Frying Pan pt 6 AKA - into the fire

Posted on Wed Jun 28th, 2023 @ 10:56am by Captain Rhenora Kaylen & Commander Savar cha'Salik hei-Surak Talek-sen-deen & Lieutenant Commander Aurora Vali

Mission: Repairs and Retribution
Location: Cardassian mine

The meal was served, the force fields reactivated and the sluggish movement of exhausted souls moving weakly towards their meager food offering. Rhenora had seen it before, tasted it before and knew that although it was vile, it would keep her alive.

Savar looked at the slop in his bowl. It sloshed and was utterly unappetizing to look at. Yet he knew he, Aurora and Rhenora needed to eat the gruel to keep up the strength they had. For the Cardassians would make a point of making examples of them by working them harder than the rest of the prisoners. He handed a bowl to Aurora, "Here Aurora, eat. To keep your strength up."

Aurora nodded, the slop looked disgusting but if it was that or starving herself she would eat it. She tried not to pull a disgusted face at the taste and texture of the so-called food as ate.

Rhenora expected the lights to be dimmed for the evening, and a few hours later they did so. Just enough so the Cardassians could still see everything but also enough to allow the prisoners to rest somewhat. Once again, despite the constant abuse she knew was to come - a good miner was an alive miner - noone could pull ore if they were dead and there was only a certain number of prisoners the spoonheads could supply to keep the place running.

Savar sat on the floor as Aurora lay in the cot. He tried to focus and meditate but found it difficult as his concern for Aurora and Rhenora and their pregnant condition overrode his need. "Captain, you should rest. I am afraid our captors will return in a few hours to take us to the mines as well as delight in our situation."

"I'm sure they will" the Captain lamented as she turned and regarded the alcove cut into the rock wall. It promised a rough and cold night of something that was far removed from sleep. Some of the other prisoners had a blanket or two, but as yet the new comers hadn't been supplied with anything. Rhenora had a gut feel that blankets were the sort of thing you had to earn. "You should rest as well Savar, we will need all our strength in the morning"

Aurora was already asleep, the exhaustion from not having slept much enroute, had finally helped her to sleep. Not that it was going to get any easier from here on in.

"Thank you for your concern Captain. I shall endeavor to do so. However I am concerned about you and Aurora. Working in the mines will not help your conditions." He pointed out.

"No it most certainly will not, the last mission didn't help either. We haven't exactly had the easiest of runs lately have we?" She mused from the cold bunch in the gloom. She closed her eyes and tried to fall into a light meditation, failing miserably at the task.

"No, we have not Captain." Savar agreed quietly. As he stood at the bars separating their cells. "However, we must remain strong and united if we are to survive. We must not give in to despair." He glanced at the sleeping Aurora and then back at Rhenora. "I am concerned for both you and Aurora and the babies you carry. Being in the mines, will not help you both maintain your health and the babies you carry"

"They don't care about the babies we carry amd they sure as heck will make sure we don't leave here alive." Rhenora admitted "there is nothing we can do to change the situation though so we must accept what is dealt to us until we can change it"

A number of hours later the lighting was raised from the subdued level to something akin to a blazing sun in mid morning. Rhenora had managed a few hours of light slumber, leaving her senses fairly alert whilst her body rested. She felt that the newly arrived trio would receive unwelcome attention from both prisoners and Cardassians alike and it turned her stomach to think what the day would bring. Another meager offering of food was shoved through the portal and a short time later the prisoners lined up at the door to their cells. It was time to head to the mines.

Savar stood at the entrance to the cell. His concern for Aurora and Rhenora rising with the start of the day. Undoubtedly the trio would be singled out by their guards who would delight in making the trios lives a living hell. As for the other prisoners, no doubt some would try to intimidate and bully or abuse the new arrivals to add to their hardship.

Aurora stood alongside Savar, she wasn’t goinh to show weakness, she was going to be strong. If she was to survive here she would have to be. She was dreading going to the mines, but she wouldn’t let Savar or Rhenora down.

