gave a sidewise glance to the Counsellor. It was too good to be true.

Krysia gave Nyx a look that said something was off. “With all due respect to our guests Captain, that’s not entirely the truth.” She looked towards Sevros. “What’s been said so far is the truth, but something is being held back.”

Owen had watched the exchanges between Nyx, Gavar and Sevros with interest before he took notice of what Krys just said. Looking at Nyx before looking back at both Gavar and Sevros, Owen's interest was now heightened. "So, what's being held back, may we ask?" he said.

At this, Sevros stiffened a little, and he eyed Gavar with a sideways glance. The other Talarian, however, was not receptive to the question.

"I have heard the Federation allows it's females to speak in the company of males." Gavar hissed, "But I am not accustomed to entertaining such practice."

Krysia nodded respectfully, “In my culture, it is females that are dominant. We are a matriarchal society.”

"Lieutenant Kaleri is the Chief Counsellor aboard the USS Pandora, not that I need to explain this to you." Nyx replied swiftly, "The Lieutenant has detected some dishonesty in your conversation and I'm still in no mood to play games. We have your ship, Gavar, and you will answer any questions that any of us may have."

Turning up his nose, Gavar looked to Sevros. "You hear the insults, my brother. You allow the Federation to disrespect us, while your fleet of ships sits idle nearby? Overwhelm them, Sevros! We have the numbers to defeat this pathetic science vessel!"

"Why don't you, Sevros?" Nyx interjected. Kaleri had not been wrong about there being more to this story, Nyx needed to know what is was before they could make a deal with the Talarians. He couldn't risk letting Gavar go free and give up the tactical advantage, only for the Pandora to be swarmed by Sevros' fleet as soon as they could. Even if it meant asking a difficult question.

Owen could see that matters were moving fast now and that there were reasons as yet undisclosed behind the Talarians unwillingness to further attack the Pandora, so it was time to call them out.

"Captain, from a strategic point of view, the Talarians do outnumber us, which means that they hold a tactical advantage over us...so I agree," Owen began looking at Sevros before carrying on. "Why aren't you ordering your fleet reinforcements to attack?" he asked.

Sevros frowned but he nodded, "Matters that are... internal to the Talarian Republic have necessitated our willingness to negotiate, Captain. While I cannot say more, my mission is to rescue Gavar from his hapless revenge and return to command as soon as possible. I cannot guarantee that Federation vessels travelling within the Expanse will remain off-limits to my Talarian brothers, but at the moment - we must consider our options."

Krysia sat for a moment before nodding to Nyx. Now they were getting to the truth. Owen sat back now that he'd heard something more honest.

Gavar stood suddenly, and the Security Officers in the room became immediately tense, hands poised on weapons. Gavar's rage, however, was focused purely on his counterpart. "I will not forget this, Sevros. The day you subserved to the Federation at the expense of my honour!" He looked to Temple, "I accept your proposal, Starfleet. My fleet will return with Sevros to Talarian space and you will no longer be hunted by us."

"I have your word, Gavar?" Nyx pressed. "No sneaky surprise attacks?"

"You have my word," Gavar replied through gritted teeth.

Nyx looked to the Counsellor for confirmation.

“As much as he dislikes it, he’s telling the truth Captain.” Krysia offered a smile.

"Then we have a deal." Nyx nodded, he knew better than to offer his hand for the Talarian to shake.

"I'd like to go back to my ship now." Gavar looked around the room, "The stink of human treachery can only invade my senses for so long."

With that he turned and left, the Security Officers escorting him back to the Transporter room. Sevros waited until the door closed again before looking to the Captain, Nash, and Kaleri.

"I doubt I have made a friend today." He commented.

"Well, at least you managed to avoid dragging us into a needless bloody war with them, so I'll take that as a victory, well done," Owen said with a grin, before noticing a slight upturn of Nyx lips.

“Given how he’s feeling, I’d say you’ll need to keep an eye on him for a while” Krysia offered a polite smile knowing it might not mean much given that she was female.

"It may take longer than that." Sevros said with a sigh.

Nyx frowned, "I know it has been some time since we last met, Sevros, and we now find ourselves on the opposite sides of the Expanse, but is there anything you can tell us about what's happening with the Talarians?"

"A lot, in fact." Sevros said, "After the Pandora's encounter with the Tzenkethi, I was made an outcast within the government. I had failed my crew and lost my ship to the those salty lizards, and even worse - relied upon the Federation to help me. I was seen as a weak Talarian." He shifted in his chair, trying to mentally forget that feeling of failure cast upon him. "Fuelled by a desire to clear my name, I became determined to find out the truth of what had happened to my ship. If you remember, one of our border beacons had malfunctioned and travelled into Tzenkethi territory. My ship had gone to investigate only to be slaughtered by those disgusting aliens."

