warpfairy | life's blood

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

dream_me_up

Now all they have to do is wait.

From:

warpfairy

Isabella looks like she could wait forever, unmoving, unfeeling.

From:

dream_me_up

"Do you want me to bring you some water?"

From:

warpfairy

"Yes."

From:

dream_me_up

He goes and fetches some water.

From:

warpfairy

Isabella drinks it, sip by careful sip.

From:

dream_me_up

Lalita watches.

From:

warpfairy

Eventually she is done.

From:

dream_me_up

"Do you need anything else?"

From:

warpfairy

"Rest, merely."

From:

dream_me_up

"All right."

From:

warpfairy

From:

dream_me_up

"I'm going to go take care of a few things," he says. "I'll be back soon."

From:

warpfairy

"Very well."

From:

dream_me_up

He leaves.

It takes some calculation, but he gets the bodies of the two dead Cardassians disposed of, on a trajectory that will drop them into a gravity well instead of leaving them as space debris eternally circling the nearest planet. Then he finds his clothes and puts them on.

Then he goes to check on Kelvok.

He doesn't bring a weapon; he doesn't need one.

From:

alicornucopia

Kelvok is tied up in spare electrical cables right where Lalita left him and looks very unhappy.

From:

dream_me_up

"Not as much fun when you're the prisoner, is it?" says Lalita.

From:

alicornucopia

Kelvok does not make eye contact, or respond to this question except to grind his teeth.

From:

dream_me_up

"You know, if it was just me, I might've let you keep me for a while," he says conversationally. "But your friend just had to fuck up my friend, so here we are. Too bad, I guess."

Presuming no response from Kelvok, he goes back to Isabella.

From:

warpfairy

Isabella is right where he left her, observing the ceiling.

From:

dream_me_up

"I killed two of them and took the third one prisoner," he says. "The one who liked me. He's tied up in the cargo bay. I don't think he likes me anymore."