The forcefield a dropped one at a time, a Cardassian led a growing line of prisoners that grew cell by cell as those inside joined the end of the queue, flanked by two further guards at the rear. Rhenora's cell forcefield lowered and she stepped to the end of the line, trying to avoid as much attention as possible. Kind of hard considering they were still dressed in their Starfleet uniforms. She watched as Savar and Aurora did the same, moving fast enough to avoid punishment but slow enough to conserve energy. "Move Starfleet!" The Cardassians growled, swinging a distant the three of them.

Savar with Aurora at his side had moved to the rear of the prisoner line, joining Rhenora. They moved slowly, keeping up with the other prisoners but nothing more. The dark mouth of the mine growing larger and more foreboding with each step they took. Its mysteries soon to be revealed and not knowing what was coming other than it would be long, difficult and hard labor. The trio conserved the strength they had, waiting until they reached the mines and what awaited them there.

It wasn't long before the tunnel descended down into the mines, the ambient lighting coming from crude lights overhead. The workers peeled off into several groups, each heading down a different mineshaft, picking up a pick and a bucket as they went.

"You, that way, you two, over there" the supervisor growled, splitting Rhenora up from Savar and Aurora.

Savar hesitated as Rhenora was separated from Aurora and himself. Alone she was less able to defend herself from either Cardassian guards, prisoners or both. For his hesitation he was rewarded with multiple strikes to his stomach and back with a Cardassian neural baton. It was similar to a Klingon painstick as it felt like the victim's entire nervous system was on fire when struck with one.

Aurora gasped, watching Savar taking such a beating was difficult to say the least. She knew he could handle the pain, but it didn’t make it any easier to watch.

Savar held his ground and didn't utter a sound as the Cardassians continued to hit him with their neural batons until the supervisor growled. "Enough, you fools! We need him to work in the mine. Make his death slow and painful" He looked at Aurora and Rhenora. "Make all their deaths slow and painful."

Aurora wanted to assist Savar, but she knew she’d be making him look weak if she did. Instead she followed on behind him to where they were to put to work.

“Guards..” A voice came from up front, the very man who’d given her a look the previous evening. “You said I could choose..” he turned to look at Aurora. “That one, she’ll do nicely. She’ll still work hard, that I’ll make sure of.”

The guards gave Aurora a disdainful look before roughly moving her forward. “Meet your master Starfleet!” With that the whole line was moved onward.

Savar took a step forward. NO! Aurora is my wife!" He exclaimed before being stopped but not beaten by the guards.

Aurora gave Savar a longing look before the line moved on, as each of the prisoners peeled off to their working areas she could only watch as Savar was pushed on past where she was taken.

“Now listen girl, I’ve been here long enough to know how things work around here. Working hard gets you privileges, at least for me it does. Now you will pick that up...” The man motioned to a bucket on the floor, “The guard’s have already filled it with water, make your way around all the prisoners. From now on you’re the water girl. Make no mistake it’s not easy work, but as long as you’re under my protection no one will dare touch you.”

Aurora nodded. “Yes Sir” with that she moved to the bucket, along side of it was a small metal cup. The bucket itself weighed quite heavy as she picked it up, at least it would get lighter as the day went on.

Savar was clearly unhappy with this development. Aurora was his wife, his soulmate. However he kept his mouth sealed as he didn't want any harm to fall to Aurora. he would talk with her later in their cell.

Rhenora meanwhile was down a different tunnel pushed forward by a cruel Cardassian who took a liking to making everyone's lives more miserable. "You, teach her" he growled at a nearby starving miner, who merely nodded and said nothing. Rhenora moved beside him with her pick and bucket and tried to keep her head down and away from the batons of the guards.

Aurora offered her husband a longing look as she passed him by water bucket and cup in hand. She’d have to go around every area where people were working, it would be gruelling by the end of the day lugging a heavy bucket of water back and forth wherever she went, but it was better than digging.

The minutes dragged into hours which seemed longer and longer with each passing one. Time almost ceased to have meaning as they worked away at the rock wall, chipping away at the previous minerals within it whilst trying to avoid the wrath of the bored and temperamental guards.

Savar's gaze lingered on Aurora as she passed him to dole out water to the other miners/prisoners. He worked automatically. He would chip the mineral out of the rock wall. load it into a bucket and repeat the process. Yet, his mind was on Aurora and her well-being. He did not see Rhenora as well as she was pushed down a different tunnel. He could only hope she was faring as best she could in these horrendous conditions.

TBC