"I remember." Nyx nodded. "You asked us to help find your ship and we were attacked by the Tzenkethi because of it. We barely made it out alive."

"But you still found time to transport my crew's bodies to your ship." Sevros said, voice risking a moment of emotion. "You recovered them so that we could bury them in line with our customs. You risked your ship to do so and I am thankful for that. I know that if you could have, you would have saved them."

At this, Nyx nodded again. "I'm sorry that I could not. Did you find out why your border beacon malfunctioned? Was it the Tzenkethi leading you into a trap?"

"So we were lead to believe." Sevros added. "After the Talarian High Command joined the Alrakis Pact, I managed to find my way onto a joint committee responsible for dealing with trade resources within the Expanse. It was supposed to keep me out of the way in a bureaucratic role, to humiliate me. However, from there I was able to find information on trade routes and ship transports. I discovered that the Breen had been frequently using the corridor between the Talarian Republic and Tzenkethi Coalition to conduct their business, including the raid on Paradise Outpost."

"Wait... The Breen?" Nyx said, eyes opened in surprise.

Krysia looked at Nyx she wasn’t sure if that meant anything to their current situation but it obviously wasn’t good news.

"That explains a lot, including why they were able to get such a large fleet to Paradise Station in such a short time and why they still have a large presence throughout the Expanse," Owen surmised.

Sevros just nodded, "The Breen pushed for the Alrakis Pact, claimed it was the answer to regaining order and stability within the Expanse. They said the Pact would bring peace and unity, and bountiful resources for all. But in reality, the Breen had been stoking the flames of chaos within the Expanse and between our member states just to manipulate us into signing. They caused the border issues between us and the Tzenkethi, they armed the Ravagers, they secretly took over Paradise to control trade movement - and likely much, much more. My people were slaughtered just to further their agenda."

The Talarian sighed, "Because, at every turn, we were made to believe the Federation were coming to invade the Expanse. We were told you had certain plans to add the region to your growing dominion so the Pact's leadership believed they were saving the Expanse from the Federation's control."

"And in reply, some people in Starfleet took desperate measures to fight the Pact." Nyx commented as he looked to Nash and Kaleri. The Pithos Facility had been just that - a reaction to the threat of the Pact, while the Pact had been built upon the threat of the Federation. It was a vicious cycle.

"So, with a cycle that's been put in motion by the Breen, kept in motion by the Breen manipulating the Alrakis Pact members and further continued by Starfleet reacting in the worst way that they could, how about we break that cycle? Let's change the playing field as it were and start some real change within the pact?" Owen offered.

Looking at Sevros, Owen continued. "Ambassador is there any way that we could look to some sort of agreement or ceasefire? not just with the Talarian government but also with the Pact Members themselves? Maybe together if we were able to present evidence of the Breen work covertly behind the other Pact members, that would change how the current political landscaped stands?"

It was a long shot, but Owens thought process was if they were occupied within themselves, that gave Pandora a better chance of getting home.

“From our High Command? No.” Sevros said flatly. “There is growing opposition to the Alrakis Pact within the leadership groups. This mostly comes from a distaste over aligning ourselves with lesser species like the Tzenkethi and Ravagers. They do not hold the warrior values that we Talarians are so proud of. However, our voices are in the minority. Many still feel it brings security to the Republic’s borders. They know the disgusting Breen are being manipulative but they feel the benefits outweigh the cost. The best we can hope for is abstaining from joining any new conflicts that we deem unnecessary.”

The Captain frowned, "So what now? Could we, as Commander Nash suggested, actually change anything?"

Sevros leaned in, his voice taking a conspiratorial tone, “The minority is not giving up. Our pain is temporary and only fuels our spirits! We have started to find ways to subvert Alrakis Pact activities. Those on our side have stopped putting our ships at risk to defend the other's borders, stopped engaging in wars that have no benefit to the Talarians, and we have stopped assisting the Breen in particular to advance their control of the Expanse. We have also come to learn of a resistance movement in the Expanse.”

Nyx listened to this and breathed out slowly. “A resistance?”

“Yes.” Sevros dared to smile. “It is building from the outside. The defeat at Paradise Outpost was an embarrassment for the Breen. I was laughing at that for weeks. The lizards were beaten by civilians? Ha!" He gave a hearty chuckle. "Now our intelligence reports show the event has also sparked further pockets of rebellion across the Expanse. Planets, organisations, some whole systems are rejecting the Pact’s control. Of course, it would be treasonous and denigrating of me to engage with such people, but I can point you in their direction."

