The Raven and the Vulture
Posted on Fri Jul 8th, 2022 @ 10:59am by Colonel Sehan t'Varis
727 words; about a 4 minute read
Mission:
Chapter VI: Racing the Storm
Location: ???
Timeline: ???
Raven sat at the controls of Munin, smiling to herself. Somehow, she had managed to not only talk the Terrans out of torturing, killing, or enslaving her, she'd even managed to get help with repairs to the little fighter. Other than the temporal drive system, her ship was once again fully operational. And it had only taken two months to get there. But, finally, she was on her way to the coordinates Ellie had sent her in her last message - but, as Raven's trip had taken her two years into the past, that was of little importance.
When she dropped out of warp, Raven found herself near a gas giant, orbited by what appeared to be a small M-class moon. Just as she was about to set a course for the moon, her sensors alerted her to an incoming vessel - what appeared to be a Klingon bird-of-prey, but one that was sending out a singularity power signature. She had found the Vulture.
"Unidentified vessel, you have trespassed into restricted space. Leave now, or you will be destroyed. This is your only warning."
Raven smirked. "Bird-of-Prey, acknowledged. But I am not going to leave. I'm not here to cause trouble, I am here to join your ranks."
"Target vessels disabled, Commander. Initialising transport to the hauler."
"Excellent. Tell the Vulture our operation has been successful."
Nine months had passed since Raven had joined the Vulture's operation in the mirror universe, and she had quickly worked her way up to commanding one of the birds-of-prey raiding Terran and Coalition supply lines. In this universe, the Vulture was a privateer, working for the Romulan Republic - and, as it turned out, she was indeed the counterpart to Raven's mother. Her own counterpart, she'd learned, had died at a young age, killed in a street fight on Terra.
Once the captured supplies and components had been transported to the hauler, Raven's bird-of-prey - which she had named the Raven's Claw, in reference to her own old ship - had destroyed the disabled transport, and jumped to warp, to return to headquarters.
"Commander, boss wants to talk to you. Private channel hail in your quarters."
Raven nodded at her XO, and quickly headed down. As soon as she arrived in her quarters, she opened the channel.
"Commander Raven." The now familiar face of the Vulture greeted her. "Well done on yet another operation."
The Commander simply nodded. "Thank you. What are our next orders?"
Vulture smiled. "You are to return to base. Your ship will be refitted as a test bed for a new piece of technology we have acquired. Join me when you arrive, and I will give you all the details."
As she entered what could only be described as a small throne room, Raven struggled to contain her contempt. Here she was, in the headquarters of the Emerald Chain, the Vulture's syndicate. In the centre of the room sat the Vulture herself, her chair placed on an elevated platform. Next to the chair, however, stood a Romulan, in the uniform of this universe's Tal Shiar, wearing the insignia of a general. Raven had only met him once before - General D'Vex, the man behind the Chain's work for the Republic. She respectfully bowed her head, and waited for one of them to address her.
"Commander Raven," D'Vex said, after a moment of silence. "You have served the Chain, and the Republic, well. Thanks to your work, we have been able to acquire all the components we need for a Stamets Device. Do you know what that is?"
Raven's eye widened. "A displacement-activated spore hub drive. Highly experimental Terran technology."
The General and the Vulture both smiled. "You are very knowledgeable," the Romulan replied. "Precisely that. Your vessel will be refitted as a test bed for this new drive system. If it proves effective, other ships in the Chain's fleet will receive the same upgrade. My associates and I have great things planned for you. Things that will make the Emerald Chain one of the greatest powers in this universe, second only to the great and eternal Romulan State."
Finally, the mystery was unfolding. Raven sank to a knee. "It is an honour to serve, General."
"That it is. Rise, Colonel. Welcome to the Zhat Vash."
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