13 - Tempting the Fates
Posted on Sun Nov 3rd, 2024 @ 8:50pm by Commander Jenna Ramthorne & Remal Kajun & Patin & Captain Rhenora Kaylen
Edited on on Mon Nov 4th, 2024 @ 1:02pm
Mission:
The Beginning of the End
Location: Bajor
Bajor - Forest in the hills
Jenna was growing impatient and had decided to sit down. It wasn't going to do her any good to paint herself as a bigger target. Zio on the other hand, kept up an open mouth to create discord tactic. Every so often she would remind them of why she was there and what they were doing. Only when she would get the side eye treatment from the secondary leader, Faro, would Zio clam up. By doing this she was slow stoking the fire.
Patin, to her credit, had spent a lot of time, creeping and listening to the voices of the people. Like a military reconnaissance, she would walk around and insert herself into varying conversations in order to get a read on their enemy and their plans. Then she carried that information back to Jenna and Zio all the while spreading her Bird Shot seed upon the ground.
She approached the pen once more and squatted down. "I'd say half the people here don't really want to be here anymore. Their heart is not fully in it." She relayed via whisper.
"One can only wonder why." Zio followed with a snarky retort. "Where are they?" She asked clearly referring to the calvary.
"Takes time to raise an army. I'm sure many of them are reluctant also. Only difference is, they have something worth fighting for, unlike this lot." She sighed, "They'll be here, soon enough. I trust Kira from what I know of her she's got a good head on her shoulders."
"Heads up. Incoming." Jenna said with a simple nod. A pair of burly looking men were walking towards the pen.
"Oi Starfleet. Boss wants to talk to you' they sneered, reaching to pull Jenna out of the pen. "Boss wants to know how many soldiers they brought with them"
Jenna stood and brushed off her hands, she contemplated lying versus being truthful and what it would mean for their plans. "Sure, I'd be happy to tell the Boss, face to face." She finished, stalling for leverage.
They sneered but continued to grab her by the arms. She paused to consider if she should 'let' them pull her along, which was long enough that when they went to move, she did not. Like walking away attached to an immovable object, they reached a pinnacle and were pulled backwards.
She smiled, "Sorry, right, that way?" She pointed and then walked, at her own pace, toward where the so called Boss was waiting to chat. Her new guards walked cautiously behind her.
They neared Brin and Faro and the thugs took hold of Jenna's arms strongly.
"Starfleet, how many troops would they have brought with them?' Faro said calmly.
Jenna could only smirk. She was confident she held all the important cards and now it was only a matter of how to play them. "I'll tell you what, you divulge what you're planning and perhaps I will tell you how we plan to stop you." She stared unblinking into Brin's eyes. He seemed to carry himself as a leader would, though Jenna did not discount the woman standing next to him. She appeared to hold a fighter's fire in her eyes as she was returning the gaze in Jenna's direction.
"You dare mock us child." The Brin/Wraith entity spoke with a seething tone. "We are a God above men and you are nothing to us. Tell us what we want to know or we will end you here and now."
"Personally, I've never cared for Gods and their high and mighty acts. If you were truly so powerful, you would not need us basic men to do your bidding." She retorted with her own seething tone. "If your intention is to attack our friends, know this, we will make you regret every moment of your current and future existence." She added, layering on the threats.
The Brin/Wraith stared into her eyes, his cheeks clenching in frustration. "So, it's torture you desire, so be it." He raised his hand and a cloud of black smoke that appeared to be like paper on fire, with embers still glowing, shot into Jenna. The guards on either side recoiled.
Pain engulfed her, searing her nerves from tip to toe. Her arms shot out to each side uncontrollably and her head arched back. Her eyes became blackened, blinding her. There was no fighting it, no controlling it so she did what her instincts told her to do, think about anything else. Block the pain and the thoughts from her enemy and do not give them the satisfaction of winning. She would not scream, would not whimper, would not fold.
"Behold! The power of the Wraith!" Faro exclaimed, using the moment to her advantage in galvanizing the obedience of their troops. She had never seen Brin do such a thing but wasn't going to waste the moment. "The true powerful Gods of Bajor who take action to protect us!"