Krysia had been intent attention to every word knowing Nyx would want to know if that was the truth. She looked towards Nyx. “It’s the truth Captain, I sense no deception.”

"Captain, as dangerous as this might be for both us and the ambassador if this...resistance could be of any assistance to us and making our way home that bit safer, I believe that this is a course of action we should seriously consider looking at," Owen said after Krys confirmed there was no deception

"I can give you this," The Talarian replied, digging into his pocket and producing a data chip. "It shows you a clear passageway from here to Paradise Outpost. That's the farthest I can get you, I'm afraid, but you will find allies there. Be warned, there may be some unplanned patrols still loyal to the Pact that will attack you. But I hope this will get you through this region of the Expanse quicker."

Nyx managed a smile. "Sevros, that's incredibly generous of you." He took the data chip out of the Talarian's gloved hand and held it tightly in his own.

"Consider our debt repaid, Pandora." Sevros said seriously. "You will still have a challenging journey ahead and, who knows, it may just make decent warriors out you." He smirked, same old Sevros. "I can do no more for you at this time. Just know that there are some of us within the Republic who are trying to rid us of these treacherous Alrakis Pact partners. You are not entirely alone out here."

It may not have been done with an entirely altruistic intention, Sevros was still trying to serve his own goals as well as practicing the typical Talarian xenophobia, but if it helped the Pandora, Nyx was going to take it. The Captain stood from his chair and bowed to the Ambassador. "Thank you, Sevros." He said simply.

Sevros stood as well and after taking a moment to think about it, he bowed as well. A high mark of respect from a Talarian.

Owen stood along with both Nyx and Krysia and was a little awed by Sevros bowing before the three of them. Whilst he was aware of what an honour this way, Owen was also aware that they would now be paying a visit to Paradise Sation again, offering a chance to catch up with Arnaldo and Katya...

As the parties departed from the room, Nyx chose to escort Sevros back to the transporters himself. The two walked casually down the corridor, security officers just ahead of them.

"I'm disappointed not to see Ensign Griffin today." Sevros remarked with a slight frown. "I was eager to know if he had improved his officers at all. They seem far more focused than last time I visited."

"He's actually Lieutenant Commander now." Nyx replied with a smile. "He's off-ship at the moment, but he's managed to whip the Security department into top shape."

Sevros huffed, "Your Chief of Security is off-ship during such a perilous mission, Captain? Is that wise?"

"Family matters, Ambassador. Couldn't be helped." Nyx answered, "It's not internal security that worries me; it's threats from the outside that I need to be concerned about."

"Then you have learnt from your time in the Expanse." Sevros said knowingly. "This region takes more than good-intentions and high morals, Temple. You need to remain sharp, or hot-headed fools like Gavar will sneak up on you."

Nyx nodded but he didn't agree. Though he was cautious not to risk the peace and cooperation that he had formed with the Talarian, he was also not about to allow his ship's capabilities be undermined. He replied pointedly, "We handled Gavar. I could have executed him with a single glance."

Sevros chuckled, "Good. It's time you start thinking like a warrior rather than a diplomat. The Expanse needs strength and the Pandora needs a warrior at the helm."

"We will make it back to the Federation, I'll see to it." Temple said boldly. "I will not compromise our values as Starfleet officers, but we will defend ourselves if necessary."

"Starfleet values." Sevros murmured, chewing on the concept for a moment. "In the chaos and storms of war, values are usually the first thing to be cast aside. We Talarians have done so by aligning ourselves with the Breen, Ravagers, and Tzenkethi. A mistake I hope to rectify."

"And there are those within Starfleet who have forgotten our principles as well." Nyx admitted, "That's how we ended up in this mess to begin with."

Reaching the Transporter Room doors, Sevros stopped and turned to the Captain. He held out a gloved hand and Temple took it willingly, shaking the Talarian's hand.

"Then we should wish ourselves both good luck." Sevros said plainly, "In our attempts to rescue ourselves from the failings of others."

Nyx nodded and he did smile, "Good luck, Sevros. Until next time."

The Talarian was soon beamed back to his own ship and Captain Temple made his way to the Bridge. With the data chip installed and a new, hopefully safer, path ahead of them - the Pandora was free to continue her journey back to the Federation. Sevros and his ships waited to watch the Luna Class vessel depart, the Pandora disappearing from view in a blue flash of warp light.

OFF