No Pain No Gain

Posted on Fri May 8th, 2026 @ 10:55pm by Commander Jennifer Baldric & Lieutenant JG T'Lar & Lieutenant Commander Bonnie "Bon-Bon" Durnell & Remal Kajun

2,844 words; about a 14 minute read

Mission: Pirates!
Location: ISS Sunfire

“A prisoner is not taken for what they are… but for what they can be made to give.”

The I.S.S. Sunfire cut through warp with quiet certainty, her engines holding a steady, predatory rhythm as starlight stretched thin beyond the hull. The ship had already shed the chaos of the hunt, leaving behind only purpose. A course locked. A destination waiting. Two hours remained.

Within the holding compartment, the lighting stayed low by design, enough to see, never enough to soften. The space carried a deliberate emptiness, broken only by the hum of containment fields and the presence of tools meant to turn silence into something useful.

The cell stood at the center of it. An agonizer band rested at the prisoner’s throat, its presence subtle, its function understood without demonstration. Nearby, the agonizer booth waited in stillness, its frame clean, precise, built for repetition rather than spectacle.

The doors parted with a quiet release.

T'Lar entered the room, striding purposefully to the cell entrance, the shimmering blue forcefield the only barrier between her and Baldric. Her affect was calm, almost unreadable, though there was an unmistakable coldness about her.

Bonnie followed, slower, less direct, her attention already engaged before she had fully crossed the line. One boot lifted to brace lightly against the bulkhead as she settled into place, a dagger turning idly between her fingers. The blade caught the dim light in soft, rhythmic flashes, her focus shifting between the weapon and the scene ahead with quiet anticipation.

“Try not to make it boring,” she said under her breath, the faintest trace of amusement threading through her tone.

The room changed again without sound. Remal entered and stood in the shadowed edge of the chamber, where the light failed to reach. He had taken his position without announcement, presence contained, attention fixed. There was no movement from him, no immediate command given. He watched.

The ship continued on its course, time narrowing with every passing moment, the distance to their destination closing as something far more deliberate prepared to unfold within.

Prime Baldric watched as the procession of people who should be her friends paraded into the room, setting themselves up on the other side of the forcefield with way too much sinister energy for her liking. This ship was like the Sunfire - but oh so very wrong. Her gut told her this must be a mirror universe ship - but how? They'd contained most of the incursion over a year ago. Unless they hadn't - or there'd been another one. Either way - she knew this wasn't going to be pleasant. She stood, hands clasped behind her back in parade rest - uniform impeccable - she would reveal nothing.

Without a word; without warning or provocation T'Lar depressed the switch on her agonizer device, sending waves of excruciating pain coursing through Baldric's body and dropping her involuntarily to the floor.

"That, Commander Baldric, was the agonizer on a low setting. Unfortunately, it is necessary for you to experience it first hand in order to establish trust between us."

T'Lar's voice was flat, almost monotone, betraying neither malevolence nor compassion.

"Know this," she continued. "There is no point in being difficult. You will tell me what I want to know. Everyone breaks, no exceptions, but there is no need for unpleasantness if you choose to cooperate."

T'Lar stepped closer to the forcefield and her demeanor shifted to an icy resolve matched my a cold formality in her words.

"If, however, you fail to answer any of my questions,"
she depressed the agonizer button again
"You get the agonizer..."

Baldric squirmed in agony, writhing on the deck.

"If you say something I don't like you get the agonizer."

She shocked Baldric again, causing the woman to cry out.

"If I find your answers vague or unconvincing... Well I think you get the point."

T'Lar hit the agonizer switch again once more for good measure.


Baldric curled up into a fetal position on the deck, wracked with pain.

The Vulcan squatted down and her tone took on an almost compassionate quality.

"Of course I would prefer to avoid any further unpleasantries but I need to be perfectly candid with you. Non compliance will not be tolerated. If you fail to cooperate, I would simply draw your attention to that booth over there. If you do not tell me what I want to know I will have them put you into it and what the agonizer does for seconds the booth does for minutes to hours at a time. I honestly hope, for your sake, that such persuasion will prove unnecessary. But do not test me. Do I make myself clear?"

Baldric quivered as the electrical shocks left her body, taking a few ragged breaths and running a mental checklist. She was for the most part, unharmed. She took a fww moments before climbing back to her feet, resuming her parade rest stance and looking straight ahead.

"Baldric, Jennifer Louise. Commander. Serial number..."

"Wrong answer..." T'Lar countered, hitting the agonizer button again but this time holding it steady for 30 seconds, again dropping Baldric to the floor in a heap of involuntary twitching and indescribable pain.

"You will cooperate eventually. Why prolong the inevitable? Let's start with something simple, shall we? Do you recognize me from your ship?"

