Curiouser and Curiouser

Posted on Tue Aug 25th, 2020 @ 2:47pm by Major Ashley Rogers

711 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Shore Leave: Welcome to Drozana
Location: ???
Timeline: 238612.29

Ash made her way to the meeting location in the isolated maintenance corridors of Drozana Station. She knew this would be a trap, it's just a matter of who is behind it and what they wanted. But if she was to have any chance of learning about the Ourainavassa, it was a risk she had no choice but to take.

Every fiber of her being was on alert as she navigated through the darkness. She knew she was being followed, she slowly drew her phaser. "I know you're back there. Let's just cut the crap and get this over with. I'm not here to play games," Ash called out.

"Always paranoid, aren't we, Ash?" a voice said. Ash couldn't make out who it was or where it came from. "Or should I call you, Centurion Ashley Rogers... I never seem to be able to track who you work for at any given moment."

"I sure as hell don't work for you anymore. Show yourself!" Ash tightened her grip on her phaser.

"What are you going to do? Shoot and kill me? Then you wouldn't get the information you came here for," the voice kept getting closer. "The Ourainavassa. When you ask for favors, you don't mess around. But then, what the hell makes you think you're in a position to ask for favors, Ash? You turned your back on us when we needed you."

"Your needs made me a prisoner of war... your needs put in a Federation prison after that war. Your needs destroyed my ship and killed my best friend. And the last thing he felt was my betrayal of his trust in me. So I don't give a damn about your needs," Ash responded.

"You don't? Is that why you spent Christmas day drinking yourself into oblivion with your fellow mercenaries? Is that why you tucked tail between your legs and ran away? You know what you did was wrong. You're running from those consequences. You think landing the Ourainavassa for your rag tag crew of misfits will make up for what you let happen? You think trying to save the Romulans will let you sleep at night?" the voice laughed.

The laugh. Ash immediately recognized the laugh. But she barely had time to process it before the dark corridor was illuminated by a phaser shot and the vaporization of the source of the voice... and the burning pain of a phaser shot to her chest.

-----

Everything hurt. Which was good. Pain means she was still alive. She was laying on a hard surface... the floor maybe? She wiggled her toes and fingers, glad she could still move. She tried opening her eyes, but couldn't see either. Either she was blind or she was sitting in the dark. She blinked a few times as she tried to roll over. The last time this happened she was on the floor of her quarters after spending an evening with Raven and Hatham. Somehow she doesn't think this misery was caused by anything fun.

Suddenly the lights turned on and confirmed... not blind. Although the light was definitely blinding. She got to her knees and attempted to stand up only to be met with a swift kick to the ribs, knocking her back down.

"SON OF A..." she yelled. She scrambled to her feet, wobbly, and dazed. Her eyes still haven't adjusted to the light. Then the sharp pain of a fist to her face and the distinctive crack of a broken nose knocked her stumbling into the wall. Her eyes were adjusting and she could see the shape of a large man coming at her. She played possum long enough for her attacker to get closer and she launched at him with a quick dodge of his attack and a knee to his abdomen. The loud grunt of pain meant she landed her strike well. She turned to face him and kneed him in the face as he was doubled over. "That's for my nose..."

The man stood up and faced her, both of them with blood pouring out of their broken noses, "Hello Ash. Where the hell have you been?"

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