Half the crowd roared in celebratory cheers while many were clearly still talking, weighing their thoughts and fears against their convictions. It only lasted for a couple of minutes but to Jenna it felt as though it had lasted an hour. When it ended, and she could see again, she could still feel her nervous system on edge as though pumped with adrenalin. Her energy level argued though, indicating it was weak from the strain.
Brin clearly staggered before catching himself, and leaning in to whisper in Faro's ear, "I could not glimpse the size of the force she brought, but it was clear she was trying to hide something. I suspect we should prepare ourselves for a sizable force. See to it, would you?" His voice indicated he too was drained form the experience but trying hard not to let it show. Apparently without an embodiment to inhabit that was young, the Pah'Wraith was weaker than he showed.
He made to turn away when Jenna temped her fate, "Is that all you've got? Almighty God my ass. Barely tickled." She spat at the ground. There was a trickle of blood slowly rolling down from her nose. "You want a fight, I'll give you a fight." She was looking at Faro now, baiting her. She would have wanted to leave Faro to Patin but this was her chance to upstage the enemy and she wasn't about to let it pass, even in her weakened state.
"The time will come when your blood joins that of the non-belivers, and that of your Captain's. Better yet, I may make you the one who kills her. Yes I think that would be acceptable " Faro jeered before nodding towards the guards to take Jenna back to the pen.
The glare Jenna gave could have been felt and as the guards tried to pull her back, once again she resisted, unmoving, showing she was clearly strong than they. "Cowards!" She was seething her words directed at both Brin and Faro, inclusive of those surrounding them. "You follow a false God on the path to kill a pair of new parents and their child. Pathetic!"
Her strength returning she pulled her right arm free, knocking the guard to the ground. This allowed her to step forward and cross the two foot space between her and Brin. Though Faro reacted and inserted herself between them. Jenna pointed at her face, "You will fall, and I will be there to watch as they struggle to identify the remains."
It was her way of acting like she had lost control in order to see what her enemy would do and how they would react. She was pushing buttons and tempting her fate but at the same time resting on the edge of her own limitations.
Faro could see the Wraith burning with Brin was not strong enough for a second confrontation so soon. She moved between them, pain stick held low by her side.
"The only false Gods are the Prophets who stood by and did NOTHING as our people were slaughtered during the occupation!" Faro said loudly, hoping the Galveston is the rest of the crowd. She jabbed the pain stick into Jenna's gut and watched the woman crumble.
"Our faith in the Wraith does not waver! Let us move now, and bring about the new age of Bajor!"
While they celebrated, Jenna was dragged back to the holding pen and tossed in without regard to her person. As soon as the guards walked away, Zio crossed and assisted Jenna back into a sitting position. Patin leaned in close from outside the fence and listened. "So, what did you learn?" Zio asked.
Jenna grinned, "It's weak, like it can't sustain itself much longer. They are waiting on something." She wiped the blood from her face with her sleeve. "Still packs a weird punch though."
Zio looked around, then up to the sky. "Darkness. They are waiting on the cover of darkness or the full moon." Patin followed her gaze. "Today the moon will move between the Celestial Temple and Bajor. At it's perigee it will obscure the temple for at least ten minutes."
Patin clenched knowing they weren't far away from the end of this thing. "Then we move before that. While they plan to attack, we will divide their forces. I need to see if Kira has our people in position." She stood and disappeared into the throng of Bajorans waiting to attack the cabin.
Zio was still worried about Jenna, "You good?"
"Yeah." Jenna replied, "I'm stronger than I look."
Zio tapped her metal leg, "We all are, in our own way and," She paused as she looked around. "We're stronger together against this rabble."
Less than half an hour later Patin saddled up next to the to the pen. "Kira says her forces are in position and are waiting on a distraction or signal." She then gave a devious grin, "I have just the thing already planted."
TBC
Captain Rhenora Kaylen
Commanding Officer, USS Sunfire
Commander Jenna Ramthorne
Chief Flight Control Officer & Mission Advisor, USS Sunfire
Remal Kajun
Counselor Aide, USS Sunfire
Husband of the Captain
Played By Commander Jenna Ramthorne
Patin
Friend of the Captain, USS Sunfire
Played By Commander Jenna Ramthorne
