life's blood

[warpfairy]

They're not near Cardassian Union space.

But then, they're not near Federation space either. This ship has as much right to be in this system as they do.

It makes Isabella nervous, anyway, and she's just about to suggest leaving and coming back another time, when the Prometheus is hailed.

They're armed. She can't warp inside a solar system.

She answers the hail.

"Hello, Federation vessel," says one of the three visible Cardassians in bad but intelligible English. "What're you doing out here alone?"

Isabella swallows. "This is the deep space survey vessel Prometheus," she begins.

The computer lets her know that they're charging weapons.

"We have no hostile intention," she says.

Comments

[alicornucopia]

Sweetness all around, then.

This continues in shifts - visits from Kelvok, departures thereby.

The room next door is silent. If Isabella is even sleeping, then the walls are too thick to convey the talking in her sleep that she always does. If she's there.

[dream_me_up]

Lalita does not like the sound of that. Or lack thereof.

It's probably still better to cooperate, but... probably.

[alicornucopia]

Kelvok makes no remarks about Isabella at all.

[dream_me_up]

Given that they don't share a language, that's not a surprise.

There is an amazing amount of communication that can take place without a common language, but most of it is about things less abstract than 'what is your friend doing to my friend where I can't see them?'.

[alicornucopia]

Yep. Kelvok is not even slightly trying to communicate on that subject.

[dream_me_up]

Can't blame him, really.

[alicornucopia]

Lalita is very distracting.

[dream_me_up]

It is one of many skills on which he prides himself!

[alicornucopia]

Time wears on.

One day there are noises from the adjacent room.

They aren't... really... Isabella noises.

[dream_me_up]

Kelvok is present at this time.

Lalita gives the wall a suspicious look and pushes him away.

[alicornucopia]

Kelvok looks at the wall, and at Lalita, and frowns at the wall again, and pounds on it a few times. "Hey!"

The noises fall silent.

Kelvok reaches for Lalita again.

[dream_me_up]

Lalita hesitates, then draws back, shaking his head. Clearly this is not a sufficient reassurance.

[alicornucopia]

"Brol, you idiot, he heard you!" Kelvok snarls through the wall.

"She's quiet as can be! Get Janor to tell him the difference!" comes Brol's muffled voice. "What's he gonna do, frown at you?"

[dream_me_up]

Lalita does, in fact, frown.

He also gets up and goes to the door.

[alicornucopia]

"Lalita," says Kelvok. "Lalita." He doesn't say anything else, he wouldn't expect Lalita to understand him.

[dream_me_up]

He shakes his head. He points at the door.

[alicornucopia]

"Brol," howls Kelvok through the window. "Get me Janor -"

"I'm busy," laughs Brol.

Kelvok looks like he's developing a headache.

[dream_me_up]

All right, fine. Pretending is getting him nowhere.

Lalita opens the door and takes the few steps down the corridor to the room where they are keeping Isabella.

[alicornucopia]

The door to that room is closed.

Kelvok follows him, grabs his shoulder. "Lalita."

[dream_me_up]

Lalita shrugs him off and opens this door, too.

[alicornucopia]

When he starts picking the lock, Kelvok grabs both his shoulders and hauls on him.

[dream_me_up]

He declines to be hauled.

The door opens.

[warpfairy]

Kelvok summons Janor by communicator, exasperated, unhappy.

Lalita has managed to walk in on Brol and Isabella. Neither of them is currently wearing anything. If Isabella has had a break from being beaten to within an inch of her life over the past couple of days, it's not in visual evidence; she's in a sort of heap on the floor, awake but with the dead-eyed calm of full Vulcans in full suppression. She perceives but does not discernibly react to Lalita's presence. Possibly she can't move.

Brol snarls and lunges for Lalita. "Kelvok can't keep his playtoy under control -"

[dream_me_up]

Looking at Lalita, 'brawny' would never be the first word that came to mind. He's tall but not broad; he has the physique of a dancer, not a weightlifter. This is particularly obvious at the moment because neither he nor Kelvok is wearing anything either.

Appearances can be deceiving.

He wraps one hand around Brol's throat, picks him up off the floor, and throws him bodily out of the room.

[warpfairy]

Kelvok makes an undignified noise and bolts down the hall, possibly to retrieve some manner of weapon or see what's taking Janor so long.

Isabella continues to be a heap of controlled emotionlessness on the floor.

Brol hits the wall. He's stunned but, thanks to his scales, not unconscious, and staggers to his feet.