"You're the new counsellor. Shame though, I thought you were nice," Baldric spat as she climbed back to her feet, hands clasped behind her back, wearing her posture and her uniform like a shield.

Bonnie’s smile deepened by a fraction, her tongue tracing her lower lip as the dagger turned once more between her fingers. “Take your time,” she murmured, almost gentle in her tone. “I do enjoy the moment they realize it doesn’t stop. You've got fight, like a mare who needs to be broken in.”

"What do you expect? You are us, aren't you, just a twisted, darker version. You don't give your secrets," Baldric retorted, allowing her body time to recover between jolts.

Bonnie stopped, eyes sharp, grin malicious, "The fact that you are still speaking... annoys me." The dagger in her fingers flipped and turned like a fidget toy. "Tell us something... useful... and maybe we'll let you live." Her eyes flicked off to the shadows as though her mind had gone to a darker place. "Maybe."

T'Lar turned to Bonnie with a dark look in her eye.

"May I remind you, Durnell, that this is my interrogation... Your input is neither required nor desired. If you cannot refrain from interfering I suggest you leave. Unless of course you'd care to demonstrate for our guest the efficacy of the agonizer booth should you choose to test my patience further."

Bonnie’s grin never faltered, though something colder settled behind it at T’Lar’s warning. The dagger stopped turning for the first time since she had entered the room. Slowly, deliberately, she lifted both hands a few inches in mock surrender. The gesture might have passed for obedience if not for the blade still resting between her fingers.

Then she stepped back from the forcefield, retreating into the dim edge of the chamber near Remal’s shadow. Her posture relaxed there, one shoulder settling against the bulkhead as though entirely unbothered. But her eyes never left T’Lar. Never blinked.

And after a long moment, the dagger began to turn again between her fingers with soft, patient precision. Slow now. Thoughtfully and patiently waiting.

T'Lar turned back to Baldric.

"Please disregard what this woman has said. She is not in any position to determine what happens to you and I assure you you are in no mortal danger at this time. Failure to cooperate may have you begging for death, but that doesn't mean we are ready to kill you."

T'Lar paused to let that sink in

"Now, we wish to know how the Sunfire was able to track our vessel. We were cloaked and all the way across the solar system and yet you were able to find us. My working theory is some sort of quantum entanglement involving someone or something on your vessel and Marie Batel's body. Some sort of "Jedi mind control voodoo bullshit" as my superior calls it. So tell me, how did you find us?"

Baldric was grateful for the reprieve, and would stretch it as long as she could.

"You seriously have no idea how we were tracking you?" Baldric's eyebrows rose a little, before she took her time in replying. " what if I told you your greed was your biggest weakness, and will remain so"

"I would say that answer comes dangerously close to being vague and unconvincing, so unless you want me to press the agonizer button again I suggest you elaborate in far greater detail about how you were able to track us..." T'Lar said with a warning tinge to her otherwise flat tone and affect.

"Greater detail? Your ship is the same as mine. Either you don't know how to use it to its peak efficiency, or your problem is with your people" Baldric changed tack, resting her hands on her hips in an almost cocky gesture.

"Pity. Just when I thought you were beginning to be reasonable. Very well, have it your way." T'Lar said, depressing the agonizer button for another 30 seconds, dropping Baldric to her knees in misery.

"I told you. Tell me something I don't want to hear, and you get the agonizer." T'Lar hit the switch again for another 30 seconds.

"It only gets worse from here, Commander. I haven't even raised the setting yet. And this is nothing compared to the booth. Right now you are groveling because you are unable to stand. In the booth you get no such respite. Every muscle in your body will go rigid and any attempt to sit will be excruciating beyond anything you've experienced thus far. Now, how did you manage to track our ship ?"

"If I can't speak, I'm no good to you, am I?" Jennifer replied as she slowly got back to her feet. "You stole the body of one of Starfleet's most decorated Captains, one who had been genetically modified to boot. You don't think we may have added a few security measures?'

"I personally checked Captain Batel's torpedo casing and body for transceivers and came up with nothing. There were no 'security measures' present. You tell me what I missed." T'Lar countered with just the faintest hint of irritation creeping into her voice.

From the shadowed edge of the room, Remal remained motionless, though the silence around him changed. One slow breath moved through his nose. His jaw shifted once, tightening just enough for the muscle to stand out beneath the low light before settling again. The fingers resting against his folded arm curled inward by a fraction, thoughtful rather than angry, but the stillness that followed carried a sharper weight.

T’Lar’s choice of words lingered in the air. What I missed.

Remal’s eyes lifted slightly toward her profile, steady and unreadable, though something colder settled behind them now, the quiet recognition of weakness revealed through carelessness. He said nothing. The absence of interruption carried its own pressure.

In the dim light, the faintest tilt of his head suggested consideration already taking shape. Not of the prisoner but of accountability. He waited for confirmation of infraction.

Baldric concealed her satisfaction by standing a little straighter. This wasn't solely about her - this was someone wanting to learn from their mistakes. Admirable.

"What you failed to consider - is that Batel herself was unique in death - as well as life. And now she's back on the Sunfire where she belongs to be repatriated as she deserves. Not traded amoungst the galaxy like some commodity" Jennifer's tone rose to accusatory and the fire in her eyes was hot enough to burn.

"And what you fail to consider is that I have no patience for your vagaries, Commander..." T'Lar countered again, again depressing the agonizer button for another 30 second ride.

"I do not believe I missed anything. I checked over every inch of that torpedo casing with every sensor we have available in addition to a tactile and visual inspection. I believe you are right that there is something unique about the body, and that you are concealing the connection by which someone or something was able to lock onto its location by some sort of psychic connection or quantum entanglement. "

She paused, turned to the door and beckoned in two security staff standing outside.

"Strap her into the interrogation chair." T'Lar commanded.

The two security officers did as they were bidden, deactivating the forcefield and picking up Baldric off the deck, carrying her to a very unpleasant looking chair with straps for her head, arms, hands, legs and feet. Quickly they bound her hands and feet then took their time binding the rest.

"Since you will not willingly give me the information I require, Commander, you give me no choice but to take it from you. You can try and resist but you will only run the risk of permanent brain damage if you do so. My will is stronger than yours I assure you."

T'Lar positioned herself to the right side of Baldric, placing her fingers on her face in a very specific order.

"Your mind to my mind. Your thoughts to my thoughts. I see what you have seen. I know what you know..."

Instantly T'Lar's vision was filled with images of the Sunfire bridge in the chaotic moments after the ISS Sunfire had made its initial escape.

"It is Dean House. Their Dean House is the one with the connection to Batel. He's the one that somehow psychically knew the location of her body's coordinates, which allowed them to track us. " T'Lar said finally, triumphant.

"I told you there was some sort of entanglement. I knew I hadn't missed anything."

She turned to the security officers.

"Place her back in her cell, unless of course there are other plans for her?" T'Lar looked to Remal and Bonnie for input.

"What you didn't see, is that Dean is a good shag. He's gonna know it's not me the minute that other woman tries anything" Baldric's brain felt like it was going to explode inside her head. "Whatever you're planning, he'll figure it out"

The sound of the straps tightening seemed to settle something restless in her. “Mmm.” Her voice barely carried. Bonnie gave a slow, approving nod from the shadows. A low sound escaping, almost thoughtful. “Beautiful,” she said quietly, pushing herself off the bulkhead at last.

Her eyes watched T’Lar with sharp, unsettling approval. “You’re better at this than I expected.” For the first time since entering the chamber, Bonnie looked genuinely interested. Not in Baldric. In T’Lar. Her grin sharpened as the mind meld ended, eyes bright with something feverishly attentive. “Oh, I like you when you're angry,” she said under her breath, almost absentmindedly. “Efficient.”

T'Lar for her part raised an eyebrow and gave a small nod in Bonnie's direction.

"I am gratified that you approve," T'Lar replied, cognizant that a detente had suddenly been declared between the two. It was no secret that they were the two most dangerous women on board, and with no love lost between the two to this point, a change in direction was welcome.

“That’s the difference between soldiers and hunters,” Bonnie said quietly. “Soldiers want answers.” The dagger rolled once across her knuckles. “Hunters want the truth to scream as it leaves their enemies' bodies.”

From the shadows, Remal’s eyes moved once between them. Noting the shift. Bonnie had stopped treating the interrogation like entertainment. That was rarely a good sign.

Bonnie stared at Baldric. “She isn’t afraid.” The room quieted. Baldric’s breathing remained ragged. Her body trembled from the strain. Sweat clinging to her skin. Yet somewhere beneath the pain sat certainty. Bonnie tilted her head slightly. “She thinks they’re coming to save her.”

Remal’s eyes narrowed by a fraction. Slow. Deliberate. He finally moved from the shadow, his eyes settling on Baldric, though the focus behind them had already shifted somewhere farther away, toward implications still unfolding.

“Dean House,” he repeated quietly, testing the name like a blade against stone. One slow breath passing through his nose. “So that is the thread.”

Bonnie’s dagger stilled.

Remal’s jaw flexed once before he looked toward T’Lar without fully turning his head. “You were correct about the connection,” he said evenly. Then, after the briefest pause, “And wrong about the danger.” His gaze drifted back to Baldric. “A man who can reach across stars to connect with the dead,” he said softly, “is either useful... or catastrophic.”

Silence settled over the room. Then Remal smiled. Barely. “Bring me everything we have on Dean House.”

Baldric felt the agoniser hit one lsst time, before everything faded to black.

TBC

 

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